Daily Archives: December 27, 2021

If the Chicago Bears have made up their minds on the fate of head coach Matt Nagy, there's little reason for them to delay what feels like the inevitable.

Let the man go.

No, this isn't a snow-blinded suggestion after Sunday's late, spirited comeback win over the Seattle Seahawks. And it's not a reactionary take for a coach who won 15 of his first 20 regular-season games but has gone 18-25 since.

Nagy had to feel like he was coaching for his life when he made the decision to go for two after the Bears cut it to a one-point game with just over a minute left. Clutch Nick Foles came through, too, hitting Damiere Byrd for one of the wildest two-point grabs you'll see, giving the Bears the one-point edge that stood as the winning margin.

Good for Nagy. He deserved that. He has had a rough few years. He got to knock Pete Carroll out of the playoffs and know that his guys fought really, really hard for him with his fate at a flashpoint.

In the end, however, this game shouldn't matter for his fate. If you wanted to fire Nagy yesterday, you should still want to fire him tomorrow. Beating a 5-10 team can't carry that much weight. The Bears brought Nagy back mercifully last year after they backed their way into the playoffs. All that move did was kick the can down the road. We're essentially in the same spot with Nagy that we were then.

Would it spell out how brutal this business is, firing Nagy immediately after their best win in recent memory? Absolutely. But there's a competitive advantage to doing so Monday.

The new NFL rules this season governing head-coaching interviews, enacted at the owners meetings this offseason, allow teams with vacancies to conduct those interviews as soon as Tuesday (with a few stipulations).

The bottom line is any team wishing to take advantage of those new rules must not have their head coach in place anymore. Two teams the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars currently meet those requirements.

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The Bears need to join them, again if they've decided to move on. Others might follow suit. There could be, as there are most years, several head-coaching vacancies. Better to kick-start the process now than fall behind.

Why might the Bears drag their feet on this, you ask?

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy heads toward the field against the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Well, for one, say what you will about Nagy as a coach and his results on the field, but he's been a good ambassador for the franchise in many respects. He's a well-liked person by the club's employees and hasn't done anything embarrassing off the field something you can't say about the two current teams with head-coaching openings.

Also, the Bears have never fired a coach before the conclusion of the season in their 100-plus years as a franchise. It's a source of pride in a way. They stuck with Marc Trestman during an embarrassing 5-11 season in 2014. They didn't can John Fox until after a brutal 2017 season.

Perhaps there was nobility in that once upon a time. Times have changed. Waiting until Black Monday out of respect is now antiquated, and the Bears can't worry about doing Nagy wrong. Firing him after this game should help make the process of replacing him that much easier.

Plus, for Nagy, wouldn't he want to walk now with his over-.500 record (33-30) and a chance to get a head start on finding his own new gig? All parties benefit. Nothing that happens in Weeks 17 or 18 should change what we already know about Nagy in Chicago.

There also have been reports that the Bears might be considering other sweeping changes. Team chairman George McCaskey technically calls the shots, and that might include the fates of team president Ted Phillips and general manager Ryan Pace.

If they're going to go that direction, getting early legwork done on the head-coaching candidates might be even more important. Halas Hall could be a very busy place come early January.

If the Bears decide to take advantage of the new rules and they have until early Tuesday morning to do so they might not be able to talk to everyone on their coaching wish list.

The Bears can talk to only assistant coaches or college coaches at this point. Current NFL head coaches with jobs will remain off limits until Jan. 10, the day after the end of the regular season. (Interim head coaches, however, are technically allowed to interview.)

They also can talk only virtually with the eligible candidates, and there's a two-hour limit to the online chats.

Teams also can deny head-coaching interviews for their assistants, so it's no guarantee that the Bears will be able to check off all the names on their list.

But again, why wait? Even if they can have only brief, getting-to-know-you chats with a few potential candidates, it behooves them to start the process. They can see how engaged the candidates are. They can gather their feelings on Justin Fields, their approaches to analytics, how much say over the roster and personnel decisions they'll seek (and whether they want to work with Pace and the rest of the front office if they're still part of the picture).

They can compare answers to the next time they speak. Or perhaps they can eliminate potential options if they don't like what they hear, even in a brief session. There's quite a bit that can be accomplished, even in these limited interviews.

The Bears' recent head-coaching searches have been strange and convoluted. This is something they should aspire to prevent happening.

Former GM Phil Emery crisscrossed the country in 2013 after the Lovie Smith firing, interviewing a whopping 20 (!) potential replacements before settling on Trestman. Before hiring Fox, the Bears talked about bringing in Gary Kubiak and (!!) Mike Shanahan; neither ended up making it to Halas Hall for interviews.

And after Fox was canned, they spoke to five candidates including then-defensive coordinator Vic Fangio prior to sitting down with Nagy, who was the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator at the time. His interview came less than 24 hours that year after the Chiefs were upset at home in the playoffs against Tennessee.

We don't know if it was the tipping point, or how much he emphasized it during that chat in K.C., but Nagy reportedly liked then-rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky, whom Pace had just traded up to draft less than nine months prior.

The symmetry here is undeniable. The Bears then, as it is now, were not the most attractive head-coaching opening that year. But they had a moldable first-year quarterback taken high in the draft, in whom the Bears had sunk a wealth of assets to land. They also had a front-office structure that not all the candidates were keen on.

Isn't that where we are now with Fields? The Bears have no reason to think Fields will turn out the way Trubisky did in Chicago, but it's fair to suggest the team's brass views Fields as one of the more attractive elements of this job opening.

Sure, some up-and-coming assistant could blow some smoke up the Bears brass' suits and say they love Fields and would do anything to work with him. Or perhaps there's a confident coach who gives Chicago an assertive roadmap on how to get the most out of its young QB after a frustrating but promising debut season.

Whatever the results, it's obvious: There's nothing gained by keeping Nagy past Monday hard as a beat-up Bears roster seemed to play for its coach on the road if the team has made up its mind on letting him go already.

The Bears might even be helping the guy by doing so. But the most fruitful part of his early termination, history be damned, is that they badly need to get the next hire right. That's the bottom line, and the century-long history of not making an in-season firing isn't worth keeping alit.

The Bears have always bathed in their history, and rightfully so to a degree. Tradition does matter, but only to a point. No Bears fan cares about holiday-season kindness. They care about finding a coach who can develop Fields and build another winner. That's it, and that's all that needs to matter.

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Bears have no reason to wait to fire Matt Nagy until after the season - Yahoo Sports

A challenging year for the restaurant space is ending just as it began: with waves of new COVID-19 infections threatening the outlook as vaccine mandates, labor shortages and inflation make tough service sector jobs even harder.

Yet Krystle Mobayeni, the CEO and founder of restaurant website platform BentoBox, told Yahoo Finance that the Omicron wave has not deterred the embattled industry. Restaurants continue to "get creative" to battle the surge, she insisted, and are using the pandemic to deepen their connection to customers.

The executive cited one recent example of a restaurant that was forced to shut down due to a COVID-19 exposure case. But instead of remaining idle, the eatery pivoted to creating Christmas meal kits in order to earn some additional revenue.

It's a sign of the times as restaurants continue to learn from pandemic hurdles with many shifting operations to digital channels and online ordering to stay afloat.

Mobayeni noted that clients of BentoBox have seen a 10% increase in online order size week-over-week, with hard hit states like New York and Illinois seeing order volumes increase by as much as 15%.

Direct online order volume has surged a whopping 54% year-over-year, according to restaurant website platform BentoBox

Overall, direct online order volume has surged a whopping 54% year-over-year, as COVID-wary customers rely more on takeout and delivery.

According to BentoBox's data, restaurants saved $38.5 million in commission fees by switching to direct online ordering rather than relying on third-party delivery apps like Grubhub, Doordash (DASH) and Uber Eats (UBER).

"I do think that there is a change happening in consumer behavior," Mobayeni said, explaining that consumers now want to have "a relationship with the restaurant" even if they don't dine in.

"Diners are starting to go directly to the restaurants' channels and contact the restaurant directly. This direct relationship is becoming a much more permanent fixture because just it's something that consumers are wanting," she added.

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Smaller restaurant chains that may not have the brand recognition or exposure to go up against big-name delivery apps, have utilized automation tools like social media and promotional e-mail campaigns to create better relationships with consumers.

Wyomissing, PA - February 26: Servers Danielle Pyle files a pitcher with water. At the Wyomissing Restaurant and Bakery on Penn Ave in Wyomissing Friday morning February 26, 2021. (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)

Other creative moves include the rise of ghost kitchens operations with no wait staff, no dining rooms and no parking lot. The new concept (up 100% on the BentoBox platform) helps restaurants meet demand with less overhead as prices continue to surge and supply chain issues persist.

"This became a lot more prevalent in conjunction with rising operating costs, so restaurants [were] forced to find new efficiencies," Mobayeni said, surmising that the concept will continue to be popular in 2022.

Yet labor shortages continue to pose the biggest challenge for beleaguered restaurants.

According to the latest BLS report, jobs the foodservice industry have crept up, but have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. Currently, the industry is more than 750,000 jobs short compared to March 2020.

Mobayeni warned t the labor shortage is "here to stay," and noted that restaurants have had to pay more to attract new hires and retain staff, with labor costs rising by an eye-popping 80% - 85%, she said.

Still, automation continues to be key with more restaurants allowing technology to handle operating tasks "a trend that we're going to see moving forward in 2022," the CEO added.

Alexandra is a Producer & Entertainment Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193

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BentoBox CEO: COVID helped create 'a relationship with the restaurant' via online orders - Yahoo Finance

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin supports the NFL's crackdown on taunting ... but not when it happens to one of his players.

Tomlin took issue with a taunting call during Sunday's game against Kansas City, saying officials "have to exercise some common sense" when throwing a flag.

The penalty occurred with just under five minutes to play in the third quarter. Receiver Ray Ray McLoud snagged a pass from Ben Roethlisberger to convert a third down. As McLoud was getting up, he made a first-down motion in front of Chiefs defender L'Jarius Sneed. That drew a flag from the official, who had a front-row seat to the exchange.

Following the contest, Tomlin said he disagreed with the call, and that McLoud didn't realize Sneed was there, according to Pro Football Talk.

I categorically disagreed with it. I thought that Ray Ray was signaling first down, and he turned around to do so and the guy just happened to be there. I think we have to exercise some common sense, Tomlin said.

Tomlin's argument doesn't hold up on review. McLoud started the gesture before looking at Sneed, but definitely noticed Sneed before signaling for the first down. That may have resulted in McLoud giving a much more subdued first-down gesture, but he still made one. Since Sneed was right in McLoud's face, it was an easy flag for the official.

The incident occurred with the Steelers down 30-0. The team attempted to mount a late comeback, but still fell 36-10 to the Chiefs. It's the second time a receiver signaling a first down has hurt the Steelers this season.

Mike Tomlin usually supports the NFL's taunting crackdown. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Tomlin, who is part of the league's competition committee, has supported the league's crackdown on taunting on season. Tomlin addressed the issue multiple times since August, always agreeing with the league's stance. When the Steelers benefitted from a controversial taunting call against the Chicago Bears in November, Tomlin continued to back the crackdown.

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With the shoe on the other foot, Tomlin did not like the call. His larger point, about officials using "common sense," is legitimate criticism.

That same advice could apply to Tomlin's players, who shouldn't emphatically celebrate a first down when trailing by 30 points.

The rest is here:

Mike Tomlin on controversial taunting call against Steelers: 'We have to exercise some common sense' - Yahoo Sports

Is 56-14 an emphatic enough win for the Dallas Cowboys over the Washington Football Team? Yeah, probably. With the offense and defense firing on all cylinders, Charles Robinson & Frank Schwab open the Sunday night podcast asking: is there a scarier team in the NFL right now than Dallas?

Some other contenders may be the Cincinnati Bengals, who were lifted to a 20-point win over the division rival Baltimore Ravens thanks to Joe Burrow's 525 passing yards, or the Kansas City Chiefs, who drubbed a defensively-minded Pittsburgh Steelers team 36-10.

Charles & Frank recap all of the games from Week 16, including a baffling loss from the Los Angeles Chargers, an impressive flag-planting win from the Buffalo Bills and a Cleveland Browns loss that has to be inspiring questions about Baker Mayfield's future in Ohio.

Stay up to date with the latest NFL news and coverage from Yahoo Sports on Twitter @YahooSportsNFL.

Follow Charles @CharlesRobinson

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Buy an All-Juice Team hoodie or tee from BreakingT.com/Terez. All profits directly fund the scholarship.

Donate directly at giving.howard.edu/givenow. Under Tribute, please note that your gift is made in memory of Terez A. Paylor. Under Designation, click on Other and write in Terez A. Paylor Scholarship.

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Week 16 Sunday Night Freestyle: Be afraid, be very afraid of the Chiefs and Cowboys - Yahoo Sports

Back in September, shortly after DeMarcus Lawrence was limping off a practice field with a broken foot, he tapped out a hopeful-but-entirely-predictable social media post to raise the spirits of the Dallas Cowboys faithful. It was the kind of thing that is widely shared but scarcely believed when it comes to this franchise, a team that has seen for decades its best-laid plans break down.

Will be back and ready for war, Lawrence tweeted. Believe it.

What Lawrence and the Cowboys didnt know at the time was that it was only the first moment of adversity on the horizon. Within a month, underperforming linebacker Jaylon Smith would be cut, rising defensive end Randy Gregory would be sidelined twice first with COVID-19 and then with a calf injury and a litany of young players would be pressed into action as depth chart attrition chipped away at the unit.

Unlike past iterations of Dallas defenses that too often folded under the weight of injuries or the spotlight of expectations, something happened in Lawrences absence. The Cowboys were forced to be creative and young in spots. And suddenly it got a whole lot better. To the point that when Lawrence returned in December, Dallas went about dispatching three middle NFC teams (including the Washington Football Team twice) in a fashion that turned expectations upside down.

What if the Cowboys franchise that we thought would be celebrated as a boat-racing offense was actually going to define itself as the leagues biggest playmaking defense? And what if Lawrence the $20 million a season man wasnt even the best player on the unit by the time he returned?

DeMarcus Lawrence's 40-yard interception return was part of a dominating performance by the Cowboys in a 56-14 rout of Washington. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

That would make Dallas one of the most intriguing, and potentially terrifying, defenses in the NFL. It's precisely what it looked like on Sunday night, showcasing itself on a national stage in which the Cowboys incinerated the Washington Football Team 56-14. It was an outcome that despite coming against a reeling Washington team will serve notice to the rest of the NFC Super Bowl hopefuls.

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This is not the team you want to face in the postseason. Not if youre the Green Bay Packers. Not if youre the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not if youre the Los Angeles Rams or any other contender. As good as the offense could be, the defense is the starring attraction right now, capable of (as Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke put it Sunday night) ass whooping arguably anyone.

The Cowboys are capable of scoring touchdowns like Sunday's 40-yard pick-six from Lawrence, which saw him operating from the defensive tackle spot when he deftly tipped a Heinicke pass into the air, then caught it and raced down the sideline before making a remarkable cutback to get into the end zone. That was a franchise-tying record sixth turnover returned for a touchdown. The Cowboys also blocked a punt for a touchdown and picked off Heinicke a second time, with Trevon Diggs intercepting his 11th pass of the season while tying the Dallas franchise record with two games remaining. Rookie wrecking ball Micah Parsons also notched his 13th sack of the season (10 1/2 in his last eight games) to further plant himself into the leagues defensive MVP conversation.

With Lawrence rounding back into shape, the Dallas defense now has four legitimate high-end difference-makers in Lawrence, Diggs, Parsons and Gregory. And it says nothing of the Cowboys' overall depth in the unit, which looks younger, faster and capable of wreaking havoc on quarterbacks under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Its a unit that is long and rangy, and capable of making plays on the ball traits shared by some of Quinns best defenses back with the Seattle Seahawks, when his units were stacked with alpha playmakers at every level.

Lawrence called the unit the best defense he has played with in his career. And that may very well be the case by the time the season ends. Both Diggs and Parsons will likely land on the All-Pro team. Parsons will be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. If Diggs isnt the best cornerback in football, hes in the conversation. And Gregory, well, he has become a cog on what is arguably the best defensive front in the NFL when Parsons plays on the edge and Lawrence rolls inside to defensive tackle. It's a foursome that looks very similar to the New York Giants' Super Bowl-winning defensive line that carved a path to a championship when they started rolling defensive end Justin Tuck inside to tackle and playing him between defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora.

If youre not old enough to be familiar with that 2007 season's championship team, pull the clips and compare that trio with what Dallas is fielding when everyone is healthy. It might not be a perfect match, but the same kind of juice is there.

That should worry the rest of the NFC. Since locking up the NFC East this weekend, the goals for Dallas got simpler. As Lawrence put it Sunday night, Win every playoff game. Make the Super Bowl. Win the Super Bowl.

For the first time in arguably decades, this Dallas team might be able to pull that off.

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The scariest playoff team in the NFL? Its the Cowboys and their terrifying defense - Yahoo Sports

The stakes were high for Josh Allen and Joe Burrow this week. Both quarterbacks were facing the most important regular-season games of their lives, playing de-facto divisional championship games.

And lets not forget, the pressure of the fantasy football semifinals.

Allen and the Bills needed to make amends for the messy, windy loss against New England three weeks ago. Although Buffalo won the AFC East last year, theres been a big brother/little brother vibe between these teams for a long time, a tone the Bills desperately wanted to change.

Burrow already had a Baltimore win on his 2021 card, but the Bengals wanted to signal that theyve truly arrived, that they can be counted on to be consistently productive. Theyve had trouble maintaining success at times thus year, losing to a few sketchy teams. Would that be a problem Sunday, up against an injury-ravaged Baltimore club?

Well, the grades are in, and theyre top of the class. A-plus for Allen, A-plus for Burrow, and fantasy superlatives all around. Anyone who stacked Buffalo or Cincinnati angles for Week 16 is dancing between hundred-dollar bills.

Lets start with Allen, because a domination of the Patriots defense is especially impressive. Allen and the Bills imposed their will on Bill Belichick and Company, racking up 28 first downs and 428 total yards. Buffalo never punted, and to be fair, the 33-21 final score feels a bit misleading. This was a statement game, and a beatdown.

Allen beat New England with his arm (314 yards, three touchdowns), with his legs (64 yards rushing on 12 scrambles) and with his efficiency (no sacks or interceptions). Often it was creative play design (take a bow, OC Brian Daboll) that fueled Buffalos success at Foxboro, but Allen also made several winning plays out-of-structure. The Bills also played to win, converting 3-of-4 attempts on fourth down. Is it too late for Allen to get back into the MVP race?

Allen dragged most of his teammates to fantasy glory. Stefon Diggs didnt smash the Patriots into 100 pieces, but 7-85-1 is a tasty line for any receiver. Isaiah McKenzie stepped into the Gabriel Davis void and dominated, securing 11-of-12 looks, good for 125 yards and a touchdown. Devin Singletary (78 total yards, touchdown) was useful, and Dawson Knox bailed out with a late touchdown, though he had an earlier score called back by penalty. It was a good day to hang in a Buffalo stance.

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Josh Allen posted 30.96 fantasy points in a win over the Patriots. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)

The Bengals had a much easier assignment, facing a Baltimore defense thats been destroyed by injury. While the Bills were 1-point underdogs at New England, Cincinnati was a 7.5-point choice over the Ravens. This was a game Cincinnati was expected to control.

But the Bengals didnt merely control this game Burrow and mates took the Ravens behind the woodshed.

Burrow posted the second-best passing game in Bengals history for fantasy purposes chucking for 525 yards and four touchdowns. And when Burrow goes off, you know other fantasy stars are going to smash; Cincinnati has one of the narrowest usage trees in the league. Tee Higgins was a clinic against the makeshift Baltimore coverage (12-194-2, on 13 targets), JaMarr Chase racked up 125 yards, and Tyler Boyd had a 68-yard touchdown catch-and-run. A second Boyd touchdown was wiped out by penalty.

Joe Mixon averaged a modest 3.6 a carry against Baltimores staunch run defense, but no matter. He still collected 65 yards rushing, another 70 yards receiving, and two total touchdowns. When the smoke cleared at the end of Sundays early window, the Bengals were sitting on the No. 1 quarterback (Burrow), the No. 1 wideout (Higgins), and the No. 2 running back (Mixon). Les Nessman must be going out of his mind.

Buffalos the more likely repeat story if we look ahead to Week 17 Atlanta is a dream draw. Cincinnati, meanwhile, hosts Kansas City, and a defense thats turned into a nasty unit over the last two months. But well worry about Week 17 matchups tomorrow. For now, lets savor the glorious pinball Buffalo and Cincinnati played Sunday, a late-but-welcome holiday present for anyone needing them in fake football.

The shocker of the early window was the Chargers losing at Houston, 41-29. The LAC entered as a 13.5-point favorite. Both teams moved the ball effortlessly the game featured 854 yards of offense but the Chargers coughed up three turnovers, while the Texans didnt have any. Steady Houston rookie QB Davis Mills (9.4 YPA, two touchdowns) has been one of the underreported great breakouts of the year.

Despite the loss, the Chargers still put some holiday joy under the tree. Fill-in running back Justin Jackson heartily endorsed by Austin Ekeler during the week came through for the fake footballers, collecting 162 total yards, eight receptions, and two rushing scores. He did lose one fumble, but his juicy day still went for 30.20 points in standard Yahoo formats, grabbing the No. 1 spot on the running back board.

Houstons defense had a say in Jacksons breakout. The Texans entered the week ranked 27th in DVOA rush defense, but a solid 10th in DVOA pass defense. When you see this type of disparity its called a funnel defense you like to act proactively. Kudos to anyone who snapped up Jackson as a waiver claim, and thanks to our buddy Ekeler, who pitched the angle to everyone (both on Twitter and in his weekly spot with Yahoo colleague Liz Loza). Even when Ekeler cant help our fantasy interests directly, hes always looking out for us.

Mark Andrews goes down as the seasons right answer at tight end, no matter what happens the rest of the way. Hes been quarterback-proof, game-script proof, dominant at all areas of the field. All he needed was the Ravens to commit to an opportunity increase, and they finally signed off. And like so many dynamic pass-catching tight ends, Andrews was a wideout in college.

We expect the Giants to fall short of 300 yards most weeks, but Sunday at Philly, New York didnt even make it to 200 yards. Its a season with plenty of mediocre teams, but the Giants offense stands alone at the bottom of the barrel. This team doesnt do anything well. Injuries have been a part of the mix, but this looks like another organization that needs to blow up the foundation and start over.

Tom Brady targeted Antonio Brown off the bus Sunday 15 looks, good for 10-101-0. I dont think the aim was simply to beat the Panthers (which of course the Bucs did easily); Brady surely knows that if Tampa Bay is going to advance deep into the tournament, it needs Brown to be great. Sundays workload was a nod towards the long-term goal, not just the short-term goal.

Theres only one team with a losing record straight up but a winning record against the spread the Detroit Lions (2-12-1 straight up, 10-5 at the window). Dan Campbell is still feeling his way through game theory and strategy, but the Lions play hard for him every week. Cashing at Atlanta without Jared Goff was a nifty trick; never forget, Tim Boyle was never a prospect in college (one career touchdown pass, 13 picks, and a completion percentage under 50 percent).

Leave it to DK Metcalf to break his touchdown drought in the snow, though he still stumbled to a 2-41-1 line against Chicagos come-and-get-it secondary (22nd in pass-defense DVOA). Russell Wilson hasnt bene a proactive runner all season, and a divorce between Wilson and the Seahawks appears imminent heck, it also appears mutually beneficial.

For the fifth straight week, the Steelers were shut out in the first half, a staggering trend. Just like success, failure has many parents, but start with the stale game plans from OC Matt Canada, and Ben Roethlisbergers reluctance to run play-action or have pre-snap motion. The NFL gives you a couple of cheat codes, and the Steelers dont want to use them.

Trevor Lawrence obviously screwed up at the end of the loss to the Jets, spiking the ball at the goal line when the Jaguars could have run two plays, rather than just one. I dont want to be too hard on the rookie, whos been set up to fail by his coaching staff and his supporting cast all season. Jacksonville needs to get the hire right, but Im still bullish on Lawrences future. He just needs to have a short memory, and forget the majority of what happened this year.

It was encouraging to see the Jets offense kick up its heels. Michael Carter can play. Braxton Berrios can play, too. Still, they somehow got a win despite 4.6 YPA from Zach Wilson. His stock has plummeted over the last four months.

I thought the Rams were thinking insurance when they acquired Sony Michel, but hes pushed Darrell Henderson out of the way the last two weeks. The Rams are shrewdly keeping Odell Beckham Jr. engaged, featuring him regularly on potential scoring plays. His corner route for Sundays spike was a thing of beauty.

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Fantasy Booms and Busts: Josh Allen, Joe Burrow rise to occasion in Week 16 - Yahoo Sports

The Baltimore Ravens sum up the 2021 NFL season. It all looked so good not long ago. Then injuries and COVID-19 ruined everything.

The Ravens went on the road in what should have been an AFC North championship showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. They had no chance.

The Ravens had 10 players on the COVID-19 list. They had seven starters on injured reserve and had 11 practice squad players on the field via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Cornerback Anthony Averett was carted off during the game with a chest injury. Lamar Jackson was out due to an ankle injury and his competent replacement Tyler Huntley was put on the COVID-19 list this past week. Josh Johnson, a 35-year-old who has been with 13 teams, started at quarterback. He was signed off the Jets' practice squad 11 days earlier.

Many teams are dealing with injuries and COVID issues, but it's hard to not feel bad for the Ravens, who deserved way better this season.

Sunday's pivotal game started well. The Ravens took a 7-3 lead. Then it was 10-7 Bengals. Then 17-7. Then 24-7 and it wasn't halftime yet. Joe Burrow had 299 yards by halftime against the Ravens' patchwork secondary. That's the most Baltimore has ever allowed in a first half. The Ravens were done not just against the Bengals, but probably for the season as well and it wasn't their fault. At the end the Bengals seemed to be rubbing it in, with Burrow throwing deep late. He got to 525 yards. The Ravens couldn't stop anything. They lost 41-21.

This is the 2021 NFL season in a nutshell. The Ravens were 8-3 and looking at the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They got through a rash of injuries and were still one of the AFC's best teams, a testament to head coach John Harbaugh. But the injuries kept piling up and being hit by COVID was the final knockout punch. The Ravens are 8-7, they're not winning the AFC North after being swept by the Bengals and might not get a wild-card spot either. A promising season turned to dust and it was mostly out of their control.

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A few teams' seasons are being ruined by injuries and COVID. The Cleveland Browns are another AFC North team that is seeing its season slip away. Given how many players around the league were out this weekend after being put on the COVID-19 list, the Ravens probably aren't the last team that will enter the offseason wondering what happened to their year.

Last season, despite the pandemic we got to the finish line with a reasonable playoffs and a viable champion that didn't need an asterisk. Getting that satisfactory conclusion this season seems a lot less likely.

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals crushed the Ravens. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

Here are the winners and losers from Week 16 of the NFL season:

Las Vegas Raiders playoff chances, somehow: The Raiders got a lot of help in Week 16, and they helped themselves too.

Las Vegas beat the Denver Broncos, knocking off another team that came in 7-7. Other AFC wild-card contenders lost too.

The Browns, Ravens, Chargers and Steelers all lost in Week 16. That gives the Raiders some life.

Las Vegas finishes at the Colts and then hosts the Chargers in the finale. That stretch will be tough. But the Raiders are still alive, with a much stronger pulse after Sundays games. Nearing the end of this crazy season, that's all they can ask.

Nick Foles, Damiere Byrd and the Chicago Bears: The Bears season isnt going anywhere, but its still nice to win.

The Bears had a nice comeback win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. They scored late and decided to go for the two-point conversion. Foles, filling in for Justin Fields, threw high to Byrd, who made a remarkable grab and somehow maintained control while staying in bounds. Russell Wilson couldnt answer and the Bears had a 25-24 win.

Chicago is going to undergo big changes in the offseason. But every win makes for a little better week, and the Bears will enjoy this one.

Buffalo Bills, likely AFC East champs: Finally, the Bills looked like Super Bowl contenders.

The Bills are probably going to win the AFC East. They are tied with New England after beating the Patriots on Sunday, 33-21, and have the edge in the tiebreaker. The Bills have home games against the Falcons and Jets to finish the season. Anything can happen but you have to like their chances.

The Patriots stayed in the game and cut the Bills' lead to 26-21 in the fourth quarter, but Buffalo had a clutch drive after that. Josh Allen picked up a huge first down on a fourth-down run, with a great juke move to get 8 yards. He finished the drive with a fun flip to Dawson Knox that put away the game.

The Bills have been relatively disappointing this season but they're in line to win the AFC East, and suddenly they look dangerous again.

Tom Brady and Antonio Brown: Brady lobbied the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get Antonio Brown last year. Presumably, he had a little say in Brown sticking around this season.

Regardless of Brown's many off-field issues, he can play. The Buccaneers need him with Chris Godwin done for the season, and Brown's return to the lineup offered a glimpse at what he can do.

Brown was Brady's favorite target Sunday as the Buccaneers rolled without Godwin, Mike Evans or Leonard Fournette in a 32-6 win over the Carolina Panthers. Brown had 10 catches for 101 yards.

The Buccaneers won't be the same without Godwin, one of the NFL's best receivers. But Brown will be just fine, and so will Brady.

Everyone on the Rams but Matthew Stafford: It probably is good news for the Los Angeles Rams that they can beat a decent team with Stafford playing like he did Sunday.

Stafford threw three interceptions, posted a 46.8 passer rating and still beat the Minnesota Vikings 30-23. The Rams are in great shape in the NFC West after the win, combined with the Arizona Cardinals' loss on Saturday.

Stafford has had an up-and-down first season with the Rams. He has had some good moments but hasn't been the MVP candidate the Rams expected. That's fine because the Rams are on their way to capturing a division title, and they know they don't need Stafford to play great to win.

Mike Tomlins streak: Tomlin has been coach of the Steelers since 2007. He has never posted a losing record. That streak is in danger.

The Steelers will need to win one of their last two games to avoid a losing season. Theyre 7-7-1 after being trashed by the Kansas City Chiefs 36-10.

The Steelers didnt score in the first half for the fifth straight game, and CBS said it was the first time that has happened with the Steelers since 1940. Everything is tough for the Steelers this season. Their offense isnt good and the defense has slipped too.

The Steelers will presumably keep playing hard the last two weeks. Maybe that will be enough to avoid Tomlins first losing season.

Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers had a lot of players out due to COVID-19. That would be a great excuse if the Houston Texans weren't dealing with the same thing.

The Chargers took an inexplicably bad loss on Sunday. The Texans, who had a 3-11 record coming in, looked like the better team. Texans rookie quarterback Davis Mills continued to look good as he picked apart the Chargers. Houston won 41-29.

The Chargers are 8-7 and still should make the playoffs. But it's a lot less of a sure thing after losing to Houston. And the loss was a reminder that the Chargers can't be trusted, even if they get in the postseason.

This miserable Giants season: New York might be the least enjoyable team to watch in the NFL.

The Giants' quarterbacks in Sunday's 34-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles were Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon. Glennon came in after more than a half of bad football from Fromm. The Giants should have a superstar in Saquon Barkley, but Barkley looks like a shell of himself. You can blame the environment, but if you're drafting a running back second overall he needs to carry the offense no matter what it looks like around him. Then to add insult to injury, offensive tackle Lane Johnson caught a touchdown pass to put the Eagles ahead 27-3 in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles weren't great but the Giants were embarrassingly bad. Again. There's no team that looks more ready for the season to end.

Trevor Lawrence's rookie season: The best the Jacksonville Jaguars and Lawrence can do is wipe 2021 out of their minds.

Blame it all on fired head coach Urban Meyer and the lack of talent around Lawrence, and hope the No. 1 overall pick isn't as bad as he has looked at times this season. Lawrence's first season has been poor, and it got worse when he lost to No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson and the New York Jets 26-21. Lawrence had a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter but held the ball on a two-point conversion attempt and had to throw wildly into the end zone. It was incomplete. The Jaguars had another shot at the goal line in the final minute but couldn't punch it in, with the drive ending on a fourth-down incompletion.

Lawrence threw for 280 yards and wasn't terrible Sunday, but it was still a loss against an awful Jets team. It doesn't matter. Hopefully Lawrence and everyone else can forget his rookie season even happened.

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NFL Winners and Losers: Ravens season is falling apart under weight of injuries and COVID-19 - Yahoo Sports

Some NFL fans are old enough to remember the name Jack Squirek.

In the Super Bowl at the end of the 1983 season, Washington was backed up in the final seconds of the first half and decided to try a swing pass to running back Joe Washington instead of running out the clock. Squirek, a situational linebacker, anticipated the play, picked it off and scored. The Raiders won 38-9.

Two cities and a few decades later, the Raiders were on the other end of that scenario.

Instead of running out the clock with 26 seconds left in the half against the Denver Broncos, the Raiders ran a play from their own 26. It was a screen pass to running back Josh Jacobs. Derek Carr's pass didn't get over Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb. Chubb tipped it to himself and intercepted it, then returned it to the 1-yard line. The Broncos scored on the next play.

Instead of taking a knee and going into halftime with a 7-6 lead, the Raiders ran a play that probably wasn't going to pop for 40 yards and gave away a touchdown. Next time they'll probably just take it to halftime.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr had a rough interception against the Broncos. (AP Photo/David Becker)

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Raiders call an awful screen pass at end of first half, give away 7 points to Broncos - Yahoo Sports

The Washington Football Team's offense opened its game with a historic interception for Trevon Diggs. It didn't get much better from there.

The Dallas Cowboys cornerback's 11th interception of the season, tying the team record, was the opening act of an all-time beatdown on Sunday night. The final score: 56-14, the biggest margin of victory in either direction of the two teams' storied rivalry.

That first pass, intended for Terry McLaurin, hit Diggs in stride:

The Cowboys turned that turnover into the lead via a nine-play, 71-yard drive, capped by a 5-yard pass from Dak Prescott to Ezekiel Elliott. Seven more touchdowns would follow.

With that pick, Diggs matched a Cowboys record held by Everson Walls since 1981. That was also the last time any NFL player posted 11 or more interceptions in a single season before Diggs.

The 23-year-old Diggs has plenty of time to capture sole possession of the team record with two more games remaining against the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles. He could approach Dick "Night Train" Lane's NFL single-season record of 14 interceptions, which has stood since 1952.

It has been a revelatory season for Diggs, whom the Cowboy drafted in the second round (51st overall) in 2020. There has been criticism of his aggressive coverage, which has led to more than a few big offensive plays, but it's a package that has worked for the Cowboys, who are in the top 10 in points allowed per game.

Diggs isn't the only Cowboys defender chasing history, as rookie pass rusher Micah Parsons continued a season that has all but sealed Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for him.

Parsons brought down Heinicke in the second quarter for his 13th sack of the season, 1 1/2 behind Jevon Kearse's NFL rookie record.

Like Diggs, Parsons is finishing up a breakout season and has plenty of time to chase a record.

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Unfortunately for the WFT, the biggest fight they showed all night was on their own sideline, when former Alabama teammates Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen came to blows while everything was falling apart for the team.

How silly did this game get? Here are some fun facts:

Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (265 pounds), offensive lineman Terence Steele (310 pounds) and defensive end Chauncey Golston (277 pounds) all scored touchdowns.

Five different Cowboys finished with more than 50 yards receiving.

The score was 42-7 at halftime.

Prescott became the first QB in NFL history to throw touchdowns to a running back, wide receiver, tight end and offensive lineman in a regular-season game, per ESPN Stats & Info. Kurt Warner did the same in the 1999 playoffs.

The whole thing was a historic embarrassment for a team with plenty of experience in that department, putting up next to no resistance as the Cowboys affirmed themselves as one of the most dangerous teams in football.

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Cowboys win starts with Trevon Diggs' 11th interception and ends as biggest beatdown in history of WFT rivalry - Yahoo Sports

Congratulations on making it to Championship Week, people. Let's go get this ring. Every title is special, but the degree-of-difficulty has never been higher than it is in 2021.

Below, you'll find a collection of priority pickups for the biggest week of the season, all available in over 50 percent of leagues.

It's been so long since we've seen Kadarius Toney that it feels like he played on one of those Victor Cruz-Hakeem Nicks teams. But, in fact, he's just a rookie. Toney had missed a month of Giants football due to a medley of injuries and a trip to the reserve/COVID-19 list, but he finally returned on Sunday, leading the team in targets (9). He caught just four balls for 28 yards, but that's a reflection of the quality of QB play for New York.

Toney flashed his silly potential and live-wire quickness back in October, when he caught 16 balls for 267 yards in back-to-back games. He's entirely playable when healthy, a good bet for double-digit targets.

Recommended offer (assuming $100 budget): What are you saving it for? You can't take these fake dollars into 2022. If you need a guy, empty the wallet.

We all knew some Bills receiver was likely to feast with both Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but few of us assumed Isaiah McKenzie was gonna be the guy. All he did in Week 16 at New England was catch 11 balls for 125 yards on a dozen targets. He got the scoring started for Buffalo with a short early catch from the slot...

Let the record show that Beasley hasn't produced a game this season as productive as the one just delivered by McKenzie. It's nice to have a return specialist who can step into a high-volume receiving role and repeatedly torch an excellent pass D. McKenzie's receiving services will presumably be needed this week as well, and the matchup against Atlanta has plenty of appeal.

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Offer: $7

With Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the COVID list, it was no great surprise to see Allen Lazard find the end zone in the Christmas matchup with Cleveland. By now, you've surely seen the touchdown, because it was a somewhat notable career milestone for the passer...

Lazard is a mega-receiver (6-foot-5) who obviously enjoys rapport with Aaron Rodgers, and he's made five house calls on the year. If MVS can't return in Week 16 against Minnesota, Lazard definitely gets a rankings bump.

Offer: $7

Additional WRs to consider: K.J. Osborn (he's back in our plans after Adam Thielen aggravated his ankle injury on Sunday), Byron Pringle (if you're adding him, you're really just chasing touchdowns; KC should get Travis Kelce back in the mix at Cincinnati this week), Kendrick Bourne (he had a quiet Week 16, but he's been a playmaker all season and the Jaguars are up next).

TEs deserving attention: Gerald Everett (he was relentlessly open against the Bears, making yet another house call), Foster Moreau (he's topped 60 receiving yards in back-to-back games, playing in relief of Darren Waller).

Rex Burkhead actually entered Week 16 averaging fewer than 3.0 yards per carry, a remarkable level of inefficiency that few teams would tolerate. But the Texans are not necessarily burdened by high standards, nor do they have many viable options at running back with David Johnson sidelined by a quad injury.

Burkhead took full advantage of a soft Chargers run defense on Sunday, delivering his best performance of the season by far. He carried 22 times for a ridiculous 149 yards, with a pair of touchdowns included. His early 25-yard TD opened the scoring for Houston...

Burkhead has handled double-digit touches in five of his last six games, so workload certainly isn't a concern. He's about to face a Niners defense that's allowed 17 rushing TDs on the season. Many of us are desperate for backfield resources right now, so Rex is on the radar.

Offer: $12

Jordan Howard returned from a multi-game knee injury in Week 15 with a 15-carry effort against the Football Team, then he saw another healthy workload on Sunday. Howard handled 11 touches against the Giants, gaining 56 total yards (but also dealing with a stinger). He somehow managed to catch a pair of passes, too, despite being notoriously useless as a receiving threat. Miles Sanders exited with a hand fracture on Sunday, so there's a decent chance we'll see plenty of Howard and Boston Scott this week in a rematch with Washington. Scott found the end zone on Sunday, per his usual against the Giants.

Offer: $9 each

Dare Ogunbowale is the next man up for Jacksonville after James Robinson's season came to a cruel end on Sunday. Ogunbowale managed to convert a short score against the Jets, though he rushed for only 57 yards on 17 carries. He's been an inefficient (3.5 YPC) and mostly unspectacular runner at multiple NFL stops over the past five seasons. His odds of doing anything notable next week at New England aren't great I'm writing him up more as a warning than as a recommendation. You'd just be hoping he might score the Jags' lone offensive touchdown.

Offer: $4

Various other add-worthy RBs: Derrick Gore (Clyde Edwards-Helaire was sidelined by a collarbone injury on Sunday not before giving us a highlight TD run which creates a path to touches for Gore; X-rays were negative for CEH, so his status is TBD), Duke Johnson (it's hard to overstate how good he was in a friendly matchup against the Jets last week, rushing for 107 yards on 22 attempts).

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In all likelihood, you haven't been streaming your way through the fantasy playoffs at quarterback. But hey, anything is possible in 2021. Jimmy Garoppolo is the guy who gets to throw to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, so he remains a deep-league option. Garoppolo is headed into a home matchup with Houston, which is something we might get excited about if he was a better player.

Offer: $3

Other QBs of interest: Justin Fields (if he can make it back from his ankle issue, he'd get a favorable home matchup with the Giants), Davis Mills (another week, another multi-TD game for the Stanford rookie; impressively, he managed to pass for 254 and 2 with Brandin Cooks sidelined), Carson Wentz (he's only attempting 20-or-so passes per week lately, but his receiving corps is solid).

To be perfectly honest, I can find nothing particularly positive to say about the recent performance of the Bears defense. But I also can't find anything positive to say about any option the Giants are going to have at quarterback next week, so we can reasonably stream Chicago's D and hope for a takeaway or two.

Offer: $2

Follow the Yahoo fantasy crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Minty Bets, Dalton Del Don, Jennifer Eakins, Matt Harmon, Troy King, Liz Loza, Scott Pianowski and Tank Williams.

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Week 17 Fantasy Waiver Wire: Top adds for teams chasing a championship - Yahoo Sports