2025 NFL Power Rankings: Week 17

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(2) Seattle Seahawks (12-3) Week 17 opponent: Carolina Panthers

2.(1) Los Angeles Rams (11-4) Week 17 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

3.(4) New England Patriots (12-3) Week 17 opponent: New York Jets

4.(10) Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) Week 17 opponent: Indianapolis Colts9

5.(6) San Francisco 49ers (11-4) Week 17 opponent: Chicago Bears

6.(3) Denver Broncos (12-3) Week 17 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

7.(7) Chicago Bears (11-4) Week 17 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

8.(5) Buffalo Bills (11-4) Week 17 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

9.(9) Houston Texans (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

10.(11) Los Angeles Chargers (11-4) Week 17 opponent: Houston Texans

11.(12) Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Buffalo Bills

12.(8) Green Bay Packers (9-5-1) Week 17 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

13.(14) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) Week 17 opponent: Cleveland Browns

14.(13) Detroit Lions (8-7) Week 17 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

15.(16) Carolina Panthers (8-7) Week 17 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

16.(15) Baltimore Ravens (7-8) Week 17 opponent: Green Bay Packers

17.(19) Minnesota Vikings (7-8) Week 17 opponent: Detroit Lions

18.(17) Indianapolis Colts (8-7) Week 17 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

19.(18) Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1) Week 17 opponent: Washington Commanders

20.(23) New Orleans Saints (5-10) Week 17 opponent: Tennessee Titans

21.(24) Atlanta Falcons (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

22.(20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) Week 17 opponent: Miami Dolphins

23.(26) Cincinnati Bengals (5-10) Week 17 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

24.(21) Miami Dolphins (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

25.(22) Kansas City Chiefs (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Denver Broncos

26.(25) Washington Commanders (4-11) Week 17 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

27.(27) Cleveland Browns (3-12) Week 17 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

28.(31) Tennessee Titans (3-12) Week 17 opponent: New Orleans Saints

29.(28) Arizona Cardinals (3-12) Week 17 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

30.(29) New York Jets (3-12) Week 17 opponent: New England Patriots

31.(32) Las Vegas Raiders (2-13) Week 17 opponent: New York Giants

32.(31) New York Giants (2-13) Week 17 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

Week 16 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2025 Edition

Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Brock Purdy (49ers)

Purdy provided an early Christmas gift to his fantasy owners by absolutely erupting against the Colts last night, throwing for 295 YDS and 5 TD's while adding another 11 YDS on the ground-which wiped away the damage from the pick he threw late in the 4th quarter when the game was already in hand. This was easily the best game Purdy has played during his tough, injury-shortened 2025 campaign and a reminder of just how good he can be when he's firing on all cylinders. His fantasy finale comes in a huge matchup against the Bears on Sunday night. 

Honorable Mentions: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Matthew Stafford (Rams)

Biggest Loser: Josh Allen (Bills)

On the other end of the spectrum, there were a lot of Josh Allen owners hanging their heads in shame on Sunday afternoon as the Bills star QB played the role of game manager (130 passing YDS, 17 Rushing YDS, 0 TD's or turnovers) in an ugly win over the Browns. At the bare minimum, Allen won't be playing it safe in Week 17 as the Bills take on the Eagles in a game that they need to win to order to keep their hopes of winning the AFC East alive. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Jaxson Dart (Giants), Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers), Jacoby Brissett (Cardinals)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Ashton Jeanty (Raiders)

In one of the more shocking developments of this wacky 2025 NFL season, Jeanty had just the second dominant showing of his rookie season against the best defense in the league. The Raiders offense leaned heavily on Jeanty in what turned out to be a rock fight against the Texans and he delivered, turning his 24 carries into 128 YDS and a TD and taking his lone reception to the house on an incredible splash play (60 YDS!) that gave the Raiders their only lead of this surprisingly close game in the 3rd quarter. While this type of performance didn't mean much for the majority of the people that drafted Jeanty and won't change his fate of being one of the most disappointing high draft picks of 2025, it's encouraging to see him deliver with his back against the wall against a top-tier opponent that's still playing for something. Jeanty will look to close out his underwhelming rookie campaign on a high note against a Giants defense that has been waving the white flag for over a month now.  

Honorable Mentions: Chase Brown (Bengals), Jaylen Warren (Steelers), Christian McCaffery (49ers)

Biggest Loser: Josh Jacobs (Packers)

Things couldn't have gone much worse for the people who were brave enough to start Jacobs in Week 16. Not only did Jacobs split time with Emmanuel Wilson due to the knee/ankle injuries he's currently nursing that made him a game-time decision for Saturday's night contest with the Bears, but he also lost a fumble in the redzone in the 3rd quarter that helped open the door for the Bears to pull off their miraculous comeback win. That fumble also got him glued to the bench for the remainder of the game, which left him with a statline of 48 scrimmage YDS and a lost fumble on 14 touches (12 carries, 2 receptions). If Jacobs is healthy enough to go in Week 17, he'll have a solid chance to return to fantasy glory in a plus matchup against the Ravens. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Javonte Williams (Cowboys), David Montgomery (Lions), Breece Hall (Jets)

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: Puka Nacua (Rams)

There was a lot of concern from the civilian population that Nacua's uh, eventful week away from the field would hurt him on it. That didn't prove to be the case in the slightest as Nacua came up huge in an instant classic NFC West shootout with the Seahawks, racking up a ridiculous 225 YDS and 2 TD's on 12 receptions. Davante Adams is expected to remain out with the hamstring injury he re-aggravated against the Lions in Week 15, so another monster outing for Nacua could be in the cards as they take on the pass defense-challenged Falcons on MNF.  

Honorable Mentions: Chris Olave (Saints), George Pickens (Cowboys), D.J. Moore (Bears)

Biggest Loser: Marvin Harrison Jr. (Cardinals)

MHJ's return to the lineup was a huge letdown as the embattled second year pro caught just 1 pass for 14 YDS against the Falcons. Despite having another great matchup against the Bengals horrendous secondary, Harrison Jr. will remain a risky WR3 play in Week 17. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Wan'Dale Robinson (Giants), Christian Watson (Packers), Jordan Addison (Vikings)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: George Kittle (49ers)

The top beneficiary of Purdy's big night in Indy was Kittle, who reeled in 7 catches for 115 YDS and a TD. Unfortunately, Kittle exited the game with an ankle injury in the third quarter-putting his status for Week 17 in serious doubt.

Honorable Mentions: Harold Fannin Jr. (Browns), Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Hunter Henry (Patriots)

Biggest Loser: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

The tragic final chapter of Kelce's nightmarish 2025 campaign reached a new low in Week 16 when Gardner Minshew exited with a knee injury early in the 2nd quarter and third stringer/career practice squad player Chris Oladokun was forced into the action against the Titans. The results were as painful as you'd expect as Oladokun barely threw the ball (11/16 for 111 YDS, 0 TD's or INT's, 4 sacks taken) and Kelce ended up catching just 1 pass for 6 YDS as the Chiefs got run over by Cam Ward and co at Arrowhead. Don't bother starting Kelce for their Week 17 game against a Broncos team that will be eager to beat up on the undermanned Chiefs following a shocking blowout loss at home to the Jaguars this past Sunday. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Jake Ferguson (Cowboys), Trey McBride (Cardinals), Tyler Warren (Colts)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Saints

We love to see a late season streaming D/ST success story, don't we folks? The Saints quietly decent defense (14th in scoring, 5th against the pass, 4th on 3rd down, 11th in the redzone) teed off against the Brady Cook-led Jets, logging 8 sacks, an INT and a fumble recovery in a 29-6 victory in their home finale. They'll be a viable starting option again this week when they take on the Titans.

Honorable Mentions: Texans, Vikings, Bills

Biggest Loser: Seahawks

While the Seahawks had a tough job in trying to contain the Rams high-flying offense, they were ranked #2 in the league in scoring defense heading into Week 16 and should've done better than allowing 37 points and mustering 0 sacks or takeaways in their remarkable comeback OT victory. They should send a thank you to Rasheed Shaheed for returning a punt for a TD in the 4th quarter because without that, they would've logged negative points this week. It would be a shock if they didn't fare much better this week against the Panthers generally poor offense. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Chiefs, Packers, Broncos

Paul Rudd Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Paul Rudd-whose latest project "Anaconda" releases in theaters on Wednesday. 

Paul Rudd's Filmography Ranked:

34.Year One (D)

33.Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (D+)

32.Monsters vs. Aliens (C-)

31.Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (C)

30.They Came Together (C)

29.Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (C+) 

28.Night at the Museum (B-)

27.Ghostbusters: Afterlife (B-)

26.Wanderlust (B-)

25.Death of a Unicorn (B-)

24.Our Idiot Brother (B-)

23.Reno 911!: Miami (B)

22.Ant-Man and the Wasp (B)

21.Dinner for Schmucks (B)

20.This is 40 (B)

19.Ant-Man (B)

18.Captain America: Civil War (B)

17.The Fundamentals of Caring (B)

16.Role Models (B)

15.Clueless (B)

14.Sausage Party (B+)

13.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (B+)

12.Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (B+)

11.The Perks of Being a Wallflower (B+)

10.Forgetting Sarah Marshall (B+)

9.I Love You, Man (B+)

8.Avengers: Endgame (A-)

7.Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (A-)

6.Knocked Up (A)

5.Wet Hot American Summer (A)

4.This is the End (A)

3.Friendship (A)

2.The 40-Year-Old Virgin (A+)

1.Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (A+)

Top Dog: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

It's been almost 21-and-a-half years since Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was released in theaters and there's still very little in the world of entertainment that has ever made me laugh as hard. Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Rudd, Steve Carrell, David Koecher and Fred Willard are all on fire here as they glide through this stupid, absurdist world with almost superhuman ease and palpable glee. The day that this shit stops being laugh-out-loud funny is a day that I don't want to experience. 

Bottom Feeder: Year One (2009)

Harold Ramis was a man who wore a lot of hats over the course of his career in film, but aside from being a Ghostbuster, directing is what he's recognized most for. It's not difficult to deduce why this is the case as his directorial filmography features several beloved comedy gems including Groundhog Day, National Lampoon's Vacation and Caddyshack. Unfortunately, the last film Ramis directed before his passing in 2014 served as an unfortunate sour closing note to his impressive career. Year One is one of those comedies where the jokes are lobbed up with regularity and land with a thud 95+% of the time. Despite its disheartening failure, the idea of a comedy spoofing the Book of Genesis has potential and perhaps some brave, talented soul in the future will be able to crack it.

Most Underrated: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

Another opportunity to defend Anchorman?!? Merry Christmas to me!!! In all seriousness, I've never understood the hate towards this movie. While it's not on the level of the original (nor was it ever going to be), it's still full of incredible bits (this one is my favorite) and the cast does a terrific job of returning to the manic absurdist rhythm that made the original so special. 

Most Overrated: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Speaking of Ramis, the morally dubious VFX recreation of him actually didn't factor into why I selected Afterlife. My issues with this movie can largely be chalked up to not being all that moved by the parade of fan service Jason Reitman trots out during this movie and the charming performances from McKenna Grace, Carrie Coon and Rudd are really the only reason I was able to have any sort of fun watching this. Reitman's efforts worked like a charm though as Afterlife was a hit that Ghostbusters went feral over and that's precisely why he's making movies and I'm criticizing his work on a blog right now. At least it delivers a coherent plot and doesn't feel overstuffed with characters, which is more than can be said for its sequel Frozen Empire.

Movie Review: Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025)

The legacy of slasher cult classic Silent Night, Deadly Night can be boiled down to a couple of things: 1. The 1984 original got pulled from theaters shortly after its was released after widespread backlash surrounding its protagonist Billy Chapman going around killing people while dressed as Santa. 2.This mesmerizing clip from the 1987 sequel that racked up millions of views during the early days of YouTube 19 years ago. As unimpressive as that resume sounds for a slasher movie that was released during the same window of time as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, Silent Night, Deadly Night spawned a 5-film franchise that ran through 1991 as well as a 2012 remake from low budget action/horror titan Steven C. Miller entitled Silent Night. Now, a second remake of the 1984 original from writer/director Mike P. Nelson (Wrong Turn remake, The Domestics) has arrived on the scene with the very inventive title of Silent Night, Deadly Night.

Nelson's take on the film takes the general premise of Billy Chapman killing people in a Santa suit (Halloween Ends star Rohan Campbell steps into the axe-wielding Saint Nick role this time around) and gives it a pretty drastic, freaky remix. What exactly do I mean by that? Well, I'm not going to spoil all of the specifics here (it's easy enough to find that information elsewhere if you want to find out), Chapman is portrayed as an antihero with a strict moral compass that dictates who he kills around the holidays and there are both supernatural and romantic elements present in the story. These changes are absolutely going to lose some people for a host of reasons, and I'd love to hear some reactions from people who weren't aware of the crazier elements of the plot going in. 

After a bit of a clunky start where Chapman's tragic backstory of witnessing his parents get murdered on Christmas Eve as a child is explored, I was able to get onboard with Nelson's vision. As deeply silly as the vast majority of Silent Night, Deadly Night is, there's a lot of ingenuity on display that gives it a unique personality, and the blending of its sweet and nasty elements is pretty smooth, particularly during the final act where Campbell and co-lead Ruby Modine really get to explore the emotional complexity of their characters. Nelson's ability to deliver a collection of memorable kills (budgetary constraints could be to blame for that as there's an emphasis on showing off the practical gore effects over constructing elaborate slasher sequences) isn't on par with his narrative ambition or ability to build suspense in other key moments, but putting less thought into how the people on the receiving end of Billy's axe go out in favor of being the rare remake in this classic horror subgenre that's willing to experiment with its source material is a totally fine trade-off. Time will tell whether or not this Silent Night, Deadly Night is able to become a mainstay in the Christmas horror movie rotation, but I'm confident that there will be some sickos out there that will fall madly in love with Nelson's wacky, sadistic and surprisingly warm movie.              

Grade: B-

Laura Dern Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Laura Dern-whose latest project "Is This Thing On?" releases in select theaters today and expands wide on January 9th. 

Laura Dern's Filmography Ranked:

21.Little Fockers (C)

20.When the Game Stands Tall (C)

19.The Master (C)

18.Smooth Talk (C)

17.JT Leroy (C)

16.Wild (C)

15.Wilson (C+)

14.Everything Must Go (B-)

13.The Founder (B-)

12.Jurassic Park III (B-)

11.Star Wars: The Last Jedi (B-)

10.Jurassic World Dominion (B)

9.The Fault in Our Stars (B)

8.99 Homes (B)

7.Jay Kelly (B)

6.Blue Velvet (B)

5.Little Women (B)

4.Caught Stealing (B+)

3.Cold Pursuit (B+)

2.Marriage Story (A)

1.Jurassic Park (A)

Top Dog: Jurassic Park (1993)

The teaser trailer for Steven Spielberg's latest blockbuster Disclosure Day dropped earlier this week and given that it marks a return to his sci-fi wheelhouse for the first time since 2018's Ready Player One, many people are very excited about it. While I'm not in that camp myself, the magic that Spielberg has conjured up in this space (no pun intended) is powerful enough to inspire hope that he'll be able to do it again. When it comes to the many big, wonderous spectacles that Spielberg has authored over the course of his lengthy career, Jurassic Park has been my favorite for a long time and will likely always remain that way. The way that he portrays the majesty and horror of modern-day humans interacting with dinosaurs is just so special and the inability to recapture that feeling in any of the subsequent films is a big reason why the quality of the sequels is so far below the original.  

Bottom Feeder: Little Fockers (2010)

The fact that another Meet the Parents movie is set to release next year doesn't really excite me given that Little Fockers proved that the franchise's cringe comedy routine had grown stale after three installments. There's only so much mileage you can get out of the premise of Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) navigating his prickly relationship with his intense, untrusting ex-CIA father-in-law Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro)  and unlike the solid sequel Meet the Fockers which mixed up the character dynamics with the introduction of Greg's hippie parents (Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand), Little Fockers brings nothing new to the table outside of Jessica Alba as a horny pharmaceutical rep that repeatedly tries to seduce Greg-which is a recurring bit that doesn't start off particularly funny and grows more obnoxious with each run-through.  

Most Underrated: Cold Pursuit (2019)

I've yet to see In Order of Disappearance, so I can't compare the Norwegian original to the American remake. What I will say is that Cold Pursuit rules on its own. Hans Petter Moland-who also directed In Order of Disappearance-does a great job of turning a classic action revenge setup (an ordinary man goes to war with a drug cartel after they kill his son) on its head by taking it down a path that favors tongue-in-cheek dark comedy over massive shootouts. The hit rate on the gags is very high, and Liam Neeson is having a blast doing a more comedic riff on the type of stoic everyman action heroes he's been playing with regularity since Taken became a sensation. 

Most Overrated: The Master (2012)

Paul Thomas Anderson is somebody whose films have never really meshed with me. Unlike movies like Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood-which I haven't seen since my prefrontal cortex fully developed, I saw The Master for the first time back in March, so I can't chalk up my coldness towards it to being impatient or not understanding the content of the film. Despite reliably solid work from Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, there just simply isn't anything all that interesting going on in the whole cult leader/vulnerable person who falls under their spell dynamic the film is centered around.

2025 NFL Power Rankings: Week 16

 =Previous Ranking

1.(3) Los Angeles Rams (11-3) Week 16 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

2.(1) Seattle Seahawks (11-3) Week 16 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

3.(5) Denver Broncos (12-2) Week 16 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

4.(2) New England Patriots (11-3) Week 16 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

5.(6) Buffalo Bills (10-4) Week 16 opponent: Cleveland Browns

6.(7) San Francisco 49ers (10-4) Week 16 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

7.(8) Chicago Bears (10-4) Week 16 opponent: Green Bay Packers

8.(4) Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) Week 16 opponent: Chicago Bears

9.(10) Houston Texans (9-5) Week 16 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

10.(11) Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) Week 16 opponent: Denver Broncos

11.(12) Los Angeles Chargers (10-4) Week 16 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

12.(13) Philadelphia Eagles (9-5) Week 16 opponent: Washington Commanders

13.(9) Detroit Lions (8-6) Week 16 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

14.(17) Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) Week 16 opponent: Detroit Lions

15.(21) Baltimore Ravens (7-7) Week 16 opponent: New England Patriots

16.(15) Carolina Panthers (7-7) Week 16 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

17.(14) Indianapolis Colts (8-6) Week 16 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

18.(16) Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1) Week 16 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

19.(22) Minnesota Vikings (6-8) Week 16 opponent: New York Giants

20.(18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) Week 16 opponent: Carolina Panthers 

21.(19) Miami Dolphins (6-8) Week 16 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

22.(20) Kansas City Chiefs (6-8) Week 16 opponent: Tennessee Titans

23.(24) New Orleans Saints (4-10) Week 16 opponent: New York Jets

24.(25) Atlanta Falcons (5-9) Week 16 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

25.(28) Washington Commanders (4-10) Week 16 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

26.(23) Cincinnati Bengals (4-10) Week 16 opponent: Miami Dolphins

27.(26) Cleveland Browns (3-11) Week 16 opponent: Buffalo Bills

28.(27) Arizona Cardinals (3-11) Week 16 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

29.(29) New York Jets (3-11) Week 16 opponent: New Orleans Saints

30.(30) New York Giants (2-12) Week 16 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

31.(31) Tennessee Titans (2-12) Week 16 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

32.(32) Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) Week 16 opponent: Houston Texans

Week 15 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2025 Edition

Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)

If you happened to be one of the lucky few that streamed Trevor Lawrence in your first-round playoff matchup, congrats on your victory. Lawrence-who has famously frustrated fantasy owners for the majority of his career with his largely middling numbers-had his best game as a pro against the checked out, injury-depleted Jets-throwing for a ridiculous 330 YDS and 5 TD's and adding another 51 YDS and a TD on the ground (on only 5 carries no less!!!). An encore seems highly unlikely as he's set to take on the Broncos vaunted defense in Week 16.   

Honorable Mentions: Bo Nix (Broncos), Brock Purdy (49ers), Jared Goff (Lions)

Biggest Loser: Joe Burrow (Bengals)

Unfortunately for Burrow owners, his 4th quarter struggles in Buffalo carried over to this contest with the Ravens. Burrow throw for 225 TD's, 0 TD's and 2 INT's as the tiny glimmer of hope the Bengals could rally to win the AFC North crown officially died with this ugly shoutout loss to a team they had dominated in their building just 2 weeks prior. Given his recent play, the high probability that Tee Higgins will remain in concussion protocol and real chance this team is going to start sleepwalking now that they have nothing to play for, Burrow will be tough to trust as a QB1 play for this week's road contest with the Dolphins.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: James Cook (Bills)

Cook played a huge role in the Bills wild comeback win over the Patriots on Sunday afternoon, rushing for 107 YDS and 2 TD's on 22 carries and catching 2 passes for 4 YDS and a TD. This consistent RB1 option will have another chance to feast in Week 16 against a Browns defense that is currently banged up and solidifying their vacation plans for mid-January. 

Honorable Mentions: Bijan Robinson (Falcons), Travis Etienne Jr. (Jaguars), TreVeyon Henderson (Patriots)

Biggest Loser: Quinshon Judkins (Browns)

You wouldn't know that the Bears currently have a bottom 10 rushing defense by watching what Quinshon Judkins did against them on Sunday. The rookie back was completely bottled up by the Bears front, gaining just 21 YDS on 12 carries. Remarkably, he managed to fare even worse as a pass-catcher (-4 YDS on 3 receptions) as the Browns got throttled in the cold at Soldier Field. Judkins has only averaged more than 3.5 YDS per carry in one game since Week 6, making him hard to start with confidence even in a soft matchup like the one he has this week against the Bills abysmal rush D.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks), Breece Hall (Jets), Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions)

Wide Receiver 

Biggest Winner: Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)

The Rams sold out to stop Jahmyr Gibbs, and it worked as they came out on the right side of one of the most thrilling shoutouts in recent NFL history. Dedicating those resources to slowing down Gibbs meant the other Lions weapons were going to be in a prime position to make plays and unsurprisingly, St. Brown ended up being the top contributor. The star wideout absolutely cooked every overmatched Rams CB that was tasked with facing him in single coverage as he amassed a staggering 164 YDS and 2 TD's on 13 receptions. St. Brown could be in line for another huge day against a Steelers secondary that has had its share of struggles with slowing down elite WR's this season.   

Honorable Mentions: Puka Nacua (Rams), Jameson Williams (Lions), Nico Collins (Texans)

Biggest Loser: Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

Good news: Jefferson had his best game in 3 weeks against the Cowboys porous secondary. Bad news: He still only reeled in 2 receptions for 22 YDS despite being targeted 8 times. J.J. McCarthy throwing for a career-high 250 YDS in this game makes Jefferson's dismal line even tougher to swallow. Jefferson's next chance to break this sustained slump will come on Sunday afternoon against a putrid Giants team that is playing out the string under interim HC Mike Kafka. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins), Ladd McConkey (Chargers), Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: Kyle Pitts (Falcons)

Coming into last Thursday night's game versus Buccaneers, Pitts had set new season-highs in receiving YDS in 2 straight games. Not only did he extend that streak to 3 by hanging a career-high 11 receptions and 166 YDS on the Bucs, he also ended a lengthy TD drought (Week 4 against the Commanders) by finding the endzone 3 times in this absurd comeback win that could end up breaking a fragile Bucs team that has been playing like shit for the past 2 months for good. While Pitts probably won't top his career-best showing, the odds of him remaining hot against the lowly Cardinals in Week 16 are pretty good.     

Honorable Mentions: Trey McBride (Cardinals), Dallas Goedert (Eagles), George Kittle (49ers)

Biggest Loser: Tyler Warren (Colts)

Warren's athletic chops paired with the Seahawks struggles with covering TE's made him the ideal candidate to be the primary target for Phillip Rivers on Sunday. That didn't materialize as Rivers mostly looked elsewhere when he let one of his wounded duck checkdown loose, which left Warren with a measly 3/19 statline in a game that the Colts came dangerously close to winning against all odds. Perhaps Warren will be more involved in the offense in this week's similarly difficult matchup with the 49ers.    

Dishonorable Mentions: Jake Ferguson (Cowboys), Mark Andrews (Ravens), Hunter Henry (Patriots)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Ravens

What an incredible bounceback game from the Ravens D/ST. Zach Orr's group had the Bengals offense in a vice grip for 60 minutes, logging 3 sacks and 2 INT's including a pick 6 from Alohi Gilman in a 24-0 victory. They'll face the Patriots at home in Week 16. 

Honorable Mentions: Bears, Eagles, Jaguars

Biggest Loser: 49ers

Bookending this week's piece with the two extremes of streaming plays is quite the coincidence! The 49ers defense got fuck all cooking against the Titans horrid offense, logging 0 sacks or takeaways against Cam Ward and co. in a 37-24 victory. Robert Saleh's group will be searching for better results when they inevitably end up as streaming fodder once again in Week 16 when they square off with the Phillip Rivers-led Colts in Indy.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Patriots, Rams, Lions

RIP Rob Reiner

As many of you have probably heard by now, Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home yesterday. Rob was 78 and Michele was 68. I first got wind of the news mere moments after I woke up this morning and was absolutely stunned and gutted upon hearing it. The subsequent arrest of their son Nick this morning in connection with their murders has added another layer of tragedy to this horrific event. 

What made Reiner such a special artist was his versatility. His run from 1984 through 1992 where he directed This is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, Misery and A Few Good Men is the stuff of legend and the gold standard of a filmmaker showing off the depth of their range by succeeding in several different genres. That signature Reiner trait carried over to his other showbiz career as an actor which started back with his breakout role as Michael "Meathead" Stivic on All in the Family and more recently, included a memorable supporting part in The Wolf of Wall Street as Jordan Belfort's (Leonardo DiCaprio) father, a recurring role on Season 4 of The Bear as a consultant Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) hires to help him expand his sandwich window operations and a return to his iconic role of documentarian Marty Di Bergi in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues-which he also directed. There will never be another Rob Reiner and his presence in front of and behind the camera will be greatly missed.        

Ayo Edebiri Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Ayo Edebiri-whose latest project "Ella McCay" is in theaters today. 

Ayo Edebiri's Filmography Ranked:

9.How It Ends (D+)

8.The Sweet East (C-)

7.After the Hunt (C)

6.Opus (B-)

5.Inside Out 2 (B)

4.Theater Camp (B)

3.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (B+)

2.Bottoms (A-)

1.Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (A-)

Top Dog: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

The main reason that people are so frustrated by the long wait for the third Spider-Verse movie is that Across Spider-Verse is a great movie that ends on a crazy cliffhanger. Lord and Miller and their various collaborators managed to up the ante from Into the Spider-Verse by adding more characters/stakes to Miles Morales' story without sacrificing any of the emotional core that made the film so special. Despite all of the delays and rumors about it being significantly reworked over the past couple of years, my confidence in Beyond the Spider-Verse serving as a triumphant conclusion to the trilogy remains high (the current planned release date is June 18, 2027).   

Bottom Feeder: How It Ends (2021)

How It Ends' existence can be chalked up to a talented actor/writer/director (Zoe Lister-Jones) getting bored during COVID and securing funding for a half-baked idea they thought of during lockdown that could easily be shot while adhering to pandemic protocols. There's nothing particularly funny, touching or compelling about watching Lister-Jones walk around nearly empty LA streets alternating between having conversations with a younger version of herself (Cailee Spaney) and various people from her life that she'd like to talk to one last time on the day before the world is set to end via a giant meteor hitting Earth. None of Lister Jones' famous friends (Lamorne Morris, Olivia Wilde, Whitney Cummings, Nick Kroll, Fred Armisen, Glenn Howerton, Logan Marshall-Green, Tawny Newsome) who were enlisted for extended cameos appearing to be overly invested in their roles is the final nail in the coffin for this poorly conceived film. 

Most Underrated: Theater Camp (2023)

Burdened by its indie status, the SAG strike blowing up its promotional efforts and releasing in the wake of Barbenheimer, Theater Camp never really had a chance to find its audience in theaters. Sadly, it also hasn't found much of a life on streaming despite the Searchlight-backed project being available on Hulu for 2+ years before exiting the service earlier this year (it is however currently available to rent on all of the major VOD platforms). Anyways, this love letter to musical theater and the colorful personalities that help bring it to life features a treasure trove of modern alt-comedy stalwarts (Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison, Edebiri, Owen Thiele, Molly Gordon-who also served as co-director and co-writer) and musical mainstays (Ben Platt, Noah Galvin-both of whom aided Gordon with the script) fully committing to the string of great interconnected bits that make up this movie.    

Most Overrated: None

Edebiri is such an in-demand performer right now that it's easy to forget that she's only been acting full-time for a handful of years after getting her start in entertainment as a television writer and stand-up comedian. Her relatively short acting resume has also protected her from having a film that appears in this dreaded section. I truly love every acclaimed project she's been in (Bottoms, Across the Spider-Verse, Mutant Mayhem) and the few projects of hers that I didn't really connect either got pretty widely panned (After the Hunt, How It Ends) or were too small to be seriously considered (The Sweet East). 

2025 NFL Power Rankings: Week 15

 ()=Previous Ranking

1,(1) Seattle Seahawks (10-3) Week 15 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

2.(2) New England Patriots (11-2) Week 15 opponent: Buffalo Bills

3.(3) Los Angeles Rams (10-3) Week 15 opponent: Detroit Lions

4.(4) Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) Week 15 opponent: Denver Broncos

5.(5) Denver Broncos (11-2) Week 15 opponent: Green Bay Packers

6.(6) Buffalo Bills (9-4) Week 15 opponent: New England Patriots

7.(8) San Francisco 49ers (9-4) Week 15 opponent: Tennessee Titans

8.(7) Chicago Bears (9-4) Week 15 opponent: Cleveland Browns

9.(11) Detroit Lions (8-5) Week 15 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

10.(13) Houston Texans (8-5) Week 15 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

11.(14) Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) Week 15 opponent: New York Jets

12.(12) Los Angeles Chargers (9-4) Week 15 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

13.(9) Philadelphia Eagles (8-5) Week 15 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

14.(10) Indianapolis Colts (8-5) Week 15 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

15.(16) Carolina Panthers (7-6) Week 15 opponent: New Orleans Saints

16.(15) Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) Week 15 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

17.(20) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) Week 15 opponent: Miami Dolphins

18.(17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) Week 15 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

19.(21) Miami Dolphins (6-7) Week 15 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

20.(18) Kansas City Chiefs (6-7) Week 15 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

21.(19) Baltimore Ravens (6-7) Week 15 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

22.(24) Minnesota Vikings (5-8) Week 15 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

23.(22) Cincinnati Bengals (4-9) Week 15 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

24.(29) New Orleans Saints (3-10) Week 15 opponent: Carolina Panthers

25.(23) Atlanta Falcons (4-9) Week 15 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

26.(28) Cleveland Browns (3-10) Week 15 opponent: Chicago Bears

27.(27) Arizona Cardinals (3-10) Week 15 opponent: Houston Texans

28.(25) Washington Commanders (3-10) Week 15 opponent: New York Giants

29.(26) New York Jets (3-10) Week 15 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

30.(30) New York Giants (2-11) Week 15 opponent: Washington Commanders

31.(32) Tennessee Titans (2-11) Week 15 opponent: San Francisco 49ers 

32.(31) Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) Week 15 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

Week 14 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2025 Edition

Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Josh Allen (Bills)

The Bills were looking for a heroic effort from Allen to beat a Bengals team that has been rejuvenated by the return of Joe Burrow and they got it. Allen looked like the reigning MVP in snowy conditions in Orchard Park, throwing for 251 YDS and 3 TD's and rushing for 78 YDS on 9 YDS including a career-long 40 YD TD. Allen will need to be brilliant once again in Week 15 as the Bills travel to Foxboro to take on the AFC East-leading Patriots who beat them at their place back in Week 5.

Honorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Rams), Joe Burrow (Bengals), Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

Biggest Loser: Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

Patrick Mahomes seemed like a shoo-in for this dubious honor after struggling mightily against the Texans on Sunday night until Hurts came out and played what very well could be the new leading contender for the worst game of his entire career. He turned the ball over a whopping 5 times (4 INT's, lost fumble) and put up 248 scoreless YDS (240 passing, 8 rushing) in a soul-crushing OT loss to the Chargers that almost certainly wouldn't have happened if he made even just two fewer costly mistakes. The good news for Hurts and the reeling Eagles is 3 of the final 4 games on their schedule are against bottom 5 teams in the league right now including a Week 14 home tilt against the Raiders-who have lost 7 games in a row.  

Dishonorable Mentions:: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) 

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions)

Gibbs stepped up in a big way in a crucial Week 14 win over the Cowboys that kept the Lions in the thick of the ultracompetitive NFC North/wild card races, gaining 120 scrimmage YDS and rushing for 3 TD's on 19 touches (12 carries, 7 receptions). The Lions will be hoping for another big day for Gibbs when they take on the Rams this Sunday. 

Honorable Mentions: Tony Pollard (Titans), Travis Etienne Jr. (Jaguars), R.J. Harvey (Broncos)

Biggest Loser: Ashton Jeanty (Raiders)

It was another muted showing for Jeanty in Week 14 as he was held to 38 scrimmage YDS on 12 touches (30 rushing, 8 receiving) in yet another loss for the Raiders to the Broncos. Week 15 presents the rare opportunity for Jeanty to have a good day during his lost rookie season as the Raiders are set to take on an Eagles defense that has had some serious difficulty stopping the run of late.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Breece Hall (Jets), Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks), Aaron Jones Jr. (Vikings)

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: Puka Nacua (Rams)

The Cardinals quietly respectable secondary was no match for Nacua. The star wideout was an even bigger focal point of the Rams passing attack than usual, registering 167 YDS and 2 TD's on 7 receptions on a day where Matthew Stafford didn't need to do much (21/33, 281 YDS, 3 TD's) to help secure an easy blowout win. Nacua will face the Lions in Week 15.  

Honorable Mentions: Michael Wilson (Cardinals), Jaxson Smith-Njigba (Seahawks), Tee Higgins (Bengals)

Biggest Loser: Ladd McConkey (Chargers)

A very quiet night for a hobbled Justin Herbert-who is lucky to have not sustained any new injuries after getting sacked a career-high 7 times by the Eagles vicious front-through the air outside of a 60-YD gain on a screen pass to Kimani Vidal on the Chargers opening drive rendered McConkey effectively useless last night, catching just 1 of the 5 targets that came his way for 12 YDS. McConkey will look to bounce back in Week 15 against a Chiefs team that he had a solid outing (6/74) against back in Week 1.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Emeka Egbuka (Buccaneers), Chris Olave (Saints)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: Harold Fannin Jr. (Browns)

The biggest beneficiary of Shedeur Sanders' first 300+ YD passing day was none other than Fannin Jr. The rookie tight end was making plays all over the field in this thrilling shootout with the Titans that the Browns ended up losing, ending the game with a whopping 8 receptions for 114 YDS and a score. If Fannin Jr is still available in your league, you should definitely consider adding him ahead of his Week 15 showdown with the Bears.  

Honorable Mentions: Brock Bowers (Raiders), Dalton Kincaid (Bills), Kyle Pitts (Falcons)

Biggest Loser: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Kelce was so frustrated with his performance against the Texans that he left Arrowhead without fielding questions from the media. If you watched the game, you know why. Not only did Kelce struggle to get open against the Texans top-ranked defense (1 reception for 8 YDS), a pass that clanked off his hands in the 4th quarter was directly responsible for the Texans getting the game-clinching INT that handed the Chiefs their 7th loss of their season and puts them in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Kelce has really started to show his age in 2025, and it wouldn't be at all surprising if he decided to retire at season's end. He'll be a shaky starting option against the Chargers in Week 15.

Dishonorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), Tyler Warren (Colts), Oronde Gadsden (Chargers)

Defense/Special Teams:

Biggest Winner: Seahawks

The Seahawks D/ST helped turn the tide of a pretty ugly game versus that was tied 6-6 at halftime and quickly made it an absolute laugher with a lopsided final score of 37-9. Rasheed Shaheed returning the opening kickoff of the second half for a TD started the party then they went onto get 3 takeaways (2 INT's and a fumble recovery) and a sack as Kirk Cousins continued to struggle in his return to action following the season-ending knee injury to Michael Penix Jr. A blocked field goal in the 2nd quarter served as the cherry on top of their huge day. They're currently the betting favorite to end up in this spot again next week as they're set to take on the suddenly stinky Colts that are going to be led by either Riley Leonard, Brett Rypien or 44-year-old Phillip Rivers-who officially joined their practice squad today after being out of football since the end of the 2020 season-on Sunday.       

Honorable Mentions: Eagles, Texans, Broncos

Biggest Loser: Browns

As I mentioned above, Browns/Titans was a shootout-which of course means the Browns defense didn't have a great day. They ended up getting just 1 sack and 1 pick on the typically very generous Cam Ward in a 31-29 loss. They won't be a preferred starting option this week against a Bears team that has done a very good job of limiting sacks and turnovers this season. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Ravens, Packers, Steelers

Movie Review: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

What's so appealing about Knives Out is that Rian Johnson has created a franchise that solely revolves around the brilliant, quirky private investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) solving a murder. Each whodunit experiments with tone and setting while always having a joke and something to say about a dark corner of our world at the ready. Johnson keeps the franchise's batting average at 1.000 with his third mystery entitled Wake Up Dead Man, which is playing in select theaters now and debuts on Netflix this Friday.

As the trailers have indicated, Wake Up Dead Man sees Blanc get summoned to upstate New York by a small-town police chief (Mila Kunis) to solve the murder of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), who was stabbed to death in a storage closet right next to the pulpit after delivering his Good Friday mass. Wicks presided over a church called Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, a post that he inherited from his late grandfather Prentice (James Faulkner) who served in the role for decades before his demise. Wicks utilized an incendiary, confrontational preaching style that alienated most people that walked into his church, but he did have a small band of fiercely loyal regulars (Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Daryl McCormack, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaeny, Thomas Haden Church) that viewed him as a messiah. Given his proximity to the murder scene and checkered past as a former boxer who joined the priesthood with the hopes of atoning for his sin of accidently killing a man in the ring, Rev. Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor) has emerged as the primary suspect. Rev. Jud had clashed with Wicks for months over the way that he conducted himself as the leader of a church and was transferred to Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude after giving into his violent impulses and punching another priest in the face at his last church. Blanc isn't so sure that Jud is behind it despite having the clearest motive of any present at that fateful Good Friday service and what he ends up finding challenges not just the way he does his job but the entire belief system that he lives by.

Releasing a movie about how faith is weaponized to serve a personal/political agenda and prey on the vulnerability of the people that are looking to the church to help them through whatever problem they're facing in life right now is perfect. Christian nationalism is one of the driving forces behind the rise of fascism globally and Johnson takes aim at every angle of their ideology as this complex, sometimes extremely bleak mystery unfolds. Johnson doesn't mention any politicians or faith-driven figures by name but it's pretty clear what kind of rhetoric he's talking about and the way that the character dynamics play out mirrors real life to an eerie degree.

Despite its critiques of the role religion plays in the world and the people that are shaping the conversations surrounding it, Wake Up Dead Man isn't an anti-religious text in the slightest. A big part of Johnson's message here is about the importance of having the right messengers delivering the teachings of the Bible. While this sounds like a preachy message on paper, it never feels like Johnson is arguing for or against believing in God and is instead just engaging with what the storytelling of the Bible means and how the distortion of the sacred text to serve a hate-fueled agenda is an afront to its true teachings. Certain people are inevitably going to get pissed off by what transpires in certain parts of this movie, but I feel like it could inspire a lot of important discussions among people who are willing to earnestly engage with the film and maybe even get people to reconsider how they engage with the intersection of faith and politics that is at the forefront of our culture. Some of the best art around makes the viewer really think about the world they live in and it's awesome that Johnson has used super entertaining, funny whodunits as a jumping off point for these vital reflections. 

On a pure mystery level, Wake Up Dead Man is a little bit clunkier than its predecessors. None of the twists are overly shocking including the killer reveal and by focusing so much time on Rev. Jud's arc-which isn't a bad thing at all given the depth and gravitas O'Connor gives to the role, much of the supporting cast is sidelined for long stretches of the film-which minimizes the impact of the ensemble cast that has previously been one of the biggest assets of the Knives Out franchise. It's still a great time on the whole, I just feel like the flaws are pronounced enough here to put it behind it the first two installments after one viewing.

With Johnson's contract with Netflix officially up and him currently shopping an original script around Hollywood that he's hoping to shoot sometime next year, the future of Knives Out is currently wide open. It probably won't be the last time we see Blanc on screen, but it could end up being a bit before he returns, so I'll be sure to take some more time to savor Wake Up Dead Man before Johnson and Craig make their return at a TBD time on a TBD screen.           

               

Grade: B+

2025 NFL Power Rankings: Week 14

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(2) Seattle Seahawks (9-3) Week 14 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

2.(3) New England Patriots (11-2) Week 14 opponent: Bye

3.(1) Los Angeles Rams (9-3) Week 14 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

4.(6) Green Bay Packers (8-3-1) Week 14 opponent: Chicago Bears

5.(5) Denver Broncos (10-2) Week 14 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

6.(9) Buffalo Bills (8-4) Week 14 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

7.(11) Chicago Bears (10-3) Week 14 opponent: Green Bay Packers

8.(10) San Francisco 49ers (9-4) Week 14 opponent: Bye

9.(4) Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) Week 14 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

10.(7) Indianapolis Colts (8-4) Week 14 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

11.(8) Detroit Lions (7-5) Week 14 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

12.(14) Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) Week 14 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

13.(16) Houston Texans (7-5) Week 14 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

14.(17) Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) Week 14 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

15.(19) Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) Week 14 opponent: Detroit Lions

16.(20) Carolina Panthers (7-6) Week 14 opponent: Bye

17.(18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) Week 14 opponent: New Orleans Saints

18.(13) Kansas City Chiefs (6-6) Week 14 opponent: Houston Texans

19.(12) Baltimore Ravens (6-6) Week 14 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

20.(15) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) Week 14 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

21.(21) Miami Dolphins (5-7) Week 14 opponent: New York Jets

22.(25) Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) Week 14 opponent: Buffalo Bills

23.(22) Atlanta Falcons (4-8) Week 14 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

24.(23) Minnesota Vikings (4-8) Week 14 opponent: Washington Commanders

25.(26) Washington Commanders (3-9) Week 14 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

26.(30) New York Jets (3-9) Week 14 opponent: Miami Dolphins

27.(27) Arizona Cardinals (3-9) Week 14 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

28.(24) Cleveland Browns (3-9) Week 14 opponent: Tennessee Titans

29.(29) New Orleans Saints (2-10) Week 14 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

30.(28) New York Giants (2-11) Week 14 opponent: Bye

31.(31) Las Vegas Raiders (2-10) Week 14 opponent: Denver Broncos

32.(32) Tennessee Titans (1-11) Week 14 opponent: Cleveland Browns 

Week 13 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers :2025 Edition

Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) 

The Chiefs suffered a gut-wrenching loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving that greatly hurt their chances of making the playoffs this season, but nobody can attribute the defeat to the effort of their quarterback. Mahomes relished the opportunity to be back in his home state of Texas for the holiday and put together the kind of gem we used to see him from on a near weekly basis when the Chiefs offense was unstoppable from 2018-2022, throwing for 261 YDS and 4 TD's and rushing for 30 YDS. Mahomes has a really tough draw for a must-win Week 14 game as the stifling Texans defense are set to make their way to Arrowhead. 

Honorable Mentions: Jordan Love (Packers), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)

Biggest Loser: Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

Jackson was a freak fumble and questionable OPI call away from having a much better showing, but alas that wasn't the case, and he ended up in this undesirable spot. While yardage wasn't a problem as he threw for 246 and ran for 27, a slew of turnovers (3) and inability to get in the endzone after the aforementioned 2 potential TD's by Isiah Likely and Zay Flowers got ripped away from him ensured this was one of the ugliest games Jackson has had in quite some time as the Ravens got lit up at home by a Bengals squad that looked revitalized with the return of Joe Burrow to the lineup after missing nearly 3 months with turf toe. Jackson is playing terrible football right now and will be a questionable starting option in Week 14 against a Steelers defense that is shaky on the whole but has a knack for forcing turnovers and getting sacks.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Sam Darnold (Seahawks), Caleb Williams (Bears), Matthew Stafford (Rams)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Bijan Robinson (Falcons)

In what has been a recurring story for the Falcons all season long, Robinson was sensational (193 scrimmage and a rushing TD on 28 touches) as the team suffered a close loss in a game they absolutely should've won against the Jets. Robinson faces the Seahawks in Week 14. 

Honorable Mentions: D'Andre Swift (Bears), Kimani Vidal (Chargers), R.J. Harvey (Broncos)

Biggest Loser: Travis Etienne (Jaguars)

Etienne struggled with efficiency (12 carries for 28 YDS, 1 reception for 13 YDS) and got a redzone TD stolen from him by Bhayshul Tuten-who was even less efficient gaining only 19 YDS on his 9 touches-on a day where the Jags leaned on Trevor Lawrence's arm and their defense to embarrass the helpless Titans. A Week 14 showdown with the Colts presents a less-than-ideal rebound opportunity for the leader of the Jags backfield commitee. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Saquon Barkley (Eagles), Ashton Jeanty (Raiders), Rico Dowdle (Panthers)

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: A.J. Brown (Eagles)

Feast your eyes on the only fantasy-relevant Eagle that showed well against the Bears on Friday! Admittedly, it took a late garbage time score to get Brown to the top of the WR leaderboard this week but that doesn't change the fact that he was making plays every time he got the ball in his hands-logging 10 receptions for 132 YDS and a pair of TD's and was the catalyst on every single one of the few productive drives the Eagles offense put together in this terrible showing in front of their home fans. Brown will look to stay hot against the Chargers in Week 14.   

Honorable Mentions: Rashee Rice (Chiefs), CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys), Jameson Williams (Lions)

Biggest Loser: Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

Jefferson's increasingly nightmarish 2025 campaign reached a new low in Week 13 as undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer didn't look his way much as he got devoured by the Seahawks ferocious defense during his first career NFL start, which led to him catching just 2-of-6 targets for a measly 4 YDS in a blowout loss for the reeling Vikings. If Brosmer has to start in place of J.J. McCarthy-who remains in concussion protocol as of today-versus the Commanders this week, he should have a much easier time making plays than he did against the Seahawks but nobody should feel good about Jefferson's ability to put up numbers regardless of matchup quality given the bleakness of the Vikings QB situation at the moment.    

Dishonorable Mentions: Jaxson Smith Njigba (Seahawks), Rome Odunze (Bears), Zay Flowers (Ravens)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: Brock Bowers (Raiders)

Bowers made the most of his limited looks against the Chargers on Sunday afternoon, catching all 4 of his targets for 63 YDS and 2 TD's. The sole bright spot on the Raiders dismal offense will face a Broncos defense that just got lit up by Zach Ertz in Week 14.

Honorable Mentions: Trey McBride (Cardinals), Zach Ertz (Commanders), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Biggest Loser: Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

As I said above, the Eagles offense outside of Brown was pretty awful this past week and Goedert was very quiet for the most part-catching just 2 passes for 27 YDS against a Bears defense that has struggled to contain TE's all season. After a hot start to the year where he logged 5 TD's and 24 receptions over his first 5 games, the pendulum has shifted in the other direction for Goedert as he hasn't been a viable starter for much of the past 2 months. He'll get a Chargers defense that has been among the best in the league at limiting TE production in Week 14.

Dishonorable Mentions: Oronde Gadsden (Chargers), Cade Otton (Buccaneers), Theo Johnson (Giants)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Seahawks

Max Brosmer was completely in over his head facing one of the top defenses in the league in his first NFL start and the Seahawks took full advantage of that, picking up 4 sacks, a fumble recovery and 4 INT's including a pick six by Ernest Jones that is destined to become one of the funniest plays in NFL history. The Seahawks have another great matchup in Week 14 when they take on the reeling Kirk Cousins-led Falcons.  

Honorable Mentions: Bills, Jaguars, Patriots

Biggest Loser: Rams

The Rams D failed to take advantage of the Panthers vulnerabilities on offense, and it arguably cost them the game as they surrendered 25 points, got 2 sacks and forced 0 takeaways in a shocking 31-28 upset loss that snapped a 6-game winning streak and knocked them out of the top seed in the NFC. They should be out for blood this week against a Cardinals team that has surrendered the 6th most points to opposing D/ST's in 2025.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Texans, Lions, Browns 

Josh Hutcherson Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Josh Hutcherson-whose latest project "Five Nights at Freddy's 2" releases in theaters on Thursday. 

Josh Hutcherson's Filmography Ranked:

14.Tragedy Girls (D+)

13.The Kids Are All Right (C-)

12.Detention (C-)

11.The Polar Express (C-)

10.RV (C)

9.Journey to the Center of the Earth (C)

8.Kicking & Screaming (C)

7.Red Dawn (C+)

6.The Beekeeper (B)

5.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 (B)

4.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (B)  

3.The Hunger Games (B)

2.The Disaster Artist (A-)

1.The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (A)

Top Dog: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

While The Hunger Games franchise has displayed an impressive level of consistency through its first five films, Catching Fire reached heights that none of the other entries have. Francis Lawrence made such an impression with this electrifying, emotionally charged masterclass in blockbuster filmmaking that they haven't let anyone else direct a Hunger Games movie since (that streak will remain intact as Lawrence is returning for next year's Sunrise on the Reaping).    

Bottom Feeder: Tragedy Girls (2017)

I watched Detention last week in preparation for this piece and while I found it to be a pretty obnoxious mess of a horror comedy, it's easier to sit through than Tragedy Girls. Aside from a couple good kills, this slasher satire is a completely worthless affair filled with grating characters and enough eye roll-worthy meta jokes to fill a dozen movies.      

Most Underrated: The Disaster Artist (2017)

Much like the book it's based on, The Disaster Artist expertly threads the needle between detailing the insanity/hilarity of the chaotic production of the singular cult classic The Room and telling a surprisingly touching underdog story of a man living out his dreams to be a movie star against all odds. 

Most Overrated: The Kids Are All Right (2010)

As a Sundance-launched dramedy from 15 years ago, The Kids Are All Right has unsurprisingly faded into obscurity. However, it still managed to get nominated for multiple Oscars including Best Picture and that's enough for me to still declare it overrated. Lisa Cholodenko's film about a lesbian couple (Julianne Moore, Annette Benning) whose lives take a sudden turn when their children (Mia Wasikowska, Hutcherson) request to meet their biological sperm donor father (Mark Ruffalo) is a dull indie that takes a couple of bizarre, contrived turns that undermine its attempts to find the heart and humor in the inherently uncomfortable relationship dynamic that drives its narrative. 

2025 NFL Power Rankings: Week 13

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) Los Angeles Rams (9-2) Week 13 opponent: Carolina Panthers

2.(3) Seattle Seahawks (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

3.(4) New England Patriots (10-2) Week 13 opponent: New York Giants

4.(2) Philadelphia Eagles (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Chicago Bears

5.(7) Denver Broncos (9-2) Week 13 opponent: Washington Commanders

6.(8) Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) Week 13 opponent: Detroit Lions

7.(6) Indianapolis Colts (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Houston Texans

8.(9) Detroit Lions (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Green Bay Packers

9.(5) Buffalo Bills (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

10.(11) San Francisco 49ers (8-4) Week 13 opponent: Cleveland Browns

11.(13) Chicago Bears (9-3) Week 13 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

12.(15) Baltimore Ravens (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

13.(16) Kansas City Chiefs (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

14.(14) Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

15.(12) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Buffalo Bills

16.(18) Houston Texans (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

17.(17) Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Tennessee Titans

18.(10) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

19.(22) Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1) Week 13 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

20.(19) Carolina Panthers (6-6) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

21.(21) Miami Dolphins (4-7) Week 13 opponent: New Orleans Saints

22.(23) Atlanta Falcons (4-7) Week 13 opponent: New York Jets

23.(20) Minnesota Vikings (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

24.(30) Cleveland Browns (3-8) Week 13 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

25.(24) Cincinnati Bengals (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

26.(26) Washington Commanders (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Denver Broncos

27.(25) Arizona Cardinals (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

28.(29) New York Giants (2-10) Week 13 opponent: New England Patriots

29.(27) New Orleans Saints (2-9) Week 13 opponent: Miami Dolphins

30.(28) New York Jets (2-9) Week 13 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

31.(31) Las Vegas Raiders (2-9) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

32.(32) Tennessee Titans (1-10) Week 13 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 12 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2025 Edition

Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

The Eagles may've suffered one of the most crushing, confusing collapses of the 2025 season thus far against the Cowboys in Week 12 but at least Hurts got back in the good graces of his fantasy managers after back-to-back duds. Hurts was in peak dual-threat mode against the 'Boys anemic defense, throwing for 289 YDS and a score and rushing for 33 YDS and 2 TD's. He'll have another plus matchup when the Eagles return home to face the Bears on Friday afternoon.

Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Matthew Stafford (Rams), Caleb Williams (Bears)

Biggest Loser: Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

While there was never any real danger of the Ravens losing to the Jets on Sunday, you wouldn't have known that by looking at the play of Jackson. The star QB had one of the most uneventful games of his career in a spot where he should've cleaned up, throwing for 153 YDS, rushing for only 11 YDS on 7 carries and failing to score a TD. About the only positive for Jackson was that he committed zero giveaways, which was good to see after his 2-INT performance against the Browns in Week 11. Jackson has been pretty unremarkable over the past 3 games and will have the difficult task of trying to right the ship on a short week as the Ravens will face the Bengals on Thanksgiving night.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Josh Allen (Bills), Brock Purdy (49ers), Jordan Love (Packers)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions)

Gibbs was the main reason the Lions survived a scare from the 2-win Giants as he ripped off 219 YDS and 2 TD's on just 15 carries and acted as Jared Goff's security blanket in the passing game with a career-high 11 receptions for 45 YDS and another TD. He'll remain a top 5 option for the Lions huge Thanksgiving Day divisional clash with the Packers.  

Honorable Mentions: Emmanuel Wilson (Packers), Christian McCaffery (49ers), Derrick Henry (Ravens)

Biggest Loser: D'Andre Swift (Bears)

It was a tough day at the office for Swift against the Steelers as he not only was a complete non-factor (29 scrimmage YDS on 9 touches) in the victory but ceded the bulk of the backfield snaps to Kyle Monangai after losing a fumble early in the second quarter. Swift's standing in the Bears 1-2 backfield punch will be worth monitoring as they prepare to take on his former team in Philly on Friday.     

Dishonorable Mentions: Kyren Williams (Rams), David Montgomery (Lions), Jonathan Taylor (Colts)

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: Jaxson Smith-Njigba (Seahawks)

The most valuable fantasy receiver of 2025 so far by a mile was brilliant once again in Week 12, carving up the Titans for 167 YDS and 2 TD's on 8 receptions. He also gained 4 YDS on his sole backfield touch of the afternoon. JSN has arguably his toughest remaining matchup of the season in Week 13 against a Vikings secondary that has only allowed 3 100+ YD games and 8 TD's to WR this year.  

Honorable Mentions: Wan'Dale Robinson (Giants), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions), George Pickens (Cowboys)

Biggest Loser: Jordan Addison (Vikings)

J.J. McCarthy had the worst game of his terrible inaugural NFL campaign on Sunday in Green Bay and while nobody on the Vikings left this ugly affair smelling like roses, Addison suffered the most as he failed to catch his lone target. With McCarthy entering concussion protocol yesterday after reporting symptoms to team doctors on the flight back to Minneapolis and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer in line to make his first career start against the Seahawks, Addison is a clear sit for Week 13.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Stefon Diggs (Patriots), Emeka Egbuka (Buccaneers), Jameson Williams (Lions)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: Hunter Henry (Patriots)

Henry ended up being the only Patriot to truly feast against the Bengals bottom-ranked defense, putting together his best outing since Week 3 against the Steelers with an impressive 7/115/1 line. He'll look to become one of the proud few Patriots pass-catchers to have back-to-back impactful games in 2025 when they take on the Giants on MNF in Week 13.  

Honorable Mentions: Colston Loveland (Bears), Trey McBride (Cardinals), George Kittle (49ers)

Biggest Loser: Mark Andrews (Ravens)

Zay Flowers was the only one to put together a respectable performance (5/58) amidst Jackson's struggles against the Jets on Sunday, which means Andrews got left out in the cold-catching just 1-of-3 targets for 9 YDS and gaining 2 YDS on a pair of carries. If Jackson can get back on track, Andrews has a dream matchup against the Bengals in Week 13 that he should be able to exploit.

Dishonorable Mentions: Dallas Goedert (Eagles), Kyle Pitts (Falcons), T.J. Hockenson (Vikings)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Packers

As I mentioned above, J.J. McCarthy had an awful showing in Week 12 and the Packers defense is to blame for those struggles. The league's 5th ranked scoring defense completely disrupted the flow of the Vikings offense for 60 minutes, picking up 5 sacks, 2 INT's and a fumble recovery in a 22-6 victory. The Pack will look to steal another soul on Thanksgiving when they face a Lions offense that is currently in their most vulnerable state since they became a contending team in 2023.     

Honorable Mentions: Rams, Falcons, Browns

Biggest Loser: Lions

Did the Lions defense ultimately do enough to help their team win a game that they very easily could have lost? Yes. However, it was still a pretty dispiriting performance from a group that's looked great recently despite the rash of injuries they've endured in the secondary as they surrendered 27 points and only notched a pair of positive contributions on their fantasy stat sheet (1 sack, 1 INT) against the Jameis Winston-led Giants. The always unpredictable Packers offense presents a wild card of a Week 13 matchup that will definitely test the trust some owners have in this group.    

Dishonorable Mentions: Seahawks, Eagles, Chiefs

Thomas Haden Church Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Thomas Haden Church-whose latest project "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" releases in select theaters on Wednesday and begins streaming on Netflix on December 12th. 

Thomas Haden Church's Filmography Ranked:

14.John Carter (D)

13.Spanglish (C)

12.George of the Jungle (C)

11.Rolling Kansas (C)

10.Hellboy (C+)

9.Spider-Man 3 (C+)

8.The Peanut Butter Falcon (B-) 

7.Daddy's Home (B-)

6.We Bought a Zoo (B)

5.Spider-Man: No Way Home (B)

4.Idiocracy (B)

3.Sideways (B)

2.Easy A (B)

1.Tombstone (B+)

Top Dog: Tombstone (1993)

There was a sneaky great run of westerns in the 90's and outside of Clint Eastwood's triumphant farewell to the genre that helped turn him into an international star with Unforgiven, Tombstone just might be the best of the bunch. George P. Cosomatos, who was previously best known for his work with Sylvester Stallone on Rambo: First Blood Part II and Cobra, brings a degree of pure action movie slickness that helps it stand out from other entries in the genre and the cast filled with beloved character actors from Kurt Russell to Bill Paxton to Sam Elliott to Val Kilmer to Michael Biehn help turn a collection of real-life gunslingers into larger-than-life figures worthy of being immortalized on the big screen.       

Bottom Feeder: John Carter (2012)

One of the most infamous bombs of the 2010's is also one of my least favorite movies from that decade. Pixar vet Andrew Stanton completely faceplanted with his live-action debut, which turns a seminal sci-fi text that has inspired generations of sci-fi writers/filmmakers into a convoluted, meandering epic that fails to parlay its impressive visuals into anything that's even remotely compelling. Stanton's second ever live action feature In the Blink of an Eye is currently in post-production, so it'll be interesting to see if he's learned anything from the failure of John Carter.   

Most Underrated: We Bought a Zoo (2011)

While We Bought a Zoo may be a minor entry in the (mostly) solid filmography of Cameron Crowe, it remains a heartfelt human story that's really enjoyable to watch. Returning to the world of light, warm crowdpleasers might be the ticket Crowe needs to punch to get out of the unemployment purgatory he's been stuck in for the last decade following the release of the obscenely awful Aloha.   

Most Overrated: The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

As inherently pleasant as this dramedy about a man with a Down Syndrome (Zack Gottsagen) who escapes from an assisted living facility in Georgia and heads out on the road with a down-on-his luck fisherman (Shia LaBouef) and his kindhearted caretaker (Dakota Johnson) to fulfill his dream of going to a wrestling school in North Carolina that's run by his idol (Haden Church), this story of found family and living out your dreams simply didn't move me in the way that it did a lot of other people. Perhaps I'll give it another shot one of these days and see if I just wasn't in the mood for it when I saw it in theaters.  

Michelle Monaghan Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Michelle Monaghan-whose latest project "The Family Plan 2" begins streaming on Apple TV+ tomorrow. 

Michelle Monaghan's Filmography Ranked:

19.Playing It Cool (C)

18.Pixels (C)

17.The Bourne Supremacy (C)

16.Mr. & Mrs. Smith (C)

15.Machine Gun Preacher (B-)

14.Unfaithful (B-)

13.Sleepless (B-)

12.Eagle Eye (B)

11.Patriots Day (B)

10.Nanny (B)

9.Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (B)

8.Constantine (B)

7.MaXXXine (B)

6.Mission: Impossible III (B)

5.Due Date (B)

4.Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol (B+)

3.Mission: Impossible-Fallout (B+)

2.Source Code (A)

1.Gone Baby Gone (A)

Top Dog: Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Ben Affleck makes one of hell a first impression as a filmmaker with this gripping, emotional and surprisingly thorny noir mystery thriller about a Boston couple who work as private investigators (Casey Affleck, Monaghan) who are hired by another couple (Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver) to locate their missing 4-year-old niece (Madeline O'Brien). It's been a minute since I've seen this tremendous movie, so a rewatch is definitely in order.      

Bottom Feeder: Playing It Cool (2015)

Playing It Cool is a romantic comedy starring Chris Evans, Monaghan, Aubrey Plaza, Topher Grace, Ioan Gruffudd and Anthony Mackie. If you haven't heard of it, there's a good reason: It effectively got buried as it was an indie production that toiled around in the ether for a few years after it wrapped shooting until Vertical picked it up and quietly put it on VOD in the spring of 2015. While it's unfortunate that any movie would meet this fate, I can't sit here with a straight face and say that it deserved better. Plain and simple, it's an instantly forgettable watch that only staves off a worse fate because the solid cast genuinely does their best to try and elevate the flat material they had to work with.     

Most Underrated: Source Code (2011)

The downward trajectory of Duncan Jones' career over the last decade or so is kind of unfathomable given how good Moon and Source Code are. I'm particularly fond of Source Code as it blends high-concept sci-fi with the urgency and propulsion of a thriller, making it a uniquely intense, entertaining viewing experience. Jones will be making his return to filmmaking with the animated feature Rogue Trooper, which is in post-production and is currently expected to release sometime next year. Fingers crossed that he's able to get his groove back.    

Most Overrated: The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

While The Bourne Ultimatum-which is often cited as one of the greatest action movies ever made-is considerably more overrated in my book, I still have plenty of gripes with the second installment of the Bourne franchise. Supremacy was the installment where Paul Greengrass got his hands on the Bourne franchise and immediately sent the series spinning into the depths of mediocrity with its flaccid pacing and relentless use of choppy, quick-cut editing that went onto become the industry standard for action movies until John Wick came along a decade later and provided a much-needed shakeup with its long takes/fluid editing. I look forward to honoring Jason Bourne by forgetting to watch the next inevitable future reboot of this franchise.        

2025 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

()=Previous Ranking

1.(2) Los Angeles Rams (8-2) Week 12 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

2.(3) Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) Week 12 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

3.(1) Seattle Seahawks (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Tennessee Titans

4.(5) New England Patriots (9-2) Week 12 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

5.(7) Buffalo Bills (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Houston Texans

6.(6) Indianapolis Colts (8-2) Week 12 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

7.(10) Denver Broncos (9-2) Week 12 opponent: Bye

8.(9) Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) Week 12 opponent: Minnesota Vikings 

9.(4) Detroit Lions (6-4) Week 12 opponent: New York Giants

10.(8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) Weel 12 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

11.(12) San Francisco 49ers (7-4) Week 12 opponent: Carolina Panthers

12.(13) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Chicago Bears

13.(15) Chicago Bears (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

14.(11) Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) Week 12 opponent: Bye

15.(16) Baltimore Ravens (5-5) Week 12 opponent: New York Jets

16.(14) Kansas City Chiefs (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

17.(19) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

18.(18) Houston Texans (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Buffalo Bills

19.(20) Carolina Panthers (6-5) Week 12 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

20.(17) Minnesota Vikings (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Green Bay Packers

21.(21) Miami Dolphins (4-7) Week 12 opponent: Bye

22.(22) Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1) Week 12 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

23.(23) Atlanta Falcons (3-7) Week 12 opponent: New Orleans Saints

24.(24) Cincinnati Bengals (3-7) Week 12 opponent: New England Patriots

25.(25) Arizona Cardinals (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

26.(26) Washington Commanders (3-8) Week 12 opponent: Bye

27.(27) New Orleans Saints (2-8) Week 12 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

28.(28) New York Jets (2-8) Week 12 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

29.(29) New York Giants (2-9) Week 12 opponent: Detroit Lions

30.(30) Cleveland Browns (2-8) Week 12 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

31.(31) Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) Week 12 opponent: Cleveland Browns

32.(32) Tennessee Titans (1-9) Week 12 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

Week 11 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2025 Edition

 Quarterback

Biggest Winner: Josh Allen (Bills)

Allen was able to shake off 2 ugly picks in the first half and put together one of the most dominant QB showings we've seen in the league this year (317 passing YDS, 3 TD's, 40 Rushing YDS, 3 TD's) in a shootout win over the Bucs on Sunday. The reigning MVP will get right back to work roughly 48 hours from now when the Bills take on the Texans in Houston on TNF.   

Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Brock Purdy (49ers), Jordan Love (Packers)

Biggest Loser: Justin Herbert (Chargers)

Things couldn't have gone much worse for Herbert in Week 11 as relentless pressure from the Jaguars front and a complete lack of help from his rushing game led to him throwing for 81 YDS, which is a new career-low and an INT while adding just 21 YDS on the ground. He'll get a much-needed reprieve from the weekly beatings he's taking behind his garbage offensive line this week as the Chargers are on bye.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Caleb Williams (Bears), Joe Flacco (Bengals)

Running Back

Biggest Winner: Christian McCaffery (49ers)

It was an easy victory for the 49ers over the Cardinals and CMC's play was a big reason why the game was sealed up well before halftime. The star running back only needed 18 touches (13 carries, 5 receptions) to rack up 121 YDS and 3 TD's and largely ceded his backfield work to Brian Robinson Jr. in the second half of this laugher. Next up for McCaffery is a meeting with the Panthers and their middling defense.   

Honorable Mentions: TreVeyon Henderson (Patriots), Bijan Robinson (Falcons), Travis Etienne Jr. (Jaguars)

Biggest Loser: David Montgomery (Lions)

Montgomery was effective when he got the ball against the Eagles, averaging over 5 YDS per touch. There just wasn't action for him as Dan Campbell leaned heavily on Jahmyr Gibbs as his speed was one of the only things that gave the Eagles D trouble during this rough showing for the Lions typically high-flying offense and that caused him to finish the game with just 37 scrimmage YDS. While Montgomery's usage rate has been all over the place this season, he should see more action against an undermanned Giants team that has really struggled to contain the run through 11 games.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Quinshon Judkins (Browns), Ashton Jeanty (Raiders), R.J. Harvey (Broncos)

Wide Receiver

Biggest Winner: Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers)

The Panthers rookie broke his 4-week TD drought in spectacular fashion by not only finding the endzone twice but setting new career-highs in receptions (8) and receiving YDS (130) over the Falcons. It was really encouraging to see McMillan finally take advantage of his huge target share and he'll have a real shot to put together another monster performance in Week 12 against an injury-depleted 49ers secondary that has gotten lit up over the past few weeks.    

Honorable Mentions: Michael Wilson (Cardinals), George Pickens (Cowboys), Nico Collins (Texans)

Biggest Loser: DeVonta Smith (Eagles)

It was finally Smith's turn to get punished by the Eagles passing games woes as he caught just 1-of-5 targets for 8 YDS in a win over the Lions. Smith will face the Cowboys and their stinky secondary in Week 12.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Ladd McConkey (Chargers), Ricky Pearsall (49ers), Quentin Johnston (Chargers)

Tight End

Biggest Winner: Trey McBride (Cardinals)

McBride painted another garbage time masterpiece against the 49ers, hauling in 10 catches for 115 YDS and a TD. Jacoby Brissett's favorite target will look to make it 3 100+ YD/1 TD outings in a row against the Jaguars this Sunday. 

Honorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Mark Andrews (Ravens)

Biggest Loser: Kyle Pitts (Falcons)

Pitts was an afterthought in the Falcons passing attack against the Panthers, catching just 2-of-3 targets for 14 YDS as the Dirty Birds suffered yet another heartbreaking single digit loss in a game they should've won. With Drake London out indefinitely with a PCL sprain, Pitts should be in line for a huge usage bump and can confidently be fired up as a TE1 in all formats.

Dishonorable Mentions: Dallas Goedert (Eagles), Cade Otton (Buccaneers), David Njoku (Browns)

Defense/Special Teams

Biggest Winner: Steelers

Teryl Austin's group showed up big once again, embarrassing the Bengals offense in a 34-12 victory by logging 1 sack and 2 defensive scores in the second half (a pick-6 from Kyle Dugger and a fumble return by James Pierre). The Steelers will face the Bears-who've done a good job of minimizing giveaways and sacks this season-in Week 12. 

Honorable Mentions: Browns, Texans, Rams

Biggest Loser: Chargers

The Chargers didn't look like the top 10 defense they've been for the bulk of this season as Travis Etienne, Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen ran wild in a shocking 35-6 win for a Jags team that's looked like shit for much of the last month. An early pick of Trevor Lawrence-who wasn't overly sharp once again despite the large margin of victory-was the only highlight for Jesse Minter's unit. The Chargers will face a turnover-happy, largely inept Raiders offense when they return to action in Week 13.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Seahawks, Chiefs, Lions 

Quick Movie Reviews: Frankenstein, The Running Man, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, Keeper

Frankenstein: An adaptation of Frankenstein is the project Guillermo del Toro has been wanting to make for the entirety of his 30+ year career. Now that Netflix has given him the opportunity to make his dream a reality, it's kind of sad to say that del Toro's vision feels a little bit miscalculated. His take on Mary Shelley's classic novel is effectively a tale of two halves as the opening stretch detailing the origins of the tormented, egotistical surgeon Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) and his efforts to prove that he can bring the dead back to life is too stoic to be overly compelling while the second half where the focus shifts to Frankenstein's monster (Jacob Elordi) is a harrowing, emotional tale of a being trying to find beauty in a cruel world that he's cursed to stay in for eternity. Elordi-who only landed the role after Andrew Garfield dropped out-is remarkable in the role as he embodies the complex range of emotions the creature feels as he learns about his unnatural origins and s world that has labeled him as a bloodthirsty beast without even trying to understand his true nature. If the other aspects of Frankenstein outside of the top-notch cinematography and production design del Toro delivers on all of his films were in line with Elordi's thoughtful, astonishing craftsmanship, Frankenstein would've unquestionably landed at or near the top of the legendary director's filmography instead of the merely respectable middle where it ended up residing.  

Grade: B

The Running Man: A reboot of The Running Man couldn't have been timed better. Not only does Stephen King's novel take place in 2025, a dystopian world where authoritarian oligarchs control the government, media, etc. and the economy is so bad that the bottom 99% of society are willing to risk their lives for the entertainment of others in exchange for the slim chance of being able to enjoy a life where they don't have to worry about their ability to have access to medical care, food or housing isn't too far off from the reality we're currently living through. As fun as the cheesy 1987 version with Arnold Schwarzenegger is, Edgar Wright's version is an improvement across the board. The grizzled old school action-meets-blunt modern satire approach Wright uses is a great ode to the story 80's origins while taking aim at the increasingly dangerous actions of today's ruling class that are doing every they can to suppress the truth and sow division among the population so they can continue to live in blissful excess while pushing more people into poverty by the day. I'm not going to pretend that The Running Man' 25 has some masterful script, but there's still something to be said about a mainstream Hollywood movie actively confronting one of the biggest threats currently facing our world and preaching the importance of class solidarity as a means to fight it. That might not sound like much to most people but consider this: Paramount was taken over in early August by David Ellison's Skydance Media. Ellison's father Larry is the second richest person in the world and is actively seeking to help his son's company purchase Warner Brothers to further add to their family's growing media empire (they're also involved in the upcoming purchase of the American version of TikTok from Chinese company ByteDance). Would they even consider funding a movie like The Running Man? The answer is obvious and, that's why it's so awesome that Wright was able to release something serves as a giant middle finger to people like Hollywood's newest power players under the banner that now bares their company's name.

On top of its topicality, The Running Man represents a further elevation in Glen Powell's acting stock. Disgruntled everyman Ben Richards-who enters the titular game show where three contestants have the chance to win a billion dollars if they can survive 30 days while a group of elite mercenaries known as "The Hunters" (Lee Pace, Karl Glusman, James Frencheville, Joey Ansah, Alex Hoeffler, Greg Townley) attempt to kill them on live television in an attempt to pay for medical care for his sick infant daughter-provides the budding star with the ideal vessel to build out his range. Richards is a classic everyman action hero with rage issues that is also willing to do anything he can to have the backs of the people around him. Powell expertly balances the conflicting faces of Richards by knowing when he needs to be a hardened, resilient badass with a short fuse and when he has to lean into something more vulnerable or funny. The mix of his established snarky yet affable personality with something darker and meaner makes this his best performance in a blockbuster to date. 

In terms of the action, it's easily the most straightforward group of setpieces Wright has ever crafted. What drove the decision to dial back on his signature stylization is a mystery (the turnaround time on this one was super tight as shooting wrapped in March), but it was kind of a bummer to see these huge chases and fights assembled in a manner that don't reflect his established sensibilities. Wright and his second unit director Darrin Prescott are such pros that these sequences still manage to be solid and propulsive (particularly the bit with Michael Cera's oddball Maine-based revolutionary character), they just all happen to be begging to be staged in a more fluid, flamboyant manner. Nitpicks over the action aside, The Running Man is another winner for Wright and one of the best blockbusters of the year.                                           

Grade: B+

Now You See Me: Now You Don't: There's something beautiful about the Now You See Me franchise returning from a 9-year hiatus and sliding right back into its unapologetically silly groove without missing a beat. You wouldn't know that Ruben Fleischer is the third different director to take the reins of the magician heist series by how smoothly he assimilates to the series house style (heavily stylized illusions/tricks, snarky banter, absurd plot twists galore) and all of the newcomers (Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Rosamund Pike) have a blast teaming up/squaring off against the recently reunited Horseman (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher-who returns to the fold after sitting out Now You See Me 2)-whose dynamic is just as strong now as it was in the first installment 12 years ago. By the time it's exhilaratingly dumb Abu Dhabi-set finale concluded, I was ready to break into a Cannes-worthy round of extend applause. Please let the powers that be at Lionsgate grant this franchise the opportunity to continue for as long as the creatives involved have an interest in making them.                  

Grade: B+

Keeper: I was on board with Keeper for the bulk of its runtime. Osgood Perkins establishes a really ominous atmosphere through eerie visuals, well-deployed jump scares and good fashioned isolation while Tatiana Maslany is solid as a woman having a really bad/weird time during a romantic getaway to her boyfriend's (Rossif Sutherland) family cabin. Then Keeper has to start providing answers to what the hell is going on in and around this cabin, and it goes from scary to silly in no time at all as it shatters the hypnotic ambiguity of its first two acts with a lengthy exposition dump that paves the way for a groan-inducing ending that stops Perkins' hot streak at Neon dead in its tracks. Perkins won't have to wait long to redeem himself for this misstep as he's currently in production on his next project The Young People-which will mark the fourth film he's made this decade.                

Grade: C

Ruben Fleischer Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Ruben Fleischer-whose latest project "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" releases in theaters today. 

Ruben Fleischer's Filmography Ranked:

6.Uncharted (B-)

5.30 Minutes or Less (B-)

4.Venom (B)

3.Gangster Squad (B+)

2.Zombieland: Double Tap (A)

1.Zombieland (A)

Top Dog: Zombieland (2009)

Thanks to its irreverent humor and winning makeshift family dynamic that its magnetic leads (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) provided it with, Zombieland has enjoyed an enduring power that has exceeded many of the more conventional comedies released around the same time. Bill Murray's cameo remains one of the funniest scenes I've seen on screen and Flesicher provided a nice proof-of-concept for his eventual pivot to blockbuster filmmaking with his confident handling of the film's action sequences-particularly the final showdown where hordes of zombies descend on an abandoned amusement park.       

Bottom Feeder: Uncharted (2022)

Uncharted is a perfectly fine adventure movie that's just never quite able to overcome the feeling that it's a cheap-ish modern-day knockoff of Indiana Jones despite arguably being a better crafted film than either of the 21st century entries in that legendary franchise. If the sequel Sony put into development back in the spring of 2022 ever materializes, hopefully they can find a way to once again make Papa John's part of a key plot point       

Most Underrated: Gangster Squad (2013)

Going to bat for Gangster Squad is something that I'm always happy to do. It's just so refreshing to watch a mob movie that excels at being cartoony and fun. Not everything can or needs to be Goodfellas or The Godfather people! Sometimes getting something cut from the same cloth as The Untouchables is great too!   

Most Overrated: None

Fleischer has made precisely one acclaimed movie in his career: the original Zombieland and that's been a movie I've loved since I saw it in theaters 16 years ago. Other than that, he's been a magnet for stuff that has gotten mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. As you can see from above, I've never disliked anything he's made as I feel like he always brings enough energy to his direction to keep things relatively entertaining regardless of the quality of the script he's working with. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does with the long-brewing third installment of the preeminent magician heist franchise.