The Green Bay Packers scored some measure of revenge against the team that took them out in the 2023 NFL season’s NFC divisional playoffs, as they eked out a 38-10 win at Lambeau Field on Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers.
This time around, though, the Packers had a new weapon to use against the Niners in the form of running back Josh Jacobs. The veteran tailback, who inked a four-year deal worth $48 million last March, burned rubber for 106 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. Jacobs’ three-TD output on the ground also tied a career-high for the former Alabama Crimson Tide star.
Jacobs’ effective running made life easier for Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Following the 49ers game, Love hopped on social media to show some love to his teammate.
“DAWG,” Love captioned his Instagram Story post about Jacobs.
Love was not too shabby himself in the Niners game, with the signal-caller coming up with 163 passing yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-23 pass completions. But it was Jacobs who truly stood out for the Packers, who improved to 8-3 through 12 weeks of football. Jacobs is closing in on the 1,000-yard mark in his first season with Green Bay, as he now has 944 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 202 carries.
Jacobs can reach that milestone as soon as Week 13 when the Packers host the Miami Dolphins.
This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.
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Week 12 winners: Cowboys survive thriller; Lions RBs make history
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The 3-8 Cleveland Browns’ home win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) on “Thursday Night Football” was just the beginning of a chaotic Week 12 slate, as several teams were shockingly upset on Sunday.
To recap the action, the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders each suffered deflating losses to some of the NFL’s bottom dwellers while the Kansas City Chiefs avoided the Carolina Panthers’ upset bid. The New York Giants, on the other hand, lost in embarrassing fashion once again, leaving many wondering where they should go from here. Here are a few knee-jerk reactions from the 12th week of the NFL season: Giants could be forced to cut ties with HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen Benching and releasing QB Daniel Jones didn’t change anything for the Giants, who’ve dropped six consecutive games following Sunday’s embarrassing 30-7 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New York (2-9) looked unprepared and uninspired as it was outgained by 245 yards in the first half while trailing 23-0 at halftime. After the lopsided loss, star DT Dexter Lawrence II was one of several players to rip the Giants’ performance, with the two-time Pro Bowler admitting they played “soft.” Despite owner John Mara telling reporters last month that he didn’t anticipate making any coaching or front-office changes after the season, he might have no choice but to clean house.
Daboll is unquestionably the best head coach the Giants have had since Tom Coughlin patrolled the MetLife Stadium sidelines, but it appears he has lost control of his locker room. Wins and losses may not seal Daboll or Schoen’s fate, though if the team produces a similar disgraceful effort over its remaining six games, changes will surely be coming. Texans have officially reached pretender status … One of the most surprising upsets from this week’s slate, the Texans were stunned by their AFC South rival Tennessee, losing 32-27 at NRG Stadium. Houston has now lost four of its last six games, including back-to-back at home, and the latest loss once again highlighted the team’s fatal flaw, which is its second-half offense.
The Texans offense didn’t score a touchdown in the second half of Sunday’s contest, marking the fifth time in the past six games the unit failed to find the end zone after halftime. Entering 2024, Houston was seen as a potential Super Bowl contender after upgrading a roster that enjoyed an unexpected run to the divisional round of the AFC playoffs last season. Barring a disastrous collapse, the Texans should find themselves in the postseason, but given their consistent offensive struggles, it’s hard to imagine they’ll make much noise once they getthere. …
And so have the Commanders Washington has been 2024’s version of the 2023 Texans but has recently lost steam after starting the season with a 7-2 record and hit a new low on Sunday. The Commanders suffered a shocking 34-26 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys in a thrilling matchup that saw a combined 41 points scored in the fourth quarter. Washington nearly completed a remarkable comeback, only for kicker Austin Seibert to miss an extra point that would’ve tied the game with 21 seconds remaining. While every team hits a rough patch, the Commanders’ current three-game losing streak raises doubts about the team’s potential to succeed in the postseason.
There’s no shame in dropping a one-score game to Pittsburgh, but being outclassed by Philadelphia and losing to a spiraling Dallas team led by backup QB Cooper Rush are different stories. Even so, no matter how this season ends for Washington, it’s undoubtedly a successful start to its new era under owner Josh Harris. Pair of second-year quarterbacks may be doing enough to earn 2025 starting jobs It hasn’t been an easy start to either Bryce Young or Will Levis’ respective careers, though they’re giving their teams reasons not to give up on them after this season. Young gave the two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs a scare on Sunday, throwing for 263 yards and one touchdown in a 30-27 home loss. Even though the stats don’t reflect it, the former first overall pick has steadily improved following his five-game benching, showing more poise with each passing start. Meanwhile, Levis turned in another rollercoaster-like performance during Tennessee’s road win over Houston, finishing 18-of-24 passing for 278 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, which was returned for a TD.
Since returning from a shoulder injury in Week 10, Levis ranks 12th in the NFL in passing yards (748) and eighth in touchdowns (five). Considering that the top 2025 quarterback prospects aren’t viewed as generational talents, it might be in Carolina’s and Tennessee’s best interest to stick with Young and Levis for next season. Seahawks look like the team to beat in the NFC West The NFC West is a beautiful mess.
The 6-5 Seahawks earned the tie-breaker over Arizona thanks to a 16-6 home win on Sunday, whereas the 49ers fell to 5-6 and last place in the NFC West following a 38-10 road loss to Green Bay. Although the standings won’t be sorted out for some time, it’s fair to say that the Seahawks are the team in the best position to capture the division crown. Injuries have plagued Seattle throughout the season, contributing to a 1-5 midseason skid, but it has been healthy since its Week 10 bye and has hit its stride. After winning in dramatic fashion against San Francisco last week, the Seahawks delivered their most commanding performance of the season on Sunday, shutting down a red-hot Cardinals offense that was averaging 29.3 points over its previous three games. Seattle’s defense has been dominant when healthy this season, and as long as it can avoid injuries, it could help carry the team to its first division title since 2020. Dolphins are emerging as a dark-horse playoff threat The AFC playoff picture is fairly clear through nearly 12 weeks of the regular season, with all seven seeds holding at least a 73% chance of reaching the postseason, per NFL.com’s projection.
However, if there’s one team capable of crashing the party down the stretch, it’s the Miami Dolphins. Miami moved to 5-6 on Sunday, dismantling the Patriots en route to a 34-15 home win, the team’s third consecutive victory. Since QB Tua Tagovailoa returned from his concussion, the Dolphins offense has returned to form, averaging 29 points over the last five games, the fifth-most among teams during that span. Additionally, the defense has turned a corner in recent weeks, allowing the fifth-fewest points per game over the past three contests (16.3). According to Tankathon, the Dolphins have the sixth-easiest remaining schedule, and while they’ll face chilly conditions going forward, an improbable playoff run cannot be ruled out. Bears QB Caleb Williams is showing why he was deserving of being No. 1 overall pick Chicago lost another heartbreaker on Sunday, losing to the Vikings 30-27 in overtime.
While disappointing, there were positives to take from the contest, particularly Williams’ performance. In addition to completing 32 of his 47 pass attempts for 340 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 33 yards, the rookie signal-caller delivered some impressive late-game heroics. With trailing by 11 points with 22 seconds remaining in regulation, Williams capped off an eight-play drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen before connecting with D.J.
Moore on a two-point conversation attempt. Then, after Chicago recovered its onside kick attempt, Williams threw a 27-yard pass to Moore to set up a game-tying field goal to send the contest to overtime. Williams has arguably been the third-best first-year quarterback this season, but with the clutch moments he’s delivered and the leadership he’s shown, Chicago shouldn’t regret its decision to draft him.
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Canelo Alvarez will accept Jake Paul fight on one condition
Canelo Alvarez seems to have had a change of heart regarding a potential fight against Jake Paul. The Problem Child has been making waves in boxing for several years, but his career rose to an all-new high during his fight with Mike Tyson. While the clash failed to deliver, it did garner much attention — so much so that it broke the records for the biggest gate in combat sports history outside of Las Vegas and the most viewed boxing event with more than 100 million total viewers. Throughout his rise, Jake Paul has been making a case for why Canelo should fight him, and he may now have his wish. The legendary Mexican boxer has now welcomed a meeting with Paul in the ring, though it comes with a condition. “[Would I fight Jake Paul?] When I’m done with boxing, why not?” Alvarez confirmed on the “Full Send Podcast.” “Maybe, maybe I’ll do it. “Yeah [when I’m done competing at the top]. I think it’s good because what happens is there are other people who never watch boxing or they don’t know anything about boxing. “They want to watch Jake Paul because he brings fans from another world, right? That’s good because everybody [gets to] enjoy it. Maybe [I’ll fight Jake Paul in the future]. Maybe.” Despite welcoming influencers over to the sport, Canelo doesn’t see them as true fighters, though he does respect their business acumen. “As fighters, I don’t know. Because being a fighter is different,” Alvarez said regarding the surge of influencers making the jump over to the boxing ring. “What they do, I think they do for business. And you need to respect that.”
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MLB
Braves old friend agrees to one-year deal with Twins
The deadline for MLB clubs to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players was Friday night, and the Braves non-tendered several notable players. The list of players included Griffin Canning, Ray Kerr, Royber Salinas, Huascar Ynoa and Ramon Laureano. Around the league, an old Braves friend avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal with the Twins as Michael Tonkin returns to Minnesota. Tonkin quickly became a fan favorite in Atlanta despite never really being the most productive reliever. He spent the 2023 campaign with the Braves, working to a 4.28 ERA in 80 innings of relief. The 35-year-old bounced around the league last year, beginning the year with the Mets, but was quickly traded to the Twins for cash considerations in early April. Minnesota designated him for assignment shortly after, and Tonkin returned to New York before the Mets DFA’d him later in the month. He didn’t have to travel far, though. The Yankees claimed Tonkin, where he enjoyed the best of his 2024 season. But the Yankees DFA’d him in August, and the Twins claimed him off waivers for the rest of the year. Overall, Tonkin made 57 appearances in 2024, 13 of which were with the Twins, posting a 3.63 ERA across 79 1/3 innings, allowing 70 hits and 43 runs while fanning 85 batters.
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NFL
Sports world reacts to Saquon Barkley’s monster night vs. Rams
Saquon Barkley had people thinking about three letters after his dominant performance Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams: MVP. Barkley was a one-man wrecking crew in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 37-20 win over the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Barkley rushed for a whopping 255 yards with two touchdowns on 26 carries. As if that weren’t enough, he also added four catches for 47 yards. Several fans, media members and even former players alike expressed their belief that the performance thrusted Barkley into the MVP conversation. In a year without a clear MVP front-runner, some feel like Barkley is making a case amid his standout first year in Philadelphia. Barkley surpassed the Eagles’ previous single-game rushing record of 217 set by LeSean McCoy back in 2013. McCoy himself called Barkley the MVP after the game. Barkley’s 255 rushing yards was the ninth-highest total in a single game in NFL history. He was 41 yards shy of Adrian Peterson’s all-time record. No non-quarterback has won the NFL MVP award since Peterson did way back in 2012. Sunday was surely not fun for any New York Giants fans. They watched their team get blown out by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier in the day. Mayfield even went viral for trolling Giants QB Tommy DeVito. Then they had to witness Barkley, their former star running back, go off for a career-best game.
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