NFL battles for top seeds and top picks, plus an NBA brawl

Posted by Admin December 30, 2024 NBA

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Good morning! Make a historic assist today.

Yin/Yang: Two different kinds of No. 1

We are at the crescendo now: mostly through 17 weeks of NFL football, with just one week left. Two major questions remain unanswered:

Who’s getting the NFC’s top seed?
Who’s getting the No. 1 pick?

Let’s start with the quick updates on the former, beginning with the top:

In the NFC: The top seeds are falling into place. Yesterday, Philadelphia (13-3) won the NFC East and No. 2 seed thanks to Saquon Barkley, who surpassed 2,000 yards on the year, and backup quarterback Kenny Pickett, who led a 41-7 blowout win over the Cowboys despite this hilarious play

What in the world just happened here with Kenny Pickett? pic.twitter.com/tknPrTmyMa

— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 29, 2024

Still alive for the top spot are the 14-2 Vikings, who beat division-rival Green Bay yesterday in a wild game, and the Lions, who are 13-2 with a game tonight (see below). The good news: They play each other next week.

In the AFC: The top two seeds are secure after Buffalo claimed the No. 2 spot with a rout of the Jets. It’s down below where the stakes get complex:

Baltimore (11-5) and Pittsburgh (10-6) are still in play for the AFC North title. Next week, the Ravens likely claim that and the No. 3 seed.
Denver (9-7), Cincinnati (8-8) and Miami (8-8) are still vying for the AFC’s final playoff spot. If Denver beats Kansas City’s backups next week, the Broncos are in. If not, the door is open for the other two teams, with caveats.

And about that No. 1 pick: For now, it belongs to the New England Patriots after a bonkers day at the bottom of the NFL standings. Quickly:

The Giants and Raiders, each entering yesterday in great position for the top pick, had to go muck it all up by winning their games. In New York, the Giants’ offense exploded for 45 points against the Colts, whose own playoff hopes vanished with the loss. Las Vegas, meanwhile, beat up on my lowly Saints.

New England does not need a quarterback and might have a new head coach next year. So does that mean Travis Hunter at No. 1? Offensive line? Trade down? I’m already excited to watch everyone get into a tizzy before April comes.

Let’s move on:

News to Know

Assist 1,034… a work of art. pic.twitter.com/on0qQTWiFp

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 30, 2024

Crosby passes Lemieux
Sidney Crosby is the new assists leader in Penguins history after logging one in the second period of Pittsburgh’s 3-2 win over the Islanders yesterday, leapfrogging NHL legend Mario Lemieux on that list. It’s a bright spot in a meh year for the Penguins. More on Crosby’s legacy here.

A brawl in Houston
Rockets guard Amen Thompson and Heat guard Tyler Herro earned ejections last night after triggering a melee late in Miami’s 104-100 win. Thompson threw Herro to the ground by his jersey with just 36 seconds left in the game, and multiple people — including Houston coach Ime Udoka — had to be restrained in the ensuing fracas. Read our full report here.

Lakers trade Russell
D’Angelo Russell is heading to the Nets as part of a trade yesterday, with Los Angeles receiving guards Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton as part of a larger deal. I am invested in this largely because of the circular way Russell’s career is unfolding: Laker, Net, Warrior, Timberwolf, Laker, Net. Russell — who’s seen a dip in production this year from last year’s solid numbers — is still just 28. Maybe he can make the full loop. See trade grades for both sides here.

More news:

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Things You Need to See: Yes, it’s actually Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell is one of the world’s most famous actors, but the man is also a legitimate hockey fan. He is a regular at Kings games in Los Angeles. At last night’s 5-4 win over the Flyers, he showed up like this:

Will Ferrell dressed up as Buddy the Elf at the LA Kings game 🤣🎄

🎥 @BR_OpenIce pic.twitter.com/oHSJILAx14

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 30, 2024

Buddy the Elf is looking grizzled these days. Carry on:

Watch and Play

📺 Soccer: Newcastle at Manchester United
3 p.m. ET on USA
Newcastle sits in seventh place right now, while Man Utd, under new coach Ruben Amorim, are weathering a “storm” in their last seven matches. Pressure here should be high on both sides. A little midday EPL action never hurts you.

📺 NFL: Lions at 49ers
8:15 p.m. ET on ABC

The schedule-makers probably thought this would smash, right? Detroit is as good as we thought, but San Francisco has lived a disaster of mediocrity this year. Still, there will be a ton of talent on the field.

Get tickets to games like these here.

🎧 Bill Barnwell joins “The Athletic Football Show” to discuss the best and worst NFL contracts in the last 10-15 years. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Pulse Picks

Forget the best front offices in each sport. Which team has the best front office across the four major American leagues? The top 10 is frankly fascinating.

Meet Kazakhstan’s Vladimir Nikitin, the country’s only NHL prospect at the World Juniors.

Joe Rexrode makes a forceful argument for why the College Football Playoff should move quarterfinal games from bowl sites to campuses as soon as possible. I think I agree.

On a lighter note, I loved this story from Doug Haller on Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham … who loves making AI-generated music?

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on Colorado’s blowout bowl loss to BYU. Farewell, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.

Most-read on the website yesterday: Dianna Russini’s big report from Saturday, which contains plenty of relevant nuggets about the offseason. I’m so curious to see what happens in Minnesota.

(Top photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)