National Football League

National Football League

Whom should you start? Whom should you sit? To help you set your fantasy football lineups and avoid starting an offensive player who won't be in the lineup, we'll post fantasy-relevant updates and analysis here as NFL teams release their official inactives lists. Official Sunday inactives should begin coming in approximately 90 minutes before the scheduled kickoff times: around 11:30 a.m. ET for the early games and 2:30 p.m. ET for the late-afternoon games. Refresh often for the latest information.

It really was sheer misery for the Birds whenever they matched up against the Rams in the early days, as they won just two out of the team's first 19 matchups through the 1976, while suffering a 56-0 beatdown in that '76 season. That's still the largest margin of defeat in franchise history. It was decisive L after decisive L for the Falcons, as the Rams almost felt like an auto loss on the schedule in the 1970s and 1980s.

That was the case this week, when Jackson liked a post that appeared to take a shot at Daniels' supporting cast. The post in question, shared on Instagram by "Wommanders," a popular fan account with 31,500 followers, notes that the Commanders' offense has let Daniels down in two significant ways this season. His pass-catchers have been third-worst in the league at generating separation, and have hurt him with drops more than any other quarterback.

The New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders matchup in Week 17 features a pair of franchises looking to snap an extended losing streaks. While NFL teams are in the business of winning games, a victory doesn't do a lot for either of these franchises with two games remaining in 2025. Both squads have their eyes fixed on the 2026 NFL Draft where they will get the opportunity to add a high-end talent to their squads. New York has lost nine consecutive contests, but six of those contests were one-score final scores.

Backup quarterback Malik Willis, who started because Jordan Love did not clear concussion protocol, had to leave in the midst of his finest performance as a pro because his ailing right shoulder acted up in the fourth quarter. Willis could have returned to the game after a brief locker-room checkup, but by then, the 41-24 loss had been decided.

The Giants and Raiders currently have a 37.6% and 36.2% chance, respectively, to land the coveted top pick, according to ESPN Analytics. The Giants would be comfortably in the driver's seat heading into Week 18's matchup with Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys if they lose in Las Vegas. Ditto the Raiders with the Kansas City Chiefs on the horizon for their finale.

THE MOMENT WILL forever play in WR Alex Bachman's head, serving as a reminder of the uncertainty he has dealt with while trying to live out his NFL dreams. Playing for the New York Giants in 2021, he was certain that he would be elevated from the practice squad for the team's road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Allegretti has been seldom seen in the starting lineup since getting benched after just two games. Most fans thought the free-agent signing in 2024 would be a prime salary-cap candidate during the offseason. That might still be the case, but he did his chances of seeing out the deal a tremendous amount of good versus the Cowboys on Christmas Day.

The question being rightly asked was: Should Mike Vrabel bring him back for this game, wait another week, or even wait until the playoffs to unleash Williams on the Patriots' opponents? Williams suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 11 against the Jets. And that's never an easy injury to recover from. It can often take a minimum of multiple weeks or even longer.

The Washington Commanders faced a daunting task against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. They were facing a dynamic offense despite missing half of their starting defenders. On offense, they were not only down their two best linemen but also starting their third-string quarterback, Josh Johnson. Fortunately, the 10-year veteran who has been with 14 different NFL teams - taking snaps for seven of them - was up to the task.

[I learned to use] those reps to get better, not just feeling sorry or using them to get by [and] get through the day, but using them to actually get better,

As the Seattle Seahawks were celebrating their wild win over the Los Angeles Rams last week, defensive tackle Leonard Williams made sure that Rashid Shaheed knew how important of a role the return man had played. It might have been easy to overlook amid the chaos of their 16-point rally in the fourth quarter and eventual 38-37 win in overtime, but it was Shaheed's touchdown on a 58-yard punt return that kicked off their improbable comeback.

The Packers join the NFC East champion Eagles (10-5), the Bears (11-5), Seahawks (12-3), 49ers (11-4) and Rams (11-4). The Panthers (8-7) and Buccaneers (7-8) are battling for the final playoff spot in the NFC. Denver's 20-13 victory over Kansas City on Thursday night moved the Broncos (13-3) closer toward securing the AFC West and the No. 1 seed. The Patriots (12-3), Bills (11-4), Jaguars (11-4) and Chargers (11-4) also have clinched playoff spots.

PITTSBURGH -- T.J. Watt's return will be delayed at least one more week. Though the Pittsburgh Steelers' star pass rusher returned to practice this week, Watt was ruled out for the Steelers' game Sunday in Cleveland. Watt had surgery two weeks ago to repair and stabilize a partially collapsed lung suffered during a dry needling treatment at the team facility. Watt first practiced Wednesday and continued to participate in a limited capacity on Thursday and Friday.

Washington managed to keep its Week 17 contest much more competitive than anybody would have expected after it was announced that Josh Johnson would be getting the start at quarterback. The offensive supporting cast stepped up, but so did the Commanders' pass rush, sacking Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott six times. Three of those sacks belonged to second-year defensive tackle Johnny Newton, who had a wildly up-and-down day.

That meant they could be down a long list of starters in their next matchup with the Jets this week, or even longer, especially since three players were in concussion protocol. One of them was running back TreVeyon Henderson, who has become an integral part of their offensive success over the past month, and was seen at practice in a red non-contact jersey.

BEREA, Ohio -- On the doorstep of breaking the NFL's single-season sack record, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said it would be "special" to get the record-breaking takedown in Sunday's home finale against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Garrett, who has 22 sacks this season, is a half-sack away from tying the single-season record shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, and a full sack away from breaking the single-season mark.

It sucks,