This won’t be surprising for those who paid attention at the time of the 2020 NFL Draft. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reports the Miami Dolphins offered the Cincinnati Bengals four first-round picks for the No. 1 overall pick, which was obviously quarterback Joe Burrow out of LSU. What might be surprising is that that […] This won’t be surprising for those who paid attention at the time of the 2020 NFL Draft. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reports the Miami Dolphins offered the Cincinnati Bengals four first-round picks for the No. 1 overall pick, which was obviously quarterback Joe Burrow out of LSU. What might be surprising is that that is all they offered. The Dolphins had five first-round picks between the 2020 and 2021 NFL Drafts. Even that wouldn’t have done it, as the Bengals were not having any of these negotiations The Bengals declined to even engage in discussions and shut down the trade inquiry before it could gain any traction, according to sources. Again, none of this is surprising, given how many people were saying the Bengals should take whatever bounty the Dolphins offered, since they needed to fill so many holes outside of Burrow. Well, five seasons later, Burrow is a top quarterback who ended Cincinnati’s playoff drought, took them to a Super Bowl, and another AFC Championship game. Miami made the playoffs twice without a win and is benching Tua Tagovailoa ahead of Sunday’s game against the Bengals. Safe to say the Bengals made the right call in never even letting the Dolphins get past calling to inform them of what they were willing to offer initially. Also, Burrow got to avoid the quarterback graveyard that is Miami post-Dan Marino. Any chance to laugh again in the face of people who said Cincinnati should trade the pick away with any seriousness. And a lesson that stockpiling picks doesn’t always mean you can go get whatever pick you want. See More: Cincinnati Bengals News
Dolphins offered Bengals 4 1st-Round picks prior to 2020 NFL Draft for Joe Burrow selection
Indianapolis Colts Injury Report: LT Raimann Listed As QUESTIONABLE
The Indianapolis Colts today released their Saturday injury report for Week 16 of the NFL season against the San Francisco 49ers for Monday night. Defensive tackle Deforest Buckner has been listed as QUESTIONABLE for Monday’s games against the 49ers with a neck injury. Buckner looks set to return from injured reserve this week and provide […] Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images The Indianapolis Colts today released their Saturday injury report for Week 16 of the NFL season against the San Francisco 49ers for Monday night. Defensive tackle Deforest Buckner has been listed as QUESTIONABLE for Monday’s games against the 49ers with a neck injury. Buckner looks set to return from injured reserve this week and provide a huge boost for the defense in the final few games of the year. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann has been listed as QUESTIONABLE for Mondays game against the 49ers with an elbow injury. Raimann left last week’s game due to injuring his elbow and did not return. Raimann had only managed a limited practice all week so his chances of being available are very slim. If he is unable to play, expect Luke Tenuta to start again in his place. Cornerback Sauce Gardner has been ruled OUT of Monday’s game against the 49ers with a calf injury. Gardner is will miss another game due to the calf injury. Shane Steichen did confirm today he expects Gardner to play again this year. With Gardner out, expect another week of Mekhi Blackmon and Jonathan Edwards at starting cornerback. Quarterback Anthony Richardson (eye) and aafety Daniel Scott (knee) have both been ruled OUT this week. Richardson and Scott had their practice windows opened in a bid to return back off of injured reserve. See More: Indianapolis Colts News
Raider Nation drops to their lowest confidence of the season
The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-12 after eight losses in a row. It has left fans looking to the draft to see if they can add their franchise quarterback of the future. It was another disastrous performance from the Silver and Black in a 31-0 loss. Next up, they face the hot Houston Texans on […] The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-12 after eight losses in a row. It has left fans looking to the draft to see if they can add their franchise quarterback of the future. It was another disastrous performance from the Silver and Black in a 31-0 loss. Next up, they face the hot Houston Texans on the road, where they are 14.5-point underdogs, which is their biggest spread of the season. They are the favorite to pick number one in the draft this spring, and it would be a massive upset if they beat the Texans. In this week’s SB Nation Reacts, we ask Raider Nation what their confidence is in the team’s direction. Heading into Week 16, the Nation is not excited about the future. We saw a drop from 10% to their lowest of the season, at 6% confidence in the team’s direction. It might drop even lower if it is another blowout against the Texans. With Geno Smith back in the lineup, the team will hope to make it a game worth watching. See More: Las Vegas Raiders Odds
SB Nation Reacts Results: Things Are Improving!
We’ve got the results of our SB Nation Reacts poll for this week, and man. . .a couple of weeks and a couple of wins appear to have made a world of difference among our readers. Our first question for this week, as it is every week, is whether or not you feel the Minnesota […] We’ve got the results of our SB Nation Reacts poll for this week, and man. . .a couple of weeks and a couple of wins appear to have made a world of difference among our readers. Our first question for this week, as it is every week, is whether or not you feel the Minnesota Vikings are moving in the right direction. And, just a couple of weeks after hitting rock bottom, the needle is definitely moving in the other direction. Of our respondents for this week, a full two-thirds of them now feel that the Vikings are moving in the right direction. That’s the highest this number has been since Week 10 of this season, which was the week after the Vikings went into Ford Field and knocked off the Detroit Lions as a 9.5-point underdog. Of course, right after that the Vikings went on a four-game losing streak in which they, largely, looked awful, so hopefully that’s not going to happen this time around. I have a funny feeling that it will not. Our second question for this week was asking you how much your impression of quarterback J.J. McCarthy has changed over the past couple of weeks with the way he’s performed. He’s looked awfully impressive against a couple of bad defenses over the past couple of weeks, but it’s been enough to make a positive impression on a lot of people. Of our respondents this week, 77% of them say that their impression of McCarthy has improved at least a little bit over the past couple of weeks. A majority of our readers, 52%, say that their impression of the young quarterback has “slightly” improved, while an additional 25% say that their impression has improved significantly. Another 22% say that they still feel the same about him as they did two weeks ago, while 1% of our readers. . .somehow. . .have found a way to feel worse about McCarthy now than they did two weeks ago. I’m really not sure how that can be the case, but hey, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Those are the results of our SB Nation Reacts poll for this week, ladies and gentlemen. As always, we thank all of you who participated in this week’s festivities, and we’ll have another poll for you at some point this week, though there’s going to be a bit of a quick turnaround with the purple playing on Christmas Day. See More:
Eagles at Commanders: The good, the bad, and the ugly
The Eagles made good on their cap-and-t-shirt game against the lowly Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on Saturday afternoon, clinching a playoff berth as the first repeat winners of the NFC East in 21 years. The Eagles came away 29-18 winners and did it in many ways despite themselves, starting with special team stumbles, like […] The Eagles made good on their cap-and-t-shirt game against the lowly Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on Saturday afternoon, clinching a playoff berth as the first repeat winners of the NFC East in 21 years. The Eagles came away 29-18 winners and did it in many ways despite themselves, starting with special team stumbles, like Will Shipley’s fumble on the game’s opening kickoff, three missed field goal attempts, and some indecision near the goal line on another kickoff return. The Eagles are now 10-5 and it is the fourth-straight season that the Eagles have won double-figure games, which is the third time in franchise history the Eagles have done that behind the five-year runs of Andy Reid’s 2000-2004 teams and Buddy Ryan/Rich Kotite’s 1988-1992 teams. What makes this four-year run unique is this the most victories that the Eagles have ever won in a four-year span (49), over Reid’s 2000-2003 (46) or 2001-2004 (48) teams, or Ryan’s 1988-1991 (41) or 1989-1992 (42) teams. This was not an aesthetically pleasing game. Aside from the special teams debacle of the first half, there were Eagles’ blunders everywhere, like three penalties inside the Washington 10 that could have wiped out two scores, though they did not. The 4-11 Commanders were not playing for anything, though to Washington coach Dan Quinn and his players’ credit, they at least logged an effort and played to win, giving the Eagles a challenge, as opposed to Las Vegas in Week 15, which rolled over. Reacting to getting punched back is what the Eagles will need moving forward looking now for the greater repeat—as Super Bowl champions. There was a good mound of good, some bad and a couple of pounds of ugly in the Eagles’ 29-18 victory over the Washington Commanders. The Good Saquon Barkley rushing for a game-high 132 yards on 21 carries, including a touchdown and a 48-yard run that set up another touchdown. The 2024 version of Barkley seemed to show up against the run-weak Commanders’ defense. A.J. Brown making a game-high nine catches for 95 yards on 12 targets against the depleted Washington secondary. Jalen Hurts completing 22 of 30 for 185 yards and two touchdowns, and more importantly, making smart decisions with the ball, knowing when to run and when not to run. Tank Bigsby’s 22-yard touchdown run with 4:26 left in the game. He ended a drive that the Eagles only needed four plays to go 80 yards. Old man Brandon Graham, aging like fine wine, with his third sack in two games, from his new role at defensive tackle. Graham is actually playing very well in a limited role, collapsing the pocket, and creating opportunity for the other guys up front. As his conditioning improves, he could add even more when teams begin to double-team him. Barkley’s game-clinching 12-yard touchdown run, after his eight-yard run on third-and-four from the Washington 20 on the Eagles’ opening drive of the fourth quarter. It was the third-straight game Barkley scored a touchdown. He rolled through at least seven Washington defenders to spin into the end zone, including Washington linebacker Bobby Wagner. Hurts converting a third-and-two with a four-yard run to the Washington 26 on the Eagles’ first drive of the first quarter. Cooper DeJean’s third-quarter interception off the Commanders’ Josh Johnson, Washington’s eighth-string quarter. It came on a third-and-13 with 32 seconds left in the quarter. Hurts proceeded to get sacked by Wagner on the Eagles’ next play after the turnover at the Washington 39 on the last play of the third quarter. It led to Barkley’s game-clinching touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The Eagles’ opening drive of the second half. The Eagles drove 83 yards over 17 plays, getting some breaks with a five-yard Washington penalty for illegal contact, for an automatic Eagles’ first down to the Commanders’ 33. Then the Washington mystery interference call in the end zone, which placed the ball at the Commanders’ one on a third-and-eight at the Washington 20. It was almost sabotaged by a Landon Dickerson false start at the Commanders’ one, and a Fred Johnson holding call at the six. Still, Hurts found Dallas Goedert in the end zone for his career-best 10th touchdown and 14-10 lead with 3:27 left in the third quarter. The Eagles third drive, which resulted in Hurts’ five-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith, which was highlighted by a Hurts’ 14-yard run, and 15- and 16-yard completions to A.J. Brown. The Bad Hurts’ designed run that went right into Wagner for no gain on second-and-10 at the Commanders’ 41 on the eighth play of the Eagles’ opening second-half drive. The Eagles going three-and-out on their second drive for four yards. It was not a strong way to respond after fumbling away the opening kickoff. Losing middle linebacker Nakobe Dean to a pulled hamstring on a third-and-four play at midfield with 6:46 left in the first quarter. The Ugly Jake Elliott missing three first-half field goals, capping a horrible first half for the Eagles’ special teams. They fumbled away the opening kickoff, suffered from indecision on another kick return from the end zone, and Elliott’s three misses. It kept Washington’s hopes alive. Fred Johnson did not have a good game. He was called for a false start in the first quarter for a second-and-goal at the Washington one, and this time, he was flagged for holding on a third-and-goal at the Washington five on the Eagles’ first drive of the second half. Fortunately, Hurts found Goedert for a touchdown on third-and-goal from the 15 and a 14-10 Eagles’ lead. Left guard Landon Dickerson repeating what Fred Johnson did in the first quarter. Dickerson was
Eagles repeat as NFC East Champions
There hasn’t been a team to repeat as NFC East division winners since 2004 — back when the Philadelphia Eagles won it four years in a row —, but the 2025 team was able to break that streak and officially clinch the NFC East title with their Week 16 win over the Commanders. As players […] There hasn’t been a team to repeat as NFC East division winners since 2004 — back when the Philadelphia Eagles won it four years in a row —, but the 2025 team was able to break that streak and officially clinch the NFC East title with their Week 16 win over the Commanders. As players left the field on Saturday night, many celebrated the feat that’s taken more than 20 years to achieve. Along with clinching the NFC East, the Eagles also knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs entirely — which is always exciting — and have locked up at least the No. 3 seed in the NFC. There’s still a path for this Philly team to finish the season as the No. 2 seed, but a lot of things within the NFC North would need to happen for that outcome. Under Nick Sirianni, the Eagles don’t typically look too far ahead or make goals further than winning their next game, but Jalen Hurts admitted that being the first team to repeat in over 20 years was something they were definitely mindful of as the opportunity approached. Hurts can put his back-to-back NFC East Champions t-shirt somewhere next to his Super Bowl ring, and maybe one day, he’ll finally be able to relish in his long, and growing, list of career accomplishments. See More:
Packers vs. Bears: Saturday Night Football
It’s Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season, the Eagles just beat the Commanders and clinched the NFC East, and now the Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) and Chicago Bears (10-4) will face off on Saturday night. The Packers lead the all-time series between these divisional rivals, 108-95-6, and have won 12 of the 13 most-recent […] It’s Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season, the Eagles just beat the Commanders and clinched the NFC East, and now the Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) and Chicago Bears (10-4) will face off on Saturday night. The Packers lead the all-time series between these divisional rivals, 108-95-6, and have won 12 of the 13 most-recent meetings. They last faced off just two weeks, with the Packers winning in Green Bay, 28-21. They’ve also played each other twice in the postseason, with each team claiming one victory. These teams are at the top of the NFC, and the Eagles are looking for the Packers to beat the Bears to give Philly the head-to-head advantage if needed. Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game. Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears TV Schedule Game time: 8:20 PM EST Channel: FOX Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025 Location: Soldier Field | Chicago, IL Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews (field reporter), Tom Rinaldi (field reporter) Online Streaming Odds according to FanDuel Green Bay Packers: +1.5 (-102) Chicago Bears: -1.5 (-116) Over/Under: 45.5 SB Nation Blogs Packers: www.AcmePackingCompany.com Bears: www.WindyCityGridiron.com Open thread: Discuss this Saturday night game in the comments. See More: Philadelphia Eagles discussion
Eagles clinch NFC East with big win over Commanders, 29-18
The Philadelphia Eagles are 10-5 after beating the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on Saturday evening. Final score: 29 to 18. With a win on Saturday, the Eagles have officially clinched the NFC East — the first time there’s been a repeat division winner since 2004 — and also knocked the Cowboys out of the […] The Philadelphia Eagles are 10-5 after beating the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on Saturday evening. Final score: 29 to 18. With a win on Saturday, the Eagles have officially clinched the NFC East — the first time there’s been a repeat division winner since 2004 — and also knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs. It was a slow start for the Philly team, but they really came alive in the second half. It was a very uneven performance by the Eagles offense throughout the game, but the passing game continues to look improved and the wide receivers seemed more open than they have been for most of the season. Jalen Hurts connected with A.J. Brown on nine catches for 95 yards, and with DeVonta Smith on six catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, not including the clutch throws to Dallas Goedert in the second half. They married the run and pass game pretty well, and were able to take advantage of opportunities as a result. Jake Elliott missed three field goals in the first half alone, and the offense refused to rely on him the rest of the game. Even head coach Nick Sirianni spoke at halftime and noted how both the offense and defense have been executing, but the special teams unit was an issue. If nothing else, it forced the Eagles offense to complete their drives with touchdowns, which they were able to do more consistently later in the game. The defense continued dominating, and overall, it was a much more complete team performance against the Commanders. It was a good follow-up to what they were able to do against the Raiders, and will hopefully give them something to continue to build on as they start looking ahead at the postseason. Next up for the Eagles: a road game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, December 28. Read on for a recap and stay tuned for BGN’s postgame coverage. Join the conversation! Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system! FIRST QUARTER The Commanders won the coin toss and elected to defer to put the Eagles on offense first. Will Shipley fumbles on the kick return, and Washington recovered it near the sideline. The Commanders had a short field and started out with a three-yard run, followed by a seven-yard pass by Marcus Mariota to Terry McLaurin for a first down. Running back Chris Rodriquez carried the ball the next few snaps, getting five, six, and two yards, respectively. Mariota threw an incompletion on 1st-and-goal, and missed Treylon Burks in the end zone on second down. They didn’t connect on third down either, and the Commanders were hot that Cooper DeJean didn’t get called for pass interference — DeJean made sure to jaw back a bit. Washington’s field goal team took the field and Jake Moody made it from 20 yards out. EAGLES 0, COMMANDERS 3. Will Shipley was still on return duty and carried the ball 26 yards. Eagles offense starts with Jalen Hurts under center — the QB handed the ball off to Saquon Barkley who ran it for zero yards. Hurts then carried it himself for three yards, followed by a six-yard pass to DeVonta Smith, who did everything he could to stretch for the first down. The Eagles then tried to draw the Commanders offsides, but instead had a delay of game penalty on 4th-and-1, forcing them to punt. Sydney Brown made a great play on punt coverage, and the Commanders started on their own 15 yard line. Marcus Mariota threw short to John Bates on first down, and then Chris Rodriquez picked up seven yards on second down. They continued to march down the field, with a six-yard pass to Terry McLaurin, and two three-yard plays to Jeremy McNichols. Mariota then tried to throw it deep to Treylon Burks, which was called back due to an offensive holding penalty — this put them at 3rd-and-14 with the 10-yard penalty. Eagles LB Nakobe Dean was injured on the play, but was able to leave the field under his own power. Mariota threw another incomplete pass, and the Commanders were forced to punt. Britain Covey fielded the punt and returned it 11 yards, so the Eagles offense started with the ball on their 37 yard line. Jalen Hurts started off with a big 16-yard pass to DeVonta Smith. The QB then scrambled 14 yards, followed by a 15-yard pass to A.J. Brown to keep the offense rolling. Hurts tried to connect with Smith deep into the endzone, but the WR was unable to secure the ball through the tackle. Hurts did connect with Brown on the next play for 16 yards. Saquon Barkley carried the ball into the endzone from the two-yard line, but the TD call was reversed claiming the RB didn’t cross the goal line. Unfortunately, as usual, things started to unravel, and Fred Johnson was flagged for a false start and the Eagles were pushed back five yards. Thankfully, it didn’t matter much and Hurts finally connected with Smith for a six-yard touchdown. EAGLES 7, COMMANDERS 3. The Commanders started with the ball on their 31-yard line, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran the ball 13 yards for to move the sticks. They then went 3-and-out thanks to a Brandon Graham sack on third down — BG’s third sack of the season. On 4th-and-11, Washington opted to punt. SECOND QUARTER Britain Covey made a fair catch, and the Eagles offense took the field. Jalen Hurts missed A.J. Brown for a deep pass, but followed that up
NFL Week 16 Recap: Philadelphia Eagles 29, Washington Commanders 18
Despite a sloppy start that included a kickoff fumble and three missed field goals, the Eagles found their rhythm behind Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley to beat Washington 29-18 and clinch a second straight NFC East title. Hurts threw two touchdowns and Barkley rushed for 132 yards and a score as Philadelphia pulled away in the second half and sealed the win with late points.
Rams fire special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn
The Los Angeles Rams have made a shocking in-season coaching change, firing special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Rams have fired Blackburn following Thursday night’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Blackburn being fired isn’t necessarily as surprising as the overall timing. While it was somewhat expected that the Rams would […] The Los Angeles Rams have made a shocking in-season coaching change, firing special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Rams have fired Blackburn following Thursday night’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Blackburn being fired isn’t necessarily as surprising as the overall timing. While it was somewhat expected that the Rams would look to move on from the third-year special teams coach following the season, a change with just two weeks left to play in the regular season exemplifies where the Rams special teams unit is currently. This marks the first in-season coordinator change from head coach Sean McVay. An argument can be made that Blackburn should have been fired following a 2023 season in which the Rams had one of the worst special teams units in NFL history. However, Blackburn likely should have been let go over a month ago. The Rams have four losses this season and special teams have played a role in three of them. The expectation now is that the Rams will turn to assistant special teams coach Ben Kotwica for the remainder of the season. Kotwica has 10 years of experience as a special teams coordinator in the NFL. Most recently Kotwica was with the Denver Broncos in 2023 and 2024. Special teams has consistently been an issue for the Rams in the McVay era. However, as bad as things have gotten at times, McVay has never made a coaching change in-season. With the Rams sitting at 11-4 and a top-10 offense and defense, they can’t continue to lose games due to special teams. McVay firing Blackburn at this point of the season shows how dire a change was needed. See More: Los Angeles Rams News