RedZone's Unsportsmanlike Conduct

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Good morning. This is the Opening Drive, the weekly newsletter that brings you the best of the NFL so you’re always the smartest one at the water cooler.

The Chiefs are eyeing a 16-win season, the Vikings and Lions are deadlocked in the NFC North, there’s an Elway doc coming to Netflix, the Falcons are expected to cut QB Kirk Cousins, Woody Johnson is the worst owner in the NFL, and Scott Hansen is a liar.

Merry Christmas to all our readers.🎄 

Let’s dive in.

QUICK HITS

• Clutch forced fumble seals Cowboys win over Bucs as Dallas continues late-season surge (Yahoo Sports)

• Chiefs beat Texans, have eyes on second 16-win regular season in NFL history (Yahoo Sports)

• Jared Goff throws 3 TD passes as Lions beat Bears 34-17 for franchise-record 13th win (ESPN)

• Bengals beat Browns to improve to 7-8, avoid playoff elimination (Yahoo Sports)

• Jonathan Taylor rebounds with 218 yards, 3 TD runs as Colts hold off Titans 38-30 (ESPN)

• Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson powers Vikings in thriller over Seahawks (Yahoo Sports)

• James Cook scores 2 TDs and Bills force 3 turnovers in 24-21 win over Patriots (ESPN)

• O'Connell passes for 257 yards and Raiders snap 10-game skid with 19-14 win over Jaguars (ESPN)

• Deebo Samuel’s valiant efforts wasted in 49ers loss to Dolphins (SI.com)

• Ravens clinch third straight playoff berth, stop Steelers from sewing up division (NFL.com)

• Michael Penix Jr. gets a win in Falcons debut (PFF)

• Jayden Daniels, Commanders overcome 5 turnovers to rally past Eagles (Yahoo Sports)

• Panthers win 36-30 in OT, Cardinals eliminated from playoff contention (PFT)

• Rams survive the cold to beat Jets, 19-9 (Rams Wire)

• Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts leaves game in first quarter after suffering concussion (ESPN)

• Texans WR Tank Dell hospitalized after severe knee injury on TD catch vs. Chiefs (AP)

• Lions RB David Montgomery to rehab MCL injury over surgery in hope for return for playoffs (NFL.com)

• Cardinals S Budda Baker agrees to three-year contract extension (PFT)

• Falcons are expected to cut Kirk Cousins before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17 (ESPN)

• A new report details how the Jets’ problems begin with the man in charge (SI.com)

• Jerod Mayo expected to return as Patriots coach (NFL.com)

• RFK stadium bill passes in overnight stunner; Commanders inch closer to returning to DC (FOS)

• Scott Hanson Lied: 7-hours of commercial-free football is dead, NFL RedZone is now showing commercials (Barstool)

• NFL Network undecided about running more ads on ‘RedZone’ (FOS)

• Judge denies motion to dismiss FuboTV’s lawsuit against Venu Sports, the new sports streaming service from ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery (Sportico)

• Steelers great Ryan Shazier found a new career in coaching (ESPN)

• ELWAY, a documentary about the life and career of John Elway, is coming to Netflix (Broncos Wire)

• NFL asks Congress to pay more attention to illegal drones at games (SI.com)

• Media pundits heavily critique Tom Brady on call of Steelers-Ravens Week 16 game (Awful Announcing)

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WHO’S UP?

The Washington Commanders. The Washington Commanders pulled off a stunning 36-33 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, overcoming five turnovers and a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led the charge, throwing five touchdown passes, including three in the final quarter.

Daniels' heroics made NFL history, as he became the first rookie to throw 5+ touchdown passes and rush for 50+ yards in a single game. He also joined an elite club as the first rookie with multiple game-winning touchdown passes in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter.

The Eagles lost quarterback Jalen Hurts to a concussion in the first quarter, forcing backup Kenny Pickett into action. Despite the setback, Philadelphia built a 21-7 lead after the first quarter, thanks in part to Saquon Barkley's 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Washington's offense struggled with ball security, as Brian Robinson Jr. fumbled twice and Dyami Brown once. Daniels also threw two interceptions. However, the Commanders' defense kept them in the game, limiting the Eagles to field goals in the second half.

Trailing 33-28 with seconds remaining, Daniels found Jamison Crowder for the game-winning touchdown. The victory improved Washington's record to 10-5, boosting their playoff chances to 93% according to Next Gen Stats.

The loss dropped Philadelphia to 12-3, jeopardizing their bid for the NFC's top seed and a first-round bye. The Eagles will look to clinch the NFC East title next week against the Dallas Cowboys, while the Commanders host the Atlanta Falcons as they continue their playoff push.

WHO’S DOWN?

Kirk D. Cousins. In a surprising turn of events, the Atlanta Falcons are expected to part ways with quarterback Kirk Cousins before his $10 million roster bonus is due on March 17. NFL executives widely anticipate the Falcons will release Cousins, unable to trade him due to his no-trade clause.

The relationship between Cousins and the Falcons soured after the team drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round without informing Cousins beforehand. The situation further deteriorated when Cousins was benched in favor of Penix with three games remaining in the season.

Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed just months ago, has struggled with turnovers this season. He leads the league with 16 interceptions and is tied for the most fumbles at 12.

The 36-year-old quarterback is likely to become a free agent for the second straight offseason. His potential release could make him an attractive option for quarterback-needy teams, as any salary he earns in 2025 would be offset by the $27.5 million owed to him by the Falcons.

Despite the setbacks, Cousins remains confident in his abilities, stating, "I didn't forget how to play quarterback." As the Falcons (7-7) fight for a playoff spot, they'll move forward with Penix at the helm, while Cousins' future in Atlanta appears all but over.

BEST LOOK 🔥 

This Broncos 🔵⚪️🔵 combo looks sharp.

The Lions all white look is begging for a stripe on the pants.

Falcons throwback helmet could be the best in the league (also, note the pant stripe 👇️).

Love this concept uniform for the Bolts ⚡️ 

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts was fined $5,628 for violating the league’s uniform and equipment rules in Week 15 against the Steelers for wearing a shoe color that is not one of the Eagles’ “constitutional team colors.” He did it again on Sunday against the Commanders.

The Bengals were 0-3 this season when wearing orange pants until yesterday.

STAT OF THE WEEK

Jahmyr Gibbs is the first player in Lions history to have 70+ scrimmage yards in each of the first 12 games of a season. He's also the first player in franchise history to have a rushing average of 5.0+ in five consecutive games with at least 10 rushing attempts. On Sunday, he tied Hall of Famer Barry Sanders franchise record of 15-straight games with at least 70 yards from scrimmage.

MEMES OF THE WEEK

You can get free stuff for referring friends and family to Opening Drive 👇️ 

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