Sports News Daily

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)   After a rousing win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, the Baltimore Ravens have another marquee matchup in Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins. The Ravens have been the most complete team during the 2023 NFL season as they dominate all three phases of the field and lead the AFC because of it. Lamar Jackson is turning in another MVP-caliber season and should be considered the front runner considering how well Baltimore has played the past couple of months. The Dolphins are coming off a strong win over the Dallas Cowboys last week and have every reason to believe they can hang with the Ravens. Miami’s been picking up steam in recent weeks as well, but they have a tough challenge on their hands given the weapons Jackson has. Odell Beckham Jr. may have spent the past couple of seasons dealing with injuries, but he pulled off a vintage catch that had fans buzzing on social media via NFL. MR. ODELL BECKHAM JR. : #MIAvsBAL ...

(Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)   The New England Patriots are in tumultuous times as they barrel toward a losing season. The team already has massive questions at quarterback and now could lose their starting offensive tackle Trent Brown to free agency. The veteran reportedly won’t receive a $6.5 million playing-time bonus after the Patriots deactivated him for Week 17. Brown also recently said he would look at other opportunities this offseason without an extension from New England. “It’d be kind of like, I feel like I’d be kind of doing myself a disservice to not see what other opportunities are out there, just at this point,” Brown said, per A to Z Sports . #Patriots Trent Brown will not receive any of his $6.5 million dollars in playing-time bonuses because he is inactive today. Brown has recently spoken out against the team. The Patriots returned the favor by making him a Healthy scratch today. This is what he said in regard to… pic.twitter.com/wvYdOnsV7I ...

(Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images)   The New York Knicks just made a major move. They got better on paper by replacing the ever-struggling RJ Barrett with OG Anunoby. Immanuel Quickley will now be headed up north to play for the Toronto Raptors. This move came out of the blue, which is why he took to Twitter to share how surprised he was about this. “Oh my goodness,” Quickley posted. Oh my goodness…. — Immanuel Jaylen Quickley (@IQ_GodSon) December 30, 2023 Nonetheless, even though the timing of this trade was shocking, the move itself wasn’t. On the one hand, Anunoby had made it loud and clear that he wouldn’t resign with the Raptors, and he was rumored to be traded last season. On the other hand, the Knicks failed to reach an agreement extension with Quickley as well, and multiple teams could’ve shown an interest in getting him. Notably, the Knicks will now replace him in the second unit with Malachi Flynn. Quickley is an explosive and efficient three-level ...

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)   You might think that the Detroit Pistons would be willing to do anything to stop the horrible season they’re having. But you’d be wrong because they aren’t willing to part ways with one of their veteran players. According to James L. Edwards III, via NBACentral, the Pistons “are not interested” in trading Bojan Bogdanovic. Edwards reported: “I’ve heard and continue to hear is that there are no plans to trade Bogdanovic unless Detroit gets an offer it can’t refuse. The Pistons want to be good and don’t want to trade good players, even if Bogdanovic’s role is reduced to a bench scorer next season.” The Detroit Pistons are not interested in trading Bojan Bogdanovic, per @JLEdwardsIII “I’ve heard and continue to hear is that there are no plans to trade Bogdanović unless Detroit gets an offer it can’t refuse. The Pistons want to be good and don’t want to trade good players,… pic.twitter.com/4EFh0jiLVb — NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) D...

(Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)   The Buffalo Bills entered the season as a Super Bowl-or-bust kind of team. And while plenty of things have happened ever since, the reality is that they should still have the same mindset going forward. They haven’t made the playoffs yet, but they’re the kind of team that could just get hot and go the distance in the postseason according to NFL analyst Chris Simms (via Kevin Clark). “Buffalo, they are extremely well coached on defense. They have a deep, defensive line. They can’t play man to man, but McDermott’s a master of creating awesome zones, so they are dangerous,” Simms said. "There's some people on TV who want to blame it on Josh Allen and I don't know what you're watching. You need to question your knowledge of football if you don't think Josh Allen is one of the best players in the game." @CSimmsQB calls Bills "extremely" dangerous in playoffs. pic.twitter.com/KO1opmuheh — Kevin Clark (@bykev...

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)   The Dallas Cowboys have dropped back-to-back games, and you never want to be in that position so late in the year, especially when you are in control of your own destiny. Mike McCarthy’s team still has a chance to win the NFC East, but they’ll need to win out and hope the Philadelphia Eagles lose, which isn’t the position they hoped to be in at this point. That’s why Skip Bayless, who’s a bona fide Cowboys fan, doesn’t believe the Cowboys will beat the Detroit Lions in their next matchup. Bayless said that as much as the Cowboys are a better team than the Lions, they’ve lost their winning aura, and that’s something you hate to see at this point in the campaign, via “Undisputed.” . @RealSkipBayless is not confident in his Cowboys beating the Lions at home pic.twitter.com/nqaEWrLeOT — UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) December 27, 2023 He believes the Lions are on the opposite side of that spectrum, as they’re riding the momentum of wi...

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)   The Phoenix Suns’ woes continue as they fell below the .500 mark in the 2023-24 NBA season following their most recent defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. While there were many issues leading to the Suns losing the game, Kevin Durant committing a lot of turnovers was probably one of the top reasons behind the team’s demise. Durant is usually not only regarded as one of the scorers of all time, but also as an elite ball handler. Keeping that in mind, it was a surprise that Durant committed six turnovers in the defeat against the Mavericks. After the game, Durant addressed his recent turnover issues and how that is becoming a hurdle for the Suns, via Duane Rankin on Twitter. “I got to be better. I think that’s holding the team back,” Durant said. "I got to be better. I think that's holding the team back." Kevin Durant on turnovers as had six Monday after committing seven Friday at Sacramento and five last week at...

(Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)   Joe Flacco’s improbable NFL resurrection with the Cleveland Browns has been the talk of the NFL. After the Browns’ latest throttling of the Houston Texans 36-22, it has many fans dreaming of a Nick Foles-esque Super Bowl run for the Browns. Browns legend Joe Thomas agrees with that sediment and believes that this team can defy the odds. “I think any team that has not won a Super Bowl and historically has not been so good, I think they have to qualify as a Cinderella,” Thomas said. A Cinderella story in the making? https://t.co/XtFPyxxc6o pic.twitter.com/ldstWivR2z — UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) December 25, 2023 Browns fans will certainly hope that Flacco has the same magic that Nick Foles had when he led the Philadelphia Eagles to an improbable Super Bowl title after Carson Wentz’s season-ending injury. First and foremost, the Browns will be trying to win their final 2 games of the season when they battle the Jets on ...

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)   One of the best matchups of week 16’s slate will happen Monday night when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Baltimore Ravens in a clash of two of the best teams in the league. Many analysts foresee this matchup as a possible Super Bowl preview, with the winner being considered the best team in the entire league. One big reason for San Francisco’s success this season has been the quarterback play of Brock Purdy, who is also considered a potential MVP candidate. With a strong performance against the Ravens, Purdy could possibly put himself as the front-runner to take home the award. With Purdy being the final pick in the 2022 draft, he is considered one of the best bargains around the league. But as Jonathan Jones of CBS points out, Purdy could stand to make somewhere between 700k – $1M in extra performance-based pay this season, according to his source. Purdy stands to make somewhere between $700k-$1M extra in performance-bas...

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)   The San Francisco 49ers are firing on all cylinders right now, with the NFC heavyweights looking to make a statement in Week 16 against the AFC’s best team on Christmas Day with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens coming to Levi’s Stadium. Along with the 49ers heading into their biggest game of the season with the distinction of being the league’s best team on the line on Monday night, it’s also the biggest holiday of the year, with a lot going on for a lot of families in this country and around the world. As the 49ers prepare to take on perhaps their toughest opponent yet in a potential Super Bowl preview on their home field, star running back Christian McCaffrey made sure to take care of his teammates who have helped him become a legitimate NFL MVP candidate this season. In a way to show appreciation for all the sacrifices his teammates have made for him to be successful, McCaffrey gifted his 49ers teammates with golf clubs v...

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)   As arguably the most surprising team in the NFL this season, the Houston Texans are potentially on the verge of clinching a spot in the upcoming NFL playoffs, with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud having a chance to shine in the postseason in his first year in the league. Unfortunately for the Texans, Stroud is currently in the league’s concussion protocol, which will force him to miss a second straight game when Houston hosts the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium on Sunday. Not having Stroud under center for this matchup against the Browns is a devastating blow for the Texans, as it obviously hurts their chances of coming out on top, with Case Keenum expected to get the nod once again. Even though Keenum was able to help the team get a win over the division-rival Tennessee Titans last week, the Browns are another beast entirely, with one of the best defenses in the league this season. Fortunately for Houston, Stroud is making progress and wil...

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)   The Cleveland Browns have endured a litany of injuries this season. Cleveland has had 18 players on injured reserve this season, which ranks sixth in the NFL this season, per Spotrac . However, the quality of those players is the highest in the league, with 25.78 percent of the team’s salary cap on the list. So, the Browns have needed to promote players from the practice squad to provide necessary depth each week and continued to do so this week with two transactions ahead of Cleveland’s Week 16 match with the Houston Texans, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. #Browns elevated Tanner McCalister and Charlie Thomas III from the practice squad. — Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 23, 2023 Tanner McCalister is an undrafted rookie safety out of Ohio State who’s been with the Browns’ practice squad for most of the season. Charlie Thomas III is an undrafted rookie linebacker out of Georgia Tech who’s also been with the Browns a...

(Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)   Positional debates in the NFL will always be hotly contested because of how everyone views the game. Some pundits believe one attribute or accolade is more important than the other – such as Super Bowl titles vs. personal records. But for Fox Sports analyst Michael Irvin, the conversation is a little more personal considering his Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys as a wide receiver. He revealed his Mount Rushmore of wideouts – himself included – and noted that he wouldn’t trade his career with any receiver except for San Francisco 49ers wideout Jerry Rice, who he also said is the greatest receiver of all-time. “Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver to ever play the game.” Irvin said Friday on “Undisputed.” “Jerry Rice is the greatest WR to ever play the game.” @MichaelIrvin88 reveals his WR Mt. Rushmore: Jerry Rice Michael Irvin Drew Pearson Tyreek Hill pic.twitter.com/XrTDs1zymC — UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) Decem...

(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)   The Memphis Grizzlies won six of their first 25 games without Ja Morant this season. They’ve already matched one-third of that win total in two games since he came back. Taylor Jenkins’ team is back to the place it should’ve always been, and it didn’t take long before Ja proved just why he’s so special. Winners of two in as many games, the Grizzlies are a legitimate threat again. When asked about the two-game winning streak, the former No. 2 pick was true to form as per usual, stating that they’re just back to having fun (via Yahoo Sports and Ball Don’t Lie). The Grizz are 2-0 with Ja Morant back in their lineup pic.twitter.com/zvUv1Xcrm5 — Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) December 22, 2023 Having fun indeed. On top of Morant’s suspension, the Grizzlies have dealt with a string of injuries. They had lost three starters in comparison to last year’s team, as Dillon Brooks left in free agency to sign with the Houston Rockets, Steven...

(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)   The Los Angeles Rams might have started the year slowly, but they have started turning it around as time passes. Matthew Stafford’s play has been a significant catalyst for that. As analyst Louis Riddick recently tweeted, his brilliance as a passer is nothing new. Riddick highlighted that Stafford performed similarly in Detroit, but nobody seemed to care because the team wasn’t winning. For YEARS it was said that Stafford wasn’t a top tier QB and many went out of their way to blame him for everything that Detroit could not accomplish. As if he should have performed miracles and made it all work for all three phases of the game by himself. Now… people climb… — Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) December 22, 2023 This is a stark contrast from the current opinions surrounding Stafford, as he is given a lot of praise. After all, he helped the Rams win a Super Bowl in 2021, the first of his career. As Riddick calls out, having a co...

(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)   When it rains, it pours for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team seemed way on its way to making the playoffs, but dropping three games in a row may have sealed their fate. Notably, the team has failed to win a single game since losing Kenny Pickett to an ankle injury, losing to the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, HC Mike Tomlin recently confirmed that Pickett won’t be able to play this week either, according to Bridget Condon of the NFL Network. Mike Tomlin just told reporters Kenny Pickett is OUT for Saturday's game. Mason Rudolph will start for the first time since 2021. — Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) December 21, 2023 Now, it’ll be up to Mason Rudolph to lead the way for the Black and Gold, making his first start since 2021. Mitch Trubisky had taken the reins of the offense sans Pickett, but after going 0-3, it became more than evident that there needed to be a change of regim...

(Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for PGD Global)   The Philadelphia 76ers have found a lot of success so far this season but they have made no secret that their ultimate goal is to reach and win the Finals. So they will do whatever it takes to improve the roster and make that happen. According to Shams Charania, via NBACentral, the Sixers could target two big players soon. “Zach LaVine, OG Anunoby, those are two names to keep an eye on as guys that Philadelphia has monitored,” Charania said on “Run It Back.” “Zach LaVine, OG Anunoby, those are two names to keep an eye on as guys that Philadelphia has monitored.” – @ShamsCharania (Via @RunItBackFDTV ) pic.twitter.com/Gjjc2h2HwJ — NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 21, 2023 Will Daryl Morey get to work and make deals for either of these players? Any NBA fan can see the upside of landing LaVine or Anunoby, as both could greatly assist the team, especially on the offensive end of the court. LaVine has averaged 21 ...

(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)   With the Kansas City Chiefs looking to get some late-season momentum and the No. 1 seed still up for grabs, the front office needed to find some hidden gems. The Chiefs have struggled with subpar WR play all season long, so it only made sense that they kept looking for answers to their prayers. Now, according to Aaron Wilson, they’ve signed both WR Anthony Miller and TE Izaiah Gathings, perhaps hoping they could make an immediate impact. #Chiefs are signing wide receiver Anthony Miller and tight end Izaiah Gathings, per a league source @KPRC2 — Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 20, 2023 Gathings and fellow TE E.J. Jenkins attended a workout early on Tuesday, which made sense, as Gerrit Prince was demoted to the practice squad, and they could be in need of more depth in the position. Also, Gathings had already spent time with the team this season, being waived before the start of the regular season. As for Miller, that’s ...

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)   The San Francisco 49ers are very clearly the best team in the NFL this season. They’re 11-3, have the highest point differential in the league and have two offensive MVP candidates in quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey. But no team is unstoppable, as evidenced by the 49ers’ three-game losing streak in the middle of the season. The answer to which teams can beat the 49ers – either in the regular season or in the postseason – will be one of the most-discussed topics for as long as the 49ers remain alive in the postseason. ESPN’s Mike Greenberg put together a list of five challengers he believes can beat the 49ers: The Buffalo Bills, the Baltimore Ravens, the Detroit Lions, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins. The five teams that have the best chance of beating the 49ers, according to @Espngreeny pic.twitter.com/jWBFzrSzeG — Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 19, 2023 The Ravens will be the onl...

(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)   The Buffalo Bills have been a bit of a roller-coaster team this season. They went from being an underachieving team that looked ready to call it quits and watch their Super Bowl window shut down right before their eyes to being the kind of team nobody wants to face tin the playoffs. At least, that’s how NFL analyst Peter Schrager sees them right now. In the latest edition of “Good Morning Football,” Schrager explained that the Bills went from having a 14% chance of making the playoffs to a 71% chance after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead and destroying the Dallas Cowboys at home. "Two weeks ago, the @BuffaloBills had a 14% chance of making the playoffs. Today they're fresh off wins in Arrowhead and over the Cowboys, and they've got a 71% chance of making playoffs. Moreover, they're the team that nobody wants to face in the postseason." – @PSchrags pic.twitter.com/HtQWtcuKs3 — Good Morning Football (@g...

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)   The Kansas City Chiefs headed into Week 15 with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. They’ve lost their past two games – one of which was in a controversial fashion – and haven’t played as well this season as in years past. Tight end Travis Kelce showed up for Week 15 against the New England Patriots on the road rocking an all-black outfit – similar to the one quarterback Patrick Mahomes wore. The look drew the eye of fans of his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, who noted the importance of playing well at Gillette Stadium where Swift has performed. Is that a Bottega duffle? Love it — haley (@Iw1shyouwould) December 17, 2023 Let’s Go Chiefs you’ve got this — Deborah Fay (@FayDeborah) December 17, 2023 You guys better win this time that's our mother's stadium and she's not familiar with the word 'losing'. pic.twitter.com/FWlutly9pK — Barleen (@The14themoney13) December 17, 2023 Hi killa — Ainsley (@Ainsleyk15)...

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)   New York Giants undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito is the talk of the NFL this season. He’s won three consecutive games for New York, and his Italian heritage has been used in a litany of jokes during that span. DeVito’s agent, Sean Stellato, is also gaining a lot of attention for his gameday attire. A week after Stellato wore an all-black outfit before the Giants’ Week 14 win over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, the agent wore an all-green suit with white shoes ahead of the team’s Week 15 game against the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome. And fans had some comments on the attire. I totally thought he was the Notre Dame mascot. — Michael (@michael_esq1) December 17, 2023 Man that’s a dress code violation — westsidephilosophy (@westsidephilos1) December 17, 2023 Standing on bidness — $Louisiana2Gunz (@Louisiana2Gunz) December 17, 2023 In the concords!!! Yeah this my ppl! — King Stiizy XIV (@...

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)   Buffalo Bills star WR is well-known for two things: His elite production and his antics. He forced his way out of Minnesota because of the team’s lack of success, and it seemed like he was on the verge of doing the same in Buffalo this past offseason. Lately, however, Diggs has been rather silent, both on the stat sheet and overall. He’s coming off posting a season-low 24 receiving yards in Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs. That lack of production has become a worrisome trend in the second half of the season. When asked about that, he acknowledged that he’s struggling to deal with double teams, as opposing teams are trying to make Josh Allen force-feed him the football and make mistakes or throw somewhere else: “It’s rough, man,” Diggs said . “Even earlier in the year, I saw a lot of the double, but they’ve been doing a great job, especially when you put those first seven to eight games on tape of what you like to do and wha...

(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)   The Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills are going to star in one of the most interesting games of the season. Both teams desperately crave a win, although it could mean more for the hometown Bills, as they’re still not a lock to make the playoffs and will most likely have to win out to have a chance to secure their division. Notably, this game is likely to be played under some hostile weather conditions, which is why the visitors could look to tweak their usual gameplan. That’s why NFL analyst David Helman urged Mike McCarthy not to pivot from what has worked for them this season. Talking on the NFL on FOX Podcast, Helman explained that the Cowboys have failed to impose their will and physicality, so that’s just not going to work for them against the Bills. "You're not going to win games if you take the ball out of Dak Prescott's hands." @davidhelman_ talks Cowboys-Bills : https://t.co/szpGO23Vsh pic.twitter.com/R69...