Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has emerged as favorite to win league MVP
Simply two weeks stay of the 2023 NFL common season. Playoff berths are nonetheless up for grabs, division titles are nonetheless to be clinched and extra drama awaits because the league edges in direction of the playoffs. We stay up for Sunday in Week 17…
Editor’s notice…
It feels becoming that the NFL will see out 2023 with two of the yr’s most gifted and universally-admired figureheads going toe-to-toe as beacons of the most effective the league has to supply.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, the quirky genius imposing his schematic mastery as one of the enamouring branches to the Shanahan tree; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the defensive migraine seemingly on the trail to two-time MVP standing as one of many generation-defining-and-inspiring faces of crucial and complicated place in sport.
On Sunday Jackson’s No 1-seeded Ravens meet McDaniel’s No 2-seeded Dolphins, two very totally different tales sharing their very own distinctive grounds for understanding. McDaniel admitted this summer time that he at all times knew he shirked the stereotypical/conventional look and persona of an NFL head coach, and but discovered a approach to make himself each heard and trusted.
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A take a look at Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s prime performs from the 2023 season up to now
Jackson’s rise in the meantime noticed him encounter query marks over his credentials as a quarterback in addition to receiving requests that he trial in different positions such had remained the traditional attitudes in direction of a Black play-caller, just for him to shatter long-exhausted misconceptions and be a part of the elite as maybe essentially the most troublesome quarterback towards whom to game-plan in your entire league.
McDaniel joked this week that he had provided his providers as a scout workforce quarterback to “try and replicate” Jackson throughout Miami’s preparations for Sunday’s matchup. He adopted up with typically-perfect McDaniel sentiment whereas describing his counterpart.
“Outside of this game, I’m just happy for the player,” he mentioned. “Because what I recognise is talk about an unbelievable talent. But even him, he’s had to define himself. He’s had people tell him what he is, and he disagrees. How can I tell? It’s not because I’ve had a conversation with him. I see better than I hear.”
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Highlights of the Baltimore Ravens towards the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16 of the NFL season.
There was an uncomfortable, uneasy silence amongst quarterback-needy groups earlier this yr when it appeared Jackson’s future in Baltimore might need been unsure amid stalling negotiations over a brand new long-term deal. How foolish he would make them look, and the way glad the Ravens can be upon lastly handing him a $260m extension.
He enters Week 17 the MVP frontrunner having simply toppled the Tremendous Bowl favorite San Francisco 49ers and thrown for 3,357 yards, 19 touchdowns and 7 interceptions alongside 786 dashing yards and 5 scores this season, all throughout his first yr alongside offensive coordinator Todd Monken and whereas lacking favorite goal Mark Andrews for a big a part of the marketing campaign.
“He’s unlike anybody else,” mentioned Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. “The only other player that’s been like him in the last 50 years is Michael Vick. He’s a tremendous player. Kudos to Ozzie [Newsome] and Eric [DeCosta] for picking him. Thirty-one other teams that passed him by are kicking themselves. He’s really improved over the years. Dynamic with the ball. Good passer. He makes their offense go.”
Full circulation Lamar is as spectacular as any sight the NFL has to supply, his magic piloting Baltimore to legit rivalry – the calibre of which faces certainly one of its largest assessments but towards Miami this weekend.
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He is the coach that everybody’s speaking about! This is a take a look at a few of Miami Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel’s funniest moments ever.
Across the league…
- The Broncos benched Russell Wilson for the rest of the 2023 common season, pointing in direction of plans for Sean Payton to deal with the quarterback place and doubtlessly spelling the tip of Wilson’s time in Denver. Jarrett Stidham will now begin the ultimate two video games.
- Wilson later instructed reporters the Broncos approached him forward of Week 9 suggesting they might bench him for the remainder of the yr if he didn’t change the damage assure in his contract, one thing he declined to do.
- In one of many more unusual incidents of the season, the Packers suspended cornerback Jaire Alexander for one recreation after he took it upon himself to exit for Sunday’s pre-game coin toss regardless of not being a recreation captain. Alexander virtually value Inexperienced Bay a possession within the course of after successful the toss and asking for his workforce to be on protection as an alternative of ‘deferring’, at which level referee Alex Kemp requested for readability and saved the Packers from permitting the Panthers to obtain the ball firstly of each halves.
- Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud cleared concussion protocol as he prepares to begin towards the Tennessee Titans after lacking the final two video games.
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Try the best-of-the-best NFL catches of 2023.
- Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been dominated out of Sunday’s conflict with the Tennessee Titans resulting from a shoulder damage, with CJ Beathard primed to begin.
- The Washington Commanders introduced they’ve benched quarterback Sam Howell, with veteran Jacoby Brissett to step in beneath middle for Ron Rivera’s facet; Brissett, although, has since been dominated questionable as an obvious game-time choice resulting from hamstring tightness.
- Tommy DeVito can also be heading to the bench for the New York Giants amid his emergence as one of many NFL’s most fascinating tales, with Tyrod Taylor taking on beginning duties for Brian Daboll.
- The Minnesota Vikings confirmed that star tight finish TJ Hockenson will miss the remainder of the season resulting from a torn ACL and MCL.
What to look at…
Sunday, 6pm – Miami Dolphins (11-4) @ Baltimore Ravens (12-3): For a lot of the season the main focus, fairly rightly, has been on Miami’s high-powered No 1-ranked offense, fuelled by the manufacturing of Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert. Throughout from them, linebacker David Lengthy Jr has grow to be certainly one of Vic Fangio’s unsung contributors and one of many league’s offseason steals because the second-level missile monitoring deep routes, swarming tight ends and flying to the road of scrimmage. Come Sunday, his job is prone to be that of stalking Lamar Jackson’s each transfer as Miami take care of each the league’s best scrambling menace alongside together with his off-platform proficiency and pocket command.
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Highlights of the Dallas Cowboys towards the Miami Dolphins in Week 16 of the NFL season.
Sunday, 9.25pm – Cincinnati Bengals (8-7) @ Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (9-6): Requested what stands out concerning the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs secondary, Bengals extensive receiver Ja’Marr Chase insisted “nothing”, earlier than suggesting he had no concept as to who security Bryan Cook dinner was. Chase would later notice he was “adding fuel to the fire”; job carried out. Whether or not or not it’s the proper time to take pictures at a wobbling Chiefs workforce stays to be seen. Andy Reid’s offense is in disarray with the playoffs on the horizon and Steve Spagnuolo’s protection unable to compensate to the identical extent it had earlier within the marketing campaign. Sunday is the newest perception into indicators of life for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and their stumbling assault.
SNF – Inexperienced Bay Packers (7-8) @ Minnesota Vikings (7-8): The seat is getting scorching for Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry, whose unit simply shipped 30 factors to the two-win Carolina Panthers whereas virtually relinquishing a double-digit benefit. The Packers are ranked twenty third in yards allowed, seventeenth in factors allowed, twenty fifth in EPA/play and twenty eighth in success price by way of 16 weeks, Barry’s protection threatening to derail the still-real playoff hopes of a younger and thrilling Jordan Love-led offense. Extra questions await on Sunday ought to the Packers battle towards the Minnesota Vikings, who will probably be led by fifth-round rookie Jaren Corridor after making one other change at quarterback.
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Highlights of the Las Vegas Raiders towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs from Week 16 of the NFL season.
Playoff implications
Present playoff standings
| AFC | NFC |
|---|---|
| 1) Baltimore Ravens (12-3) (X) | 1) San Francisco 49ers (11-4) (Y) |
| 2) Miami Dolphins (11-4) (X) | 2) Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) (X) |
| 3) Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (9-6) | 3) Detroit Lions (11-4) (Y) |
| 4) Jacksonville Jaguars (8-7) | 4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7) |
| 5) Cleveland Browns (11-5) (X) | 5) Dallas Cowboys (10-5) (X) |
| 6) Buffalo Payments (9-6) | 6) Los Angeles Rams (8-7) |
| 7) Indianapolis Colts (8-7) | 7) Seattle Seahawks (8-7) |
| (X) = already clinched playoff berth | |
| (Y) = clinched division |
- The Ravens will win the AFC North title with a win/tie and clinch the AFC’s No 1 seed, first-round bye and homefield benefit with a win
- The Payments will safe a playoff berth with a win plus a Steelers loss/tie and a Bengals loss/tie (amongst 14 totally different situations)
- The Browns will safe a playoff berth with a win/tie (amongst 5 totally different situations)
- The Jaguars will safe a playoff berth and the AFC South title with a win plus Colts and Texans defeats
- The Chiefs will safe a playoff berth and the AFC West title with a win/tie
- The Dolphins will clinch the AFC East title with a win/tie
- The Rams will safe a playoff berth with a win plus a Seahawks loss
- The Eagles will clinch the NFC East title with a win plus a Cowboys loss/tie
- The 49ers will clinch the NFC’s No 1 seed, first-round bye and homefield benefit with a win plus a Lions loss and Eagles loss
- The Seahawks will safe a playoff berth with a win plus a Packers-Vikings tie
- The Buccaneers will safe a playoff berth and the NFC South title with a win
Finest quotes
Sean Payton when requested if Russell Wilson is a scapegoat for Denver’s points on offense: “I get that. And yet, I can’t replace the entire offensive line. I can’t bring in five new receivers, and if it continues for over period of time, then there’ll be another guy talking to you as well. This is something that – these are difficult decisions, and obviously, there’s more attention when it’s the quarterback who’s under contract, but different than maybe earlier decisions we’ve made with maybe last year’s prior starters.”
Russell Wilson’s response to being benched: “God’s got me. Looking forward to what’s next.”
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Justin Jefferson produced an excellent catch in Minnesota’s NFL recreation towards Detroit.
Chiefs legend Dante Corridor discusses the physique language of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce on the sidelines: “It’s like my little kids running around here on Christmas Day. We got you a Christmas tree filled with presents and you’re acting like spoiled little brats. These guys know I love them. So, as a friend, as a brother, I had to call ya out. This is not a good look.”
Bengals extensive receiver Ja’Marr Chase: “At the end of the day, there’s only so much that I can do myself. It’s not like I’m Ironman. I can’t throw the football to myself. It’s a team sport at the end of the day.”
Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen: “We play a brand of football that people don’t want to play. Everybody wants to be out here [being] cute, playing basketball on grass and stuff, and we are not with all that. You can do all that stuff, we’re just going to hit you in the mouth every play, honestly. We couldn’t care less about all the pretty stuff you do, gimmick stuff.”
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West Virginia coach Neal Brown continued certainly one of faculty soccer’s wackiest traditions by being coated in mayonnaise after successful the 2023 Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield on being in consideration for Comeback Participant of the Yr: “It’s humbling. It’s an honour. It’s kind of a big-picture mindset, if I take a step back and really look at it, of all the things that I’ve had to weather in the last year. It really speaks volumes to this place right here.”
Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce on the opportunity of incomes the job on a full-time foundation: “My resume is on the grass. What do you want? I can put up a fancy presentation, I’ve seen that before. I can put up stats, I can put up my resume, but the best thing that happened for me was an opportunity.”
The stats
- Benched Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is assured $39m in 2024 whether or not he stays in Denver or not, with an extra $37m assured if he can’t go a bodily earlier than March. The workforce’s choice to bench him would enable them to half with him earlier than that cash vests
- Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson leads all corners in protection grade (91.1) and passer ranking allowed (31.6) this season, based on Professional Soccer Focus
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers third-round linebacker Yaya Diaby leads all rookies with 6.5 sacks whereas additionally being tied-second amongst rookies with 9 tackles for loss regardless of beginning simply 5 video games this season
- The battle to grow to be the NFL’s sort out champion sees Foye Oluokun of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Zaire Franklin of the Indianapolis Colts tied on 160 apiece; Oluokun led the league in tackles for 2 years straight heading into 2023
- Cowboys rookie Brandon Aubrey has transformed an ideal 33 of 33 subject aim makes an attempt this season, main all gamers in scoring with 141 factors
- A win over the Seattle Seahawks would see the Pittsburgh Steelers safe a twentieth straight season with a .500-or-better document, which might mark the second-longest streak in NFL historical past
Important studying:
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Thursday evening rewind…
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Highlights of the New York Jets towards the Cleveland Browns from Week 16 of the NFL season.
The Cleveland Browns clinched an unlikely playoff berth – simply their second since 2002 – regardless of quite a few accidents this season, with a 37-20 win over the New York Jets on Thursday evening.
Watch the Miami Dolphins on the Baltimore Ravens stay on Sky Sports activities NFL on New Yr’s Eve, with protection beneath approach at 5pm forward of kickoff at 6pm; watch the Inexperienced Bay Packers towards the Minnesota Vikings in Sunday Night time Soccer.
