The NBA season is a quarter of the way in the books and things are starting to take shape. 

The Eastern Conference looks to have three teams that can contend for the right to play in the NBA Finals, while the Western Conference has some new blood at the top. 

The Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors are all out of the top 6, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder are two of the top three teams in the West. 

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Let’s dive into the 12 teams that would currently be locked in for an NBA playoff spot if it started today and what to look for as the calendar turns to 2024. 

Eastern Conference 

Boston Celtics: Keep Kristaps Porzingis healthy

The Celtics have been in the Eastern Conference Finals five of the last seven years and made it to the NBA Finals in 2022. And yet, the success has yet to lead to a championship. 

Boston has not won a title since 2008 but made moves in the offseason in hopes of taking the final step. 

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis on Dec. 28, 2023 in Boston. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

Kristaps Porzingis will need to stay healthy – something the big man has been unable to do throughout his career – in order for the Celtics to remain at the top of the Eastern Conference and get over the hump in June. 

Milwaukee Bucks: Improve the defense 

Milwaukee needed to make a move after losing as a one-seed in the first round of the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs. The Bucks went out and acquired Damian Lillard in exchange for Jrue Holiday, adding much-needed firepower to the offense but having a negative impact on their defense. 

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The Bucks are 20th in the NBA in defensive rating after ending last season with the fourth-best defensive rating in the league. 

Philadelphia 76ers: Find a third star?

It was a bizarre offseason for the Sixers as James Harden forced his way out of town. 

Despite no longer having the 10-time All-Star, the Sixers haven’t skipped a beat, sitting at 22-10 and holding the third-best record in the East. Philadelphia is just 3.5 games out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference a third of the way through the NBA season. 

Despite the good start, Philadelphia does seem to be one player away from being on the same level as the Celtics. 

Joel Embiid of the 76ers shoots over Precious Achiuwa of the Toronto Raptors at the Wells Fargo Center on Dec. 22, 2023, in Philadelphia. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

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“I believe we’re good enough,” Joel Embiid told ESPN earlier this month. “[Boston and Milwaukee], those teams are great. They got good players on paper. Like you guys [in the media] have said, they’re better than us,” he continued, tongue firmly in cheek.

“Whatever happens, happens. If we add whoever, that is good. If we don’t, we’re still gonna go out and fight and try to win. But I believe in what we have. And we’re gonna do the best job possible.”

The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 8. 

Miami Heat: Prove people wrong again

The Miami Heat continually make “experts” of the NBA eat their words. 

Last year, the Heat squeaked into the NBA Playoffs via the Play-In Tournament, only to upset the one-seed Bucks in the first round. 

After beating the New York Knicks, Miami managed to win a Game 7 on the road in the Eastern Conference Finals after blowing a 3-0 lead. 

The Heat just don’t die, and after striking out on Lillard and Jrue Holiday during the summer, the Heat are 19-13 and tied for the fourth spot in the East. 

Orlando Magic: Stay ahead of schedule

It was just two years ago when the Magic finished 22-60 and secured the first pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. 

Orlando selected Paulo Banchero first overall and now have a true franchise player moving forward, along with a legit second option in Franz Wagner. 

Paolo Banchero of the Magic grabs a defensive rebound against the Philadelphia 76ers at Kia Center on Dec. 27, 2023, in Orlando, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images))

The Magic are ahead of schedule and are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020. 

Cleveland Cavaliers: Figure out what to do with Donovan Mitchell

When the Cavaliers made the big trade for Donovan Mitchell before last season, they were taking a calculated risk. 

Cleveland was never Mitchell’s top choice, but the Cavaliers gave him a chance to compete for a championship. Through the first 32 games of the 2023-24 season, it’s apparent that the Cavaliers are not a championship-caliber team as they’ve dealt with numerous injuries. 

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With Mitchell set to be a free agent in 2025, many have floated the idea of the four-time All-Star being traded before this year’s deadline or during the offseason. However, the Cavs have “maintained a commitment to this core of four All-Star talents,” according to Yahoo Sports.

Western Conference

Minnesota Timberwolves: Translate regular season success to the postseason

When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for Rudy Gobert prior to the 2022-23 NBA season, most felt they gave up too much for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. 

Last season, the fit alongside Karl-Anthony Towns was rough as Minnesota was bounced from the playoffs in the first round. 

So far in 2023, the Timberwolves sit atop the Western Conference with a record of 24-7. 

Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the Grizzlies game at FedExForum on Dec. 8, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Minnesota is first in defensive rating (108.1) and have a legitimate star in Anthony Edwards. Getting the top seed and home-court advantage would be huge for Minnesota. 

Oklahoma City Thunder: Add a piece or stick it out?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are really good. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate and Chet Holmgren is probably going to be the Rookie of the Year. 

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While the Thunder are certainly ahead of schedule, they are very young, which could show come playoff time.

With a treasure trove of draft picks at their disposal, the question is whether OKC adds a piece or decides to stay put. 

Denver Nuggets: Just get to April 

The Nuggets are defending NBA champions and are still the team to beat come playoff time. 

Denver very well could end up without the best record in the West, but all that matters is that they’re healthy for the playoffs. The Nuggets know who they are. 

Los Angeles Clippers: Pray the Big Three is healthy come playoff time

The James Harden trade is working. The Clippers won nine straight games to kick off December and are fourth in the West. 

As is always the case for the Clippers, the health of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will determine how far they can go in the spring. 

Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers drives to the basket against Derrick Jones Jr. of the Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Dec. 20, 2023, in Dallas. (Tim Heitman/Getty Images)

Leonard has missed the last several games with a hip contusion but has played in 27 of 31 games this season. 

Sacramento Kings: Make a move? 

The Kings were the best story in the league last season, making the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season, “lighting the beam” after every win. 

The Kings finished with the best offensive rating in the league last season but have taken a step back in 2023, now sitting at 12th in the league. 

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The Athletic’s Sam Amick jumped on Sactown Sports 1140 after a recent loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and said the Kings need to be open to making a move in order to be considered contenders. 

The NBA logo on a backboard before the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena on Oct. 30, 2023, in Denver. (C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)

“I’ve said for a while, if this team wants to contend, they got to be pretty open to significant moves at the trade deadline,” Amick said. “That was the type of loss, that to me is, now you know. And if something’s not there, you can’t force it. So it doesn’t mean something is definitely going to happen. But as far as the ceiling on this team, I thought that was a pretty bad sign.”

Dallas Mavericks: See how far Luka Doncic can take you

Luka Doncic has somehow gone up a level in his sixth NBA season. 

The four-time All-Star is averaging 33.7 points (a career-high) and 9.2 assists (also a career-high) as the Mavericks have been without Kyrie Irving since early December. 

Doncic went off on Christmas Day, scoring 50 points while adding 15 assists, six rebounds and four steals. 

It’s been a fascinating year in college football. 

Deion Sanders took over the sport for a few months before his Colorado Buffaloes lost eight of their last nine games to end the season, the “Conference of Champions” became the conference of just two teams, and Florida State became the first undefeated Power 5 conference champion to be left out of the College Football Playoff. 

All of the storylines have led to the final edition of the four-team CFP, which has the potential to be the best semifinals in the 10-year history of the CFP. 

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Let’s take a look at the New Year’s Day matchups with the winners playing for the national championship in Houston on Jan. 8.

Rose Bowl – No. 1 Michigan vs No. 4 Alabama, 5 p.m. ET

It’s a matchup between two traditional powers at “The Granddaddy of Them All.” 

In what has the look of a classic, Michigan and Alabama will square off in the Rose Bowl with a 13-game and an 11-game winning streak on the line. 

Michigan is looking to bounce back from its performance in last year’s CFP after a tumultuous season. 

Rose Bowl Stadium is shown on Dec. 27, 2023, in Pasadena, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)

Head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended by the school for the first three games of the season before missing the final three games of the year after the Big Ten came down on him over allegations of sign-stealing.

With or without Harbaugh, the Wolverines have been perfect, and they’ve gotten it done on the defensive side of the football. 

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Michigan has allowed the fewest points per game (9.5) while holding opponents to just 239.7 yards per game. 

After starting off the year with a very soft schedule, Michigan finished the year against two top-10 teams before shutting out No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten title game.

They need quarterback J.J. McCarthy to have one of his better games to beat a red-hot Alabama team. 

J.J. McCarthy of the Michigan Wolverines (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

In Michigan’s first seven games of the season. McCarthy threw for 14 touchdowns with an average of 10.6 yards per pass attempt, according to The Athletic. In the final six games, McCarthy threw just five touchdowns and averaged 7.7 yards per pass attempt.

The Crimson Tide come into the CFP winners of 11 consecutive games, a winning streak that can mostly be attributed to quarterback Jalen Milroe’s play. 

Since sitting out against South Florida in Week 3, Milroe has been spectacular, throwing for 2,269 yards, 18 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions. 

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Milroe’s ability to make plays with his legs – 12 rushing touchdowns – makes the Alabama offense dangerous for Michigan as they prepare for a quarterback rarely seen in the Big Ten.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“I don’t think we’ve seen a quarterback like this,” Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said, according to USA Today. 

The New Year’s Day matchup at the Rose Bowl will be one college football fans won’t want to miss.

Sugar Bowl – No. 2 Washington vs No. 3 Texas, 8:45 p.m. ET 

Fans of the Longhorns can finally say that “Texas is back.” 

It’s been 13 years since Texas last played for a national championship, and Steve Sarkisian has his team on the doorstep of reaching the pinnacle of the sport. 

Texas entered the 2023 college football season as the villains of the Big 12 as they prepare to depart the conference for the SEC in 2024. After winning the program’s first conference championship since 2009, Texas has an opportunity for the ultimate exit. 

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“We have a chance to be legends,” senior linebacker David Gbenda said. “So why not go be great?”

Quarterback Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The Longhorns enter Monday’s game against Washington with an offense ranked in the top 10 in yards per game and a defense in the top 15 in points allowed per game.

The offense is led by quarterback Quinn Ewers, who has shown major improvements in his second season under Sarkisian. 

After missing two games due to injury, Ewers enters the CFP on a tear, throwing for 1,246 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions in the final four games of the year.

Ewers has thrown for 3,161 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2023, and the sophomore QB drastically improved his completion percentage, going from completing 58.1% of his passes in 2022 to 70.7% in 2023.

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The Texas defense has been elite at stopping the run, allowing just 80.3 rushing yards per game, fourth-best in the country. 

They’ll be facing a Washington team led by a Heisman Trophy finalist and an offense that can get up and down the field. 

The Huskies finished the year 13-0 for the first time in program history as they prepare to depart the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024. 

Michael Penix Jr. led the top passing offense in the country (343.8 yards per game) while throwing for 4,218 yards, 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions. 

Michael Penix Jr. of the Washington Huskies (Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)

While the Washington offense slowed in the second half of the season, the Huskies found a way to win close games, winning their last four games by a combined 15 points. 

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Their receiving core is elite, led by two 1,000-yard wideouts in Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk. 

“It’s the touchdowns. It’s the moving of the chains in the big, big moments. There’s been so many we forget about a lot of [them] and you take it for granted the gaudy stats that he has,” Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer said of Odunze. “Just over and over again, think about how many times he’s come through when you really needed it. A lot of times you think about when you lose football games or you didn’t come through in the big moment. You remember those. I can’t remember Rome not coming through.”

And while Washington is known for its passing attack, running back Dillon Johnson has come on strong in the second half, averaging 136.6 yards per game in the last five contests, including a 256-yard performance against USC. 

With a secondary allowing 263.2 passing yards per game (120th in the country), college football fans could be in for a high-scoring affair in New Orleans. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Green Bay Packers continue to remain in the NFC playoff picture, as they took down their NFC North-rival Minnesota Vikings, 33-10, to move to 8-8 on the season. 

The Packers were the No. 9 seed entering Sunday night on the outside looking into the wild card situation with the Detroit Lions already winning the division. With the victory, the Packers remain in the mix, while the Vikings, who had the same record heading into the matchup, are more on the outside looking in. 

Rookie Jaren Hall started for the Vikings at quarterback, as head coach Kevin O’Connell went away from Nick Mullens, who started the previous two games. But it was a move that didn’t work out in the Vikings’ favor. 

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Hall struggled going 5-of-10 through the air for just 67 yards with one interception and a fumble lost. That led to Mullens starting the second half for Minnesota, but at that point, it was a large deficit to recover from, as Jordan Love and the Packers got to work quickly in the first half. 

With a 3-0 lead, the Packers made the best of the interception from Hall with their first touchdown drive. It was just two plays, as Love had great field position and delivered a strike to his rookie receiver, Jayden Reed, for a 33-yard touchdown. 

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And Reed wasn’t done finding the end zone in this one. After Love found the end zone himself on a two-yard rush earlier in the half, Reed used his blazing speed to go another 25 yards to bust into the end zone, fighting off tacklers in the process. 

He would leave the game early with a chest injury, but Reed led the Packers with 89 yards on six catches. 

The Packers also saw a score from Bo Melton on an impressive 91-yard drive in the third quarter, which Love orchestrated to perfection. Melton was wide open in the back right of the end zone for a nine-yard score on third-and-1 from Minnesota’s nine-yard line. 

Jaren Hall #16 of the Minnesota Vikings is pressured by Kenny Clark #97 of the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Love would finish the game 24-of-33 for 256 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions – the exact performance head coach Matt LaFleur wanted to see from his new franchise quarterback. 

It also helped that veteran running back Aaron Jones was setting the tone on the ground for the Packers to open up everything else on the offense. Jones had 120 yards on the ground on 20 carries. 

For the Vikings, Mullen was 13-of-22 for 113 yards with one touchdown pass to tight end Johnny Mundt to at least get the home team in the end zone. Justin Jefferson had five catches for 59 yards (10 targets), though it was hard for Minnesota to get its offense going all game long. 

Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to a game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (David Berding/Getty Images)

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The Packers slightly hold their own fate next week, as they’ll need to beat the Chicago Bears to give themselves a chance at a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Vikings will need a lot to happen as they prepare to face the Lions for the final time of the year. 

The Kansas City Chiefs have claimed their eighth straight AFC West division title after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 25-17, at home on Sunday. 

Kansas City moved to 10-6 on the year and currently own the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoff picture. On the other hand, the Bengals are now 8-8 and their playoff hopes are slim to none heading into the final week of the regular season next Sunday.

This rivalry over the past few years has seen some fantastic offense, and that’s the way this game started with three straight scoring drives.

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Two of them, though, weren’t for the home team as the Bengals got off to a hot start with Jake Browning remaining under center with Joe Burrow out for the remainder of the season.

Cincinnati got a field goal on the board after killing 8:39 of first-quarter clock, but Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense made the best of their first drive after finally getting a chance on the field. 

They went 75 yards on seven plays as Isiah Pacheco caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes across the middle of the end zone to go up 7-3.

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However, Browning was quick to respond with a touchdown drive of his own. He found his running back, Joe Mixon, just like Mahomes did with Pacheco – a short red-zone pass that put the Bengals back ahead.

A turning point in the first half came on the ensuing drive for the Chiefs as Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson caught Mahomes on his blind side, forcing the ball out of his throwing hand. Cincy recovered the fumble. 

Browning used that to his advantage and ran in his own touchdown on 3rd-and-goal from one yard out.

From there, Mahomes and the Chiefs weren’t quite able to reach the end zone on their drives. But that’s where veteran kicker Harrison Butker made his impact on this victory.

Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals runs with the ball against Nick Bolton of the Kansas City Chiefs during the third quarter, Dec. 31, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Butker went a perfect 6-for-6 on his field goal attempts, including a 54-yarder, accounting for 18 precious points for Kansas City.

There was a point where Mahomes had less than 100 yards passing in the third quarter, but he would change that thanks to big passes to rookie Rashee Rice, who led the Chiefs with 127 yards on five catches, and Justin Watson.

Mahomes would finish with 245 yards on 21-of-29 passing, with his lone touchdown pass to Pacheco. Speaking of the Rutgers product, the running back had 130 yards on the ground on 18 touches, setting the tone as he seems to always do for the Chiefs.

For the Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase was held to three catches and 41 yards, and it came after some interesting comments to the media where he basically said the Chiefs’ secondary doesn’t have impact players like Jalen Ramsey on the roster.

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs runs onto the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Dec. 31, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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Browning was 19 of 33 for 197 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Mixon had 65 rushing yards on 21 carries.

The Carolina Panthers‘ season is officially the league’s worst as their 2-14 record after a blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

And the frustrations of yet another brutal loss seemed to get to rookie quarterback Bryce Young, this year’s first overall selection by the Panthers. 

Young hasn’t shown many emotions despite all the losing for Carolina, but he did so on the sideline while looking at a play on the team’s previous drive.

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The sideline reporter for the CBS broadcast explained that Young was screaming a couple of times after another drive stalled in the second quarter before sitting on the bench.

As a coach was trying to talk to Young, the quarterback was watching a play on a Microsoft tablet and clearly didn’t like what he saw, slamming it to the ground before screaming yet again. 

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However, just like he has all season, Young took accountability. Video of him on the sideline showed him walking down toward his teammates and patting his chest, indicating that it was on him what happened on the previous drive. 

Josh Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars sacks Bryce Young (9) of the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 31, 2023. (Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

Unfortunately for him and the Panthers, though, Young couldn’t orchestrate any scoring drives in another disappointing loss.

Young finished 19 of 32 for 112 yards with no touchdowns and one interception thrown. As a team, the Panthers were only able to muster 124 total yards on the day.

And Young wasn’t the only person involved with the Panthers that saw frustrations boil over. Owner David Tepper was caught on video tossing a drink on a Jaguars fan from his suite during the loss.

Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers attempts a pass during the first quarter against the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Dec. 31, 2023. (Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)

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The only positive about this Week 17 matchup was that it marked the second-to-last game for the Panthers in a season they will wish to forget quickly when it comes to an end next week.

If things weren’t going bad enough for the Carolina Panthers this season, owner David Tepper’s actions in Jacksonville on Sunday made things worse. 

Tepper appeared to toss a drink from his suite at a Jacksonville fan, who was seemingly heckling him in the stands below, during the Panthers-Jaguars game.

A video that has now gone viral on social media shows the scene where a fan is looking up into Tepper’s box. There is no audio to tell what’s being said, but Tepper clearly didn’t like it.

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Tepper tossed his drink and threw his glass down before walking out of the frame as one Jaguars fan stepped up on his chair to yell something toward the box. 

An NFL spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the league is aware of the video and has no further comment at this time. A Panthers spokesperson also declined comment to Fox News Digital. 

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Tepper’s Panthers were shut out by the Jaguars, 26-0, as Carolina’s record fell to 2-14 on the year. 

They would now have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – after the Arizona Cardinals’ shocking win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday – however, they traded up to grab quarterback Bryce Young in last year’s draft with the Chicago Bears, who own the pick.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper appeared to toss a drink from his suite at a Jacksonville fan, who was seemingly heckling him in the stands below, during the Panthers-Jaguars game on Sunday. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images/File)

Tepper, a billionaire hedge fund manager who also owns Charlotte FC in the MLS, bought the Panthers from Jerry Richardson in May 2018 for, at the time, the highest price in NFL history at $2.2 billion. Tepper was forced to sell his shares in the Pittsburgh Steelers to take over control of Carolina. 

Since Tepper has taken over, the Panthers have not had the best of seasons, going a combined 31-67 since he took over in 2018.

Tepper has been through two head coaches in that span, including Frank Reich, who was fired mid-season in 2023. Matt Rhule was his first big hire in 2020 after moving on from Ron Rivera midway through the 2019 campaign. But Rhule didn’t last and was fired before the 2022 season ended.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images/File)

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It’s been straight turmoil for the Panthers in Young’s first year as the team’s franchise quarterback, and Tepper’s frustrations may have simply boiled over in this exchange with a Jaguars fan that will certainly be a large storyline entering the new year.

A scary moment came during the Washington Commanders-San Francisco 49ers game on Sunday as Commanders cornerback Christian Holmes suddenly collapsed to the turf after a play. 

After an offensive play from the 49ers in the red zone, Holmes was conversing with former Commander Trent Williams, who is the left tackle for San Fran. 

But once that conversation was over, Holmes fell down to the ground and trainers immediately ran his way. 

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Holmes was moving, taking his mouthpiece out when he was lying on his back in the end zone. Trainers quickly came to tend to him, who was eventually seen sitting up on a cart with a bunch of Washington staff around him. 

While it wasn’t divulged what happened to Holmes, he looked almost confused on the cart as he was being treated.

Luckily, nothing more serious came out of that situation, but the initial look wasn’t good for the Commanders.

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Holmes was a seventh-round pick by the Commanders in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he played in all 17 games last season with two starts. He recorded 12 tackles and two fumble recoveries. 

Christian Holmes of the Washington Commanders is shown at Lumen Field in Seattle on Nov. 12, 2023. (Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

This season, Holmes has 12 games under his belt and five combined tackles while mostly playing on special teams heading into this contest. He hadn’t had a defensive snap until this game.

The Commanders suffered their 12th loss of the season while the 49ers picked up their 12th win and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs after the Philadelphia Eagles shockingly fell at home to the Arizona Cardinals.

Christian Holmes of the Washington Commanders (Perry Knotts/Getty Images/File)

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Holmes finished the game with two tackles.

The Baltimore Ravens made quite the statement on Sunday, as they clinched the No.1 seed in the AFC playoffs with a blowout 56-19 win over the No. 2-seeded Miami Dolphins. 

Lamar Jackson, aiming for his second career MVP award this season, added to his stellar resume with another highly efficient game on offense. 

Jackson finished with 321 yards through the air on just 18-of-21 with five touchdown passes and 35 yards on six rushes. And it got to the point where his backup, Tyler Huntley, completed a 19-yard touchdown pass in garbage fourth-quarter time.

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It happened immediately for Jackson and the Ravens’ offense on its first drive of the game, as Justice Hill, his second running back, made two big catches on the drive, including the 20-yard wheel route for the touchdown. It was a 7-7 game as the Dolphins saw Cedrick Wilson Jr. hauling in an eight-yard strike from Tua Tagovailoa to start the game. 

In the second quarter, Jackson started seeing some unreal catches by his receivers, including Odell Beckham Jr., who hauled in a 33-yard bomb down the right sideline to set up a Gus Edwards one-yard touchdown to make it a 14-10 game. 

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The Dolphins would grab a field goal on the ensuing drive to cut the Ravens’ lead, but Jackson wasted no time with a response. On the very next play, Zay Flowers broke free from coverage and took a pass from Jackson 75 yards to the house to make it 21-13. 

Things started falling off the rails for the Dolphins when Tagovailoa threw the first of his two interceptions on the day on a pass intended for Wilson, where Roquan Smith sniped it out of the air. Four plays later, Isaiah Likely made a phenomenal one-handed catch on fourth-and-7 and dove into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. 

Isaiah Likely of the Ravens carries the ball for a touchdown against DeShon Elliott of the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 31, 2023, in Baltimore. (Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)

With a 28-13 lead entering the second half, the Ravens knew the Dolphins’ offense was more than capable of tying things up quickly. They got the ball out of the break, and Hill took the opening kickoff 78 yards to begin the drive on Miami’s 18-yard line. A few plays later, it was Likely hauling in his second touchdown of the day from seven yards out. 

The Dolphins would get a touchdown to De’Von Achane later in the half, but the game was virtually out of reach at that point when it was 35-19 in the fourth quarter. Miami had a turnover on downs and a fumble, which saw three straight Baltimore touchdowns hit the scoreboard. 

Looking at the stat sheet, Edwards led the Ravens’ rushing attack with 68 yards on 16 carries, while Flowers had 106 receiving on just three catches to lead that category. Charlie Kolar and Patrick Ricard also added touchdowns to their stats for the year. 

For Miami, Tyreek Hill had six catches for 76 yards to lead the way, but he also had an uncharacteristic drop in the end zone early in the game that led to a Miami field goal instead. In the end, it didn’t really matter for the Dolphins.

Zay Flowers of the Ravens carries the ball for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 31, 2023, in Baltimore. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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Tagovailoa was 22-of-38 for 237 yards with two touchdowns and his two interceptions, while Achane had 107 yards on the ground on 14 carries. 

The three-win Arizona Cardinals absolutely stunned the Philadelphia Eagles on the road, as James Conner scored the game-winning touchdown with just seconds left in the fourth quarter on Sunday afternoon. 

The Cardinals, coached by former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, are not in the NFC playoff picture. But the 35-31 win had a huge effect on seeding, as the San Francisco 49ers now have the No. 1 seed locked up because of the Eagles’ loss and their own win over the Washington Commanders. 

The Eagles are still in the running for the No. 2 seed, but the Dallas Cowboys, who defeated the Detroit Lions on Saturday night, have a chance to win the NFC East to claim that seed next week. 

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Arizona was down 21-6 when the second half began, but Kyler Murray got the drive he needed from his offense right away. 

They went 10 plays and 75 yards downfield, where running back Michael Carter caught a pass and barreled his way into the end zone to cut into the Philly lead. 

Then, after getting a quick three-and-out from Jalen Hurts & Co., Murray led yet another touchdown drive. This time it was Conner catching a short pass from Murray for a five-yard score and there was a successful two-point conversion to tie the game at 21 apiece. 

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Hurts, knowing he needed to get something going, orchestrated a touchdown drive of his own. On the 13th play of it, he scrambled right and found his tight end, Dallas Goedert, to take the lead once again. 

But the Cardinals weren’t going to let that slide. Murray, on fourth-and-4, found Michael Wilson on a slant route for a five-yard touchdown to keep Arizona in the game. 

Jalen Hurts of the Eagles signals to teammates during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 31, 2023, in Philadelphia. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

A Philadelphia field goal would come on the ensuing drive, and the Cardinals had the opportunity to take the lead with a touchdown. It took eight plays and 77 yards for that Conner touchdown to break the goal line. 

Hurts would throw an interception on a final Hail Mary play, and everyone at Lincoln Financial Field couldn’t believe what they just witnessed. 

Murray finished the game with three touchdowns passes and one interception with 232 yards on 25-of-31 through the air, while also rushing for 24 yards. Conner had 128 yards on the ground with one rushing touchdown and one receiving. 

For the Eagles, Hurts was just 18-of-23 for 167 yards, but had three touchdowns, two of which went to Julio Jones, which came on his only two catches of the game. 

James Conner of the Arizona Cardinals reacts after a touchdown against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 31, 2023, in Philadelphia. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

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The Eagles will now head to East Rutherford in the final week of the regular season next Sunday, hoping they can defeat the New York Giants and the Cowboys lose to the Commanders to retain that No. 2 seed.