New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri was down on the ice in pain during the second period on Friday, Nov. 28 after he fell when getting tangled up with Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale.

It took a while for him to stand and he skated slowly to the bench as the puck went to the other end of the ice. But the puck came back in the Flyers’ zone and Palmieri, still skating slowly, had the wherewithal to strip it from a Flyers player who was skating backward.

Palmieri passed to Islanders forward Jonathan Drouin, who fed Emil Heineman. Heineman scored to cut the Flyers’ lead to 3-1.

Palmieri couldn’t celebrate the goal or his assist. He was busy heading to the dressing room with assistance and stayed there while the Islanders rallied to tie the game.

‘What a gutsy effort for him on that,’ captain Anders Lee said after the game. ‘Going through a lot of pain, he’s one of the toughest teammates that I know. Takes a lot for him to feel pain and get keeled over, but you can also see how strong he is to battle through and make a huge play.’

The Islanders later announced that Palmieri wouldn’t return to the game because of a lower-body injury.

The Flyers won 4-3 in a shootout.

Kyle Palmieri injury update

Islanders coach Patrick Roy had no update on Palmieri after the game, saying the forward would see a doctor on Saturday.

‘I think everybody knows it doesn’t look very good,’ he told reporters.

Texas and Texas A&M closed down the Black Friday slate of college football games with the latest edition of the Lone Star Showdown rivalry.

For the second straight year since joining the SEC, Texas has spoiled a potential Aggies victory, upsetting them 27-17 and knocking them from contention for the SEC championship game. Arch Manning threw a touchdown and ran for another in the win, now raising the question of whether the Longhorns might join in the College Football Playoff fray.

Stream Texas vs. Texas A&M live with Fubo (free trial)

Marcel Reed, who had a brief injury scare in the first quarter, was largely ineffective through the air vs. Texas, completing 20 of 32 passes for 180 yards and two fourth-quarter interceptions. He did rush 12 times for 71 yards as well.

While the Aggies’ season isn’t over, it is certainly a sour note for a team that was looking for its first SEC title game berth on top of a jump into the CFP.

USA TODAY Sports brought you updates, scores and highlights from the game. Check them out:

Texas vs Texas A&M football score

Texas vs Texas A&M updates

This section has been updated with new information

Final: Texas 27, Texas A&M 17

And that’ll do it. For the third straight game, Texas beats Texas A&M. The Aggies are out of the SEC championship game but still have a strong opportunity at hosting a first-round CFP game.

The real question is whether Texas will make the CFP as well?

Texas picks off Marcel Reed

That should do it for Texas. Kobe Black picks off Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed and gives the ball back to Arch Manning and the offense. It’s the second interception of the night for the Longhorns defense.

Arch Manning erupts for 35-yard rushing score

Holy smokes, Arch Manning! A Manning isn’t supposed to run like that!

The Texas quarterback reads the gap and takes off for a 35-yard rushing touchdown to extend the Longhorns’ lead to 27-17 with 7:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Texas A&M scores touchdown

EJ Smith brings Texas A&M within a field goal of Texas with a 13-yard rushing touchdown up the middle of the field. It’s a quick and impressive response by the Aggies, as Marcel Reed and the offense go down the field and score in six plays for 59 yards in less than two minutes of game time.

Texas now leads Texas A&M 20-17 with 9:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Texas extends lead to double digits with TD

Nick Townsend runs it in from the 2-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter for the touchdown. Texas now holds a 10-point lead over Texas A&M at 20-10 with 14:57 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Complete dominance by the Longhorns here in the second half.

End of third quarter: Texas 13, Texas A&M 10

Arch Manning completes a 54-yard throw down the left sideline to Jack Endries to bring Texas down to Texas A&M’s 2-yard line with a first-and-goal to start the fourth quarter. A dominant third quarter by the Longhorns, who created 189 total yards of offense in the quarter compared to the Aggies’ 35.

Texas A&M false start penalty ends drive

The Aggies are called for a false start on fourth-and-1 and it forces the punt unit to head out onto the field. A costly penalty for Texas A&M, which has struggled to find any rhythm (or success) in the second half.

Arch Manning TD pass gives Texas lead

Here comes Texas. Arch Manning finds Ryan Wingo in the back of the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown pass to give Texas the 13-10 lead. It’s a great ball thrown by Manning and a great job by Wingo to hold onto it.

The scoring drive was set up by two extended runs from Quintrevion Wisner of 16 and 17 yards. He’s at 113 rushing yards on the night, the first time Texas has had a runner finish with at least 100 rushing yards in a game this season per the ABC broadcast.

The drive itself was six plays for 70 yards and took 3:04 off the game clock.

Texas A&M punts

It’s a quick three-and-out for Texas A&M in its first drive of the second half. The Aggies were able to create just eight yards of offense on three plays, while the drive only took 1:32 off the game clock.

The Longhorns’ defense is keeping their offense in this one.

Texas settles for field goal

Mason Shipley hits a 46-yard field goal attempt to cut Texas’ deficit over Texas A&M to 10-6 with 11:56 remaining in the third quarter.

The Longhorns were at the Aggies’ 19-yard line, but Arch Manning took a 9-yard sack on third down, pushing Texas back further. Manning was also handed his second intentional grounding penalty of the game, as he threw the ball away with no receivers around as he was being brought down by Texas A&M’s Dalton Brooks.

Manning is 8-of-22 passing for 51 yards on the night.

End of first half: Texas A&M 10, Texas 3

Texas A&M sacks Arch Manning

Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim sacks Arch Manning on third-and-10 for an 8-yard loss for the game’s first sack. It’s a costly sack taken by Manning, as it takes the Longhorns out of field goal range.

The Aggies take the knee after the punt to go into the locker room with a 10-3 lead.

Texas A&M scores TD before halftime

Marcel Reed hands it off to KC Concepcion for the game’s first touchdown, an 8-yard rush. It’s a nice run by Concepcion for the score. The Aggies are dominating on offense in this one, as they have out-gained the Longhorns 178-85 for total offensive yards.

Texas A&M moving on offense at two-minute timeout

Texas A&M’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-5 pays off, as Marcel Reed connects with Mario Craver for 7 yards and the first down. It’s a gutsy call by Elko, as the Aggies were in field goal range. The Aggies are at the Longhorns’ 30-yard line with two minutes to go until halftime.

KC Concepcion returns punt for 30 yards

KC Concepcion sets Texas A&M up with some strong field position on its fifth drive, as he returns the punt return from Jack Bouwmeester for 30 yards to the Texas 42-yard line.

Texas A&M field goal ties game

Second time’s a charm for Jared Zirkel, as he successfully makes the 31-yard field goal attempt to tie the game at 3-3 with 6:41 remaining in the second quarter.

Marcel Reed scrambles for first down into red zone

That’s a 13-yard scramble from Reed, who’s in his first drive back from injury. He didn’t seem limited there and has Texas A&M looking to at least tie this game.

Texas field goal gives Longhorns first lead

A Mason Shipley 41-yard field goal gets Texas on the board first with a 3-0 lead. Manning led the Longhorns down to the Texas A&M 23-yard line before the Aggies clamped down on defense.

End of first quarter: Texas 0, Texas A&M 0

Arch Manning lets the clock run down to end the first quarter after picking up 3 yards on a carry. Both teams failed to score in the first quarter, the first time in the rivalry game since 1997.

Texas blocks Texas A&M field goal attempt

Texas takes over at its own 20-yard line.

Texas punts after controversial no-call

Arch Manning tries to go down the field on third-and-9 but his throw to Ryan Wingo is broken up by a pair of Texas A&M defenders. The home fans in Austin, along with ABC broadcasters Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy, were not thrilled that there was not a flag thrown for defensive pass interference as Texas A&M players were all over Wingo.

Texas punts for the third consecutive drive. The Longhorns have just 24 total yards of offense.

Texas A&M incompletion ends drive

Marcel Reed throws a fast ball to Mario Craver on third-and-4, but the Aggies’ wide receiver is unable to hold onto it for the first down. Texas A&M sends out the punt unit and gives the ball back to Arch Manning and Texas at its own 36-yard line.

Both teams’ offenses have a pair of drops to begin this rivalry game.

Texas punts

Texas’ first drive of the night ends in a punt, as Arch Manning is unable to connect with DeAndre Moore Jr. across the middle on third-and-11. The Aggies will start on their own 7-yard line.

Arch Manning, Texas start on offense

It will be Arch Manning and Texas’ offense out on the field first. The Longhorns quarterback has played well over the last month in Steve Sarkisian’s system, as he has thrown for at least 250 yards and a touchdown in each of his last four games. He has thrown for at least three touchdowns in three of his last four games.

Pregame

Texas A&M wins coin toss

The Aggies win the coin toss and defer the opening kickoff to the second half. Just about underway in Austin!

Anthony Hill ruled out vs Texas A&M

ABC’s Molly McGrath reports that Texas star linebacker Anthony Hill will not play against Texas A&M due to a hand injury. Hill was listed as a game-time decision on the final SEC availability report before kickoff. A big loss for the Longhorns’ defense.

Marcel Reed warming up ahead of Texas-Texas A&M

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed has taken the field in Austin. The Aggies’ redshirt sophomore quarterback is having a career season at Texas A&M, as he has completed 61.8% of his passes for 2,752 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding six rushing scores.

Arch Manning arrives for Texas-Texas A&M

Arch Manning leads Texas through its pregame walk into DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium ahead of Friday night’s top-20 matchup against Texas A&M. The Longhorns quarterback completed 18 of 30 passes (60%) for 389 yards and four touchdowns against Arkansas in Week 13, while adding a rushing and receiving touchdown.

What is Texas A&M football’s path to the SEC championship game?

A win over Texas would send Texas A&M to the SEC championship game. It’s the lone path to the conference championship game following Ole Miss’ win over Mississippi State earlier in the day.

What TV channel is Texas A&M vs Texas on today?

• TV: ABC
• Streaming: ESPN App | Fubo (free trial)

Texas A&M vs. Texas will air on ABC in Week 14 of the 2025 college football season from Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. Sean McDonough (play-by-play) and Greg McElroy (analyst) will call the game.

Streaming options include the ESPN App, which requires a valid cable login to access, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Texas A&M vs Texas time today

• Date: Friday, Nov. 28
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

The Week 14 matchup between the Aggies and Longhorns is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 28.

Texas A&M vs Texas predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, Nov. 25:

• Spread: Texas A&M (-2.5)
• Over/under: 51.5
• Moneyline: Texas A&M -130 | Texas +110

Prediction: Texas A&M 24, Texas 23

The Longhorns have been excellent at home this season, with a 5-0 record heading into their season finale. They haven’t faced a team there quite as good as the Aggies yet, though. Expect Texas A&M’s ferocious pass rush to get to Manning just enough for coach Mike Elko’s team to pull out a close win.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Jerry Jones carried a turkey leg with him as he hopped on an elevator that took him directly to his 50-yard-line suite at AT&T Stadium. While a turkey leg is far cry from a Lombardi Trophy – remember, the Dallas Cowboys haven’t won one of those in nearly 30 years – it was a fitting symbol nonetheless after the impressive win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving.

Suddenly, the Cowboys are relevant in the NFL’s playoff picture.

And the team’s owner, thoroughly roasted early in the season for the controversial trade that sent Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, has reason to dream again about the Cowboys’ chances of chasing a championship.

This is what two victories over a five-day span against the Super Bowl 59 participants – they hung a 31-28 result on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Thursday, following a rally from 21 points down to beat the defending champion Eagles on Sunday – can do to revive the hope that Jones is always selling.

“I wouldn’t be standing here right now, would not be in the hunt, if I were not a dreamer,” Jones told USA TODAY Sports as he leaned on the bar of his suite.

Cowboys have five weeks to keep 2025 playoff dream alive

With maybe 100 people in the suite – family, friends, business associates – the place was buzzing with festive electricity. Never mind the NFL’s one-week-at-a-time mantra and the fact that if the playoffs were today, the Cowboys would be on the outs. Jones had reason enough to celebrate.

The Cowboys (6-5-1) are above .500 for the first time all season and under first-year coach, Brian Schottenheimer, and have a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2023.

It’s why Post Malone, the rapper-turned-country/rock star who performed at halftime, came into the suite and yelled at Jones from the other side of the room with unbridled glee. And Jones yelled back at Malone, who has intimate ties to the franchise.

Maybe they’ll celebrate bigger victories later. Maybe not.

To make the playoffs, undoubtedly as a wild-card entrant barring a collapse by the Eagles, the Cowboys have to run the table and win every single game. Next up, a trip to Detroit, to face a just-as-desperate Lions squad (7-5) that has fallen woefully of lofty expectations.

After that, Dallas has back-to-back home games against the Vikings (4-7) and Chargers (7-4) before closing out the regular-season slate at the Commanders (3-8) and Giants (2-10). For a team that lately complemented a dynamic offense with an improved defense, it’s a path with, well, promise.

Is it taboo to even speak playoffs? Or is this a matter of trying to speak it into existence?

Of course, it’s rather predictable what you’d get from the NFL’s most visible owner.

“We all see the numbers,” Jones said. “We know where they are. As far as this team playing well enough to think like, we should. These last two games, we’ve played well.”

As Jones pondered the ways, Michael Irvin walked into the suite. The Hall of Fame receiver, who remains close to Jones and the franchise, took the celebration to another level with a demonstration that resembled something out of the glory years in the 1990s.

“Arrrrrgh!” Irvin yelled, raising his arms as he approached Jones.

“First we beat the Super Bowl champs! Now we beat the perennial Super Bowl champs!”

Irvin then put Jones in a bear hug like they had just won, well, a Super Bowl.

It was classic, over-the-top Irvin. And Jones loved it.

“Sometimes, it’s Thanksgiving and sometimes it’s Christmas Day,” Jones said. “Same energy. That energy has never left.”

Premature celebration? Look at where the Cowboys have been

It’s fair to wonder whether this excitement is all a bit premature. While they celebrated in the owner’s suite, it was fitting that Dak Prescott’s postgame press conference was shown on the TV monitors. Prescott won’t deny that Dallas has just pulled off its most impressive back-to-back victories in years, hailing the team’s resilience.

Yet the classy quarterback – dogged for years by the team’s playoff failures – is just the man to put it in perspective.

“I don’t know if there’s been two more impressive wins,” Prescott told reporters. “I can tell you now, we’re not going to get on some high because of that. We know we’ve got another big one next week. All this does is just give us more confidence, knowing that we can beat whoever.”

Then again, considering the real-world tragedy the Cowboys were forced to process after defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland died by suicide in early November, there is much to be said with how the team has responded.

Kneeland’s jersey still hangs in the Cowboys’ locker room. The team carries a huge flag with Kneeland’s uniform number, 94, onto the field with it. Jones was careful to express a proper measure of respect while contending the difference with the team since the tragedy.

“Rather than taking an emotional downer or feeling like woe-is-me, they did what young people have to do whenever they have a setback or a tragedy: You live in every way you can with energy and enthusiasm,” Jones said. “There’s no question our energy has picked up since his death.”

Other relevant factors for the Cowboys’ resurgence:

This is not your Week 1 Cowboys defense

The much-maligned defense is forming a new identity. The trade of Parsons – who had 2½ sacks to help the Packers defeat the Lions on Thursday and became the first player in NFL history to post 12 sacks in each of his first five seasons – figures to add context for some time. Yet the acquisition of all-pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline on Nov. 4 takes up some of the slack.

Mahomes stung the Cowboys for four touchdowns and provided a Keystone Kops moment as he slipped out of would-be sacks to launch a magical, 42-yard completion to Xavier Worthy that set up a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Yet one reason the Cowboys won traced to the heat on Mahomes, which included three sacks and nine quarterback hits. And the unit, with veteran addition Jadeveon Clowney providing some of the rush and rising star DeMarvion Overshown back in the flow after returning from a torn ACL, and with Logan Wilson added to the linebacker mix, is not what it was a few weeks ago. And yes, Williams is a beast in the middle of the D-line, alongside Kenny Clark, who came to Dallas in the Parsons trade.

No, it’s not an elite defense. But much better.

Brian Schottenheimer rises to his big moment

Schottenheimer has flourished with his big opportunity. When Jones promoted the offensive coordinator after the split with Mike McCarthy, it was a gamble wrapped with the reality that the long-time NFL assistant – and son of the late coaching legend, Marty Scottenheimer – had never been a head coach before.

Yet Schottenheimer has proven to be well-equipped to withstand the glare of the high-profile Cowboys job … and the shadow that comes while working under Jones. He also showed tremendous leadership in helping the team deal with the loss of Kneeland.

“It’s his people skills,” Jones said. “He didn’t separate his feelings, as far as saying ‘I’m the leader.’ He shared his sorrow, just like they did. And he understood that the best thing for everybody and the feelings, after we were out for a few days, was to understand what was happening to you. Understand the sorrow. He had a challenging time.”

As he maintained when he promoted Schottenheimer, growing up in a household with his father provided added value.

And Schottenheimer’s confidence is undoubtedly rubbing off on his team about now. After Thursday’s win, he put it this way: “We’ll play anybody, anywhere. You can see that by what we’ve done the last couple of weeks. The moment’s not too big for us.”

George Pickens’ career year highlights dynamic passing attack

The addition of the big-play receiver, obtained in an offseason trade with the Steelers, has been better than expected. In teaming with CeeDee Lamb, Prescott has a 1-2 punch with perhaps the NFL’s best set of wide receivers, and it has added balance, spark and options to one of the league’s most dynamic units.

The passing game didn’t tank when Lamb missed three games earlier this season due to a high ankle sprain. Pickens filled in the gap. With five games to play, Pickens has already posted career-bests for receptions (73), receiving yards (1,142) and TDs (8).

Pickens is playing on a one-year contract, but slim chance that he’ll hit the free agent market next spring. Pickens has expressed a desire for an extension and Jones reiterated a similar desire amid the postgame suite party.

Jones, though, would not go any deeper than that – for good reason. Negotiations.

It’s also worth noting that Pickens is represented by David Mulugheta, the same agent who represents Parsons and was in the middle of the saga that led to the controversial trade.

Maybe Mulugheta and Jones can celebrate a big deal yet – with or without a turkey leg.

But first things first: The Cowboys are trying to keep their playoff dream alive.

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

Arch Manning’s first full regular season as Texas football’s starting quarterback is officially in the books. 

Following a game in which he had a career-high passing yards against Arkansas, the Longhorns quarterback carved up the defense of the No. 3 team in the nation, completing 14 of 19 passes for 179 yards and two combined touchdowns in a 27-17 win over Texas A&M on Friday, Nov. 28 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

With the win, Manning has led a third top-15 victory for the Longhorns, also improving his record to 11-3 as the Longhorn’s starting quarterback of the last two seasons.

Manning had a rather uninspiring first half, as he completed 8 of 21 passes for just 51 yards with no touchdowns. The 6-foot-4 quarterback got Texas into field goal position just before halftime with an 11-yard dump pass to Quintrevion Wisner, but took a rather costly 8-yard sack three plays later to take the Longhorns out of field goal range.

He significantly improved his stats in the second half. A 29-yard pass to Ryan Wingo and a 35-yard rushing touchdown of his own served to be Manning’s biggest plays in the final 30 minutes.

The Nov. 28 win also raises the question of whether Texas, the No. 16 team in the latest CFP rankings, can make the playoff after a home win vs. No. 3 Texas A&M. The Longhorns can’t make the SEC championship game and can’t improve their resume further to make a third CFP appearance. 

Here’s a deeper look at Manning’s stats in Week 14 at home against Texas A&M: 

Arch Manning stats today vs Texas A&M

Here’s a full look at Manning’s line on Nov. 28 against Texas A&M: 

• Completions: 14
• Attempts: 29
• Completion percentage: 48%
• Passing yards: 179
• Touchdowns: 1
• Interceptions: 0
• Rushing attempts: 7
• Rushing yards: 53
• Rushing touchdowns: 1

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 Sunday afternoon 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 13 underway:

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 during Week 12 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 their past 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 intra-divisional matchups should be crucial. Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), AFC North leaders: Baltimore’s Thanksgiving loss restores them to first place. A win over Buffalo on Sunday would help a lot more. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 1: They needed last week off … and Buffalo’s loss granted the battered Bolts improved positioning. 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. Despite beating the Bolts in Week 11, 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 in last week’s loss to Houston. Now 4-3 in conference games, Buffalo sits behind the Chargers and Jags in the wild-card seeding. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

8. 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

9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6), in the hunt: Not only will they almost certainly not win the AFC West for the first time since 2015, they could well miss the postseason for the first time since 2014 − Andy Reid’s second year in K.C. And don’t forget they’ve lost to the Broncos, Chargers, Bills and Jags, who are all ahead of them. Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

10. Baltimore Ravens (6-6), in the hunt: A sloppy performance against the Bengals cost them first place in the AFC North and a slot in the projected playoff field. Unlike several other squads, the Ravens are also on the wrong side of a head-to-head tiebreaker with Kansas City. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

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 in Week 12. 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: Last 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. But the winner of their Black Friday matchup will assume sole possession of second place in the conference. 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 was (barely) restored Monday night, but it might not be worth much if injured QB Baker Mayfield is severely limited on the field. 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 (8-3-1), wild card No. 2: They merely maintained their standing (for now) with their Thanksgiving win at Detroit, but a loss would have dropped them from the field entirely. A thin margin for the Pack to be sure … yet they’ll springboard into first place in the NFC North on Friday if the Bears lose at Philly. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (8-4), wild card No. 3: Not a pretty win Monday night, but the Niners will take it as they solidify their hold on the conference’s final playoff spot. Remaining schedule: at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (7-5), in the hunt: Getting swept by the Packers further entrenches Detroit, which could have moved into a wild-card slot with a Turkey Day win, on the outside of the field. Remaining schedule: vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1), in the hunt: Three wins in a row further fuels playoff aspirations in Big D. Next week’s game in Detroit looms as massive − and potentially must-win − for the Cowboys and Lions. Remaining schedule: at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

10. Carolina Panthers (6-6), in the hunt: The Panthers (still) only have one win against a team (Green Bay) currently above .500 after losing in Silicon Valley on Monday night. But Carolina has beaten the .500 Cowboys, who they’re otherwise virtually tied with. Remaining schedule: vs. Rams, BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025