There wasn't much to worry about for No. 1 Ohio State or its fans during a 56-29 win over No. 13 Michigan on Saturday; the Buckeyes' eighth straight win over their most bitter rival. There was a moment during the third quarter, however, that led to hearts creeping into throats all over Ohio.
Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields took a hit to his left knee after delivering a pass in the pocket. Fields immediately went to the turf clutching his knee, and athletic trainers came out to tend to him. After a couple of minutes, Fields was helped to his feet and walked off the field on his own.
Fields told reporters after the game that he had aggravated an MCL sprain he suffered on the final play of Ohio State's win over No. 10 Penn State the week before. He was forced to put on a bigger brace over his knee. That's something to keep an eye on as Ohio State prepares to play in the Big Ten Championship next week.
Of course, there's a chance the injury won't have much of an impact on Fields at all. After a trip to the injury tent on Saturday, Fields only missed a few plays before returning and firing a 30-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson on his first play back in the game to make it 42-16 Buckeyes. He finished the day with 302 yards passing and four touchdowns while adding 25 yards on the ground.
The most interesting aspect of it all is that Fields rushed for 25 yards, but only had six carries. He's usually more involved in the Ohio State run game, averaging 9.5 carries per game before Saturday. A sprained MCL goes a long way toward explaining why Fields wasn't as involved in the run game against Michigan.
Former NFL wide receiver Terrelle Pryor is in stable condition after being stabbed overnight at the Heinz Lofts apartment complex in Pittsburgh, according to NFL Media. Police were on the scene Saturday morning, according to a report from WTAE, and Pryor was initially in critical condition when the attack was first reported.
An unidentified woman is in custody at Pittsburgh Police Headquarters for allegedly being connected, according to the report. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Pryor was stabbed in the shoulder and chest.
The Jeannette, Pennsylvania native has not played in a regular season game since Nov. 11, 2018. Pryor was drafted as a quarterback by Oakland in the third round of the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft. After five seasons with the Raiders, Seahawks, Chiefs and Bengals, he began transitioning to the wide receiver position. In 2016, the Ohio State product recorded 77 receptions for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns with the Browns. Since then, he has recorded just 36 receptions with the Redskins, Bills and Jets. He joined the Jaguars this offseason but was consequently released in September.
Pryor, now 30 years old, was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2008 with the Buckeyes. He also won the Big Ten championship twice and currently holds the NFL record for the longest touchdown run by a quarterback (93 yards).
It doesn't need a fancy nickname. It's an annual rivalry that's so entrenched in the college football lore all you have to do is say "The Game," and everybody in the Midwest knows which game you're talking about. It's two of the biggest rivals in college football. Two schools who represent a pair of states that share a border.
It's No. 1 Ohio State and No. 13 Michigan. It's the 115th time they'll line up across the line of scrimmage from one another. It's a game that both teams prepare for all season. The players on both sides are reminded every week that this game is coming, and for the most part, their lives will be defined by how they perform in it.
You won a Big Ten title? You won the Heisman Trophy? A national title? That's great, but what was your record against Michigan? What was it against Ohio State? It's not a coincidence that former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who won a national title with the Buckeyes, says his greatest accomplishment in Columbus was going 7-0 against Michigan. For many, that's worth more than a national title could ever be.
So how does The Game play out on Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor, Michigan? Let's take a closer look at this matchup and make some picks both straight up and against the spread.
Storylines
Ohio State: OK, so while this game is important, Ohio State is still playing for a national title. The Buckeyes moved up to No. 1 this week after beating Penn State. It was the first time all season the Buckeyes found themselves playing in the fourth quarter of a game in which the outcome wasn't already decided. Of course, Ohio State did more to keep Penn State in the game than the Nittany Lions did thanks to turnovers.
It's possible that, while they weren't looking past Penn State, they might have been looking down at their phones while Penn State was talking to them. Checking their Instagram to see what Michigan was up to. The Buckeyes have already clinched the East Division, but a statement win against the Wolverines might cement their status as a College Football Playoff team no matter what happens in the Big Ten Championship.
Michigan: At halftime of their game against Penn State, the Wolverines found themselves trailing 21-7. They made a comeback effort in the second half, but fell a dropped pass in the end zone short. Still, since leaving the locker room at Beaver Stadium that night, Michigan has outscored its opponents 180-52. They enter this game against Ohio State on a four-game win streak and looking to end a seven-game losing streak to the hated Buckeyes.
A lot was made about Michigan's philosophical change on offense heading into the 2019 season, and it did not get off to a smooth start. Things have begun clicking in the last month, however, and the Michigan team that will face Ohio State on Saturday is a lot better than the team we saw struggle with Army and get pantsed by Wisconsin.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 30 | Time: Noon ET Location: Michigan Stadium -- Ann Arbor, Michigan TV: Fox | Live stream:fuboTV (Try for free)
Game prediction, picks
Listen, it's terrifying to take the Wolverines in this spot because of what Ohio State has done to them in recent years. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of this pick. I prefer the over if I'm doing anything in this game because the decade has been filled with high-scoring affairs between these two. I expect another one to take place this Saturday, and unlike last season, I believe this Michigan team is better equipped to keep pace. Not enough to win the game, but enough to stay within the spread. I think. Maybe. Pick: Michigan (+8.5)
Missouri fired coach Barry Odom on Saturday, a day after the team completed its season at 6-6, sources told ESPN.
Odom went 25-25 and 13-19 in SEC play during four seasons at his alma mater, where he served as defensive coordinator before being promoted to succeed Gary Pinkel after the 2015 season. Missouri started 5-1 this fall before dropping five consecutive games. The Tigers beat Arkansas on Friday.
PowerMizzou.com first reported the news.
The NCAA on Tuesday upheld a postseason ban and other sanctions against Missouri, where a former tutor for the football team and other teams at the school admitted to completing coursework for student-athletes. Athletic director Jim Sterk strongly criticized the NCAA for upholding the ban, which he called "a really hurtful decision that's a blow because it impacts so many student-athletes."
Odom, a former Tigers linebacker, began working for the football staff in 2003 and spent 10 of the next 13 seasons in various roles before being elevated to head coach. Former athletic director Mack Rhoades hired Odom, and Sterk was hired in August 2016. Odom went 4-8 in his first season before guiding Missouri to consecutive bowl appearances and 4-4 records in SEC play.
Sterk hired two head coaches, Bill Doba and Paul Wulff, during a decade as Washington State's athletic director. He also promoted Rocky Long to head coach at San Diego State while serving as AD there.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Chris Olave went into last year’s installment of The Game as a promising piece of Ohio State football’s future.
By the end of that 62-39 Buckeyes victory — after the first two touchdown receptions of his career and a blocked punt — Olave commanded a piece of the present with a lasting place in the rivalry’s lore.
Could another young Ohio State player step up from relative anonymity with a starring role in Saturday’s continuation of the series?
Here are four prime candidates. For reference, players such as Zach Harrison, Garrett Wilson, Jeremy Ruckert and Sevyn Banks were not considered due to their extensive playing time already.
Jameson Williams, wide receiver: Who better to pick up where Olave left off than another speedy receiver? The trick for Williams will be rolling in enough to see significant snaps. However, he has clearly demonstrated what he can do in space if the ball finds his hands. He also serves as a gunner on kickoff returns.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste, defensive end: We don’t know yet if OSU will choose Saturday to burn the final game of Jonathon Cooper’s pending redshirt eligibility. Jean-Baptiste has been quietly productive as a reserve, totaling 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 11 games. With his length he can be a force without reaching the quarterback, by tipping passes or tripping up ballcarriers in the backfield.
Jaelen Gill, H-back: The redshirt freshman’s 32-yard touchdown catch against Rutgers accounts for nearly his entire season’s worth of production. He may be the future answer in the slot after K.J. Hill moves on. As we’ve seen before, those players sometimes declare their arrival in these spotlight moments.
Teradja Mitchell, linebacker: If cornerback Shaun Wade cannot play (or, perhaps even if he can, depending on his condition) someone will take his place on special teams. Mitchell has 12 tackles in seven games. If Michigan overcompensates to account for Olave or others coming off the edge in punt block scenarios, perhaps Mitchell can take advantage coming through the interior.
Get Buckeyes Insider texts in your phone from Doug Lesmerises: Cut through the clutter of social media and communicate directly with the award-winning OSU football reporter, just like you would with your friends. It’s just $3.99 a month, which works out to about 13 cents a day. Learn more and sign up here.
This is the Saturday Ohio State fans wait all year for. No. 1 Ohio State. No. 13 Michigan.
This year, “The Game” takes place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which means you can expect good, old-fashioned late November weather for the greatest rivalry in sport.
The Buckeyes have won seven straight in the series, and 13 of 15*, thanks to the mastery of Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer, two Ohio men who knew just how much this rivalry means. (As an aside, a Michigan fan recently told us that we take this rivalry way more seriously than they do, to which we replied, “Good.”)
If you're heading to the game, you'll want to bundle up with a high of 35º at kickoff and a small breeze out of the southeast at 9 mph.
Look for the thermometer to climb as the game moves into the second half, with highs approaching 38º and the wind a constant. It will be overcast all afternoon, with a decent chance of precipitation: hovering around 30-40% for the game, but nothing etched into stone.
If you're heading to Ann Arbor and want to tailgate before the game, again, bundle up. You're looking at a high of 30º at 8 a.m. with the thermometer rising to just 34º an hour before kickoff.
Watching the game at home? Here's what you need to know:
KICKOFF: 12:08 p.m. CHANNEL: FOX STREAM:FOX Sports Go LINE: Ohio State -8
Khabib Nurmagomedov has lost just one round while racking up a 12-0 record in the UFC.
It's the second-best start in UFC history behind Anderson Silva, who won his first 16. Nurmagomedov's 28-0 overall record is the best in MMA. Among lightweights, he has the most takedowns landed and highest strike differential, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Unbeatable, right?
Maybe not.
When Nurmagomedov faces Tony Ferguson on April 18 in Brooklyn, he'll be facing someone who is also on a 12-fight UFC win streak. Ferguson hasn't been stopped in 16 UFC fights -- fourth-best streak in history -- and has won 21 of his 26 overall by stoppage.
Many are already looking forward to a Khabib rematch with Conor McGregor -- who won the third round before being choked out in the fourth in their Oct. 6, 2018 bout. But Ferguson is not someone who should be overlooked.
ESPN's MMA panel of Ariel Helwani, Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim break down the matchup.
What would a Ferguson win look like?
Helwani: Nurmagomedov is the most dominant fighter in UFC history, and I have a hard time believing Ferguson will stop Nurmagomedov. I think Ferguson will have to go the distance and out-tough him. Easier said than done, of course.
Okamoto: Ferguson is one of the most entertaining fighters in the world, because he's all action. Nurmagomedov is entertaining in his own right, but for a very different reason. It's entertaining to watch Nurmagomedov's dominance on the floor. "Action" is not one of the first words you'd use to describe a Nurmagomedov fight. He gets his prey to the ground and he doesn't let them back up. So, a Ferguson win would look like a Ferguson fight: He would defend Nurmagomedov's takedowns, and beat him standing. If he does get taken down, he'd pull out some kind of somersault, round off, triple axel reverse to get back up. And if he were held down for any real amount of time, he'd throw elbows from the bottom like they're going out of style. Action is Ferguson's friend. A grapple-fest is not.
Raimondi: Chaotic. Ferguson excels in a non-linear type of fight -- lots of scrambles, lots of unique positions. He'd likely use several aspects of MMA to get it done, not just striking or wrestling. There would almost certainly be some kind of combination of the two. Nurmagomedov is one of the best wrestlers in the world, but Ferguson is dangerous off his back. Ferguson is also a dynamic and fearless striker. He's unpredictable, which works to his advantage. Plus, Ferguson has cardio for days. There's a reason he hasn't lost since 2012.
Wagenheim: Ferguson's cornermen need to whisper in his ear that the UFC has electrified the Octagon fencing and, if he wants to avoid electrocution, he needs to stay away from the cage. By remaining in open space, Tony will be giving himself his best shot at keeping the fight standing. That way he can utilize his unpredictable attacks to try to put Nurmagomedov on the defensive. We haven't seen anyone succeed at doing this against Khabib, so maybe it's fantasy. But it's less outlandish fantasy than the notion that Ferguson can pull off a submission from underneath a Dagestani lead blanket.
How does Ferguson's grappling ability compare to Khabib's?
Helwani: Ferguson is very unorthodox in all facets of the game. He's as unconventional as it gets in training, striking and grappling. Nurmagomedov is more of a conventional Russian grappler/wrestler. He is tough, durable and relentless. The latter trait might be his most impressive one. I mean, did you see the way he was cupping Dustin Poirier's mouth during their fight in September? You don't see that kind of technique often.
Okamoto: Ferguson has a strong wrestling background that includes success at the high school and collegiate levels. Ferguson has never really fought like a traditional, American collegiate wrestler in MMA, though. He has a style that is uniquely his own, which he has crafted mostly on his own. He's also a black belt in Eddie Bravo's 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system. Now, that said, there's not a lightweight on the planet who owns an advantage over Nurmagomedov's grappling. Nurmagomedov is the best in the world at taking an opponent down and keeping him there. What makes this matchup interesting is Ferguson's gas tank and his unorthodox style. The cardio can't be overstated. Nurmagomedov prides himself in making opponents tired. Ferguson doesn't get tired.
Raimondi: Nurmagomedov is an oppressive wrestler with several ways to put opponents on their backs. Once there, Nurmagomedov has options. He can ground and pound from the top or he can get foes into a leg-ride type of position against the fence, which is where he cinched that jaw crank on McGregor at UFC 229. Nurmagomedov is hard to shake off once he has that kind of position. While Nurmagomedov is suffocating, Ferguson is dynamic. He's rolling for legs, being aggressive, going for submissions. Both men are excellent grapplers, but they couldn't be any more different in their approach.
Wagenheim: Khabib is going to maneuver you against the cage, trap you there, lock up your body and take you down, then wrap his legs around yours to immobilize you while he works his body into top position, from where he beats you up. He is as methodical as he is unstoppable. Ferguson, on the other hand, is all about the scramble and the scrap, his martial arts expressed in the chaotic abstract. He is Jackson Pollock impetuousness, while Khabib is as coldly resolute as, say, Edward Hopper. Sorry, champ, but I don't know enough art history to cite a Russian master of harsh realism.
Is Ferguson a more dangerous opponent for Khabib than Conor?
Helwani: Right now, yes. Because Nurmagomedov has never fought Ferguson. So, off the bat, Ferguson presents questions Nurmagomedov has never answered. Ferguson is also a tad craftier on the ground, so that will be interesting, but lest we forget McGregor was the first and only person to win a round against Nurmagomedov.
Okamoto: Yes, I believe he is, for reasons we've already highlighted. Ferguson has more grappling experience than McGregor and better endurance. Ferguson probably doesn't have the one-punch knockout power of McGregor, but let's not pretend he doesn't hit hard. He has sneaky power and more ways to finish a fight than McGregor. And again, the cardio is huge. Cardio is mandatory against Nurmagomedov.
Raimondi: People repeat the phrase "styles make fights" so many times that it has almost lost its meaning. But that truly is the case here. McGregor is a striker who is unproven against great wrestlers and grapplers, especially those at the level of Nurmagomedov. Ferguson, meanwhile, seems to have the tools to deal with Nurmagomedov's wrestling, because the skills and offense off his back he honed under Eddie Bravo. And Ferguson is an effective, versatile, free-flowing striker on top of that. There are ways he can beat Nurmagomedov that McGregor could not.
Wagenheim: In theory, an opponent with one-punch KO power should pose the greatest peril, because Khabib is not a guy you're going to systematically break down. McGregor has that kind of thwack, and Ferguson does not. But "El Cucuy" has a more well-rounded game, and if his wrestling ability enables him to keep the fight standing for longer than Conor could, that would afford Ferguson more opportunity to take Nurmagomedov out of his comfort zone. Tony needs to drag the fight away from methodical demolition and into hurly-burly improvisation, and he is a threat to do so.
Ferguson called Khabib's performance against Poirier 'lazy.' What was your take on his win?
Helwani: I respectfully disagree with that assessment. I thought Nurmagomedov looked as dominant as ever. He was aggressive, relentless and smart. At no point did he seem in danger of losing that fight. After 11 months off, he did exactly what he had to do to win that fight, and he looked great in doing so. He even got a finish.
Okamoto: Not lazy. Convincing. Pretty dominant. I'm not entirely sure what Ferguson meant by "lazy." Did he feel Nurmagomedov should have found a more challenging way to win, over taking Poirier down and owning him on the ground as he does everyone else? Poirier is a talented boxer with an underrated submission game, and Nurmagomedov overwhelmed him on the floor. Even though we've seen it many times before, it was impressive. According to UFC Stats data, he absorbed only 30 total strikes in that fight and went 7-of-8 on takedowns.
Raimondi: Not sure I buy that one. Nurmagomedov was pretty dominant against Poirier and finished the fight in the third round with a rear-naked choke. Nurmagomedov isn't lazy, he's methodical. That's what got him to this 28-0 undefeated record, and that's the game plan he executed perfectly against Poirier. Ferguson does a lot more in his victories. He's rolling for submissions, jumping for knees. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson couldn't be more different. But Nurmagomedov is extremely proficient in what he does. And let's not forget how darn good Poirier is. It's best to stick to an efficient strategy against someone as dangerous as Poirier.
Wagenheim: So we're dissecting "El Cucuy"-speak now? Yikes, my head is spinning. Maybe what he meant was Nurmagomedov looked so comfortable in controlling Poirier from top position that it was as though Khabib were relaxing in a recliner. Or perhaps it was Ferguson's homage to the bombast of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who once said, "Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy." Or maybe ... nah, I have no idea what Tony was talking about, and I seldom do. I thought Khabib came through that fight smelling like a daisy. Which rhymes with lazy.
How do you expect the fight to play out?
Helwani: I think it will be a very fun fight. I do think their grappling will neutralize each other and a good early portion of the fight will be contested on the feet. That should be fun. Ultimately, I see it going the distance.
Okamoto: There's a reason the fight world has been looking forward to this matchup so much. Of course, the long history of cancellations has a lot to do with it, but it's also because this matchup, stylistically, is arguably the most intriguing fight Nurmagomedov can book. Ferguson is so unorthodox. He surprises his opponents with shots they don't see coming, he has (maybe) the absolute best gas tank in the sport, and he's hard to pin down for an extended amount of time. He's big for the division. This fight is necessary to determine, beyond all shred of doubt, the best lightweight in the world. I think the fight will be competitive, and Ferguson will take Nurmagomedov closer to defeat than he's ever been. But my early lean has to be on the champion pulling it out.
Raimondi: That's so hard to call. Nurmagomedov's best bet is still to take Ferguson down. Ferguson might be dangerous off his back, but Nurmagomedov is one of the best pure wrestlers in the history of MMA. You can't get to this point and not stick with your bread and butter. I expect Nurmagomedov to take Ferguson down and for Ferguson to attempt to allow that on his own terms -- into a position where he can land elbows from the bottom and attempt submissions. What happens when it hits the mat is anyone's guess. I expect Nurmagomedov to fend off Ferguson's attacks and grind him out. But if you tell me Ferguson might do something wild and land or get a close submission attempt, I wouldn't be shocked, either. No matter the result, I can't wait to see two masters of very different styles go to battle.
Wagenheim: Back in 2013, I remember looking at the skill set of unbeaten Chris Weidman, noting he seemed like a bad matchup for Anderson Silva, yet being unable to envision a result other than another victory for "The Spider," who had won 17 in a row while casting a spell of inferiority upon the rest of the fight world. I cite that to acknowledge that my predictable forecasting of another Nurmagomedov victory here is based on my own chronic lack of vision, not on some deficiency in Ferguson's game. Ferguson has built a six-year winning streak upon an idiosyncratic tenacity that makes him Khabib's biggest threat yet. Still, I just can't see the night ending with anything but the invulnerable champion squashing another declawed antagonist.
On Friday, Tony Ferguson inked his bout agreement to face Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title fight scheduled for a UFC pay-per-view event on April 18 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Nurmagomedov had already signed his contract earlier this week.
Multiple sources confirmed the fight as signed, sealed and delivered when speaking to MMA Fighting on Friday following an initial report from ESPN. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Ferguson and his management team from Ballengee Group flew to Las Vegas to meet with the UFC to hammer out the details before put was put to paper.
The title fight was already targeted for that date but Ferguson’s side hadn’t been completed just yet. Now that he’s signed, the title fight can move forward as scheduled as Ferguson looks to hand Nurmagomedov the first defeat of his professional career.
The two top-ranked lightweights have been scheduled to meet four times previously dating all the way back to 2015.
The first fight was scrapped after Nurmagomedov suffered an injury in training. The matchup was then rescheduled four months later but this time it was Ferguson who was forced to withdraw due to a lung issue.
Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were paired up yet again at UFC 209 in 2017, but the undefeated Russian suffered through a brutal weight cut, which forced him to go to the hospital and that once again kept the fight from happening. Finally in 2018, the fight was scheduled for the fourth time only to see Ferguson suffer a bizarre knee injury after he tripped over a television cable while promoting the UFC 223 event where he was supposed to face Nurmagomedov to crown a new lightweight champion.
Now more than four years after they were initially expected to meet, Nurmagomedov will face Ferguson with the lightweight title on the line in the main event on April 18. While the event hasn’t been named yet, it’s currently expected that the card will be UFC 249, although the promotion has not finalized that yet.
Moore caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Rebels quarterback Matt Corral with four seconds remaining to bring the game within one point.
However, what would've been an easy chip shot field goal for Ole Miss kicker Luke Logan to tie the game was pushed back to field goal range after Moore was flagged for his touchdown celebration.
Moore got down on all fours and lifted his leg to imitate a dog peeing, which triggered a 15-yard penalty on the ensuing play.
The celebration was reminiscent of former Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf doing the same celebration in the 2017 Egg Bowl. Metcalf copied wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. after he infamously did the crude celebration while he was with the New York Giants.
Logan missed the 36-yarder to secure the win for Mississippi State.
While it's not guaranteed that Logan would've made the extra point had it been within normal range, Logan has hit a reliable 95.7% of his extra point attempts throughout his three-year collegiate career.
Ole Miss was also not guaranteed a win in overtime, but they would've at least had a chance to win the game if Logan was in a better position to tie the game.
Jason Garrett's job is safe, but only for the moment. In the aftermath of Dallas' 26-15 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving to move them to 6-6 on the season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed to reporters that this latest stumble by Garrett won't cost him his job.
"I'm just not going to make a coaching change," Jones said, via NFL.com. "This is not the time."
This latest loss not only brings Dallas to a .500 record, but it also moves them to an 0-5 record against teams with a winning record in 2019. Despite that, Jones noted that if he were to move on from Garrett in-season, that would drastically hurt Dallas' chances of getting to and winning Super Bowl LIV.
"I wouldn't make a change and give us a chance to do what I want to dream about doing. I wouldn't do that for love nor money," Jones said, via Pro Football Talk. "It would give us zero chance if we didn't have [Garrett]."
While it feels like the Cowboys are on the ropes after losing two straight, Jones' club still has the inside track at making the playoffs. No matter if the Philadelphia Eagles win or lose on Sunday, Dallas would still have ahold of the NFC East lead coming out of Week 13 as they currently own the tiebreaker over Philly. If the Eagles do beat the Miami Dolphins, however, that would draw them even record-wise and potentially set up a massive Week 16 showdown between the two at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Cowboys got embarrassed on Thanksgiving there's a lot to go over. Fortunately Will Brinson, John Breech, Ryan Wilson and Sean Wagner-McGough are here to break everything down from all three games on the Pick Six Podcast. Listen to the full show below and be sure to subscribe here for daily NFL goodness fired into your eardrums.
Before we get too ahead of ourselves with that potential division determining contest, Jones reiterated that he's focusing on the here-and-now. That immediate future for Dallas doesn't include a change at the top.
"I'm going to do the same thing I've always done when I get a setback or get my butt kicked," Jones said. "I'm going to get up in the morning, and I'm going to look for ways [to help], and I'm not going to panic. I'm going to look for ways to improve the situation. I'm still glad that when I get up in the morning, I can look for ways to help our team. One of them is not a coaching change. One of them is not reworking the offense or the defense. Those aren't alternatives for us to be ready to play over the next month and give us a chance to be what we want to be. But if we stay healthy and other contenders might not, and all of a sudden we start jelling, and we start getting some turnovers, then those games will turn out differently. I like our bet there. I do, even though we haven't played well the last three games. I like our bet.
"As I said, nobody is satisfied with how we played even when we played Detroit. That's not taking away from anything, but we can play better, and if we can play better, we've still got the base health of this team and we've got the personnel that we can put out there and we've got some coaches, generally coaches here, that I believe in. It's not working the way they'd thought it'd work, or I'd thought it'd work, but I believe in these coaches to be here to begin with."
Dallas has the Bears, Rams, Eagles and Redskins remaining on the schedule and, for Garrett to keep his job heading into 2020, he'll likely need to lead them to a near-perfect record in those games, while also stamping the Cowboys ticket to the postseason.
If he fails in that endeavor, Jerry Jones likely won't be as merciful as he was Thursday night.
Ole Miss scored with 4 seconds left and had a chance to tie the game with the PAT.
After a flag for the excessive celebration moved the PAT back, the kicker missed wide right and Mississippi State held on to win the Egg Bowl 21-20. pic.twitter.com/z4U7c8JukQ
The display was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving the extra point attempt back 15 yards. And of course, Luke Logan missed the 35-yard try, giving the Bulldogs a 21-20 victory and bowl eligibility at 6-6.
“That’s not who we are. We’ve been a disciplined team all year, and so just disappointed that happened,” Rebels Coach Matt Luke said, per the Associated Press. “That’s not who he is. Elijah is a good kid, and he just got caught up in the moment.”
Moore was not made available to reporters after the game.
“I didn’t really have a good look at it. Everyone was more excited that we scored a touchdown,” quarterback John Rhys Plumlee told the Oxford Eagle. “When you’re excited and you make a big play, you celebrate a little bit. That call just didn’t go our way. … It’s an emotional game and that’s part of it sometimes.”
Said Rebels offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez: “Any defeat you can’t pinpoint to one play. This will hurt for a while, for a long while. But we just have to learn for it.”
Moore actually was continuing a long, hallowed tradition of Ole Miss wide receivers pretending to pee in the end zone after scoring. In 2017, DK Metcalf did the same thing, also drawing a 15-yard penalty.
Ole Miss already had seven losses on the season entering Thursday’s game and thus had no chance of playing in a bowl game, so this Egg Bowl was more about beating a hated rival than anything else.
“We were a little down. The whole team, we’re still down,” linebacker Lakia Henry said of the team’s postgame locker room mood. “We had this one.”
A chance to fall into a tie with the Eagles atop the ugly NFC East. A possibility of missing the playoffs entirely. And yet another loss to a team above .500.
What wasn't reality Thursday night into Friday morning was a coaching change. Jason Garrett remains as the Cowboys head coach, despite the team's lifeless appearance in the second half of its annual Thanksgiving contest. Owner Jerry Jones explained his reasoning to reporters, with tears welling up in his eyes as he leaned on a faint hope of an unexpected turnaround and storybook run to the Super Bowl.
That's probably the only way Garrett could save his job. But a new arrival, veteran defensive lineman Michael Bennett, doesn't have much time to dream. The recent addition via trade wants -- needs -- results now. That's what spurred his high-volume tirade in the Cowboys' locker room after the loss, a rant loud enough to be heard by media members through the closed locker room doors.
"The champions are the people that get remembered," Bennett said when asked about his message to his teammates, via the Dallas Morning News. "They don't remember who got the biggest contract. A whole bunch of great players got great contracts, but they don't get remembered as champions. Champions are the ones who get the gold plates and the jackets and they understand what it takes to win. That's just a certain mindset. That's just a certain ability to play tough in adverse moments."
The Cowboys undoubtedly did not play tough Thursday. Buffalo came into Dallas and won the physical battle on every level of the field, asserting its will while securing its ninth win of the season.
The Bills have clinched a winning season and are likely to be headed to the postseason. The Cowboys cannot say as much. They're running out of time to change that, though they can benefit from a weak division.
"We're pissed off," running back Ezekiel Elliott said. "We know what type of team we have, and we haven't put that on the field at all this year. We're pissed off. ... We're a better team than we've been putting on film every Sunday."
Thanksgiving is over and December is almost here — which means undue pressure ahead for several notable names throughout the NFL.
For coaches, players and owners, the final month of the season can be a time of reckoning. Entering Week 13, only one team — the Cincinnati Bengals — had been eliminated from playoff contention, though the Detroit Lions joined them with a loss on Thanksgiving. But several more are sure to follow, and such disappointments could force a change of scenery in 2020.
With that in mind, we asked NFL reporters and writers for USA TODAY Sports: Which NFL figure is under the most pressure in the final month of the season?
Their answers:
Nancy Armour
Oh, there are so many choices. Some of the more obvious candidates are Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia, but I think their fates are already sealed. Or, if they haven’t been, they should be. Same goes for Pat Shurmur, though it’s hard to win games when your best player was traded away and the defense is wholly ineffective.
But nowhere is the situation more dire than in Washington for general manager Bruce Allen and his boss, owner Dan Snyder.
Allen created this raging dumpster fire that is masquerading as an NFL team, and he will have to somehow convince Snyder that he deserves yet another chance to fix it. Why? Because of his track record in hiring winning head coaches? His close, personal relationships with players? His history of attracting marquee free agents? His ability to build a championship culture? Oh, right. The culture is “actually damn good,” according to Allen. So never mind there.
As for Snyder, this once beloved, once proud franchise is quickly becoming irrelevant in Washington. Fans are fed up with Snyder’s arrogance and his staff’s ineptitude, and the success of the Nationals (reigning World Series champions), Mystics (current WNBA champions) and Capitals (2018 Stanley Cup winners) only make Washington’s failures more glaring. Fans are already turning off; tickets for last weekend’s game were going for as little as $4 at one point, and seats for the final home game, Dec. 22 against the equally woeful Giants, could be had for $16 on Wednesday.
This season is already a wash. But if Allen and Snyder don’t do something over the next month to assure fans that next year won’t be more of the same, they risk turning Washington into the NFL equivalent of the Miami Marlins, a team that is both awful and invisible.
Jarrett Bell
Jason Garrett … and Jerry Jones. I know, I know. The Cowboys coach should be used to immense pressure, operating for so long under the watchful eye and supportive wisdom of Jerry Jones. So the fact that Jerry has thickened the plot in recent weeks with some of his public comments isn’t exactly new territory for Garrett. Besides, I believe that part of the Jerry package is to use certain messages in the public arena to tighten the screws and increase the pressure. So, there’s that. To Garrett’s credit, his teams always seem to play hard for him. And I fully expect they will continue to go down swinging for him … although that might not be enough to save his job if they don’t turn it into a deep playoff run.
One reason Garrett has remained so poised (at least from what he displays for the world) is that he was groomed for his role while coming up in the Cowboys culture. He’s learned to roll with the circus-in-a-fishbowl environment. And fair or not, he knows who he’s working for. Yet for all the years that Jones has had Garrett’s back, his patience can’t last forever. Add Garrett’s lame-duck contract status to the mix, and this is certainly a different type of make-or-break pressure.
But for all of that, let’s not overlook the significant external pressure swirling about Garrett. Some diehard Cowboys fans have been calling for his head for years. Ask Tony Romo what that is like. And now, the Garrett detractors inside the Cowboys Nation fan base may be on the verge of growing in size and volume. Of course, the decision on Garrett ultimately comes down to Jerry – who harbors some pressure of his own as he’s been unable to duplicate the championship teams that Jimmy Johnson built. It has been 23 years, going on 24, since the NFL’s most popular, most valuable, most glamorous and most telegenic franchise – 23 years! – has played in a Super Bowl. That’s the longest championship dry spell in Cowboys history – and it’s under Jerry’s watch. But Jerry can’t fire himself. No wonder the pressure he must feel to win big without Jimmy extends to Garrett, just as it would for any coach envisioned to produce a champion.
Nate Davis
I’m going with the NFL’s senior VP of officiating, Al Riveron. If you don’t appreciate how embattled he could be, read some of the reporting from our esteemed Jarrett Bell. Saints coach Sean Payton held little back, and one head coach told Jarrett that the state of officiating is “awful” … which most league observers recognized long ago. Now, with the playoffs and Super Bowl approaching, the problems are only going to become magnified for Riveron and his crews. It sure seems like the officiating corps got too inexperienced way too quickly as established refs retired or took high-profile TV jobs. And then there’s the replay system, which doesn’t seem to be working as designed this season with pass interference now subject to review, and those issues boomerang to Riveron. And once a bad call (or calls) costs a team a playoff spot or game or, football gods forbid, a Super Bowl berth as happened in New Orleans last year – with the expectation that such injustices can be rectified? I shudder to think what could happen next offseason. But it sure feels like there could soon be demand for a sacrificial zebra.
Jori Epstein
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has made his expectation for Jason Garrett clear.
“I don’t have to win the Super Bowl in business every year,” Jones told NFL Network on Wednesday. “I can come in sixth and have a hell of a year. But in this business, you’ve got to come in first. ... I want Jason to get it done.”
Garrett hasn’t been able to get it—a Super Bowl run—done in a decade as Dallas’ head coach. He has not even competed in a conference championship game, and his bosses want to see that progress for him to remain Cowboys coach. Technically, Jones need not even fire Garrett. Garrett already is coaching on the final year of his contract. Jones, as owner and general manager, believes he’s assembled a roster far more talented than its 6-6 record indicates. Though Jones said he had no plans to fire his coach during the season, he shows no desire to soften his tone with Garrett until results reflect that. Even as the Cowboys sit atop the NFC East, Garrett knows: He has been placed on notice.
Mike Jones
A lot of guys are feeling the heat as the league enters the homestretch of the season, but I’m going to go with Mitchell Trubisky. This season hasn’t at all gone the way he and the Bears wanted, and now, he’s seemingly in danger of losing his job this offseason. He has to find a way to quickly get to a better place mentally so he can perform at a high level and signal to the Bears that he’s worth sticking with next season and beyond. Otherwise, Chicago probably has to go in a different direction next season so they can capitalize on this win-now roster.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
A three-game win streak has helped ease some of the concerns in Cleveland, but Freddie Kitchens might not have quieted all of the grumblings just yet. At 5-6, the Browns now have playoff aspirations again thanks in part to a watered-down AFC. With two games against the Bengals remaining, the schedule is quite conducive to a late-season run. But if the Browns take another misstep or two and miss out on their first winning season since 2007, the question will resurface: Is Kitchens the right person to lead all this young talent?
Tom Schad
It would be a bit surprising for the Bengals to punt on Zac Taylor after just one season, but we've reached the point now where he's got to show something. Anything. Any sign of growth or hope that Bengals ownership can point to as a reason to keep him. Because the early returns have been, well, awful.
Ballyhooed as a Sean McVay protege and offensive innovator, Taylor has instead led the NFL's second-worst scoring offense, a unit that has scored more than 20 points exactly once in 11 games. The quarterback position is a mess, with Taylor switching back to Andy Dalton this week in a move that reeks of desperation, and attendance is bottoming out. The notion of tanking and rebuilding through the draft is all well and good, but if Taylor's team doesn't show signs of life in the final month, ownership might decide to let someone else lead the franchise through such a rebuild.
Hill blocked a punt to set up his 3-yard touchdown catch before scoring again on a 30-yard run, and the New Orleans Saints clinched their third straight NFC South title by beating the Atlanta Falcons 26-18 on Thursday night.
Hill stole the show on a roster filled with more established stars.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees eats a drumstick after defeating the Atlanta Falcons 26-18. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
“When you have guys like Mike Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook, the list goes on, it kind of creates opportunities for little old me because it creates so much attention that's put on those guys,” Hill said.
“Coach (Sean Payton) is one of the best at being creative and putting guys in positions to be successful. I got lucky because I was that guy tonight.”
The Saints (10-2) atoned for their 26-9 home loss to the Falcons on Nov. 10, their only defeat in the last 10 games.
With Julio Jones inactive due to a shoulder injury, the Falcons had too little offense to keep pace with Drew Brees and the Saints. Atlanta recovered two onside kicks in the closing minutes, including one with 1:54 remaining, to make things interesting.
Matt Ryan was sacked by Cameron Jordan on a fourth-down play from the New Orleans 44 with 38 seconds remaining. Ryan was sacked nine times, including four by Jordan.
“We had to drop back and pass at the end of the game,” Ryan said. “When you do that and there’s really no threat of run, it’s tough sledding, particularly when you’re going against a good defense, a very good defensive line and one of the better pass rushers in the game in Cam Jordan.”
The versatile Hill blocked Ryan Allen’s punt to end Atlanta’s first possession. The Saints took over at the Falcons 30, and four plays later Hill scored his first touchdown on a short pass from Brees.
Hill took a direct snap and ran 30 yards for his first rushing touchdown of the season to give New Orleans a 17-6 lead late in the first half.
“If I can step on the field eight to 10 to 15 times, whatever that number is, my goal is to add a spark whenever I can,” Hill said. “I love to be able to go in and add some energy.”
The disappointing Falcons (3-9) solidified their hold on last place in the division with their second straight home loss.
Atlanta running back Devonta Freeman returned after missing two games with a foot sprain. Freeman ran for 51 yards on 17 carries.
Ryan committed three second-half turnovers — two interceptions and a lost fumble. Saints nose tackle Shy Tuttle and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had interceptions.
Ryan fumbled in the fourth quarter when hit by Marcus Davenport. Vonn Bell’s recovery set up Will Lutz’s fourth field goal, from 45 yards.
Eli Apple’s 22-yard pass-interference penalty helped extend an Atlanta drive that ended with a fourth-down incompletion from the Saints 2.
Apple drew another pass interference call, this one a 35-yarder, and on the next play Ryan found tight end Jaeden Graham for an 18-yard touchdown pass that cut the Saints’ lead to 7-6, following Younghoe Koo’s missed extra point.
Koo also missed a 42-yard field goal before making a 45-yarder with 3 seconds remaining in the first half. Koo was good from 43 yards late in the game.
In 35 total snaps, his most since Week 2, Hill blocked a first-quarter punt, "caught" a touchdown "pass" on the ensuing possession and added a rushing score in the second quarter. It was a first half for the ages for the third-year multi-purpose weapon, one Hill knew was coming and one he won't soon forget.
"It was one of those weeks I was really excited about," Hill said after the game. "I think when you have guys like Mike Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook, the list goes on, it kind of creates opportunities for little old me because there's so much attention that's put on those guys. Coach (Sean Payton) is one of the best at being creative and putting guys in position to be successful. I got lucky because I was the guy tonight."
Hill's two-touchdown performance was the first of his short career, and his two scores were his first trips to the end zone since Week 8. The latter touchdown on which Kamara flexed out of the backfield and Hill sped 30 yards through the teeth of the Falcons' front for six was another first.
"That was the first time we ran that," Hill said, adding the call was added to the playbook for Thursday's game.
Hill became just the second QB since 1950 with a rushing TD and a receiving TD in the same game -- Jim McMahon pulled it off for the Bears in Week 10, 1983. But the secret weapon wishes he had one more score to add to the stat sheet.
"We were trying to get a touchdown throw in there too," Hill joked. "It wasn't aligned."
Hill attempted just one pass. It fell incomplete. Maybe next time.
After playing the role of Teddy Bridgewater's backup while Drew Brees was on the mend from thumb surgery, Hill is back to where he belongs on the Saints' roster, a gadget guy with X-factor capabilities, waiting his turn to turn the game on its head.
"I'm happy that Drew's back for multiple reasons," Hill said. "I love playing with him. He's one of the best leaders I've ever been around.
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Luke Morgan missed a 35-yard extra point after Mississippi receiver Elijah Moore was penalized for celebrating a touchdown by crawling and pretending to urinate like a dog, a la Odell Beckham Jr., and Mississippi State ended up with a 21-20 victory on Thursday night in the 116th Egg Bowl.
Beckham infamously sparked a lot of controversy when he pretended to urinate like a dog in the Giants’ 27-24 loss to the Eagles on Sept. 24, 2017, that eventually led to a 3-13 season and the firing of coach Ben McAdoo.
Ole Miss receiver Elijah Moore was penalized for celebrating a touchdown by crawling and pretending to urinate like a dog.AP
Ole Miss (4-8, 2-6 Southeastern Conference) pulled within a point with 4 seconds remaining on Matt Corral’s 2-yard pass to Moore, but Logan hooked the extra point after Moore cost the Rebels 15 yards.
“That’s not who we are. We’ve been a disciplined team all year, and so just disappointed that happened,” Rebels coach Matt Luke said. “That’s not who he is. Elijah is a good kid, and he just got caught up in the moment.”
Mississippi State (6-6, 3-5 Southeastern Conference), coached by former Fordham coach Joe Moorhead, beat Ole Miss at home for the first time since 2013.
The teams combined for seven sacks and 17 tackles for loss, and Mississippi State won the turnover battle 3-1.
The Bulldogs scored two first-half touchdowns, the first on Nick Gibson’s 27-yard run and the second on the next possession on quarterback Garrett Shrader’s 1-yard run. Ole Miss responded with two touchdowns of its own, with J.R. Plumlee scoring on a 2-yard run and Jerrion Ealy on a 5-yarder to tie it at 14 at the half.
Midway through the third quarter, the Bulldogs sacked Plumlee three times on the same drive, the third forcing a fumble. Seven plays later, Shrader scored on a 5-yard run to put Mississippi State up 21-14.
On the final drive of the game, Mississippi State committed three of its five total penalties and Ole Miss ran nine plays inside the 15 before eventually connecting for the touchdown.
