There’s an active search underway in Virginia for a successful high school football coach who went missing in the midst of an undefeated season.

The Virginia State Police confirmed in a statement to News Channel 11 on Saturday, November 22 that it is trying to locate Travis Turner, the head football coach at Union High School in Wise County, Virginia. The announcement came two days after local authorities revealed special agents from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Wytheville Field Office were in the early stages of an investigation involving Turner.

Turner was officially named as a missing person on the Virginia State Police website on Sunday and listed as missing since Thursday. The Virginia State Police public information office did not immediately respond to a message from USA Today Sports on Monday morning seeking an update on the case.

The timing of the situation is unfortunate for Union’s football team, which advanced to Virginia’s Region 2D championship game and improved to 12-0 for the season with a 12-0 win over Graham High School on Saturday. Wise County Public Schools Superintendent Mike Goforth told News Channel 11 that assistant coach Jay Edwards handled coaching responsibilities during Saturday’s game.

Mike Norvell officially avoided the buyout pit of college football coaching, extending his time at Florida State by at least another year. 

For what it’s worth. And we’re not talking millions. 

“I love Florida State,” Norvell said in a statement Sunday. “And I am fully committed to this program and our shared goals.”

Odds are, it won’t last much longer. Nor will his perch among the elite of profession.

Of the Top 10 coaching buyouts in college football history, only two coaches returned to lead a different Power conference team: James Franklin (Virginia Tech) and Charlie Weis (Kansas).

Welcome to the world of walking away with millions upon millions of dollars — and more than likely the unofficial end of your high-profile career. 

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from colleges paying exorbitant buyouts to failed coaches, it’s that those fired don’t often return to the profession. And when they do, it’s certainly not at the same level.

Whether it’s the uncomfortable idea of paying a coach more millions after he was gifted a golden parachute for failing, or a coach’s weaknesses being exposed, universities aren’t thrilled about second chances with high-dollar coaches.

If Franklin didn’t give up a majority of his $49 million buyout from Penn State to take the Virginia Tech job, this undeniable trend would look uglier than it already does. 

A look at the Top 10 college football buyouts, and where each coach landed. 

1. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

The buyout: $76.8 million

The fallout: Sat out the past two seasons, but not for a lack of trying to get a job. He wanted the West Virginia job at the end of 2024, but it went to Rich Rodriguez. 

Fisher has a career winning percentage of .727 in 14 years at FSU and Texas A&M. He won a national title at FSU in 2013, and has four major bowl wins. And is no closer to getting a job than when Texas A&M paid him to leave.  

2. Brian Kelly, LSU

The buyout: $53.8 million

The fallout: He has been fired twice, according to LSU officials. Or is that once? Because LSU says he wasn’t officially fired the first time in late October, but this time — as recent as late last week — you better believe they’re firing him (it’s a Louisiana politics thing). Kelly, 64, released a statement two weeks ago saying he wants to continue coaching after failing at LSU.

He’s the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, and has had success everywhere he has coached (.725 winning percentage in 22 seasons at major college programs). But no one will touch him if he’s in the middle of a lawsuit with LSU.    

3. James Franklin, Penn State

The buyout: $49 million.

The fallout: Franklin got right back in the hunt by accepting the Virginia Tech job, but only after he gave up all but $9 million of his Penn State buyout to do so. Franklin won 104 games in 12 seasons at Penn State, and had back-to-back nine-win seasons at Vanderbilt — a program best until this year’s team won its ninth game Saturday.   

4. Gus Malzahn, Auburn

The buyout: $21.4 million

The fallout: Fired at the end of 2020, Malzahn took a job with UCF while it was still a member of the American Conference. He resigned after four years to take the offensive coordinator role at FSU, more than likely getting ahead of another firing. 

5. Billy Napier, Florida

The buyout: $21.2 million

The fallout: Fired by Florida in late October, Napier was later seen at a Georgia practice — though Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said it was because the two are close friends. 

Napier’s only job prior to his three and a half years at Florida was a four-year stint at Louisiana. He has 62 wins in 97 career games, and will likely have to take the assistant coach route to get back into the business.  

6. Charlie Weis, Notre Dame

The buyout: $18.9 million

The fallout: The industry leader in buyouts for years, Notre Dame fired Weis following the 2009 season. He took assistant coach jobs with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and with Florida under coach Will Muschamp. 

Weis eventually returned as a Power conference coach when hired by Kansas in 2012. He was fired four games into the 2014 season and hasn’t coached since. 

7. Willie Taggart, Florida State

The buyout: $18 million

The fallout: Taggart arrived in Tallahassee after one season in Oregon, and after Fisher left a mess in Tallahassee in the locker room and classroom. Taggart spent a majority of his time getting players to actually go to class (back when it meant something), and coached 21 games at FSU before getting fired with a 9-12 record. 

He moved to FAU, where he was fired three years later with a 16-20 record. Taggart has been the running backs coach with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens since 2023.

8. Ed Orgeron, LSU

The buyout: $16.9 million

The fallout: Orgeron won the national title at LSU in 2019, in part, because he convinced backup Ohio State quarterback Joe Burrow to transfer to Baton Rouge. Orgeron never recreated the magic of the most prolific offense in the modern era, and was fired in October of 2021.

Orgeron hasn’t coached since, but not because he hasn’t tried to get back into the profession. He now says he’d be interested in returning to LSU as a position coach.    

9. Tom Allen, Indiana

The buyout: $15.5 million

The fallout: The high-water mark was the 2020 pandemic season, when the Big Ten changed its rules to return midstream to get Ohio State in the conference championship game — ahead of Indiana. 

Allen won eight games in 2019, and six of eight in 2020, and IU threw crazy cash at the coach who looked like he had it figured out at the basketball school. Allen won nine games over the next three seasons, and was fired. He has been the Penn State and Clemson defensive coordinators since. 

10. Tom Herman, Texas

The buyout: $15.4 million

The fallout: Once the hottest young coach in the game, Herman spent four years in the sport’s best job and was fired after the 2020 season. He was 32-18, and looked like he had the program turned with a 10-win season (and a bowl win over Georgia) in 2018.

He took a job with the NFL’s Chicago Bears as an analyst following the blowout at Texas, and was then head coach at FAU for two years before getting fired in November of his second season. He’s currently not coaching. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

NBA action is intensifying, as the league is turning quickly to December.

That also means the NBA Cup picture is clarifying, with group stage play concluding Friday, Nov. 28. The league, however, is contending with several injuries to star players, forcing players like Bucks forward-center Giannis Antetokounmpo, Magic forward Paolo Banchero, Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama and plenty others to miss time.

To that point, it’s the teams managing those absences well who are the ones remaining competitive. And no team has weathered the loss of an All-Star better than the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning NBA champions.

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings after Week 5 of the 2025-26 regular season:

USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings

Note: Records and stats through Nov. 23. Parentheses show movement from last week’s rankings

NBA Week 5 power rankings: Top 5

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 17-1 (—)

2. Detroit Pistons, 14-2 (+1)

3. Denver Nuggets, 12-4 (-1)

4. Los Angeles Lakers, 12-4 (+1)

5. Houston Rockets, 10-4 (-1)

The OKC Thunder have the NBA’s fourth-best offensive rating (119.6) and the league’s best defensive rating (102.8) and net rating (16.9), and they have done this all without Jalen Williams (wrist). The Pistons just got Jaden Ivey back and have the NBA’s top active win streak, at 12 games. It has become clear the Lakers will need some time to integrate LeBron James and the Nuggets, who will be without forward Aaron Gordon (hamstring) for at least a month, showed in a loss against the Kings that life may be tough without him.

NBA Week 5 power rankings: Nos. 6-10

6. Cleveland Cavaliers, 12-6 (+2)

7. Minnesota Timberwolves, 10-6 (+2)

8. San Antonio Spurs, 11-5 (-1)

9. Toronto Raptors, 12-5 (+3)

10. Miami Heat, 11-6 (+7)

Just when the Cavs were finally getting healthy, center Jarrett Allen suffered a broken ring finger, but Cleveland has nonetheless won four of its last five. The Raptors have been the surprise of the season, and lead the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.18). And the Heat have won four consecutive, relentlessly attack the rim and rank second in points in the paint per game (58.0) and Tyler Herro is reportedly set to make his debut Monday night.

NBA Week 5 power rankings: Nos. 11-15

11. Phoenix Suns, 11-6 (+3)

12. Atlanta Hawks, 11-7 (-2)

13. New York Knicks, 9-6, (-7)

14. Orlando Magic, 10-8 (+4)

15. Golden State Warriors, 9-9 (-4)

Phoenix, with its remade roster, has leaned in on aggressive defense and its 10.7 steals per game trails the league-leading Thunder by just 0.1. The Knicks have lost three of their last five, and their defense is a far cry from what it was under previous coach Tom Thibodeau. The Warriors have lost three consecutive games, and the locker room feels like it’s already fraying.

NBA Week 5 power rankings: Nos. 16-20

16. Boston Celtics, 9-8 (—)

17. Philadelphia 76ers, 9-7 (-2)

18. Milwaukee Bucks, 8-9 (-5)

19. Chicago Bulls, 9-7 (+1)

20. Portland Trail Blazers, 7-10 (-1)

The Celtics far too inconsistent and a loss against the Nets mars some of the good; no team commits fewer turnovers than Boston’s 11.3 per game. Losers of four in a row, the Bucks are flailing without Giannis Antetokounmpo and are averaging just 107.8 points over that span. And the Trail Blazers, after starting the season hot despite the drama surrounding suspended coach Chauncey Billups, have lost eight of their last 11.

NBA Week 5 power rankings: Nos. 21-25

21. Memphis Grizzlies, 6-11 (+2)

22.Los Angeles Clippers, 5-12 (—)

23. Dallas Mavericks, 5-13 (+1)

24. Utah Jazz, 5-10 (-1)

25. Charlotte Hornets, 4-13 (—)

The lone Clippers wins in nearly three weeks have come against the Hornets and Mavericks, a pair of teams below L.A. on this list. Dallas is still being patient with Anthony Davis and the Hornets have lost nine of 10.

NBA Week 5 power rankings: Nos. 26-30

26. Sacramento Kings, 4-13 (—)

27. Brooklyn Nets, 3-13 (—)

28. Indiana Pacers, 2-14 (+1)

29. New Orleans Pelicans, 2-15 (-1)

30. Washington Wizards, 1-15 (—)

The Kings are a weird team; they’re awkwardly constructed and will beat the Nuggets — as they did Sunday, Nov. 23 — and then lose to the Grizzlies by 41. The Nets have shown more competitive spirit and center Nic Claxton recorded his first career triple-double in a win against the Celtics. The Wizards, meanwhile, have the NBA’s worst net rating (-15.5) and have lost 14 games in a row.

As the Houston Astros’ eight-year streak of making the playoffs came to an end, Alex Bregman’s lived on.

Perhaps that’s the most germane – or at least marketable – data point Bregman can flaunt as he hits the market for a second consecutive winter. This time, unattached to a qualifying offer and the draft pick compensation that comes with it, Bregman shouldn’t have to worry about doing this again for many, many years.

That’s because Bregman’s one season with the Boston Red Sox was a relative smash: He predictably dominated at Fenway Park, posted an .821 OPS and lifted the Red Sox to the playoffs for just the second time in the past seven seasons.

Bregman? This was his ninth straight autumn featuring playoff baseball, and as such, he exercised an out clause in the three-year, $120 million deal he signed with Boston on the eve of spring training in February.

Oh, it wasn’t perfect: Injuries limited Bregman to 114 games, and his 18 home runs were his fewest since playing just 91 games in 2021. But know this: Bregman more than maintained his value, and will easily clear the $80 million he had coming to him had he opted into his final two years in Boston.

USA TODAY Sports examines the best landing spots for Bregman’s permanent home:

Boston Red Sox

Hey, the glove still fits. It was Bregman’s arrival that induced the strange dance between Boston and Rafael Devers that resulted in the trade of their franchise third baseman to San Francisco in June.

Now, should Bregman depart, there’d be a massive hole at third base and in the lineup.

Sure, the club could pencil top prospect Marcelo Mayer in there alongside shortstop Trevor Story. Yet staying healthy over the course of a season has proven difficult for Mayer in both the major and minor leagues.

Additionally, the lineup hollows out significantly behind burgeoning star Roman Anthony, who figures to bat leadoff next season. Boston signed Anthony to what figures to be a team-friendly eight-year, $130 million contract, gifting the lefty slugger lifetime security while keeping the club’s payroll healthy for years to come.

And the team saved nearly $250 million offloading Devers. Reinvesting that back into Bregman is simply good business – bringing Bregman’s career gravitas and potent bat to back up Anthony’s emerging greatness.

Detroit Tigers

So, we’re gonna do this again, huh?

The Tigers landed on the podium in the Bregman sweepstakes last winter, offering him a six-year deal for $171.5 million, yet he could not be swayed by the promise of hitting in Fenway and hitting the market again.

So, time to push that boulder back up the hill?

Not much has changed since a year ago: The Tigers claimed another wild-card berth, advanced to the American League Division Series and still have a hole to fill at third base.

They did all right in the aggregate last year, shuffling around fungible pieces like Colt Keith and Zack McKinstry and Andy Ibanez and Javy Baez, winning 87 games behind Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

There’s little they can do to avoid losing Skubal after next year, unless they’re interested in tying up a significant percentage of payroll in his left arm. So in a sense, signing Bregman would likely seal Skubal’s departure.

The upside: They’d get one year to go all-in with the two-time reigning Cy Young winner and Bregman galvanizing the lineup. Worry about 2027 when it gets here.

Comerica Park would be a tough adjustment for Bregman after years of hitting in Fenway and Minute Maid p

arks. But if his ego can take the drop in OPS, his mentality could be just what the Tigers need to push past the ALDS for the first time since 2013.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks aren’t exactly made of money and already toted a franchise-high $186 million payroll last year. Yet if the club truly believes the ship has sailed on Ketel Marte in the desert, moving him would create both financial flexibility and a spot on the infield.

Even if Marte stays in Arizona – he’s due $91 million over the next five seasons – there’s stil an immediate opening at third base. For the moment, that’s penciled in for prospect Jordan Lawlar, but he’s played in just 114 games the past two seasons and struggled in limited big league stints in 2023 and ’25.

Bregman, paired with shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who finished fourth in NL MVP voting, would give the Diamondbacks one of the greatest left sides in the infield. And Bregman’s elite 14% strikeout percentage would give Arizona, already a great contact-hitting team, one of the toughest lineups to attack.

His price tag will probably exceed owner Ken Kendrick’s comfort zone. But the fit is actually really nice.

Seattle Mariners

In 2025, the Mariners discovered just how wonderful a go-for-it mentality can be: Their deadline deals for corner infielders Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez paved the way for their first appearance in the American League Championship Series since 2001.

Naylor was such a good fit, they re-upped the first baseman to a four-year, $92 million deal. They still haven’t replaced Suarez.

Interesting fit, here.

On one hand, the Mariners are loaded with top infield prospects. Cole Young reached Seattle last year. Colt Emerson lurks at Class AAA. Ben Williamson played a capable third base for half of 2025.

On the other hand, shortstop J.P. Crawford is eligible for free agency after 2026. It may take a year or two for the kids to pan out. And the club saw fit to trade for Suarez and send Williamson back to Class AAA for the final two months of the season.

Taking on Bregman’s massive salary – he’d almost assuredly make more per annum than even Cal Raleigh – might seem like a solution looking for a problem. Yet this is a club that fell just eight outs shy of a World Series berth.

Essentially, these are the good old days. Moving aggressively to fill an obvious need could help the Mariners maintain a firm grip on an AL West they final conquered after so many decades of mediocrity.

AI-assisted summary
• Quarterback Matthew Stafford is making a strong case for league MVP, throwing for 273 yards and three touchdowns in the game.
• Stafford now has 30 touchdown passes and only two interceptions on the season.
• The Rams have the longest active winning streak in the NFC with six straight victories.

INGLEWOOD, California — A national primetime game was the perfect setting for the Los Angeles Rams (9-2) to make two statements.

The Rams are playing like the best team in the NFL. While quarterback Matthew Stafford is making the case to be league MVP. The Rams showcased both during a 34-7 demolition of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night.

Stafford completed his first 12 passes as the Rams built a comfortable 21-0 lead in the first half. The Rams had an insurmountable 31-7 lead at halftime.

Stafford tossed three touchdowns in the first half, including two to wide receiver Davante Adams. The quarterback passed for 273 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

Stafford joined Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers as the only players in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes and five-or-fewer interceptions in their team’s first 11 games of a season. He’s thrown 27 straight touchdowns without an interception, tying Brady (2010-2011 seasons) for the most consecutive passing touchdowns without an interception all-time.

“Hall of Famer, MVP of the NFL this season,” Rams running back Kyren Williams told USA TODAY Sports of Stafford. “The best quarterback in the world. There’s not really any other way to describe him, besides the best.”

Stafford’s leading one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses. He tops the NFL with 30 touchdown passes and only has two interceptions.

“I think it feels like the game is slowing down,’ Rams coach Sean McVay said. ‘I feel like he’s in total command. I think he’s got a lot of trust in the teammates that he’s playing with. There’s a true ownership. I think he’s just totally and completely present, and he’s really just enjoying the opportunity to compete week in and week out.”

Stafford has registered a 117 passer rating or better in four of the past five contests.

“He’s a fine wine. He’s getting better with age,” McVay added. “He’s playing really well. He’s in total command.”

Stafford’s performance this year has made an offseason filled with uncertainty seem like a distance memory.

Remember when the Rams granted Stafford’s agent permission to speak to other teams about a trade? Or the aggravated disk in his back that caused him to miss most of training camp?

Stafford does.

It’s made him appreciate the game even more.

“It’s a whole lot of fun. My situation during training camp, with the injury that I was going through, and not being able to really do much of anything for about 4 to 6 weeks, whatever it was. Sometimes being without something, lets you know how much you really love doing it. And I love playing this game. I appreciate it,” Stafford said. “When you’re without something like that, and then you get the chance to go back and do it. It sure is a whole lot of fun. And obviously it’s a lot of fun winning ball games.”

Most importantly, though, the Rams have now won six straight games, the longest active winning streak in the NFC.

The winning streak should put the rest of the league on notice.

The Rams defense is rounding into form. The unit forced four turnovers versus the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11 and held the Bucs to just one touchdown in Week 12.

On offense, Stafford is in the midst of an MVP campaign, Puka Nacua is a matchup nightmare for opposing secondaries and Davante Adams has a league-leading 12 touchdown catches.

“I’m having the most fun playing that I’ve ever had,” Adams said. “It’s just one of those teams where we just have a lot of fun together. … Sean’s always talking about being totally, and completely present, and that’s really where we are. I mean, it’s not really nobody’s thinking about the third quarter. Nobody’s thinking about the end of the game. It’s more about just enjoying where our feet are and going out and playing the biggest team sport that there is. Together and coming out, obviously, on top of a lot of these games, that helps the feeling of a lot as well.”

The Rams deserve to be feeling good. The surging Rams are atop the NFC. The No. 1 seed is a suitable spot for them at this juncture in the regular season, because they are playing like the best team in the NFL right now, and Stafford is performing like an MVP.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The new look Phoenix Mercury have a new logo to match. 

The Mercury unveiled a new set of logos on Monday that not only pay homage to its rich history and traditions, but sets the stage for its future ahead of team’s 30th anniversary next season. The rebrand ‘is not a wholesale reinvention, but an evolution,’ Mercury president Vince Kozar told USA TODAY Sports on Friday.

The Mercury has undergone a lot of change in the past years. Phoenix came under new ownership in 2023 when Mat Ishbia purchased the Mercury, along with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. The franchise’s cornerstone of Diana Taurasi (retirement) and Brittney Griner (trade) departed in 2025 and the new Big 3 of Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally led the Mercury back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2021.

Although Kozar said the Mercury’s rebrand has been in the process for the past two years, the timing of the new logo’s arrival couldn’t be more perfect. It marks the start of an official new era of Mercury basketball.

‘I think all of those things right there are sort of seminal moments of a new era,’ said Kozar, who has seen the different iterations of the three-time champion Mercury first hand after starting as a intern in 2004. ‘All of those things combined made it feel like the right time to sort of pivot this into the future.’

Phoenix’s new primary logo features the iconic Mercury ‘M’ positioned at a 19.97 degree angle, a nod to the Mercury’s inaugural 1997 season as one of the original eight franchises in the WNBA.

‘We take a ton of pride in being one of the original franchises, not only because we were a team that helped found this league, but it takes a lot to get to season 30,’ Kozar said. ‘To be in the same city with the same name in the same arena for 30 years, that’s not something that any other WNBA team can claim. It was important to us to honor being one of the original eight. It was important to us to honor 1997, and it was important to us to keep the ‘M,’ but modernize it in a way that feels like the next 30 years, not the last 30 years.’

The purple crescent echoes the ‘shadowed side of planet Mercury’ and the pointed edge of the ‘M’ is a nod to the original geometric rings and serves as an arrow pointing to the franchise’s future. The future appears to be the Big 3 of Thomas, Copper and Satou, who are all set to become free agents this offseason. Signing the trio will be a priority for the Mercury after the ‘on-court success those three found together,’ but Kozar said he ultimately leaves those difficult decisions to the Mercury’s general manager Nick U’Ren.

‘Our fans had only two returning players on their favorite team this year. And by the end of the year, I saw people wearing (Thomas) jerseys, our top sellers. I saw people wearing unicorn headbands for Satou. I saw the ‘Kahleah Freaking Copper’ t-shirts all over the arena. Our fans have really fallen in love with the team,’ Kozar said. ‘So I’m just really excited for the team that they’ve built and the players who were coming back to hopefully make another run to the Final.’

The Mercury’s rebrand keeps its devoted fanbase, known as the X-Factor, at its core. Phoenix upgraded the ‘Merc’ nickname dubbed by the fans into the team’s first-ever secondary logo. The Mercury also revamped its Phoenix alternate logo to feature a highlighted ‘X’ to celebrate the X-factor, ‘which doesn’t exist with any other team in any other sport,’ Kozar said.

‘That’s their affectionate nickname for our team. And that was never previously a mark within our identity, and we added that specifically for (the fans),’ Kozar explained. ‘There’s a ton of pride there because it represents the fan base that has been here from day one. It represents fans and owners who got us through candidly, some really lean times, both on the basketball court and on the business side.’

Merc Merch Swap

In celebration of the team’s new era, the Mercury are holding a Merc Merch Swap at the Team Shop at Mortgage Matchup Arena that allows fans to exchange one piece of apparel for new Mercury merchandise through Dec. 5. Fans can exchange any Mercury or WNBA gear, in addition to merch from any WNBA team, and will also receive a 20% off coupon for future use. (All exchanged gear will be donated to the Goodwill.)

Diehard fans also have an opportunity to imprint their allegiance forever. Phoenix is teaming up with Lady Luck Tattoo to offer complimentary logo tattoos to the first 100 fans. Fans can sign up at phxmerc.com/freetattoo.

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Every week for the duration of the 2025 regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the NFL’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 12 nearly complete:

AFC playoff picture

1. New England Patriots (10-2), AFC East leaders: Sunday’s narrow defeat of the Bengals gave the Pats the league’s best record, moving them past Denver and into the conference’s top spot. Good chance they hold onto it when they hit their off week. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

2. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Being idle Sunday cost them first place in the conference, but you can bet the break was welcome − especially for a team that will need to be close to fully charged for a brutal four-game stretch at the end of its regular season. Remaining schedule: at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

3. Indianapolis Colts (8-3), AFC South leaders: They’ve dropped two of three to fall off the conference pace … and are now only one game ahead of Jacksonville and two better than Houston in the division. The next two weeks could be crucial. Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

4. Baltimore Ravens (6-5), AFC North leaders: They sleepwalked past the Jets on Sunday … but past Pittsburgh and into first place by virtue of a better record in divisional games − and the Ravens will play in three more over the next three weeks. Remaining schedule: vs. Bengals, vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 1: They needed the week off … and Buffalo’s loss allowed the battered Bolts to gain ground. Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4), wild card No. 2: Wins over the Chiefs and Chargers could serve them well when it’s time to sort out tiebreakers. Winning at Arizona? Not so much. But despite beating the Bolts, the Jags check in behind them because LA’s 6-2 record in AFC games gives it precedence in the current three-way wild-card tiebreaker. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

7. Buffalo Bills (7-4), wild card No. 3: QB Josh Allen took a beating − as did the Bills’ hopes of catching the Patriots in the AFC East race. Now 4-3 in conference games, Buffalo fell behind the Chargers and Jags in the wild-card seeding, too. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), in the hunt: Sunday’s loss at Chicago dropped them from first place in the AFC North all the way out of the field. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

9. Houston Texans (6-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four of five, including three in a row without injured QB C.J. Stroud. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans likely need to sweep the Colts while continuing their surge … but the pieces are falling into place for a late charge to the top. Remaining schedule: at Colts, at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-5), in the hunt: Their nine-year run atop the AFC West appears practically over. Still plenty of time to recover otherwise − and maybe that began Sunday vs. Indy − for a team that’s never missed the AFC championship game since Patrick Mahomes became the QB1 in 2018. Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

NFC playoff picture

1. Los Angeles Rams (9-2), NFC West leaders: While Philly owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, it doesn’t matter now that the Rams have the better record in the aftermath of the Eagles’ demise Sunday. Still, LA has scant breathing room between itself and the Seahawks plus 49ers in the division. Remaining schedule: at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3), NFC East leaders: Sunday’s collapse likely won’t cost them the division. But it did drop them behind the Rams and served as another worrisome potential harbinger for the defending champs. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

3. Chicago Bears (8-3), NFC North leaders: They’ve won eight of nine since an 0-2 start to stunningly take over first place in the division. An inferior record (5-2) in NFC games keeps Chicago behind the Eagles. Remaining schedule: at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5), NFC South leaders: Their divisional lead over Carolina is gone, but the Bucs’ 2-1 record in NFC South games is a half-game better than the Panthers’. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3), wild card No. 1: All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that won’t serve them well in the tiebreaker department. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers (7-3-1), wild card No. 2: Sunday’s win over Minnesota was their most convincing in weeks. But there’s little time to celebrate with a Thanksgiving date at Detroit next. Remaining schedule: at Lions, vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (7-4), wild card No. 3: Maybe the Niners can start building some momentum with QB1 Brock Purdy back in the lineup. Monday night’s game against Carolina comes with high stakes. Remaining schedule: vs. Panthers, at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (7-4), in the hunt: They’re even with the Niners record-wise, though an inferior record in NFC games (4-3) keeps them on the outside for now. Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Carolina Panthers (6-5), in the hunt: In addition to breathing down the backs of the Bucs, they’re only a game back of the Niners for the final NFC wild-card spot. Winners of six of nine, the Panthers only have one win against a team (Green Bay) currently above .500. Get another Monday night in Silicon Valley, and they’ll move atop the NFC South. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Rams, BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

10. Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1), in the hunt: Two wins in a row continues to fuel hope in Big D. Remaining schedule: vs. Chiefs, at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

What a scrapbook memory for Shedeur Sanders. Coach Prime came to witness his son’s first NFL start. A suspect Raiders defense played along. Myles Garrett was there on his side. And how.

Lights. Camera. Action.

When it was over, after the NFL’s highest-profiled rookie – fifth-round draft status or not – came out as a winner with the Cleveland Browns he flashed his million-watt smile and essentially said he told you so.

“Hopefully, we cleared a little stuff up,” Sanders said after the 24-10 victory in Las Vegas on Sunday. “But we have a long way to go, a long way to grow. I know it’s only one way. And the only way is up.”

That bit of instant self-analysis was appropriate enough, given the saga. Sanders, the projected first-round pick who plummeted to the fifth round, finally got a chance to crack the lineup, given the concussion that sidelined fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. And for a quarterback who finally got some quality practice reps with the starters, due to the looming assignment, he made a pretty good statement about his potential.

The numbers don’t leap off your fantasy scoresheet. Sanders barely completed half his passes (11 of 20, for 209 yards, with a TD, an INT and an 87.3 efficiency rating). The Browns tallied just 11 first downs under his command, which is what happens when you’re 3-for-12 on third downs. And while his first NFL touchdown throw went for 66 yards, rookie running back Dylan Sampson did the heavy lifting, weaving and darting his way to paydirt after taking a swing pass in the flat.

Yet Sanders was ready for his big moment nonetheless, and he’ll step right up as the buzz will surely intensify over the decision facing Browns coach Kevin Stefanski about which rookie quarterback starts when both are healthy.

After preseason ‘competition,’ Shedeur Sanders finally gets his chance at QB1

Sanders, the 42nd quarterback to start for the Browns since the franchise rebooted in 1999, became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win in his debut start since Eric Zeier in 1995. And he produced the two longest plays of the season for the Browns (3-8).

He didn’t get a real crack when the competition was supposedly open during the summer. Perhaps he will get a shot now, considering the production he displayed with a week of dedicated preparation and the jolt of energy he brings as part of his package.

Not only did Sanders not wet his pants inside the giant Roomba-looking venue near The Strip, (ala Allegiant Stadium) he demonstrated what could make him special – as it did when he played for his father, Deion Sanders, at Colorado – as a playmaker. On a third-and-eight late in the first quarter, Sanders rolled away from a free blitzer coming up the middle and connected with Isaiah Bond on a 52-yard dime that set up the Quinshon Judkins 2-yard TD run that, with the conversion, made it 14-0.

As Stefanski put it, “I think you saw a lot of what Shedeur does well on the field today, to make that play off-schedule when we were outmanned in protection, to get the ball down the field.”

Myles Garrett’s brilliance finally rewarded in Browns win

It helped immensely that Sanders had the backing of one of the NFL’s best defenses, led by the incomparable Garrett, who again showed why there’s no debate that he’s hurtling toward another NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

Poor Geno Smith.

The Browns sacked Smith 10 times and Garrett collected three of the sacks to go with his two forced fumbles, six quarterback hits and four tackles for loss. Garrett broke his own single-season franchise record for sacks, leaving with 18, which leaves him five sacks shy of the all-time NFL record – with six games to play.

Still, the “best supporting” role for Sanders was significant enough. Think about the quarterback-needy teams that passed on Sanders, including the Raiders, who drafted running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth pick overall. Las Vegas drafted wide receiver Jack Bech in the second round (58th overall), cornerback Darrien Porter (68th) early in the third round, plus four other prospects before Sanders was picked 144th overall.

Interestingly, former Raiders coach Antonio Pierce told CBS that had he still been in his previous position that he would have ensured that the team drafted Sanders – and he insisted that Raiders owner Mark Davis agreed with that position. Pierce, though, was replaced by Pete Carroll, aligned with new GM John Spytek, while Tom Brady consults.

Maybe Sanders just delivered some payback to the Raiders to start his revenge tour.

“I was a fifth-round pick,” he said. “I got skipped by everybody. At least five times.”

Hey, the revenge tour could take years.

To his credit, Sanders didn’t play into that theme on Sunday.

“It just comes with the game,” he said. “It is what it is. But I’m just thankful for where I am now. Everybody has their differences, but I still got an opportunity to play … The money’s different, but thankfully, I have a good family.”

From distraction to proud papa. Deion Sanders cheers on son’s first win

Ah, the family. The video clip of Deion greeting Shedeur in the tunnel before the game went viral. In the days leading up to Sunday, Coach Prime didn’t commit to making the trip from Colorado – where his Buffaloes fell to 3-8 with a home loss against Arizona State on Saturday night – but obviously was compelled to capture the moment.

After all, Shedeur made it back to Boulder during the Browns’ bye week. And it’s not every day that one of his sons makes his first NFL start.

No, Deion was anything but a distraction. During the game, the TV cameras caught him in a suite looking like any other proud father cheering on his son’s biggest plays.

Still, the father-son connection, as beneficial as it is on many levels, was one of the residuals from the draft plummet for Shedeur as some decision-makers expressed uneasiness with the dynamic.

Time will tell whether that was a huge mistake in judgment by some NFL teams. To this point, though, it was part of the equation that resulted in Sanders falling way deeper in the draft than many in the NFL universe imagined and winding up as the “second” rookie quarterback on his team, buried deeper on the depth chart than he’s ever been.

“That’s how life is,” Sanders said. “Everybody’s not in the best situation, but it’s no excuse. You’ve got to go out and perform. It’s no choice. Nobody cares if this was one week of prep. Who cares?

“So, a lot of people want to see me fail. It ain’t going to happen.”

Haters or not, it merely must be proven over and over again.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell

The New York Giants have fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, according to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The news comes one day after New York blew another double-digit lead in a Week 12 loss to the Detroit Lions on the road. Outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen has been tabbed as the Giants’ interim defensive coordinator, Stapleton has reported.

Leading 27-17 with 11 minutes to play on Sunday, Nov. 23, the Giants let their lead slip by giving up a 49-yard rushing touchdown to Jahmyr Gibbs, then a game-tying, 59-yard field goal with 30 seconds left.

Bowen’s defense has been maligned this season for its inability to maintain leads down the stretch. Through 12 weeks, New York has won just two of the seven games in which the team has taken a double-digit lead.

Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka told reporters after the team’s Week 11 loss to the Green Bay Packers that he did not foresee making any changes to the coaching staff.

‘We’re going to evaluate all the players. We’re going to evaluate all the coaches, the calls, be hypercritical of that, and then find out those areas where we can be better and knock those things out,’ he said.

Another blown lead late in Week 12 was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Bowen’s time in New York.