Dan Campbell and the Lions could clinch the NFC North on Sunday. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) The Detroit Lions should win the NFC North, but they haven’t clinched the division just yet. The Minnesota Vikings are the only team standing in Detroit’s way, and that threat could end Sunday. The Lions and Vikings go head-to-head in a matchup that …

Dec. 24—Why Ryan Jefferson is the Coach of the Year Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond didn’t take a step back following the graduation of current Illinois running back Kaden Feagin. Rather, the Knights improved upon 2022’s 8-3 mark and claimed their first undefeated regular season since 2004, when it competed as Arthur-Lovington. Jefferson’s Knights won the 10-team Lincoln Prairie Conference championship thanks in part …

Doing a deep dive into the Week 16 NFL player props could allow you to find several advantageous plays in regards to NFL anytime TD bets. Several big-name players have plus-money prop odds to score this weekend, including Justin Jefferson, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Travis Kelce. With +115 NFL prop odds, Jefferson is just the fourth-favorite to score in …

The Denver Broncos (7-7) will return from a three-game road trip to face the New England Patriots (3-11) on Christmas Eve. Denver lost two of those three road games, falling one game back of an AFC Wild Card spot. Quarterback Russell Wilson has gone over 220 passing yards in two straight games, throwing three total touchdowns and one interception during …

Ben Bryant passed for 222 yards and found Bryce Kirtz in the corner of the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, helping Northwestern beat Utah 14-7 Saturday night in the Las Vegas Bowl. Bryant went 22 for 34 with two touchdowns as Northwestern (8-5) closed out its season with a fourth straight win. The Wildcats limited Utah (8-5) to …

The Miami Dolphins (10-4) will try to take another step toward clinching the AFC East title when they face the Dallas Cowboys (10-4) on Sunday afternoon. Miami bounced back from a disastrous loss to Tennessee with a 30-0 win over the Jets last week. The Dolphins are two games ahead of Buffalo in the division standings heading into the Week …

The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) will travel to take on the Atlanta Falcons (6-8) on Sunday and both teams are still in the thick of the playoff hunt in their respective conferences. The Colts would be the No. 7 seed in the AFC if the NFL playoffs started today but they’re still in play to win the AFC South. Meanwhile, the …

The Chicago Bears look to continue their improved play on defense when they host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. Chicago (5-8) scored a defensive touchdown in Week 15, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Cleveland in a 20-17 loss. Arizona (3-11) fared poorly in a 45-29 defeat against San Francisco. The Cardinals won the teams’ most recent matchup in …

We all have had some fun watching former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly struggle in his time at LSU, and adding insult to injury with the Irish stealing back his offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. All of this is probably giving Kelly some regrets about leaving South Bend, and now there is a rumor that he could be heading back …

The Carolina Panthers (2-12) are fresh off a victory and looking to build some momentum to finish out the season. They’ll host the Green Bay Packers (6-8) on Sunday, a team that’s coming off back-to-back losses. The Packers have won eight of the last 12 meetings against the Panthers.  Kickoff in Charlotte is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. The Packers …

Tight end Durham Smythe and the Miami Dolphins play the Dallas Cowboys this Christmas Eve. (AP Photo/Doug Murray) Happy holidays! In Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season, we’re getting 10 Christmas Eve games, including this afternoon’s can’t-miss matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins. The odds are extremely close, but the Dolphins (10-4) are currently slightly favored …

The early signing period, particularly the first day is an exciting day for high school football prospects as they get to sign with their college of choice. But the day is also exciting for coaches. FSU quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz could not stop smiling when he talked to local media Wednesday after the Seminoles announced their 2024 recruiting class. Tokarz …

Getty Images Welcome to a rare Saturday edition of the Week 16 grades. The NFL was kind enough to give everyone an early Christmas gift in the form of a holiday doubleheader consisting of Bengals-Steelers and Bills-Chargers.  Each of these games carry a significant impact on the AFC playoff picture as the wild card picture is as close and jumbled as …

The Minnesota Vikings (7-7) will be in a must-win position when they face the Detroit Lions (10-4) on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota has lost three of its last four games, falling three games back of Detroit atop the NFC North standings. The Vikings are currently occupying one of the NFC Wild Card spots, but a loss would likely knock them out …

Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters are lightly edited for clarity. To the editor: As a proud Syracuse graduate and die-hard sports fan, I want to thank Ryan Day for buckling under the pressure of being the OSU football coach and losing to Michigan. As one of the worst teams in the ACC, the Syracuse Orange just …