Bengals defeat Cowboys after Dallas' special teams blunder; College Football Playoff expert picks

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🏈 Good morning to all, but especially to ...

THE CINCINNATI BENGALS

After weeks of tough breaks and heartbreaking losses, the Bengals got a big break, took advantage and kept their very faint playoff hopes alive. Cincinnati beat Dallas, 27-20, on a dramatic late sequence:

With two minutes left and tied 20-20, the Bengals prepared to punt the ball back to the Cowboys, setting up Dallas with a chance to take a late lead.
Nick Vigil broke through and deflected the punt, which went past the line of scrimmage (making it technically not "blocked") and bounced forward. Dallas cornerback Amani Oruwariye tried to field the ball and failed, a la Leon Lett many years ago. Essentially, it was the same as a punt returner muffing a punt. Cincinnati's Maema Njongmeta recovered the loose ball.
Three plays later, given new life, Joe Burrow found Ja'Marr Chase, who turned upfield and raced into the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown.

Burrow and Chase continue to be remarkable. Chase is on track to win the receiving triple crown (receptions, yards, touchdowns). Burrow was truly excellent, often in crumbling pockets. Cincinnati has seven single-possession losses this year, so to be on the right side of this one must have felt good.

👍 Honorable mentions

If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere. In fact, they already have. Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, Cam Ward and Dillon Gabriel are headed to New York as 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists.
Bill Belichick remains in talks with North Carolina about its head-coach opening.
The Army vs. Navy Game will remain on CBS Sports through 2038.
Dave Roberts discussed Shohei Ohtani's return to pitching.
AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 basketball recruit in the 2025 class, will make his decision today. He's down to Alabama, BYU, Kansas and North Carolina.
The Vikings are debuting all-white uniforms.
The Phillies signed Jordan Romano, the latest piece of a high-upside bullpen.
Roki Sasaki's negotiating window is open.
The transfer portal is open, and it's busy!
Tennessee is No. 1 in the men's AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll, and the Volunteer women are in the AP Top 25 for the first time this season. No. 3 South Carolina, meanwhile, has gotten itself back on track.
Aaron Bradshaw is back with Ohio State.
The Avalanche and Sharks swapped goalies.

🏈 And not such a good morning for ...

THE DALLAS COWBOYS

Sometimes, it's just not your game. Or your season. The Cowboys are experiencing that.

I feel for Oruwariye, a guy who had just returned from injury. It's easy to blast him for not getting away from the ball in hindsight. But in the moment, when things are happening so fast and the ball is right there, that's much easier said than done.

The loss hurts, obviously, but DeMarvion Overshown -- Dallas' best defender this season -- leaving with a knee injury that didn't look good is more devastating. It's been a disappointing, injury-filled, underachieving season: worst-case scenario, plain and simple. This season can't end soon enough for Dallas.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are frustrated by the Eagles' passing game.
Garrett Wilson admitted the Jets "find a way to lose."
The Falcons are sticking with Kirk Cousins, but Chris Trapasso thinks that's the wrong choice.
Jonathon Brooks suffered another ACL tear to his surgically repaired knee.
Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee sprain) will miss a few weeks.
Anthony Edwards was fined by the NBA again, this time for foul language.
Christian Pulisic (calf) will miss at least two games.
Hockey brawl during a teddy bear toss? Hockey brawl during a teddy bear toss!

🏈 NFL playoff picture: NFC races tightening up, AFC races getting clearer

Because things were so busy Sunday night (thanks, Juan Soto, CFP and NFL), we didn't get to do a full deep dive on NFL Week 14. As such, we didn't get to give kudos to a team that very much deserves them: The Seahawks thumped the Cardinals, 30-18, Seattle's second win over Arizona in three weeks.

But the NFC West is like Whack-A-Mole. As soon as one team goes down, another pops back up. The Rams beat the Bills in a thriller, and the 49ers crushed the Bears. So here we are:

Seahawks (8-5)
Rams (7-6)
Cardinals (6-7)
49ers (6-7)

All that sets up for a wild finish, and quarterback play looms larger than ever, Chris Trapasso writes. It's not just the division race, either. The NFC playoff picture is tightening up, too:

Lions (12-1, clinched playoff berth)
Eagles (11-2, clinched playoff berth)
Seahawks (8-5, NFC West leader)
Buccaneers (7-6, NFC South leader)
Vikings (11-2)
Packers (9-4)
Commanders (8-5)
Rams (7-6)
Falcons (6-7)
Cardinals (6-7)
49ers (6-7)

Things are much more spread out in the AFC:

Chiefs (12-1, clinched AFC West)
Bills (10-3, clinched AFC East)
Steelers (10-3, lead AFC North)
Texans (8-5, lead AFC South)
Ravens (8-5)
Chargers (8-5)
Broncos (8-5)
Colts (6-7)
Dolphins (6-7)
Bengals (5-8)

🏈 College Football Playoff expert predictions

We've had nearly 48 hours to digest the College Football Playoff bracket. Now, it's time to fill it out. Our experts did just that, and across eight projections, there are five different picks for national champion.

No. 1 Oregon is the pick in four of those eight, and the Ducks top Brandon Marcello's Power Rankings. (His complete projections are above.)

Marcello: "Oregon is the unquestioned favorite heading into the College Football Playoff with an incredible resume, including two top-five wins, and a slew of weapons on offense that have made elite defenses look pedestrian. The Ducks own the nation's longest winning streak (14) yet the CFP committee didn't give them an easy road with potential matchups against Ohio State and Texas on the docket before the national championship game."

I get that the potential Ohio State matchup looms large. I get that it may not seem like an easy path, and maybe the CFP format needs to change. But hey, the Ducks don't have to even play in the first round, where nothing is guaranteed and weather will play a major factor.

There's also plenty of uncertainty for No. 2 Georgia: Carson Beck is exploring treatment options for his injured elbow.

Here's more:

Bowl schedule, odds and batting info
Ranking all 41 bowl games
Curt Cignetti makes (10) Indiana dangerous.

⚾ Juan Soto to Mets impact: What's next for Yankees, who's next to sign?

The Juan Soto sweepstakes ended with the Mets as the winner thanks to the largest contract in MLB history. Now, the rest of MLB is dealing with the fall out.

No one is facing the noise more than the Yankees, and Mike Axisa outlined the five-step Plan B for the Bronx Bombers. (Side note: just a coincidence that there are also five stages of grief?)

Axisa: "1. Get a first baseman (and another infielder) -- The Yankees received some of the worst first-base production in franchise history in 2024. ... The good news is the bar is on the floor, and it shouldn't be difficult to upgrade first base. Going from their 2024 first basemen to even a league-average first baseman in 2025 would add several wins to New York's ledger."

Free agent options include Pete Alonso and Christian Walker, and there are plenty of trade candidates, too.

Soto was far and away the crown jewel of the class -- the crown jewel of almost any free agency class ever, really -- but there are plenty of big names left on the market. R.J. Anderson predicted where the top 10 remaining free agents will land.

Here's more:

The Mets enter a new era, Kate Feldman says.
The Mets' World Series odds soared.
The Yankees' Soto trade was still worth it, Dayn Perry writes.
Soto's massive contract will age well for the Mets, Dayn adds.
We may not see another huge contract for a while.
Brian Cashman defended Hal Steinbrenner ... even though the Yankees reportedly had a chance to match the Mets' offer and declined.

⚽ UEFA Champions League Matchday 6: Real Madrid in real danger

Matchday 6 of the UEFA Champions League league phase opens today, and it's time for the rubber to hit the road. There are clinching scenarios aplenty, including Liverpool potentially becoming the first team to claim its spot in the round of 16. It'll require some help, but the Reds can take a big step today at Girona (preview here).

Remember, in the new format, the top eight teams from the league phase are into the round of 16. Teams that finish 9-24 enter a playoff for the remaining eight spots.

Real Madrid, shockingly, is in a race simply to be in that top 24, and Los Blancos -- currently 24th in the standings -- have a major challenge today: a visit to undefeated Atalanta.

Kylian Mbappe has struggled mightily in his debut season with Real Madrid, but in his bold predictions, James Benge says another star will step up.

Benge: "Carlo Ancelotti has been able to unlock a more attacking Jude Bellingham without sacrificing his involvement in possession. ... For all his great technical qualities, there is something quite vibey about Bellingham. He senses the moments and lives for them: the last seconds of Clasicos, the bicycle kicks in do-or-die time at the Euros. If Madrid need him on Tuesday, he'll deliver."

Most -- but not all -- of our experts agree that Los Blancos will come through.

Here's more:

Standings
Clinching scenarios and key games
Expert picks, best bets
Shakhtar Donetsk-Bayern Munich preview
Bayer Leverkusen-Inter preview

As always, you can catch all of our coverage across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

📺 What we're watching Tuesday

⚽ We're watching the UEFA Champions League. Here's how.
🏀 Miami vs. No. 1 Tennessee (M), 6:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Incarnate Word at No. 4 Duke (M), 7 p.m. on ACC Network
🏀 Magic at Bucks, 7 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 14 Michigan at Arkansas (M), 9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Fresno State at No. 5 USC (W), 9 p.m. on BTN
🏀 Mavericks at Thunder, 9:30 p.m. on TNT