The Baltimore Ravens took the AFC North lead with a 31-2 blowout victory against the Houston Texans Wednesday night and a Pittsburgh Steelers loss earlier in the day.
The quarterback and league MVP candidate broke off a 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach for the Texans. He followed up with a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews with 5:50 remaining in the quarter.
Jackson also had a touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely with 1:51 left in the first half.
Jackson finished with 168 passing yards and 87 rushing yards in the win. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers. No receiver had more than two catches.
Andrews had two catches for 68 yards.
Derrick Henry played a supporting role in the win. He got the game started with a touchdown run from the goal line in the first quarter and finished with 147 rushing yards on 27 carries.
The Texans’ lone score came from a safety in the second quarter with a tackle on Henry.
C.J. Stroud was 17 of 31 for 185 passing yards and an interception. He was sacked five times.
Houston played without wide receiver Tank Dell, who sustained a serious knee injury in last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The team was already dealt an injury blow when it lost Stefon Diggs earlier in the season.
Nico Collins had three catches for 59 yards to lead the team. John Metchie III had five catches for 48 yards. But the offense just wasn’t there.
Houston converted only 10 first downs on 11 drives, and Baltimore outgained Houston 432-211.
The Ravens moved to 11-5 and into first place in the AFC North. The Steelers lost to the Chiefs and fell to 10-6.
As Beyoncé started to wrap up, she stood on a scaffold and was raised high above the field. She then made a finger-gun gesture with her hands as a big "Bang" banner unfurled behind her.
Fans in the stadium cheered, and the reviews were mostly positive on social media. But NFL fans started to poke fun at the finger-gun gesture because of the league’s crackdown this season.
Several NFL stars have shown finger guns after touchdowns or to signal a first down. Game officials have thrown flags after those celebrations as the league has cracked down on demonstrations that include gestures of violence.
NFL executive Troy Vincent addressed the issue at a league meeting in October, according to NFL Network.
"There’s no place in professional football for that," Vincent said of the gestures. "Think about where we are as a society. … I don’t think that’s where we are and what we’re trying to represent. We have a responsibility as professional athletes."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also talked about the issue.
"It's a long-standing policy, and we are going to enforce that," he said. "Troy had a direct conversation with the union, I think, just last week about it. We're going to continue on that focus. We don't think it's appropriate in those circumstances and sends the wrong messages. So, we'll continue to do that."
A high-ranking NFL employee told The Athletic last week that players are warned about the gestures each year and that they could result in penalties.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens raised eyebrows on Wednesday when he congratulated Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce following a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mahomes and Kelce joined Netflix’s Stacey Dales to talk about the team’s 29-10 win.
Mahomes had 320 passing yards and three touchdowns while Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown and hit the 1,000-career receptions mark during the game.
As the two star players were talking, Pickens interrupted the interview to give his respect.
The move sparked a debate among fans. Some praised Pickens for good sportsmanship while others were cynical and thought it was a signal from the wide receiver to the Chiefs star to influence a trade at some point in the future.
Pickens had three catches on seven targets for 50 yards.
The wide receiver has been a source of consternation over the course of the season. He got into a fight with a Cleveland Browns player on one of the last plays of the game in their matchup last month. He was then flagged for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about Pickens’ antics earlier this month.
"I’m not going to give you any detail about what goes on behind the scenes in terms of his growth and development," Tomlin said. "That’s my style, and I’m going to be really consistent in it. Being transparent with you guys doesn’t necessarily help or accelerate the growth process, and that’s my agenda, not necessarily feeding the beast."
Wednesday’s game was Pickens’ first season the Bengals. He had been battling injuries.
President-elect Trump threw his support behind NHL legend Wayne Gretzky as a potential candidate for Canadian prime minister in a post on social media on Wednesday.
"I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One as he is known in Ice Hockey circles. I said, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada - You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign,’" Trump wrote.
"He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement. It would be so much fun to watch!"
Trump’s post came as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced pressure to step down. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from Trudeau's cabinet. At the same time, opposition leader Jagmeet Singh called on Trudeau to resign.
"The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau," Trump posted to his Truth Social, trolling Trudeau, after previously suggesting Canada should become the 51st state in the USA.
"Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada. She will not be missed!!!"
Gretzky was seen last month at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, after Trump’s presidential election win wearing a "Make America Great Again" cap.
It looked like the Steelers were going to respond immediately when running back Jaylen Warren had an 8-yard rushing touchdown, but it was called back due to a holding penalty.
On the play after the penalty, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception in the end zone, and the Steelers missed out on a chance to cut into the lead.
Despite getting stopped in the red zone, Wilson had success on the next drive.
The Steelers quarterback scrambled for a 1-yard rushing touchdown, capping an 11-play, 72-yard drive to make the score 13-7.
After halftime, the teams traded field goals to make it 16-10, and then the Chiefs pulled away.
Patrick Mahomes engineered an 11-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a Kareem Hunt 2-yard rushing touchdown to make it 22-10 after the Chiefs' two-point conversion was unsuccessful.
On the ensuing drive, Steelers’ tight end Pat Freiermuth fumbled on the Steelers 34-yard line, setting up the Chiefs with great field position.
Mahomes capitalized on the fumble, finding a wide open Travis Kelce for a touchdown to make it 29-10.
Kelce’s touchdown reception was the 77th of his career, passing Tony Gonzalez for the most touchdown receptions in Chiefs franchise history.
Mahomes completed 29 of 38 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns.
Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, while rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy had eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs' win.
The loss for the Steelers is critical for their AFC North title chances. If the Baltimore Ravens win over the Houston Texans in the second half of the NFL’s Christmas Day doubleheader, the Ravens would have the inside track over the Steelers for the AFC North title.
Wilson threw for 205 yards and an interception and ran the ball six times for 55 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Steelers wide receiver George Pickens had three catches for 50 yards in his return after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury.
Both teams were playing their third game in 11 days.
The Chiefs’ final regular-season game will not matter since they have already clinched the No. 1 seed, but it may matter to their opponent. The division rival Denver Broncos might be fighting for their playoff lives, depending on Week 17’s outcome.
New York Knicks’ shooting guard Mikal Bridges and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama matched up in a Christmas Day duel in the Knicks' 117-114 win Wednesday.
Bridges scored 41 points, the most he has scored since the Knicks acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason.
With star center Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble, Bridges stepped up, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Bridges shot 17-for-25 from the field, while shooting 6 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Wembanyama, 20, was sensational in the loss. The Spurs' young star scored 42 points while grabbing 18 rebounds with four assists and four blocks. He also nailed six 3-pointers.
Wembanyama’s performance continued a string of strong games after he was named the Western Conference player of the week.
Knicks forward Josh Hart finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, but his last two rebounds were his most important.
The Knicks were up three points with 39 seconds left, and the Spurs opted not to foul. Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson missed a 15-foot jump shot, but Hart snagged the rebound.
Then, with four seconds left, Knicks forward OG Anunoby missed a 3-pointer, but Hart again hustled for the offensive rebound, and the Knicks ran out the clock.
Towns scored 21 points with nine rebounds, while Brunson added 20 points in the win.
With the win, the Knicks won their fifth straight game and improved to 20-10.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry remains one of the most recognizable figures in the NBA.
While Curry continues to perform at a high level on the basketball court, he is also 36, and next spring will mark the end of his 16th season in the league. Although the four-time NBA champion has acknowledged he is much closer to the end of his career than he is to its start, Curry said he is able to enjoy living in the moment.
"More than I probably have before," he said during a sit-down with ESPN as he discussed his NBA future. "I think, you know, it's okay to accept and acknowledge that the end is near, whatever point. But only because it allows you to enjoy what's happening right now. But I think the more you talk about it, the more you acknowledge it, it levels up just the sense of urgency of the moment now."
"It is a matter of acknowledging like, okay, me and [Warriors teammate] Draymond [Green] are in our prime. We're, you know, in a situation where you have to kind of think about the game a little differently. But if you're not winning, the answer is, like, 'How do we make this happen for me?' I only have a certain amount of years left, and I want to win desperately. And what helps me, helps us. So, yeah, it's a funny term, because it's people saying, and what is the actual answer? We're trying to figure it out," he said.
Curry was a key part of the Warriors' recent run to three NBA titles in four seasons. Golden State won its fourth NBA Finals with Curry in 2022. He has also earned two league MVP trophies and is a 10-time NBA All-Star.
The Warriors' 2024-25 campaign got off to a strong start, as the team jumped out to a 12-3 record. But Golden State enters their Christmas Day matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 15-13 record and currently sit in the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
The Warriors failed to qualify for the playoffs last season after they were defeated in the NBA Play-In tournament. Curry and his teammates are looking to avoid a repeat of that this season, and the February trade deadline could prove critical for their 2024-25 hopes.
The Christmas Day game between the Warriors and the Lakers is set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET.
The NFL has not been shy about its pursuit of making its product as widely available as possible. Earlier this year, the league took another step toward its goal by striking a three-year deal with streaming giant Netflix.
There was plenty of excitement leading up to the NFL's Christmas Day doubleheader on Netflix, but there were also some concerns. The streamer was facing pressure to ensure that issues that popped up during the livestream of last month's bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul did not resurface on Wednesday.
While the streaming quality did not appear to falter leading up to kickoff and at least through the first half of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers, there were some minor hiccups during the pregame coverage.
Pregame co-host Kay Adams' microphone appeared to be off for a few seconds at the start of the show. At a later point, ESPN personality Mina Kimes was interrupted by a seemingly unscheduled advertisement for the upcoming season two premiere of Netflix's popular show "Squid Games."
Cameras did eventually cut back to the pregame show after the ad.
Pregame coverage began a couple of hours before the Chiefs and Steelers kicked off at 1 p.m. ET.
Once the action got underway, another noticeable miscue surfaced. The scorebug listed just two remaining timeouts for the Steelers, despite Pittsburgh being in the midst of its opening drive. The error was corrected a short time later.
The defending Super Bowl champions held a 13-7 lead over Pittsburgh at halftime.
Netflix earned the rights to stream at least one holiday game in 2025 and 2026, according to the terms of the multiyear deal with the NFL.
"Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports and more," Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said in a news release in May shortly after the Christmas Day package of games was announced.
"There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix."
Music superstar and Houston native Beyoncé is scheduled to perform at halftime of the Houston Texans-Baltimore Ravens game at NRG Stadium later on Wednesday.
Netflix paid an estimated $150 million for the rights to the games, per Bloomberg. The streamer and the NFL have had an ongoing relationship over the past couple of years.
The docuseries "Quarterback" was released on Netflix in 2023, and "Receiver" premiered on the streaming platform last month. While the former focused on three different signal-callers at different points of their careers, the pass-catching series follows four wideouts and one tight end.
In keeping with previous deals, the agreement with Netflix allows games to be shown on broadcast television in the competing teams' home markets. The league-owned NFL+ streaming service will allow fans in the U.S. to watch the games via their mobile devices.
NFL officials penalized Worthy for the play. But fans were confused as to why the flag was thrown. Some suggested Worthy may have been pretending to have a gun on him. Gun-themed celebrations have been a point of contention with players.
Mahomes threw his second touchdown pass of the game, an 11-yarder to wide receiver Justin Watson, later in the first quarter.
The Chiefs have had struggles all season but still had a 14-1 record entering the Week 17 matchup against the Steelers.
Worthy has been a bright spot for a receiving corps that’s been decimated by injuries. He has 51 catches for 559 yards and five touchdown catches this season. He also has three rushing touchdowns.
Last week, Worthy had seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown catch against the Houston Texans. It was the second straight week he received double-digit targets. Before the game against the Cleveland Browns, he hadn’t had more than eight targets in a single game.
Kansas City will lock up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win on Wednesday.
On the field, Kelce has taken a step back this season but has still been productive for the 14–1 Chiefs.
Kelce has started every game and has 89 receptions for 739 yards and two touchdowns. Those totals are a bit down from the 93 catches for 984 yards and five touchdowns he had in the regular season last year.
Kelce's Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing in the NFL Christmas doubleheader Wednesday on Netflix.
If the Chiefs win, they will secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC and get the all-important bye week in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.
The Chiefs and Steelers play at 1 p.m. ET, and the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens play at 4:30 p.m. ET in the second game of the doubleheader.
Former NFL linebacker Bill Bergey has died, his son announced on Christmas Day. He was 79.
Bergey, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1974-1980, had been battling cancer for the past few years. His son, Jake Bergey, said his father was an "out right great person."
The South Dayton, New York, native's professional football career began in the late 1960s when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals.
"After a long hard 3 year battle, Dad lost his fight with Cancer. The best father, friend, grand father, football player and out right great person in this world. I will truly miss him. Love you dad," Jake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bergey recorded nearly 1,200 tackles during his standout tenure with the Eagles. He earned Pro Bowl honors four times during his time in Philly. Bergey received the first Pro Bowl nod of his career in 1969 when he was with the Bengals.
The former linebacker was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 1988. He received another honor in 2011 when he became a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2023, Bergey shared some details about his relationship with Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly. The former Bills quarterback battled jaw cancer and became one of Bergey's trusted confidants.
"He has kind of been my inspiration," Bergey told the Eagles official team website last year. "He keeps me on the up and up. ‘Just remember,’ he would say, 'You're a football player, you're tough, and you can beat this. You can handle this.'"
Bergey played college football at Arkansas State. After he retired from the NFL, Bergey spent several years contributing to the Eagles' pregame and postgame coverage.
The clashing NFL game, a matchup between Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans, began at 1 p.m. ET and averaged 15.5 million viewers on NBC.
The NFL and college football clashed again later in the afternoon, as Clemson-Texas was on at 4 p.m. ET while the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens game began shortly after, at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The Steelers-Ravens matchup averaged 15.4 million viewers on FOX, while Clemson-Texas drew 8.6 million viewers on TNT.
When the NFL wasn’t competing with the College Football Playoffs, the ratings were way up for the other two games.
Indiana-Notre Dame, the first game of the new 12-team format, aired on Friday night, and averaged 13.4 million viewers on ABC/ESPN.
The lone game on Saturday that wasn’t competing with the NFL did well, as Tennessee and Ohio State averaged 14.3 million viewers on ABC/ESPN.
The overall average of 10.6 million viewers for the first round of the College Football Playoffs was higher than all but four college games this season.
College football and the NFL will clash again on Saturday, as the NFL has three games throughout the day against a slate of bowl games.
The Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots play at 1 p.m. ET, the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals play at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams play at 8:10 p.m. ET.
One of the notable bowl games on Saturday is No. 18 ranked Iowa State playing No. 13 ranked Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Another big game is No. 23 ranked Colorado playing No. 17 ranked BYU in the Alamo Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET, where top draft prospects Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are expected to play.
The NFL is giving fans a present on Christmas, with two high-profile matchups between AFC contenders with a lot of playoff implications.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers play at 1 p.m. ET, and the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans play at 4:30 p.m. ET, with both games streaming exclusively on Netflix.
After many had streaming issues during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight in November, Netflix is under a lot of pressure to ensure their viewers don’t have any issues watching the games.
One Netflix subscriber even filed a lawsuit against Netflix for "breach of contract" because of constant glitches during the fight, per TMZ.
This will be the first time an NFL game has been streamed exclusively on Netflix, and no matter how the viewing experience is for fans on Wednesday, it won’t be the last game they see on the streaming service.
The NFL and Netflix announced in May that they agreed to a three-year deal where the streaming service will broadcast at least one Christmas Day game over the life of the deal.
Brandon Riegg, Netflix's vice president of nonfiction series and sports, said the company learned from what went wrong in the Tyson-Paul fight.
"The sheer tonnage of people that came to watch was incredible. And for all the testing that the engineering team had done ahead of that, and I think they’re the best in the business, the only way to test something of that magnitude is to have something of that magnitude," Riegg said.
"We never want to have technical issues or a disappointing experience for our members. There was a subset of people that were watching that struggled with that and we acknowledge that. The good news is they stress-tested the system to such a degree that there’s a lot of these fixes and improvements that they realized that they could make, and they’re applying all that stuff."
Netflix’s first test will be a showdown between the Chiefs (14-1) and Steelers (10-5).
The Chiefs have already secured their ninth consecutive AFC West title and are now playing for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which would grant them the all-important bye week.
If the Chiefs were to win on Wednesday, they would have the No. 1 seed locked up before Week 18, giving head coach Andy Reid a chance to rest his starters during the final week of the regular season.
The Chiefs are coming off a 27-19 win over the Texans on Saturday, where quarterback Patrick Mahomes played well. The star quarterback threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 33 yards and a touchdown despite playing through an ankle sprain.
The Steelers, on the other hand, are coming off a tough 34-17 loss against their arch-rival Ravens on Saturday.
It looked like the Steelers were going to have a chance to come back after safety Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Lamar Jackson down 24-17 in the fourth quarter.
However, Ravens' cornerback Marlon Humphrey thwarted any chance of a Steelers' comeback with a Pick Six off Russell Wilson on the ensuing drive, putting the Ravens up 31-17 and effectively sealing the win.
The Steelers’ defense had a tough time handling running back Derrick Henry, who ran the ball 24 times for 162 yards in the win for Baltimore.
For the Steelers, their game against the Chiefs is crucial to winning the AFC North. Pittsburgh has already clinched a playoff spot, but their loss on Saturday was a big blow to their chances of winning the division, as the Ravens are also 10-5.
Some good news for the Steelers is that wide receiver George Pickens has a "real chance" to play against the Chiefs, coach Mike Tomlin said on Sunday.
Pickens has missed the last three games, and he's been sorely missed. In the three games without Pickens, the Steelers are averaging just 248.3 yards per game, almost 77 yards less than their season average of 324.9.
As big a blow as the loss was for the Steelers on Saturday, the Ravens win over Pittsburgh was just as big a boost for them.
The Ravens played well on Saturday, outgaining the Steelers 418-315 in terms of yards, with 220 of those yards coming on the ground.
Jackson threw three touchdowns in the win, and will have a chance to make his MVP case with the whole world watching on Wednesday.
The Ravens quarterback is having another fantastic year, as Jackson and Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen are considered the two favorites for the award.
A win for the Ravens on Christmas would go a long way in their race against the Steelers for the AFC North crown.
The Ravens (10-5) are taking on the Texans (9-6) in the second part of the NFL's Christmas doubleheader on Netflix.
They are taking on a Texans team that just lost to the Chiefs. In addition to the loss, the Texans also lost second-year wide receiver Tank Dell for the season after he suffered a gruesome leg injury while catching a touchdown in the loss.
The Texans also lost wide receiver Stefon Diggs for the season after the star receiver tore his ACL, leaving what was once a strong wide receiving corps now thin.
A win over the Ravens on Christmas for the Texans would not only clinch them a playoff spot, but also the AFC South title and a home playoff game.
The Texans-Ravens matchup will also come with a special halftime performance by Beyoncé.
All four of the teams playing on Wednesday are playing their third game in 11 days.
With so many playoff implications, and a big halftime performance, Netflix will be under a lot of pressure from NFL fans and the "BeyHive" to make sure things go off without a hitch.
Fox News' Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The holiday season for NFL players means focusing on finishing the regular season strong with only a couple of weeks left on the schedule.
For some, it’s the race to the playoffs. For others, it’s putting good reps on tape and hoping the season ends on a high note.
But what’s not lost for these athletes, though, is holiday spirit as evident by four NFL stars – Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals), James Conner (Arizona Cardinals), Pat Surtain II (Denver Broncos) and Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders) – helping Raising Cane’s give away bikes to children this past week in their respective communities.
In speaking with each star last week, Fox News Digital asked them to go into the memory bank to find their favorite Christmas memories.
For Daniels, the Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner, he couldn’t just pick one because of how much spending time with family means to him.
"Pretty much all of them," he said, laughing. "Being around my family, enjoying the holidays. I’d probably say when I was younger growing up and being able to wake up on Christmas, open presents and watch Kobe Bryant play basketball. Those are my favorite memories."
Surtain grew up with a father playing in the NFL, so he understands well how time together on the holidays with family is precious.
"This probably going to sound a little cliché, but my favorite moments are just spending time with family at the end of the day," he explained. "Presents mean a lot, but that’s something that’s going to be here and there. Spending time, spending cherished moments with family means a lot, especially during the holiday.
"I always remember having a big family gathering back then. Great food on the counter, playing great Christmas activities, playing different games and stuff. I always would remember and share those special memories that are in a special place in my heart. I think sharing those memories with my family is always going to be beautiful."
Conner also enjoyed every ounce of time he got to spend with family, especially when it came to a cherished Christmas tradition.
"I remember putting my tree up as a young kid at the house," he said. "We had a little small five-foot tree. Putting it up, just got you in the Christmas spirit early."
And perhaps some of us know what it’s like to be curious in the middle of the night, seeing if there are presents around the tree.
That was Higgins, who immediately knew his favorite Christmas memory, even if it came with some parental discipline.
"I remember one time waking up in the middle of the night, and my dad had got me this dirt bike," Higgins started. "It’s sitting in the living room. I woke up in the middle of the night, my parents are asleep. I go in there and I crank the dirt bike, and everybody in the house woke up. I ended getting a whooping very quick."
Don’t worry, Higgins was able to use his new dirt bike the next day.
The common theme at the end of the day here is quality time with family and making memories that will last a lifetime.
It is a short week for some NFL teams looking to make their final push toward the postseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens all play on Christmas Day, with the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears playing on Thursday night.
Week 15 saw the standings for the playoffs get a bit tighter. The sixth and seventh seeds in the AFC still need to be determined, while the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth in the NFC with the Washington Commanders hoping they could close things out and clinch a wild-card spot as well. The NFC South and West divisions still need to be determined as well.
The Bills are still the top team in the NFL, and two wins coupled with two Chiefs losses in the final two weeks of the season would give them home field advantage in the playoffs.
Read below to see how the rest of the power rankings shake out after Week 15.
The Bills didn’t play great against the Patriots on Sunday but still managed to find a way to win. Their regular season is going great, but this team will be judged solely on what happens in the postseason, so that’s all that matters now.
Last week: 1
Jared Goff in the cold was a nightmare waiting to happen, yet he might have turned in his most impressive performance of the season. Goff is on the outside looking in, but he most definitely deserves to be probably third in the MVP rankings behind Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. This team’s offense is too scary.
Last week: 4
Kansas City is one win away from securing home-field advantage in the playoffs after another one-possession win, albeit one that felt a bit more comfortable than their other squeakers this year. By all accounts, the Chiefs look like they're peaking late just in time again after walking on water all year.
Last week: 3
Sam Darnold is over his brief slump and Justin Jefferson is looking like his OPOY self. They wrap up their season against the Packers and Lions, so we’ll see where they truly stand. They are riding high after a huge win in a swamp in Seattle.
Last week: 5
The Eagles were one late DeVonta Smith catch away from sealing the game despite quarterback Jalen Hurts leaving the game in the first quarter with a concussion. Instead, the Eagles couldn’t put the game away and became the second team to lose a game despite their defense forcing five turnovers. The Eagles' 20-game winning streak was snapped with the loss, and their hopes of getting the 1 seed in the NFC is now highly unlikely. The biggest story for the rest of the regular season in Philadelphia is the health of Hurts.
Last week: 2
Lamar Jackson remains in the NFL MVP conversation. The two-time MVP threw three touchdowns in the 34-17 victory over the Steelers to help Baltimore clinch a playoff berth. The Ravens now turn their focus to the Houston Texans for a Christmas Day game.
Last week: 7
Their defense posted the first shutout in the entire NFL on Monday night. It’s not their fault they play in a stacked division, but Sunday afternoon in Minnesota could prove just where this team stands among their peers.
Last week: 6
Despite turning the ball over five times, the Washington Commanders still managed to win. Quarterback Jayden Daniels overcame two interceptions, including one late in the fourth quarter, and threw five touchdowns in the team’s comeback win. If the Commanders win next week, they will have secured a playoff spot in head coach Dan Quinn’s first season with the team. With the unexpected success the Commanders have had this season, Quinn is a front-runner for Coach of the Year and Daniels is the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Last week: 10
The Steelers seem to be feeling the impact of not having wide receiver George Pickens. Pittsburgh’s offense has averaged less than 250 total yards during Pickens’ three-game absence. While Pickens is not the sole reason the Steelers' offense has struggled recently, his eventual return to the lineup could provide a boost.
Last week: 8
Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert needed a statement win, and they got it with an explosive performance against Denver. It's not the big-fish win the Chargers were looking for against the Chiefs, but it's a good step for their confidence as they prepare for the playoffs as underdogs.
Last week: 13
The Texans will have to turn around in a short week and go up against the Ravens. Losing Tank Dell isn’t going to help matters.
Last week: 9
It wasn’t pretty in East Rutherford for Matthew Stafford & Co., but a win is a win for these Rams as they pushed their win streak to four games. It was a crucial win as they moved into first place in the NFC West with two weeks to play. With the Cardinals and Seahawks, the teams right below them in the division, coming to town in Weeks 17 and 18, respectively, the Rams control their own destiny moving forward.
Last week: 14
Denver fans will have to sweat a little bit this Christmas after the Broncos blew a shot to clinch a playoff spot, as their highly respected defense crumbled in Los Angeles. Now, the Broncos have to beat the Bengals to avoid a massive collapse.
Last week: 11
That was a terribly costly loss at Dallas that knocked them from atop the NFC South.
Last week: 12
Another week, another tough opponent for Seattle as they fell to the Vikings, 27-24, at home in a critical loss with the Rams overtaking them for the top of the division. But with a beatable Bears team upcoming on Thursday night, a win could put Seattle in a great position heading into Week 18, when a meeting with the Rams could determine who takes the divisional crown.
Last week: 15
The Michael Penix Jr. era has begun in earnest, and it only took one week to put the Falcons atop their division.
Last week: 19
The Bengals got off to a slow start this season, but Joe Burrow has gone on to put together an MVP-caliber season. Cincinnati secured its seventh win of the season this past week. The Bengals host the Denver Broncos this Saturday and will have to secure a victory if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Last week: 18
The Dolphins played with more heart on Sunday against the 49ers than they had arguably all season, and it kept their very slim playoff hopes alive. Mike McDaniel might be coaching for his job, so it’s a good sign that the players rallied behind him for a win over a talented 49ers team.
Last week: 20
The Cowboys were officially eliminated from playoff contention before their game against the Buccaneers began, but that didn’t stop them from putting together a win. Cooper Rush had another efficient game, finding wide receiver CeeDee Lamb early and often. The defense forced two clutch turnovers late to help seal the game. The question for the Cowboys is does this late-season surge mean head coach Mike McCarthy is going to keep his job for another season?
Last week: 22
The 49ers were already eliminated from playoff contention, but they fell for the second straight week, this time to a Dolphins team gunning for a spot in the AFC playoff race. San Francisco will finish their season against the Lions on Monday night, followed by the Cardinals in Week 18.
Last week: 17
Jonathan Gannon’s group knew just how badly they needed to win on Sunday in Carolina against a beatable Panthers squad. But Bryce Young and the Panthers pulled out the upset. At 7-8 on the year, the Cardinals are officially eliminated from playoff contention, though they can play spoiler in Week 17 by defeating the Rams.
Last week: 16
The Colts’ win over the Titans keeps them in the race for the playoffs. Though chances are slim, it will be interesting to see if they can produce two wins to keep some faith.
Last week: 21
They eliminated Arizona but hurt their draft slot. It's been that kind of year.
Last week: 26
Nobody expected a win against Detroit, but they had the home-field advantage with the cold weather and couldn’t do much. It’s now a nine-game losing streak for a team that looked like they were making noise. And just when it looked like they were getting out of the funk, although Keenan Allen and DJ Moore are putting up numbers, they aren’t putting themselves in positions to succeed.
Last week: 24
The Jets couldn’t back up their offensive explosion in Week 15 and instead scored only 9 points against the Los Angeles Rams. The team seems to be coming apart at the seams, especially with star receiver Garrett Wilson taking some of his gripes public. This season can’t end soon enough for New York.
Last week: 25
They've been limping along without their starting quarterback, and now Alvin Kamara is missing games, so they've really got no shot to compete.
Last week: 23
The Patriots currently have the second pick in the NFL Draft based on their record and the tie-breaking procedures. You could make the case that the race for the top pick in the draft is just as exciting as the race for the playoffs, and the Pats are right in the thick of it for the former, but definitely not the latter.
Last week: 28
The Titans have to go back to the drawing board and invest in some defense. A 24-point second quarter is unacceptable at this point of the season. The offseason can’t come soon enough.
Last week: 30
The Raiders got their third win and may have paid the price with a massive drop in draft positioning. Only time will tell how important or detrimental their win against Jacksonville will be for their future.
Last week: 31
Dorian Thompson-Robison failed to provide a spark for the Cleveland Browns offense. The second-year quarterback threw two more interceptions in a lopsided loss to the Bengals. The Browns will likely attempt to find a solution at the quarterback position in the offseason.
Last week: 27
The Jaguars’ loss helped their own draft position. It’s been a rough year for Jacksonville, and it’s just getting tougher.
Last week: 29
The Giants control their own destiny. Normally, when you say a team controls their own destiny, you are referring to a team’s playoff chances, but for the Giants, they control their own destiny regarding the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. With the Giants' 10th consecutive loss on Sunday, a new franchise record, and the Raiders winning, the Giants are in sole possession of the No. 1 pick. The only fear for Giants fans is if the Eagles rest their starters in Week 18, potentially leaving the door open for a win that would ruin their pick.
Last week: 32
The Fox News Digital Sports NFL power rankings were compiled by the Fox News Digital Sports staff and the OutKick.com staff.
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Kelce said on his latest episode of his podcast that while he "enjoyed" the movie, he "didn't feel ‘Christmas’ at all during the movie."
His brother, Jason, agreed, saying there was "zero Christmas spirit or anything resembling that."
Jason actually took it a step further.
"'Love Actually' might be the worst Christmas movie I've ever seen," he said. "I don't even know that it's up for debate."
The film follows different couples in the weeks leading up to the holiday in London, so by default, it could be labeled as a Christmas movie, but the brothers disagree. They both feel the same about "Die Hard" as well.
Perhaps Travis' girlfriend, Taylor Swift, doesn't love what her boyfriend said about the film though — back in 2014, she raved about the movie.
"If you look around, love actually is all around," she said at the time, according to Page Six.
Jason's wife, Kylie, hopped on the pod and dropped that it was "one of [her] favorite movies, period." So, it seems like both Kelce couples may be having some heated discussions during the holiday.
Jerry Jones is one of the most high profile and outspoken NFL team owners. The 82-year-old billionaire rarely shies away from sharing his thoughts on a variety of subjects, especially when it comes to topics related to professional football.
Earlier this year, the league announced that it reached a three-year deal with Netflix. The agreement gave the streaming giant the rights to the 2024 Christmas Day doubleheader. The game will be available exclusively to Netflix subscribers at no extra cost.
While Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, Jones hopes games will continue to be scheduled on an annual basis, no matter which day of the week the holiday happens to fall on.
"Christmas Day is Christmas Day, and it doesn’t wait around for what day it’s on. We want to be there on Christmas Day," Jones said during his latest appearance on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan.
"I would think the future is whatever day it’s on, we’re going to be there on Christmas."
Christmas falls on a Thursday in 2025. The NFL schedule makers will likely be prepared for that, considering the league already holds games on Thursday nights throughout the regular season. However, 2029 could present some challenges as the holiday falls on a Tuesday.
The Pittsburgh Steelers host the reigning back-to-back champion Kansas City Chiefs in the first of the two holiday games. The Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans also go head-to-head in the special holiday set of games. All four of those teams played their Week 16 games on Saturday to accommodate for competing on a Wednesday.
Music superstar and Houston native Beyoncé is expected to perform at halftime of the Texans-Ravens game at NRG Stadium.
The league has scheduled games on Christmas Day for the past few years. But for decades, the NBA traditionally dominated the holiday by scheduling several games throughout Christmas Day. While the NBA still schedules some of its marquee teams on the holiday, those games now have to compete with the NFL.
Netflix also bought the rights to stream at least one holiday game in 2025 and 2026, according to the terms of the multiyear deal with the league.
"Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live – tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports and more," Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said in a news release in May shortly after the Christmas Day package of games was announced.
"There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix."
But Netflix is hosting the special Christmas Day games under some pressure after many of its subscribers faced issues with the live stream feed during the recent fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.
The original 12 college football playoff team rosters were worth more than most other teams across the country. Media and technology company On3 estimates the 12 rosters combined made up around $150 million.
"What's happened over the years is more and more money has come into these universities," Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said.
Tuberville, who is also a former college football coach, has legislation that aims to address what some argue is an unlevel playing field.
"The problem was, in 2021 the Supreme Court says, ‘OK, we see this lawsuit, and we agree with the athletes. They need to be able to make money off of name, image and likeness,’" Tuberville said. "It has gone downhill from there. And there were no rules put into it. It was just wild, wild West."
Schools where football players are earning large amounts of NIL money appear to be successful on the field. Most teams that qualified for the college football playoffs also had some of the highest valued rosters.
"There is a class within the class of schools across the country that have the best infrastructure, the best systems, the best fundraising, the best corporate deals involved," said Rob Sine, CEO of Blueprint Sports, an agency that oversees several collectives or donor groups across the country. "They would build a collective, and they would pool a bunch of really wealthy people together and build a budget and help support their coach for the sport they like the most."
Schools that took early advantage of forming collectives and those with an already large booster system were able to get ahead.
"Football really is the only sport that makes big money in intercollegiate athletics. Basketball's next, maybe a little baseball," Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl said. "The vast majority of the NIL money is and will be going to the sports that are making the money. And as a result, our Olympic sports are absolutely in jeopardy."
The 2024 season featured even higher stakes with the first extended playoff season. A 13-member college football playoff selection committee ranks the top 25 teams. Twelve schools received playoff spots, but not all were among the top 12 ranked teams. The group granted automatic spots to the five conference championship game winners, which held the highest ranking, among the nine major conferences. Those included the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big 10, the Big 12 and the Southeastern Conference from the Power Four. Group of Five conferences were also eligible. Those include the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference and the Sun Belt Conference.
Power Four conference schools traditionally have larger revenue budgets and television viewership than other college athletic programs. A team from each of the Power Four conferences earned a playoff spot. Boise State of the Mountain West was the only team to qualify among the 62 schools across the Group of Five conferences. The team also has the highest valued roster in NIL money than any of the other 62 schools.
"Different programs that have risen up and have gone out there and made a big impact," Sine said. "Right now, money is driving college athletics and schools are looking for, ‘Where can I have the best opportunity to grow.’"
In the 2024 season, several teams changed conferences for access to more money and stronger competition. Southern Methodist University moved from the American to the ACC and ended up losing to Clemson in the conference championship game. Clemson has the most NIL money among ACC teams. Despite being ranked 16th, the team earned a playoff bid by winning the ACC championship game. The Tigers eventually lost in the first round of the playoffs to Texas. SMU also made the playoff bracket but lost in the first round to Penn State.
"It's about opportunity. And you're also starting to see there's a lot of conversation about what could be a Super League or two. And you're starting to see a lot of jockeying happening for, ‘Hey, I want to be there,’" Sine said.
Oklahoma and Texas moved to the SEC. Texas lost the championship game to Georgia but will play Big 12 champion Arizona State in the second round of the playoffs. SEC teams had some of the highest valued rosters. Georgia was among the teams with the most NIL money overall. Texas holds the most expensive roster and is also estimated to have one of the best recruiting classes for the 2025-2026 season.
"We were late to the party and compensating our student athletes properly. We're there now. It's just that we've got to sort of find a way to make it work for everybody," Pearl said. "I think we need some federal assistance so that each state is not doing their own thing, and we won't have a true NCAA champion."
Oregon won the Big Ten Championship game and went undefeated for the season. The Ducks were originally part of the Pac-12, which broke apart with teams joining the ACC, the Big 10 and the Big 12. Oregon will face another member of the Big Ten in the second round of the playoffs, the Ohio State Buckeyes. While Oregon has a better record, Ohio State topped the Big Ten in NIL money.
Arizona State is another former member of the Pac-12. It switched to the Big 12 for the 2024-2025 season. The Sun Devils won the Big 12 Championship game and received an automatic bid to the playoffs. However, their roster was not the most expensive in the conference. Colorado players received the most money. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is also estimated to be the highest-paid NIL athlete in the country. He is the son of Colorado head coach and former dual NFL-MLB athlete Deion Sanders.
"There has been an elite crop of athletes since day one. They have always risen to the top and have always made the most money because they bring a lot more star power than necessarily the rest of the team does, or they spent a long time building their brand," Sine said.
Blueprint Sports oversees Colorado’s 5430 Alliance collective. While the team did not earn a playoff spot, high-caliber players are on the roster, including Sanders, who is projected to be a first-round draft pick. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter also earned recognition and millions in NIL for playing nearly every snap for the team as a wide receiver on offense and cornerback on defense.
"There are the star-studded athletes that have agencies working behind them to do the big deals with them. There are the up-and-coming athletes, and then there are the athletes that are just, you know, happy to be making anything from an NIL standpoint," Sine said.
Collectives have helped some of the playoff schools sign major deals. Ohio State’s 1870 Society has a partnership with supermarket chain Giant Eagle. Nike co-founder Phil Knight launched Oregon’s Division Street Collective. Tennessee quarterback Nico lamaleava landed an $8 million deal from the Spyre Sports collective before ever signing with the Volunteers.
"I think that where the red flag is popping up is there's a lot of money being paid to high school seniors that are coming into college athletics that have never played a down or a minute of college sports before, and you have no idea what you're going to get," Sine said.
The Texas One Fund combined five separate NIL entities and is thought to be the wealthiest in the nation. It has provided quarterback Quinn Ewers with a private jet and every scholarship offensive lineman with $50,000 annually.
"What we want to do is just try to make sure that everybody has that opportunity to get whatever they can get. But when you take money, you've got to sign a contract, and then you've got to be committed to that contract," Tuberville said. "I know for a fact that some universities, they bring Lamborghinis and Corvettes and put [them] out in front of their office building when they bring these recruits in. It is totally changed. It's big money. It's minor league sports, what it is now."
The NIL market is expected to be worth around $1.7 Billion in the 2024-2025 season according to Opendorse. $1.1 billion of that is going to college football. Men’s basketball players earned around $389 million. Women’s basketball players received around $75 million. Olympic athletes have generated around $134 million dollars.
The money making began back in July 2021, when the Supreme Court ruled the NCAA could not prevent student athletes from profiting by their name, image and likeness. Since the decision, the legal fights have continued between the NCAA and state legislatures.
"It's been really interesting to watch the competitive balance between the states," Rob Sine said, CEO of Blueprint Sports. "Tennessee is more aggressive, Florida wants to get more aggressive, and then Texas wants to get more aggressive. More state laws are passed and repealed and then passed again."
Blueprint Sports oversees several high-profile collectives across the country. Boosters, individual donors and businesses often choose to fund collectives which then pay athletes for appearances or endorsements. The groups are estimated to control around 80% of the NIL Market.
"The schools are already spread so thin. So, for a professional services unit, they're happy to know that, hey, we'll put staff on campus, that will represent them and the student athletes," Sine said. "The collective as a marketing agency, we’ll handle all the operations, we’ll provide that third party arm for athletic departments where we can do negotiations with agents, we can do negotiations with athletes we can handle if an athlete enters the transfer portal, terminating the contract, or things like that."
Blueprint Sports oversees collectives from across the country, including NC State’s One Pack NIL, Colorado’s 5430 Alliance, Pennsylvania’s Happy Valley United and Arkansas’ Arkansas Edge.
"Pennsylvania has different rules than Arkansas does or than North Carolina does," Sine said. "The NCAA guidelines are there to be exactly what is, set guidelines. Then you have to follow the state law in certain areas."
The first guidance from the NCAA in 2021 aligned with the Supreme Court decision. Athletes could be paid if state law allowed. The rules did attempt to prevent schools from using NIL money to recruit athletes.
"It was a lot easier," Sen. Tommy Tuberville R-Ala. said referencing how NIL laws have changed the recruiting process in recent years. "There's really no recruiting now. It's buying. It's totally different."
Before Tuberville was elected to the senate, he coached at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati. He has since co-sponsored NIL legislation alongside Sen. Joe Manchin I-W.V. He plans to reintroduce or modify the Protecting Athletes, Schools and Sports Act (PASS Act) alongside a democrat in the next congress.
"In football and basketball, it's whoever's got the most money," Tuberville said.
California signed the first state NIL law in 2019. Several others began to follow suit. Eventually, legislatures began passing laws to circumvent NCAA guidance, to allow NIL money to be used for recruiting.
"Over the years, the money's gotten higher and higher and the student athletes are going, wait a minute, you know, why don't we get some of that money? Why don't we share in the revenue?" Tuberville said.
Tuberville says collectives have too much influence and that legislation like the PASS Act would help level the playing field. But collectives disagree.
"I don't think the federal government is the way to do it. I think it creates a whole lot more complications," Sine said. "I've watched those hearings before and there's not a lot of direction and bright ideas coming out of it. There's been a lot of drafts of bills. I think it'll be hard for them to get anything passed."
Not all university officials believe the federal government should stay out of the NIL debate.
"This is a free market economy. We live in the greatest country in the world. And I think it's great that our student athletes are now finally being able to be compensated for what they're worth But we need national standards in college sports. Every coach needs to know that when that ball gets tipped off, we're all playing by the same rules. And right now, we're not," Auburn Men’s Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl said.
Initial laws in Alabama and South Carolina reflected NCAA guidance that prevented using NIL money for recruitment. Other states began to pass laws that strayed from that guidance and allowed loopholes for third party donors to promise money for potential student athletes. That prompted the NCAA to shift its stance. In 2022, the Division 1 Board of Directors clarified that schools could request donors to provide funds for collectives, as long as those were not directed to a specific sport or athlete.
"Back in the day it was about graduation rates, or it was about, can you help me get to the NBA? Are we going to win championships? What's the culture of the program like? Those things were more important to parents," Pearl said. "Now it's become way more transactional. What is my market value? How much will I get if I go to that school? And of course, everybody's playing with a different budget right now. And that's what makes it somewhat unfair."
The updated NCAA guidance prompted Alabama and South Carolina to repeal initial NIL laws. Both states determined that other schools had more opportunities to recruit better players.
"It did give us a little bit more freedom," Pearl sad. "We'd like for conferences and the people that are guiding our programs to be able to be empowered. Right now, everything goes to the courts. They lose every lawsuit."
Texas passed its legislation in 2023, which strayed from NCAA guidance in allowing donations for specific sports. The law also permits perks and benefits for fans who donate to NIL collectives. A clause also made it illegal for the NCAA to punish a school for taking full advantage of NIL.
"A lot of people began to find a gray area. And so, donors or other organizations around the country were looking at this going, okay, well we're going to raise, instead of $100,000, we're going to raise $2 million or we're going to raise $20 million and we're going to really begin to build this and create a very competitive advantage because nobody's telling us we can't," Sine said.
New transfer portal rules have increased competition to find better players and pay out more money. A couple of months before the Supreme Court issued its NIL decision, the NCAA updated its transfer portal policy, allowing Division I athletes a on-time opportunity to transfer and compete immediately.
Originally, an athlete could transfer schools, but needed to sit out a year before playing, unless granted a waiver by the NCAA. In 2024, the association updated its guidance to allow for unlimited transfers as long as the athletes met certain academic eligibility requirements.
"Marshall University's football team, almost every one of them transferred. They had to drop out of a bowl game," Tuberville said. "Their coach left and they followed them."
Marshall was set to face Army in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. Instead, dozens of Marshall athletes entered the transfer portal. Army will now face Louisiana Tech instead.
"I understand families being in a situation where they may never make more money than they're making right now. And so that's what they're being guided by. We're teaching kids to flee, not fight."
UNLV Quarterback Matthew Sluka announced in September he would enter the transfer portal for a second time in his college career. Sluka’s agent said a $100,000 NIL payment was never fulfilled after he agreed to transfer to UNLV.
"Graduation rates have been destroyed because the combination of NIL and the transfer portal working together, these guys are free agents," Pearl sad. "In some cases the money can be significant."
State laws also differ on who can represent student athletes. In 2019, the Uniform Law Commission recommended states adopt the Uniform Athletes Agents Act. It allowed student athletes to hire agents with the intent of protecting them from unfair practices. At least 39 states have adopted the law but it has no mention of NIL. Some legislatures have added agent clauses to state laws.
"Players have agents, they have lawyers, they have accountants. That's what we fought against for many, many years. Don't sign with agents. Keep them out of your life. But college football, college sports have grown."
The NCAA will now allow universities to pay players directly, in addition to what they are already receiving through scholarships and third-party payments. Each school has a cap of up to $20.5 million across all sports. Schools are already directing most of that to football programs.
"We're going to lose a lot of football programs, basketball programs and women's sports if we don't come up with some kind of solution. The NCAA has got to work with us," Tuberville said. "There's really not a lot of answers when you got so many hands in the pie and everybody wants it their way."
The New Jersey Devils have owned their Hudson River rivals this year, and they had another W to celebrate outside of their 5-0 win over the New York Rangers.
Over five years ago, the Devils and Rangers, respectively, had the first and second overall picks of the NHL Draft, and the selections were simple.
Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko were long assumed to be the first and second picks that year, and that's exactly what happened.
However, that night during a Rangers draft party at Madison Square Garden, Ranger fans applauded the Devils selecting Hughes — whether it was because they preferred Kakko, or they were torn between the two players and didn't want to be torn between the two is up for discussion.
Well, the two players have had very opposite tenures with their respective teams. Hughes has become a Calder Trophy candidate, while Kakko not only didn't live up to the hype, but the Rangers also traded him earlier this month to the Seattle Kraken.
The two foes met in Newark on Monday, and it was the Rangers' first game against New Jersey since trading Kakko, and the Devils, and their fans had a field day.
On the scoreboard, the Devils played a video of one of the aforementioned Kakko celebrations by Rangers fans, and the camera immediately panned to Hughes, who couldn't help but laugh.
To add insult to injury, Hughes scored twice in the Devils' 5-0 victory. After the win, the Devils posted a video of that same video but photoshopped an "L' on MSG's scoreboard.
It's been a disappointing season for the Rangers, who after being Stanley Cup contenders last year may just miss out on the playoffs. Meanwhile, New Jersey can make a serious run for the Cup this year with Hughes leading the charge.
The Devils' 49 points this season are tied for the second-most in the league. The Devils beat the Rangers in the 2023 Playoffs, as well.
