Month: December 2025

NFL Week 15 Winners and Losers

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After many weeks of waiting, teams are finally clinching playoff berths. Some teams secured their divisions and have chances at the number one playoff seed. Even more exciting are the teams that had chances to clinch and couldn’t, setting up more anticipation for the holidays. It’s time to see who or what else stood out during week 15.

Winners: Jesse Minter

The Chargers entered Sunday anticipating a must-win divisional game after their defense sealed an overtime victory last Monday night against Philadelphia. Los Angeles had the chance to eliminate Kansas City from playoff contention and keep the top wildcard spot. Sunday’s win was one of their best of the season.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter called a great game. Despite a 13-3 Chiefs lead in the second quarter, the Chargers defense never relented and played better each possession. Los Angeles recorded five sacks and didn’t give up any points in the second half. Even after Kansas City star quarterback Patrick Mahomes II exited with a torn ACL, the Chargers pressured and intercepted backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II. Los Angeles intercepted both quarterbacks once.

Audiences wonder if Los Angeles can remain a constant playoff threat even if star quarterback Justin Herbert plays with an injured hand. The Chargers are peaking at the right time and are a true postseason threat because Jesse Minter has this defense playing aggressive and determined.

Houston Texans

Audiences have been waiting for Houston to get on a roll and play quality football most of the season. It has finally happened after another dominant win Sunday.

The Cardinals are certainly not playoff contenders and faced an uphill battle. The Texans dominated every side of the ball start to finish. Their offense steamrolled a hapless Arizona defense and didn’t turn the ball over. Quarterback C.J. Stroud IV completed 22 of 29 passes for 260 yards, three touchdowns and a 137.1 passer rating. Running back Jawhar Jordan had 15 carries for 101 yards and helped the offense dominate time of possession. Receiver Nico Collins and tight-end Dalton Schultz combined for 11 catches, 161 yards and all three receiving touchdowns.

Houston’s defense made sure to hold a double digit lead after Ka’imi Fairbairn’s first field goal. Cornerback Kamari Lassiter intercepted Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett to start the third quarter and the defense forced a fumble. All three touchdowns yielded were meaningless since the Texan offense scored the following possessions. Arizona had no answers unless Houston let up.

Like the Chargers, the Texans are playing their best football at the right time. They’ve won six of their last seven since the start of November. While almost no NFL team wants to play head coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense, the offense is becoming a nightmare for opposing defenses. There is a chance Houston has a long playoff run if they keep playing like this.

Jalen Hurts

A gut-punching Monday Night Football loss to Los Angeles because of an overtime interception brought up a lot of questions on what else is wrong with Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts has appeared off most of this season from his throws to reading the field. While it looked as if there was improvement last Monday night, there was also bad luck. There was none of that Sunday in a shutout win over Las Vegas.

Hurts finally led the Eagles to an easy 31-0 win and looked good. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 175 yards, three touchdowns and an almost perfect 154.9 quarterback rating. Jalen Hurts also ran seven times for 39 yards. His four yard touchdown pass to start the game erased some doubts that last Monday night’s game left scars and mental fatigue for Philadelphia’s offense.

Some will say the shutout win against the Raiders doesn’t say much about the fragile state the Eagles are in, but a shutout win is hard for every team– even reigning Super Bowl champions. If Philadelphia’s offense finally gets hot and plays their best football of the season, they’ve picked the best time.

Tyler Shough

All of the surprising things this season one might not compare is how New Orleans starting quarterback Tyler Shough has played the last month and a half. Shough has led the Saints to three of their four wins and played well in all of them.

New Orleans faced a tough task in stopping a confident, first place Panthers team that hasn’t been close to a division winning berth since last decade. Carolina’s defense has improved, but Tyler Shough had the blueprint to beat them twice. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown for a 110.4 passer rating. Shough also ran eight times for 32 yards, including a late, four yard scramble that drew an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Panthers defense. That play got New Orleans in position for the game winning field goal.

The Saints still have a lot to work on and evaluate with the roster, free agency and the upcoming draft. Viewers expected the quarterback position to be a top need and area of concern, but it appears that Tyler Shough may have eliminated the necessity to for at least another season.

Losers: John Hussey and his officiating crew in New England

There are few games this season, last season, this decade, and the last overall decade where referees determine games single handedly. Usually blaming officials for certain finals will make people roll their eyes and say it’s because of certain biases clouding judgement. Not Sunday. An extremely high number of serious viewers and analysts who closely studied Buffalo’s “comeback” win in New England Sunday are certain the referees both stole a win from the Patriots and were awful at making simple calls.

It seemed apparent early when New England dominated Buffalo that referee John Hussey and his sideline crew weren’t going to call many penalties. There was a belief by many that the referees would be biased against the Bills. The Patriots offensive line got away with some blatant holds on TreVeyon Henderson’s runs. Those rooting for Buffalo were probably most incensed when Kayshon Boutte made a 30 yard catch during New England’s first possession and there was no review for it being complete. Perhaps some audiences thought those weren’t too bad…until the second half.

Hussey and his fellow officials picked and chose what to penalize New England for the last two quarters. The problems began to show on Buffalo’s second possession of the third quarter where a Patriots stop on third and five should’ve been a field goal attempt. The referees called holding, and shortly after the Bills scored a touchdown and trailed by three. The following possession, veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White intercepted New England quarterback Drake Maye in what’s a clear defensive pass interference while a line judge looked directly at it. The non-call was bad, but what made it worse was the exact same thing happened two Bills possessions after when New England defensive back Marcus Jones intercepted Josh Allen. Not only did the referees call pass interference when Jones turned around to find the ball, they also ruled receiver Khalil Shakir miraculously caught the ball even though Jones had it in his hands. The referees somehow couldn’t differentiate between Shakir’s hands and arms wrapped around Marcus Jones’ head and throat, and what counts as a catch, or what was a penalty all in one play. The Bills got their second lead change and scored the last touchdown of the game three plays later.

The wildest part about this whole mess is how referee John Hussey has been viewed by many in past years as one of the most respected and honest NFL officials. So, when one of the most transparent and highly regarded referees and his crew blindly miss textbook illegal block in the back penalties on punt returns, Stefon Diggs being held on New England’s last possession of the game, and face-mask penalties on blatant pass interference calls, those are serious problems the league should address in specific detail. The fact that almost no major network or online sports site seriously covered the disturbing officiating issues in New England is an alarming indictment of so-called fair and objective sports broadcasting and journalism.

New York Giants

Some games didn’t have blatantly terrible officiating issues. Some featured cringe-worthy teams that make dumb decisions. New York has made terrible choices much of the season, and rushing starting rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart to play a meaningless divisional game against Washington was one more on a long list.

Dart didn’t play bad. He completed 20 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. However the Giants trailed the entire game. According to NFL insider James Palmer, Jaxson Dart has been evaluated for a concussion in half the games he’s played in, and missed two. Dart could have also played with more after effects from the most recent one. Somehow that didn’t matter to an interim head coach, staff or organization that’s in prime position for the first overall pick in the 2026 draft.

There continues to be serious questions about injury negligence and disturbing team decisions concerning playing injured or almost injured NFL players every week this season. The Giants’ organization is one of the biggest culprits and hasn’t been fined once despite putting multiple quarterbacks at risk. At some point it must stop because players like Jaxson Dart will get seriously hurt, and there will–again, be a massive uproar about why the NFL hasn’t been more strict with teams suspected of protocol violations.

Green Bay Packers championship aspirations

The conversation after week 14 was about how Green Bay controlled their destiny in the NFC North, was a valid championship contending team, and were hot at the best time. After Sunday’s deflating loss in Denver, none of that may be true by week 16.

Injuries devastated the Packers in a critical second half. The best addition of last offseason was linebacker Micah Parsons. Parsons tore his ACL on a Denver first down in the third quarter. He is done for the remainder of the season. That wildly, was not the only big injury Green Bay had. Receiver Christian Watson also left with a chest injury that left quarterback Jordan Love with no talented options to throw to most of the second half. Not surprisingly, the Broncos took advantage of the Packers injuries and sealed an easy win.

Today’s updates reveal Watson should return to practice before the next game or two, but Green Bay’s defense will be easier to attack. Chicago’s re-match with the Packers will be more favorable after Bears head coach Ben Johnson now knows how to attack them with the running game. Any opponent Green Bay plays will exploit and go after a more vulnerable defense without it’s biggest star and playmaker. Many believed the Packers could go on a championship run after the trade for Parsons from Dallas. That’s off the table with how many quality NFC teams have their stars fully healthy.

Next week’s Sunday Night Football

The last two of three Sundays have featured terrible night games. The poorly chosen ones featured at least one team out of the playoff race. The NFL chose not to flex them leading up to last Sunday night. During half-time last night in Dallas, NBC gleefully announced that instead of the audience being tortured with Miami versus Cincinnati, we would instead be treated to a groan-worthy New England versus Baltimore matchup.

Some readers may be confused with what the problem is. The issue isn’t New England and Baltimore getting featured, it’s how this late in the season, the NFL promised again to air the most quality games the closer we get to the playoffs. Green Bay versus Chicago should be seen by a whole, national audience. Not only does it fetch higher ratings (particularly in the nations’ third-largest media market), it has direct NFC North and conference implications everyone should have the chance to watch. Baltimore’s second game against Pittsburgh, which will determine who wins the AFC North, takes place the last Sunday of the regular season. Menwhile, the Ravens are unwatchable against serious contending playoff teams and have deserved audiences’ ire this year.

There have been a lot of perplexing decisions by commissioner Roger Goodell this season, but not using the power to flex second half regular season Sunday night games boggles minds since Goodell was the one who proposed and pushed for these ideas years ago.

December 2025 NHL Power Rankings: The Avalanche Show Yet Again Why Expansion is a Good Thing

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Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon would be the NHL’s MVP if the season ended today.

On November 29th, the Colorado Avalanche hosted a home game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens have been in a defensive slump and the Avalanche made it worse. The 7-2 thrashing Colorado put on Montreal was talked about the rest of the weekend. However, unlike previous matchups between both teams, one thing stood out: the Avalanche wore their throwback uniforms.

For those who don’t know, the then-Nordiques moved from Quebec City, Quebec to Denver, Colorado in 1995. The Nordiques were one of four teams that joined the NHL after the World Hockey Association (WHA) folded in 1979, and did well holding onto and developing talented players. Unfortunately, Quebec City wasn’t able to keep its team in the mid-90s because of financial issues and the smaller market not being enough to sustain the team compared to other larger cities in the U.S. The cherry on top of a painful move was the Avalanche winning their first Stanley Cup championship after relocating to Denver.

You may ask what’s the relevance to this story compared to where Colorado is today and what’s going on in the league? Well, articles in The Athletic and New York Times went viral discussing how drastically different things have been for the now-Utah Mammoth compared to when they were the Arizona Coyotes. There were a lot of crazy things mentioned in these articles, but when a current general manager says how one T.V. in the locker room is worth more than an entire facility back in Tempe, AZ, that doesn’t go away. Not to mention last offseason was filled with so many rumors and conversations of where the next expansion teams would be that commissioner Gary Bettman went on record saying there won’t be any discussion on that with the owners anytime soon.

Which is why we turn our focus to the present day Avalanche. Like Colorado, several teams have changed destinations throughout the decades. Atlanta (which for some reason is being considered by serious hockey analysts for yet another professional team) was home to both the Flames and Jets. The return of the Winnipeg Jets has brought all kinds of fortune and success. Not only has the city returned to relevance, multiple players still love and call the team their favorite. The Flames move to Calgary is regarded as one of the best because of the golden age of hockey played in the 1980s. The Battle of Alberta brought the best (and worst) out of everyone. Many still despise the Whalers moving to Carolina and becoming the Hurricanes. However, the NHL is well regarded and talked well about in the south and beloved in North Carolina. The Stars success in Dallas brought both another team to Minnesota and serious discussions of adding a team to Houston.

Some teams will never have to move or relocate because of the money, location and large fanbases they attract. But some should either consider or do it because a fresh start is necessary. Expansion is another great option because many people in North America love ice hockey and want to watch a team closer to home. Some large cities have been crying for a better team or championship for so long, a second team must be considered. It’s why both the league and owners should seriously discuss adding four more teams within the next decade. Quebec City finally has both the money and infrastructure to maintain a professional team. Houston and Kansas City are great cities to expand the game to geographically different areas. Two teams in Texas or Missouri would add a quick, fierce rivalry to immediately grab viewers’ attention and make history in each matchup. Toronto or Vancouver having a second team would make both older franchises more desperate to win a title and stop acting like the world revolves around them. Inner city rivalry games are also a big draw, especially opening night and on holidays.

There is irony in New Jersey, Las Vegas and Colorado being long-term hockey attractions but not Phoenix, Oakland or Atlanta. Last year the Winnipeg Jets were the best team start to finish in the regular season. The talented core put together may have never happened if they were still the Thrashers. The Avalanche are on pace to have as many points if not surpass Boston’s record three seasons ago. It’s doubtful Colorado would have both this team, coaching staff, success and run if they stayed in Quebec. There are dozens of cities lobbying and planning for success like the Golden Knights and Predators have had. It’s time the NHL gives them a chance.

Colorado players celebrate one of their seven goals in a dominant home win against Montreal. Audiences love the alternate Nordiques uniforms so much, the Avalanche could wear them again on January 29th when the Canadiens wear red.

Time for the first power rankings of the season. These show where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to the rankings from last season. Some teams will have tiebreakers based off of how they’d perform on a neutral site.

#32 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 29)

While many viewers wonder if Barry Trotz can be a competent, long-term general manager, it has flown under the radar how much goaltender Juuse Saros has regressed in not even a full calendar year. Remember, Trotz floated the idea of trading Saros near last season’s trade deadline because of how much he liked Justus Annunen. Something is wrong in Nashville and that could be more than the general manager.

#31 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 21)

This season’s Flames team is what many expected to see last year. The only surprise is how sophomore starting goaltender Dustin Wolf is giving up one goal more per game compared to last year. On the plus side, all Calgary needs is more top end talent to compliment the roster assembled.

#30 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 30)

If there was ever a game that’s defined where the Sabres are, it was last December third’s 5-2 loss in Philadelphia. When captain Rasmus Dahlin cross checked Trevor Zegras into the glass, he did so out of impulse without thinking of the consequences. That’s a dumb decision for any player, let alone a captain. Coach Lindy Ruff is one of the NHL’s all-time best, but even he can’t help Buffalo from sinking. If there was ever a team in prime position to move and start over in a new city or country, it would be the Sabres.

#29 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 28)

During Seattle’s four game losing streak, the Kraken were shut out twice and scored four goals once in a 9-4 loss to Edmonton. Seattle’s dreadful on offense and it is hard to see how they stay in the playoff race as more teams in the western conference start to pull away.

#28 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 31)

A lot of what makes the first rankings of the year difficult to make is how teams that start well won’t be placed higher because of how they performed the previous season. Same applies with teams that were championship contenders and have fallen by the way side for any number of reasons. I understand people won’t like this placement for Chicago. The roster is better, Connor Bedard is playing as the elite center many believed he would, and Jeff Blashill’s having a great year behind the bench.

That said, the amount of inexperience the Blackhawks have will show the later the regular season progresses. Edmonton, St. Louis and Winnipeg will be better than what we’ve seen, and it is one of the biggest lessons Chicago must learn.

#27 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 32)

Wow! Was Macklin Celebrini a slam-dunk pick (even though he went first overall). The 19 year old was the second player to get 40 points into the season. A teenager is on pace for 121 points and trails only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. San Jose will be fun to watch the next few years.

#26 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 16)

It was clear once Rick Tocchet left, things would go south in Vancouver. Things are so bad the Canucks went from worshipping the ice captain Quinn Hughes skates on to trade discussions with New Jersey. Vancouver is a hot mess because they let a great coach go and dealt the leader of the locker room in the span of months earlier in 2025. Those two decisions will haunt the franchise for years to come.

#25 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 15)

At first it was strange to see St. Louis start the season slower than expected, but stats help. The Blues have one of the worst offenses and that shouldn’t be a surprise. General manager Doug Armstrong needs to add a center or forward that makes opposing defenses worry about breakaway chances and two-on-one scoring opportunities. That would also take a lot of pressure off the defense to create shot attempts on offense.

#24 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 19)

Columbus is fortunate they have several games at hand against some of their divisional opponents, so there’s nowhere to go but up. To everyone’s surprise, Jet Greaves looks like a franchise starting goaltender who could take the Blue Jackets far should they invest in more defense. Don’t be surprised if Columbus moves a spiraling Elvis Merzlikins at the trade deadline.

#23 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 14)

Many expected Ottawa to have some struggles to start the season after a breakout year, a fun return to the playoffs, and a tough first round exit. But this defense? Absolutely atrocious. Prime Martin Brodeur could be in net and struggle almost every night with how bad it’s been this season. The Senators gave up 20+ goals four games into October. Every team has injuries at some point but the sloppy play is on the coaching staff.

#22 Utah Mammoth (last ranking: 20)

At first I was expecting more people would be upset with this ranking. However, center Logan Cooley being out indefinitely gives this spot more merit. Add in a streaky first two months of play and Karel Vejmelka playing close to 90% of Utah’s games, the Mammoth earned this placement.

#21 New York Rangers (last ranking: 18)

It’s been a blooper-filled start to the season for the Rangers. I still believe New York will miss the playoffs and start trading talent next calendar year, but the Rangers remain competitive after a wonky first month in which they kept getting shut out at home, but looked like a playoff team on the road.

#20 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 22)

There are no easy wins in the NHL and it’s harder to have a shutout. That’s why goaltender John Gibson getting his first shutout win as a Red Wing against Vancouver Monday night is big. It’s his best game of the season. If Gibson and the defense in front of him build off that shutout win, Detroit will be hard to beat almost every week.

#19 New York Islanders (last ranking: 24)

Despite a flood of injuries the last two months, New York has hung in there because of coach Patrick Roy, center Bo Horvat and rookie phenom defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Schaefer has single handedly won some games for the Islanders and has made sure they stay relevant in the division race.

#18 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 25)

This was another ranking many would see as controversial given how well Anaheim’s played this season. However the recent losses of goaltenders Lucas Dostal and Petr Mrazek to IR are big concerns and the biggest test for the Ducks. If Anaheim is a top three team in the Pacific by next month’s rankings, we’ll know for sure if they’re the real deal.

#17 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 27)

Rick Tocchet was a perfect coaching hire. He is a rare coach who keeps a lot of the John Tortorella discipline and hardline stances while getting the team to evolve, play smarter and clamp down on defense. Most importantly, Tocchet gets along well with top-tier talent. I’m not sure the goaltending situation stays solid the whole season, but the Flyers are a fringe playoff threat the rest of the year.

#16 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 26)

This is the biggest team surprise of the year so far. Sidney Crosby has matched Wayne Gretzky’s goal total from his age 38 season in 56 less games. Crosby may be a dark-horse MVP candidate should Pittsburgh grab a high playoff seed. A new coach helps but with Sidney Crosby playing similar to when he first came into the league, many teams will see the Penguins as a hard out.

#15 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 8)

I’m still willing to give Toronto more breaks with their slump given who their coach is and the deep scoring talent. However, the losses of both goaltenders Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz are huge blows and present several problems for general manager Brad Treliving. An ugly start to the season could get worse if Dennis Hildeby isn’t the answer in net.

#14 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 23)

If someone told you at the beginning of the season that one of the top three goal scorers in the NHL would be a Boston Bruin, they would assume it would be David Pastrnak. Turns out it’s Morgan Geekie. What should be a re-build or re-tool season for Boston has been a year many see them in the playoffs. It would be comedic if after last season’s results, the Bruins somehow make the playoffs but the Maple Leafs or Panthers do not.

#13 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 13)

Think of the Mammoth but with more hype and located on the east coast. That’s New Jersey. A bit shocking the Devils are inconsistent after general manager Tom Fitzgerald added more defensive depth in the offseason. New Jersey sports media is pressuring Fitzgerald to make another big trade but that could make things worse. Here’s hoping coach Sheldon Keefe can fix the issues.

#12 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 10)

Many analysts, friends and commenters told me in the last two Stanley Cup playoffs that I was much too harsh on Edmonton’s defense and goaltenders. Anyone who has seriously watched the Oilers play not even two months into the season knows that the goaltending is so bad, even the broadcasting crews make jokes at their expense. Trading Stuart Skinner for Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, who’s buried on the depth chart because of poor play, is unlikely to solve anything. From Elliotte Friedman to Paul Bissonette, analysts can tell this start to the season has a much different feel in Edmonton than the last few. This might be the last dance for the Oilers core talent.

#11 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 17)

Something many sports fans forget is how one decision can impact a lot of lives. The most drastic example is the NBA’s Luka Doncic getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Countless lives were changed overnight. A much smaller example is goaltender Samuel Montembeault. Some analysts had him going to Seattle in the expansion draft back in 2022. Given how Montembeault’s game has been uneven at times while the Kraken have one of the better goaltending duos in the league, one wonders what would’ve happened if he never went to the Canadiens. It’s a small thought many will dismiss, but it might have made Montreal take a more serious look at their goaltending situation and not just sign players they see as temporary solutions.

#10 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 1)

Much like Calgary, Winnipeg is playing like many expected last season. The difference is injuries and a continual slump in offensive production could un-do a lot of progress the Jets made in Scott Arniel’s first year. It makes Eric Comrie’s time as starter in net more important given where Winnipeg could be by March’s trade deadline.

#9 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 12)

Los Angeles has a fantastic defense. The offense and power-play? Absolute garbage. Coach Jim Hiller has to find some answers by the New Year. It’s baffling that a veteran team this talented struggles to score when they have the puck.

#8 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 3)

Let’s not be too critical of this placement. We know when fully healthy, Florida is a top five NHL team. We also know that no Matthew Tkachuk or Aleksander Barkov for most of the season changes everything. Other injuries such as a five month loss of defenseman Dmitry Kulikov doesn’t help. The Panthers have earned enough grace to take a slower tumble in these standings than most other teams.

#7 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 11)

I’d love to have Minnesota up higher if they can fix their offensive struggles. A bottom ten offense holds them back from a top five ranking. Regardless, the Wild are amazing audiences during every game goaltender Jesper Wallstedt plays. Wallstedt was shockingly 8-0-2 in his first ten starts, and half of those wins were shutouts. Not only is the sophomore net-minder leading the league in every important goaltending category, but he also had sports pages in and outside of Minnesota wonder if he’d have more season shutouts than Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have touchdown passes by May. It’s super early to call Jesper Wallstedt the next Martin Brodeur but wow, talk about potential.

#6 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 6)

The next three teams are all in the same position: a top tier championship contender with some serious glares that could de-rail their title dreams. Most of Carolina’s inconsistencies come from goaltending and defensive injuries. While Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt has been getting most of the attention, Hurricanes third string goaltender Brandon Bussi has been a lifeline. His 1-0 OT shutout win November 30th against Calgary was a season highlight.

#5 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 4)

If someone said before the regular season that Mitch Marner would excel in Vegas, many would’ve agreed because Toronto is notorious for bungling star players and their talents. Yet if someone added that Marner could have been the glue that held the Leafs locker room together, that would’ve stunned almost everyone. Mitch Marner’s growth and presence almost cancels out the goaltending and defensive issues the Golden Knights have dealt with the last two months.

#4 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 9)

Without captain Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay got back to what made them successful and now the Lightning are one of the best teams in the NHL. The defense led by net-minder Andrei Vasilevskiy is top five, the penalty kill is the league’s second best and the offense is top ten with Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel. Now if center Brayden Point can get out of his slump, this could be the best team in the eastern conference.

#3 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 2)

Not only does this Washington team look nearly identical to the teams coached by Barry Trotz, the most stand-out player is Tom Wilson. Wilson is more focused and critical to coach Spencer Carberry’s offense. He leads the the Capitals in points (32), goals (17), and hits (83). He’s progressed to a team leader opposing defenses have to prepare for (and not just for the cheap shots and fighting).

#2 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 5)

If Colorado were not a factor, Dallas would be the easy pick for best team. Not only are the Stars playing some of their best hockey, they’ve played well despite several players entering and returning from IR. While the loss of assistant captain and former champion Tyler Seguin for the rest of the regular season is damaging, it might not matter with how Dallas is playing now until late in the season.

#1 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 7)

Even if Colorado’s season was in the mainstream news 24/7, it wouldn’t be enough to highlight how impressive the first two months have been for the former-Nordiques. Two regular season losses in almost two months of play. At one point all the starters had a positive plus/minus differential in the double digits (only ONE player has a negative differential. That is almost unheard of). Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood are playing the best goaltending they have in their careers. I don’t know how any team in the west could take this juggernaut out in a seven game series unless injuries plague the whole roster. Ils sont magnifiques!

The NHL’s best player Nathan MacKinnon (29) scored two goals in a 3-2 overtime win in New York December 6th.

NFL Week 14 Winners and Losers

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The fourteenth week of the regular season eliminated more teams from playoff contention and solidified division leaders. The postseason is a month away and most franchises are getting ready for a higher playoff seed or the offseason. Time to break down this weekends’ winners and losers.

Winners: Tony Pollard

A lot of analysts will correctly discuss and break down how Cleveland rookie quarterback Shadeur Sanders is the real deal and leads, adapts and makes the Browns offense better even in a loss. Most of those analysts won’t talk about how runningback Tony Pollard almost single-handedly got Tennessee their second win of the season.

Tony Pollard is one of the few NFL offensive players who has shredded the vaunted Cleveland defense this season. Instead of a sack-fest on number one overall pick quarterback Cam Ward, Pollard led the offense and ran 25 times for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Every time the Browns defense seemed to stifle the Titans passing game, Tony Pollard broke out for a long run and put Cleveland back on their heels.

Yes it has been a season to forget for Tennessee’s offense, but most of the defenses that have played the Titans struggled to contain Tony Pollard and have had to account for his added strength and agility compared to previous years. If Tennessee adds more talent to the offense this offseason, Pollard could become a more dangerous player next year.

Miami Dolphins running game

Miami’s mid-season resurgence has been led by their running game. Many viewers know De’Von Achane is one of the NFL’s most underrated runningbacks, so it wasn’t surprising he had a good game. However, Achane had company that helped seal an early win.

The Dolphins’ leading rusher in New York was Jaylen Wright. Wright had 24 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. When Wright wasn’t cutting through the Jets, Achane took over for one of his seven carries. De’Von Achane finished with 105 all-purpose yards and a rushing touchdown.

New York had nothing on offense and that gave Miami more chances to put scoring drives together. Even with the lopsided advantage, the Dolphins have put together a more sensible game-plan where the running game takes over and puts the passing game in easier situations. Head coach Mike McDaniel may have saved his job with this change.

Blake Corum

Los Angeles needed to regroup after a shocking road loss in Charlotte last Sunday. A great way to do that was to lean on the running game. With the now official, last place Cardinals on the schedule, the Rams constantly ran the ball and crushed their division rival.

Blake Corum was the best player in a dominant 45-17 win. Corum ran 12 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. His first touchdown gave Los Angeles their first lead of the game and his last score sealed the easiest win of the late afternoon matchups.

The running game will be key for how far the Rams go in the postseason. Backs like Blake Corum and Kyren Williams are dangerous players for any top tier defense. The more Los Angeles relies on a runningback duo, the closer they will come to making the Super Bowl.

Losers: Baltimore Ravens defense

Serious NFL analysts struggle to cover a lot of objective game content without fixating on a losing team’s offense. Baltimore’s offense wasn’t good in a divisional home loss to Pittsburgh (the winner would lead the AFC North), but it was understandable that there were several issues ranging from injuries to terrible officiating calls.

The Ravens defense had no excuses. There are at least four former Pro Bowlers back healthy, yet an injured, mostly one handed Aaron Rodgers threw for almost 300 yards against them. The Steelers led almost the entire game. Whenever Baltimore’s offense tried to get back in the game or cut the deficit, Pittsburgh shredded the Ravens secondary and got their extended leads back. Receiver DK Metcalf had seven catches for 148 yards after three straight weeks of averaging 50 yards per game. Again, there is no excuse for former Pro Bowlers to play helpless against younger, more inexperienced division rival receivers.

Sunday’s home loss shows Baltimore shouldn’t make the playoffs. Whoever wins the fifth seed would want the Ravens to win the AFC North so they can have an easy wild-card weekend win. Nobody respects Baltimore’s defense, and they won’t be stopping any of the four remaining offenses on their regular season schedule.

Dan Quinn

Everything about Washington’s shutout road loss was awful. Jayden Daniels re-injured his left elbow, tight-end Zach Ertz may have suffered multiple career ending injuries in his right leg, and a Bobby Wagner led defense was obliterated by the NFL’s worst quarterback. When a team is shut out, that falls on the head coach.

Dan Quinn is revered by many and has earned a lot of respect. However, his game-plan for Minnesota was putrid. There were people publicly asking if the Commanders bothered to practice or plan against the Vikings. Washington has veteran, All-Pro leaders on every side of the ball, and most of them played lost on Sunday. That is not a common sight among Quinn’s players. It’s as if the coaching staff didn’t take that game seriously.

With Sunday’s humiliating loss, the Commanders are officially eliminated from playoff contention. It stuns that one of the most hyped teams before the regular season went from playoff favorite filled with older, All-Pro veterans on every side of the ball, to a flaming, crash-out mess in salary cap and free agent nightmare once the off-season begins. Dan Quinn has to better prepare for next year and make sure no one takes any “easy” games off.

4th quarter Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati had not lost a game with Joe Burrow as their starting quarterback since mid-December 2024. Burrow makes the team better and the Bengals were in command of a pivotal road game in Buffalo…until the fourth quarter.

Everything fell apart after tight-end Mike Gesicki scored Cincinnati’s fourth touchdown to take a 28-18 lead. The Bengals defense is now a top contender for worst defense of all-time and showed why on a Josh Allen 40 yard rushing touchdown the following possession. That meant Cincinnati’s offense had to seal the win and score again. And score they did…

…by giving up an interception return touchdown to the Bills two minutes later.

Buffalo didn’t end there. The Bills got their final score of the game after a second straight interception from Burrow five plays later. The Bengals’ playoff hopes were on the line against an opponent also fighting for a playoff spot, and squandered it in the worst way possible during the most important quarter of their season. What a devastating way to be eliminated from postseason contention!

NFL Week 13 Winners and Losers

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The last Sunday of November had fewer games but just as much entertainment compared to prior weeks. Upsets, injuries and comebacks led headlines and will be the focus as December begins. The playoff picture has never looked more crowded. It’s time to break down who or what stood out most; positively or negatively.

Winners: Davante Adams

A stunning loss in Carolina said a lot of things about Los Angeles. It appeared head coach Sean McVay and most of the Rams didn’t take the Panthers seriously. One player who did and played well all four quarters was wide receiver Davante Adams.

Adams had four catches on five targets for 58 yards and two touchdowns. His first score gave Los Angeles their first lead of the game and his second tied the game at 14. According to NFL Network’s GameDay Watch, Davante Adams became the fourth player in NFL history with 13+ reception touchdowns in at least four career seasons (the other three are Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss).

Davante Adams left Sunday tied sixth with San Diego Chargers tight-end Antonio Gates for all-time receiving touchdowns with 116. Adams will end up alone in sixth place some time this season. It’s cool to see that even in some down years, Davante Adams is still one of the best and most dangerous receiving threats a defense can face.

New York Jets

Not many people expected New York to go on a winning streak or have a span of winning football a month ago. The Jets end week 13 with three wins in their last four games. Their recent victory against Atlanta may be their best of the season.

New York battled hard against the Falcons. The Jets defense struggled against quarterback Kirk Cousins and runningback Bijan Robinson. However, New York’s offense kept the game close and even had a few leads. Receiver Adonai Mitchell stood out with eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. 52 of those went on the touchdown run he had in the first half to tie the game at 14.

Many viewers wondered if the Jets were the worst NFL team heading into November. Rookie head coach Aaron Glenn didn’t have a lot of talent to work with on the defense, and the offense struggled to dominate games and control the game clock. Glenn has turned things around from fiasco and hopeless to competent and optimistic. This time New York may have found their head coach of the future and are a team to keep an eye on the last month of the regular season.

Kimani Vidal

The Chargers have been battered at the running back position most of the season. They have needed someone to step up the last few weeks who can give quarterback Justin Herbert some relief when he isn’t throwing the ball and leading the offense. Los Angeles might have found a new gem Sunday in Kimani Vidal.

The sophomore back was the Chargers’ best player. Vidal ran 25 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. He also had a catch for eleven yards. Kimani Vidal made the game clock a constant issue for Las Vegas’ defense and helped Los Angeles keep the ball for nearly 36 minutes.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh promoted Vidal at the best time. After the Chargers win, news broke Sunday night that team star Justin Herbert will need surgery for a fractured hand. The surgery likely sidelines Herbert at least one week. Los Angeles must now rely on their running game to dominate offensive tempo and do most of the work against their next opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles. Get familiar with Kimani Vidal the next few games.

Losers: The second half Cleveland Browns

The 49ers and Browns played a slugfest first half Sunday afternoon. The score at halftime was 10-8. Both defenses were phenomenal, but both offenses made a lot of great plays. San Francisco pulled away in the second half because Cleveland committed a lot of blunders.

Offense and special teams kept turning the ball over. The Browns’ second possession ended in their territory after tight-end Harold Fannin Jr. fumbled a fourth down pass and 49ers linebacker Luke Gifford recovered. San Francisco had a short field to work with and scored a touchdown five and a half minutes later. The second major gaffe was a punt return fumble by returner Gage Larvadain at his own 18 yard line. The 49ers recovered the fumble and scored an easier touchdown minutes later (their two point conversion after the touchdown failed). The third and last major blunder was a turnover on downs by the offense next possession. San Francisco took enough time off the clock and added three more points from a 31 yard Matt Gay field goal. Cleveland officially lost when the offense committed another turnover on downs their last possession.

It’s torturous to watch the Browns take a step forward after finally finding a quarterback who can make the right plays in rookie Shadeur Sanders, but then take two steps back because of special teams and offensive errors and turnovers. Cleveland’s defense is Super Bowl caliber and will miss the playoffs again because the offense and special teams are among the NFL’s worst. What a shame.

Tyler Shough’s two point conversion attempt

New Orleans rookie quarterback Tyler Shough may be a great quarterback in the future. Shough has mostly kept the Saints competitive since he was named starter early November. For now, Tyler Shough still has a lot to learn and it showed Sunday in Miami.

The Saints rallied late Sunday afternoon and were two points away from tying the Dolphins at 19 and taking the game to overtime. Shough attempted a two point conversion pass, and it epically failed. Not only was the pass bad, it was easily picked off by veteran cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick and returned for a Miami two point score. The final was 21-17.

In Tyler Shough’s defense, he is a rookie gaining more hands-on experience, and every quarterback learns the hard way not to force a bad throw in heavy defensive pass coverage to a competent receiver. Still, the loss stings and keeps the Dolphins in the playoff race.

Pittsburgh Steelers offense, especially Aaron Rodgers

Buffalo versus Pittsburgh was important for both teams Sunday. Although to many that’s obvious, both the Bills and Steelers are in tight division races and have been behind at least one opponent at some point this season. A game this important meant both offenses would have to play at a high level. Buffalo found offensive rhythm the longer the game went. Pittsburgh? Not so much.

The Steelers offense did nothing after runningback Jaylen Warren scored their only touchdown a few plays after linebacker Patrick Queen recovered a fumble from Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed ten of 21 passes for 117 yards. Rodgers shouldn’t have played this game because he has three fractures in his left wrist. Both Rodgers and Pittsburgh knew this before Sunday, yet he still played. After a sack fumble from Joey Bosa in the second quarter, Buffalo got the lead and never trailed again.

The Steelers offense played even worse once backup Mason Rudolph replaced Rodgers. Rudolph completed one of his three passes–to the Bills defense. Aaron Rodgers had to close out a game with no hope of winning down by nine, and then by 16 points.

It’s another season where Pittsburgh goes through multiples crises on offense, while the defense and special teams are expected to keep games close. At some point, there must be massive changes because no one likes the offense the Steelers put on the field each week.