In the NFL, Sunday brought plenty of drama as the Los Angeles Rams’ six-game winning streak ended in Carolina, where Bryce Young threw three touchdowns and the Panthers forced three turnovers in a 31-28 upset.
In Pittsburgh, Buffalo restored its momentum with a 26-7 victory over the Steelers. Josh Allen threw and ran for scores and set a league record with his 76th rushing touchdown by a quarterback as the Bills dominated the line of scrimmage. The AFC South tightened when Houston edged Indianapolis 20-16; C.J. Stroud’s 276 passing yards helped the Texans close within a game of the Colts and Jaguars.
Denver moved to 10-2 with a 27-26 overtime win at Washington, surviving a late Commanders rally and a failed two-point try. San Francisco stayed firmly in the NFC hunt by pulling away from Cleveland 26-8 behind Brock Purdy’s two second-half touchdowns, while Seattle’s defense delivered a 26-0 shutout of Minnesota, returning one of five takeaways for a score.
Tampa Bay snapped a three-game skid by holding off Arizona 20-17 to remain on top of the NFC South. In the AFC West, the Chargers handled the Raiders 31-14 behind Justin Herbert and a big day from rusher Kimani Vidal. Jacksonville routed Tennessee 25-3 to join Indianapolis atop the AFC South, Miami edged New Orleans 21-17 for its third straight win, and the New York Jets clipped Atlanta 27-24 on a walk-off field goal.
On Friday, the Philadelphia Eagles endured a disheartening Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears, a stumble that tightened the NFC race heading into December.
College football’s regular season wrapped up with several powers strengthening playoff résumés. Top-ranked Ohio State dominated Michigan to secure a Big Ten title-game date with unbeaten Indiana. Alabama used another bold late call to escape Auburn and earned a rematch with Georgia, which defeated Georgia Tech to lock in its own SEC championship berth. Oregon, Oklahoma, Miami, and Tulane all posted important wins, while Texas Tech and BYU stayed in the Big 12 title and playoff chase.
Closer to home, Penn State became bowl eligible by defeating Rutgers. The Nittany Lions’ third consecutive victory enabled them to finish the season at 6-6, after losing six straight games following a 3-0 start and the dismissal of head coach James Franklin, who has since been named the new coach at Virginia Tech. Penn State’s search for a new head coach continues.
On the hardwood, the NBA produced a series of high-scoring finishes. The Rockets rolled past the Jazz 129-101, the Hawks outlasted the 76ers 142-134 in overtime, and the Knicks topped the Raptors 116-94. Oklahoma City beat Portland 123-115, the Celtics edged the Cavaliers 117-115, and the Timberwolves defeated the Spurs 125-112. The Grizzlies beat the Kings 115-107, while the Lakers capped the night with a 133-121 win over the Pelicans.
In the NHL, the Capitals downed the Islanders 4-1, the Hurricanes shut out the Flames 1-0 in overtime, the Blackhawks beat the Ducks 5-3, and the Stars cruised past the Senators 6-1.
Source: ESPN, The Guardian, Wash Post, nba.com, nhl.com