Rams can take huge step toward NFC West title by avenging 31-point loss to CardinalsBrighter and more efficient LEDs with low polarization resist 'efficiency droop'
Conference title games a chance at a banner, bragging rights and, for some, a season-wrecking loss
Four-year-old boy is hit and killed by car at North St MarysThanksgiving is this week and is a turning point in every NFL season. Buffalo Bills fans have much to be thankful for this year, especially since the team is on its way to a fifth-straight AFC East title. Once the calendar turns to December, teams are either coming together at the right time or defining themselves as playing for next year. The Bills sit at 9-2 after a thrilling win over the rival Kansas City Chiefs . They enjoyed a bye week immediately after the big win and will host the flailing San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football in Week 13. Buffalo will try to build on the momentum it collected by beating the Chiefs. Other teams haven’t been as lucky or successful in 2024. The New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys were both saddled with high expectations before the season. Some of those expectations were warranted. Adding Aaron Rodgers , even at 40, should have been an upgrade over Zach Wilson. It hasn’t panned out. The Cowboys did little in the off-season other than singing quarterback Dak Prescott to one of the richest contracts in NFL history. With a full slate of family and football slated for Thursday, Buffalo Bills fans are in a position many teams are envious of heading into the home stretch of 2024. What Buffalo Bills Fans Should Be Thankful for This Season The Rest of the Division is in Shambles If a team has eight or nine wins through 11 or 12 games in a season, it’s usually a good sign that the squad will be playing in January. The Bills could win another AFC East crown this week before they even hit the field. If the Miami Dolphins fall in their Thanksgiving night tilt with the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, Buffalo will be the first division winner to lock down its crown. Miami has played better over the last few games, beating the Los Angeles Rams , Las Vegas Raiders , and New England Patriots in the last three weeks. While that’s encouraging for Mike McDaniel’s team, Tua Tagovailoa’s health will always be an issue due to his concussion history. The Jets fired both their head coach and GM this year and are strongly reconsidering their quarterback situation beyond this season. New York is wasting what should have been one of the best defenses in the year. The Patriots had the biggest excuse to be bad in 2024 due to turning the page on legendary coach Bill Belichick . New England has an entirely new staff, and a new quarterback, and can’t figure out its offensive line. The Bills don’t suffer from any of these issues due to the stability the team has built over the last six seasons. The Benefit of Smart Owners and a Savvy GM Some NFL teams have meddlesome owners who lord over head coaches and general managers. They think they know better than anyone and hold their teams back. Others have owned teams for years but continually make bad moves that keep their franchises out of relevancy and the playoffs. The Pegulas may have sold a minority stake in the team recently, but they are among the better owners in the NFL. They don’t overstep their bounds or make every win or loss about themselves rather than the players. The Pegulas also let the general manager be the general manager, making roster moves that won’t break the team but are right for their franchise. New York football this week: Jets fire GM Joe Douglas Giants bench Daniel Jones, then grant him his release. pic.twitter.com/zaN4eoxpH6 — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 22, 2024 Signing Von Miller two years ago made sense since he was a step slower than usual. He knew it was time to be a rotational player rather than someone playing every defensive snap. The Bills also moved on from veterans Jordan Poyer and Tre’Davious White in the off-season. GM Brandon Beane traded for Amari Cooper at this year’s trade deadline. He’s not the flashiest pass catcher but is a reliable target who doesn’t routinely lash out when not getting the ball. That consistency puts the onus on the player and the execution on the field instead of on someone in charge of building the team. Having One of the Best Quarterbacks in the League Quarterback Josh Allen overtook the role of the best quarterback in the AFC East once Tom Brady moved on to Tampa Bay in 2020. Buffalo has won the division every year since, filling the slot as the AFC East’s new top dog. Allen is routinely in the MVP conversation and has grown every year of his career. That's our quarterback. We've nominated Josh Allen for the 2024 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award: https://t.co/jXMSmjpoLS pic.twitter.com/rnfbOcPzfv — Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) November 25, 2024 At least eight other NFL teams would love to have a starter with Allen’s tools. The Raiders, Jets, New York Giants , Tennesse Titans , and Cleveland Browns would look much different with a competent starter like Allen. Buffalo Bills fans are enjoying what Patriots fans did with Brady – one of the best players in the league playing for them. A big win over the Chiefs is also something to be thankful for. However, Bills fans know beating Kansas City in the playoffs would make it all worthwhile. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, Derrick Henry rushed for 140 yards, and Baltimore coach John Harbaugh improved to 3-0 against his brother as the Ravens beat Jim Harbaugh's Los Angeles Chargers 30-23 on Monday night. It was the first matchup between the Harbaughs since Super Bowl 47 in February 2023, when John's Ravens beat Jim's San Francisco 49ers. Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL this year after nine seasons at Michigan, where he won a national title. The brothers shared a quick hug and handshake at midfield after the game. Justice Hill ran for a 51-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put it out reach for the Ravens (8-4), who have won three of four. Justin Herbert completed 21 of 36 for 218 yards ran for a 5-yard touchdown on a scramble up the middle on the Chargers' opening drive. The Chargers went 54 minutes between touchdowns. Gus Edwards went 1 yard off left guard to get them within 30-23 with 45 seconds remaining. Baltimore's Isaiah Likely recovered the ensuing onside kick. Cameron Dicker had three field goals as the Chargers (7-4) had their four-game winning streak snapped. Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. Credit: AP/Eric Thayer The Chargers had to rely more on Herbert and the passing game after running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a knee injury in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Ravens finished with 212 yards rushing and outgained the Chargers 389 yards to 285. Henry didn’t score a touchdown for the first time this season but had a productive night with 24 carries. The Ravens trailed 10-0 but scored on five straight drives to take control. They also converted three fourth downs, including a 2-yard gain by Mark Andrews on a direct snap late in the second quarter on fourth-and-1 at their own 16 on what ended up being the go-ahead drive. Jackson, who leads the league in total yards, completed 16 of 22 passes for 177 yards. He also had 17 rushing yards, including a 10-yard keeper off right end early in the second quarter to get the Ravens within 10-7. Five plays after Andrews' fourth-down conversion, Jackson threw a deep ball to Rashod Bateman, who made a contested catch in the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown, giving the Ravens a 14-10 advantage. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) reaches for a first down as Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) defends during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. Credit: AP/Ryan Sun Baltimore extended its lead to 23-16 when Andrews caught a 6-yard pass in the back of the end zone. The Ravens' 2-point conversion attempt was no good. Hill put Baltimore up by two scores midway through the fourth quarter with his run off right end on third-and-3. It was the third TD run of at least 51 yards at SoFi Stadium in a 24-hour period after Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley had scoring runs of 72 and 70 yards en route to a 255-yard rushing night against the Rams Sunday night. Injuries Ravens: LB Roquan Smith (hamstring), who leads Baltimore with 110 tackles, was inactive. Chargers: In addition to Dobbins, CB Eli Apple (hamstring) was injured in the first half and did not return. Up next Ravens: Host Philadelphia on Sunday. Chargers: At Atlanta on Sunday.Gun found on suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO matches shell casings at scene, police say ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — New York City’s police commissioner says the gun found on the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO matches shell casings found at the crime scene. Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said Wednesday that lab results matched suspect Luigi Mangione’s prints to a water bottle and a snack bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing. Police had said earlier that they believed the gunman bought the items at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target. Mangione is jailed in Pennsylvania on weapon and forgery charges, but he also has been charged in New York with murder in Brian Thompson's death. His lawyer has noted that Mangione is presumed innocent. Authorities are scrutinizing evidence and the suspect’s experiences with the health care industry. Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer a glimpse into an unusual American moment Memes and online posts in support of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. Some cast Mangione as a hero. That's too far, says Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising Democrat who was almost the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year. CEO Brian Thompson's death touched off off these ripples. They offer a glimpse into how so many different aspects of 21st-century life can be surreally connected, from public violence to politics, from health care to humor, or attempts at it. FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The announcement Wednesday comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position. His impending resignation will bring him three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations. Trump applauded the news Wednesday, saying it will end the weaponization of what he called the “Department of Injustice.” Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. Atmospheric river brings weather whiplash to East Coast as bomb cyclone develops PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The East Coast is experiencing a whiplash-inducing stretch of weather. That's due in part to an atmospheric river and developing bomb cyclone. The storm is bringing heavy rain and fierce winds to many areas until Wednesday night, and flooding is possible. Utilities geared up for potential power outages from damage caused by winds that may exceed 60 mph. Forecasters say one of the key factors driving the weather is an atmospheric river, which is a long band of water vapor that can transport moisture from the tropics to more northern areas. US warns Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again in 'coming days' WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Russia could launch its lethal new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine again soon. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh cited a U.S. intelligence assessment in telling reporters on Wednesday that an attack could come “in the coming days.” She says the U.S. does not consider the Oreshnik missile a game changer on the battlefield. But that Russia is using the weapon to intimidate Ukraine as both sides wrestle for an advantage that will give them leverage in any negotiations to end the war. The Russian Defense Ministry also is warning it may retaliate against Kyiv for an attack on a military base in the Rostov region in southern Russia on Wednesday. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33 including children, Palestinian medics say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 33 people. One of the strikes hit a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north, killing 19. A separate strike outside nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital killed a woman and her two children, and another strike in central Gaza killed at least seven people. Israel's military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses militants of hiding among them, putting their lives in danger. Local health officials say Israel’s retaliatory offensive after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Hannah Kobayashi, missing Hawaii woman whose disappearance prompted a massive search, is found safe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Kobayashi has been found safe. That’s according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Kobayashi vanished last month in Los Angeles. The missing Hawaii woman's disappearance prompted a massive search and a missing persons investigation. It was not immediately clear where she was found, but police previously said she had voluntarily crossed the border into Mexico. The LAPD said Wednesday the department will wrap up its investigation. Kobayashi's family reported her missing to law enforcement on Nov. 11 after relatives received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages. Kobayashi’s mother and sister said they are “grateful” she has been found safe. Syrians flock to morgues looking for loved ones who perished in Assad's prisons DAMASCUS (AP) — Many bodies have been found in Syrian detention centers and prisons since President Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Now Syrians around the world are circulating images of the corpses in hopes that they will see slain loved ones whose fate had been a mystery. At the morgue visited by The Associated Press on Wednesday in Damascus, families flocked to a wall where some of the pictures were pinned in a haunting gallery of the dead. Relatives desperately scanned the images for a recognizable face. Some of the prisoners died just weeks ago. Others perished months earlier. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly? ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament. Key issues include during which part of the year to stage the tournament, where to play the games, whether alcohol will be allowed at all and how to protect workers rights in the massive construction projects required to host the World Cup.
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