THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY DECEMBER 25, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

BISMARCK-HENNING (ILL.) TOURNAMENT

PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY   AT          BHRA (ILL.)      8:00 PM            

HEBRON TOURNAMENT

CAREER ACADEMY    VS.        LAKE STATION              6:30 PM             R1

PORTAGE CHRISTIAN              AT          HEBRON           8:00 PM             R1

HOMESTEAD TOURNAMENT

ZIONSVILLE    VS.        CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)      5:30 PM             R1

SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH     VS.        MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)          5:30 PM               R1

CENTER GROVE          AT          HOMESTEAD                 7:00 PM             R1

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN              VS.        PENN  7:00 PM             R1

RICH SOUTH (ILL.) TOURNAMENT

GARY WEST     VS.        HILLCREST (ILL.)         4:30 PM             R1

SHAWE MEMORIAL CLASSIC

EMINENCE (KY.)           VS.        COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN         3:00 PM            

TRIMBLE COUNTY (KY.)           VS.        RISING SUN    4:50 PM            

CARROLL COUNTY (KY.)         AT          SHAWE MEMORIAL   6:40 PM            

TRIMBLE COUNTY (KY.)           VS.        COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN         10:30 AM         

SHENANDOAH TOURNAMENT

SETON CATHOLIC      AT          SHENANDOAH             9:00 AM             R1

RUSHVILLE     VS.        WALDRON                     10:30 AM          R1

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN    VS.        ANDERSON    12:00 PM          R1

INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN   VS.        WARSAW          1:30 PM             R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1                            3:30 PM             CON

LOSER GAME 4             VS.        LOSER GAME 3                            5:00 PM             CON

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         6:30 PM             SF

WINNER GAME 4         VS.        WINNER GAME 3         8:00 PM             SF

WABASH COUNTY TOURNAMENT

MANCHESTER              VS.        NORTHFIELD 4:45 PM             R1

SOUTHWOOD              AT          WABASH          8:15 PM             R1

WABASH VALLEY TOURNAMENT

SHAKAMAK     VS.        MARTINSVILLE             10:00 AM          R1

LINTON             VS.        EDGEWOOD                 11:30 AM          R1

CASEY-WESTFIELD (ILL.)       VS.        BLOOMFIELD 1:00 PM             R1

CLOVERDALE VS.        TERRE HAUTE NORTH             2:30 PM             R1

PARKE HERITAGE        VS.        GREENCASTLE             4:00 PM             R1

SOUTH VERMILLION VS.        WEST VIGO     5:30 PM             R1

NORTHVIEW  AT          TERRE HAUTE SOUTH             7:00 PM             R1

SULLIVAN        VS.        MARSHALL (ILL.)                        8:30 PM             R1

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

BETHESDA CHRISTIAN           VS.        ROCK CREEK ACADEMY        10:30 AM         

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN AT          BLUE RIVER VALLEY  7:30 PM            

CASCADE        VS.        NORTHEAST DUBOIS              12:00 PM         

CHESTERTON               AT          ELKHART          2:30 PM            

CHRISTEL HOUSE      VS.        BARR-REEVE  7:30 PM            

DECATUR CENTRAL  VS.        EVANSVILLE REITZ                    1:30 PM            

EVANSVILLE HARRISON         VS.        WASHINGTON              4:30 PM            

FORT RECOVERY (OHIO)       AT          SOUTH ADAMS            7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE LUERS VS.        EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL        6:00 PM            

FRANKLIN COUNTY (KY.)       AT          FLOYD CENTRAL         6:00 PM            

GIBSON SOUTHERN AT          FOREST PARK               2:30 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL AT          PRINCETON (OHIO)  5:15 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY        AT          TRI        7:30 PM            

LAPEL AT          YORKTOWN                   7:30 PM            

LAWRENCE CENTRAL             AT          JEFFERSONVILLE        7:30 PM            

MCCUTCHEON           VS.        EVANSVILLE BOSSE  3:00 PM            

MEDORA          AT          CANNELTON                 7:30 PM            

MONROVIA     AT          EASTERN GREENE      7:30 PM            

NORWELL        AT          BLUFFTON                      7:30 PM            

PENDLETON HEIGHTS            AT          INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD      12:00 PM         

RICHMOND    AT          WESTFIELD     2:30 PM            

RIVER FOREST              AT          GARY LIGHTHOUSE                  8:00 PM            

ROCHESTER   AT          TIPPECANOE VALLEY                             7:30 PM            

SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON             AT          KALAMAZOO CENTRAL (MICH.) TBA              

SOUTH PUTNAM         AT          WHITE RIVER VALLEY              7:30 PM            

SPRINGS VALLEY        AT          VINCENNES RIVET                    7:00 PM            

TAYLOR             AT          EASTERN (GREENTOWN)                     7:30 PM            

VINCENNES LINCOLN            AT          EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 7:30 PM       

WAPAHANI      AT          JAY COUNTY                  7:30 PM            

BISMARCK-HENNING (ILL.) TOURNAMENT

PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY   VS.        TBA       TBA      

PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY   VS.        TBA       TBA      

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH TOURNAMENT

MUNCIE CENTRAL     AT          BLOOMINGTON SOUTH         10:00 AM          R1

PERRY MERIDIAN        VS.        AVON                 11:45 AM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             5:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         7:15 PM             1ST

EAST NOBLE TOURNAMENT

WOODLAN      AT          EAST NOBLE   11:30 AM          R1

FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA  VS.        GARRETT          3:00 PM             R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             7:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         7:30 PM             1ST

EMINENCE TOURNAMENT

RIVERTON PARKE       VS.        LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN     10:00 AM          POOL B

SEVEN OAKS  AT          EMINENCE                     12:00 PM          POOL A

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN     VS.        MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN   2:00 PM POOL B

SEVEN OAKS  VS.        ATTICA                              4:00 PM             POOL A

RIVERTON PARKE       VS.        MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN                  6:00 PM               POOL B

ATTICA               AT          EMINENCE                     8:00 PM             POOL A

GOSHEN CLASSIC

KANKAKEE VALLEY    VS.        GOSHEN          11:00 AM         

KANKAKEE VALLEY    VS.        HAMMOND MORTON              3:00 PM            

HAMMOND MORTON              AT          GOSHEN          7:00 PM            

GRANT 4 TOURNAMENT

MADISON-GRANT      AT          EASTBROOK                  10:00 AM          R1

MISSISSINEWA             VS.        OAK HILL                         11:30 AM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             6:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         8:00 PM             1ST

HEBRON TOURNAMENT

LOSER GAME 1             VS.        LOSER GAME 2             6:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 1         VS.        WINNER GAME 2         8:00 PM             1ST

HIGHLAND TOURNAMENT

WHITING          VS.        CALUMET                        1:00 PM             7TH

GRIFFITH          VS.        LAFAYETTE JEFF           2:30 PM             5TH

HIGHLAND      VS.        ANDREAN                       5:00 PM             3RD

BOWMAN ACADEMY VS.        PORTAGE         6:30 PM             1ST

HOMESTEAD TOURNAMENT

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         10:00 AM          SF

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             10:00 AM          CON

WINNER GAME 4         VS.        WINNER GAME 3         11:30 AM          SF

LOSER GAME 4             VS.        LOSER GAME 3             11:30 AM          CON

LOSER GAME 6             VS.        LOSER GAME 8             4:00 PM             7TH

WINNER GAME 6         VS.        WINNER GAME 8         4:00 PM             5TH

LOSER GAME 5             VS.        LOSER GAME 7             5:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 5         VS.        WINNER GAME 7         5:30 PM             1ST

MORRISTOWN CLASSIC

INDIANAPOLIS HERRON        AT          MORRISTOWN             10:00 AM         

MILAN VS.        SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)     10:00 AM         

SALEM               VS.        UNION COUNTY                        12:00 PM         

SOUTH DECATUR       VS.        WESTERN BOONE      12:00 PM         

WESTERN BOONE      VS.        MILAN                4:00 PM            

SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)     VS.        INDIANAPOLIS HERRON        4:00 PM              

SALEM               AT          MORRISTOWN                            6:00 PM            

UNION COUNTY         VS.        SOUTH DECATUR       6:00 PM            

NORTH DAVIESS TOURNAMENT

PIKE CENTRAL              VS.        LANESVILLE    11:00 AM          R1

JAC-CEN-DEL AT          NORTH DAVIESS          12:30 PM          R1

LOSER GAME 1             VS.        LOSER GAME 2                            6:00 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 1         VS.        WINNER GAME 2                        7:30 PM             1ST

PERRY-SPENCER TOURNAMENT

CORYDON CENTRAL AT          TELL CITY         11:00 AM          R1

CRAWFORD COUNTY             VS.        PERRY CENTRAL         12:45 PM          R1

SOUTH SPENCER       VS.        BOONVILLE                   11:00 AM          R1

EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN        AT          HERITAGE HILLS          12:45 PM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             6:30 PM             CON

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         8:15 PM             SF

LOSER GAME 3             VS.        LOSER GAME 4             6:30 PM             CON

WINNER GAME 3         VS.        WINNER GAME 4         8:15 PM             SF

RICH SOUTH (ILL.) TOURNAMENT

GARY WEST     VS.        TBA                      TBA       R2

SHAWE MEMORIAL CLASSIC

CARROLL COUNTY (KY.)         VS.        RISING SUN    11:00 AM         

EMINENCE (KY.)           AT          SHAWE MEMORIAL   12:50 PM         

CARROLL COUNTY (KY.)         VS.        COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN         2:40 PM            

EMINENCE (KY.)           VS.        RISING SUN    4:30 PM            

TRIMBLE COUNTY (KY.)           AT          SHAWE MEMORIAL   6:20 PM            

SHENANDOAH TOURNAMENT

LOSER GAME 6             VS.        LOSER GAME 5             10:00 AM          7TH

WINNER GAME 6         VS.        WINNER GAME 5         12:00 PM          5TH

LOSER GAME 8             VS.        LOSER GAME 7             2:00 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 8         VS.        WINNER GAME 7         4:00 PM             1ST

SHERIDAN TOURNAMENT

LEWIS CASS   AT          SHERIDAN       12:00 PM          R1

LIBERTY CHRISTIAN  VS.        BENTON CENTRAL     12:00 PM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             5:00 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         5:00 PM             1ST

TECUMSEH TOURNAMENT

TRINITY CHRISTIAN (KY.)        AT          TECUMSEH                    11:00 AM         

HANCOCK COUNTY (KY.)      VS.        NEW WASHINGTON  12:30 PM         

TRINITY CHRISTIAN (KY.)        VS.        NEW WASHINGTON  6:00 PM            

HANCOCK COUNTY (KY.)      AT          TECUMSEH     7:30 PM            

WABASH COUNTY TOURNAMENT

LOSER GAME 1             VS.        LOSER GAME 2             4:45 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 1         VS.        WINNER GAME 2         8:15 PM             1ST

WABASH VALLEY TOURNAMENT

LOSER GAME 1             VS.        LOSER GAME 2             10:00 AM          CON

LOSER GAME 3             VS.        LOSER GAME 4             11:30 AM          CON

WINNER GAME 1         VS.        WINNER GAME 2         1:00 PM             QF

WINNER GAME 3         VS.        WINNER GAME 4         2:30 PM             QF

LOSER GAME 5             VS.        LOSER GAME 6             4:00 PM             CON

LOSER GAME 7             VS.        LOSER GAME 8             5:30 PM             CON

WINNER GAME 5         VS.        WINNER GAME 6         7:00 PM             QF

WINNER GAME 7         VS.        WINNER GAME 8         8:30 PM             QF

===========

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

BISMARCK-HENNING (ILL.) TOURNAMENT

PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY   AT          BHRA (ILL.)      8:00 PM            

HEBRON TOURNAMENT

CAREER ACADEMY    VS.        LAKE STATION              6:30 PM             R1

PORTAGE CHRISTIAN              AT          HEBRON           8:00 PM             R1

HOMESTEAD TOURNAMENT

ZIONSVILLE    VS.        CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)      5:30 PM             R1

SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH     VS.        MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)          5:30 PM               R1

CENTER GROVE          AT          HOMESTEAD                 7:00 PM             R1

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN              VS.        PENN  7:00 PM             R1

RICH SOUTH (ILL.) TOURNAMENT

GARY WEST     VS.        HILLCREST (ILL.)         4:30 PM             R1

SHAWE MEMORIAL CLASSIC

EMINENCE (KY.)           VS.        COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN         3:00 PM            

TRIMBLE COUNTY (KY.)           VS.        RISING SUN                   4:50 PM            

CARROLL COUNTY (KY.)         AT          SHAWE MEMORIAL   6:40 PM            

TRIMBLE COUNTY (KY.)           VS.        COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN 10:30 AM  

SHENANDOAH TOURNAMENT

SETON CATHOLIC      AT          SHENANDOAH             9:00 AM             R1

RUSHVILLE     VS.        WALDRON                     10:30 AM          R1

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN    VS.        ANDERSON    12:00 PM          R1

INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN   VS.        WARSAW          1:30 PM             R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             3:30 PM             CON

LOSER GAME 4             VS.        LOSER GAME 3             5:00 PM             CON

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         6:30 PM             SF

WINNER GAME 4         VS.        WINNER GAME 3         8:00 PM             SF

WABASH COUNTY TOURNAMENT

MANCHESTER              VS.        NORTHFIELD 4:45 PM            R1

SOUTHWOOD              AT          WABASH          8:15 PM             R1

WABASH VALLEY TOURNAMENT

SHAKAMAK     VS.        MARTINSVILLE             10:00 AM          R1

LINTON             VS.        EDGEWOOD  11:30 AM          R1

CASEY-WESTFIELD (ILL.)       VS.        BLOOMFIELD 1:00 PM            R1

CLOVERDALE VS.        TERRE HAUTE NORTH             2:30 PM             R1

PARKE HERITAGE        VS.        GREENCASTLE             4:00 PM             R1

SOUTH VERMILLION VS.        WEST VIGO     5:30 PM             R1

NORTHVIEW  AT          TERRE HAUTE SOUTH             7:00 PM             R1

SULLIVAN        VS.        MARSHALL (ILL.)         8:30 PM             R1

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

BETHESDA CHRISTIAN           VS.        ROCK CREEK ACADEMY        10:30 AM         

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN AT          BLUE RIVER VALLEY  7:30 PM            

CASCADE        VS.        NORTHEAST DUBOIS 12:00 PM       

CHESTERTON               AT          ELKHART          2:30 PM            

CHRISTEL HOUSE      VS.        BARR-REEVE                 7:30 PM            

DECATUR CENTRAL  VS.        EVANSVILLE REITZ     1:30 PM            

EVANSVILLE HARRISON         VS.        WASHINGTON              4:30 PM            

FORT RECOVERY (OHIO)       AT          SOUTH ADAMS            7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE LUERS VS.        EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL        6:00 PM            

FRANKLIN COUNTY (KY.)       AT          FLOYD CENTRAL         6:00 PM            

GIBSON SOUTHERN AT          FOREST PARK 2:30 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL AT          PRINCETON (OHIO)  5:15 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY        AT          TRI        7:30 PM            

LAPEL AT          YORKTOWN    7:30 PM            

LAWRENCE CENTRAL             AT          JEFFERSONVILLE        7:30 PM            

MCCUTCHEON           VS.        EVANSVILLE BOSSE  3:00 PM            

MEDORA          AT          CANNELTON                 7:30 PM            

MONROVIA     AT          EASTERN GREENE      7:30 PM            

NORWELL        AT          BLUFFTON                      7:30 PM            

PENDLETON HEIGHTS            AT          INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD      12:00 PM         

RICHMOND    AT          WESTFIELD                    2:30 PM            

RIVER FOREST              AT          GARY LIGHTHOUSE   8:00 PM            

ROCHESTER   AT          TIPPECANOE VALLEY              7:30 PM            

SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON             AT          KALAMAZOO CENTRAL (MICH.)               TBA      

SOUTH PUTNAM         AT          WHITE RIVER VALLEY              7:30 PM            

SPRINGS VALLEY        AT          VINCENNES RIVET                    7:00 PM            

TAYLOR             AT          EASTERN (GREENTOWN)                     7:30 PM            

VINCENNES LINCOLN            AT          EVANSVILLE CENTRAL            7:30 PM            

WAPAHANI      AT          JAY COUNTY                  7:30 PM            

BISMARCK-HENNING (ILL.) TOURNAMENT

PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY   VS.        TBA       TBA      

PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY   VS.        TBA       TBA      

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH TOURNAMENT

MUNCIE CENTRAL     AT          BLOOMINGTON SOUTH         10:00 AM          R1

PERRY MERIDIAN        VS.        AVON                 11:45 AM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1                            5:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         7:15 PM             1ST

EAST NOBLE TOURNAMENT

WOODLAN      AT          EAST NOBLE   11:30 AM          R1

FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA  VS.        GARRETT          3:00 PM             R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             7:30 PM            3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         7:30 PM             1ST

EMINENCE TOURNAMENT

RIVERTON PARKE       VS.        LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN     10:00 AM         POOL B

SEVEN OAKS  AT          EMINENCE      12:00 PM          POOL A

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN     VS.        MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN   2:00 PM               POOL B

SEVEN OAKS  VS.        ATTICA                              4:00 PM             POOL A

RIVERTON PARKE       VS.        MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN   6:00 PM             POOL B

ATTICA               AT          EMINENCE      8:00 PM             POOL A

GOSHEN CLASSIC

KANKAKEE VALLEY    VS.        GOSHEN          11:00 AM         

KANKAKEE VALLEY    VS.        HAMMOND MORTON              3:00 PM            

HAMMOND MORTON              AT          GOSHEN          7:00 PM            

GRANT 4 TOURNAMENT

MADISON-GRANT      AT          EASTBROOK   10:00 AM          R1

MISSISSINEWA             VS.        OAK HILL                         11:30 AM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             6:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         8:00 PM             1ST

HEBRON TOURNAMENT

LOSER GAME 1             VS.        LOSER GAME 2             6:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 1         VS.        WINNER GAME 2         8:00 PM             1ST

HIGHLAND TOURNAMENT

WHITING          VS.        CALUMET         1:00 PM             7TH

GRIFFITH          VS.        LAFAYETTE JEFF                          2:30 PM             5TH

HIGHLAND      VS.        ANDREAN        5:00 PM             3RD

BOWMAN ACADEMY VS.        PORTAGE         6:30 PM             1ST

HOMESTEAD TOURNAMENT

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         10:00 AM          SF

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             10:00 AM          CON

WINNER GAME 4         VS.        WINNER GAME 3         11:30 AM          SF

LOSER GAME 4             VS.        LOSER GAME 3             11:30 AM          CON

LOSER GAME 6             VS.        LOSER GAME 8             4:00 PM             7TH

WINNER GAME 6         VS.        WINNER GAME 8         4:00 PM             5TH

LOSER GAME 5             VS.        LOSER GAME 7             5:30 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 5         VS.        WINNER GAME 7         5:30 PM             1ST

MORRISTOWN CLASSIC

INDIANAPOLIS HERRON        AT          MORRISTOWN             10:00 AM         

MILAN VS.        SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)     10:00 AM         

SALEM               VS.        UNION COUNTY                        12:00 PM         

SOUTH DECATUR       VS.        WESTERN BOONE      12:00 PM         

WESTERN BOONE      VS.        MILAN 4:00 PM            

SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)     VS. INDIANAPOLIS HERRON              4:00 PM              

SALEM               AT          MORRISTOWN                            6:00 PM            

UNION COUNTY         VS.        SOUTH DECATUR       6:00 PM            

NORTH DAVIESS TOURNAMENT

PIKE CENTRAL              VS.        LANESVILLE    11:00 AM          R1

JAC-CEN-DEL AT          NORTH DAVIESS 12:30 PM   R1

LOSER GAME 1             VS.        LOSER GAME 2             6:00 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 1         VS.        WINNER GAME 2         7:30 PM             1ST

PERRY-SPENCER TOURNAMENT

CORYDON CENTRAL AT          TELL CITY         11:00 AM          R1

CRAWFORD COUNTY             VS.        PERRY CENTRAL         12:45 PM          R1

SOUTH SPENCER       VS.        BOONVILLE    11:00 AM          R1

EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN        AT          HERITAGE HILLS          12:45 PM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             6:30 PM             CON

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         8:15 PM             SF

LOSER GAME 3             VS.        LOSER GAME 4             6:30 PM             CON

WINNER GAME 3         VS.        WINNER GAME 4         8:15 PM             SF

RICH SOUTH (ILL.) TOURNAMENT

GARY WEST     VS.        TBA                      TBA       R2

SHAWE MEMORIAL CLASSIC

CARROLL COUNTY (KY.)         VS.        RISING SUN    11:00 AM         

EMINENCE (KY.)           AT          SHAWE MEMORIAL   12:50 PM         

CARROLL COUNTY (KY.)         VS.        COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN         2:40 PM            

EMINENCE (KY.)           VS.        RISING SUN                   4:30 PM            

TRIMBLE COUNTY (KY.)           AT          SHAWE MEMORIAL   6:20 PM            

SHENANDOAH TOURNAMENT

LOSER GAME 6             VS.        LOSER GAME 5             10:00 AM          7TH

WINNER GAME 6         VS.        WINNER GAME 5         12:00 PM          5TH

LOSER GAME 8             VS.        LOSER GAME 7             2:00 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 8         VS.        WINNER GAME 7         4:00 PM             1ST

SHERIDAN TOURNAMENT

LEWIS CASS   AT          SHERIDAN       12:00 PM          R1

LIBERTY CHRISTIAN  VS.        BENTON CENTRAL     12:00 PM          R1

LOSER GAME 2             VS.        LOSER GAME 1             5:00 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 2         VS.        WINNER GAME 1         5:00 PM             1ST

TECUMSEH TOURNAMENT

TRINITY CHRISTIAN (KY.)        AT          TECUMSEH     11:00 AM         

HANCOCK COUNTY (KY.)      VS.        NEW WASHINGTON                 12:30 PM         

TRINITY CHRISTIAN (KY.)        VS.        NEW WASHINGTON  6:00 PM            

HANCOCK COUNTY (KY.)      AT          TECUMSEH     7:30 PM            

WABASH COUNTY TOURNAMENT

LOSER GAME 1             VS.        LOSER GAME 2             4:45 PM             3RD

WINNER GAME 1         VS.        WINNER GAME 2         8:15 PM             1ST

WABASH VALLEY TOURNAMENT

LOSER GAME 1             VS.        LOSER GAME 2             10:00 AM         CON

LOSER GAME 3             VS.        LOSER GAME 4             11:30 AM         CON

WINNER GAME 1         VS.        WINNER GAME 2         1:00 PM             QF

WINNER GAME 3         VS.        WINNER GAME 4         2:30 PM             QF

LOSER GAME 5             VS.        LOSER GAME 6             4:00 PM             CON

LOSER GAME 7             VS.        LOSER GAME 8             5:30 PM             CON

WINNER GAME 5         VS.        WINNER GAME 6         7:00 PM             QF

WINNER GAME 7         VS.        WINNER GAME 8         8:30 PM             QF

============

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING

https://indianamat.com

===========

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

===========

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 24

HAWAI’I 35  CAL 31

FRIDAY, DEC. 26

1 P.M. | NORTHWESTERN VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN | GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL  (DETROIT, MICH.) | ESPN

4:30 P.M. | NEW MEXICO VS. MINNESOTA | RATE BOWL (PHOENIX, ARIZ.) | ESPN

8 P.M. | UTSA VS. FIU | FIRST RESPONDER BOWL  (DALLAS, TEXAS) | ESPN

SATURDAY, DEC. 27

11 A.M. | EAST CAROLINA VS. PITT | MILITARY BOWL (ANNAPOLIS, MD.) | ESPN

12 P.M. | CLEMSON VS. PENN STATE | PINSTRIPE BOWL (BRONX, N.Y.) | ABC

2:15 P.M. | UCONN VS. ARMY | FENWAY BOWL (BOSTON, MASS.) | ESPN

3:30 P.M. | NO. 12 BYU VS. NO. 22 GEORGIA TECH | POP-TARTS BOWL (ORLANDO, FLA.) | ABC

4:30 P.M. | MIAMI (OH) VS. FRESNO STATE | ARIZONA BOWL (TUCSON, ARIZ.) | THE CW NETWORK

5:45 P.M. | UNT VS. SAN DIEGO STATE | NEW MEXICO BOWL (ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) | ESPN

7:30 P.M. | NO. 19 VIRGINIA VS. MISSOURI | GATOR BOWL (JACKSONVILLE, FLA.) | ABC

9:15 P.M. | NO. 21 HOUSTON VS. LSU | TEXAS BOWL (HOUSTON, TEXAS) | ESPN

MONDAY, DEC. 29

2 P.M. | GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. APP STATE | BIRMINGHAM BOWL (BIRMINGHAM, ALA.) | ESPN

TUESDAY, DEC. 30

2 P.M. | LOUISIANA TECH VS. COASTAL CAROLINA | INDEPENDENCE BOWL (SHREVEPORT, LA.) | ESPN

5:30 P.M. | TENNESSEE VS. ILLINOIS | MUSIC CITY BOWL (NASHVILLE, TENN.) | ESPN

9 P.M. | NO. 16 SOUTHERN CAL. VS. TCU | ALAMO BOWL (SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS) | ESPN

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31

12 P.M. | NO. 14 VANDERBILT VS. NO. 23 IOWA | RELIAQUEST BOWL (TAMPA, FLA.) | ESPN

2 P.M. | DUKE VS. ARIZONA STATE | SUN BOWL (EL PASO, TEXAS) | CBS

3 P.M. | NO. 13 TEXAS VS. NO. 18 MICHIGAN | CITRUS BOWL (ORLANDO, FLA.) | ABC

3:30 P.M. | NO. 15 UTAH VS. NEBRASKA | LAS VEGAS BOWL (LAS VEGAS, NEV.) | ESPN

7:30 P.M. | NO. 2 OHIO STATE VS. NO. 10 MIAMI (FLA.) | COTTON BOWL (CFP QUARTERFINAL) (ARLINGTON, TEXAS) | ESPN

THURSDAY, JAN. 1

12 P.M. | NO. 4 TEXAS TECH VS. NO. 5 OREGON | ORANGE BOWL (CFP QUARTERFINAL) (MIAMI, FLA.) | ESPN

4 P.M. | NO. 1 INDIANA VS. NO. 9 ALABAMA | ROSE BOWL (CFP QUARTERFINAL) (PASADENA, CA.) | ESPN

8 P.M. | NO. 3 GEORGIA VS. NO. 6 OLE MISS | SUGAR BOWL (CFP QUARTERFINAL) (NEW ORLEANS, LA.) | ESPN

FRIDAY, JAN. 2

1 P.M. | RICE VS. TEXAS STATE | ARMED FORCES BOWL (FORT WORTH, TEXAS) | ESPN

4:30 P.M. | NAVY VS. CINCINNATI | LIBERTY BOWL (MEMPHIS, TENN.) | ESPN

8 P.M. | WAKE FOREST VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE | DUKE’S MAYO BOWL (CHARLOTTE, N.C.) | ESPN

8 P.M. | SMU VS. ARIZONA | HOLIDAY BOWL (SAN DIEGO) | FOX

THURSDAY, JAN. 8

7:30 P.M. | FIESTA BOWL (CFP SEMIFINAL) (GLENDALE, ARIZ.) | ESPN

FRIDAY, JAN. 9

7:30 P.M. | PEACH BOWL (CFP SEMIFINAL) (ATLANTA, GA.) | ESPN

MONDAY, JAN. 19

7:30 P.M. | COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (MIAMI, FLA.) | ESPN

===========

NFL

WEEK 17

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS VS. DALLAS COWBOYS

DATE: THURSDAY, DEC. 25

GAME TIME: 1 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: NETFLIX

LOCATION: LANDOVER, MARYLAND

====

MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS. DETROIT LIONS

DATE: THURSDAY, DEC. 25

GAME TIME: 4:30 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: NETFLIX

LOCATION: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

====

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS. DENVER BRONCOS

DATE: THURSDAY, DEC. 25

GAME TIME: 8:15 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

LOCATION: KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

====

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS VS. HOUSTON TEXANS

DATE: SATURDAY, DEC. 27

GAME TIME: 4:30 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: NFL NETWORK

LOCATION: INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA

====

GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS

DATE: SATURDAY, DEC. 27

GAME TIME: 8 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: PEACOCK

LOCATION: GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN

====

NEW YORK JETS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 1 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: FOX

LOCATION: EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY

====

CAROLINA PANTHERS VS. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 1 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: CBS

LOCATION: CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

====

TENNESSEE TITANS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 1 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: CBS

LOCATION: NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

====

MIAMI DOLPHINS VS. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 1 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: FOX

LOCATION: MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA

====

CLEVELAND BROWNS VS. PITTSBURGH STEELERS

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 1 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: CBS

LOCATION: CLEVELAND, OHIO

====

CINCINNATI BENGALS VS. ARIZONA CARDINALS

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 1 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: FOX

LOCATION: CINCINNATI, OHIO

====

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS VS. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 1 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: FOX

LOCATION: INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

====

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS VS. NEW YORK GIANTS

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 4:05 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: CBS

LOCATION: PARADISE, NEVADA

====

BUFFALO BILLS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 4:25 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: FOX

LOCATION: ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK

====

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. CHICAGO BEARS

DATE: SUNDAY, DEC. 28

GAME TIME: 8:20 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: NBC/PEACOCK

LOCATION: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA

====

ATLANTA FALCONS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS

DATE: MONDAY, DEC. 29

GAME TIME: 8:15 P.M. ET

TV CHANNEL: ESPN

LOCATION: ATLANTA, GEORGIA

============

NBA

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

============

NHL

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

============

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

NFL NEWS

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 17

Below are the players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season, including:

• DE Myles Garrett
• QB Matthew Stafford
• QB Sam Darnold
• QB Bo Nix
• QB Justin Herbert
• QB Jared Goff
• QB Drake Maye
• RB Bijan Robinson
• RB Jonathan Taylor
• RB Christian McCaffrey
• RB Jahmyr Gibbs
• RB Derrick Henry
• WR Puka Nacua
• WR Ja’Marr Chase
• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
• WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
• WR Justin Jefferson
• TE Trey McBride  

MYLES GARRETT

Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett leads the league with 22 sacks and ranks first in the NFL with 124.5 sacks since entering the league in 2017, the second-most by a player in his first nine seasons since 1982.  

Garrett, who plays on Sunday against Pittsburgh (1 p.m. ET, CBS), can surpass Michael Strahan (22.5 sacks in 2001 with the New York Giants) and T.J. Watt (22.5 in 2021 with Pittsburgh) for the most sacks in a season since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. 

The players with the most sacks in a season since 1982:

PLAYER	TEAM	SEASON	SACKS
Michael Strahan	N.Y. Giants	2001	22.5
T.J. Watt	Pittsburgh	2021	22.5
Jared Allen HOF	Minnesota	2011	22
Myles Garrett	Cleveland	2025	22*
Mark Gastineau	N.Y. Jets	1984	22
Justin Houston	Kansas City	2014	22
*entering Week 17

MATTHEW STAFFORD

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 40 touchdown passes and ranks first with a 112.1 passer rating this season.

With three touchdown passes and a passer rating of 110-or-higher on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN),  Stafford can become the fourth quarterback in NFL history with at least three touchdown passes and a passer rating of 110-or-higher in four primetime games (start time 7 p.m. ET or later) in a single season, joining Aaron Rodgers (five games in 2020), Drew Brees (four in 2011) and Tony Romo (four in 2014).

Additionally, with three touchdown passes in Week 17, Stafford, who is 37 years old, can tie Tom Brady (43 touchdown passes in 2021 with Tampa Bay) for the second-most touchdown passes in a single season by a quarterback age 37-or-older in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (55 touchdown passes in 2013 with Denver) has more.

The players age 37-or-older with the most touchdown passes in a season in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM	SEASON	TD PASSES
Peyton Manning HOF	Denver	2013	55^
Tom Brady	Tampa Bay	2021	43
Tom Brady	Tampa Bay	2020	40
Matthew Stafford	L.A. Rams	2025	40*
*turns 38 years old in February, 2026; ^NFL record

SAM DARNOLD

Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold helped the Seahawks clinch their first playoff berth since 2022 and has led Seattle to 12 wins this season, the most since 2020.

With a win on Sunday at Carolina (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Darnold – who had 14 wins with Minnesota in 2024 – can become the fifth quarterback all-time to record at least 13 wins in consecutive seasons and the first to do so with different teams, joining Aaron Rodgers (three consecutive seasons from 2019-21 with Green Bay), Tom Brady (two in 2010-11 and 2003-04 with New England) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Brett Favre (two in 1996-97 with Green Bay) and Peyton Manning (two in 2012-13 with Denver).

BO NIX

Denver quarterback Bo Nix ranks sixth in the NFL with 3,608 passing yards and tied for eighth with 24 touchdown passes. Since entering the league last season, Nix ranks sixth with 7,383 passing yards and tied for seventh with 53 touchdown passes. 

With a win on Thursday Night Football at Kansas City (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video), Nix – who has 22 wins since entering the NFL last season – can surpass Andrew Luck (22 wins), Dak Prescott (22) and Ben Roethlisberger (22) for the second-most wins by a quarterback in his first two seasons in NFL history, trailing only Russell Wilson (24).

With a touchdown pass in Week 17, Nix can become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,500 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes in each of his first two career seasons, joining Justin Herbert and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.

Nix, who has 53 career touchdown passes, can surpass Derek Carr (53 touchdown passes) for the third-most touchdown passes by a player in their first two seasons in NFL history. Only Justin Herbert (69 touchdown passes) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (68) have more.

The players with the most touchdown passes in their first two seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM	TD PASSES
Justin Herbert	L.A. Chargers	69
Dan Marino HOF	Miami	68
Derek Carr	Oakland Raiders	53
Bo Nix	Denver	53*
*in second season

 JUSTIN HERBERT

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert ranks fourth in the NFL with 24,584 passing yards since entering the league in 2020.

With 302 passing yards on Saturday against Houston (4:30 p.m. ET, NFLN), Herbert can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (24,885 passing yards) for the most passing yards by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history.

Herbert has 31 career games with at least 300 passing yards and can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (32 games) for the second-most such games by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only Patrick Mahomes (41 games) has more.

JARED GOFF

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff leads the NFL with 39,094 passing yards in 149 career games since entering the league in 2016.

With at least 204 passing yards on Thursday at Minnesota (4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix), Goff can surpass Drew Brees (39,297 passing yards) for the fourth-most passing yards by a player in their first 150 career games in NFL history. Only Matthew Stafford (41,322 passing yards), Matt Ryan (39,858) and Kirk Cousins (39,471) have more.

The players with the most passing yards in their first 150 career games in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM(S)	PASS YARDS
Matthew Stafford	Detroit	41,322
Matt Ryan	Atlanta	39,858
Kirk Cousins	Washington, Minnesota	39,471
Drew Brees	San Diego Chargers, New Orleans	39,297
Dan Marino HOF	Miami	39,285
Peyton Manning HOF	Indianapolis	39,164
Jared Goff	L.A. Rams, Detroit	39,094*
*in 149 career games

DRAKE MAYE

New England quarterback Drake Maye ranks third in the NFL with a 108.5 passer rating and is tied for fifth with 25 touchdown passes this season.

With at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher on Sunday at the New York Jets (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Maye, who is 23 years old, can become the third player under the age of 24 with two-or-more touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in 10 games in a single season all-time, joining Patrick Mahomes (13 games in 2018 with Kansas City) and Matthew Stafford (10 in 2011 with Detroit).

Maye has 11 games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher and in Week 17, can surpass Dak Prescott (11 games in 2016 with Dallas) for the second-most such games by a player under the age of 24 in a single season all-time, trailing only Patrick Mahomes (13 in 2018 with Kansas City).

BIJAN ROBINSON

Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson ranks first in the NFL with 2,026 scrimmage yards this season and first with 5,376 scrimmage yards since entering the league in 2023.

With at least 68 scrimmage yards against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN), Robinson, who is 23 years old, can surpass Christian McCaffrey (5,443 scrimmage yards with Carolina) for the most scrimmage yards by a player under the age of 24 in NFL history.

The players under the age of 24 with the most scrimmage yards in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM	SCRIMMAGE YARDS
Christian McCaffrey	Carolina	5,443
Barry Sanders HOF	Detroit	5,391
Bijan Robinson	Atlanta	5,376*
*turns 24 on Jan. 30, 2026

JONATHAN TAYLOR

Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns and since entering the league in 2020, ranks second with 8,944 scrimmage yards and 75 scrimmage touchdowns (68 rushing, seven receiving).  

With a rushing touchdown on Sunday against Jacksonville (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Taylor – who had 18 rushing touchdowns in 2021 – can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 18 rushing touchdowns in multiple career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (three seasons) and LaDainian Tomlinson (two) as well as Priest Holmes (two).

Taylor can become the sixth player in NFL history with at least 9,000 scrimmage yards and 75 scrimmage touchdowns in his first six seasons, joining Shaun Alexander and Adrian Peterson as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson.

CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY

San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey ranks second in the NFL with 1,888 scrimmage yards this season and since entering the NFL in 2017, leads all running backs with 36 touchdown receptions and 616 receptions.

With 112 scrimmage yards on Sunday Night Football against Chicago (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), McCaffrey can become the sixth player since 1990 with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards in three career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk (four seasons), Edgerrin James (three) and LaDainian Tomlinson (three) as well as Tiki Barber (three) and Priest Holmes (three).

With a touchdown reception in Week 17, McCaffrey can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (36 touchdown receptions) for the most touchdown receptions by a running back since 1970.

McCaffrey can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (624 receptions) for the third-most receptions by a running back in NFL history. Only Larry Centers (827 receptions) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (767) have more.

JAHMYR GIBBS

Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs ranks third in the NFL with 39 rushing touchdowns since entering the league in 2023.

With two rushing touchdowns on Thursday at Minnesota (4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix), Gibbs can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith (41 rushing touchdowns) for the fourth-most rushing touchdowns by a player in their first three seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Earl Campbell (45 rushing touchdowns), Eric Dickerson (44) and Barry Sanders (43) have more.

The players with the most rushing touchdowns in their first three seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM	RUSH TDs
Earl Campbell HOF	Houston Oilers	45
Eric Dickerson HOF	L.A. Rams	44
Barry Sanders HOF	Detroit	43
Emmitt Smith HOF	Dallas	41
Jim Brown HOF	Cleveland	40
Adrian Peterson	Minnesota	40
Jahmyr Gibbs	Detroit	39*
*in third season

DERRICK HENRY

Baltimore running back Derrick Henry is tied for fourth with 12 rushing touchdowns this season and since entering the league in 2016, leads the league with 118 rushing touchdowns, the fifth-most in NFL history.

With two rushing touchdowns on Saturday night at Green Bay (8 p.m. ET, Peacock), Henry can tie Adrian Peterson (120 rushing touchdowns) for the fourth-most rushing touchdowns in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (164), LaDainian Tomlinson (145) and Marcus Allen (123).

With a rushing touchdown in Week 17, Henry can become the third player all-time with at least 13 rushing touchdowns in five career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (six seasons) and Shaun Alexander (five).

PUKA NACUA

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua leads the NFL with 114 receptions and ranks second with 1,592 receiving yards. Since entering the league in 2023, Nacua ranks fifth with 298 receptions in 42 career games.

With at least two receptions on Monday Night Football at Atlanta (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN), Nacua can become the fifth player with at least 300 receptions in his first three career seasons, joining Justin Jefferson (324 receptions), Michael Thomas (321), Amon-Ra St. Brown (315) and Christian McCaffrey (303).

Nacua, with 298 receptions in 42 career games, can become the fastest player in NFL history to reach 300 career receptions, surpassing Odell Beckham Jr. (45 career games) and Michael Thomas (45). 

Nacua, who has had a league-high 573 receiving yards since Week 14 and at least 150 receiving yards in each game, can become the first player in NFL history with at least 150 receiving yards in four consecutive games and the sixth player all-time with at least 150 receiving yards in five games within a single season, joining Antonio Brown (2017 with Pittsburgh), Pro Football Hall of Famers Tim Brown (1997 with the Oakland Raiders) and Jerry Rice (1995 with San Francisco), Roy Green (1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals) and Tyreek Hill (2023 with Miami).

Additionally, with at least 127 receiving yards in Week 17, Nacua can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 700 receiving yards in a four-game span, joining Josh Gordon (774 receiving yards and 716 in 2013), Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (746 and 706 in 2013), and Charley Henningan (721 in 1961).

JA’MARR CHASE

Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase ranks second in the NFL with 6,681 receiving yards since entering the league in 2021.

With at least 104 receiving yards on Sunday against Arizona (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Chase can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (6,743) and Torry Holt (6,784) for the second-most receiving yards by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. Only Justin Jefferson (7,432 receiving yards) has more.

With at least 100 receiving yards in Week 17, Chase – who has 26 career games with at least 100 receiving yards – can tie Torry Holt (27 games) for the fourth-most such games in a player’s first five seasons in the Super Bowl era. Only Justin Jefferson (34 games), Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (30) and Julio Jones (28) have more.

JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA

Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with 1,637 receiving yards this season.

With at least 63 receiving yards on Sunday at Carolina (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Smith-Njigba – who is 23 years old – can become the third player in NFL history under age 24 with at least 1,700 receiving yards in a single season, joining Justin Jefferson (1,809 receiving yards in 2022 with Minnesota), and Pro Football Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce (1,781 in 1995 with the St. Louis Rams).

AMON-RA ST.BROWN

Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown ranks fifth in the league with 98 receptions and 1,194 receiving yards. 

With two receptions at Minnesota on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix), St. Brown can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions in four consecutive seasons, joining Antonio Brown (six consecutive seasons from 2013-18), Davante Adams (four from 2020-23), Stefon Diggs (four from 2020-23) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (four from 1999-2002).

JUSTIN JEFFERSON

Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson ranks first in the NFL with 8,349 receiving yards since entering the league in 2020.

Jefferson has 917 receiving yards in 2025 and on Thursday against Detroit (4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix), can join Mike Evans and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of their first six seasons.

With at least 27 receiving yards in Week 17, Jefferson can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (8,375 receiving yards) for the most receiving yards by a player in their first six seasons in NFL history.

TREY MCBRIDE

Arizona tight end Trey McBride ranks third in the league with 109 receptions.

With at least one reception at Cincinnati on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX), McBride can become the first tight end all-time with at least 110 receptions in multiple career seasons.

With eight receptions in Week 17, McBride can surpass Zach Ertz (116 receptions in 2018 with Philadelphia) for the most receptions by a tight end in a season in NFL history. 

The tight ends with the most receptions in a season in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM	SEASON	RECEPTIONS
Zach Ertz	Philadelphia	2018	116
Evan Engram	Jacksonville	2023	114
Brock Bowers	Las Vegas	2024	112
Trey McBride	Arizona	2024	111
Travis Kelce	Kansas City	2022	110
Jason Witten	Dallas	2012	110
Trey McBride	Arizona	2025	109*
*entering Week 17

DALLAS COWBOYS (6-8-1) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-11)

Northwest Stadium | Referee: Brad Rogers

All-Time Series History

Regular Season: DAL leads series, 80-47-2 (DAL won 4 of past 5)

Postseason: WAS leads series, 2-0

The Last Time…

Regular Season: 10/19/25: WAS 22 at DAL 44

Postseason: NFC-C 1/22/83: DAL 17 at WAS 31

COWBOYS NOTES:

QB DAK PRESCOTT passed for 244 yards & 2 TDs for 116.5 rating in Week 16, his 61st game with 240+ pass yards & 2 TDs, 4th-most such games by a player in 1st 10 seasons in NFL history. Has 35,612 pass yards & 241 TD passes since 2016, 1 of 8 QBs in NFL history with 35,500+ pass yards & 240+ TD passes in 1st 10 career seasons. Ranks 2nd in NFL with 4,175 pass yards in 2025. Has TD pass in 6 of his past 7 games. Had 264 pass yards & 3 TDs in Week 7 meeting. • RB JAVONTE WILLIAMS has 65+ scrimmage yards in 6 of his past 7 games & TD in 3 of his past 4. Had 116 rush yards & TD in Week 7 meeting. • WR CEEDEE LAMB had 6 receptions for 51 yards in Week 16, his 67th career game with 5+ receptions, most in 1st 6 career seasons all-time. Has 565 career receptions, 2nd-most by a player in 1st 6 seasons in NFL history (Justin Jefferson – 567 receptions, in 6th season). Had 110 rec. yards & TD in Week 7 meeting. • WR GEORGE PICKENS led team with 7 receptions for 130 yards & TD in Week 16. Ranks 3rd in NFL with 1,342 rec. yards this season. Has 75+ rec. yards in 3 of his past 4 games on road. • TE JAKE FERGUSON ranks tied-2nd among TEs with 80 receptions & tied-3rd with 7 TD catches this season. • LB DEMARVION OVERSHOWN has 7+ tackles in 2 of his past 3 games. • LB SHEMAR JAMES (rookie) had 7 tackles, sack & FF in Week 7 meeting. • CB SHAVON REVEL (rookie) had 9 tackles & PD in Week 16. Aims for 5th in row with 5+ tackles. Has PD in 2 of his past 3. • CB TREVON DIGGS had season-high 6 tackles in Week 16. • S MARKQUESE BELL had 1st FF this season in Week 16. Had 6 tackles & PD in Week 7 meeting. • S MALIK HOOKER had 7 tackles & TFL in Week 16. Aims for 3rd with 6+ tackles.

COMMANDERS NOTES:

QB MARCUS MARIOTA has 2+ TD passes in 2 of his past 3 games at home. • QB JOSH JOHNSON has completed 213 passes for 2,340 yards & 13 TDs in his career. • RB JACORY CROSKEY-MERRITT (rookie) had rush TD in Week 16. Ranks 5th among rookies with 671 rush yards & 4th among rookie RBs with 6 rush TDs this season. Aims for 3rd in row with rush TD. • RB CHRIS RODRIQUEZ had team-high 63 rush yards & had rush TD in Week 16. Aims for 5th in row at home with rush TD. • WR TERRY MCLAURIN has 70+ rec. yards in 2 of his past 3 at home. Aims for 3rd in row vs. Dal. with TD catch. • WR DEEBO SAMUEL aims for 5,500 career rec. yards (5,431). Had 71 rec. yards in last game vs. Dal. (10/27/24). • LB BOBBY WAGNER led team with 10 tackles & had 2 TFL & sack in Week 16. Has 7+ tackles in 15 straight games this season, longest active streak. Ranks 4th with 147 tackles in 2025. Ranks 1st with 1,979 tackles since 2012. Aims for 5th in row vs. Dal. with 8+ tackles. • LB VON MILLER has sack in 2 of his past 3 games. • LB FRANKIE LUVU had 8 tackles in Week 16. Aims for 4th in row vs. Dal. with TFL. Has 8+ tackles in 3 of his past 4 vs. Dal. • DE JACOB MARTIN had sack & FF in Week 16. Had 0.5 sack in Week 7 meeting. • DT DARON PAYNE aims for 3rd in row with 5+ tackles at home. Has TFL in 2 of his past 3 games vs. Dal. • CB MIKE SAINRISTIL had PD in Week 16 & aims for 4th in row with PD. Had 2 PD in Week 7 meeting & aims for 4th in row vs. Dal. with PD. • CB JONATHAN JONES had season-high 8 tackles in Week 16. • S QUAN MARTIN has 7+ tackles in 3 of his past 4. • S JEREMY REAVES has PD in 2 of his past 3 at home.

DETROIT LIONS (8-7) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-8)

U.S. Bank Stadium | Referee: Shawn Smith

All-Time Series History

Regular Season: MIN leads series, 81-45-2 (DET won 5 of past 6)

Postseason: —

The Last Time…

Regular Season: 11/2/25: MIN 27 at DET 24

Postseason: —

LIONS NOTES:

QB JARED GOFF passed for 364 yards & 3 TDs for 101.2 rating in Week 16, his 10th game with 100+ rating, 2nd-most in NFL this season. Ranks 2nd with 32 TD passes & 3rd with 4,036 pass yards this season. Has TD pass in 21 consecutive games, longest active streak in NFL. Aims for 4th in row with 300+ pass yards. Aims for 9th in row vs. Min. with TD pass. • RB JAHMYR GIBBS had 66 rec. yards & TD in Week 16 & has 48 career TDs, most by a player under the age of 24 all-time & most TDs by a player in 1st 3 seasons in NFL history. Has 160+ scrimmage yards in 2 of his past 3 vs. Min. • RB DAVID MONTGOMERY has rush TD in 3 of his past 4 vs. Min. • WR AMON-RA ST. BROWN has 90+ rec. yards in 2 of his past 3. Has 98 receptions this season & is 1st player in NFL history with 90+ catches in each of his 1st 5 career seasons. Ranks 2nd with 11 TD catches & 5th with 1,194 rec. yards. Aims for 6th in row vs. Min. with 75+ rec. yards. • WR JAMESON WILLIAMS led team with 70 rec. yards in Week 16 & aims for 5th in row with 70+ rec. yards. Aims for 5th in row on road with TD catch. • WR KALIF RAYMOND had 1st TD reception this season in Week 16. • WR ISAAC TESLAA had 5th TD catch this season in Week 16. • LB ALEX ANZALONE had 8 tackles & PD in Week 16. Aims for 4th in row with PD. Had 7 tackles in Week 9 meeting. • LB JACK CAMPBELL led team with 14 tackles & had 2 PD & FR in Week 16. Has 10+ tackles in 5 of his past 6. Ranks tied-5th with 3 FF this season. Has sack in 3 of his past 4 vs. Min. • DE AIDAN HUTCHINSON had 2 sacks in Week 16. Ranks tied-7th with 11.5 sacks & tied-2nd with 4 FFs this season. Aims for 3rd in row with sack vs. Min. • CB D.J. REED had 8 tackles in Week 16 & aims for 4th in row with 5+ tackles. • CB AMIK ROBERTSON has PD in 5 of his past 6 games. • S THOMAS HARPER had 7 tackles, TFL, PD & 1st career FF in Week 16.

VIKINGS NOTES:

QB MAX BROSMER has 220 pass yards this season. Expected to make 2nd career start (Week 13). • RB AARON JONES had 85 rush yards in Week 16 & has 50+ scrimmage yards in 7 of his past 8. Ranks 4th with 7,573 rush yards since 2017. Aims for 4th in row vs. Det. with 75+ scrimmage yards. • WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON led team with 85 rec. yards in Week 16. Ranks 1st in NFL with 8,349 rec. yards since 2020, 2nd-most rec. yards in 1st 6 career seasons all-time (HOFer Randy Moss – 8,375 rec. yards). Had TD catch in Week 9 meeting. • WR JORDAN ADDISON has 60+ rec. yards in 2 of his past 3. • TE T.J. HOCKENSON had rec. TD in Week 9 meeting. Ranks 4th among TEs since 2019 with 4,440 rec. yards. • LB BLAKE CASHMAN led team with season-high 16 tackles in Week 16. Aims for 4th in row with 10+ tackles. Has 10+ tackles in 8 games this season, tied2nd most in NFL in 2025. Had 14 tackles, TFL & FF in Week 9 meeting. • LB ERIC WILSON had sack in Week 16 & has sack in 3 of his past 4. Had 2 sacks & 3 TFL in Week 9 meeting. • LB ANDREW VAN GINKEL had sack & PD in Week 16 & has 0.5+ sack in 3 of his past 4 games. Had TFL in Week 9 meeting. • DL JALEN REDMOND had sack & PD in Week 16 & has sack in 2 of his past 3 games. Had sack in Week 9 meeting. • DL JONATHAN ALLEN had 8 tackles, sack & 2 TFL in Week 16. • DL LEVI DRAKE RODRIGUEZ had sack in Week 16 & had sack in Week 9 meeting. • CB BYRON MURPHY had 1st INT this season in Week 16. Aims for 3rd in row with PD. Had 8 tackles in Week 9 meeting. • S HARRISON SMITH has PD in 3 of his past 4 games.

DENVER BRONCOS (12-3) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-9)

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Referee: Bill Vinovich

All-Time Series History

Regular Season: KC leads series, 73-57 (DEN won 3 of past 4)

Postseason: DEN leads series, 1-0

The Last Time…

Regular Season: 11/16/25: KC 19 at DEN 22

Postseason: AFC-D 1/4/98: DEN 14 at KC 10

BRONCOS NOTES:

BRONCOS were 1st AFC team to clinch playoff spot & lead the NFL with 63 sacks. • QB BO NIX passed for 352 yards & TD in Week 16. Became 4th player ever with 700+ completions in 1st 2 seasons (724). Tied 3rd-most TD passes alltime in 1st 2 seasons (53). Has 300+ pass yards & TD pass in 3 of his past 4. Completed 24 of 37 atts. (64.9 pct.) for 295 yards in Week 11 meeting. • RB RJ HARVEY led team with career-high 121 scrimmage yards (71 rec., 50 rush) & had rush TD last week. Leads rookies in scrimmage TDs this season (11). Aims for his 5th in row with rush TD. Had 50 scrimmage yards (20 rec., 30 rush) in Week 11 meeting. • RB JALEEL MCLAUGHLIN rushed for 37 yards in Week 16. Had rush TD in Week 11 meeting. • WR COURTLAND SUTTON had 6 catches for 86 yards & TD last week. Aims for his 5th in row with 5+ catches. Has rec. TD in 3 of his past 4 overall & has rec. TD in 4 of his past 5 vs. KC. • WR TROY FRANKLIN had 66 rec. yards in Week 16. Aims for his 3rd in row with 65+ rec. yards. Had 84 rec. yards in Week 11 meeting. • LB ALEX SINGLETON led team with 13 tackles last week. Aims for his 4th in row with 8+ tackles. Had 7 tackles & TFL in his last game vs. KC (10/29/23). • DE JOHN FRANKLIN-MYERS had 2 sacks in Week 16. Has sack in 2 of his past 3 overall & has half sack in 4 of his past 5 vs. division. • DT D.J. JONES had 7 tackles, sack & PD last week. Had sack in Week 11 meeting. • DT MALCOLM ROACH had sack in Week 16. Has TFL in 3 of his past 4 & has sack in 2 of his past 3. • CB PAT SURTAIN II has PD in 7 of his past 8. Tied 3rd-most games in NFL with PD this season (10). • CB RILEY MOSS had 6 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 PD & sack last week.

CHIEFS NOTES:

QB CHRIS OLADOKUN can make 1st-career start. Completed 11 of 16 atts. (68.8 pct.) for 111 yards in Week 16. • RB ISIAH PACHECO had 6 catches & led team with 75 scrimmage yards (41 rec., 34 rush) last week. Has 45+ scrimmage yards in 3 of his 4 career games vs. Den. • RB KAREEM HUNT had 62 scrimmage yards (59 rush, 3 rec.) & rush TD in Week 11 meeting. • WR XAVIER WORTHY had 41 rec. yards in Week 16. Has 50+ rec. yards in 3 of his past 4 at home. • WR HOLLYWOOD BROWN had 40 rec. yards in Week 11 meeting. • TE TRAVIS KELCE became 2nd player ever with 800+ rec. yards in 12 consecutive seasons (HOFer Jerry Rice). Aims for his 4th in row vs. division with 50+ rec. yards. Had 9 catches for 91 yards & TD in Week 11 meeting. • DE CHRIS JONES had TFL last week. Has TFL in 3 of his past 4. Had sack in Week 11 meeting. • DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS has TFL in 2 of his past 3. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. division with TFL. Had 3 tackles & TFL in Week 11 meeting. • DE MICHAEL DANNA had 5 tackles in Week 16. • DE ASHTON GILLOTTE (rookie) had 5 tackles last week. Has half sack in 2 of his past 3. • LB DRUE TRANQUILL had 10 tackles & 1st FF of season in Week 16. Aims for his 4th in row with 10+ tackles. Has TFL in 2 of his past 3. Had 7 tackles & TFL in Week 11 meeting. • LB NICK BOLTON had 10 tackles & sack last week. Aims for his 5th in row with 10+ tackles. • CB KRISTIAN FULTON had career-high 10 tackles in Week 16. • DB CHAMARRI CONNER had 4 tackles & sack last week. Had 8 tackles & sack in Week 11 meeting.

BRONCOS AIM TO DOMINATE CHIEFS IN CHRISTMAS NIGHT SHOWDOWN IN KANSAS CITY

Denver (12-3) at Kansas City (6-9)

Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EST, Amazon Prime Video.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Broncos by 13.

Against the spread: Broncos 6-8-1; Chiefs 5-9-1.

Series record: Chiefs lead 73-58.

Last meeting: Broncos beat Chiefs 22-19 on Nov. 16 in Denver.

Last week: Broncos lost to Jaguars 34-20 in Denver; Chiefs lost to Titans 26-9 in Tennessee.

Broncos offense: overall (9), rush (18), pass (8), scoring (13).

Broncos defense: overall (4), rush (2), pass (10), scoring (5).

Chiefs offense: overall (13), rush (22), pass (9), scoring (20).

Chiefs defense: overall (10), rush (8), pass (12), scoring (4).

Turnover differential: Broncos minus-4; Chiefs minus-2.

Broncos player to watch

WR Courtland Sutton needs 28 yards receiving to become the first Broncos player with back-to-back 1,000 yards seasons since Emmanuel Sanders (2014-16) and Demaryius Thomas (2012-16).

Chiefs player to watch

QB Chris Oladokun finished out last week’s game against the Titans once Gardner Minshew joined Patrick Mahomes in tearing his ACL in consecutive weeks. Now, the former South Florida, Samford and South Dakota State quarterback — a seventh-round pick in 2022 — could make his first NFL start.

Key matchup

The Chiefs quarterback against the Broncos pass rush, which is the best in the league. They have 63 sacks, or 13 more than the second-place Falcons, and more than double what Kansas City (31) has had this season.

Key injuries

Chiefs: CBs Trent McDuffie (knee) and Jaylen Watson (groin) and WRs Nikko Remigio (knee), Rashee Rice (concussion) and Tyquan Thornton (concussion) missed practice this week. QB Gardner Minshew (torn ACL) went on injured reserve.

Broncos: LB Dre Greenlaw has been dealing with a hamstring injury. WR Pat Bryant (concussion), C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), TE Nate Adkins (knee) have also been out. LBs Justin Strnad (foot) and Karene Reid (hamstring) were full participants this week.

Series notes

The Chiefs won 16 consecutive games in the series beginning in November 2015 and ending in October 2023. But since then, the Broncos have won three of the past four, including their matchup earlier this season in Denver. Each of those three wins have come at home for the Broncos; they still have not won in Kansas City since Sept. 17, 2015.

Stats and stuff

Broncos QB Bo Nix is tied for the second-most victories over the first two seasons at his position with 22. … Nix needs one TD pass to become the fourth QB in NFL history with at least 25 in each of his first two seasons. … Two of Nix’s protectors earned their first Pro Bowl starting bids in G Quinn Meinerz and ninth-year veteran T Garett Bolles, who leads the league in pass-blocking efficiency and has yet to allow a sack this season. … WR Courtland Sutton has moved into fifth in Broncos history with 6,226 yards receiving. … Broncos LB Nik Bonitto needs one sack to joins Simon Fletcher as the only players in team history with at least 13 1/2 in back-to-back seasons. … Chiefs TE Travis Kelce needs 46 yards to become the fastest at his position to reach 13,000 in NFL history. Kelce has caught a pass in 189 straight games, the longest streak in Chiefs history and longest active streak in the NFL. … Chiefs K Harrison Butker has missed at least one PAT or FG attempt in eight of their 15 games. Kansas City was 1 for 9 on third down and finished with 133 total yards last week against the Titans. Nearly half of those yards were offset by 10 penalties for 59 yards.

Fantasy tip

Broncos RB R.J Harvey could have a huge day against a beaten-up Kansas City defense, one week after the Titans’ Tony Pollard eclipsed 100 yards against it. The Chiefs offense has been decimated by injuries, which means they could be punting a lot, giving the Broncos the ball for long stretches. And if the game gets out of hand early — a distinct possibility — then it could be Harvey getting fed simply to run out the clock.

BRONCOS EYE AFC WEST TITLE AS CHIEFS FACE UPHILL BATTLE WITH INJURIES IN CHRISTMAS NIGHT MATCHUP

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are in the enviable position of spending Christmas night at Arrowhead Stadium, the home of one of their biggest rivals, with an opportunity to close in on an AFC West title and perhaps land the No. 1 seed and first-round playoff bye.

It’s a position the Kansas City Chiefs know well.

Normally, they’re the ones with all those things to play for this time of year.

But things have flipped upside down this season. The Broncos (12-3) are barreling toward Thursday night’s matchup knowing that a win coupled with a loss or tie by the Chargers in their game Saturday against Houston would secure them the division title.

Kansas City (6-9) is just trying to survive with a third-string quarterback and a roster that is littered with injuries.

“You just have to keep winning. Whatever it takes to win the game,” Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said. “It doesn’t really at this point matter what it looks like. All the cool, flashy stuff can have already happened, but now it’s just who has more points.”

The Broncos did in their first meeting with the Chiefs, a 22-19 victory in November. But they did not this past week, when Jacksonville dealt them a humbling 34-20 defeat in Denver that snapped the Broncos’ 11-game winning streak.

“This game specifically — every one of these players understands the significant of where we’re at with two games left in the season,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “I think for both teams on a short week, there are defenses and offenses maybe, plays that neither of us got to use in the first game that still may apply. So that helps.”

The Chiefs will take all the help they can get.

Patrick Mahomes tore two ligaments in his knee two weeks ago. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew tore a ligament in his knee last week in a lopsided loss to lowly Tennessee, which means journeyman Chris Oladokun will start for the first time in his career.

The Chiefs are missing their two best offensive tackles, their top two cornerbacks and their best wide receiver to a variety of injuries.

That doesn’t mean the reigning AFC champions have quit, though.

“Any time you step into Arrowhead it’s fun. You feel the love, you feel the energy,” defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “We are playing for something greater than yourself. There’s a lot of kids, probably, a lot of first-timers there because of a Christmas game, a lot of people who paid their hard-earned money. You owe it to them to give your all and play your best and show up for the fans.”

Like father, like son

Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain II earned his fourth Pro Bowl honor this season, one more than his father earned during his NFL career from 1998-2008. The Broncos matched the Ravens, 49ers and Seahawks with a league-leading six selections.

“I have bragging rights now,” Surtain said with a laugh. “He can’t say too much now. I think it’s definitely great for the legacy and great for the Surtain lineage. It’s something I dreamed of, but I’ll keep perfecting my craft and keep on holding that name strong.”

Let Chris cook

While Oladokun will make his first NFL start on Thursday night, he did play the majority of last week’s loss in Tennessee. It’s been quite a journey for the former South Dakota State quarterback, who was cut by the Chiefs in training camp last year and spent the next eight weeks flying around the country for practice squad tryouts with various teams.

“It’s hard to play in the NFL. It’s hard to stick on a roster,” Oladokun said. “But it really motivated me. Really made me look in the mirror to see what I needed to get better at. I said, ‘If I get another chance, I won’t let it slip.’”

Arrow-dome Stadium?

Their game against Denver will be the first since the Chiefs announced Monday that they will be leaving their aging home in Missouri for a $3 billion domed facility to be built across the state line in Kansas. They will continue to play at Arrowhead Stadium through the end of their lease in January 2031.

Sutton-ly in trouble

The Chiefs could have their hands full against Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who had four catches for 59 yards against them in November. Kansas City will be without its top two cornerbacks, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, because of injuries.

“We’ll have to find a way to limit his catches,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “It’s a tough ask.”

Final farewell

Travis Kelce could be playing inside Arrowhead Stadium for the final time Thursday night. He has yet to announce his retirement, but the tight end appears to be leaning that way, and a decision is expected shortly after the end of the season.

“He’s been great,” coach Andy Reid said. “He’s everything you want from a player representing an organization.”

LIONS-VIKINGS MATCHUP HAS LOST SOME LUSTER, BUT THE PLAYOFFS ARE STILL POSSIBLE FOR AILING DETROIT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Detroit Lions can’t win the NFC North after taking the last two titles. The Minnesota Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention before they took the field two weeks ago.

The 29 wins these division rivals combined for last season are a distant memory now, the latest example of how quickly trajectories can shift for teams in this league from year to year.

The Lions and Vikings were a natural pair for one of the league’s three showcase matchups streaming on Christmas Day, with high-scoring offenses and plenty of star power, but the holiday movies might bump this game back a bit in the queue for some Netflix subscribers given the current state of the two teams. The earlier matchup on Thursday between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders looks like an even bigger letdown, with both NFC East rivals eliminated from contention for the playoffs.

The Lions, at least, have a chance to return to the postseason even if they need help.

The roadmap is simple: Beat Minnesota on Thursday and Chicago next week and have Green Bay lose its last two games, against Baltimore on Saturday and at Minnesota in Week 18.

After reaching the NFC championship game for the 2023 season and logging a franchise-record 15 wins last season, the Lions (8-7) are in trouble after losing at home to Pittsburgh last week for their first two-game losing streak in more than three years.

“We haven’t had that feeling. It’s creeping in on us now,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “We’ve got to find a way.”

Vikings turn to Brosmer again

Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer has been preparing in this shortened week for his second start at quarterback for the Vikings (7-8), yet another unexpected development in this rocky season.

Brosmer got a most difficult assignment in his first career start on Nov. 30 at Seattle against one of the NFL’s best defenses, with J.J. McCarthy sidelined by a concussion and Carson Wentz done for the year following shoulder surgery. Brosmer threw four interceptions in a 26-0 loss to the Seahawks that was the first shutout for the Vikings in 18 years.

This time, with McCarthy unavailable because of a hairline fracture in his throwing hand, Brosmer gets to play at home against a far more vulnerable defense — with the invaluable experience from Seattle ingrained in his mind.

“My dream for a long time has been to play in the NFL, and for me mentally to define myself by one game wouldn’t be fair to the younger me watching me play football in the NFL,” Brosmer said.

With three starters in its secondary on injured reserve, including star safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, the Lions defense has fallen apart. It allowed the Steelers three different 45-yard touchdowns last week, two rushing and one passing.

Brosmer, on the other hand, relieved McCarthy for the second half against the New York Giants and helped the Vikings win their third straight game, without any of the turnovers that crushed them against the Seahawks.

“It’s all about finding little ways to improve on your craft and improve with the guys you’re playing with,” said Brosmer, who successfully told himself to slow down his process after reading the routes and coverages too quickly in Seattle. “It’s a good feeling to be in the huddle with the guys and see the fruits of your labor.”

Lions struggling to run the ball

The rushing attack that fueled Detroit’s success over the previous two seasons has lagged this year. The offensive line lost two starters from 2024 who weren’t adequately replaced, and injuries have had members of this season’s group in and out of the lineup.

Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, as a result, haven’t been nearly as productive, and the play-action passing game Goff is so good at hasn’t been quite as effective, either.

Last week, the Lions netted just 15 rushing yards for their lowest total since 2016. They’re 0-6 this season when failing to reach 100 rushing yards, including the Nov. 2 loss at home to Minnesota.

“It’s very difficult to control anything if you can’t control the run game,” coach Dan Campbell said.

Lions get reacquainted with a losing streak

The Lions had won 15 straight times after a loss to match the league’s longest such streak with Denver (1984 to 1988) and Baltimore (2009 to 2012), according to Sportradar data, until their late rally fell short in the wild finish last week against Pittsburgh.

This is the first time Detroit has dropped consecutive games since starting 1-6 in 2022 during Campbell’s second season.

The stars go dark for the Vikings

The Vikings were one of only three teams that didn’t have at least one Pro Bowl selection, just the third time in franchise history that has happened — following 1983 and 2014. Last season, the Vikings had seven players honored while winning 14 games.

LIONS VISIT ELIMINATED VIKINGS ON CHRISTMAS WITH THEIR CHANCE OF RETURNING TO THE PLAYOFFS DWINDLING

Detroit (8-7) at Minnesota (7-8)

Thursday, 4:30 p.m. EST, Netflix.

BetMGM NFL odds: Lions by 6.

Against the spread: Lions 7-8; Vikings 7-8.

Series record: Minnesota leads 81-45-2.

Last meeting: Vikings beat Lions 27-24 on Nov. 2 in Detroit.

Last week: Lions lost to Steelers 29-24; Vikings beat Giants 16-13.

Lions offense: overall (3), rush (12), pass (3), scoring (2).

Lions defense: overall (23), rush (16), pass (25), scoring (23).

Vikings offense: overall (28), rush (25), pass (28), scoring (26).

Vikings defense: overall (5), rush (24), pass (3), scoring (11).

Turnover differential: Lions plus-10; Vikings minus-14.

Lions player to watch

WR Jameson Williams. The Lions are leaning more on the 2022 first-round pick, who was taken 12th overall with the spot the Vikings traded out of in a draft-night swap with their division rival. Williams had five catches for 70 yards against Pittsburgh after averaging seven receptions and 125 yards over the previous three games.

Vikings player to watch

QB Max Brosmer. The undrafted rookie will get his second start, with J.J. McCarthy sidelined by a hairline fracture in his throwing hand. When McCarthy missed the game at Seattle on Nov. 30 because of a concussion, Brosmer was overwhelmed by a dominant defense while throwing four interceptions in a 26-0 loss.

Key matchup

Detroit’s running game against Minnesota’s defense. The dominant offensive line that fueled the 15-win Lions last season has regressed, with two starters from 2024 gone and multiple injuries weakening the front in 2025. The ground game has suffered as a result, with just 15 yards rushing last week for the team’s lowest total since 2016. The Lions are 0-6 this season when they finish below 100 yards rushing, including a 65-yard total against the Vikings at home on Nov. 2.

Key injuries

Lions: DB Avonte Maddox (back) didn’t practice on Monday or Tuesday after getting hurt against Pittsburgh, another potential hit to a banged-up secondary that has starters Terrion Arnold, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph on injured reserve. … DE Marcus Davenport (shoulder) has been limited in practice this week. The 2018 first-round draft pick by the Saints has been limited to six games this season after playing in two in 2024 for the Lions and four with the Vikings in 2023. … WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) didn’t practice on Monday and was limited on Tuesday.

Vikings: McCarthy (hand) joins C Ryan Kelly (concussion) on the sideline. … TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) didn’t practice on Monday or Tuesday. … RB Jordan Mason (ankle) left the game last week on the opening drive and was unable to practice on Monday or Tuesday. … DT Javon Hargrave (thigh) missed the game last week but practiced this week on a limited basis. … Three other starters, LT Christian Darrisaw (knee), OLB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder) and S Josh Metellus (shoulder), were shut down for the season last week.

Series notes

The Vikings ended a five-game losing streak to the Lions in Week 9. In the last meeting, McCarthy returned from a five-game absence because of a sprained ankle and threw two touchdown passes, ran for a score and sealed the victory by throwing a 16-yard pass to Jalen Nailor on third-and-5 from the Minnesota 28. Jared Goff was sacked a season-high five times for the Lions, and Jahmyr Gibbs was held to 25 yards rushing on nine carries and 3 yards on three receptions. … The Lions are 4-5 at U.S. Bank Stadium. With a win, they would match the Bears for the most wins by any opponent at the stadium that Minnesota opened in 2016.

Stats and stuff

To return to the playoffs, the Lions need to win at Minnesota and at Chicago in Week 18 and have Green Bay lose at home against Baltimore this week and at Minnesota in Week 18. Their playoff qualification probability is 7%, according to the NFL. … The Lions have lost two straight games for the first time since early in the 2022 season when they dropped five in a row to fall to 1-6 in coach Dan Campbell’s second year. They have not won two games in a row in more than two months and can no longer win the division they won the last two years. … Gibbs has the most touchdowns (48) scored in NFL history through a player’s first three seasons. … St. Brown had just four catches on nine targets for 54 yards last week. His pass interference penalty on the final play against Pittsburgh negated Goff’s go-ahead touchdown run off St. Brown’s lateral to prevent being tackled short of the goal line. Three plays earlier, pass interference on rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa erased St. Brown’s touchdown catch that would’ve given the Lions the lead. … Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson had two sacks last week, matching his career high with 11 1/2 sacks. … The Vikings were eliminated from contention for the playoffs two weeks ago after winning 14 games last season. They have not made the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2008-09. … Vikings RB Aaron Jones had 21 carries for 85 yards last week, both season highs. … Vikings WR Justin Jefferson needs 27 yards to pass Randy Moss (8,375) for the most receiving yards in NFL history over a player’s first six seasons. Jefferson’s last touchdown catch came against the Lions in Week 9. … Vikings LB Blake Cashman has logged 10-plus tackles in eight of the 11 games he’s played in, tied for the second most in the league. … The Vikings have allowed 2.12 yards per play in the red zone, the second-best rate inside the 20-yard line this season in the NFL. … The Vikings have held opponents under 200 net passing yards in 11 of 15 games and under 100 in three of their last four games.

Fantasy tip

Goff has a touchdown pass in 21 straight games, tying Matthew Stafford’s franchise record. He has three consecutive 300-yard passing performances and four straight games without a turnover, with a career-low six giveaways this season. He’ll face a Vikings defense that has not allowed a passing touchdown in six straight games, tying the Patriots (2018-19) for the longest streak in the league over the last 25 years.

BEARS, PATRIOTS, JAGUARS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTHS IN STUNNING FIRST-YEAR COACHING TURNAROUNDS

Chicago, New England and Jacksonville were all fighting for draft positioning at this time a year ago, with the three teams finishing off seasons that left them at the bottom of the NFL standings.

The disappointing 2024 season led to coaching changes that have paid immediate dividends, with the Bears, Patriots and Jaguars all clinching playoff berths this week in the first year of the new regimes.

The work done by Ben Johnson in Chicago, Mike Vrabel in New England and Liam Coen in Jacksonville is impressive but far from unprecedented. This marked the 20th straight season that at least one team made the playoffs with a coach in his first year on the job, according to Sportradar.

In that span, there has been an average of just over two first-year coaches who have led their teams to the postseason each year, with the three this season tied for the second most.

There were an NFL-record five first-year coaches who made the playoffs in 2022 when Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell, Miami’s Mike McDaniel, the New York Giants’ Brian Daboll, Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and Jacksonville’s Doug Pederson all did it.

Johnson, Vrabel and Coen will try to join some more elite company: Eight coaches have made it to the Super Bowl in their first full season with a team. Four of those coaches won it all, with Denver the last to do it in the 2015 season under Gary Kubiak. The others were Jon Gruden in 2002 with Tampa Bay, George Seifert in 1989 with San Francisco and Don McCafferty in 1970 with the Baltimore Colts.

Gruden and Kubiak had coached other teams, meaning Johnson and Coen will try to join McCafferty and Seifert as the only coaches to win a Super Bowl in their first year as an NFL head coach.

While Chicago, New England and Jacksonville are having noteworthy turnarounds, the two No. 1 seeds from a year ago have fallen flat and both could miss the playoffs.

Kansas City already has been eliminated and Detroit needs to win two games and hope Green Bay loses twice to get in.

The Lions and Chiefs both won 15 games last season. Only two of the previous seven teams to win at least that many games missed the playoffs the following season, with Carolina doing it in 2016 after going 15-1 and New England in 2008 following a 16-0 regular season when Tom Brady injured his knee in the opener.

New overtime rules

The NFL’s new overtime rules provided a first this past week, with Seattle becoming the first team to win an overtime game with a walk-off 2-point conversion.

This is the first regular season where a team scoring a touchdown on the opening possession of OT doesn’t end the game, as the NFL expanded a rule first put in place in 2022 for the playoffs that guaranteed both teams the opportunity for at least one possession.

That change proved important for the Seahawks, who responded to the touchdown drive by the Los Angeles Rams to open overtime with one of their own. That prompted coach Mike Macdonald to go for 2 and the win rather than extend the game as sudden death, and Seattle converted for the 38-37 win.

It was the third time this season that a team went for 2 and the win after both teams scored touchdowns in overtime, with the Raiders failing in Week 9 against Jacksonville and Washington missing in Week 13 against Denver.

There have been 14 OT games in all this season, with only one lasting longer than two drives. Dallas and the New York Giants combined for five possessions in Week 2 before the Cowboys won 40-37 on a field goal.

Four were decided when the team that started with the ball scored first and the second team couldn’t match, and four others where the team that got the ball first failed to score and then allowed a game-winning score on the next drive.

There was also one tie in Week 4 when Dallas made a field goal on the opening possession and Green Bay used the rest of the 10-minute period on a drive that ended with a game-tying field goal.

Tank bowl

The “showdown” between the NFL’s only two-win teams when Las Vegas hosts the New York Giants on Sunday will be a rarity — and an important game when it comes to draft order.

This will be just the fourth time since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, according to Sportradar, that the two teams with sole possession of the worst two records in the league meet in a game in the final two weeks.

The loser of the game Sunday in Las Vegas will “win” the right to pick first with another loss in Week 18, with a potential prize of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza or the chance to trade down for a haul of picks.

The previous three late-season showdowns for the top pick didn’t provide a great prize to the team that ended up No. 1.

In 1981, New England lost the season finale to Baltimore and ended up with defensive lineman Kenneth Sims, who had 17 sacks in eight seasons and never made a Pro Bowl.

In 1980, the winless Saints beat the three-win Jets in Week 15 after already clinching the top pick in the draft. New Orleans picked running back George Rogers, who had a solid career, but wasn’t nearly as good as the three Hall of Fame defenders who went in the top eight of that draft: Lawrence Taylor, Kenny Easley and Ronnie Lott.

The first time it happened came in 1971 when Buffalo lost to Houston in Week 15 to clinch the top pick. The Bills took defensive lineman Walt Patulski, who lasted just five seasons.

Triple-threat Taysom

New Orleans’ jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill reached an exclusive mark when he caught a 7-yard pass from Tyler Shough in the fourth quarter on Sunday against the Jets to give him 1,002 yards receiving in his career.

Hill already had topped the 1,000-yard mark as both a passer and runner and became the first player in the Super Bowl era with 1,000 yards in each. Hill capped his day by throwing a 38-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave and now has 2,551 yards rushing and 2,426 yards passing to go with his receiving mark.

Three players reached the triple-1,000 club in the pre-Super Bowl era, with Bob Hoernschemeyer, Charley Trippi and George Taliaferro all doing it in careers that ended in 1955.

But no one had come particularly close since the start of the Super Bowl era in 1966, with no other player recording at least 660 yards in each category. The closest any previous player came was Kordell Stewart, who easily surpassed the passing and rushing marks but finished with 658 yards receiving.

Terrelle Pryor had at least 1,500 yards passing and receiving but finished with only 646 as a runner.

COMMANDERS TURN TO 39-YEAR-OLD JOSH JOHNSON ON CHRISTMAS WITH JAYDEN DANIELS AND MARCUS MARIOTA HURT

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Commanders will start 39-year-old Josh Johnson at quarterback for their Christmas Day home game against the Dallas Cowboys, coach Dan Quinn announced Wednesday.

Washington shut down Jayden Daniels for the final four games of his injury-plagued second season following an aggravation of a previously dislocated left elbow. His replacement, Marcus Mariota, suffered a quad injury and required stitches in his throwing hand during Washington’s 29-18 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend.

The QB changes epitomize Washington’s troubled follow-up campaign after finishing 12-5 and reaching the NFC championship game last season. The Commanders, 4-11, have lost nine of their last 10 games. That includes a 44-22 setback in Dallas (6-8-1) on Oct. 19. Both teams are eliminated from postseason contention.

The Commanders are likely to be without left tackle Laremy Tunsil (oblique) for a second consecutive game, defensive tackle Daron Payne (back) and linebacker Nick Bellore (concussion).

Daniels, the 2024 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, started seven games but left three early because of injuries. Mariota has eight starts and 11 appearances.

Washington this week signed QB Jeff Driskel off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad to back up Johnson and is expected to sign Sam Hartman off its own practice squad as the emergency third QB. The Commanders also placed starting right guard Sam Cosmi (concussion) and rookie punt returner Jaylin Lane (ankle) on injured reserve.

Johnson, the NFL record holder for most teams played with 14, will make his 10th career start and first since playing for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. He completed 5 of 9 pass attempts for 43 yards with an interception after replacing Mariota against the Eagles.

PRO PICKS: BILLS WILL EDGE EAGLES AND 49ERS WILL BEAT THE BEARS

Ten teams are in the NFL playoffs. Eight more are battling for the final four spots.

The playoff picture will become more clear in Week 17.

The Eagles-Bills matchup is a potential Super Bowl preview. Texans-Chargers, Bears-49ers and Seahawks-Panthers could end up playing again in the playoffs.

Pro Picks aims to continue a hot streak:

DENVER (12-3) at KANSAS CITY (6-9)

Line: Broncos minus-12 1/2

The Broncos are playing for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after their 11-game winning streak was snapped by the Jaguars. The Chiefs are playing their first game at Arrowhead Stadium since announcing they’re heading to the state of Kansas following the 2031 season. Denver’s defense can make this ugly for third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun.

BEST BET: BRONCOS: 27-6

HOUSTON (10-5) at LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-4)

Line: Chargers minus-2

C.J. Stroud and the Texans are still in the race for first place in the AFC South. Houston’s top-ranked defense has something to prove after a subpar performance in a win over the Raiders. Justin Herbert wasn’t sacked last week for the first time this season, but the Chargers aren’t facing the Cowboys this week.

UPSET SPECIAL: TEXANS 23-20

DALLAS (6-8-1) at WASHINGTON (4-11)

Line: Cowboys minus-7

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are playing to avoid a losing season. The Commanders are playing for pride in a dismal season that began with high expectations after reaching the NFC title game.

COWBOYS: 27-22

DETROIT (8-7) at MINNESOTA (7-8)

Line: Lions minus-7

The Lions need to win out and Green Bay has to lose twice to get in. The Vikings beat them in Week 9 with J.J. McCarthy. He’s hurt again.

LIONS: 24-16

BALTIMORE (7-8) at GREEN BAY (9-5-1)

Line: Packers minus-3

The Ravens are eliminated with a loss. Lamar Jackson is dealing with a back injury. Jordan Love is trying to come back from a concussion and backup Malik Willis hurt his shoulder. If Jackson plays, the desperate Ravens have a chance.

RAVENS: 22-20

ARIZONA (3-12) at CINCINNATI (5-10)

Line: Bengals minus-7

The Cardinals could be headed toward a coaching change after Jonathan Gannon’s third straight losing season. The Bengals could be in a similar spot with coach Zac Taylor, and quarterback Joe Burrow hasn’t seemed happy in Cincinnati.

BENGALS: 27-23

PITTSBURGH (9-6) at CLEVELAND (3-12)

Line: Steelers minus-3

Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers could have clinched the AFC North by kickoff if the Ravens lose to the Packers on Saturday night. Myles Garrett is one sack away from breaking the single-season record of 22 1/2 that is shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt.

STEELERS: 23-17

NEW ORLEANS (5-10) at TENNESSEE (3-12)

Line: Saints minus-2 1/2

The Saints are 4-3 with rookie QB Tyler Shough and aiming to finish strong in a weak division in which they’re 3-2. Rookie QB Cam Ward is coming off his best game and another win would hurt Tennessee’s draft positioning.

SAINTS: 20-16

JACKSONVILLE (11-4) at INDIANAPOLIS (8-7)

Line: Jaguars minus-6 1/2

The Jaguars clinch the AFC South if the Texans lose to the Chargers or with a win. They’re still in play for the No. 1 seed. Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL has been impressive, but the Colts are 0-2 and would be eliminated if Houston wins.

COLTS: 24-23

TAMPA BAY (7-8) at MIAMI (6-9)

Line: Buccaneers minus-5 1/2

The Buccaneers have gone from 6-2 to possible elimination this week if they lose and the Panthers win. But Tampa Bay controls its future. Two wins and the Bucs are in. Quinn Ewers makes his second start for the Dolphins. He’s facing a shaky defense.

BUCCANEERS: 26-23

NEW ENGLAND (12-3) at NEW YORK JETS (3-12)

Line: Patriots minus-12 1/2

The Patriots are coming off an impressive win over the Ravens and still have a shot to secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Jets are playing for the best draft pick, as usual this time of year.

PATRIOTS: 30-13

SEATTLE (12-3) at CAROLINA (8-7)

Line: Seahawks minus-7

Coming off a thrilling comeback win in overtime to take over first place in the NFC West, the Seahawks need to win to stay on top and hold the No. 1 seed. They can finish as low as sixth in the NFC. The Panthers could clinch the NFC South with a win and a loss by the Buccaneers. But if Tampa Bay beats Miami, this game is meaningless for Carolina. The Panthers would still have to beat the Buccaneers next week.

SEAHAWKS: 24-19

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-13) at LAS VEGAS (2-13)

Line: Raiders minus-1

This is the NFL’s version of a Toilet Bowl in fantasy football leagues. The winner is really a loser because they’ll lose the No. 1 overall pick. Jaxson Dart had a rough game against the Vikings. But he’s the Giants’ quarterback of the future. The Raiders need a franchise quarterback, so a loss would be beneficial. They should bench Ashton Jeanty — they won’t — to improve the possibility of a loss.

RAIDERS: 23-21

PHILADELPHIA (10-5) at BUFFALO (11-4)

Line: Bills minus-1

The Eagles are almost locked into the No. 3 seed, though they can move up to No. 2 or drop to fourth. Jalen Hurts led them to a comeback win in overtime against Buffalo in 2023. Josh Allen and the Bills still have an outside chance to win the AFC East.

BILLS: 26-24

CHICAGO (11-4) at SAN FRANCISCO (11-4)

Line: 49ers minus-3

Caleb Williams and the Bears keep finding ways to win. They’re coming off a late comeback against the Packers. The 49ers, despite a depleted defense, can secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed with two wins. Christian McCaffrey is 151 yards receiving away from his second career 1,000/1,000 season.

49ERS: 26-24

LOS ANGELES RAMS (11-4) at ATLANTA (6-9)

Line: Rams minus-8

Matthew Stafford and the Rams dropped from first in the NFC West to sixth in the conference with a loss to Seattle. They need to win out to have a shot to get back on top. Kirk Cousins and Bijan Robinson won’t make it easy for Los Angeles.

RAMS: 30-20

Last week: Straight up: 11-5. Against spread: 11-4-1.

Overall: Straight up: 169-70-1. Against spread: 127-106-7.

Prime time: Straight up: 30-22-1. Against spread: 24-29.

Best Bet: Straight up: 11-5. Against spread: 8-7-1.

Upset Special: Straight up: 12-4. Against spread: 12-4.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

MATT PATRICIA’S FIRST SEASON AT OHIO STATE EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS GOING INTO COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

Matt Patricia is used to postseason runs from his days as the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots.

However, Patricia acknowledges that the preparation for the College Football Playoff is different than the NFL. Patricia is in his first season as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator as the second-seeded Buckeyes (12-1) get ready to face 10th-seeded Miami (11-2) in a CFP quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31.

“It’s a learning (process) for me. We’d have bye-week kind of moments in the NFL, but this is a really long layover and break,” Patricia said. “Right now, I’m trying to trust the expertise in the building. Some of the things we did transfer, you know, because we have some different kind of scheduling and when everybody is in school and that stuff.”

Ohio State was off for two weeks after its 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 6. Players were mostly occupied with final exams while waiting to see who they would face in the Cotton Bowl.

With the Buckeyes going for consecutive national championships for the first time in school history, Patricia’s first season in Columbus has exceeded expectations. He was hired after Jim Knowles left for Penn State, tasked with leading a unit that returned only three starters, none on the defensive line.

Patricia and Ohio State made an emphatic opening statement in their Aug. 30 14-7 victory over Texas and continued the momentum throughout the season.

The Buckeyes are ranked either first or second nationally in nine different categories. They lead the nation in scoring defense (8.2 points per game), passing yards (129.1), red zone scores (66.7%) and fewest plays of 10 or more yards (90).

Ohio State had three AP All-America first-team selections on the defense — defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, linebacker Arvell Reese and safety Caleb Downs. All three plus linebacker Sonny Styles are projected to be first-round picks in April’s NFL draft.

Patricia, who returned to coaching in college for the first time since 2002, is a finalist for the Broyles Award, which is given to the top assistant coach in college football.

“The players have done an unbelievable job. Again, give them all the credit. I think they’ve played so hard and aggressive and flying around on the field. And it is a lot of fun. I tell them all the time, it’s such a privilege to be up there in front of the group and talk to the group,” Patricia said. “And just for me, personally, it has been so much fun to come back to college and have that little bit of a youthful energy with the players that we have here and their excitement to go out and play.”

When Patricia was hired, many lauded his ability to adjust his personnel by running multiple fronts and coverages. He also has shown the ability to relate to players.

“When he first stepped on campus here, it was like a long-lost family member that just came back from whatever he came from, but he came back home,” defensive end Kenyatta Jackson said. “And I mean, all the guys love him. Even offensive guys. He don’t just talk to the starters or whatever the case may be, but he talks to everybody. And I think that’s why everybody loves him.”

One person who hasn’t been surprised with Patricia’s success is the guy who hired him.

“His background speaks for itself and putting guys into a situation to be successful. And every player just wants someone that’s going to be there to get them better but also wants someone to care about them. He’s done both of those things,” coach Ryan Day said. “It’s great to have somebody in the building who has been through some of the games he’s been through, the Super Bowls and a lot of playoff games, so there’s a confidence level the guys have in him. So, I think all of that adds up to what you’re seeing.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RATINGS DROP 7% AS NFL COMPETITION IMPACTS VIEWERSHIP

Last weekend’s first round of the College Football Playoff averaged 9.9 million viewers on ABC, ESPN, TNT, TBS and truTV, according to ESPN and Nielson. That is a 7% drop from last year.

A big reason for the drop was that the final game, James Madison versus Oregon, was on TNT, TBS and truTV and not on ABC and ESPN, along with an NFL game in prime time.

The Chicago Bears’ 22-16 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers on Fox averaged 21.3 million viewers while Oregon’s 51-34 win over James Madison drew 4.4 million. Last year’s Ohio State-Tennessee game on ABC/ESPN averaged 14.3 million, plus it did not go up against an NFL game.

The most-watched CFP game was Alabama’s 34-24 comeback victory over Oklahoma, which averaged 14.9 million on a Friday night on ABC/ESPN. Not only was that the highest-viewed CFP first-round game in the two years of the expanded 12-team field, it was the fifth-most watched game of the season. Six of the top 20 most-viewed games this year involve Alabama.

Last year’s CFP opener between Notre Dame and Indiana averaged 13.4 million.

Miami’s 10-7 win over Texas A&M averaged 14.8 million on ABC/ESPN on Saturday afternoon and more than doubled the 6.4 million that tuned in for the SMU-Penn State game in the same time slot on TNT/TBS and truTV.

The Hurricanes’ victory was the sixth-most watched game of the season.

Ole Miss’ 41-10 rout of Tulane averaged 6.2 million on TNT/TBS and truTV, down from the 8.6 million average from last year’s Texas-Clemson game in the same time slot and networks.

The Saturday middle CFP game has had competition from the NFL the last two years. Philadelphia’s 29-18 win over Washington on Fox averaged 15.5 million, the same audience that tuned in for last year’s game between Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

ESPN sublicenses CFP games to TNT/TBS and truTV. Besides two first-round games again next year, the Warner Bros. Discovery channels will have two quarterfinals and a semifinal game.

Last year’s four quarterfinal matchups averaged 16.9 million on ESPN and ESPN2.

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NBA NEWS

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NHL NEWS

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TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS CELTICS

The Indiana Pacers (6-24) host the Boston Celtics (18-11) in Eastern Conference action on Friday as Indiana seeks redemption following a loss to the same Celtics on Monday of this week. The Pacers played in Boston on the first night of a back-to-back, then fell to the Bucks at home on Tuesday. Indiana’s appetite for a win is insatiable as it continues to slip in a six-game losing skid, but another chance for a win is on the horizon.

The Blue and Gold got off to a great start in Boston earlier this week. Indiana hit eight of its 12 initial 3-point attempts, but went cold in the second half. The Pacers knocked down just one 3-pointer after hitting 12 in the first half.

That followed them into Tuesday’s game against the Bucks – the Pacers trailed by as many as 25 points against a divisional rival, and fell to Milwaukee, 111-94.

“We’ve hit some droughts for different reasons, I suppose,” coach Rick Carlisle said following the loss to the Bucks. “Some of it’s make or miss. There’s occasionally stagnancy that comes in. Sometimes it’s decision making, but you know, the last three games, there have been positives. And so we’ve got to work at building on those.”

Pascal Siakam continues to be Indiana’s most consistent source of offense, though he sees double and triple coverage nightly. Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin search for consistency in their new roles, and two-way players like Ethan Thompson and Quenton Jackson are on the hunt for ways to be impactful in each matchup.

Thompson, for instance, grabbed five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in Tuesday’s game against Milwaukee.

The Celtics will come to Indiana after some extended rest. Friday’s matchup marks their first game action since Monday’s game with the Pacers in which Jaylen Brown led them to a win with 31 points and nine rebounds.

Just like Indiana is navigating a season without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, Boston plays without its star forward as Jayson Tatum tore his right Achilles tendon in postseason play. The Celtics are third in the Eastern Conference with an 18-11 record without Tatum as Brown continues to forge a path for Boston with his 29.4 points per game.

The Pacers host Boston on Friday, then travel to Miami for the second night of back-to-back contests on Saturday at 8:00 PM ET.

Projected Starters

Pacers: G – Andrew Nembhard, G – Ethan Thompson, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Jay Huff

Celtics: G – Payton Pritchard, G – Derrick White, F – Jaylen Brown, F – Jordan Walsh, C – Neemias Queta

Injury Report

Pacers: Kam Jones – questionable (G League assignment), Tyrese Haliburton – out (right Achilles tendon tear), Isaiah Jackson – out (concussion), Aaron Nesmith – out (left knee MCL sprain), Ben Sheppard – out (left calf strain), Obi Toppin – out (right foot stress fracture)

Celtics: Jayson Tatum – out (right Achilles tendon tear)

Last Meeting

Dec. 22, 2025: The Pacers held the lead by as many as 20 points, but the Celtics rallied late to overpower Indiana, 103-95.

The Pacers started white hot from deep – they knocked down eight of their 12 3-point attempts in the first quarter. Pascal Siakam scored 23 points in the first half, and Indiana went into the halftime break with an 18-point lead.

Siakam scored just two points in the second half, but led Indiana with 25 total points. Nembhard contributed another 20 points and seven assists, and Jaylen Brown’s 31 points led the Celtics.

Boston outscored Indiana 60-34 in the second half, and held the Pacers to just 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics completed a 20-point comeback to capture the home win.

Indiana made just one 3-point field goal in the second half after knocking down 12 of its 20 attempts in the first half.

Noteworthy

Indiana will play the Celtics twice more this season following Friday’s matchup – at home on Jan. 12 and in Boston on Jan. 21.

The Pacers are 87-111 against the Celtics all-time.

Rick Carlisle is just one win away from becoming the NBA’s 11th coach to record 1,000 career wins.

Broadcast Information (Where to Watch and Listen to Pacers Games >>)

TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

Tickets

The Pacers will welcome Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, Dec. 26 at 7:00 PM ET.

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VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL

VALPO TO CLOSE CALENDAR YEAR WITH FIRST MVC ROAD TRIP

Valparaiso (6-6, 0-1 MVC)

at UNI (9-3, 1-0 MVC)

Game No. 13 – Monday, Dec. 29, 7 p.m. CT

McLeod Center (6,650) – Cedar Falls, Iowa

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will hit the road for the first time in Missouri Valley Conference play, facing a tough test as the Beacons head to Cedar Falls, Iowa to square off with UNI in the first game after the Christmas holiday and the final game of the calendar year 2025. After starting league play against a Murray State team that was picked third in the preseason poll, Valpo continues a challenging start to the conference docket by visiting a UNI squad that was projected to finish second.

Last Time Out: Valpo led for nearly 25 minutes while Murray State was on top for less than 11 minutes, but the guests held the upper hand when it counted most, beating the Beacons 85-79 on Sunday, Dec. 21 in Valpo’s Missouri Valley Conference opener at the Athletics-Recreation Center. Owen Dease shattered his previous career high with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Valpo led by as many as eight with 13:40 remaining in the second half before the Racers rallied to victory.

Glancing Ahead: The Beacons will return to Valparaiso after Monday’s game, but it will be a short stay at home as they will board the plane again on Wednesday in advance of a New Year’s Day matinee on Thursday at Southern Illinois, the squad’s second straight road contest.

Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Eric Braley (play-by-play) and Matt Schneiderman (analyst)

Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst) 

X updates – @ValpoBasketball

Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.

Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (28-50) is in his third season as the head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career. In the second season of the Powell Era in 2024-2025, Valpo over doubled its overall win total from the previous season and doubled its conference win output before earning a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal berth. The Beacons finished with 15 wins, the team’s highest total since 2019-20.

Series Notes: Valpo is 7-33 all-time against UNI, but the Beacons won both matchups last season, winning 80-73 on Jan. 4 at the ARC and 64-63 on March 7 in an MVC quarterfinal as part of Arch Madness in St. Louis. The McLeod Center has been an unkind venue to the Beacons, who have lost four straight and seven out of eight there since joining the league with the lone victory coming in an empty building during the COVID-19 pandemic. Valpo’s last four games in Cedar Falls have all been double-figure losses. This marks the team’s first trip there since a 68-54 defeat on Feb. 27, 2024 as this was the one Missouri Valley Conference city that Valpo did not frequent during the 2024-2025 campaign. The Beacons are 5-11 against the Panthers since joining the Missouri Valley Conference prior to the 2017-18 campaign.

Scouting the Panthers 

Closed nonconference play by visiting Saint Mary’s – a team receiving votes nationally – on Monday, Dec. 22, falling in a tight 63-58 contest.

Started Missouri Valley Conference action with a 60-54 road win at UIC on Dec. 17.

Had close losses to Tulsa (63-60) and Wichita State (74-69, OT), the team’s only other setbacks besides Saint Mary’s.

Picked to finish third in the MVC preseason poll.

Ranked 91st (third MVC) in the KenPom and 73rd (fourth MVC) in the NET.

Under the direction of legendary head coach Ben Jacobson, who is in his 20th season at UNI and has averaged 19.6 wins per season.

Posted precisely 20 wins last season before falling to Valpo in the MVC quarterfinal rounds and going on to make an NIT appearance.

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SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES

UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/

MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

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TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

On December 25 in …

1888 – First indoor baseball game played at fairgrounds in Philadelphia.

1894 – First midwestern football team to play on west coast, University of Chicago defeats Stanford 24-4 at Palo Alto, California.

1928 – Christmas Day attendance at cricket Melbourne Cricket Ground (Victoria versus New South Wales) 14,887.

1928 – New South Wales (versus Victoria) go from 8-74 to 9-113 to be 9-367 at stumps.

1929 – Clarrie Grimmett takes 6-146 in cricket for South Africa, Queensland all out 380; Crowd 5,390.

1930 – First US bobsled run open to the public (Mount Van Hoevenberg bobsled run at Lake Placid, New York).

1930 – Slinger Nitschke scores 142 South Africa versus Queensland at Adelaide before 5,422.

1930 – Tasmania all out 280, West Indies 2-139 at Hobart Crowd 2,500.

1931 – Albert Lonergan scores 137 South Africa versus Queensland at Adelaide before 5,697.

1931 – Leslie Fleetwood-Smith takes 5-69 Victoria versus Tasmania at Hobart.

1933 – Another Christmas Day five-wicket haul by Clarrie Grimmett.

1933 – Stan Smith takes 8-33 for Victoria versus Tasmania at Hobart.

1934 – Four centuries for South Africa as they make 7-644 versus Queensland before 6,180.

1936 – Ron Hamence scores 104 for South Africa versus Queensland before 4,865.

1937 – Queensland all out for 93 versus South Africa in front of 10,436.

1939 – Clarrie Grimmett and Ward rip through Queensland in cricket except Bill Brown (156).

1940 – Donald Bradman out first ball for South Africa versus Victoria before 6213.

1950 – Cleveland Browns beat Los Angeles Rams 30-28 in NFL championship game.

1951 – West Indies defeat Australia by six wickets on third day of third Test Cricket.

1969 – India all out for 163 at Madras versus Australia, Ashley Mallett 5-91.

1971 – Longest NFL game (3 hours 21 minutes) as Miami Dolphins beat Kansas City Chiefs 27-24.

1972 – England beats India by six wickets in the first Test Cricket at Delhi.

1979 – Opening day of fourth Test Cricket, India 8-112 versus Pakistan at Kanpur.

1982 – Mudassar Nazar scores century, then Imran rips through Indians.

1984 – NBA’s Bernard King scores 60 points.

1991 – Last day of a washout Pakistan versus Sri Lanka at Gujranwala.

Births of sports figures on December 25

1855 – Birth of James Galvin; pitcher, shut-out every opposing team in 1884.

1875 – Birth of Walter Lees; cricket player (Surrey pace bowler toured for England 1905-06).

1881 – Birth of Joseph V McCarthy; baseball manager (New York Yankees).

1891 – Birth of Clarrie Grimmett; cricket player (in Dunedin Great Australian leg-spinner).

1900 – Birth of W L “Tich” Cornford; cricket player (Sussex keeper played for England 1930).

1909 – Birth of Mike Mazurki in Tarnopal, Austria; actor/wrestler (Centerfold Girls).

1912 – Birth of Donald McRae; cricket player (Test for New Zealand, the 1946 debacle versus Australia).

1923 – Birth of Nöel Vandernotte in France; cox (Olympics-bronze-1936).

1925 – Birth of Ossi Reichert; German giant slalom (Olympics-gold-1956).

1927 – Birth of Nellie Fox; Chicago White Sox infielder (American League Most Valuable Player 1959).

1932 – Birth of Peter John Swales; football club chairman.

1942 – Birth of François Durr in France; tennis player (1976 US indoor Doubles).

1943 – Birth of Hedley Howarth; cricket player (brother of Geoff, New Zealand lefty spinner 1969-77).

1945 – Birth of Ken “The Snake” Stabler; NFL quarterback (Oakland Raiders, Super Bowl XI).

1946 – Birth of Larry Csonka; NFL running back (Miami Dolphins, New York Giants).

1947 – Birth of Connie Petracek in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, USA; swimmer (Olympics-1992, 1996).

1950 – Birth of Manny Trillo; baseball infielder (Philadelphia Phillies).

1956 – Birth of Mansoor Akhtar; cricket player (Pakistani batsman early 1980s).

1958 – Birth of Joop Hiele; soccer player (Dordrecht 1990, Go Ahead Eagles).

1958 – Birth of Rickey Henderson in Chicago, Illinois, USA; baseball player (stolen base king, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees).

1959 – Birth of Chris Spice; Australian field hockey coach (Olympics-1996).

1959 – Birth of Ton Lokhoff; Dutch soccer player (NAC).

1962 – Birth of Mary Ellen Clark in Abington, Pennsylvania, USA; diver (Olympics-2 bronze-1992, 1996).

1963 – Birth of Joop Gall; Dutch soccer player (FC Groningen).

1964 – Birth of Anil Kaul in Amritsar, India; Canadian badminton player (Olympics-1996).

1964 – Birth of Janet Soulsby in Corbridge, Australia; golfer (Curtis Cup 1982).

1964 – Birth of Raymond Libregts; soccer player (MVV).

1965 – Birth of Dmitri Mironov in Moscow, Russia; NHL defenseman (Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Mighty Ducks).

1965 – Birth of Kathleen Luciano in Munich, Germany; WPVA volleyball player (Nationals-17th-1993).

1966 – Birth of Craig Veasey; NFL defensive tackle/defensive end (Houston Oilers).

1967 – Birth of Kathleen Franey in Brooklyn, New York, USA; 1.5km runner.

1968 – Birth of Corey Widmer; NFL linebacker (New York Giants).

1968 – Birth of Don Silvestri; NFL/WLAF kicker (New York Jets, London Monarchs).

1968 – Birth of Jim Dowd in Brick, New Jersey, USA; NHL center (Vancouver Canucks).

1968 – Birth of Scott Bullett in Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA; outfielder (Chicago Cubs).

1970 – Birth of Azhar Saeed in United Arab Emirates; cricket player (opening batsman 1996 World Cup).

1970 – Birth of Ghalid Salamat; soccer player (MVV).

1970 – Birth of Stu Barnes in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada; NHL center (Florida Panthers).

1971 – Birth of Marlon Forbes; safety (Chicago Bears).

1971 – Birth of Terry Vaughn; Canadian Football League receiver (Calgary Stampeders).

1974 – Birth of Chris Naeole; guard (New Orleans Saints).

1974 – Birth of Grayson Shillingford; NFL wide receiver (Seattle Seahawks).

1976 – Birth of Scott Vermillion in Independence, Missouri; soccer defenceman (Olympics-gold-1996).

Deaths of sports figures on December 25

1976 – Arthur Mitchell, cricket player (batted in six Tests for England 1933-36), dies.

1989 – Billy Martin, New York Yankees’ baseball manager, killed in a car accident at age 61 in Binghamton, New York.

1991 – Mahmood Hussain, cricket player (27 Tests for Pakistan, 68 wickets), dies.

1992 – Ted Croker, RAF-pilot/secretary English soccer team (sponsoring), dies (born 1924).

1995 – Jimmy Boucher, cricket player (great Irish all-rounder 1929-54), dies.

On December 26 in …

1902 – Most knock downs in a boxing fight, Oscar Nelson (5) and Christy Williams (42).

1908 – Jackson Johnson knocks out Tommy Burns in 14 rounds at Sydney, Australia for heavyweight boxing title.

1917 – First NHL defensemen to score a goal: Toronto Maple Leafs’ Harry Cameron.

1918 – First day of first-class cricket in Australia after WWI (Victoria versus New South Wales).

1919 – New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox reach agreement on transfer of Babe Ruth.

1925 – First East-West football game at Ewing Park before 25,000 fans.

1925 – NHL record 141 shots as New York Americans (73) beat Pittsburgh Pirates (68) 3-1.

1928 – Johnny Weissmuller announces his retirement from amateur swimming.

1928 – World record 10th wicket stand 307 (Alan Kippax / Hal Hooker) New South Wales versus Victoria.

1933 – Donald Bradman scores 187 New South Wales versus Victoria, 294 minutes, 13 fours.

1934 – Yomiuri Giants, Japan’s first professional baseball team, forms.

1938 – Donald Bradman scores 225 South Australia versus Queensland before Christ gets him out.

1938 – Tom Goddard takes a cricket hat-trick for England versus South Africa.

1940 – First-class debut of Arthur Morris, who scores 148.

1943 – Chicago Bears win NFL championship.

1946 – 35th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in Melbourne (5-0).

1950 – Gillette and Mutual buy All Star and World Series advertising rights (US$6 million for six years).

1954 – Cleveland Browns beat Detroit Lions 56-10 in NFL championship game.

1955 – Cleveland Browns beat Los Angeles Rams 38-14 in NFL championship game.

1960 – Philadelphia Eagles beat Green Bay Packers 17-13 in NFL championship game.

1964 – Buffalo Bills beat San Diego Chargers 20-7 in AFL championship game.

1965 – Buffalo Bills beat San Diego Chargers 23-0 in AFL championship game.

1968 – Boston Bruins’ Ted Green sets NHL penalty record of three minors, two majors and two game misconducts in a game against the New York Rangers in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

1975 – A crowd of 85,661 attends the first day of the Australia-West Indies Melbourne Cricket Ground Test Cricket.

1981 – One of the great day’s Test Cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Australia versus West Indies.

1983 – Test Cricket debut of Gregory Richard John Matthews, versus Pakistan Melbourne Cricket Ground.

1985 – Test Cricket debut of Steve Waugh, versus India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

1986 – Doug Jarvis, age 31, sets NHL record of 916 consecutive games.

1989 – ODI debut for Mark Taylor and Sanath Jayasuriya at cricket Melbourne Cricket Ground.

1990 – Reggie Williams becomes first general manager of WLAF’s New York-New Jersey Knights.

1990 – Due to a financial dispute between the club owners, the Fort Myers Sun Sox franchise collapses causing the Senior Professional Association League to fold in the middle of its second season.

1991 – Chuck Knolls retires as NFL coach after 23 years.

1991 – New York Islanders’ Derek King ties New Jersey Devils 5-5 with half second left.

1992 – New York Jets’ announcer Marty Glickman retires at age 75.

1993 – Floyd, Nicklaus and Rodriguez win Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge Golf Tournament.

1995 – Muttiah Muralitharan no-balled for throwing (SL versus Australia, Melbourne Cricket Ground).

1995 – Paul Adams becomes South Africa’s youngest Test Cricket player, 18 years 340 days.

2005 – ABC-TV airs the last Monday Night Football after 36 years.

Births of sports figures on December 26

1908 – Birth of Ralph Hill; American 5000m runner (Olympics-1932).

1935 – Birth of Barbara J Jacket; American athletic coach (Olympics-1972).

1935 – Birth of Rohan Kanhai; cricket player (one of West Indies’ finest batsmen).

1942 – Birth of Barry Wood; cricket player (England opener in early 1970s).

1947 – Birth of Carlton Fisk in Vermont, USA; all star catcher (Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox).

1948 – Birth of Chris Chambliss; first baseman (New York Yankee).

1954 – Birth of Ozzie Smith in Mobile, Alabama, USA; infielder (Saint Louis Cardinals).

1954 – Birth of Ullrich Diessner in the German Democratic Republic; four man cox/twin of Walter (Olympics-silver-1976).

1954 – Birth of Walter Diessner in the German Democratic Republic; four man cox/twin of Ullrich (Olympics-silver-1976).

1956 – Birth of Gail Tatterson; Women’s Professional Basketball League center (New York Stars).

1956 – Birth of Karen Smith; Women’s Professional Basketball League forward (New York Stars).

1959 – Birth of Lesley Tomlinson in Derbyshire, England; cyclist (Olympics-1996).

1961 – Birth of Storm Davis in Dallas, Texas, USA; pitcher (Kansas City Royals).

1964 – Birth of Jeff King in Marion, Indiana, USA; infielder (Pittsburgh Pirates).

1965 – Birth of Ben Husaby in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA; cross country skier (Olympics-1994).

1966 – Birth of Tim Legler; NBA guard (Washington Wizards/Bullets).

1967 – Birth of Tony Covington; NFL safety (Seattle Seahawks).

1968 – Birth of Darren Barber in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; rower (Olympics-1996).

1970 – Birth of Lisa Gathright in Moline, Illinois, USA; WPVA volleyball player (US Open-17th-1993).

1970 – Birth of Radka Zrubakova in Bratislava, Slovakia; tennis star (1994 Futures-Germany).

1970 – Birth of Willie Williams; NFL cornerback (Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks).

1971 – Birth of Mark Lathwell; cricket player (England opening batsman versus Australia 1993).

1972 – Birth of Burnell Roques; NFL wide receiver (Atlanta Falcons).

1972 – Birth of Derrick Cullors; running back (New England Patriots).

1973 – Birth of Ryan Berube; American 800 metre freestyle relay (Olympics-gold-1996).

1974 – Birth of Tony Brackens; defensive end (Jacksonville Jaguars).

1975 – Birth of Marcelo Rios in Santiago, Chile; tennis star (1995 Amsterdam).

1980 – Birth of Serena Phillips in Corvallis, Oregon; figure skater (1997 Pruetten Champion).

Deaths of sports figures on December 26

1916 – Frank Penn, cricket player (one Test for England versus Australia 1880), dies.

1961 – Charlie Frank, cricket player (South Africa Test centurion versus Australia 1921-22), dies.

1963 – “Gorgeous George” Wagner, wrestler, dies.

1967 – S F Barnes, cricket player (27 Tests for England, 189 wickets), dies.

2017 – Death of Johnny Bower, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1924).

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TV SPORTS

Thursday, 12/25/25

NFL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Commanders	1:00pm	Netflix
Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings	4:30pm	Netflix
Denver Broncos vs Kansas City Chiefs	8:15pm	Prime
NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks	12:00pm	ABC
San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder	2:30pm	ABC
Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors	5:00pm	ABC
Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers	8:00pm	ABC
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets	10:30pm	ABC

Friday, 12/26/2025

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports ATL FanDuel Sports Sun
Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports CHA FanDuel Sports FL
Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards	7:00pm	SN MNMT
Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers	7:30pm	NBCS-BOS FanDuel Sports IND
Philadelphia 76ers vs Chicago Bulls	8:00pm	Prime
Milwaukee Bucks vs Memphis Grizzlies	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports MIL FanDuel Sports MEM
Phoenix Suns vs New Orleans Pelicans	8:00pm	AFSN GCSN
Detroit Pistons vs Utah Jazz	9:30pm	FanDuel Sports DET KJZZ
Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers	10:00pm	Prime
COLLEGE FOOTBALL	TIME ET	TV
GameAbove Sports Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Northwestern	1:00pm	ESPN
Rate Bowl: New Mexico vs. Minnesota	4:30pm	ESPN
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: FIU vs. UTSA	8:00pm	ESPN
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
EPL: Manchester United vs Newcastle United	3:00pm	USA Peacock

Saturday, 12/27/25

NFL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Houston Texans vs Los Angeles Chargers	4:30pm	NFLN
Baltimore Ravens vs Green Bay Packers	8:00pm	Peacock
NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings	5:00pm	KFAA NBCS-CA
Denver Nuggets vs Orlando Magic	7:00pm	ALT FanDuel Sports FL
Phoenix Suns vs New Orleans Pelicans	7:00pm	AFSN GCSN
Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports IND FanDuel Sports Sun
Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports MIL CHSN
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Houston Rockets	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports Ohio SCHN
Brooklyn Nets vs Minnesota Timberwolves	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports North YES
Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports SW KJZZ
New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks	8:00pm	NBATV MSG FanDuel Sports ATL
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
New York Rangers vs New York Islanders	6:00pm	MSG2 MSGSN
Minnesota Wild vs Winnipeg Jets	6:00pm	FanDuel Sports North SN
Detroit Red Wings vs Carolina Hurricanes	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports South FanDuel Sports DET
Washington Capitals vs New Jersey Devils	7:00pm	MSGSN2 MNMT
Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres	7:00pm	MSG-BUF NESN
Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs	7:00pm	SN ESPN+
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers	7:00pm	Scripps FanDuel Sports Sun
Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports SW Victory+
Nashville Predators vs St. Louis Blues	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports MW FanDuel Sports NSH
Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings	9:00pm	FanDuel Sports West Victory+
Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames	10:00pm	SN ESPN+
San Jose Sharks vs Vancouver Canucks	10:00pm	SN NBCS-CA
Colorado Avalanche vs Vegas Golden Knights	10:00pm	ALT Scripps
COLLEGE FOOTBALL	TIME ET	TV
Go Bowling Military Bowl: Pitt vs. East Carolina	11:00am	ESPN
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State vs. Clemson	12:00pm	ABC
Wasabi Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. Army	2:15pm	ESPN
Pop-Tarts Bowl: 22 Georgia Tech vs. 12 BYU	3:30pm	ABC
Arizona Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Fresno State	4:30pm	The CW
Isleta New Mexico Bowl: 25 North Texas vs. San Diego State	5:45pm	ESPN
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: 19 Virginia vs. Missouri	7:30pm	ABC
Kinder’s Texas Bowl:LSU vs. 21 Houston	9:15pm	ESPN
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Columbia College at UNCW	12:00pm	ESPN+
Cleary at Duquesne	2:00pm	ESPN+
CSUN at Stanford	8:00pm	ESPN+
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Serie A: Parma vs Fiorentina	6:30am	Paramount+
EPL: Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City	7:30am	USA Peacock
Serie A: Lecce vs Como	9:00am	Paramount+
Serie A: Torino vs Cagliari	9:00am	Paramount+
EPL: Manchester City vs West Ham United	10:00am	Peacock
EPL: Arsenal vs Brighton & Hove Albion	10:00am	Peacock
EPL: Liverpool vs Wolverhampton Wanderers	10:00am	Peacock
EPL: Brentford vs AFC Bournemouth	10:00am	Peacock
EPL: Burnley vs Everton	10:00am	Peacock
EPL: West Ham United vs Fulham	10:00am	Peacock
Serie A: Udinese vs Lazio	12:00pm	Paramount+
EPL: Chelsea vs Aston Villa	12:30pm	Peacock
La Liga: Osasuna vs Deportivo Alavés	12:30pm	ESPN+ fuboTV
Serie A: Pisa vs Juventus	2:45pm	Paramount+

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