Falcons stun Bucs to kick off NFL Week 15; Sherrone Moore firing reaction, fallout

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Good morning and happy Friday! Carter Bahns with you as we enter the weekend, and we have a good one in store with the start of the college football postseason, an exciting slate of NFL games, the NBA Cup semifinals and more.

We’re also set to crown a Heisman Trophy winner this weekend. I don’t have a vote, but if I did, I’d be casting it for Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Diego Pavia would be a fantastic ambassador for the award and is extremely deserving in his own right, so I don’t think the voters can go wrong either way. I just lean slightly toward the future first-round pick who went undefeated and led the nation with 33 touchdown passes.

Okay, I’ll step off my soapbox and get this newsletter rolling.

🏈 Five things to know Friday

1. The Falcons walk-off the Bucs with an epic fourth-quarter comeback to kick off a pivotal NFL Week 15. If Atlanta’s stunning 29-28 victory over Tampa Bay was the appetizer, well, I can’t wait for the meal. Let’s hope the rest of Week 15 is as drama-filled. Whether its 44-year-old Philip Rivers attempting a comeback, the Chiefs’ attempt to stay alive in the postseason race or two teams putting their 10-game winning streaks on the line, the entertainment value on this weekend’s slate might be at a season-high. The Patriots can clinch the AFC East, the Rams can lock up a playoff berth and four teams are in danger of falling out of postseason contention.
2. Saturday will be loaded with college football pageantry. The 126th Army-Navy Game kicks off at 3 p.m. on CBS and opens a Saturday that features a little bit of everything that makes college football special. The sport’s most unique rivalry will put a bow on the regular season, the Heisman Trophy ceremony at 7 p.m. acts as a bridge to the postseason and bowl games get underway in the nightcap when Boise State and Washington duel in the final edition of the LA Bowl. There is a lot of hardware on the line Saturday, from the Commander in Chief’s Trophy to the sport’s most prestigious individual honor and a bowl belt.
3. The NBA Cup semifinals are set to unfold Saturday. The NBA’s in-season tournament is down to its final four, and the remaining squads will do battle in Las Vegas this weekend for a spot in Tuesday’s championship game. The Magic take on the Knicks at 5:30 p.m., and the Thunder meet the Spurs at 9 p.m. Oklahoma City, amid a historic 24-1 start to the season, is the favorite to win the whole thing, and its path to the crown will be easier if Victor Wembanyama (calf) remains sidelined for San Antonio in the semifinal tilt.
4. Free-agent closer Robert Suarez is headed to the Braves. MLB Winter Meetings are a wrap, but hot stove season rolls on with a significant bullpen signing. The Braves and Suarez agreed to terms on a three-year, $45 million deal that sends the reigning National League saves leader from the NL West to the NL East. Raisel Iglesias remains the leader of the Atlanta bullpen and should see the majority of save opportunities, but Suarez could factor into that mix and will at least be a prolific high-leverage setup arm.
5. T.J. Watt spent a night in the hospital and could miss Week 15. The Steelers’ star defender’s status for Sunday’s matchup with the Dolphins is in question after he was taken to a Pittsburgh area hospital for evaluation. Watt reported discomfort in his lung at the practice facility on Wednesday, and he did not practice on Thursday as he continued to undergo tests. He is the second Steelers player to be hospitalized this week after wide receiver DK Metcalf was evaluated on Sunday for stomach pain.

〽️ Do not miss this: Sherrone Moore firing reaction, Michigan’s next steps

“This was the worst-kept secret.”

“Everybody in the program has known this the last two seasons.”

The writing was on the wall, sources told CBS Sports’ college football reporters, with regard to Sherrone Moore’s firing on Wednesday. Rumors of Moore’s inappropriate relationship with a staffer ran rampant through Schembechler Hall, especially in the weeks leading up to his ousting. Athletic directors and coaching agents also suggested that Michigan likely already has its sights set on potential replacements.

Who could succeed Moore atop one of the most prominent programs in college football? SportsLine oddsmakers handicapped the coaching search with odds for 10 candidates. Here the five names to watch most closely:

• Bills OC Joe Brady (+300)
• Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham (+400)
• Chargers DC Jesse Minter (+400)
• Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer (+500)
• Washington coach Jedd Fisch (+700)

For whoever helms the program moving forward, a top priority will be the retention of freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood. Sources told CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer that multiple high-level programs are expected to at least make a run at the former No. 1 overall recruit.

🏈 NFL Week 15 preview, picks

The Week 15 schedule, and especially the six games on CBS, is historically great. This is the first time this millennium that one network will air multiple teams on 10-plus game winning streaks on the same day. The quarterback showdowns (Drake Maye vs. Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson vs. Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert vs. Patrick Mahomes, to name just three tantalizing matchups) are incredible, too.

Jim Harbaugh says it best: “Who’s got it better than us? Nobody!”

As they do every week, Jordan Dajani and Jared Dubin went head-to-head in picking the best games on the slate. They are in lockstep in picking the Bills to defeat the Patriots in the biggest contest of the year in the AFC East. But for the intra-conference battle between the No. 1 seed Broncos and No. 2 seed Packers…

• Dajani (Broncos +2.5): “This Denver defense leads the NFL in yards per play (4.5), third down percentage (31%) and red zone percentage (40%). I truly think Jordan Love is going to have to have his best game of the season to get past the Broncos in Denver.” Prediction: Broncos 24, Packers 20
• Dubin (Packers -2.5): “The Broncos can reach as high a ceiling defensively as any team in the NFL, but they also have a low floor offensively, and I’m not as confident in Bo Nix against the Green Bay pass rush as I am in Jordan Love against Denver’s.” Prediction: Packers 23, Broncos 20

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• Our college football awards are here! Diego Pavia is the 2025 CBS Sports Player of the Year, Malachi Toney is the Freshman of the Year and, for the second consecutive season, Curt Cignetti is the Coach of the Year.
• Mark your calendars; the 2026 SEC football schedule is out. It’s the first year of the nine-game era and it is stacked with marquee matchups. And, yes, we have a date for Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford. Ole Miss hosts LSU on Sept. 19.
• CeeDee Lamb cleared concussion protocol and is tracking toward a return for the Cowboys’ matchup with the Vikings.
• NASCAR reached a settlement with Michael Jordan’s racing team, 23XI, and Front Row Motorsports in an antitrust lawsuit.
• Former NBA player Jason Collins announced that he is battling Stage 4 brain cancer.
• Bengals star Trey Hendrickson, expected to miss about six weeks, landed on IR after undergoing core muscle surgery.
• Heisman Trophy voting results are in for players Nos. 5-10. Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez finished fifth and just missed the cut for Saturday’s ceremony.
• Iowa State continued its climb up our Women’s College Basketball Power Rankings after a statement rivalry win over Iowa.
• The hockey rink constructed for the Milan Cortina Olympics is smaller than those used for NHL games, and it is casting doubt on whether NHL players will actually return to Olympic competition.
• Southern Miss elevated interim coach Blake Anderson to the full-time job, marking his return to the head coaching ranks after Utah State fired him for cause in 2024.
• The NFL suspended Texans minority owner Javier Loya indefinitely and assessed a $500,000 fine for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.
• The Los Angeles Olympics could force USC to play the 2028 college football season at SoFi Stadium instead of the L.A. Coliseum.
• Notre Dame added football player Mark Zackery IV to its basketball roster to bolster its depth after leading scorer Markus Burton underwent ankle surgery.
• Cesc Fabregas opened up on Como’s success, his move to Chelsea, playing with Lionel Messi and more in an exclusive interview with CBS Sports.
• The International Tennis Integrity Agency suspended French player Quentin Folliot for 20 years over alleged match fixing.

📺 What we’re watching this weekend

Friday

🏈 College Football Awards, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Hawks at Pistons, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Texas at No. 5 UConn (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Timberwolves at Warriors, 10 p.m. on NBA TV

Saturday

⚽ Everton at Chelsea, 10 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Brighton & Hove Albion at Liverpool, 10 a.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 Revocruit Rematch: No. 17 Arkansas vs. No. 16 Texas Tech (M), noon on ESPN2
🏀 Iona at No. 22 St. John’s (M), noon on TNT
🏀 No. 9 Michigan State at Penn State (M), noon on Big Ten Network
⚽ Lazio at Parma, noon on CBS/Paramount+
🏒 Ducks at Devils, 12:30 p.m. on NHL Network
⚽ Fulham at Burnley, 12:30 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Marquette at No. 6 Purdue (M), 2 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 USC Upstate at No. 14 North Carolina (M), 2 p.m. on The CW
🏈 Army vs. Navy, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚽ Wolverhampton Wanderers at Arsenal, 3 p.m. on USA Network
🏀 Memphis at No. 11 Louisville (M), 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 23 Nebraska at No. 13 Illinois (M), 4 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 23 Oklahoma State (W), 4 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 Holiday Hoopsgiving: Chattanooga vs. No. 21 Auburn (M), 4:30 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 NBA Cup semifinals: Knicks vs. Magic, 5:30 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 No. 19 Kansas at NC State (M), 5:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 1 UConn at No. 16 USC (W), 5:30 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Compete 4 Cause Classic: Louisiana Tech vs. No. 5 LSU (W), 6 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 Central Arkansas at No. 15 Vanderbilt (M), 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network
🏈 Heisman Trophy Ceremony, 7 p.m. on ABC
🏈 LA Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington, 8 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 2 Michigan at Maryland (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 NBA Cup semifinals: Spurs vs. Thunder, 9 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 C.M. Newton Classic: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 12 Alabama (M), 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
🥊 UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Kape, 10 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 25 UCLA vs. No. 8 Gonzaga (M), 11:30 p.m. on ESPN

Sunday

⚽ Manchester City at Crystal Palace, 9 a.m. on NBC Sports Network
⚽ Newcastle United at Sunderland, 9 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Leeds United at Brentford, 11:30 a.m. on USA Network
🏒 Canucks at Devils, 12:30 p.m. on NHL Network
🏈 Chargers at Chiefs, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Jets at Jaguars, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Ravens at Bengals, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Bills at Patriots, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Cardinals at Texans, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Browns at Bears, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Raiders at Eagles, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Commanders at Giants, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational: No. 13 Baylor vs. No. 2 Texas (W), 1 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Juventus at Bologna, 2:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
🏀 Penn State at No. 3 South Carolina (W), 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 22 Louisville at No. 12 North Carolina (W), 4 p.m. on ACC Network
🏈 Packers at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Colts at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏈 Panthers at Saints, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Lions at Rams, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Titans at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 25 Michigan State at DePaul (W), 5:30 p.m. on FS1
🏒 Oilers at Canadiens, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
🏈 Vikings at Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. on NBC