Lamar Jackson has single season passer rating record in sight

All Lamar Jackson has to do on Sunday is be himself, and he can easily set a new single season passer rating benchmark.

As the 2024 NFL season progressed, Lamar Jackson shattered both the Baltimore Ravens franchise and National Football League records. It’s not a stretch to say that this is the best overall season a quarterback has ever had.

You can find plenty of statistics to back up that claim. On Christmas Day, in a blowout road win at the Houston Texans, Jackson became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher at quarterback.

Now, he has the single season passer rating mark in his cross-hairs. Entering the December 21st showdown with the Steelers, Lamar boasted a passer rating of 120.7, the fourth highest in NFL history.

The reigning NFL MVP continued his dominance through the last two games, bringing his current rating up to 121.6. Only one season has ever eclipsed that mark, Aaron Rodgers’ 122.5 in 2011. Obviously, getting the victory, not padding the statistics, is what matters next weekend.

However, all Lamar has to do here is be himself, and he can easily set a new benchmark. Playing a team and passing defense as the Cleveland Browns certainly helps his chances, too.

While the game is expected to be very lopsided in favor of the Ravens, the chance to witness history will make it exciting.

UFC 311’s Merab Dvalishvili maps out wild plan for 2025: ‘I want to be busy’

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is aiming for a very active 2025.

UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] is aiming for a very active 2025.

Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) kicks off next year with a title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 311 on Jan. 18 in Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

If he gets past Nurmagomedov, Dvalishvili is looking to defend his title another two times in the first third of the year.

“I want to win this fight and I want to be busy in 2025,” Dvalishvili said in an interview with the UFC. “I’m fighting early this year, Jan. 18, and I just want to be busy. I know (Sean) O’Malley wants to come back in April. I think Petr (Yan) will be ready in March. So maybe fight Petr in March, rematch (O’Malley) in April, and whoever will be the next contender (after that), I will take. I will clean the division again.”

Dvalishvili initially wanted more time before making his first title defense against Nurmagomedov. He was heavily criticized for deeming Nurmagomedov as an unworthy title challenger, and has felt the negative reception from the public heading into the fight.

“The last couple of fights, I used to get a lot of attention. People recognize me. But hate on Instagram and social media, that was very hard for me,” Dvalishvili told ESPN. “That was like extra pressure. But it’s all good. Now I’m good. I’m focused for the fight.

“The best way now is I should just stay busy and take fights, and that’s it, because I was going to enjoy this time, but now I feel like I’m Conor McGregor – a lot of drama comes. Even Jon Jones and Mike Tyson used to get a lot of drama. I’m like, ‘Where is this coming from?’ I’m the same guy. I’m training, doing the same things – but it’s all good.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

‘College GameDay’ announces next CFP location: Here’s where Nick Saban will be

Here’s where College GameDay will be on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban got to experience the Rose Bowl in Pasadena twice in his 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa.

The first time came at the beginning of the Saban dynasty at Alabama when the Crimson Tide defeated Texas, 37-21, in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 7, 2010. More recently, Saban coached his last game at the historic venue on New Year’s Day 2024 when Alabama fell 27-20 in overtime to the national champion Michigan Wolverines.

Saban will now get to experience Pasadena from his customary seat on ESPN’s “College GameDay.” GameDay announced that it would attend the College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks on New Year’s Day.

Kickoff for Ohio State (11-2 overall) vs. Oregon (13-0) is set for 4 p.m. CT on ESPN. GameDay will begin broadcasting live at 9 a.m.

For Saban, it’s the fifth time this season that he’ll be at an Ohio State game. He may not get much of a warm reception from Buckeye fans in Pasadena after sharing some strong words recently on College GameDay and again last Friday on Pat McAfee’s show.

RELATED: Nick Saban predicts Alabama vs. Michigan, SEC bowl games, and CFP winners and losers

Other CFP quarterfinal matchups are No. 5 Penn State vs. No. 8 Boise State at the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve (6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN).

On New Year’s Day, No. 4 Texas faces No. 10 Arizona State at the Peach Bowl (noon CT, ESPN) before No. 2 Georgia plays No. 3 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl (7:45 p.m., ESPN).

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama news and notes, plus opinions. 

Pro Football Focus’ 3 highest-graded Seahawks vs. Bears on defense in Week 17

Pro Football Focus’ 3 highest-graded Seahawks vs. Bears on defense in Week 17

The Seattle Seahawks relied on their dominant defense in Thursday’s 6-3 Week 17 victory over the Chicago Bears. While Geno Smith and the offense struggled to move the football, Mike Macdonald’s defense limited the Bears to three points and a pathetic 179 total yards of offense. Having analyzed the impressive performance in terrific detail, Pro Football Focus graded these three Seahawks defenders as their best performers.

Leonard Williams | 81.2

Leonard Williams had a field day with the underperforming interior of the Bears’ offensive line. The veteran alignment-versatile defensive lineman totaled six pressures, one off his season-high, and also enjoyed his fourth multi-sack game of the campaign, sacking Caleb Williams twice. Williams has been Seattle’s best defensive player this season.

Tyrice Knight | 77.3

The Seahawks used rookie linebacker Tyrice Knight as an occasional pass rusher to great success versus the Bears. The former UTEP standout helped overwhelm the line of scrimmage by accumulating four quarterback pressures. Knight also totaled six tackles and was fantastic in coverage, too, allowing just two receptions for minimal gains.

Boye Mafe | 74.0

Boye Mafe was another Seahawks front-seven defender that put forth a quality showing. The third-year second-round pick had three pressures, all classified as hurries. Mafe didn’t record any of Seattle’s seven sacks, but he routinely made the inexperienced Williams uncomfortable in the pocket.

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Texas Longhorns receive concerning injury update on Cameron Williams

Starting left tackle Cameron Williams will be a game-time decision, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel

As the Longhorns prepare to take on Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday, they received less-than-ideal news on a key starter. Starting left tackle Cameron Williams will be a game-time decision, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The Texas native has been limited in practice after suffering a knee injury in the Longhorns win over Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff on December 21.

Due to his stellar play during the 2024 campaign, Williams has seen his stock rise. The talented junior has been a key part of an offensive line that allowed pressures on just 25.5% of drop-backs in the regular season. With Williams playing some of the best football of his career, Texas is averaging 450.1 yards per game.

Trevor Goosby will likely start if Williams cannot play on Wednesday. If the Longhorns advance, Williams should be good to go in the Cotton Bowl if there are no setbacks, according to Thamel. 

Over the next few days, Williams will be a player to monitor closely. He is key to the Longhorns’ success and is projected to be a potential first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Even if Williams has to miss time, Texas is in good hands with Goosby, who impressed against Clemson after replacing Williams in the second half.

Should the Lions try to decrease injury risk in tonight’s mostly-meaningless game vs the 49ers?

Should the Lions try to decrease injury risk in tonight’s mostly-meaningless game vs the 49ers?

Before the season, this Monday night game between the Lions and the 49ers was expected to be one of the showcase games of the entire NFL calendar. Things have changed due in large part to an injury-cursed 49er team. Thus, tonight’s game has been rendered almost meaningless to both teams in terms of standings.

Technically, if there is a tie next week in the Lions vs Vikings finale, a Lions win tonight would give them the division crown and #1 seed. However, there have been 255 games this year in the NFL without a single tie. There were also no ties in all 272 regular season games in 2023. The last tie in the NFL was December 4, 2022. Thus, the likelihood of a tie is extraordinarily low.

On the other hand, the likelihood of injuries in the NFL is extraordinarily high. Lions fans have already exhausted all fingers and toes counting up the players that have gone on injured reserve. Forty-niner fans can certainly sympathize as they have seen many key injuries sabotage their season.

Last year, the Lions had a mostly meaningless game also. That was the week 18 game vs the Vikings when Sam LaPorta went down with a scary-looking, left knee hyperextension. Fortunately, the injury ended up not being serious, and he played the next week.

This raises the question of whether the Lions should strategically try to decrease injury risk during tonight’s game. The most obvious way would be to bench key starters, but Dan Campbell has already firmly stated that won’t happen.

However, there are surreptitious ways to decrease injury risk without benching anybody. The following are just some of the ways for the Lions to decrease risk while still presenting the image of going all-out for a win.

Decrease snap counts to key players

You can’t decrease snap counts at QB and offensive line without it being obvious. But it would be easy and almost imperceptible to decrease snap count percentages at other positions.

With David Montgomery hurt two weeks ago, Jahmyr Gibbs took 69% of snaps last game at RB. This percentage could easily be lowered to 50% without anybody batting an eye. The Lions played three other RB’s last game in Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki, and Jermar Jefferson, so there are plenty of other players eager to take the snaps. The Lions traded up in the 2024 draft to take Vaki so maybe it’s time to cash in on that investment.

Other key starters that could subtly take a 10-20% drop in snap count from last game are:

  • Sam LaPorta – 92% last game
  • Amon-Ra St. Brown – 85%
  • Jameson Williams – 83%
  • Josh Paschal – 70%
  • Za-Darius Smith – 62%
  • Levi Onwuzurike – 62%
  • Jack Campbell – 100%

The starting secondary (CB & S) usually take close to 100% of snaps, but there are enough reserves to do spot rotations if the Lions chose.

Protect Jared Goff as much as possible

During preseason games of past when starting QB’s actually played (Jared Goff did not play a snap this preseason), teams would be careful with the offensive play calling to minimize risk to the starter. That meant quicker throws to decrease the risk of taking hits. This preseason play-calling strategy could be employed during tonight’s game.

In addition, Goff can take it upon himself to reduce his risk:

  • Avoid extending plays which could expose himself to hits. Just throw the ball away.
  • Minimize scrambling. If he does scramble, go down or slide if there is any hint of danger.
  • Ignore the 1st-down marker. Don’t take a big hit just to try for a 1st down.

Game strategy

In-game strategy often changes from game to game so employing certain strategies to decrease the overall snap count during a game would not be obvious.

  • As often as possible, drain the 40-second clock. This year, we’ve seen the Lions sometimes quick-snap to catch the defense off guard. That strategy could simply be decreased or eliminated tonight.
  • Don’t use time-outs at the end of the first half to try to squeeze out an extra possession.
  • Avoid overtime by going for two as necessary. Recall last year in the “ineligible player” game vs the Cowboys, the Lions went for two at the 7-yard line after a penalty in order to avoid overtime. So there is precedence of taking an unusual action to avoid the extra period.
  • While the Lions typically only go for two in late game situations, they could do it earlier to keep the score offset throughout the game.

 

The ACC is Duke’s ‘to lose,’ according to college basketball analyst Andy Katz

According to the latest men’s college basketball power rankings from Andy Katz, the Blue Devils exist in a tier all their own in the ACC.

It’s always a little foolish to crown a conference champion before the turn of the calendar, but through 12 games in the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season, it seems like the Duke Blue Devils might enforce their will upon the ACC.

Duke, off to a 10-2 start thanks to its current six-game winning streak, stayed No. 4 in Andy Katz’s national power rankings on Monday. The lack of movement makes sense given that the Blue Devils didn’t play a game last week, but Katz did offer a resounding sentiment about the conference in his latest piece.

“The Blue Devils are the class of the ACC,” he wrote. “This is their league title to lose.”

The North Carolina Tar Heels have already lost five games this season, and Wake Forest lost by double-digits four times in its first 13 games. The 10-3 Clemson Tigers (No. 21 on Katz’s board) look like a genuine threat with a win over the Kentucky Wildcats, but back-to-back overtime losses to Memphis and South Carolina slowed them down.

The Auburn Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, and Iowa State Cyclones remained in the three spots ahead of the Blue Devils. Duke gets the chance to extend its winning streak to seven games against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday afternoon.

The case for and against the Rams resting their starters in Week 18

Sean McVay has a big decision to make when it comes to resting the Rams’ starters in Week 18.

To rest or not to rest. That is the question.

It’s a question that’s been posed to NFL coaches hundreds of times over the years, and there isn’t exactly a right answer. Sean McVay will have to make this difficult decision for the second straight season when the Los Angeles Rams host the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18.

As the NFC West champions, the Rams are guaranteed to play a home game in the first round of the playoffs. They don’t yet know whether they’ll be the No. 3 or 4 seed, or which team they’ll face in the wild-card round. It’s guaranteed to be one of four teams, though: Vikings, Lions, Packers, Commanders.

Because their seed is still to be determined, Week 18 isn’t completely meaningless for the Rams. If they win, they’re the No. 3 seed. If they lose and the Bucs win, they’re the No. 4. So should Los Angeles play to win in the season finale or should McVay rest his starters as he did in 2017 and 2023?

There’s a case for and against each decision, making it a tough call for McVay to make.

Why they should rest their starters

Avoiding injuries: There’s obviously the benefit of avoiding any potential injuries, which is the primary reason any team would rest its starters. There would be nothing worse for the Rams than Matthew Stafford, Puka Naua, Kyren Williams or one of their most important players getting hurt in Week 18 right before the playoffs, causing them to miss a week or more of postseason action.

Valuable rest: Not only will resting starters avoid possible injuries, but it will give players a much-needed week off, similar to how the No. 1 seed gets a first-round bye. The Rams have played a game in 11 straight weeks since their Week 6 bye, so it’s been a long and grueling stretch. Players would benefit from getting a week off, giving them fresh legs for the start of the playoffs.

Playoff seeding: As far as seeding goes, the Rams might prefer to face the Lions or Vikings. They took the Lions to overtime in Week 1 with a makeshift offensive line, no Puka Nacua for half the game and a defense that was playing its first game together. It’s not unreasonable to think the Rams can beat the Lions at full strength. They already beat the Vikings earlier this season, too, so they know they can go toe-to-toe with Minnesota.

Resting doesn’t ensure a loss: The Rams resting their starters doesn’t guarantee them a loss. Jimmy Garoppolo and the backups are more than capable of beating the Seahawks, who could also take a cautious approach to the finale with nothing to play for. So there’s a realistic scenario where the Rams rest their starters and still win to secure the No. 3 seed.

Why they shouldn’t rest their starters

Offense is a mess: Anyone who’s watched the Rams in the last three weeks knows the offense is not ready for the playoffs. They’ve scored just three total touchdowns and only 44 points in the last three games, which is the same number of points they scored against the Bills in Week 14 alone. The offense could use some live reps against the Seahawks in hopes of getting on track before the playoffs because it’s going to be hard to beat anyone when you’re scoring fewer than 20 points.

Defense is rolling: As poorly as the offense has played in the last three weeks, the defense has been dominant. The Rams have allowed six, nine and nine points in the last three games, completely shutting down the 49ers, Jets and Cardinals. If they were to rest their starters in Week 18, it could kill some of the momentum the defense has built.

More favorable matchups as No. 3 seed: The Rams can still hold onto the No. 3 seed if they lose in Week 18, but only if the Buccaneers somehow also lose to the Saints. If McVay wants to ensure he gets the third seed, he should play everyone and try to beat the Seahawks. Getting the No. 3 spot in the NFC would set up a matchup with the Packers or Commanders, which would seem to be more favorable than facing the Vikings or Lions in Round 1.

Rams could host get extra home playoff game: Say the Rams win their first playoff game as the No. 3 seed and the No. 4 or 5 upsets the No. 1 seed in the divisional round. In that scenario, the Rams would host the NFC Championship Game. Not to put the cart before the horse, but they’re much more likely to have two home playoff games as the No. 3 seed than the No. 4.

Prediction and betting odds for 49ers vs. Lions in Week 17

Analyzing Monday’s 49ers vs. Lions game with odds and lines, predictions and best bets.

The San Francisco 49ers (6-9) return to action in their penultimate contest of the 2024 NFL season.

The 49ers’ Monday Night Football matchup against the Detroit Lions (13-2) doesn’t bring the type of implications for both that many would have forecasted when this 2024 campaign began.

In a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship game, the 49ers can only aspire to play late-season spoiler for Detroit. San Francisco has already been eliminated from playoff contention, but Detroit has its sights set on locking up the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

If the 49ers are to indeed play spoiler, they will have to do so in spite of a dicey injury report.

As kickoff nears, here’s a look at the latest odds for the matchup, including the point spread, money line numbers and the over-under total. Plus, a prediction for how the matchup unfolds.

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49ers vs. Lions game odds:

All NFL Odds via BetMGM:

  • Point spread: Detroit -3.5
  • Money line: Detroit -200 / San Francisco +165
  • Over-under: 50.5

49ers vs. Lions injury updates:

  • 49ers OL Aaron Banks – OUT (knee)
  • 49ers OL Spencer Burford – OUT (calf)
  • 49ers DL Robert Beal Jr. – OUT (ankle)
  • 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw – OUT (calf)
  • 49ers OL Colton McKivitz – Questionable (knee)
  • 49ers S Ji’Ayir Brown – Questionable (ankle)
  • 49ers CB Charvarius Ward – Questionable (personal matter)
  • Lions RB David Montgomery – OUT (knee)
  • Lions WR Kalif Raymond – OUT (foot)
  • Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin – Questionable (neck)

49ers vs. Lions prediction, pick:

Prediction: Detroit 30, San Francisco 17

The 49ers’ offensive line and running backs are incredibly banged up. That makes life difficult for San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy. While the Lions are dealing with their own rash of injuries, Jared Goff and Detroit deliver and exact revenge in a game where they have much more at stake.

49ers vs. Lions channel, start time, streaming:

The 49ers vs. Lions game starts at 5:15 p.m. PT and can be seen on ESPN or ABC.

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Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

First look: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers odds and lines

Looking at Saturday’s Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers Week 18 NFL odds, lines and trends. Here’s what you need to know.

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The Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) and Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) meet Saturday in an AFC North battle with major playoff implications. Kickoff from Acrisure Stadium is set for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we look at Bengals vs. Steelers odds from BetMGM Sportsbook’s NFL odds before making our expert NFL picks and predictions later in the week.

Cincinnati escaped with a 30-24 OT win over the Denver Broncos Saturday while covering as a 3-point favorite to keep its playoff hopes alive. QB Joe Burrow went off in the win, completing 39 of his 49 (80%) pass attempts for 412 yards and 3 TDs, including a game-winning 3-yard TD connection to WR Tee Higgins in OT.

The Bengals need a win here, a Denver loss vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, and either a Miami Dolphins loss or tie against the New York Jets to clinch a playoff berth.

Pittsburgh was routed 29-10 by the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day as a 1.5-point underdog. The Steelers gained 364 total yards while also possessing the ball for over 31 minutes, but they lost the turnover battle 2-0 and their defense allowed 389 yards and 4 TDs. The Steelers have lost 3 straight games.

Pittsburgh will clinch the AFC North with a win here and a Baltimore loss against Cleveland Browns, but the Steelers have already clinched a playoff berth regardless of the outcomes of Week 18 games.

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Bengals at Steelers odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NFL odds. Lines last updated Monday at 11:43 a.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Bengals -150 (bet $150 to win $100) | Steelers +125 (bet $100 to win $125)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Bengals -3 (-105) | Steelers +3 (-115)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 48.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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2024 betting stats

  • ML: Bengals 8-8 | Steelers 10-6
  • ATS: Bengals 10-6 | Steelers 10-6
  • O/U: Bengals 11-5 | Steelers 8-8

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Bengals vs. Steelers head-to-head

Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 71-39, including a 44-38 shootout in Week 13 as the road team. However, the Bengals are 2-1 in their last 3 meetings in Pittsburgh.

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