Good Morning! Today is Monday, December 16. Here’s what happened over the weekend in the world of sports.

NFL

Apologies to the incredible performance of Davante Adams and the New York Jets, but we’re going to focus on the games with playoff implications:

• We start with two one-score games. The Commanders almost blew a 20-7 fourth quarter lead, but the New Orleans Saints missed a game-winning two-point conversion, and Washington escaped with a 20-19 victory. The Texans, on the other hand, may have unofficially eliminated the Dolphins with this crucial late-game interception. Houston beat Miami 20-12, and won the AFC South in the process.

• And then there were two important games that weren’t very close at all. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers stomped on the Los Angeles Chargers, scoring the last 30 points of the game en route to a 40-17 victory. Mike Evans caught nine passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. In the nighttime slot, the Green Bay Packers and Josh Jacobs rolled to a 30-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, who lost quarterback Geno Smith to a knee injury.

• The weirdest game of the weekend was in Denver. Indianapolis was leading 13-7 when star running back Jonathan Taylor got loose for a 40-yard touchdown run… or so we thought. Taylor dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, and the play was ruled a fumble for a touchback. All of a sudden, the Broncos had life. Forcing three more turnovers and shutting down the Colts for the rest of the game, Denver roared to a 31-31 victory:

• A massive game in Pennsylvania was controlled by the team in green. Leading by 14 late in the game, Philadelphia ran out the clock with a 10-minute, 88-yard drive that ended in Jalen Hurts taking a knee. The Eagles beat the Steelers 27-13.

• And finally, we’ve come to the game of the week… maybe the game of the year. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills went to Detroit to take on the Lions, and boy did the matchup not disappoint. The two teams combined for 1,080 yards of offense and 90 points! Jared Goff threw for 494 yards and five touchdowns, with 193 yards going to stud wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown! But it was Allen and the Bills who ended the game on top, escaping a late comeback and emerging with a 48-42 victory. If you click any link today, it may be worth it to watch the full game highlights. Put it on double-speed, it’ll take 10 minutes. Or, maybe this was a Super Bowl preview, and we’ll get to watch the rematch in February.

• Finally, I know the Titans lost (by a lot) to the Bengals. But you have to see T’Vondre Sweat stiff-arm the Cincinnati lineman as he returned a fumble down the sideline:

NBA CUP

Semifinals! Las Vegas! Let’s go:

• Remember when the Bucks started the year 2-8? Yeah, neither do we. Milwaukee continued their dominate run over the last month, beating the Atlanta Hawks 110-102. Giannis had 32 points and 14 rebounds, Damian Lillard dropped 25 points with seven assists, and the Bucks avenged their loss against Atlanta from a few weeks ago, advancing to the NBA Cup Finals.

• The other semifinal also saw a superstar lead his team to victory with 32 points. This time it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who got the win over the Houston Rockets 111-96. OKC is a balanced and dangerous team– four players scored at least 19 points.

COLLEGE SPORTS

Just the highlights from a very busy weekend:

• (18) UConn has regained their form, taking down (8) Gonzaga 77-71 at Madison Square Garden. Outside of one bad week in Maui, the Huskies are undefeated on the season.

• The Tennessee women’s basketball team made 30 three-pointers in their 139-59 win over North Carolina Central on Saturday. They are the first team in NBA, WNBA, men’s or women’s DI basketball to make that many threes in a single game.

• Navy beat Army 31-13, with this awesome play telling you basically everything you need to know about the game:

MLB OFFSEASON

Three major trades that you should know about from the weekend. Teams are making moves this December!

• The New York Yankees acquired all-star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee received a minor league prospect and starting pitcher Nestor Cortes. Great move by New York to bolster their bullpen, and if Cortes can regain his all-star form of a year ago, good value for the Brewers.

• Houston dealt superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs. Tucker slots in as the best player in Chicago, a slugging left-handed outfielder who will make an instant impact. The Astros got a solid haul in return, with two talented pitching prospects and power-hitting infielder Isaac Paredes.

• And finally, the Athletics continue to make aggressive moves this offseason. The location-less team made a deal with Tampa Bay for starter Jeffrey Springs.

SOCCER

Southampton fired their coach on Sunday, hours after they got shellacked 5-0 at home against Tottenham. You probably don’t know much about Southampton, but I thought we could all relate to their story.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Manchester City has continued their astonishing fall from the top of the league. Take a look at this moment from their stunning loss against rival Manchester United:

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Colorado two-way player Travis Hunter has won the Heisman Trophy. Hunter beat out Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty in one of the closest votes in Heisman history.

The Warriors made a trade with the Nets over the weekend for veteran point guard Dennis Schroeder. Seeking some creativity to play at guard alongside Steph Curry, Schroeder should be a good fit in Golden State. Brooklyn acquired a package highlighted by three second round picks, and will most likely fall down in the standings as they attempt to improve their draft position for next season.

Patrick Mahomes may or may not be hurt. He left Kansas City’s win early in the fourth quarter on Sunday, but we don’t know yet whether it was precaution or something that will cause him to miss time.

The University of Vermont men’s soccer team made history, becoming the first team in school history to make a national championship game. The Catamounts will take on Marshall tonight in Cary, NC.

It’s not all good news for Marshall athletics– the football team has withdrawn from their upcoming bowl game against Army. It’s been a hectic two weeks for the Thundering Herd: the team won the Sun Belt, their coach left for a different school, and then over 20 players entered the transfer portal… and that’s just the headline summary. Louisiana Tech will be taking their place in the bowl game.

Speaking of the college football transfer portal, it’s a bit of a mess. Penn State’s backup QB announced he’s leaving the team, despite their inclusion in the playoffs. “The current NCAA post-season model creates a challenge for student-athletes… timeline has forced me into an impossible decision,” Beau Pribula explained. And he’s right– already, USC quarterback Miller Moss has committed to Louisville, and Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold has signed with Auburn.

But we end with some more positive college football news– ahead of their playoff game this Friday, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has signed a contract extension with the school. The deal will make Freeman one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

NCAA SOCCER FINALS: Vermont vs Marshall, 8 PM on ESPNU

NHL: Panthers @ Oilers, 8:30 PM on NHL Network

NFL: Two games on the schedule for Monday Night Football. With three of the four teams under .500, not a lot is at stake this evening… unless you’re in the fantasy football playoffs:

• Bears @ Vikings, 8 PM on ABC

• Falcons @ Raiders, 8:30 PM on ESPN

Enjoy this incredible touchdown, courtesy of the Detroit Lions! Have a great Monday!