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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel will be on the move this offseason. At the NFL Scouting Combine this week, 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed that the Niners are “going to honor” Samuel’s request for a trade.

The 49ers looked into trading Samuel prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, and Samuel and his agent Tory Dany were granted permission earlier this offseason to seek a trade team for the 2021 first-team All-Pro this winter, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirmed.

“It was a hard conversation to have with Kyle [Shanahan] because of the relationship that we have,” Samuel said earlier this month, via ESPN. “But I have to do what’s best. I’m more than thankful for the Niners giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, but now I think it’s best that we find another team.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan utilized Samuel’s all-around talents to create one of the NFL’s most dynamic players in his first five seasons from 2019 to 2023. Samuel is the only player since the Super Bowl era (since 1966) with 4,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards rushing in his first five seasons. He also led all wide receivers in yards after catch per reception in four consecutive seasons from 2020 to 2023, the longest streak in the last 30 seasons. As a result, Samuel leads NFL wide receivers in yards after catch (3,084) and yards after catch per reception average (9.2) since he entered the NFL as a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Samuel’s 20 career rushing touchdowns are also the most in NFL history by a wide receiver.

2025 NFL free agency: Tee Higgins, Sam Darnold headline top 50 free agents this offseason
Tyler Sullivan
2025 NFL free agency: Tee Higgins, Sam Darnold headline top 50 free agents this offseason
However, Samuel’s production slipped in 2024. He totaled the second-fewest catches (51) and targets (81) of his six-year career for 670 yards receiving and three receiving touchdowns. His 136 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown were also second fewest in a season of his career ahead of only 2020 when he dealt with a foot fracture and missed nine games. Samuel also lost his streak of leading all NFL wide receivers in yards after catch per reception with an average of 8.3 last season, the second-best at his position behind Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.

Samuel also created some brief, public friction by posting in a now-deleted tweet that he was “Not struggling at all, just not getting the ball!” He also revealed he was “a little frustrated for sure.” At the time, Shanahan called it “water under the bridge.” Now entering the final season of a three-year, $71.55 million extension in 2025 with a cap hit of $15.87 million, Samuel will likely be on the move, especially after the 49ers used their 2024 first-round pick on wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.

So where could Samuel go? Here are five teams who could be potential fits for the San Francisco Swiss Army knife.

Potential landing spots
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers were all in for San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk last offseason before he re-signed with the 49ers on a four-year, $120 million extension just before the start of the 2024 regular season. Van Jefferson wasn’t able to provide enough veteran juice alongside youngsters in George Pickens and Calvin Austin this past season, and Samuel fits the profile of a player that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith loves to feature. Smith has long had an infatuation with Cordarrelle Patterson since their time together with the Atlanta Falcons, and Samuel is a higher end all-purpose threat than Patterson as an offensive player. He could serve as a safety blanket for whoever the Steelers move forward with as their quarterback in 2025 with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields set to become free agents.

New England Patriots
The New England Patriots also possessed interest in Aiyuk last offseason, and now they feel like they have their quarterback of the future in 2024 third overall pick Drake Maye, whose 66.6% completion percentage last season was the fifth-highest all-time by a rookie. The Patriots could be more aggressive in building out their skill position spots for Maye with new head coach Mike Vrabel back in the fold in New England.

Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are set to see their two non-Terry McLaurin starting wide receivers — Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus — become free agents this offseason. Washington is also set to enter the 2025 offseason with the third-most effective cap space in the entire league –$68.86 million per OverTheCap.com. That gives them plenty of resources to play around with on the heels of quarterback Jayden Daniels’ 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year of campaign, a year in which Daniels set the NFL rookie records for completion percentage (69%) and rushing yards (891).

Washington was a few pieces short of reaching the Super Bowl in Year of 1 of Daniels’ career, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game, and Samuel could give the Commanders young quarterback another Pro Bowl-caliber talent to free up No. 1 option Terry McLaurin.

Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix joined Daniels as the only rookies in NFL history with at least 10 wins (10), 30 total touchdowns (34) and 4,000 total yards (4,207). Nix’s 29 passing touchdowns are the second-most in league history by a rookie, trailing only Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s 31 from the 2020 season. Now that head coach Sean Payton has his guy at the quarterback position perhaps he looks to upgrade Nix’s cast of playmakers.

Los Angeles Chargers
Speaking of Herbert, the Chargers returned to the postseason in Year 1 under head coach Jim Harbaugh with an 11-6 record before losing 32-12 in the opening round against the Houston Texans. Los Angeles has two developing wide receivers in 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston and 2024 second-round pick Ladd McConkey, but they could use a veteran, Pro Bowl-caliber option to supplement the two youngsters. The Chargers also have the sixth-most effective cap space in the NFL entering the offseason with $55.2 million to play with, according to OverTheCap.com.

Add Davon Godchaux’s name to the list of veteran NFL players who will be on the move this offseason. The New England Patriots have granted the veteran defensive tackle’s request to seek a trade partner, according to NFL Media.

There has already been contact with several interested teams, according to the report. The Patriots reportedly received calls about Godchaux prior to last year’s trade deadline but were unable to come to terms on a deal.

The 30-year-old has two years remaining on a contract extension that he signed last offseason. He currently has an $8.33 million cap hit for the 2025 season.

A 2017 fifth-round pick, Godchaux started his career with the Miami Dolphins before he signed with the Patriots during the 2021 offseason. After playing in just five games during his final season in Miami, Godchaux did not miss a single game during his four seasons with the Patriots and started in all but one of his 68 regular-season games with the franchise. In 2024, Godchaux recorded 67 tackles, the second-highest total of his career and the highest since 2019.

While they are openly exploring options at quarterback, the Cleveland Browns are not completely turning the page on Deshaun Watson, who has been rehabbing daily at the team’s facility since re-rupturing his Achilles last month.

Speaking from the NFL Scouting Combine, Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski discussed Watson and their plans for him moving forward. Berry addressed rumblings that the Browns would try to recoup some if not all of the $92 million remaining on the final two years of Watson’s contract.

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“I know there’s been a lot of speculation and everything out there, but there’s nothing nefarious,” Berry said while alluding to Watson’s injury, via Cleveland.com, which also reported Watson is determined to continue his career. “It’s just an unfortunate accident. So our focus is on making sure that he gets healthy and can be back to normal.”

Watson, who will turn 30 during the 2025 season, hasn’t played a full season in the NFL since 2020, his last active year as a member of the Houston Texans. Watson did not play at all in 2021 and missed 11 games in 2022 as the result of a league-mandated suspension after more than 20 women alleged the quarterback committed sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. Watson played in just six games in 2023 after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. He played in seven games in 2024 before he ruptured his Achilles, an injury he aggravated in January.

Given Watson’s injury situation, the Browns are actively trying to figure out their starting quarterback situation for 2025 and could even select a quarterback with the No. 2 pick in this year’s NFL Draft. The Browns are not ruling out Watson playing in 2025, however, although Berry acknowledged that Watson will miss significant time.

“How far that spans into 2025, I can’t give you a specific right now,” Berry said. “He’s shown to be a fast healer and we’re going to try and be as thoughtful and aggressive with the recovery process, but that’s not something that I could predict at currently.”

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Jared Dubin
2025 NFL free agency: Ranking top 25 offensive free agents with plenty of veteran receivers, O-linemen
Despite the injury setbacks, Watson is working toward having a successful comeback. That might be tricky, however, as the Browns may proceed with caution regarding Watson’s rehab and recovery. And even if Watson recovers quick enough to play, the Browns may decide to stick with whoever is their starting quarterback at that point in the season.

Watson’s struggles on the field since coming to Cleveland may be part of his motivation to make a comeback while ending his career on a better note. He’s just 9-10 as the Browns starting quarterback, has seen his completion percentage drop off and has thrown only seven more touchdowns (19) than interceptions (12) during his time in Cleveland.

“He’s taking it day to day like all of us do in life,” Stefanski said of Watson. “Again, the most important thing, he had a very unfortunate injury, re-injury with having surgery again. So the No. 1 thing is for him to get healthy.”

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was spotted inside the blue medical tent in the final seconds of the first half of his club’s Week 11 matchup with the Washington Commanders. The Prime Video broadcast reported Hurts was being evaluated by an independent neurologist inside the tent, which is NFL protocol when a player takes a hit to the head and shows potential signs of a concussion.

The team officially noted that Hurts was evaluated for a concussion, but cleared to return to play for the second half.

Hurts appeared to come up slow following a third-and-goal situation on the Commanders 3-yard line. He was flushed out to his left and, after flicking the ball out for an incomplete pass, fell face down onto the field with a defender on top of him. Earlier in the second quarter, Hurts’ head took a vicious hit off the ground following a sack, but continued to play. As the Eagles settled for a field goal to cut the deficit to 7-3 just before halftime, Hurts was spotted heading into the tent.

Here’s a look at the play just before Hurts was evaluated on the sideline.

Missed two open WR’s, face SMASHED into turf, and missed face mask call. #NFL @Rate_the_Refs pic.twitter.com/0Xyxk0fZUJ

— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) November 15, 2024
One early indication Hurts wasn’t in serious risk of being ruled out was when he was spotted jogging out of the medical tent and into the locker room with the rest of his teammates as the half expired.

A good sight for the Eagles as Jalen Hurts is out of the medical tent.#TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/kCcMuoSkrf

— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) November 15, 2024
In the first half, Hurts completed 10 of his 19 passes for 101 yards while adding 23 yards rushing. However, it was a lackluster showing for the Philadelphia offense, managing just three points through two quarters and missing two field goal attempts.

Of course, this NFC East battle has significant ramifications as the Eagles (7-2) would hold on to first place in the division if they were to rally and defeat the Commanders (7-3) at home.

The Washington Commanders fell to 7-4 on the season and remain in second place in the NFC East following a 26-18 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night to open up Week 11.

One of the pivotal moments in the losing effort by the Washington Commanders came with eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter with the Eagles up 12-10. It was at that juncture where the Commanders faced a fourth-and-2 situation at the Philadelphia 26-yard line. Instead of opting for the field goal to take the lead, head coach Dan Quinn left his offense on the field.

The fourth-down play was botched right from the snap as the ball was bobbled, with Jayden Daniels barely getting a grip on it before needing to roll out to his right. The rookie quarterback didn’t travel far, as he was rather swiftly taken down by the Eagles defense to turn the ball over on downs.

BAUN VOYAGE 😏@zackbizzaun | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/oNVxwYBR3h

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 15, 2024
After that, the floodgates opened in favor of Philadelphia. The offense traveled 74 yards in five plays before Saquon Barkley ripped off a 23-yard touchdown to extend the lead. Following an interception by Daniels on the first snap of Washington’s next possession, Barkley again ripped off a large run, bursting 39 yards for his second score of the night, which also put the Commanders away.

When asked after the game why he elected to keep his offense on the field rather than take the lead at that juncture, Quinn admitted it was a “bold” decision, but illustrated that the team was prepared to take some shots on the critical down being on the road against a divisional opponent.

“Bold call, but I would also say we were prepared for that moment,” Quinn said. “Don’t love the execution, but we’ve been an excellent fourth-down team, so going into it, we knew we’d have to take our shots against a tough division team on the road. We thought that was an appropriate one. Certainly don’t like the execution and the result, but we were prepared for that and being bold in those moments, knowing that we’d have some fourth downs. That’s one we can fix.”

Wideout Terry McLaurin echoed that sentiment, telling reporters postgame, “We’ve been doing it all season. We’re aggressive.”

At 7-4, the Commanders are still in a strong position to make a playoff run and still in the thick of the NFC East race. While they’ve dropped the head-to-head matchup with Philly, they will see them again in Week 16. In the immediate, Washington will enter its mini-bye week and gear up for a Week 12 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys at home.

Another week, another stellar performance by Saquon Barkley. The star running back was the catalyst in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 11 win over the Washington Commanders to put the organization in the driver’s seat in the NFC East race. In Thursday night’s 26-18 victory, Barkley exploded for 146 yards rushing and two touchdowns while adding 52 yards receiving on two receptions.

Again, this is just the latest superstar showing from Barkley, who is playing in his first season with the Eagles since signing in free agency following his tenure with the New York Giants. In his waning years with the Giants, Barkley’s production slowed, which led some to wonder if the tread had run out on his tires. However, this stint with Philly has shown just the opposite and shined a light on how New York was dimming the back.

As Barkley was gallivanting around for nearly 200 scrimmage yards, that topic of conversation was brought back into the forefront by Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons. Initially, Parsons posted “I blame the giants….” on X as a clear jab toward the organization for Barkley’s resurgence. After that post, however, he did put New York in the crosshairs by ripping the franchise for making folks believe Barkley was cashed and choosing to sign quarterback Daniel Jones over him.

“All jokes aside they giants almost made us believe saquon wasn’t HIM anymore!! [sic]” he posted. “That really says a lot!! Daniel jones was paid over saquon! He was worth more to their franchise!! This really says a lot!!”

All jokes aside they giants almost made us believe saquon wasn’t HIM anymore!! That really says a lot!! Daniel jones was paid over saquon! He was worth more to their franchise!! This really says a lot!!

— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) November 15, 2024
Of course, Barkley and Parsons have a kinship thanks to their Penn State roots, so he is going to talk up his fellow Nittany Lion. That said, it’s entirely warranted in
This season, Barkley has four games with 140 rushing yards or more, making him the first player to have as many of those games through the first 10 weeks since Shaun Alexander in 2005. He’s also been particularly clutch in the second half, rushing for 738 yards on a 7.2 yards per rush average after halftime this season.

Seems like the type of offensive weapon you’d want to keep around, right? Well, the Giants appear to have thought otherwise, to the delight of the Eagles, who are getting Offensive Player of the Year-caliber play from their back.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles took command of the NFC East with a 26-18 victory over the Washington Commanders on Thursday night, and the game wasn’t as close as the score indicated. The Eagles outgained the Commanders 434-264 and averaged 6.2 yards per play to the Commanders’ 4.2.

Philadelphia (8-2) has a two-game lead in the loss column over Washington (7-4) with the victory, as the Eagles have won six in a row. Washington has dropped two straight after a 7-2 start, losing two games on Philadelphia in the divisional standings in five days.

Is the NFC East race over? Are the Commanders figured out? Which overreactions are truly overreactions from Thursday’s showdown and which are reality?

Eagles wrapped up NFC East with win
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

While the Eagles victory over the Commanders was impressive, this isn’t a game that determined the NFC East winner. It’s fair to say this was a “must-win” game for the Eagles in order to take control of the division, one which they have a two-game lead in the loss column with seven games to play.

The Eagles did have a commanding lead in the NFC East after Week 11 last season before they collapsed, but this team is significantly different. This isn’t about what the Eagles will or won’t do in the final seven games. The Commanders have a pretty easy schedule before they face the Eagles again in Week 16.

Washington faces Dallas and Tennessee at home before its bye week. A road game at New Orleans follows on the schedule before the rematch against Philadelphia in Week 16. Washington then finishes with a home date against Atlanta and a road game against Dallas. Four of the next five games are at home, and the next three games are against teams with losing records.

Philadelphia has road dates at Los Angeles and Baltimore, before home games against Carolina and Pittsburgh ahead of the Week 16 showdown at Washington. Because of the Commanders’ schedule, the NFC East is far from over.

Jayden Daniels, Commanders offense has been figured out
Overreaction or reality: Reality

Over the last two games, the Commanders have faced two top-10 defenses in the Steelers and Eagles. The results have not been good for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s unit. Washington has averaged only 253 yards in those two games on just 4.1 yards per play while converting 30.8% of their third downs. The biggest indicator of their struggles is the rushing yards quarterback Jayden Daniels has totaled over the last two games — only 23.

With Daniels limited running the football, that takes away the biggest strength of his game. In that two-game stretch, Daniels has completed 59.1% of his passes for 393 yards with one touchdown to one interception and a 73.9 passer rating — and that one touchdown was in the final minute Thursday with the game already decided. The Commanders lost both games.

Daniels and the Commanders will likely get things back on track against the under .500 teams they will be facing over the next few weeks, but they still have to prove themselves against the very good defenses. That’s the next step for Kingsbury and Daniels going forward.

Saquon Barkley should be a front-runner for MVP
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Lamar Jackson does exist, which makes any case for MVP not as strong as in years past. Yet there’s no denying what Barkley has brought to this Eagles offense.

Barkley had 26 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns (5.2 yards per carry) and two catches for 52 yards — giving him 198 yards from scrimmage on the night. Thursday was Barkley’s fourth game this season with 140-plus yards, which is the most for any running back through 10 games since Shawn Alexander in 2005 (when Alexander won MVP). Barkley leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,137) and scrimmage yards (1,347) this season, while having 738 of those rushing yards and averaging 7.2 yards per carry in the second half of games. He leads the league in both categories.

The Eagles offense, even when inconsistent, keeps moving the football because of Barkley. They are finishing games because of Barkley as well. If it wasn’t for Barkley, the Eagles wouldn’t be one of the elite teams in the NFL.

Jackson is the front runner for MVP, but Barkley has a much better case than most think. He’s not a front runner yet, but he’s getting there.

It’s possible that, come the 2027 season, the Tennessee Titans will have at least one of their nine home games be played in the late-afternoon window. A kickoff somewhere in the 3 p.m. Central hour that will conclude around dusk, depending on the time of the year.

The Titans will be breaking in what is today known as New Nissan Stadium, a $2 billion-plus project adjacent to their current digs that will make the East Bank sparkle and (very likely) eventually host a Super Bowl.

The sun will continue its usual disappearing act beneath the earth’s horizon and, at some point, the sunlight would pierce through the windows on the west side of the stadium. The rays would be strong into the new stadium. It would be hard for quarterbacks throwing to that end zone — or pass catchers looking back, depending on who has possession — to see what’s in front of them.

Would. Not will. Because the Titans will use what amounts to black-out shades on the glass so that doesn’t take place.

What the Dallas Cowboys have refused to do for more than a decade, the Tennessee Titans have already prepared to do years from now. The Titans, along with the stadium designers and engineers, did a solar analysis in developmental stages of stadium planning, determining where the sun will be every day of the year and when exactly on certain days this could pose a problem.

The solution: use the retractable shades on the accordion-like glass doors to prevent the sun from leaking onto the field.

Last Sunday afternoon, Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb couldn’t find the ball on what should have been an easy touchdown catch against the Philadelphia Eagles as he stared into the star 93 million miles away. After the game he said he was “one thousand percent” in favor of putting up shades.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones likes it the way it is. AT&T Stadium opened in 2009 with the windows like this, and they’ll be staying that way for the foreseeable future. The stadium can and does erect shades for other events like concerts, but not for the Cowboys.

“My biggest thought when we were building it was, ‘Don’t have it look like it’s not outdoors. Make it look like it’s outdoors,'” Jones said. “That stadium was built to feel like it’s outdoors when you’re indoors, and it was built to have sunlight coming in.”

Jones would go on to say the team knows where the sun will be and that playcallers like Kellen Moore have previously accounted for this.

“That really goes under the category of home-field advantage,” Jones said. “It should be an advantage to the home team, so I don’t want to adjust it for one reason because it is an advantage to us. … That’s our advantage. That should be our advantage. We get to play there more and we get to have it as an advantage. It has been an advantage for us to know where the sun is. I don’t want to change that.”

One question many have had goes to the heart of that competitive advantage. Could the Cowboys put up shades when the sun affects the home team? Or, could the Cowboys pull the shades down only when the sun’s rays are impacting the on-field play?

The answer: No.

CBS Sports obtained a copy of the NFL’s policy on stadium procedures leaguewide, and the league has already considered these questions and more.

“At 90 minutes prior to kickoff, the home club is required to notify the Referee whether the roof, wall, and/or curtains shall be open or closed,” the policy reads. “The opening or closing must be completed no later than 60 minutes prior to kickoff. (The designated position for curtains will remain unchanged for the entire game.)”

So whatever is decided at any stadium 90 minutes before is what will remain throughout the duration of the game. But there can be an exception made, and we saw that two weeks ago at State Farm Stadium.

In Week 9, the Cardinals had to close the roof during the game against the Bears because of hail in the Glendale area. This is allowed in the policy since hail is considered a “hazardous condition.” Once it’s closed, it must remain closed for the remainder of the game.

It’s impossible to imagine sunlight would be considered a hazardous condition, so any temporary shades would be permanent for an entire game.

Back to heliocentrism. Most NFL stadiums have north/south oriented fields, which is why you don’t see the sun being such a factor on the field like with the Cowboys.

The Falcons play in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a round complex with the field that is oriented east/west. But the windowed side of Atlanta’s stadium is on the east, and the Falcons aren’t waking up to play a game at 8 a.m.

U.S. Bank Stadium has a northwest/southeast orientation, but there have been no complaints about the sun by players in Minnesota. Plus, the translucent roof has a “fritting” that diffuses some of the direct light during Vikings games.

In Tennessee, the Titans determined they had to have an east/west field orientation for their future stadium. Soil testing on the available land in the developing East Bank area showed the organization there was really only one way to position the stadium. Hence, the shades.

For as long as there have been people on earth, there have been attempts to hide from the sun’s rays. Except in Jerry’s World.

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🏈 Good morning to all, but especially to …
THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

With superstars all over the field, the Eagles’ offense is almost always bound to find an answer. And even if finding it takes a while, a dominant defense can hold down the fort until it happens. Philadelphia surged past Washington, 26-18, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter behind another monster Saquon Barkley performance.

Barkley ran for 146 yards — his fourth 140-yard rushing game this season, already tied for most in a season in franchise history — and two touchdowns and added 52 yards receiving.
Barkley leads the league in yards rushing (1,137) and scrimmage yards (1,347) this season.
In the fourth quarter alone, Barkley had 76 yards rushing and both of his touchdowns. It’s the second time this season he’s had at least 50 yards rushing and two touchdowns rushing in the fourth quarter. No one else has done it even once. He’s a star and a closer.
There are many standouts on this defense, but let’s shout out Zach Baun (15 tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass defensed), Reed Blankenship (10 tackles, one interception) and Jalen Carter, who blew up the game-changing drive — more on that in a moment.
The Eagles (8-2) have won six straight, and what a job they’ve done after a slow start. This defense was downright bad last year, but it’s been rebuilt at linebacker, cornerback and coordinator (Vic Fangio), and Barkley is showing his enormous value. Philadelphia is absolutely rolling.

👍 Honorable mentions
Rico Dowdle is officially the Cowboys’ RB1.
Kyler Murray has been awesome.
The Lakers are in the top 10 of Colin Ward-Henninger’s NBA Power Rankings.
We ranked all 30 NBA City Edition jerseys.
Here’s the All-MLB team.
The Rays will play their 2025 home games at Steinbrenner Field — the Yankees’ spring training stadium.
Here are offseason targets for the Phillies.
Christian Barmore practiced for the first time since being diagnosed with blood clots.
Florida’s Urban Kalvžar is finally eligible.
Lindsey Vonn is coming out of retirement.
Kaleena Smith became the first high school women’s basketball player to sign an NIL deal with Adidas.
🏈 And not such a good morning for …
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THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

Two weeks ago, the Commanders were the NFL’s best feel-good story. Now, they’re losers of two straight eminently winnable games, and an offense that was shredding everyone has hit its first bump.

Thursday, things swung heavily in Philadelphia’s favor immediately after Washington, instead of attempting a field goal for a potential 13-12 lead, opted to go for it and failed. The Eagles scored 14 points in the next three and a half minutes to blow it open.

But this performance was concerning beyond one major momentum swing.

Through nine weeks, the Commanders offense had the fourth-highest success rate in the NFL at 51.5%, but that number has since fallen to 44.3%.
I think Daniels is still being impacted by the rib injury he suffered in Week 7 against the Panthers. Through the first six games, he had a 71.5% completion percentage and 51 yards rushing per game. In four full games since the injury, he’s at 59.1% and 11.5, respectively.
Thursday, Daniels completed just four passes to wide receivers as the offense was unable to get anything going downfield.
The mini bye comes at the perfect time for Washington, which is still a strong 7-4 and has a manageable finishing stretch. Last night, though, was ugly.

👎 Not so honorable mentions
LeBron James hinted at retiring sooner rather than later.
Micah Parsons took a shot at the Giants for letting Barkley get to the Eagles.
Deion Sanders says he won’t allow his son Shedeur go to the wrong NFL team.
The Mavericks had yet another heartbreaking loss.
Here’s why MLB free agency has been quiet.
A former Suns employee is suing the franchise for $60 million over allegations of harassment, racial discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination.
🥊 Preview of Mike Tyson-Jake Paul; Jon Jones-Stipe Miocic at UFC 309
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One of the strangest, can’t-look-but-can’t-look-away boxing matches we’ve ever seen is just hours away. Mike Tyson, 58, faces Jake Paul, 27, tonight at AT&T Stadium. Streaming on Netflix, it’s expected to be among the biggest events in the sport’s history, and Tyson slapping Paul during the final staredown only adds to the hype.

There’s a lot to digest. Tyson’s journey to this moment is truly one-of-one, as Brian Campbell explains, and while he’s the underdog, there are paths to victory, including …

Campbell: “Tyson’s peek-a-boo style is difficult to defend — Tyson will be very much considered a live dog and knockout threat in the early going. A huge part of that is his deceptive style of ducking forward behind his high guard and exploding with powerful combinations of fight-ending hooks. Even if Paul uses his muscular, 6-foot-1 frame to tie him up when he gets close, Tyson doesn’t need much space to uncork the kind of uppercuts that could be a problem for Paul.”
Brent Brookhouse, meanwhile, has keys to victory for Paul.

Legends like Roy Jones Jr., Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury, Manny Pacquiao and others have made their picks, as have our experts. Here’s more:

Brent says this is a lose/lose for Paul.
Taylor vs. Serrano is well worth your time on the undercard
Tomorrow, Jon Jones defends his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic to headline UFC 309. Miocic, 42, is nearing retirement, and Jones has drawn plenty of ire for refusing to fight interim champion Tom Aspinall for a variety of reasons/excuses. But this fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden still provides plenty of intrigue with arguably the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter facing one of the most accomplished heavyweights ever. Brent has best bets for the event, including …

Brookhouse: “Over 2.5 rounds (+114) — There are a lot of unknowns heading into Jones vs. Miocic beyond that Jones is a heavy favorite to get the win. I’m leaning toward Jones being more wary of Miocic’s power and all-around skillset than he was of Cyril Gane, and Miocic also being more competent on the ground than Gane if he is taken down. That should lead to the fight going past the halfway mark of Round 3.”
Here’s more:

Other top fights on the card
Jones would be willing to vacate his title for “super fights.”
Miocic is focused amid the noise.
🏈 NFL Week 11 picks: Chiefs-Bills, Ravens-Steelers headline AFC showdowns
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Week 11 has plenty more in store. Let’s start with Chiefs-Bills. Garrett Podell has an excellent preview of how Josh Allen will try to combat Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.

Though Allen said this game is no different than any other, that’s not exactly true. Patrick Mahomes is an underdog — that doesn’t happen much, and he usually wins regardless — and the Bills are getting a key contributor back while the Chiefs just lost one.

So, who wins this clash? In his best bets, Will Brinson says …

Brinson: “Bills ML (-130) — Allen is 3-1 against Mahomes before the postseason rolls around … And unlike in previous years, you can argue the Bills are the better team anyway. Buffalo’s been more dominant for most of the season, even though Kansas City has the better record. They’re a weird level of undefeated … The Bills have enough firepower to overcome this defense and find a way to win the game on Sunday.”
Just before that, there’s a classic AFC North showdown between the Ravens and Steelers. Lamar Jackson can’t explain his struggles against Pittsburgh, but I think they end this weekend. Here’s what our experts think:

Pete Prisco | Will Brinson | John Breech | Tyler Sullivan | Jordan Dajani

The CBS Sports HQ AM newsletter is 19-8 after going 1-2 last week. It was our first losing week, and I certainly won’t trust the Jets or the Bears again soon. Let’s bounce back:

Ravens over Steelers
49ers over Seahawks
Rams over Patriots
🏈 College football Week 12 preview, picks: Georgia bounce back?
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We’ve been talking about them all week, from their dismal loss to Ole Miss to them falling out of the playoff bracket to them with their backs against the wall. Now, we’re almost there. Can the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs beat No. 7 Tennessee? (preview) It’ll be a lot easier for Kirby Smart’s bunch if Nico Iamaleava (concussion protocol) can’t play, and the betting line indicates that may be the case, Dennis Dodd notes.

Dodd: “Ten points? At least offensively, Georgia’s in disarray. The Dawgs come into this game 15th out of 16 SEC teams in rushing. Only nine other Power Four programs have more turnovers than Georgia’s 15. Carson Beck’s decline this season is worth a documentary. … Ten points? Not unless walk-on quarterback Gaston Moore takes the field Saturday at Sanford Stadium. … Don’t be surprised if Las Vegas knows beforehand.”
Tom Fornelli’s Six Pack also makes a call on the ‘Dawgs and the Vols, as well as a big one in the Big 12 between Utah and No. 17 Colorado.

Here’s more:

Big Ten picks | SEC picks
Jerry Palm’s best bets
PREVIEWS: No. 3 Texas at Arkansas | No. 20 Clemson at Pitt | No. 22 LSU at Florida
Trevor Etienne is out.
DJ Lagway is expected back.
⚽ USMNT beats Jamaica; previewing NWSL quarterfinals
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In a game as bumpy as the field it was played on, the USMNT beat Jamaica, 1-0, in the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal. Ricardo Pepi scored in the fifth minute, and Matt Turner made a big save on a penalty kick to give Mauricio Pochettino a win in his first competitive match managing the Americans. The second leg will be played Monday night in St. Louis.

There’s plenty more great soccer over the weekend with the NWSL quarterfinals:

Saturday: Washington Spirit vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 12 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday: Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
The games will feature USWNT stars such as Trinity Rodman (Spirit), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC) and international stars Marta (Pride), Barbra Banda (Pride) and Temwa Chawinga (Current). I enjoyed Pardeep Cattry’s look at how all four teams made it here and Sandra Herrera’s thoughts on which final matchup would be best.