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Every week for the duration of the 2025 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too.)

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 11 of the 2025 season nearly complete:

NFC playoff picture

1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), NFC East leaders: Something catastrophic (not uncommon in Philly) would have to occur for the defending champs not to be the first back-to-back winners of this division since they last did it … 21 years ago. After Sunday night’s win over Detroit, a Week 3 escape from the Rams currently confers the No. 1 seed to Philly. Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

2. Los Angeles Rams (8-2), NFC West leaders: They beat Seattle to notch their fifth straight win while taking over first place in the division. But the Rams effectively remain a game back of Philly in the conference standings. Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

3. Chicago Bears (7-3), NFC North leaders: They’ve won seven of eight since an 0-2 start to stunningly take over first place in the division. And now it appears they’ll draw a weakened Pittsburgh team in Week 12. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4), NFC South leaders: Their divisional lead is down to a half game over Carolina, but the Bucs’ schedule will soon get quite manageable. Remaining schedule: at Rams, vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (7-3), wild card No. 1: Tough loss to the Rams drops them out of first place in the NFC West. All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers (6-3-1), wild card No. 2: They get awfully banged up in Sunday’s victory over the Giants yet eventually advanced one rung in the NFC seedings. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Lions, vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (7-4), wild card No. 3: Detroit’s latest setback moves a third NFC West team into the projected seven-team NFC playoff field. And maybe the Niners can start building some momentum with QB1 Brock Purdy back in the lineup. Remaining schedule: vs. Panthers, at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (6-4), in the hunt: The offense crashed back to earth Sunday night in Philly as the Lions crashed out of the playoff picture … for now. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, vs. Packers, vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

AFC playoff picture

1. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Sunday’s win over Kansas City gave them a chokehold on the AFC West throne the Chiefs have sat upon since 2016. It also moved the Broncos past the Patriots for the conference’s top spot − Denver’s record in AFC games (6-2) currently a half-game better than New England’s. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

2. New England Patriots (9-2), AFC East leaders: The first team in the league to reach nine wins Thursday night, they’re in prime position to win the division for the first time since Tom Brady led them to first place in 2019 and maybe their first No. 1 playoff seed since 2017. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

3. Indianapolis Colts (8-2), AFC South leaders: The schedule was Charmin soft before their bye, but you can’t control whom you play. But the second-half lineup seems much less forgiving. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4), AFC North leaders: Only one game up on Baltimore for the division lead and now facing life without QB Aaron Rodgers. Remaining schedule: at Bears, vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Buffalo Bills (7-3), wild card No. 1: QB Josh Allen’s big game Sunday moved Buffalo up one spot in the seeding but got the Bills no closer to the AFC East lead. Tough game in Houston looms Thursday night. Remaining schedule: at Texans, at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

6. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 2: The week off arrives right on time for a battered team that was bludgeoned in Duval County on Sunday. Remaining schedule: BYE, vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4), wild card No. 3: They continue to collect potentially critical head-to-head tiebreakers, Sunday’s defeat of the Bolts added to the Jags’ wins over the Chiefs. Remaining schedule: at Cardinals, at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

None

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Philadelphia Eagles rode a dominant defensive performance to a 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions in a Week 11 ‘Sunday Night Football’ clash between the NFC contenders.

Vic Fangio’s stop unit relentlessly pressured Jared Goff throughout Sunday’s contest. They sacked the veteran quarterback just twice, but he was hit often during the game, which clearly rattled him.

Goff completed a career-low 37.8% of his passes (14 of 37) for 255 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in the loss. The 31-year-old was sped up by the frequent pressure and never looked comfortable in the pocket.

But while Philadelphia’s defense starred, its offense continued to have its share of issues. The unit was under the microscope in Week 11 after A.J. Brown called it out in an appearance on a Twitch livestream following the team’s 10-7 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo made a concerted effort to get Brown more involved. He ended up leading the Eagles in targets (11), catches (7) and receiving yards (49) during the game.

However, the overall passing game continued to look lackluster, as Jalen Hurts completed just 14 of 28 passes for 135 yards. They had just one completion of 20-plus yards and simply aren’t the same explosive unit they were at times last season.

Perhaps Eagles fans can take some solace in knowing Saquon Barkley showed signs of life. He racked up 86 rushing yards, his third-most in a game this season, and had several nifty runs late in the game, including a game-winning 8-yard tote on the team’s penultimate offensive snap.

But Sirianni and Co. still have some work to do on that side of the ball, even as they lead the NFC with an 8-2 record 11 weeks into the 2025 NFL season.

USA TODAY Sports provided live updates, highlights and more from the matchup below. All times are Eastern.

Watch ‘Sunday Night Football’ with Fubo (free trial)

Eagles vs. Lions SNF instant takeaways

  • More involvement for A.J. Brown doesn’t fix the Eagles’ offense: Brown (seven catches, 49 yards) was far more involved against the Lions than he has been in recent weeks. Even so, Philadelphia struggled to sustain and finish drives, scoring just one touchdown and benefiting greatly from Detroit gifting it great field position on numerous occasions. Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo still have some work to do to get this unit figured out as the Eagles look to make another Super Bowl run.
  • The Eagles’ improved pass rush makes them a true contender: Philadelphia’s offense may have issues, but its defense is one of the best in the league. One of the big reasons for that? Vic Fangio has done a masterful job of compensating for the offseason losses of Milton Williams and Josh Sweat to rebuild the Eagles’ pass rush. The addition of Jaelan Phillips and the development of Moro Ojomo have played a significant role in Philadelphia maintaining a top-tier defensive line. If the Eagles can pressure opposing quarterbacks like they did Jared Goff, it will be hard to beat them during the postseason.
  • Dan Campbell’s aggressiveness is a double-edged sword: When Campbell’s aggressive fourth-down decision-making pays off, it gives the Lions a big-time edge. However, it can also be a hindrance on evenings where Detroit’s offense is out of whack. That was the case against the Eagles, as the Lions went 0 for 5 on fourth-down conversion attempts. Detroit’s inability to convert helped Philadelphia win the field position battle on a windy night. That proved critical in the low-scoring battle.
  • Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the NFL’s most electric playmakers: Gibbs was just about the Lions’ only bright spot during a lackluster offensive performance. The star running back ended up leading the team in receiving yards and ripped off a couple of lengthy gains on screen passes, during which he showed off his elite speed and change-of-direction abilities. Gibbs should continue to be a focal point of Detroit’s offense, as he remains a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.

Jalen Hurts stats vs. Lions

  • 14-of-28 (50% completion rate)
  • 135 passing yards
  • 0 passing touchdowns
  • 0 interceptions
  • 63.8 passer rating
  • 10 rushing attempts
  • 31 rushing yards
  • 1 rushing touchdown

A.J. Brown stats vs. Lions

  • 7 receptions (11 targets)
  • 49 receiving yards
  • 0 receiving touchdowns

Saquon Barkley stats vs. Lions

  • 26 rushing attempts
  • 83 rushing yards
  • 0 rushing touchdowns
  • 1 reception (2 targets)
  • 7 receiving yards
  • 0 receiving touchdowns

Jared Goff stats vs. Eagles

  • 14-of-37 (37.8% completion rate)
  • 255 passing yards
  • 1 passing touchdown
  • 1 interception
  • 60.1 passer rating
  • 1 rushing attempts
  • -1 rushing yard

Amon-Ra St. Brown stats vs. Eagles

  • 2 receptions (12 targets)
  • 42 receiving yards
  • 0 receiving touchdowns

Eagles vs. Lions highlights

Eagles vs. Lions final score: Eagles 16, Lions 9

Saquon Barkley runs for first down to seal Eagles win

The Eagles won’t allow the Lions to get the ball back. Barkley just crossed the line to gain on a third-down carry and Philadelphia will improve to 8-2 after a hard-fought defensive battle.

Rock Ya-Sin whistled for controversial pass interference call

The Eagles decided to throw the ball on third-and-8. Ya-Sin had tight coverage on A.J. Brown but was flagged for pass interference after hand fighting between the two players.

The Lions still have one timeout left, but the Eagles will be able to bleed most of the time remaining on the clock.

Eagles vs. Lions score: Jake Bates makes 54-yard field goal as 2-minute warning arrives

The Lions weren’t able to get a first down after stopping the Eagles, but Bates came on to attempt a 54-yard field goal. The former soccer player nailed it, cutting the Eagles’ lead to 16-9 with 1:58 left in regulation.

Detroit has all three timeouts remaining, so they will have to stop Philadelphia once to get the ball back.

Eagles 16, Lions 9

Lions have life after stopping ‘Tush Push’ in field goal range

The Eagles decided to try a ‘Tush Push’ on fourth-and-inches with three minutes left in regulation. The Lions managed to stop Jalen Hurts before he made the line to gain, giving Detroit the ball on the edge of field goal range.

The Lions have 2:57 and three timeouts remaining, trailing 16-6.

Lions, facing fourth-and-10, forced to punt with 5:06 remaining

The Lions got the ball close to midfield, but they stalled again when Goff couldn’t complete a pass under pressure. Dan Campbell opted not to go for it on fourth-and-10, so Detroit’s defense will need to get a stop quickly, trailing 16-6.

Eagles punt back to Lions with 6:14 left in regulation

The Eagles were able to run nearly three minutes off the clock, but they opted to punt after a false start on a ‘Tush Push’ attempt on fourth-and-inches. The Lions are trailing 16-6 and will need to get into scoring range quickly to have any chance at making the comeback.

Lions forced to punt after three consecutive incompletions

Jahmyr Gibbs managed to get a first down after handling a carry to open Detroit’s drive. After that, Goff tossed three consecutive incompletions as his struggles continued.

The Eagles nearly muffed Jack Fox’s punt after a blocker nearly crashed into the return man, but the ball ended up bouncing harmlessly out of bounds. Philadelphia will now look to grind some clock, leading 16-6 with 9:06 left in regulation.

Eagles vs. Lions score: Jake Elliott drills 49-yard field goal to give Philly two-score lead

The Eagles only gained 25 yards on an 11-play drive following the Lions’ latest fourth-down failure. Still, it was enough to get into range for Elliott, who managed to make a 49-yarder with ease while kicking with the wind.

Philadelphia now leads Detroit 16-6 with 10:15 remaining in regulation.

Eagles 16, Lions 6

Eagles leading Lions 13-6 entering fourth quarter

Detroit is outgaining Philadelphia 286-183 on the evening, as Jahmyr Gibbs has been a force through the air with five catches for 107 yards. 

The issue? The Lions haven’t been able to finish drives. Dan Campbell has been aggressive with his play-calling, but Detroit has failed to convert any of its five fourth-down attempts while Jared Goff was also responsible for an early-game interception.

Will things change in the fourth quarter? The Eagles will open the quarter facing a second-and-18, but the Lions’ issues haven’t been on defense. They will need to get a stop, but the offense has to find a way to get into the end-zone.

Jared Goff misfires again on fourth-and-3, turns ball over on downs

The Eagles have gotten a lot of pressure on Goff throughout the night. He appears to be rattled, as he has often misfired in key passing scenarios tonight.

That includes the Lions’ most recent fourth-down conversion attempt. Goff tried to connect with Amon-Ra St. Brown, but his throw wasn’t anywhere near his top receiver.

Detroit is now 0 for 5 on fourth-down conversions, but Dan Campbell seems likely to remain aggressive on a windy night in Philadelphia.

Eagles flip field but are forced to punt

The good news for the Eagles? They managed to get the ball to midfield after starting at their own 4-yard line. They got there after a big strike to Jahan Dotson and a personal foul penalty against Brian Branch.

After that, however, Philadelphia once again stalled out, with Jalen Hurts’ third-and-15 heave to A.J. Brown sailing well past the wide-out. Braden Mann came on to punt and the Lions will get the ball back on their own 15-yard line.

Lions can’t convert fourth-and-goal, as Jared Goff tosses incompletion

The Lions have now turned the ball over on downs four times. This time, Dan Campbell’s squad went for it on a fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line in a game they were trailing 13-6.

The Eagles were able to get pressure on Jared Goff, who fired a desperation heave in the direction of Amon-Ra St. Brown that fell harmlessly to the ground. Goff appeared to have tight end Brock Wright open on the right side of the field, but it wasn’t clear whether he saw him.

Detroit’s latest turnover came at the end of a promising drive that was led by Jahmyr Gibbs. The young back had a 42-yard gain on a screen pass and some tough runs between the tackles to get the Lions into scoring range.

Eagles whistled for false start on ‘Tush Push’

The Eagles were lining up to attempt the ‘Tush Push’ on third-and-1, but Tyler Steen was whistled for a false start. It appeared to be the incorrect call, as the Lions’ defender had his hand in the neutral zone and Steen reached down to touch it, which should have created a neutral zone infraction penalty.

Philadelphia was forced to punt after an incompletion on third-and-5, giving Detroit a chance to cut into the Eagles’ 13-6 lead.

Lions log third turnover on downs as Jared Goff can’t connect with Jameson Williams

The Lions found themselves in no man’s land, facing a fourth-and-5 on their first drive of the second half. Goff had Williams streaking open over the middle of the field, but the wide-out couldn’t bring in the pass, which came in a bit low but was catchable.

Amon-Ra St. Brown also had a potential first down glance off his hands on a third-down pass.

Lane Johnson injury update

The Eagles have ruled out their starting right tackle, Lane Johnson, for the remainder of Sunday’s game with a foot injury.

Eagles leading Lions 13-6 in back-and-forth first half

Both the Eagles and Lions started the game slowly on offense amid windy conditions at Lincoln Financial Field. Each offense started to pick up the pace late in the first half, as the two traded touchdowns to close the half.

The Lions have relied on their passing game to carry them, as Jared Goff has completed 7 of 12 passes for 119 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He struggled early to complete passes in the wind but was able to lay one up perfectly to Jameson Williams (two catches, 59 yards) for the team’s lone score.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have gotten the ball in Lions territory on three of their possessions, thanks to Goff’s interceptions and two turnovers on downs. Jalen Hurts has the team’s lone score – a 1-yard ‘Tush Push’ TD – while A.J. Brown (six catches, 43 yards) has been very involved in Philadelphia’s offense.

Detroit will get the ball to start the second half.

Eagles vs. Lions score: Eagles score on ‘Tush Push’ after Saquon Barkley ruled short

The Eagles appeared to get a score on a 5-yard Barkley run, but he was just inches short of the goal-line with 32 seconds left in the first half. That didn’t bother the Eagles too much, as Jalen Hurts simply powered the ball the last foot into the end zone.

Jake Elliott made the extra point, and Philadelphia leads 13-6 with 16 seconds left in the first half.

Eagles 13, Lions 6

Eagles vs. Lions score: Jared Goff hits Jameson Williams for 40-yard touchdown

The Lions are on the board with the game’s first touchdown. Goff found Williams breaking across the middle of the field and hit the speedster, who outran the Eagles’ defense for a score.

Williams was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his celebration after scoring. Jake Bates missed the backed-up extra point amid a strong, left-to-right wind, keeping the score tied at 6-all with 5:05 left in the second quarter.

Eagles 6, Lions 6

Eagles vs. Lions score: Jake Elliott makes 34-yard field goal to extend Philly lead

This time, the Eagles capitalized on the Lions’ turnover on downs. Jalen Hurts hit A.J. Brown for a 10-yard gain on third-and-15 to set Elliott up with a makeable field goal.

Philadelphia originally bluffed as if it was going for it on fourth-and-5 but called a timeout and brought Elliott out. He made the 34-yard kick with ease to give the Eagles a 6-0 lead with 6:02 left in the first half.

Eagles sniff out Lions fake punt, come up with key stop

The Lions looked like they were going to go three-and-out after Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown couldn’t connect on a middle-of-the-field pass. However, Dan Campbell and Co. decided to fake a punt, and snapped the ball to personal protector Grant Stuard on a fourth-and-2.

The Eagles were able to come up with the stop, as Moro Ojomo and Jalyx Hunt were credited with making the stop. Philadelphia will once again have good field position, already at the Detroit 43-yard line.

Jalen Hurts throws three incompletions as Eagles go three-and-out

The Eagles could not take advantage of the great field position gifted to them by the Lions. Hurts was unable to connect with his receivers on three downfield shots, with his final pass intended for DeVonta Smith being broken up by Amik Robertson.

Braden Mann’s punt went just 28 yards in the wind. Kalif Raymond fair caught it but a 15-yard penalty on Jeremiah Trotter Jr. of the Eagles gifted the Lions extra yardage. As a result, Philadelphia only netted 13 yards of field position from the punt.

Jahmyr Gibbs stopped short of line on fourth-and-1 carry

The Lions decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 near midfield but Gibbs was stonewalled by Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo. Philadelphia now gets the ball back in excellent field position at Detroit’s 48-yard line, looking to build upon its 3-0 lead.

DeVonta Smith can’t handle third-and-8 pass, forcing punt

The Eagles continue to struggle to move the ball offensively. Jalen Hurts tried to hit Smith just short of the sticks on a third-and-8 to open the second quarter, but the top wide-out was unable to reel in the pass.

Braden Mann’s punt traveled 44 yards and Detroit will get the ball back on its 39-yard line.

Eagles leading Lions 3-0 after first quarter

Neither Philadelphia nor Detroit was able to build much rhythm on offense in the first half. Both teams appear to be adjusting to the windy conditions in Philadelphia, as the two teams combined for just 98 yards of offense.

The Eagles’ lone scoring drive was set up by a Jared Goff interception that was deflected at the line of scrimmage. Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts also appear to be making a concerted effort to get A.J. Brown the ball, as he was targeted four times on Hurts’ seven passing attempts in the opening frame.

Lions punt after stalling out beyond midfield

The Lions got near the edge of Jake Bates’ field goal range, but given the windy conditions, the team decided not to attempt the kick. Instead, Detroit bluffed going for it on a fourth-and-6 but ultimately took a delay of game and punted.

Jack Fox’s punt went 30 yards and was fair caught by the Eagles at their 15-yard line.

Lane Johnson injury update

The Eagles announced that Johnson, their starting right tackle, is ‘questionable’ to return to Sunday’s game because of a foot injury.

The NBC broadcast showed Johnson walking slowly to the Eagles’ locker room during the first quarter. Fred Johnson would likely replace Johnson at right tackle if he’s unable to return.

Eagles pass on ‘Tush Push’ opportunity, stuffed on third down

The Eagles were facing a third-and-1 on their most recent drive, and almost everyone assumed they would run their ‘Tush Push’ play. Instead, the team ran the ball up the middle with Saquon Barkley but saw him get stuffed for a 1-yard loss.

Philadelphia had to punt after losing a yard. Braden Mann’s kick once again pinned Detroit inside its own 15-yard line.

Lions go three-and-out on second possession as Jaelan Phillips gets sack

Phillips was Philadelphia’s prized trade deadline acquisition, and he is immediately making an impact for the team. He quickly got pressure on Jared Goff during the Lions’ second drive and managed to bring down the quarterback for a sack.

Goff couldn’t convert on a third-and-long pass that fell short of his intended receiver, so Detroit punted the ball back to Philadelphia.

Eagles vs. Lions score: Jake Elliott makes 27-yard field goal to open scoring

The Eagles are on the board first for ‘Sunday Night Football.’ They weren’t able to turn Jared Goff’s turnover into a touchdown, as Rock Ya-Sin had nice coverage on A.J. Brown on a third-and-8 to force the fourth-and-long, but Elliott was able to make the chip shot without a problem despite windy conditions.

Philadelphia now leads 3-0 early in the first quarter.

Eagles 3, Lions 0

Jared Goff pass deflected, intercepted by Cooper DeJean

Goff completed a couple of horizontal passes to open the game, but his third pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage. It popped into the air and into the waiting arms of DeJean, who brought it inside the red zone to set up a quality scoring chance for the Eagles.

Lions force Eagles punt after holding penalty

The Eagles got on first down on their opening drive, but they stalled out after that, thanks, in part, to a first-down holding penalty.

Braden Mann’s punt was fielded by Kalif Raymond at Detroit’s 15-yard line, which is about where Detroit will start its first offensive drive.

A.J. Brown applauded after catching first down to open game

Brown made headlines ahead of Week 11 after calling upon the Eagles’ offense to perform better. He also has been vocal about wanting to be more involved, as he is on pace for a career-worst season, so the Philly crowd gave him a rousing cheer after Jalen Hurts hit him for a first down on the Eagles’ first drive of the game.

Who are the announcers for Eagles vs. Lions on NBC?

Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play duties during the game, with Cris Collinsworth providing color commentary and Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines.

NBC’s weekly ‘Football Night in America’ pregame show will begin at 7 p.m. ET and feature insight from a panel of analysts, including Maria Taylor, Jason Garrett, Chris Simms, Mike Florio, Devin McCourty, Tony Dungy, and more. 

What time is the Eagles vs. Lions game on tonight?

  • Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET

The Eagles and Lions are scheduled for an 8:20 p.m. kickoff, the customary start time for ‘SNF.’ The Lions travel to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the matchup.

What channel is the Eagles vs. Lions Sunday Night Football game?

  • TV channel: NBC

NBC is the broadcast home of ‘SNF.’ Mike Tirico will be on the call with Cris Collinsworth, as Melissa Stark will provide reports from the sideline.

Eagles vs. Lions stream

  • Live stream:Fubo | Peacock

Cord-cutters looking to watch the ‘SNF’ matchup between the Eagles and Lions can tune to Fubo, which carries NBC and offers a free trial.

Peacock, NBC’s proprietary streaming service, will also carry the matchup.

Watch ‘Sunday Night Football’ with Fubo (free trial)

Eagles vs. Lions prediction

The Eagles have to figure out the A.J. Brown situation, and fast. While Philadelphia has gotten to a 7-2 record without solving that equation just yet, Brown’s apparent disdain of the offense has made somewhat unwanted headlines and back pages throughout the season. The Lions will get the big-time road win and stay atop the NFC North.

Prediction: Lions 30, Eagles 24

Eagles vs. Lions live betting odds, moneyline, O/U

Eagles inactives vs. Lions

Lions inactives vs. Eagles

Eagles schedule 2025

Lions schedule 2025

Eagles vs. Lions injury report

Is Sam LaPorta playing tonight vs. Eagles?

No, the Lions tight end was placed on Injured Reserve before Week 11 with a back injury. He will now miss at least four games, starting with tonight’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup against the Eagles.

Is AJ Brown playing tonight vs. Lions?

Brown had no injury designation on the Eagles’ Week 11 injury report after he was a full participant in practice all week.

He appears to be a full-go for ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Lions.

NFC North standings

The Lions enter ‘Sunday Night Football’ in second place in the NFC North. Here’s how the division stacks up:

  1. Chicago Bears (7-3)
  2. Detroit Lions (6-3)
  3. Green Bay Packers (6-3-1)
  4. Minnesota Vikings (4-6)

NFC East standings

The Eagles enter ‘Sunday Night Football’ in first place in the NFC East. Here’s how the division stacks up:

  1. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)
  2. Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1)
  3. Washington Commanders (3-8)
  4. New York Giants (2-9)

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KEARNS, Utah — The scary thing is, Jordan Stolz can get better.

The American phenom won the 500 and 1,500 meters Saturday and flirted with a world record for the second time in his first three races. Stolz’s time of 1:40.48 in the 1,500 meters was just 0.31 seconds off the record set in 2019 by Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, who he was paired with for the race.

‘I think I can still make a lot of improvements, so that’s good,’ said Stolz, who is now 3-for-3 in this season-opening World Cup, with two more races Sunday. ‘I have a lead right now and I think that lead can get bigger. But I also expect them to get better, too. So it’s kind of a toss up.

‘But I’m happy with where it’s at.’

Erin Jackson also made the podium, finishing second in the first 500-meter race. Brittany Bowe had the lead in the 1,500 meters until the last lap before finishing sixth.

‘It’s a really good feeling going into the rest of the season. Mainly, I feel really good about the way my back feels,’ said Jackson, who has struggled with back issues since winning gold in the 500 meters at the Beijing Olympics.

‘The (time trial) last week was my first race where I didn’t have to worry about my back in three years,’ Jackson said. ‘It was an amazing feeling, so I’m really, really excited.’

That Stolz has three wins in his first three races so far isn’t a surprise. He won all three distances at the world championships in both 2023 and 2024, and was the overall winner in the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters last season.

He also swept all his races at five of the last seven World Cups, going back to the 2023-24 season.

Stolz will be favored to win gold at all three distances at the Milano Cortina Olympics. Should he do that, he would join Eric Heiden as the only Americans to win three or more gold medals at a single Winter Games. Heiden famously won all five of his races at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.

Stolz also would be the first male speed skater to win three or more medals at a single games since Heiden.

But while Stolz doesn’t get caught up in the expectations on him, he does recognize he is now the skater everyone wants to beat.

Stolz had thought a world record in the 1,500 might be possible. But he’s not in peak shape yet and he’d won the 500 about an hour earlier, and he found himself trailing Nuis heading into the final lap.

‘When he was a little bit ahead of me going to the last lap, it was a little bit of a worry,’ Stolz said.

Stolz closed with a fury, however. With the crowd roaring as he came down the final straightaway, Stolz shot ahead. He wound up bettering his previous best time by 0.39 seconds.

‘I’m just pushing as hard as I possibly can,’ Stolz said of his close.

And just like in the 1,000 meters, where he just missed matching his own world record, Stolz was closer to the record than his competitors were to him. Ning Zhongyan of China was second, 0.54 seconds behind Stolz, and Germany’s Finn Sonnekalb was third.

In the 500 meters, his first race Saturday, Stolz was paired with Damien Żurek of Poland, who was second to the American in the 1,000 meters Friday night. Żurek kept the race close, but Stolz edged him at the finish line.

His time of 33.88 was just 0.02 seconds ahead of Żurek. Gao Tingyu of China was third at 33.93 seconds.

‘I was training leading up to this competition, so it’s not like I was super prepared,’ Stolz said. ‘So I’m really happy with the results I did, being the condition that I’m in right now.’

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  • SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey stated that expanding the college football playoff to 16 teams should be a priority.
  • The Big Ten and SEC have not yet agreed on a format for a potential 16-team playoff.
  • The Big Ten has favored a model with more automatic bids, while the SEC prefers a format with more at-large selections.

ATHENS, GA – SEC commissioner Greg Sankey desires playoff expansion, but the hour grows late to strike a deal to grow the playoff by next season.

Speaking with reporters before Saturday’s Texas-Georgia game, Sankey raised a call to grow the College Football Playoff by four teams, but the SEC and Big Ten remain unable so far to agree on how those bids should be allocated.

“The move to 16 should be a priority for all of us in conference leadership,” Sankey said.

There’s a Dec. 1 deadline to expand the playoff for next season. If the SEC and Big Ten can’t agree to an expanded format,  “we’re at 12” for next season, Sankey said.

This meshes with what CFP executive director Rich Clark has said previously: If the SEC and Big Ten don’t agree on a 16-team format, then that will prolong the current format for at least another season.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has pushed for a 16-team format that pre-assigns multiple automatic qualifiers to each of the Power Four conferences. Petitti also likes the idea of play-in games determining which teams receive those automatic bids.

The Big Ten, though, found itself alone on an island this summer favoring a 3+3+2+2+1+3 format, which would allocate three automatic bids apiece to the Big Ten and SEC, two each to the ACC and Big 12, one to the Group of Five, leaving three at-large bids. This format, loaded with auto bids, would achieve Petitti’s goal of reducing the selection committee’s role in determining bids.

The SEC does not share that goal.

For years, Sankey has preferred formats using at-large selection to determine bids. When the playoff expanded from four, Sankey initially wanted to keep all bids assigned by an at-large process, but the SEC compromised and accepted the current 5+7 format that’s in place for the 12-team format, with five automatic bids and seven at-large selections.

The SEC threw support behind a 5+11 playoff format last summer, a plan ACC and Big 12 officials have said they would support. The Big Ten remained a holdout on that plan, and playoff expansion cannot occur without the two main power brokers — the SEC and Big Ten — coming to terms.

Is there any format the SEC would accept other than 5+11?

“Sure, 16+0,” said Sankey, referring to a 16-team playoff in which all 16 bids would be awarded via at-large selection. “But, that’s not reality.”

“The opportunity to have a 16-team format with five conference champions with access and 11 (at-large) is something we could accept,” he added.

The question persists of whether the Big Ten can accept that 5+11 plan.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

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Ole Miss football took home a win in the ‘Lane Kiffin Bowl’ in Week 12 with a 34-24 come-from-behind win vs. Florida.

Just as the Rebels closed off their 10th win of the season, moving one step closer to appearing in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, Ole Miss fans at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium made one thing clear to the Rebels brass and Kiffin: They want Lane.

As captured by the ESPN broadcast, ‘We want Lane’ chants broke out in the Ole Miss student section after Kiffin has been linked to the Florida open head coach vacancy, on top of numerous other Power Four conference openings. It appeared not to faze him, as he remained locked in on the final 60 seconds of the game:

Given what he has done in seven seasons at Ole Miss, Kiffin has become a regular on coaching hot boards as positions become available across college football.

On top of his ties to the state of Florida, former Gators coach Steve Spurrier, who told USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer last month that he is a fan of Kiffin and thinks he is a ‘very good coach.’

‘I wanted to be Steve Spurrier,’ Kiffin said during a recent appearance on the ‘Pardon My Take’ podcast. ‘When I watched him and his offenses in the visor and kind of the way he’d throw jabs at other coaches and team and stuff, I was like, Steve Spurrier is the man. That’s what I want to be.’

Kiffin himself has talked at length about his name being tossed around in the coaching carousel, including saying on an appearance on ESPN’s ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ that he will never ‘make a decision based on money’ and that he hasn’t made one based on money in his coaching career.

The win over Florida moved Ole Miss’ record to 54-19 overall under Kiffin.

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Last season, Alabama’s dreams of a College Football Playoff appearance in its first season under coach Kalen DeBoer was dashed by a 24-3 loss against an Oklahoma team that finished the season 6-7.

One year later, the Sooners were again able to vex the Crimson Tide.

Despite struggling offensively for much of the afternoon, No. 10 Oklahoma forced three turnovers to lift it to a 23-21 victory over No. 4 Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The loss snapped the Crimson Tide’s eight-game win streak while throwing the race for the SEC championship into flux, with four teams in the conference now with one loss entering Saturday night (Texas A&M is the league’s lone undefeated team in SEC play). Alabama also saw its 17-game home win streak come to an end.

It was the Crimson Tide’s first SEC home loss since 2019 and first homecoming loss since 2001.

With the victory, a Sooners team that had lost two of its past four games after a 5-0 start kept its playoff hopes alive. Coach Brent Venables’ squad has games remaining against No. 24 Missouri and LSU, both of which come at home.

Alabama’s three turnovers led to 17 points, helping Oklahoma pick up a win on a day in which it had just 215 yards of total offense. Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson, one of a handful of Heisman Trophy front-runners, threw just his second interception of the season, which was returned 87 yards by Sooners defensive back Eli Bowen for a touchdown.

Alabama’s two other turnovers, both fumbles, gave Oklahoma the ball inside the Crimson Tide 35-yard line.

Alabama also had a 36-yard field goal blocked in the waning seconds of the first half, a kick that would have tied the game at 17. It was just the second missed kick inside of 40 yards this season for Crimson Tide sophomore Conor Talty.

Alabama got its own 48-yard line with 53 seconds remaining, but a Simpson pass to Ryan Williams on fourth-and-6 was broken up by Peyton Bowen to seal the victory for the Sooners.

Simpson completed 28 of his 42 passes for 326 yards. Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer had 161 total yards and a rushing touchdown in a winning effort.

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Islam Makhachev did more than beat Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC welterweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The 34-year-old Russian also became the 11th UFC fighter to win championships in two divisions, joining the likes of Jon Jones, Amanda Nunes and Conor McGregor.

‘This is a dream,’ Makhachev said during a post-fight interview. ‘All my life for this …’

Vacating his lightweight title, Makhachev moved up 15 pounds to the welterweight division in search of a second championship belt. He got it in dominant fashion.

Della Maddalena is one of the best strikers in the UFC. But it didn’t matter because Makhachev scored repeated takedowns and control almost 20 minutes of 25-minute, five-round fight.

With the victory, Makhachev  joined other double champions such as Jon Jones, Amanda Nunez and Conor McGregor.

He also won for 16th straight time, tying Anderson Silva’s record for longest winning streak in UFC history, and improving his record to 28-1 (17-1 UFC).

Della Maddalena, who won the UFC welterweight championship with a victory over Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision May 10, 2025, was making his first title defense.

The loss to Makhachev ended Della Maddalena’s 18-matchup winning streak, which included eight UFC fights. His record dropped to 18-3 (8-1 UFC).

UFC 322 main card results

  • Islam Makhachev def. Jack Della Maddalena (Welterweight title): Unanimous decision
  • Valentina Shevchenko def. Zhang Weili (Women’s flyweight title): Unanimous decision
  • Michael Morales def. Sean Brady (Welterweight): TKO
  • Carlos Prates def. Leon Edwards (Welterweight): TKO
  • Benoît Saint Denis def. Beneil Dariush (Lightweight): KO

Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev results: Makhachev wins welterweight title

Round 1: Jack Della Maddalena (JDM) chases after Islam Makhachev, then relents. They’re now at the center of the right, maybe Makhachev is willing to strike. No dice. Makhachev takes down JDM and Mahachev looks like a boa constrictor. A boa that can punch. JDM showing no sign of wriggling free and Makhachev is throwing punches to the head. JDM creatively working to is feet, but Makhachev still in control. As good a scrambler as JDM has proven to be, he looks pretty helpless now, especially with the punches coming. 30 seconds left. Can JDM survive the round? He will, but connects with an illegal head kick after the round ends. Makhachev 10, JDM 9.  

Round 2: They opened with low leg kicks. Makhachev’s is crisp. Makhachev connects with a head kick. JMD flips over Makhachev into the mat and appears to be in serious trouble. Off his feet, JDM is a sitting duck. Or prone duck. Makhachev comfortably on top and now throwing punches and elbows. Crowd boos, clearly wanting the fighters on their feet. JDM squirming and making no progress as Makhachev periodically punches with his right hand. Now Makhachev pounds JDM’s head with elbows. JDM is back on his feet! Hey, that’s cause for celebration in this fight. Makhachev 20, JDM 18.

Round 3: Fighters circling. JDM throws a couple of punches but looks tentative after the takedowns. Makhachev landed a stinging leg kick, then follows up with some striking. But JDM lands body shots that look effective. Just like that, Makhachev takes down JDM yet again. Boos from the crowd, but Mahachev will pay no attention. JDM looks red and exhausted with Makhachev on top. Makhachev adding insult to injury with short punches. JDM hanging on as the round comes to a close. Makhachev 30, JDM 27. 

Round 4: JDM, on a damaged right leg, opens with right-legged kicks. Brave, but advisable? Makhachev responds with a left kick to the body. Makhachev scores yet another takedown. Makhachev almost toying with JDM, who flips in attempt to get away. But Makhachev is ready. JDM is going nowhere. Makhachev has him smothered. JDM clearly in pain as the round ends. Makhachev 40, JDM 36. 

Round 5: JDM moving forward and trying to punch. Just like that, Makhachev takes him down again. He looks physically compromised and Makhachev is looking for the submission. But now he settles for some light punches to the head. Three minutes left. Can JDM survive the round? That’s about all the suspense that is left. JDM looks in agony, but it’s over. Makhachev 50, JDM 45.

Valentina Shevchenko def. Zhang Weili by unanimous decision

Vaentina Shevchenko is not unbeatable. But she sure looked it.

Shevchenko dominated Zhang Weili in defending the women’s flyweight title. She also denied Weii’s attempt to become a two-division champion.

Weili vacated her strawweight title to challenge Shevchenko for the flyweight title that would have made Weili the 11th UFC athlete to win titles in two division.

She had no shot.

All three judges scored the five-round fight 50-45 for Shevchenko, who dominated from the outset and controlled much of the fight with takedowns. Even on her feet, Weili was overmatched by the taller and stronger Shevchenko.

Shevchenko, a 37-year-old Russian, improved to 26-4-1 (15-3-1 UFC). Weili, a 36-year-old from China, fell to 26-4 (10-3 UFC).

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili, women’s flyweight

Round 1: Zhang Weili takes a kick from Valentina Shevchenko and lands a right. Shevchenko responded with a left kick partially blocked by Weili. Shevchenko hs a clear height advantage, which will force Weili to get in close. She attempts a takedown and Shevchenko ends up on top. Shevchenko scores with a knee. Now the fighters are up Weili lands a hard shot before Shevchenko pulls Weili to the mat and gets on top. They’re exchanging body shots as Weili gets smothered as the round ends. Shevchenko 10, Weili 9.

Round 2: Weili rushed in and Shevchenko scores with a counter, then takes down Weili down again. She looks to be in total control as Weili covers her face. More than three minutes in the round and Shevchenko is draped over Weili and wearing Weili out. Shevchenko is stymying Weili at every turn. Fans express some dissatisfaction. Weili struggles to get loose and Shevchenko throws punches and then a shoulder. Weili is taking big shots in the face as the round comes to a close. Shevchenko 20, Weili 18.

Round 3: Shevchenko nearly lands a nasty leg kick. Weili tried one of her own. He falls well short and shows how well Shevchenko is using her size to maintain distance. Weili attempts another kick and ends up taking a knee. Weili lands a right but backs away. Shevchenko drills Weili with a knee to the body. Weili looks understandably apprehensive and then gets taken down with 1 ½ minutes left in the round. Total domination. Shevchenko 30, Weili 27.

Round 4: Weili unfurls a kick and get popped in the face. Shevchenko lands a couple of crisp kicks. And he lands more kicks. Weili unable to close the gap while Shevchenko is landing almost at will and then taking down again with about a minute let in the round. Weili looks absolutely helpless as Shevchenko scores with shoulder strikes. Shevchenko 40, Weili 36.

Round 5: Weili shows some aggression and Shevchenko gets her wrapped up and pinned against the fence. The break and four minutes remain. Shevchenko lands a hard leg kick. Weili pushed forward and gets wrapped up yet again. Another takedown for guess who? Shevchenko, of course. Three minutes and counting as Shevchenko controls from the top and landing punches to the head, followed by elbows. Gonna need some Excedrin. Weili on her back, Shevchenko on her feet. And it’s over. Shevchenko 50, Weili 45. 

Michael Morales def. Sean Brady by TKO

Michael Morales, a rising star from Ecuador, needed help from a translator during his post-fight interview. But once again his fists did the talking – or screaming – with a three-punch combination that knocked out Sean Brady in the first round of the welterweight bout.

It was reminiscent of his first-round knockout of Gilbert Burns one match ago and a sign that Morales could contend for the welterweight title.

The victory over Brady was decisive and convincing considering Morales was facing the No. 2 ranked contender who was expected to challenge Morales with his grappling skills. But Morales fists kept Brady on the defensive from the start.

Morales battered Brady and cut him near his left eye before the finishing blows.

Morales improved to 19-0 (7-0 UFC). 18-0 (6-0 UFC). Brady fell to 18-2 (8-2 UFC).

Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales, welterweight

Round 1: Michael Morales with a noticeable size advantage. But the stocky Sean Brady showing no fear. Morales throwing lefts without much power. Brady swinging low leg kicks without much vigor. Morales chases, Brady retreats. Brady lands two hard rights and is on the attack. Brady in trouble. He takes another uppercut, but Brady looks stable again. Brady attempts the takedown an takes punches as a result. Brady cut on the side of his left eye. Morales capitalizing on eh reach advantage and drops Brady. It’s over! It’s over! Morales by TKO!

Carlos Prates def. Leon Edwards by TKO

The Fighting Nerds are to be feared. Certainly when one of their leaders, Carlos Prates, is in the ring.

In the second round of the welterweight, Prates blasted Leon Edwards with a left hand that lifted Edwards off of his feet and sent him tumbling on his back.

Soon after the referee halted the fight, at 1:28 of the second round.

Afterward, Prates put on a set of horn-rimmed glasses with white tape down the middle and flashed a giant smile.

There were fewer smiles in the first round when Edwards pinned Prates against the fence and drilled him with a knee to the chin. Prates barely reacted.

He came out aggressive in the second round and Edwards seemed to know what was coming before the TKO punch. He raised his right fist for protection, but Prates still blasted the left hand through for the finishing punch.

Prates, the 32-year-old Brazilian, improved to 23-7 (6-1 UFC). Edwards, the 34-year-old Jamaican and former welterweight champion, fell to 22-6 (14-5 UFC).

Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates, welterweight

Round 1: Leon Edwards and Carlos Prates exchange leg kicks, then exchange punches. Edwards attempts a takedown but Prater handles it well as the fighters find themselves in a clinch on the fence. Prates jawing at Edwards and Edwards answers with a left knee to the head. Crowd booing. Ref breaks them up and crowd cheers. Prates lands knee to body and Edwards knocks him off balance with kick and he scores a takedown. Edwards riding Prates back and throwing punches into Prates’ face. Prates calmly taking it. Edwards then takes Prates down to the mat and has him in a chole as final seconds elapse. Edwards 10, Prates 9.

Round 2: They fighters exchange leg kicks and appear to be measuring. Prates lands a left, then a low leg kick. Prates landing now. Then he drops Edwards and it’s over!!! Prates by TKO!!

Benoit Saint-Denis def. Beneil Dariush by KO

Sixteen seconds. That’s how long this lightweight fight lasted, and it was memorable.

Literally seconds after it began, Beneil Dariush knocked Benoît Saint-Denis to the mat with a left leg kick.  Moments later, Saint-Denis clubbed Dariush with a left hand followed with another punch after Dariush hit the mat.

The bout, fought at 157.2-pound catchweight, had come to a stunning end.

Saint-Denis, a 29-year-oldl from France, improved to 16-3 (8-3 UFC). Dariush, a 36-year-old born in Iran, fell to 23-7-1 (17-7-1 UFC)

Beneil Dariush vs. Benoît Saint-Denis, catchweight (157.2 pounds)

Round 1: Beneil Dariush knocks Benoît Saint-Denis to the mat with a left leg kick. And, wow, what a turnaround. Saint-Denis clubs Daruish with a left and it’s ober. Knockout victory for Saint-Denis!

UFC 322: Time, PPV, streaming for Makhachev vs Della Maddalena

The highly anticipated fight between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15 and can be purchased on ESPN+ PPV.

  • Date: Saturday, Nov. 15
  • Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
  • Early Prelims start time: 6 p.m. ET
  • Early Prelims card TV: FX; Prelims stream: ESPN+, Disney+
  • Prelims card start time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Prelims card TV: ESPNEWS/FX; Prelims stream: ESPN+, Disney+
  • Main card start time: 10 p.m. ET
  • Main card stream: ESPN+ PPV

Catch UFC action with an ESPN+ subscription

Bo Nickal def. Rodolfo Vieira by KO

Bo Nickal pounded Rodolfo Veiera with lefts through the middleweight fight, but ended it with something far more devastating.

Nickal knocked out Vieira with a head kick, his left leg chopping down Vieira with 2:36 left in the fight. Then he climbed into the top of the Octagon fence and flipped off the crowd, which had booed earlier in the round when the action slowed.

‘Either love me or hate me,’ Nickal said during a postfight interview. ‘Pick one.’

It was mostly a lovefest, with Nickal prompted chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!’’ as quickly pinned Vieira on the fence and attacked with his fists.

By the second round, Vieira’s face was covered with blood. And by the third round, it was desperation time when Nickal landed the knockout head kick.

Nickal, a 29-year-old from Colorado, improved to 8-1 (5-1 UFC). Vieira, a 36-year-old from Brazil, fell to 11-4 (6-4 UFC).

Gregory Rodrigues def. Roman Kopylov by unanimous decision

Gregory Rodrigues (a.k.a Robocop) looked like a bodybuilder who stumbled into a UFC event. The muscled Brazilian mostly dominated the less fit and less dangerous Roman Kopylov while winning their middleweight fight by unanimous decision.

Rodrigues came out firing his right hand and whipping his right leg, as Kopylov looked determined, if unsuccessful, to stay out of harm’s way.

It was more of the same in the second round, as Rodrigues bloodied Kopylov.

In the third round, Kopylov cracked Rodrigues with a hard left and showed fight. But it was too late to reverse the outcome.

The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27, 29-98 in favor of Rodrigues, who at one pointed prompted cheers of “Robo-cop! Robo-cop!’’

Rodrigues, the 33-year-old Brazilian, improved his record to 18-6 (9-3 UFC). Kopylov, the 34-year-old Russian, fell to 14-5 (6-5 UFC).

Erin Blanchfield def Tracy Cortez by submission

Firing punches from the outset, Tracy Cortez proved dangerous on her feet. So Erin Blanchfield responded wisely and took the fight to the mat.

Blanchfield scored two takedowns in the second round and won by submission with a chokehold with 16 seconds left in the round of the women’s flyweight fight.

It was a rematch of their 2019, when Cortez won by split decision. She looked strong early. But Cortez was bleeding by the right eye in the second round, and as Cortez tired and Blanchfield took control.

Blanchfield, a 29-year-old from New Jersey, improved to 14-2 (8-1 UFC). Cortez, a 31-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona, dropped to 12-3 (6-2 UFC)

Ethyn Ewing def. Malcolm Wellmaker by unanimous decision

Ewing took the fight on 48 hours notice after Cody Haddon withdrew with an injury and he looked like he’d been preparing for weeks. In his UFC debut, Ewing subdued the previously undefeated Malcolm Wellmaker with punches, kicks and a couple timely takedowns in their featherweight fight.

The judges scored it 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for the poised Ewing of Yorba Linda, California.

‘You know what they say, the sword is deadliest in calm hands,’ Ewing said.

In the first round, 5-foot-10 Wellmaker staggered the 5-6 Ewing with a hard right. But he failed to capitalize on the moment or on his height advantage, as Ewing fought back with his fists.

Wellmaker scored, but many of his punches were off the mark. Ewing, however, scored with more accuracy and power.

Ewing improved to 9-1 (1-0 UFC) and Wellmaker fell to 10-1 (2-1 UFC).

UFC 322 fight results: Early prelims

  • Kyle Daukaus def. Gerald Meerschaert (1st round — submission/D’arce choke), middleweight
  • Pat Sabatini def. Chepe Mariscal (unanimous decision): Featherweight
  • Fatima Kline def. Angela Hill(unanimous decision): Women’s Strawweight
  • Baisangur Susurkaev def. Eric McConico (Round 3 – KO): Middleweight
  • Matheus Camilo def. Viacheslav Borshchev (unanimous decision): Lightweight

UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev predictions

BetMGM: Islam Makhachev

Anatoly Pimentel writes: ‘A submission victory for Makhachev over Della Maddalena is my prediction for this fight because his wrestling skills are far superior and currently unstoppable. Furthermore, he won’t be stressing about weight cutting since he’ll move up in the welterweight division.

There’s no doubt that Della Maddalena has improved a lot in his grappling skills. With the help of Craig Jones and Alexander Volkanovski in his camp, he’ll still be able to improve them even more, but Makhachev’s wrestling and grappling are on another level.’

UFC.com: Islam Makhachev

Tim Finnegan of DraftKings writes: ‘Ultimately, Makhachev’s offensive grappling will probably be too much for Della Maddalena to handle, even with Craig Jones in his corner. Della Maddalena has been taken down 10 times in his last two fights by fighters who have inferior wrestling to Makhachev. Look for Makhachev to get this fight to the ground and cover the -5.5 point spread with a finish or a comfortable decision win.’

MMA Mania: Della Maddalena

Tim Bissell writes: ‘Della Maddalena lands 6.84 significant strikes a minute with 52% accuracy. That’s a ton of volume. More impressively, though, he has 64% defense against sig. strikes. This means he isn’t taking one to land one, like lots of guys with high volume stats. He’s landing punches in bunches and not getting countered. And he’s countering when opponents come forward to cut off their attempts to land big shots and combos.’

UFC 322 odds: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev fight

Odds via BetMGM as of Thursday.

  • Jack Della Maddalena (+220) vs. Islam Makhachev (-275)Welterweight title

UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev fight card

Fight card according to ESPN: Odds via BetMGM.

(Odds as of Thursday)

Main Card:

  • Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev: Welterweight title
  • Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili: Women’s flyweight title
  • Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales: Welterweight
  • Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates: Welterweight
  • Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint Denis: Lightweight

Prelims:

  • Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira: Middleweight
  • Roman Kopylov  vs. Gregory Rodrigues: Middleweight
  • Erin Blanchfieldvs. Tracy Cortez: Women’s flyweight
  • Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Cody Haddon: Batamweight

Early Prelims

  • Kyle Daukaus vs. Gerald Meerschaert: Middleweight
  • Pat Sabatini vs. Chepe Mariscal: Featherweight
  • Angela Hillvs. Fatima Kline: Women’s Strawweight
  • Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric McConico: Middleweight
  • Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Matheus Camilo: Lightweight

UFC 322 preliminary and main card start times

Here are your start times.

  • Early Prelims: 6 p.m. ET (FX, ESPN+, Disney+)
  • Prelims: 8 p.m. ET (ESPNEWS, FX, ESPN+, Disney+)
  • Main card: 10 p.m. ET (PPV on ESPN+)

UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev full card odds

Fight card according to ESPN: Odds via BetMGM.

Main Card:

  • Jack Della Maddalena (+220) vs. Islam Makhachev (-275)Welterweight title
  • Valentina Shevchenko (-135) vs. Zhang Weili (+110)Women’s flyweight title
  • Sean Brady (-145) vs. Michael Morales (+120)Welterweight
  • Leon Edwards (+165) vs. Carlos Prates (-200)Welterweight
  • Beneil Dariush (+165) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (-200)Lightweight

Prelims:

  • Bo Nickal (-225) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (+185)Middleweight
  • Roman Kopylov (+140) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (-170)Middleweight
  • Erin Blanchfield (-250) vs. Tracy Cortez (+200)Women’s flyweight
  • Malcolm Wellmaker (-165) vs. Cody Haddon (+135)Batamweight

Early Prelims

  • Kyle Daukaus (-400) vs. Gerald Meerschaert(+310)Middleweight
  • Pat Sabatini (+135) vs. Chepe Mariscal (+110)Featherweight
  • Angela Hill (+375) vs. Fatima Kline (-500)Women’s Strawweight
  • Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric McConico: Middleweight

Ring walk time for Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena main event

The Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev fight card consists of 13 fights and will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 15, 2025, with early prelim fights. The main event for the Maddalena and Makhachev fight is expected to be around 11:30 p.m. ET. However, the duration of the undercard will impact when Maddalena and Makhachev actually start. — Elizabeth Flores

Who did Islam Makhachev lose to? 

Islam Makhachev has just one loss in 28 fights. He lost to Adrian Martins by KO in an October 2015 fight in UFC 192.

Jack Della Maddelena’s last fight

Jack Della Maddalena last fought in UFC 315 back in May of this year. He beat Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

Islam Makhachev walkout song

Islam Makhachev typically favors the song ‘Dreams’ by DJ Nariman Ajikalov.

Where is UFC 322: Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena?

UFC 322: Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena will be held at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.

UFC 322 live stream

The Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena prelims and early prelims fights will be available to stream on ESPN+ and Disney+, while the main card will be streamed on ESPN Pay-Per-View.

UFC 322 price

UFC events are available to ESPN+ subscribers. The cost of the service is $10.99 a month or $109.99 for the year. The PPV is available for an additional $79.99.

Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena: Tale of the tape

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Mike Maloney, founder of GoldSilver.com, explains why this time really is different for gold and silver, pointing to factors including growing mainstream adoption.

‘This to me signals the beginning of the third and final phase of the bull market — and that is where you have the greatest amount of gains in the shortest period of time,’ he said.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The gold price was back in action this week, breaking above the US$4,200 per ounce level after spending about two weeks trading at lower price points.

Silver was on the rise again as well, pushing briefly past US$54 per ounce.

Both precious metals saw their biggest gains midway through the week as the US government shutdown came to an end. At 43 days, it was the longest in history, and finished on Wednesday (November 12) as eight Democrats broke ranks to vote in line with Republicans on a funding package.

US economic data has been scarce during the shutdown, and government agencies are now beginning to play catch up as workers return to their posts. While some reports are scheduled to come out next week, others could take weeks or may never be released at all.

‘Based on past shutdowns, we anticipate data originally scheduled for release in the first half of October — primarily data covering September — will be released fairly quickly. However, the timetable will vary depending on the normal data collection process for each indicator’ — Nancy Vanden Houten, Oxford Economics

From a gold perspective, all eyes are on numbers that may impact the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision next month. While the Fed has now made two cuts in 2025, Chair Jerome Powell emphasized after the central bank’s last meeting that a December reduction is not guaranteed.

More recent commentary from other Fed officials points to continued dissent, and CME Group’s (NASDAQ:CME) FedWatch tool currently shows an almost even split between a cut or a pause.

That uncertainty weighed on gold and silver prices as the week drew to a close. Gold was at the US$4,080 level as of Friday (November 14) afternoon, while silver was around US$50.60.

Bullet briefing — New Orleans takeaways

For our bullet briefing this week, I want to share a few highlights from the New Orleans Investment Conference, which our team attended from November 2 to 5.

At the time, the gold price was around US$4,000 and the silver price was in the US$48 dollar range, and my main takeaway from the experts I heard from was that the pullback would be temporary.

Given this week’s price activity, it looks like that idea is already being proven right. That said, it’s worth noting that most of the people I heard from weren’t expecting such a quick turnaround — in general, the consensus was that prices could remain at lower levels for weeks or months, with some saying gold could fall as low as US$3,600.

Does that mean a deeper correction is coming? Time will tell…

On that note, another topic that came up at the event frequently was taking profits. Quite a few people discussed how they did some trimming in October, when gold and silver prices were really running, and then put the money to work in other parts of the market.

For example, Rick Rule of Rule Investment Media talked about how he sold 25 percent of his junior gold stocks at that time. Here’s how he explained his decision:

‘We were in a period five weeks ago where there were no asks, there were all bids. And I’ve learned in the market to do what’s easy. If there’s no bids, be a bid. If there’s no asks, be an ask. And the sector was white hot. There were so many junior financings, and when a company’s financing, they’re telling you that your cash is worth more than their stock. Well, they should know what their stock is worth. Since they were selling, I decided I would sell some too.

‘But what was most important to me was personal. I’ve been a heavy investor in the sector since 2020, and I was at a period of time where I could, by selling a quarter of my position, recoup all of my capital and pay the capital gains tax and have the rest for free. I can be very patient with that remaining 75 percent.’

He redeployed the cash he got from selling gold juniors into physical gold, Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM), Franco-Nevada (TSX:FNV,NYSE:FNV), Wheaton Precious Metals (TSX:WPM,NYSE:WPM) and oil and gas stocks.

Finally, while I’m always keen to understand what’s happening now, I also wanted to use this conference to start talking about what sectors will do well in 2026.

I asked almost all of my interviewees what they think next year’s top-performing asset will be, and I was surprised to get a fairly wide variety of responses.

Precious metals were definitely mentioned, with multiple people saying that while silver has made impressive moves this year, it hasn’t truly had a chance to shine.

But copper was also brought up numerous times, as was uranium. And I got a couple of outlier responses, including emerging markets, which Peter Schiff of Euro Pacific Asset Management discussed, and oil and gas, which Rule said would be his pick for top-performing asset in terms of risk to reward.

Rule also highlighted small-scale community banks in the US.

You can view the full New Orleans Investment Conference playlist here.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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During the Mining Share panel at the New Orleans Investment Conference, participants underscored that the gold bull market will continue — however, just where we are in that bull run was up for debate.

For conference host and Gold Newsletter editor Brien Lundin, there is still some way to go.

“The gold bull market is still in place. We don’t know how long it’s going to last. That’s the hard part. I think gold’s going to US$6,000 to US$8,000 (per ounce) in the cycle, maybe more. (The) mining share bull market, I would say we’re probably in the fourth inning, fifth inning, maybe. But you know, we could go to extra innings,” he said.

Strategic investor Jeff Phillips also believes the gold bull market is at an early stage.

‘I would say that we are in the third or fourth inning,” he said. “This is early on in the bull market, but I do think there’ll be a rain delay, since we’re talking about baseball terminology. I think this is an epic bull market that we’re in.”

Phillips went on to compare today’s setup to past cycles, noting the strong run gold saw between 2003 and 2007, before the financial crisis briefly derailed momentum. Although he anticipates another correction at some point, he remains confident in the broader bull market and said he is continuing to buy and stay patient.

For Jordan Roy-Byrne, understanding the difference between a secular and cyclical bull market is imperative.

“Secular — that’s the major long-term trend that usually lasts a decade or longer. Cyclically, it can be anywhere from two to five years or so,’ explained the editor and publisher of the Daily Gold.

“I think the cyclical bull has three or four more years left. The risk when that gets long in the tooth is then you have what happened at 1975 to 1976, and also 2008 — that’s when you have your 65 or 60 percent decline in the shares.”

Although Roy-Byrne believes that type of correction is “far off into the future,” he was adamant that something like that will happen before the current secular bull market comes to an end.

Jennifer Shaigec, principal at Sandpiper Trading, said central bank buying shows the bull market is in its infancy.

“I think we’re still actually in fairly early innings,” she said. “The underlying fundamentals for why central banks have been buying gold have not changed. In fact, I can see it accelerating.”

Shaigec went on to acknowledge that gold often experiences a seasonal dip at this time of year, and that some investors may be waiting for a pullback. But she emphasized that the broader fundamentals remain strong.

Drawing a parallel to 2008, when gold fell about 22 percent before rebounding above previous highs within six months, she urged investors to keep a long-term perspective and be mentally prepared for short-term volatility. Shaigec also pointed out that gold has historically been among the first assets to recover after market downturns.

Rounding out the panel, Nick Hodge, publisher at Digest Publishing, told attendees that the gold correction has found short-term support at the US$4000 level, but longer-term support is around US$3,600.

“All the fundamental drivers, ie. the debt, central bank buying, etc., are still in place and haven’t abated,” he said. “Silver hasn’t had its move yet, so that tells me we still have some time to go. And GDX, GDXJ just started outperforming the gold price in August, so it’s still early to the middle days in the precious metal bull market.”

What’s next for the gold price?

From there, panel moderator and well-known investor Rick Rule, proprietor at Rule Investment Media, emphasized that the recent pullback in gold is minor in the context of a much larger, long-running bull market.

Rule agreed with Roy-Byrne’s distinction between cyclical dips and broader secular trends, noting that many investors seem rattled by what is essentially a normal fluctuation.

He pointed out that gold is still up dramatically over the past year, and that past cycles have seen far sharper drops — including a 50 percent decline in 1975 — that ultimately didn’t break the long-term trend.

Noting that precious metals cycles tend to follow a familiar pattern, beginning with strength in gold and moving outward into other segments, Rule asked the panel participants which companies in the gold sector — explorers, developers or potential M&A targets — are now best positioned as the market progresses.

For Hodge, exploration and brownfields development are a strong choice as the precious metals cycle evolves.

He noted that the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (ARCA:GDX) outperformed gold over the summer, prompting some investors to take profits and rotate capital into earlier-stage opportunities — momentum he expects to continue.

Hodge added that market cycles now move faster due to the speed of information, accelerating the shift from producers to companies further down the value chain as miners look to replace reserves.

Additionally, he pointed to a growing influx of risk-tolerant investors who cut their teeth in crypto and are increasingly drawn to gold and mining equities as they learn about fiat currency and counterparty risk. Their appetite for speculation, he said, is likely to push more capital into smaller, higher-risk exploration names over the next year.

Shaigec echoed Hodge’s sentiment.

“I agree there’s a lot of speculative money that has yet to rotate over to precious metals,” she said.

“I’m seeing a lot of oversubscribed private placements. I just think that juniors are still the place to be. There’s some grassroots exploration, which actually hit an all-time low in 2023, and we’ve still had decades of lack of investment in exploration. We have a lot of room yet to run there,’ Shaigec added.

Roy-Byrne advised watching silver, underscoring the value that gold’s sister metal has yet to gain.

“Silver, after this correction, has a chance to make a historic move,” he told the audience. “We’re probably going to see a lot of money jump in next year when that happens.”

Referring to an analogy he once heard, Phillips compared a precious metals bull market to the crack of a whip: producers move first, followed by mid-tier and single-asset developers, with exploration companies snapping into action at the very end. In his view, the market is only just reaching that final stage, and explorers have yet to see real upside.

Phillips also echoed other panelists’ comments that younger crypto investors are becoming more aware of inflation, money printing and the value of hard assets.

That shift, he said, is already showing up in unconventional moves, from stablecoin companies buying gold royalties to major tech firms and even governments directing capital into mining-related assets.

All of that suggests the speculative end of the sector is only beginning to come alive, he said.

Expert stock picks — Gold, silver, copper, nickel and uranium

Toward the end of the discussion, Rule asked each panelist to provide stock picks for the attentive audience.

First was Lundin, who praised the list of more than 100 exhibitors at the 51st New Orleans Investment Conference.

He recommended Delta Resources (TSXV:DLTA,OTCQB:DTARF), highlighting its “large, still undefined, gold resource in the Thunder Bay region.” He also likes Getchell Gold (CSE:GTCH,OTCQB:GGLDF), a company focused on gold in Nevada, and Seabridge Gold (TSX:SEA,NYSE:SA), which he dubbed a “permanent optionality play.”

For Phillips, Empress Royalty’s (TSXV:EMPR,OTCQB:EMPYF) management team, cashflow-positive status and focus on gold and silver puts the company at the top of his list.

Almadex Minerals (TSXV:DEX,OTCQX:AAMMF), where management has a history of finding multimillion-ounce deposits, and prospect generator Headwater Gold (CSE:HWG,OTCQB:HWAUF), were also among his stock selections.

Shaigec veered away from precious metals in recommending SPC Nickel (TSXV:SPC,OTCQX:SPCNF), a company with good geology and a management team that owns 36 percent of the firm’s shares.

She also mentioned Pacifica Silver (CSE:PSIL,OTCQB:PAGFF) citing the company’s recent private placement, which included First Majestic Silver (TSX:AG,NYSE:AG). Her last stock pick and “absolute favorite” is Camino Minerals (TSXV:COR,OTCID:CAMZF), a Peru-focused copper company with good management.

Rounding out the list were Hodge’s selections, starting with Northshore Uranium (TSXV:NSU) due to its US deposit. He also chose Kincora Copper (TSXV:KCC,OTCQB:BZDLF), citing its small market cap, strong investor interest and robust portfolio, and Kingsmen Resources (TSXV:KNG,OTCQX:KNGRF), a company that has seen its share price grow from C$0.25 to C$0.75 in the last year.

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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