CC to Monument Park

Recently, the New York Yankees announced that Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia will have his number retired by the organization. Along with the number 52 being retired, Sabathia will also receive a plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. 

Sabathia spent a majority of his MLB career in New York after spending 11 seasons with the Yankees. Prior to this stint, Sabathia pitched for the Brewers for a year, and started his career in Cleveland for eight memorable seasons. 

This will be the third and final team that Sabathia will make the Hall of Fame for after being inducted into Cleveland and Milwaukee's hall of fames previously. CC accomplished a lot in his long career in the big leagues to say the least. 

CC Sabathia was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2025 as a first ballot selection after receiving almost 87% of the votes. Sabathia is one of just 20 pitchers to ever achieve 3,000 strikeouts during their careers, making his case for the Hall of Fame pretty easy. 

Sabathia racked up 251 career wins and lead the majors in total wins during two of his seasons in New York. Along with making the All Star Game six times, Sabathia was also a Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland back in 2007. 

On September 26th, CC Sabathia will become the 24th Yankee to have his number retired by the illustrious organization. It should be a memorable day for one of the best pitchers to ever wear the pinstripes. 

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW: Patriots vs Seahawks

 

It is finally here, the grand finale is almost set to get underway as the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks head to Santa Clara to fight for Super Bowl LX. The two teams will meet for the second time in Super Bowl history, a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, over 11 years ago. 

Both of these star-studded teams are lead by their brilliant quarterback and head coaching duos. For New England, it is Drake Maye, in his first season as the full time starting quarterback, and first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. 

For Seattle, quarterback Sam Darnold will look to end his first season with the Seahawks on a high note, alongside second-year head coach Mike Macdonald. Seattle is coming off of a thrilling victory in the NFC Championship after taking down the Los Angeles Rams by a final score of 31-27. 

The Patriots got here after defeating the Denver Broncos in an absolute bloodbath of an AFC Championship, winning by a final score of 10-7. New England has been critiqued all season for having a subpar schedule along with an injury riddled playoff path, but when it's all said and done they are in fact competing for a Super Bowl. 

Seattle, on the other hand, has almost everyone's ultimate respect. From having the high scoring defense throughout the league in addition to a reincarnated Sam Darnold, the Seahawks have been absolutely steamrolling their competition since early September. 

After it seemed like New England's dynasty was thwarted and up-ended a number of years back, somehow the start of a new one has taken its place. In such a short amount of time, Drake Maye has asserted himself with the best of the best in the current NFL. 

This game should be an instant classic. In fact, if it is anything close to the last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl, this game is going to be thrilling. 

My endorsement sides with Seattle and the Seahawks as I would love to see Sam Darnold lift a Lombardi Trophy after everything he has been through the past 7 years. Seattle is the favorite in this one, but I expect the game to be very close, but in the end Seattle will lift their second Super Bowl. 

The Reincarnation of Sam Darnold

 

It has been a rollercoaster of a career so far for Sam Darnold, but in his 8th year in the NFL, he will be competing on the biggest stage for the first time in his career. Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks are headed to the Super Bowl.

Darnold was the 3rd overall pick to the New York Jets back in 2018. After three miserable years in the Big Apple, it was time for a fresh start somewhere else. Darnold packed his bags for Carolina, but that experiment only lasted 2 seasons.

The career changing move for Sam Darnold was signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. Despite Darnold backing up Brock Purdy, it was his first time where he could learn from the sidelines instead of being rushed in too quickly like he was in New York and Carolina.

Darnold learned from the best with Kyle Shanahan as his head coach and Brock Purdy starting for the Niners in their run to the Super Bowl that season. After falling short in the Super Bowl, Darnold's brief stint in San Francisco came to an end, but the start of his career had just begun. 

The Minnesota Vikings signed Darnold to a 1-year deal, thinking that he would backup their newly drafted quarterback JJ McCarthy. Instead, McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury before the season even began, and Darnold was ruled the Week 1 starter and never looked back. 

Darnold lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record, putting up his best career numbers after throwing for 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns. Yet for some reason the Vikings decided it would be in their best interest to not renew Darnold's contract and let him walk. 

Seattle ended up signing Darnold in the 2025 offseason to a three year, $100.5 million deal. Darnold put up yet another career year with over 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. Like in Minnesota, Darnold led Seattle to a 14-3 record, but this time around it came with a first-round bye and home field advantage. 

On the other hand, Minnesota finished their season with a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs as well. 5 less wins and no playoff berth, I think Minnesota wishes they rethought their decisions. 

Fast forward to this past weekend, Sam Darnold played possibly his best game of his career in the biggest game of his career as he propelled the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl berth in over a decade. 

Sam Darnold's career turnaround is one of the most remarkable NFL stories in some time. To go from absolutely rock bottom in New York and Carolina, to earning an $100 million contract and winning an NFC Conference Championship. But if you ask him, he's right where he's meant to be. 

NFL Playoff Preview: Rams vs Seahawks

 

The NFC Championship comes down to two NFC West divisional opponents as the Los Angeles Rams head north to face off with the no. 1 seeded Seattle Seahawks. 

These two teams met twice in the regular season and split both matchups in dramatic fashion. The Rams victory over Seattle in November was a narrow 2 point victory, and Seattle's win in December was a 1 point win off of a game-winning two-point conversion. 

In both matchups, LA lead by a sizable margin and allowed Seattle to creep their way back into each game. The first game LA was able to hold on, but the second game was the opposite story. 

Seattle comes into this matchup after a total beatdown of the San Francisco 49ers. The game was decided 13 seconds in as San Francisco was unable to respond back to the Seahawks opening kick return touchdown. Seattle ended up winning by a whopping 35 points, the largest victory out of any team this postseason. 

On the other hand, the Rams divisional matchup was slightly closer. Los Angeles was able to narrowly pull out a gritty win over the Chicago Bears in overtime. That being said, Los Angeles didn't play anywhere near their best brand of football. Going up against Seattle, they must come ready to play early and often. 

It will be fascinating to see this Rams offense against this Seattle defense. LA comes into this matchup with one of the highest scoring offenses in the NFL, while Seattle comes in with the highest scoring defense in the NFL. One of these groups will have to give. 

This matchup will feature arguably the two best wide receivers in the sport in Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Nacua played a huge role in the Rams dramatic victory over Chicago, while JSN didn't have to do much during Seattle's domination. 

A lot of people have been saying that the winner of this game will be the heavy favorite in the Super Bowl. Both of these teams have beyond what it takes to represent the NFC in the biggest game of the season, but who will prevail on Sunday?

NFL Playoff Preview: Patriots vs Broncos

It really is 2016 all over again, as for the first time in a decade, the Patriots and Broncos will meet in the AFC Championship with the opportunity to go to Santa Clara to play for the Super Bowl. 

The main headline in this matchup is the Broncos quarterback situation. Late in their divisional round matchup against Buffalo, Bo Nix fractured his ankle and was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. One of the most brutal blows that a team has ever suffered this late into the season.

With Nix sidelined, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will take over the reins for Denver. Stidham has not started an NFL game since 2023, making this even more unprecedented. The 29-year-old entered the league in 2019 when he was coincidentally drafted by the team who he will face on Sunday. 

Despite losing Nix, I believe that Denver still has a good fighting chance at coming out of this game with the victory. This game being in the Mile High City is very significant, and additionally Denver's defense is no joke and is going to give Drake Maye nightmares.

Coming off of a sloppy victory over the Houston Texans, the Patriots are coming into this game very confident. Their offense shut down all of the rumors that the Texans defense was too much for New England to handle and their defense balled out as well.

However, New England did rack up a couple of injuries in their win this past weekend. Significant names such as Treyveon Henderson, Hunter Henry, Harold Landry, and others all landed on this week's injury report. Being the AFC Championship, I expect these guys are going to do whatever it takes to play, but none of them are going to be 100 percent healthy. 

Last time it was Manning vs Brady. This time it's Stidham vs Maye. Despite the injuries, this game is going to be one for the ages. The top two teams in the AFC will compete for the right to go to the Super Bowl this Sunday in Denver. 

 

NFL Playoff Preview: Texans vs Patriots

 

After both teams prevented their opponents from scoring a singular touchdown in the Wild Card Round, the Houston Texans will travel north to Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round. 

Houston comes into this matchup after a dominant showing in Pittsburgh last Monday. They sent the Steelers into the offseason, and possibly Aaron Rodgers into retirement, after a 30-6 beatdown. Like most of the season, it was the defense that did the talking after putting together not one but two defensive touchdowns. 

In addition to the two defensive scores, the Texans recorded 4 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and an interception. New England is going to face a tall and treacherous task going up against this unbelievably well put together defense by DeMeco Ryans. 

However, on the other side of the ball, Houston did struggle to put up efficient numbers. Quarterback CJ Stroud fumbled the football 5 different times, while fortunately only losing the ball on two of those occasions. Stroud and the Texans are going to have to do a better job at holding onto the football in yet another hostile environment. 

The Texans will also be without their star wide receiver Nico Collins. Collins suffered a brutal concussion during their win against Pittsburgh and has yet to clear concussion protocol. After putting up monster numbers last game, Christian Kirk will once again be a heavily relied upon target for CJ Stroud. 

New England is also coming off of a no sweat victory. In their 16-3 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Patriots racked up 5 sacks and an enormous amount of pressures on opposing quarterback Justin Herbert. 

If it wasn't for an early Drake Maye interception, the Patriots would have possibly shutout LA. Like Houston, while New England's defense thrived, the offense was stuck in the mud. For success against this brutal Texans defense, the Patriots will need to establish the run game early and often. 

The Patriots come into this matchup with a mostly clean bill of health as they look to get to their first AFC Championship since 2019. Along with Bears head coach Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel is the only other remaining first year head coach alive in the playoff picture. 

Houston is looking to make history with the possibility of making their first ever AFC Championship appearance as a franchise with a win over New England. It should be a fun one in Foxboro as the Texans and the Patriots meet in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. 

NFL Playoff Preview: Bills vs Broncos

A rematch of last year's AFC Wild Card matchup, except this time the roles are reversed as the Bills will head to Denver to take on the no. 1 seeded Broncos. Denver locked down home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2015 when they took home the Lombardi Trophy. 

Just a season ago, the Bills welcomed rookie Bo Nix and the Broncos into the playoffs with a dominant 31-7 win at home. Since that matchup, the Broncos have only gotten better. Nix has asserted himself as one of the league's top quarterbacks and the defense has not and will never let the foot off of the pedal.

After defeating Jacksonville in dramatic fashion last weekend, the no. 6 seed Bills will have to face one of the toughest home field advantages throughout the NFL. Not only will the fans and altitude make a huge difference, but the Bills will be going up against the NFL's best defense to offer.

If Buffalo can get out of Denver alive, there is no reason why they shouldn't be in Santa Clara in early February competing for their first Super Bowl. This is the first year where Josh Allen doesn't have to worry about facing Patrick Mahomes, who he has yet to beat in the playoffs.

There has been a ton of criticism surrounding Denver this season despite their league-best 14-3 record. 11 of those 14 wins came by just one score or fewer. In addition, 10 of those 14 wins came against non-playoff teams. So are the Broncos really that good, or have they not faced any legitimate competition yet?

The defensive numbers speak for themselves as Denver has let up the least amount of touchdowns out of any team this season. On the other hand, the Denver offense has been nothing better than average. The Broncos rank towards the middle of the league in both their passing and rushing offense. 

The saying is that "Defense Wins Championships", and if the Broncos are to advance to the AFC Championship and further, then this saying will definitely hold up. It should be a fun one to kick off the divisional round as the Buffalo Bills head to the Mile High city looking to upset the Denver Broncos. 

NFL Playoff Preview: 49ers vs Seahawks

 

The lone matchup between teams coming from the same division will take place in Seattle this Saturday as the 49ers battle the Seahawks in one of the most hostile environments throughout the NFL. 

These two teams met in the final week of the regular season when Seattle took down San Francisco en route to clinching the no. 1 overall seed in the NFC. After a week off, Seattle looks to fend off a hungry 49ers team that just flew across the country and beat the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles in Philadelphia. 

In addition to their Week 18 matchup, Seattle and San Francisco also met in Week 1 where the 49ers actually came into Seattle and started off their season 1-0. Both matchups were very low-scoring as both teams failed to score 20 points respectively in both games. 

San Francisco comes into this matchup extremely injured. They just lost George Kittle to an achilles tear last week in Philadelphia, and that is without mentioning the absences of Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, and others. 

Despite the injuries, the Niners have continued to prevail and fend off the doubters throughout their adventurous season. San Fran comes into this matchup winners of seven of their last eight games with their sole loss coming to Seattle, leaving a bitter taste in their mouths. 

On the other hand, Seattle enters the divisional round of the playoffs after an historic regular season. They finished the campaign with a 14-3 record and the three losses each came by just one score each. The Seahawks have not dropped a game since mid-November. 

The connection between Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba was absolutely magical to watch this past season. JSN lead the league in receiving yards with nearly 1,800. Sam Darnold impressed in his first year in the Pacific Northwest, despite his 14 interceptions. 

Seattle's defense is not one to be reckoned with coming off a great season. It's very tough to score on this defense and the stats prove it. Seattle allowed just around 17 points per game to opposing offenses, ranking no. 1 in the NFL.

In the two matchups with San Francisco, the Seattle defense let up just 20 combined points. I am expecting another defensive bloodbath between these two NFC West foes with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line this Saturday. 

NFL Playoff Preview: Rams vs Bears

After both the Rams and Bears capped off dramatic victories this past Saturday, the two teams will now match up in the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs in Chicago. 

For Los Angeles, it was a back and forth battle in Carolina as they eventually took down the Panthers. Los Angeles was trailing late, but Matthew's Stafford game-winning drive heroics put them over the top and onto the next round. 

For Chicago, it was a different story and a little more dramatic. After facing an 18 point deficit in the second half, the Bears scored 25 fourth quarter points to catapult them over their division rival Green Bay Packers. 

Despite being the no. 2 seed, the Bears have played their best football when trailing late in games. Caleb Williams and Chicago have had seven come from behind victories this season, proving that Chicago can physically and literally never be counted out of any game. 

After facing off with Green Bay for the third time this season, Chicago will face a Rams team that they have yet to see. The Rams are arguably the most explosive and experienced team left in these playoffs. It wasn't too long ago when Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford lead Los Angeles to a Lombardi Trophy. 

This game will be experience vs youth, as Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams will each enter only their second career playoff games as head coach and quarterback respectively. 

I'm looking forward to see if the Bears can put together a complete game of football. Coming behind from that large of a deficit in one quarter isn't always going to work out, especially against Los Angeles. 

The winner of this anticipated showdown will face the winner of the opposite matchup in the NFC featuring the 49ers and the Seahawks. I expect this to be another thrilling game that will once again come down to the wire.  

 

NFL Playoff Preview: 49ers vs Eagles

 

The San Francisco 49ers will head to Philadelphia to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. After narrowly losing the NFC West and a first round bye, the 49ers fell to the no. 6 seed and now have to travel across the country for their matchup with Philadelphia. 

San Francisco and Philadelphia met up in the playoffs just three years ago in the NFC Conference Championship in a game that the Niners would not like to reminisce on. Over the past three years, the NFC has been represented by one of these teams in the Super Bowl. 

These two teams went in completely opposite directions to end the 2025 campaign. San Francisco ended the season winning 6 of their last 7 games, while the Eagles dropped 4 of their last 7 games. 

Both of these teams contradict each other in terms of where they excel. San Francisco ranks in the top 10 for total offense throughout the NFL, while Philadelphia is all the way down in the bottom third of the league. 

On the other hand, it has been Philadelphia's defense that has won them a lot of games this season. The 49ers have been very banged up, with All-Pros such as Fred Warner and Nick Bosa ruled out for the season due to injuries, causing them to struggle to get stops. 

In the four matchups between defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Fangio has a 3-1 record and his defenses have allowed just 41 points to Shanahan's offenses. Shanahan will look to rewrite the script this Sunday if the 49ers want any chance at escaping Philadelphia alive. 

Like they have all season, San Francisco is going to rely heavily on their future Hall of Fame running back Christian McCaffrey. CMC not only leads his team in rushing yards, but also holds the lead for receiving yards as well. 

He nearly accomplished an unheard of feat of having over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in one season. CMC leads the NFL in total touches with 413 on the season. Coincidentally, Saquon Barkley held that title a year ago for the Eagles during their run to their second Super Bowl title.

The two teams that have headlined the NFC in recent history will collide this Saturday in one of the most hostile environments in sports. Will the Niners pull off the upset, or will the Eagles continue their quest for back to back titles?

NFL Playoff Preview: Packers vs Bears

 

For the 213th time, the oldest rivalry in the NFL writes a new chapter this upcoming Saturday, as the Green Bay Packers head to Chicago to take on the Bears in the Wild Card round. The two teams met twice during the regular season and split each matchup in dramatic fashion. 

Green Bay comes into the NFC Playoffs as the no. 7 seed for the third consecutive year. On the other hand, Chicago clinched their first playoff berth since 2020 and took home the NFC North for the first time since 2018 as well. 

The biggest factor that could sway this matchup either way is health. The Packers are pretty banged up as Jordan Love was unable to finish the last couple games in the regular season, Josh Jacobs has been hurt since Week 11, and their top receiver Christian Watson is questionable. That's without even mentioning that they are without Micah Parsons for a long time as well. 

Chicago is also not 100 percent with CJ Gardner-Johnson already ruled out and their receiver room, which is already paper thin, is played through injuries as well. To put it simply, Chicago and Green Bay have experienced a long and successful but brutal past 18 weeks. 

The previous two matchups between the Bears and Packers both were decided by one possession. The first matchup in Green Bay was sealed with a game-winning interception by Green Bay in the end zone with minimal time left, while the one in Chicago was decided by a 46 yard DJ Moore touchdown in overtime. 

Green Bay lead for a majority of the previous matchup despite Jordan Love suffering an injury that sidelined him for most of the game. Love has not played a snap since that game in Chicago almost 4 weeks ago. 

Love sat out the final games of the season against Baltimore and Minnesota, both games in which the Packers dropped. In fact, Green Bay ended the regular season on a 4-game losing streak. They come into the playoffs as arguably the coldest team in the bracket. 

In year one under Ben Johnson, the Bears look like a completely new team. The rise of Caleb Williams, the deadly one-two punch of DeAndre Swift and Kyle Monangai, and a league-leading 32 interceptions is what has gotten the Bears this far. 

I expect this game to be pretty reminiscent to the previous two matchups between Green Bay and Chicago. If Jordan Love is able to play like his regular self, don't be surprised if the Packers march into Soldier Field and end this magical season by the Bears. 

NFL Playoff Preview: Rams vs Panthers

 

A rematch of a cinematic game back in late November, the Los Angeles Rams will head across the country to Charlotte to take on the NFC South Champion Carolina Panthers. 

Back in November, the Panthers beat the Rams by a score of 31-28 in surprising fashion. Los Angeles had come into that game winners of six straight games until Carolina knocked them off. Ultimately, the Panthers were the cause of the Rams' late season troubles as they dropped three of their last six games after starting off 9-2. 

Los Angeles heads into Carolina with a record of 12-5 after finishing second in the NFC West. Despite being the road team in a playoff game, the Rams come in as heavy favorites over the Panthers to advance to the next round. 

The Rams successes have been due to their excellent quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford has cemented himself as one of the top MVP candidates after posting the most passing touchdowns and passing yards as well.

LA certainly has what it takes to raise another Lombardi Trophy this upcoming February. The Rams ranked no. 1 in total offense this past season along with the most offensive touchdowns. Looking up and down the depth chart, Los Angeles has household names everywhere on their offense. 

The offense can put up numbers against any given team, but the defense wasn't too shabby either. LA ranked in the top 10 in total rushing defense, an area that the Panthers love to utilize on offense. 

Carolina comes into this matchup as the only playoff team with a sub .500 record after finishing the 2025 campaign 8-9. The Panthers wrapped up their first NFC South title since 2015 when they made it all the way to the Super Bowl. 

In all honesty, the 2015 Panthers are not in the same league with the 2025 Panthers. Bryce Young has shown impressive strides in just his third professional season, but Carolina needs to do a better job surrounding him with more weapons in 2026. 

Overall, nothing really jumps out on paper about this Panthers team. They are a very young squad that probably made the playoffs slightly before they were due to. However, it will be a good experience builder for this young team because they will be a threat across the league for years to come. 

NFL Playoff Preview: Chargers vs Patriots

 

For the first time since a guy named Tom Brady was the quarterback of the team, the New England Patriots are ready to host a home playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers. 

After taking home their first division title since 2019, the Patriots enter the AFC Playoffs as the no. 2 seed hosting the no. 7 seeded Chargers. New England's jump from a 4-13 record in 2024 to a 14-3 finish in 2025 has been absolutely remarkable to witness. 

The coach and quarterback duo of Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel has been eerily similar to the hall of fame duo of Brady and Belichick that Patriots fans had been so accustomed to witnessing every Sunday. In year one, Vrabel has made unheard of strides to this New England football team. 

In only his second professional year and first complete season as a starter, Drake Maye has poised himself as one of the top options in the MVP race. Maye finished with a league high QBR, just under 4,400 passing yards, and 35 total touchdowns. 

The offensive additions of Stefon Diggs and Treyveon Henderson have been monumental towards the Pats success in 2025. In their first years in Foxborough, both Diggs and Henderson lead the team in receiving and rushing yards respectively. 

Coming into this game, New England currently has the 4th best odds to take home the Lombardi Trophy and the 2nd-best in the AFC behind the no. 1 seed Denver Broncos. However, they will have a tough task in hosting the Los Angeles Chargers.

Los Angeles, headlined by their head coach Jim Harbaugh and outstanding quarterback Justin Herbert will face a tall task going into New England on Sunday. The Chargers ranked no. 5 in total defense throughout the NFL giving them a slight edge in that category over the Pats. 

LA's superb defense lead by Derwin James is going to have to make it tough on Drake Maye and co. in order to have a shot in this game. Justin Herbert is also playing a little banged up on his non-throwing hand. If this plays a big role on Sunday, it could be a long night and long plane ride back home for the Chargers. 

All three of the AFC first round matchups feature showdowns that did not occur in the regular season. As a fan, expect the unexpected because not only is it the playoffs, but the AFC is going to be a rollercoaster, so hang on. 

NFL Playoff Preview: Bills vs Jaguars

 

This upcoming Sunday, the AFC South Champion Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Buffalo Bills in a heavily anticipated first round playoff matchup. After propelling the Jaguars to a division title in his first season as head coach, Liam Coen and his team are looking to make noise in the AFC Playoffs. 

The Buffalo Bills entered this season with sky high expectations, yet they ended the regular season as the no. 6 seed in the AFC. For a team that had controlled the AFC East for five consecutive seasons, this season was a shock to fans all across the National Football League. 

Regardless of the seeding, the Bills still have Josh Allen. Allen, one year removed from his first MVP, enters his first postseason without the threat of facing Patrick Mahomes. Year after year, the Bills never failed to fall to Patrick Mahomes, but without him in the way could this finally be their year?

Buffalo ended the regular season winning five of their last six games. Their offense, headlined by Josh Allen and James Cook, has the ability to take over any game. Allen and Cook combined for 2,200 rushing yards in 2025. 

However, when Buffalo heads south to Duval County, they will face the no. 1 rushing defense in the NFL. The Jaguars allow just under an average of 86 rushing yards per game. Buffalo's best offense this season has come from Josh Allen, James Cook, and the rest of the running back room putting their legs to the test. 

Not only did Buffalo end their season well, but Jacksonville ended their campaign on an eight-game winning streak. Trevor Lawrence had arguably his best season as a professional after throwing for over 4,000 yards along with 38 total touchdowns as well. 

Lawrence has done a fantastic job at getting his entire offense involved all season. Parker Washington and Brenton Strange's developments have been great to watch while coinciding with Travis Etienne and Brian Thomas Jr. 

In addition, the Jags have done all of this without their no. 2 pick from a year ago in Travis Hunter. Liam Coen, amidst his first season in Jacksonville, is in heavy contention for NFL Coach of the Year. 

It's an absolute tragedy that one of these two teams has to go home after Sunday because they are both poised for big runs this postseason if not for this matchup. Tune into CBS this upcoming Sunday, you are not going to want to miss this matchup. 

NFL Playoff Preview: Texans vs Steelers

 

After a thrilling upset over the Baltimore Ravens during the final game of the 2025 NFL regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been crowned champions of the AFC North. As the no. 4 seed in the AFC, Pittsburgh will host the no. 5 seeded Houston Texans in the first round of the NFL Playoffs. 

Houston's playoff chances looked bleak after Week 3, but a 12-2 finish propelled the Texans to the top Wild Card spot in the AFC. Houston will come into Pittsburgh after finishing the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. 

The Texans have not lost a game since November 2nd when they fell to the now no. 1 seed in the AFC: the Denver Broncos. Four out of the five losses for the Texans were to playoff teams and the one that wasn't came at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who narrowly lost the NFC South. 

One might ask, how did the Texans get so hot? Houston possesses the NFL's top ranked defense, as opponents averaged less than 280 total yards against them all season. There were only three instances this season where Houston allowed 27 or more points. 

DeMeco Ryans and the Texans are living and dying by the motto that "defenses win championships." Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley, and Will Anderson Jr. will look to continue this unbelievable stretch they have been on since November. 

Pittsburgh came away with an unbelievable finish over the Baltimore Ravens to secure their spot in the playoffs. Led by 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers will host their first playoff game since the 2020 season. In addition, Pittsburgh will look to win their first playoff game since the 2016 season. 

Unlike the Texans, the Steelers started off the regular season on a roll after going 4-1 through their first five games. However, their midseason struggles took a toll on them, but they were able to win four of their last five games to clinch a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season. 

DK Metcalf will make his return to the Steelers after sitting out the previous 2 games due to a suspension. Metcalf will provide a huge boost for this Steelers offense and I wouldn't be surprised if he provides Pittsburgh with some game changing plays.

The NFL Playoffs have arrived, and they have left us nothing but great matchups all weekend. Although Pittsburgh and Houston will face off on Monday, the wait will be very much worth it for this cinematic matchup. 

The Knicks Win The NBA Cup

 

After defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup Finals last night in Las Vegas, the New York Knicks have been crowned their first championship since 1973. Although it isn't the Larry O'Brien Trophy, it's still something to feel accomplished about. 

The Knicks got off to a slow 2-3 start this season, but since Halloween, New York has won 17 of their last 21 games including 6 in a row. In addition, New York is doing this without Miles McBride and Landry Shamet off the bench and a couple of starters not 100% healthy.  

The Knicks got to Vegas after winning Group C in the East, defeating the Raptors to go to Vegas, and then defeating the Magic in the semifinals on Saturday Night. The NBA Cup MVP went to none other than Jalen Brunson, but the supporting cast played a huge role as well. 

Just last night we saw the bench catch fire. Tyler Kolek played his best professional game yet with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, with key minutes late in the game as well. Under Tom Thibodeau, I don't think Kolek would've seen the court nearly as much as he did last night under Mike Brown. 

With Deuce McBride sidelined, Tyler Kolek is making the most of his opportunity. Jordan Clarkson lived up to his expectations when the Knicks signed him this previous summer. Clarkson had a couple of clutch threes late in the game along with the best plus/minus on the team as well. 

Who can forget about Mitchell Robinson when he grabs 15 rebounds in just 18 minutes. Robinson was huge on the boards for New York with 10 of the 15 rebounds coming as offensive boards. 

The starters balled out, but the bench sealed the deal during the Knicks first ever NBA Cup Championship. Just 25 games into the regular season, the Knicks look to be in pretty good shape as we approach 2026. 

Rodgers Masterclass on MNF

 

Last night, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football by a final score of 28-15. The Steelers offense looked great and that was mostly due to a vintage Aaron Rodgers performance. 

With this win, Pittsburgh officially eliminated the Dolphins from the playoffs after they dropped to 6-8 on the season. Additionally, Pittsburgh was able to maintain their one game division lead over the Baltimore Ravens. 

Rodgers turned back the clock last night with an 85% completion percentage, his highest in a game since 2014. The 42-year-old also threw for two touchdowns and lead the Steelers to four consecutive touchdown drives as well. 

Not only did Rodgers make history but so did the Steelers as well. Dating back to 1991, the Steelers have won 23 consecutive Monday Night home games in Pittsburgh. That's over 34 years since the last time Pittsburgh lost at home on a Monday Night. 

Like the Steelers, Miami also made history but not in a good way. With their loss last night, Miami has now dropped 14 games in a row when temperatures are under 40 degrees. A team that has some of the best home field conditions in the NFL has been unable to adapt to the cold since 2016. 

Pittsburgh has three games remaining on their schedule, but the game they have circled is the season finale when they host the Baltimore Ravens. After recently stealing a game from the Ravens in Baltimore, the Steelers firmly took over the AFC North division lead. 

Barring any big surprises, the winner of this game between the Ravens and Steelers will take the AFC North and home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Pittsburgh will head to Detroit next weekend to take on a desperate Lions team. 

Pete Alonso to Baltimore

 

Recently, a shock came over the baseball world as 31 year-old superstar Pete Alonso signed a 5 year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Alonso leaves the New York Mets after 7 seasons in the Big Apple with the team that drafted him back in 2016. 

Alonso will bring a ton of power to Baltimore as he has hit at least 34 home runs in each season since 2021. Alonso also leaves the Mets after recently becoming the franchise's all time home run leader with 264 home runs. 

Gunnar Henderson, the Orioles top home run hitter in 2025, had just 17 bombs to lead the team compared to Alonso's 38 dingers with the Mets a season ago. Alonso, a 2-time Home Run Derby Champ, will bring immense amounts of power to Camden Yards for the foreseeable future. 

Alonso's new contract with the Orioles is the largest contract in Orioles history since 2016, and the new record for AAV in Orioles history as well. Baltimore is hoping that Alonso turns out slightly better than how Chris Davis turned out when he received the largest contract in Orioles history almost a decade ago. 

After a last place finish in the AL East, the Orioles have been active to start this offseason. In addition to Alonso, the O's also brought in another former Met in Ryan Helsley to anchor the back of the bullpen. 

Mike Elias is finally spending the big bucks as Baltimore has not won a postseason game in October since 2014. The acquisition of Alonso gives the Orioles one of the premier infields in all of baseball featuring Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Jackson Holiday in addition to Alonso. 

Could 2026 finally be the year that the Orioles break the spell and have success in October? If Elias and the Orioles continue to stay active in the market after this blockbuster deal, we could be seeing some success up in Camden Yards this upcoming season. 

The Rise of JSN

 

Move over Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and all of the other top receivers, there is a new number 1 in town. That guy is Jaxon Smith-Njigba. JSN is off to a historical start to his 2025 campaign, and he's only getting better. 

It's crazy to think that this is the first season where JSN is the number one wide receiver on his team in both college and the NFL. During his career at Ohio State, JSN was a superb receiver, but he was always overshadowed by guys such as Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr, Chris Olave, and Emeka Egbuka to name a few. 

Even in his first two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, DK Metcalf was always regarded as the WR1. But now this is JSN's offense. Smith-Njigba currently leads all wide receivers in receiving yards with 1,313. 

JSN has already shattered his receiving yards total from last season through just 11 games. If he keeps this pace up, he will probably end up with more receiving yards than he had in his first 2 NFL seasons combined. 

The next closest receiver to this number is George Pickens with almost 300 yards less than JSN. Not to mention, JSN has already broken the single-season receiving yards record for the Seattle Seahawks in just Week 12.

Through his first 11 games, JSN has tallied at least 79 receiving yards per game. In addition, he has had at least 93 receiving yards in every game this season except one back in Week 4. 

In addition, JSN is on pace to break the single season receiving yards record throughout the NFL which is held by Calvin Johnson. If he keeps this pace up, he would just barely sneak past Johnson's mark although he would do it in one extra game. 

Putting all of these numbers aside, JSN is off to a ridiculous start. Moving on from DK Metcalf could turn out to be one of the best moves ever made by the franchise because of the gem they unlocked in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. 

Trouble in Arrowhead

 

What is going on with the Kansas City Chiefs? Through their first 10 games, they have had their worst start to a season in almost a decade. They currently sit at 5-5, looking from the outside of the AFC Playoff Picture. 

After three straight Super Bowl appearances, and three championships in the last 5 years, it is really surprising to see this Chiefs team struggle this bad. The combination of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid we have gotten to know has been almost allergic to losing until 2025.

The Chiefs have won the AFC West nine times in a row dating back to 2016, but now this streak is in major jeopardy. Currently, the Chiefs trail the Denver Broncos by four games for first place in the AFC West. 

So what has been the problem thus far? One thing I can say for sure is that it is not Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes currently has the 4th most passing yards in the NFL and third highest QBR as well. In addition, the offense ranks in the top 10 of the NFL in terms of total offense. 

The normal thing to conclude would be that the defense is at fault. However, the Chiefs defense like their offense also ranks within the top 10 in total defense throughout the NFL. So where have the Chiefs gone wrong in 2025?

The answer is that their main struggle has been their ability to win close games against good teams. Every one of their five losses has come by one possession and only a combined 22 points. In addition, all of their losses have come against teams currently in a playoff position. 

On the other hand, the five games that they have won have all come in pretty comfortable fashion. Each game they have won has been by at least two scores. But, only one of those wins has come against a team that is currently in the playoff picture. 

Looking ahead, 3 of the Chiefs last 7 games come against teams currently in the AFC playoff picture. It is looking pretty unlikely that Kansas City will repeat as champions in the AFC West, but to keep their postseason hopes alive, they will have to win some games they aren't projected to win. 

The narrative has always been to not bet against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. But now in 2025, has the rest of the league finally figured out how to stop Kansas City?