AI-assisted summary
• The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Indianapolis Colts in overtime, improving their record to 6-5.
• Wide receiver Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension to start the season has been a disruption for the team.
• The Chiefs have struggled in one-score games this season after going undefeated in them last year.
• Key players like Travis Kelce and Chris Jones have seen a decline in their typical performance levels.
• Despite their struggles, the Chiefs remain in the AFC playoff hunt after what was considered a must-win game.

The Kansas City Chiefs are already in playoff mode. Whether they actually qualify for the 2025 NFL postseason is a completely different proposition.

The reigning AFC champions, who have won three of the past six Super Bowls, prevailed in overtime Sunday, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 in what might have effectively been a must-win game.

The Chiefs improved their record to 6-5, picking up a half-game on the idle Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers in the highly competitive AFC West while otherwise keeping pace on the periphery of the conference playoff chase − though they remained in 10th place overall immediately after their narrow victory.

While a 10th straight divisional crown doesn’t seem to be in the offing, K.C. did live to fight another weekend − or Thursday, actually, as the Chiefs will next play on Thanksgiving afternoon against the Dallas Cowboys.

Yet despite Sunday’s escape from the Colts at Arrowhead, there’s been plenty wrong with the Chiefs since the start of the 2025 campaign. Let us count the reasons – specifically six of them:

1. The Rashee Rice disruption

Slice this however you want, but the six-game suspension K.C.’s top wideout served to start the season – for his reckless racing on a Dallas highway last year, which left six cars in a pileup and several people injured at a scene Rice left – hasn’t helped.

The Chiefs split their first six games without Rice in a predictive microcosm of their season and are 3-2 since he returned. From an individual perspective, he’s been instantaneously productive after a knee injury scuttled his 2024 season after four games – producing 34 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns, including eight often crucial receptions for 141 yards against Indy. But when a team is average without you and effectively the same while having to belatedly integrate you into the attack midstream, what are you really bringing to the table?

2. Lady Luck’s wrath

No, this isn’t a Taylor Swift reference … yet. But the 2024 Chiefs, who finished the regular season with a 15-2 record – the best in franchise history – were 12-0 (including playoffs) in one-score games. Their meager plus-59 point differential in the regular season and minus-six mark in the playoffs, including a 22-point defeat in Super Bowl 59 that wasn’t as close as the score would suggest, is indicative of a team that was relatively average − particularly by the Chiefs’ dynastic standards.

But the pendulum has swung violently in the other direction this season. Kansas City entered Sunday with an 0-5 record, i.e. all of its losses, in one-score games before surviving the Colts. No regression to the mean here, simply living on the polarities.

3. Stunning AFC West regression

The Chiefs’ divisional rule wasn’t going to last forever, but they knew the barbarians were at the gates in 2024, when the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers and Sean Payton-led Broncos both reached the playoffs as fairly surprising wild-card entries. Now, the palace has seemingly been overrun, those teams not only ahead of Kansas City in the standings but each with a win over the Chiefs in hand – potentially critically valuable currency when it comes time to sort out playoff tiebreakers at the end of the regular season.

4. Critical losses

Speaking of those tiebreakers, it’s better to lose interconference games – like when the Chiefs dropped their Super Bowl 59 rematch to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, a much less penal defeat when the formula is applied. But in addition to those divisional setbacks, Kansas City has lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, other teams they could be vying with for one of those three wild-card berths. Not great.

5. Travis Kelce and Chris Jones

Aside from QB Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid, Kansas City’s tight end (Kelce) and defensive cornerstone (Jones) would be the other two faces carved if a Mount Rushmore was ever built for the NFL’s most recent dynasty. Kelce, 36, has picked up the pace of late, but he wasn’t much of a factor during that 3-3 start when Rice wasn’t available to help draw coverage from him. Worse, Kelce admitted a poorly run route in the Week 1 game at Brazil that resulted in a shoulder injury to WR Xavier Worthy was entirely his fault. Worthy wound up missing most of the first three games, when K.C. was 1-2, its receiving corps further depleted by his absence. It’s fair to say Kelce is still one of the league’s better tight ends, if one in decline − especially relative to what he’s provided this team through the years.

Jones, 31, has had an even tougher season – with just three sacks and 24 pressures, ranking him 59th league-wide entering Week 12. Worse, PFF ranked him 111th of 124 qualified defensive linemen in terms of run defense coming into the weekend. Jones’ lack of gap discipline in the opening-night loss to the Chargers was notable on Bolts QB Justin Herbert’s game-icing run and drew the wrath of LB Drue Tranquill on the sideline. Jones had just one tackle against the Colts, though the Chiefs did limit Indianapolis RB Jonathan Taylor to 58 rushing yards and kept him out of the end zone.

6. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid

Are they about to become victims of the outsized expectations they’ve fostered? All those division titles? Five Super Bowl appearances and three Lombardi Trophies? Heck, since Mahomes became the starter in 2018, his second season, he’s never failed to lead this team to the AFC championship game. Maybe this team isn’t really that good and deserves to be hovering around .500 − doesn’t mean “we” don’t think they should win at all … even if much of America is rejoicing that its Chiefs fatigue may be taking a break, if not ending. But don’t bury K.C. just yet, especially after Mahomes engineered a pair of field goal drives with his final two possessions Sunday − one bringing the Chiefs level with the Colts at the end of regulation, the second vanquishing the AFC South leaders in OT.

Taylor Swift

Would that we could blame “Wood.” But nah, not her fault. Sorry, haters (and we’re not!).

INGLEWOOD, California — The Los Angeles Rams extended their winning streak underneath the bright lights of ‘Sunday Night Football.’

The Rams earned their sixth straight victory after they trounced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 34-7, on Sunday night. LA got off to a fast 14-0 lead after a cornerback Cobie Durant’s pick-six in the first quarter.

It didn’t end there. The prime-time contest was out of reach by halftime: Los Angeles extended its advantage to 31-7 in a dominant first half.

USA TODAY Sports was on site at SoFi Stadium for the Week 12 “Sunday Night Football” matchup. Here are the winners and losers from the prime-time battle.

Winner: Matthew Stafford (and his MVP case)

Stafford completed his first 12 passes against a helpless Bucs defense to begin the game.  

The veteran quarterback tossed three touchdown passes in what was a superb first half.

Stafford went 25-of-35 passing 273 yards and had three touchdown passes, resulting in a 122.7 passer rating.

Stafford joined Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers as the only players in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes and five-or-fewer interceptions in their team’s first 11 games of a season.

Stafford has an NFL-best 30 touchdown passes this season. He’s making a strong case for NFL MVP.

Winner: Daily Double Davante Adams

Adams caught two touchdowns to give him an NFL-high 12 touchdown receptions this season. The veteran wideout’s first touchdown came on a short fade route to punctuate the Rams’ opening touchdown drive.

His second TD was on a came on a 24-yard go route where he juked Bucs CB Zyon McCollum at the line of scrimmage.

Adams compiled five catches, 62 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Winner: Cobie, Kobie and Co.

Durant recorded his second interception in as many weeks. The Rams cornerback snatched the football away from Bucs tight end Cade Otton as he struggled to gain possession.

Durant followed it up by running 50 yards for the pick-six. The highlight-reel turnover gave the Rams a 14-0 first-quarter advantage.

The Rams defense held the Bucs to 109 total yards and seven points in the first half.

Edge rusher Jared Verse produced four tackles and two sacks. Defensive lineman Kobie Turner tallied six tackles and two sacks.  

Winner: Snapping an LA playoff picture

The Rams have now won six-straight games, the longest active winning streak in the NFC.

Sunday’s night’s victory moved the Rams to the top seed in the NFC after Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 12 loss.

The Rams joined the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos as the only teams in the league with just two losses entering Week 13.

Winner: Aaron Donald (and bobblehead collectors)

The Rams dubbed Sunday night’s contest the “Aaron Donald Celebration” game. The franchise honored Donald, one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, at halftime.

The first 60,000 fans in attendance received a Donald “GOAT Bobblehead.’

Winner: The … Carolina Panthers?

The upstart Panthers (6-5) have a chance to end Week 12 in first place of the NFC South with a win Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers.

Loser: The first-half Buccaneers

The Bucs performed as if they were still in Tampa Bay in the first half. They trailed 21-0 before fans were able to get comfortable in their seats at SoFi Stadium. The game was pretty much over at the at the halftime break.

The Bucs were outgained 109 to 224 in total yards and had two giveaways in the first half.

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield injured his left shoulder in the first half and didn’t return to the game after halftime.

Loser: The Buccaneers’ offensive offense

The Bucs tight end bobbled what should’ve been a routine catch in the first quarter. To make matters worse, Rams CB Cobie Durant took the loose football from Otton and ran 50 yards down the field for a pick-six.

Tampa Bay’s offense had a difficult time sustaining drives. The Bucs offense only had one drive of over 60 yards.

The Bucs had 193 total yards in the loss.

Loser: Tampa Bay’s leaky-ship defense

The Bucs defense had no answers for the Rams offense, especially in the first half. The Rams offense had three touchdown drives in the first half, and another possession that ended in a field goal.

Tampa Bay’s defense gave up four scoring drives and 224 total yards in the first half. Every drive for the Rams ended in points in the first two quarters.

The Bucs defense gave up 333 total yards.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The new look Phoenix Mercury have a new logo to match. 

The Mercury unveiled a new set of logos on Monday that not only pay homage to its rich history and traditions, but sets the stage for its future ahead of team’s 30th anniversary next season. The rebrand ‘is not a wholesale reinvention, but an evolution,’ Mercury president Vince Kozar told USA TODAY Sports on Friday.

The Mercury has undergone a lot of change in the past years. Phoenix came under new ownership in 2023 when Mat Ishbia purchased the Mercury, along with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. The franchise’s cornerstone of Diana Taurasi (retirement) and Brittney Griner (trade) departed in 2025 and the new Big 3 of Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally led the Mercury back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2021.

Although Kozar said the Mercury’s rebrand has been in the process for the past two years, the timing of the new logo’s arrival couldn’t be more perfect. It marks the start of an official new era of Mercury basketball.

‘I think all of those things right there are sort of seminal moments of a new era,’ said Kozar, who has seen the different iterations of the three-time champion Mercury first hand after starting as a intern in 2004. ‘All of those things combined made it feel like the right time to sort of pivot this into the future.’

Phoenix’s new primary logo features the iconic Mercury ‘M’ positioned at a 19.97 degree angle, a nod to the Mercury’s inaugural 1997 season as one of the original eight franchises in the WNBA.

‘We take a ton of pride in being one of the original franchises, not only because we were a team that helped found this league, but it takes a lot to get to season 30,’ Kozar said. ‘To be in the same city with the same name in the same arena for 30 years, that’s not something that any other WNBA team can claim. It was important to us to honor being one of the original eight. It was important to us to honor 1997, and it was important to us to keep the ‘M,’ but modernize it in a way that feels like the next 30 years, not the last 30 years.’

The purple crescent echoes the ‘shadowed side of planet Mercury’ and the pointed edge of the ‘M’ is a nod to the original geometric rings and serves as an arrow pointing to the franchise’s future. The future appears to be the Big 3 of Thomas, Copper and Satou, who are all set to become free agents this offseason. Signing the trio will be a priority for the Mercury after the ‘on-court success those three found together,’ but Kozar said he ultimately leaves those difficult decisions to the Mercury’s general manager Nick U’Ren.

‘Our fans had only two returning players on their favorite team this year. And by the end of the year, I saw people wearing (Thomas) jerseys, our top sellers. I saw people wearing unicorn headbands for Satou. I saw the ‘Kahleah Freaking Copper’ t-shirts all over the arena. Our fans have really fallen in love with the team,’ Kozar said. ‘So I’m just really excited for the team that they’ve built and the players who were coming back to hopefully make another run to the Final.’

The Mercury’s rebrand keeps its devoted fanbase, known as the X-Factor, at its core. Phoenix upgraded the ‘Merc’ nickname dubbed by the fans into the team’s first-ever secondary logo. The Mercury also revamped its Phoenix alternate logo to feature a highlighted ‘X’ to celebrate the X-factor, ‘which doesn’t exist with any other team in any other sport,’ Kozar said.

‘That’s their affectionate nickname for our team. And that was never previously a mark within our identity, and we added that specifically for (the fans),’ Kozar explained. ‘There’s a ton of pride there because it represents the fan base that has been here from day one. It represents fans and owners who got us through candidly, some really lean times, both on the basketball court and on the business side.’

Merc Merch Swap

In celebration of the team’s new era, the Mercury are holding a Merc Merch Swap at the Team Shop at Mortgage Matchup Arena that allows fans to exchange one piece of apparel for new Mercury merchandise through Dec. 5. Fans can exchange any Mercury or WNBA gear, in addition to merch from any WNBA team, and will also receive a 20% off coupon for future use. (All exchanged gear will be donated to the Goodwill.)

Diehard fans also have an opportunity to imprint their allegiance forever. Phoenix is teaming up with Lady Luck Tattoo to offer complimentary logo tattoos to the first 100 fans. Fans can sign up at phxmerc.com/freetattoo.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

AI-assisted summary
• Both Shedeur Sanders and Tom Brady became starters after the previous quarterback was injured.
• Sanders fell to the fifth round of the NFL draft, while Brady was a sixth-round pick.
• Brady sent Sanders a supportive text message after his disappointing draft experience.

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders knows Tom Brady, learned from Tom Brady and now wants to launch his NFL career like Tom Brady did 25 years ago.

Sanders’ father Deion also held Brady up as a model for his son after Shedeur fell to the fifth round in the NFL draft in April.

That’s because Brady, the legendary NFL quarterback, was a sixth-round pick out of Michigan in 2000 before going on to win seven Super Bowls.

Brady even sent Shedeur a text message after his disappointing draft experience and told him to “use it as motivation.”

Here’s how their NFL career starts compare after the former Colorado quarterback made his starting debut Sunday in Las Vegas:

How they got their first NFL starts

Brady got his first NFL start for New England on Sept. 30, 2001 after the previous starter, Drew Bledsoe, was knocked out of action in the previous game on a vicious hit by a defender.

Shedeur Sanders got his first NFL start Sunday, Nov. 23, after the previous starter, Dillon Gabriel, was knocked of the previous game with a concussion.

How they did in their first NFL starts

Brady led the Patriots to a 44-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Shedeur Sanders led the Browns to a 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that Brady partly owns.

How they did statistically in their first NFL starts

Brady completed 13 of 23 passes for 168 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. His passer rating was 79.6.

Shedeur Sanders completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown with one interception. His passer rating was 87.3.

How good were their teams?

The Patriots were 0-2 when Brady took over as start. The Patriots finished that year with an 11-5 record.

The Browns were 2-8 when Sanders took over Sunday in Las Vegas, which Brady did not attend because he was broadcasting a Dallas Cowboys game for FOX Sports. The Browns next play against San Francisco on Nov. 30.

OK, but what about cars?

They both like Rolls-Royce Cullinans. Brady has been seen in one. Shedeur had wanted one, too, leading his father to ask Tom Brady in 2023 if a college kid needed such a car.

“I think he needs to get his (butt) in the film room and spend as much time in there as possible,” Brady said on his podcast then.

“Thank you, Tom,” Deion Sanders said.

“Less time in the car and more time in the film room,” Brady said.

“I seen you had one too, Tom,” Shedeur Sanders replied.

Super Bowl trophies are another matter. One game down for Shedeur. Only seven Super Bowls to go.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

AI-assisted summary
• Quarterback Matthew Stafford is making a strong case for league MVP, throwing for 273 yards and three touchdowns in the game.
• Stafford now has 30 touchdown passes and only two interceptions on the season.
• The Rams have the longest active winning streak in the NFC with six straight victories.

INGLEWOOD, California — A national primetime game was the perfect setting for the Los Angeles Rams (9-2) to make two statements.

The Rams are playing like the best team in the NFL. While quarterback Matthew Stafford is making the case to be league MVP. The Rams showcased both during a 34-7 demolition of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night.

Stafford completed his first 12 passes as the Rams built a comfortable 21-0 lead in the first half. The Rams had an insurmountable 31-7 lead at halftime.

Stafford tossed three touchdowns in the first half, including two to wide receiver Davante Adams. The quarterback passed for 273 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

Stafford joined Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers as the only players in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes and five-or-fewer interceptions in their team’s first 11 games of a season. He’s thrown 27 straight touchdowns without an interception, tying Brady (2010-2011 seasons) for the most consecutive passing touchdowns without an interception all-time.

“Hall of Famer, MVP of the NFL this season,” Rams running back Kyren Williams told USA TODAY Sports of Stafford. “The best quarterback in the world. There’s not really any other way to describe him, besides the best.”

Stafford’s leading one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses. He tops the NFL with 30 touchdown passes and only has two interceptions.

“I think it feels like the game is slowing down,’ Rams coach Sean McVay said. ‘I feel like he’s in total command. I think he’s got a lot of trust in the teammates that he’s playing with. There’s a true ownership. I think he’s just totally and completely present, and he’s really just enjoying the opportunity to compete week in and week out.”

Stafford has registered a 117 passer rating or better in four of the past five contests.

“He’s a fine wine. He’s getting better with age,” McVay added. “He’s playing really well. He’s in total command.”

Stafford’s performance this year has made an offseason filled with uncertainty seem like a distance memory.

Remember when the Rams granted Stafford’s agent permission to speak to other teams about a trade? Or the aggravated disk in his back that caused him to miss most of training camp?

Stafford does.

It’s made him appreciate the game even more.

“It’s a whole lot of fun. My situation during training camp, with the injury that I was going through, and not being able to really do much of anything for about 4 to 6 weeks, whatever it was. Sometimes being without something, lets you know how much you really love doing it. And I love playing this game. I appreciate it,” Stafford said. “When you’re without something like that, and then you get the chance to go back and do it. It sure is a whole lot of fun. And obviously it’s a lot of fun winning ball games.”

Most importantly, though, the Rams have now won six straight games, the longest active winning streak in the NFC.

The winning streak should put the rest of the league on notice.

The Rams defense is rounding into form. The unit forced four turnovers versus the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11 and held the Bucs to just one touchdown in Week 12.

On offense, Stafford is in the midst of an MVP campaign, Puka Nacua is a matchup nightmare for opposing secondaries and Davante Adams has a league-leading 12 touchdown catches.

“I’m having the most fun playing that I’ve ever had,” Adams said. “It’s just one of those teams where we just have a lot of fun together. … Sean’s always talking about being totally, and completely present, and that’s really where we are. I mean, it’s not really nobody’s thinking about the third quarter. Nobody’s thinking about the end of the game. It’s more about just enjoying where our feet are and going out and playing the biggest team sport that there is. Together and coming out, obviously, on top of a lot of these games, that helps the feeling of a lot as well.”

The Rams deserve to be feeling good. The surging Rams are atop the NFC. The No. 1 seed is a suitable spot for them at this juncture in the regular season, because they are playing like the best team in the NFL right now, and Stafford is performing like an MVP.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

AI-assisted summary
• The Indianapolis Colts lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-20 in overtime after blowing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead.
• Indianapolis’ offense struggled late, with four consecutive three-and-outs in the fourth quarter and overtime.
• The Colts’ defense allowed the Chiefs to have their first 100-yard receiver and rusher of the season.
• Head coach Shane Steichen took responsibility for the team’s late-game offensive inefficiencies.

The Indianapolis Colts had the Kansas City Chiefs on the ropes. 

Instead of delivering a potentially fatal blow to the Chiefs’ season – not to mention securing a boost in their own record and reputation – the Colts blew an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead to Patrick Mahomes and Co. and lost, 23-20, in overtime. 

The Colts’ defense may not have been able to stop Mahomes from feeding Rashee Rice (eight catches, 141 yards, one touchdown) or handing the ball off to Kareem Hunt (30 rushes, 104 yards, touchdown). The offense didn’t help. The unit had four straight three-and-outs in the fourth quarter and overtime.

“Anytime you have three-and-outs and you’re not moving the ball efficiently, it’s gonna be hard for anyone to win football games” head coach Shane Steichen said. “And we got to be better. I got to be better.”

In the second half, the Colts managed five first downs and were 2-of-7 on third down. They had the ball for all of five minutes and 21 seconds in the fourth quarter – which they began leading 20-9 – and overtime. 

One issue was not jumpstarting the run game led by running back Jonathan Taylor, an MVP contender. Steichen, Indianapolis’ offensive playcaller, didn’t completely abandon the run down the stretch. But five of his last seven runs of the game went for two yards or less, including a third-and-1 in overtime. Taylor averaged 6.0 yards per carry entering this game, but 11 of his 16 attempts went for 2 yards or less. 

The Colts punted after watching Taylor run into a wall one last time. Mahomes went on a six-minute victory march that ended with Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal. 

Rather than leaning on Taylor and the run game, Steichen put his faith in his quarterback. Daniel Jones was 8-for-18 for 83 yards in the second half.

“Tough to have a stretch like that toward the end of the game,” Jones told reporters. 

Of course, the defense is not without blame. The Chiefs had not yet had a 100-yard receiver or rusher this season. They achieved both (Rice and Hunt, respectively) for the first time against the Lou Anarumo-led unit.

“Obviously very frustrating, not up to our standards today,’ Steichen said of the overall effort. ‘We got to be better and that starts with myself.” 

Jones didn’t have much of an explanation for the dropoff from the first half, in which he went 10-for-12 and completed a 48-yard pass to Ashton Dulin. He said nothing from the Chiefs “markedly different” of any second-half adjustments and said they were prepared for it. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo still found ways to send pressure at Jones, as the Chiefs finished with a 40.6% pressure rate and five unblocked pressures, according to ESPN. 

“Sometimes it happens quicker than what you’d expect,” Jones said. “So, gotta be accurate, gotta find a way to make the play work. I gotta do a better job of that.” 

Twenty-seven of Taylor’s 33 yards after halftime came on one play. During the 12 plays of the four consecutive three-and-outs, the Colts gained 18 yards. Taylor had three carries for a total one yard.

There was some consideration going for the fourth downs the Colts faced, Steichen said. He ultimately didn’t want to risk giving the Chiefs good field position. It ended up not mattering. 

Steichen said the offense wasn’t good enough on first-and-10 after having some success in the first half. When it came to bottling up Taylor, he pointed to the Chiefs’ unblocked linebackers making plays.

“There’s a lot of stuff that I wanted to get called that I felt good about in the pass game,” Steichen said. “And we just weren’t efficient doing it. And it starts with me.” 

The Colts (8-3) now lead the Jacksonville Jaguars by one game in the AFC South and missed out on a chance to maintain pace with the AFC-leading New England Patriots (10-2), while the 9-2 Denver Broncos were on a bye. That extra loss will loom large in securing seeding, should the Colts advance to the dance. And there’s plenty of blame to go around for that. 

The Las Vegas Raiders acted swiftly in response to their latest offensive letdown.

The team fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly on Sunday, Nov. 23, just hours after a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns in which the offense surrendered 10 sacks.

‘I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders,’ Raiders coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. ‘I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future.’

Kelly, the former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, became the NFL’s highest-paid offensive coordinator at $6 million per year, according to multiple reports, when he was hired by Carroll in February.

But the Raiders offense has floundered with him at the helm, with the unit averaging just 3.6 yards per play on Sunday in a defeat that dropped the team to 2-9 on the season. Geno Smith was pressured on a season-high 23 dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats. Cleveland’s previous single-game best was 15 pressures. Nine different players registered multiple pressures.

‘(I)f you don’t score, you can’t win,’ Carroll aid in a postgame news conference. ‘And we couldn’t score.’

Added Carroll: ‘We had opportunities to make big plays and we didn’t hit them. The QB was under duress the entire time. Our ability to match up with their pass rush didn’t work out well.’

On the season, the Raiders are tied for last in the NFL in points per game (15.0) while ranking 30th in total yards per game (268.9) and 31st in rushing per game (79.5 yards). Smith has taken the second-most sacks of any quarterback (41) and is tied for the league lead in interceptions (13).

Kelly is the second Raiders coordinator to be fired this month, as the team parted ways with special teams coordinator Tom McMahon following a loss to the Denver Broncos.

What a scrapbook memory for Shedeur Sanders. Coach Prime came to witness his son’s first NFL start. A suspect Raiders defense played along. Myles Garrett was there on his side. And how.

Lights. Camera. Action.

When it was over, after the NFL’s highest-profiled rookie – fifth-round draft status or not – came out as a winner with the Cleveland Browns he flashed his million-watt smile and essentially said he told you so.

“Hopefully, we cleared a little stuff up,” Sanders said after the 24-10 victory in Las Vegas on Sunday. “But we have a long way to go, a long way to grow. I know it’s only one way. And the only way is up.”

That bit of instant self-analysis was appropriate enough, given the saga. Sanders, the projected first-round pick who plummeted to the fifth round, finally got a chance to crack the lineup, given the concussion that sidelined fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. And for a quarterback who finally got some quality practice reps with the starters, due to the looming assignment, he made a pretty good statement about his potential.

The numbers don’t leap off your fantasy scoresheet. Sanders barely completed half his passes (11 of 20, for 209 yards, with a TD, an INT and an 87.3 efficiency rating). The Browns tallied just 11 first downs under his command, which is what happens when you’re 3-for-12 on third downs. And while his first NFL touchdown throw went for 66 yards, rookie running back Dylan Sampson did the heavy lifting, weaving and darting his way to paydirt after taking a swing pass in the flat.

Yet Sanders was ready for his big moment nonetheless, and he’ll step right up as the buzz will surely intensify over the decision facing Browns coach Kevin Stefanski about which rookie quarterback starts when both are healthy.

After preseason ‘competition,’ Shedeur Sanders finally gets his chance at QB1

Sanders, the 42nd quarterback to start for the Browns since the franchise rebooted in 1999, became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win in his debut start since Eric Zeier in 1995. And he produced the two longest plays of the season for the Browns (3-8).

He didn’t get a real crack when the competition was supposedly open during the summer. Perhaps he will get a shot now, considering the production he displayed with a week of dedicated preparation and the jolt of energy he brings as part of his package.

Not only did Sanders not wet his pants inside the giant Roomba-looking venue near The Strip, (ala Allegiant Stadium) he demonstrated what could make him special – as it did when he played for his father, Deion Sanders, at Colorado – as a playmaker. On a third-and-eight late in the first quarter, Sanders rolled away from a free blitzer coming up the middle and connected with Isaiah Bond on a 52-yard dime that set up the Quinshon Judkins 2-yard TD run that, with the conversion, made it 14-0.

As Stefanski put it, “I think you saw a lot of what Shedeur does well on the field today, to make that play off-schedule when we were outmanned in protection, to get the ball down the field.”

Myles Garrett’s brilliance finally rewarded in Browns win

It helped immensely that Sanders had the backing of one of the NFL’s best defenses, led by the incomparable Garrett, who again showed why there’s no debate that he’s hurtling toward another NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

Poor Geno Smith.

The Browns sacked Smith 10 times and Garrett collected three of the sacks to go with his two forced fumbles, six quarterback hits and four tackles for loss. Garrett broke his own single-season franchise record for sacks, leaving with 18, which leaves him five sacks shy of the all-time NFL record – with six games to play.

Still, the “best supporting” role for Sanders was significant enough. Think about the quarterback-needy teams that passed on Sanders, including the Raiders, who drafted running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth pick overall. Las Vegas drafted wide receiver Jack Bech in the second round (58th overall), cornerback Darrien Porter (68th) early in the third round, plus four other prospects before Sanders was picked 144th overall.

Interestingly, former Raiders coach Antonio Pierce told CBS that had he still been in his previous position that he would have ensured that the team drafted Sanders – and he insisted that Raiders owner Mark Davis agreed with that position. Pierce, though, was replaced by Pete Carroll, aligned with new GM John Spytek, while Tom Brady consults.

Maybe Sanders just delivered some payback to the Raiders to start his revenge tour.

“I was a fifth-round pick,” he said. “I got skipped by everybody. At least five times.”

Hey, the revenge tour could take years.

To his credit, Sanders didn’t play into that theme on Sunday.

“It just comes with the game,” he said. “It is what it is. But I’m just thankful for where I am now. Everybody has their differences, but I still got an opportunity to play … The money’s different, but thankfully, I have a good family.”

From distraction to proud papa. Deion Sanders cheers on son’s first win

Ah, the family. The video clip of Deion greeting Shedeur in the tunnel before the game went viral. In the days leading up to Sunday, Coach Prime didn’t commit to making the trip from Colorado – where his Buffaloes fell to 3-8 with a home loss against Arizona State on Saturday night – but obviously was compelled to capture the moment.

After all, Shedeur made it back to Boulder during the Browns’ bye week. And it’s not every day that one of his sons makes his first NFL start.

No, Deion was anything but a distraction. During the game, the TV cameras caught him in a suite looking like any other proud father cheering on his son’s biggest plays.

Still, the father-son connection, as beneficial as it is on many levels, was one of the residuals from the draft plummet for Shedeur as some decision-makers expressed uneasiness with the dynamic.

Time will tell whether that was a huge mistake in judgment by some NFL teams. To this point, though, it was part of the equation that resulted in Sanders falling way deeper in the draft than many in the NFL universe imagined and winding up as the “second” rookie quarterback on his team, buried deeper on the depth chart than he’s ever been.

“That’s how life is,” Sanders said. “Everybody’s not in the best situation, but it’s no excuse. You’ve got to go out and perform. It’s no choice. Nobody cares if this was one week of prep. Who cares?

“So, a lot of people want to see me fail. It ain’t going to happen.”

Haters or not, it merely must be proven over and over again.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell

Every week for the duration of the 2025 regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the NFL’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 12 nearly complete:

AFC playoff picture

1. New England Patriots (10-2), AFC East leaders: Sunday’s narrow defeat of the Bengals gave the Pats the league’s best record, moving them past Denver and into the conference’s top spot. Good chance they hold onto it when they hit their off week. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

2. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Being idle Sunday cost them first place in the conference, but you can bet the break was welcome − especially for a team that will need to be close to fully charged for a brutal four-game stretch at the end of its regular season. Remaining schedule: at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

3. Indianapolis Colts (8-3), AFC South leaders: They’ve dropped two of three to fall off the conference pace … and are now only one game ahead of Jacksonville and two better than Houston in the division. The next two weeks could be crucial. Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

4. Baltimore Ravens (6-5), AFC North leaders: They sleepwalked past the Jets on Sunday … but past Pittsburgh and into first place by virtue of a better record in divisional games − and the Ravens will play in three more over the next three weeks. Remaining schedule: vs. Bengals, vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 1: They needed the week off … and Buffalo’s loss allowed the battered Bolts to gain ground. Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4), wild card No. 2: Wins over the Chiefs and Chargers could serve them well when it’s time to sort out tiebreakers. Winning at Arizona? Not so much. But despite beating the Bolts, the Jags check in behind them because LA’s 6-2 record in AFC games gives it precedence in the current three-way wild-card tiebreaker. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

7. Buffalo Bills (7-4), wild card No. 3: QB Josh Allen took a beating − as did the Bills’ hopes of catching the Patriots in the AFC East race. Now 4-3 in conference games, Buffalo fell behind the Chargers and Jags in the wild-card seeding, too. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), in the hunt: Sunday’s loss at Chicago dropped them from first place in the AFC North all the way out of the field. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

9. Houston Texans (6-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four of five, including three in a row without injured QB C.J. Stroud. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans likely need to sweep the Colts while continuing their surge … but the pieces are falling into place for a late charge to the top. Remaining schedule: at Colts, at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-5), in the hunt: Their nine-year run atop the AFC West appears practically over. Still plenty of time to recover otherwise − and maybe that began Sunday vs. Indy − for a team that’s never missed the AFC championship game since Patrick Mahomes became the QB1 in 2018. Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

NFC playoff picture

1. Los Angeles Rams (9-2), NFC West leaders: While Philly owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, it doesn’t matter now that the Rams have the better record in the aftermath of the Eagles’ demise Sunday. Still, LA has scant breathing room between itself and the Seahawks plus 49ers in the division. Remaining schedule: at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3), NFC East leaders: Sunday’s collapse likely won’t cost them the division. But it did drop them behind the Rams and served as another worrisome potential harbinger for the defending champs. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

3. Chicago Bears (8-3), NFC North leaders: They’ve won eight of nine since an 0-2 start to stunningly take over first place in the division. An inferior record (5-2) in NFC games keeps Chicago behind the Eagles. Remaining schedule: at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5), NFC South leaders: Their divisional lead over Carolina is gone, but the Bucs’ 2-1 record in NFC South games is a half-game better than the Panthers’. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3), wild card No. 1: All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that won’t serve them well in the tiebreaker department. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers (7-3-1), wild card No. 2: Sunday’s win over Minnesota was their most convincing in weeks. But there’s little time to celebrate with a Thanksgiving date at Detroit next. Remaining schedule: at Lions, vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (7-4), wild card No. 3: Maybe the Niners can start building some momentum with QB1 Brock Purdy back in the lineup. Monday night’s game against Carolina comes with high stakes. Remaining schedule: vs. Panthers, at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (7-4), in the hunt: They’re even with the Niners record-wise, though an inferior record in NFC games (4-3) keeps them on the outside for now. Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Carolina Panthers (6-5), in the hunt: In addition to breathing down the backs of the Bucs, they’re only a game back of the Niners for the final NFC wild-card spot. Winners of six of nine, the Panthers only have one win against a team (Green Bay) currently above .500. Get another Monday night in Silicon Valley, and they’ll move atop the NFC South. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Rams, BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

10. Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1), in the hunt: Two wins in a row continues to fuel hope in Big D. Remaining schedule: vs. Chiefs, at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

The New York Giants have fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, according to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The news comes one day after New York blew another double-digit lead in a Week 12 loss to the Detroit Lions on the road. Outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen has been tabbed as the Giants’ interim defensive coordinator, Stapleton has reported.

Leading 27-17 with 11 minutes to play on Sunday, Nov. 23, the Giants let their lead slip by giving up a 49-yard rushing touchdown to Jahmyr Gibbs, then a game-tying, 59-yard field goal with 30 seconds left.

Bowen’s defense has been maligned this season for its inability to maintain leads down the stretch. Through 12 weeks, New York has won just two of the seven games in which the team has taken a double-digit lead.

Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka told reporters after the team’s Week 11 loss to the Green Bay Packers that he did not foresee making any changes to the coaching staff.

‘We’re going to evaluate all the players. We’re going to evaluate all the coaches, the calls, be hypercritical of that, and then find out those areas where we can be better and knock those things out,’ he said.

Another blown lead late in Week 12 was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Bowen’s time in New York.