Read in Browser [[link removed]]

Afternoon Edition

December 30, 2024

POWERED BY

The NFL flexed several games in the season’s final week to set up as much high-profile drama as possible. The consequences will run the gamut from bye weeks to matchups—and on the other end of the standings, positioning for the best players in April’s draft.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

What’s at Stake in NFL Week 18? Seeding, Viewership, Draft Position, and More [[link removed]]

Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Even with 12 of the NFL’s 14 playoff spots already locked up, there’s plenty still at stake in the final week of the 2024 regular season, and the league adjusted its broadcast schedule accordingly.

The NFL made a series of schedule flexes late Sunday to finalize the Week 18 layout, putting two of the most contested divisional races in featured positions. ESPN’s Jan. 4 doubleheader will showcase the race for the AFC North title between a Browns-Ravens game followed by a Bengals-Steelers one.

At 11-5, Baltimore currently holds a one-game edge over Pittsburgh, but the Steelers would have the tiebreaker and claim the division if both teams finish at 11-6. The winner of the division will gain the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs behind No. 1 Kansas City, a top ratings draw now perhaps playing without its starters for nearly a month [[link removed]], and No. 2 Buffalo.

The regular season, meanwhile, will conclude with a blockbuster final contest, colloquially known as the NFL’s Game 272, that will be a winner-take-all clash on NBC’s Sunday Night Football between the Vikings and Lions for the NFC North championship. More importantly, though, the top overall seed in the NFC, including a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs, is also at stake.

It will also be the second straight flex for the Vikings into a featured broadcast position, as the team’s 27–25 win Sunday over Green Bay took over the America’s Game of the Week slot [[link removed]] on Fox, pushing out a Cowboys-Eagles game.

Other Issues To Settle

The final week of the regular season also has several other key races and milestones at stake. Among them:

The NFC South title. The 9-7 Buccaneers control their destiny, holding a one-game advantage over the Falcons. Tampa Bay will face New Orleans at 1 p.m. ET on Jan. 5, while Atlanta will host Carolina at the same time. The Falcons hold the tiebreaker over the Buccaneers if both finish with 9-8 records. A final wild-card slot. In addition to the NFC South championship, there is still one unclaimed playoff berth in the AFC. The 9-7 Broncos hold the edge there, but the 8-8 Dolphins and Bengals are still trying to claim the spot. Playoff positioning. Even with most of the playoff entrants already known, there is plenty of jockeying still happening for final seeding. The Steelers in particular could shift between No. 3 and a division winner and as low as the No. 6 seed. The winner of Game 272 between the Vikings and Lions, meanwhile, will gain the NFC’s No. 1 seed, while the loser will be No. 5 in that conference. The 10-6 Chargers, finishing the regular season at the Raiders, are also still pushing for a No. 5 seed, which would bring a first-round playoff matchup at the No. 4 Texans. An all-time rushing title? Eagles running back Saquon Barkley on Sunday became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. With 101 more yards against the Giants, Barkley’s former team, on Jan. 5, he would break the league record held for 40 years by Eric Dickerson. The Eagles, however, are locked in as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. The MVP race. Bills quarterback Josh Allen still holds a betting advantage [[link removed]] over Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, but the Baltimore star—already a two-time winner of the award—is closing fast, and has much more to play for this weekend. Race to the Bottom

At the other end of the NFL’s competitive landscape, there is a four-team race for the worst record, and in turn, the first pick in the 2025 draft—currently presumed by many to be Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The Browns, Giants, Patriots, and Titans all hold 3-13 marks, and New York lost its grip on landing the top draft pick by upsetting the Colts Sunday, 45–33, for its first victory in nearly three months.

The Patriots now hold the tiebreaker in the race.

New England, meanwhile, is also at the forefront of a Week 18 game with particularly inverse incentives. The Patriots will host the Bills to close out the season, and fans will be rooting for another loss to clinch that top draft slot. Buffalo, meanwhile, has its playoff position solidified and will be far more interested in keeping Allen and its other starters healthy for the postseason.

SPONSORED BY SIGNIANT

Learn from Top Broadcasters, Leagues & Teams

Live sports production relies on the ability to transfer huge amounts of data in a fast, secure, and reliable manner, whether it’s a few large files or many smaller clips. As production teams look to do more with fewer people on site, traditional methods present significant challenges to already tight timelines.

Learn how broadcasters leverage intelligent file transfer software in the remote era. Read this guide from Signiant [[link removed]] to discover:

Examples of how pre-recorded segments, advanced graphics, and quick edits are used to enhance the production of live sports The need to support both automated workflows and ad-hoc, person-initiated workflows—and why that matters How the right software aids in doing more with fewer people on site

Learn more here. [[link removed]]

Darnold Dilemma: Will QB Breakout Lead Vikings to Ditch Low-Cost Succession? [[link removed]]

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Vikings will attempt to win the NFC North on Sunday night to cap off what has been a dominant regular season behind a surprisingly resurgent Sam Darnold. And while Minnesota still has a playoff run ahead, the dilemma of how much it will cost to keep the 27-year-old quarterback is already starting to creep up.

Darnold is playing this season on a one-year, $10 million contract. That’s been great value, as Darnold is having a career year, throwing for 4153 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions through 16 games.

A win against the Lions would give the Vikings the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 15-2 record, tying a franchise record for most wins in one season. That success will lead to some tough decisions for Minnesota’s front office, which drafted former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy [[link removed]] with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Vikings signed Darnold to compete with McCarthy, who tore his meniscus in the preseason. The former Jets draft pick’s deal was one of the cheaper quarterback contracts signed this past spring. Former Vikings signal caller Kirk Cousins got a four-year, $180 million deal from the Falcons [[link removed]], while the Buccaneers re-signed Baker Mayfield to a three-year, $100 million contract. The Cowboys extended Dak Prescott with a $60 million per-year deal and the Packers gave Jordan Love a $55 million salary.

Given last year’s pricey quarterback moves, Darnold will likely be asking for a big raise this offseason. The Vikings will have the option of placing the franchise tag on Darnold, which Over The Cap projects to be just over $41 million for quarterbacks [[link removed]] in 2025. That would be another one-year deal, while something more long-term would make the situation with McCarthy even more complicated.

McCarthy will have a salary cap hit of just under $5 million in the second season of his rookie contract. Minnesota receiver Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million extension will also begin to kick in, as the star wideout will have a cap hit of roughly $15 million [[link removed]].

Holiday Hostility: NBA Fights Lead to Suspensions, Costly Fines [[link removed]]

Erik Williams-Imagn Images

It may be the holiday season, but there’s some hostile energy floating around the NBA. Two fights resulted in multiple ejections and suspensions during the final weekend of the calendar year.

The first occurred during Friday’s game between the Mavericks and Suns [[link removed]] when Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkić struck Mavericks forward Naji Marshall on the head. Marshall threw a punch back that hit Nurkić in the face. Marshall was suspended four games without pay [[link removed]] as according to the NBA, he “attempted to further engage Nurkić in a hostile manner” outside the locker rooms. Nurkić received a three-game suspension, while Dallas forward P.J. Washington was suspended one game for escalating the on-court altercation.

Two days later, six players and coaches were ejected in the final minute of the game between the Rockets and Heat following an altercation between Houston’s Amen Thompson and Miami’s Tyler Herro [[link removed]]. Thompson grabbed Herro by his jersey and threw him to the ground, which referee Marc Davis described as a “body slam.” Players and coaches then rushed to the scene, which led to ejections for Thompson and Herro, Rockets guard Jalen Green, head coach Ime Udoka, assistant coach Ben Sullivan; and Heat guard Terry Rozier. The NBA has yet to announce any suspensions for the incident.

The NBA has cracked down on fighting over the last few decades—especially since the infamous Malice at the Place [[link removed]] in 2004—but these incidents aren’t exactly rare. The NBA PR tracks all the league’s suspensions [[link removed]], and there have been five other incidents of suspensions due to physical altercations this calendar year, including Joel Embiid from earlier this season after he shoved a media member [[link removed]]. The fact the latest two incidents were just two days apart is likely nothing more than a coincidence.

According to the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement [[link removed]], a suspension of fewer than 20 games results in a reduction of 1/145th of a player’s salary per game (1/110th if the suspension were more than 20 games). Nurkić’s three-game suspension results in a loss of $375,000 from his $18.13 million salary, while Marshall will lose about $236,500 and Washington about $107,000.

While it’s unclear if there will be any suspensions from the Rockets–Heat game, a potential suspension would cost around $200,000 per game for Herro and $64,000 for Thompson.

SPONSORED BY COLLECTORS

Get $25 Off Your First PSA Submission

Grade with the industry standard. PSA [[link removed]] is the leader when it comes to authenticating, grading, and preserving your most valuable sports and TCG cards. Today, backed by leading expertise and the industry’s best customer guarantee, more collectibles are submitted to PSA than any other grading service.

New to grading? For a limited time only, Front Office Sports readers will get up to $25 off [[link removed]] their first online grading order at psacard.com [[link removed]] or the PSA mobile app. Use code FOS25 at checkout [[link removed]].

One Big Fig Aging King

40

The age of LeBron James, whose birthday is on Dec. 30. The Lakers star is playing his 22nd season in the NBA, tied with Vince Carter for the most seasons played. He is also the oldest active player in the league. During the team’s season opener, James and his son Bronny became the first father-son duo [[link removed]] to play together in an NBA game.

James has hinted at retirement multiple times this year, most recently following a loss to the Hawks [[link removed]] on Dec. 7 when he said his “time is very limited.” He is currently on a two-year, $101.3 million contract with a player option for next season. James is the highest-earning NBA player in history and by the end of this season, will be the first to surpass half a billion dollars in earnings [[link removed]] ($528.7 million).

Status Report One Up, Two Down, One Push

Democrat and Chronicle

Jets ⬇ New York fell to 4-12 on the season after Sunday’s 40–14 loss to the Bills, and the focus is now shifting to who will be the team’s next head coach. Former Jets and Bills coach Rex Ryan said he expects to speak with the team [[link removed]] about the opening, and former Commanders and Panthers coach Ron Rivera is reportedly set to interview this week [[link removed]].

Ireland ⬆ The country looks set to host its first NFL game in 2025, as the Steelers are expecting to play a regular season matchup [[link removed]] there next year, according to sources cited by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The NFL is eyeing eight international games in six different countries [[link removed]] next season, and commissioner Roger Goodell previously said he knew the Steelers were interested in playing in Dublin.

Anthony Edwards ⬇ The Timberwolves star received two different fines totaling $175,000 over one week. The first occurred following a Dec. 21 loss to the Warriors when he criticized the officials [[link removed]], and the second came after he used “ profane language [[link removed]]” during a postgame interview on Dec. 27 [[link removed]]. Edwards, who is known for speaking bluntly, has received four total fines for $235,000 this season. He is in the first year of a five-year, $244.6 million contract.

World Rapid Blitz Chess Championships ⬆⬇ World No.1 chess player Magnus Carlsen was pulled from the tournament Friday for wearing jeans, a violation of the dress code. The International Chess Federation announced Sunday that Carlsen would return, stating the dress code would accommodate “elegant minor deviations.”

Conversation Starters Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht won the Pop-Tarts Bowl MVP and chose to sacrifice the Cinnamon Roll for his team to feast on. Take a look [[link removed]]. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard surprised all his teammates with 55-inch 4K TVs ahead of the Rose Bowl. Take a look [[link removed]]. FOS multimedia reporter Derryl Barnes looked into a major transformation inside the Colorado Buffaloes’ Folsom Field this year on the latest episode of Stadium Status. Check it out [[link removed]]. Editors' Picks Zach Ertz, Saquon Barkley’s Big Sundays Net Big Incentives [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Ertz netted $750,000 in contract incentives during Sunday’s game. Former FSU Basketball Players Sue Coach Over ‘Broken’ NIL Promises [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]Players said they were told they would receive $250,000 each. An Unprecedented Year In Stadium Development Sets Up a Big, Busy 2025 [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Several major stadium and arena projects overcame obstacles to gain approval. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Or Moyal [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2024 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016