Rams get past 49ers in field goal fest; preview for 125th Army-Navy game; NFL's crucial Week 15 slate

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This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

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

THE LOS ANGELES RAMS

There are no pictures in the standings, standings the Rams continue to climb. The Rams squeezed past the 49ers 12-6 in a rainy, messy kicking/punting fest, the only NFL game this season without a touchdown.

Los Angeles' best drive was its last one: After Brock Purdy threw a brutal interception to Darious Williams, Los Angeles ran all but 18 seconds of the remaining 5:14 off the clock with a 13-play, 69-yard drive that resulted in a field goal. I absolutely loved the way Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford approached this drive, throwing the ball four times rather than getting super conservative.
One week after a 44-42 victory victory over the Bills, the Rams leaned on their defense. Purdy completed just 14 of 31 passes for 142 yards, and San Francisco managed just 63 yards rushing.
Though the scoreboard wasn't impressive, the Rams scored field goals on all three of their final drives, rallying from a 6-3 deficit.
Joshua Karty made all four of his field goal attempts.

This is the Rams' first win without a touchdown since 2016, and all of a sudden, they are 8-6 (and just out of both the NFC West lead and a wild card spot) after a 1-4 start. What a job by McVay's team. This offense, even though it didn't show it in this game, is plenty scary, and a young defense is improving.

👍 Honorable mentions

Bill Belichick had his North Carolina introductory press conference, complete with an homage to his sleeveless look. Deion Sanders says Belichick's hiring is a "great thing for college football," and I loved Dennis Dodd's column on how Belichick will fare.
Juan Soto also had his introductory press conference. Matt Snyder examined comparisons to all-time greats.
We also have Winter Meetings winners and losers. The Mets, unsurprisingly, are in the former.
Bronny James exploded for 30 points in his first G League road game.
It sounds like Tom Brady will have a big role in the Raiders' future.
There's a new No. 1 in Colin Ward-Henninger's NBA Power Rankings.
Trading Jimmy Butler could be good for the Heat, too, writes Sam Quinn. Here are the latest on the rumors.
Chris Paul wants to play another season or two.
Tetairoa McMillan declared for the NFL Draft.
The NFL is exploring replacing the onside kick.
The Broncos gave Garett Bolles a four-year, $68 million extension.
UNLV hired Dan Mullen, and the Rebels are upping their NIL game, too.
Florida State landed Boston College transfer quarterback Thomas Castellanos.

🏈 And not such a good morning for ...

THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

There are no pictures in the standings, but if there were, they'd all be ugly for 6-8 San Francisco. The 49ers' loss to the Rams is about as bad as it gets, from the anemic rushing attack to Purdy's unsightly, untimely interception to the game-ending sack Purdy took. San Francisco's playoff chances all but evaporated in the rain, and linebacker De'Vondre Campbell even walked off the field mid-game, with Kyle Shanahan saying Campbell said he didn't want to play. Yikes.

We can talk injuries -- there are tons -- and many other issues, but this wasn't good enough. The 191 yards were the second-fewest of the Shanahan era. The deep shots Purdy hit last year were nowhere to be found. When there was someone open, nothing came of it: A brutal Deebo Samuel drop days after he complained about his role and a poor throw targeting an open Ricky Pearsall come to mind. With Samuel struggling and Jauan Jennings more suited for a possession role, the offense isn't dynamic nor explosive enough.

The defense did its job -- this is the franchise's first loss without allowing a touchdown since 2007 -- but the offense dropped the ball, literally. It's not a one-off, either; San Francisco has scored 10 points or fewer in three of its last four. There are big questions coming.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

LeBron James (personal) is unlikely to play tonight.
Aaron Rodgers wonders if the Jets are cursed.
The 76ers' new stadium plans took a big step forward, but not everyone is a fan.
Aaron Judge's infamous dropped fly ball from the World Series is being auctioned off.
Kylian Mbappe (thigh) is out at least 10 days.

🏈 NFL Week 15 picks: Bills-Lions, Steelers-Eagles are headliners

I feel like I say it's a loaded NFL weekend every Friday, but this time I really, really mean it. Bills-Lions and Steelers-Eagles headline an outstanding schedule. It's the first time since 1985 that Week 15 features multiple games with two double-digit-win teams.

So let's dig in. Garrett Podell has an excellent deep-dive preview of Josh Allen vs. the Lions' aggressive defense, and with Buffalo just days removed from a "Game of the Year" candidate, we could be in for another great one. "The NFL Today" host James Brown also gave his thoughts on the game, with the show broadcasting on-site Sunday in Detroit.

Steelers-Eagles is not only another inter-conference showdown, but a battle for Pennsylvania. I'm really intrigued by this one, because if there's one thing Pittsburgh can do, it's rush the passer, and if there's one thing Jalen Hurts struggles with, it's pressure. There's been a lot of angst about Philadelphia's passing game this week, but does that scare off our experts? Pete Prisco says ...

Breech: "The battle of Pennsylvania is between two physical teams that get after it on both sides of the ball. The Steelers don't run it as well as Saquon Barkley and the Eagles, which will be the difference in this one. Look for Barkley to lead the Eagles as the Philadelphia defense limits Russell Wilson. Pick: Eagles 24, Steelers 17"

Here are all of our expert picks/best bets:

Pete Prisco | Will Brinson | John Breech | Jordan Dajani | Tyler Sullivan

The CBS Sports HQ AM newsletter is 26-11 this season after going 2-1 last week. (Why did I trust Will Levis?!) This weekend, we're going ...

Texans over Dolphins
Broncos over Colts
Jets over Jaguars

🏈 125th Army-Navy Game, Heisman Trophy previews, CBS Sports All-America team

It's a quiet weekend in terms of College Football Playoff implications, but there's plenty of noise being made elsewhere.

That, of course, starts with the iconic Army-Navy game Saturday on CBS and Paramount+. The Black Knights and the Midshipmen have delivered plenty of great memories battling for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, and Saturday's meeting -- the 125th edition -- will certainly bring more. Richard Johnson's profile on 104-year-old Navy veteran Jack Gillooly, the oldest living former Midshipmen football player, is a must-read. And, yes, he still hits the gym regularly.

And, moving from Stars and Stripes to the sport's overall stars, the Heisman Trophy presentation is Saturday night, with Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, Cam Ward and Dillon Gabriel finalists for the sport's most prestigious individual award. Dennis Dodd says it's an easy pick on his hypothetical ballot.

Dodd: "Hunter is a true ironman chasing history in what figures to be a landslide Heisman win on Saturday. Michigan's Charles Woodson and Georgia's Champ Bailey are the best recent comparisons, but quite frankly, they don't match up to the attributes Hunter brings to the table. Woodson won the 1997 Heisman as a shutdown defender while returning kicks and dabbling on offense. Georgia's Bailey caught 59 passes in his career. Hunter caught 92 passes this season."

Hunter was all over the CBS Sports All-America team: first-team cornerback, first-team all-purpose and second-team wide receiver. All in a day's work for a one-of-one talent. Overall, the Big Ten led the way with 15 selections, and its six first-teamers tied the SEC for most of any conference. You can see the first team, second team and honorable mentions here.

Hunter is here, there, everywhere -- he also won Player of the Year in our individual awards and cleaned up at last night's awards show -- but one place he won't be is the College Football Playoff. With a week to go, we're tiding you over with Shehan Jeyarajah's 25 most impactful players in the CFP. I won't give away No. 1, but I have absolutely loved watching No. 3 all season.

Jeyarajah: "Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State -- When offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki got to campus, he took one look at Warren and decided nothing would ever be the same. Warren is one of the breakout players in college football this season, catching 88 passes for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns, adding four touchdowns on the ground and even snapping a ball that he caught for a score. Penn State lines him up all over the field. He is the biggest matchup nightmare on the field."

We also ranked all 12 CFP coaches.

🏀 It's another Top-10 upset as No. 8 Notre Dame beats No. 2 UConn

Don't call her "feisty" or "a spark plug." While she is both of those, she is first and foremost a superstar. Hannah Hidalgo scored 29 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out eight assists in No. 8 Notre Dame's 79-68 win over No. 2 UConn in South Bend, Indiana.

Over the last 20 years, there have only been four 25/10/5 games against UConn. Hidalgo is responsible for two of them: this game and last year's meeting, also a Fighting Irish (8-2) win. She got plenty of love from some of the sport's biggest names.
Hidalgo got plenty of help from Liatu King (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Olivia Miles. The Fighting Irish went 10 for 18 (56%) from 3-point range and held the Huskies to just 3 for 16 (19%).
Paige Bueckers had 25 points for UConn (8-1), which suffered its first loss of the season.

This game was loaded with 2025 WNBA Draft talent, and Jack Maloney assessed how each prospect performed.

📺 What we're watching this weekend

Friday

🏀 Clippers at Nuggets, 9 p.m. on NBA TV

Saturday

🏀 Memphis at No. 16 Clemson (M), 11 a.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 17 Texas A&M at No. 11 Purdue (M), noon on CBS
🏈 Celebration Bowl: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State, noon on ABC
🏈 Navy vs. No. 22 Army, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Arizona State vs. No. 9 Florida (M), 3:30 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 NBA Cup semifinal: Hawks vs. Bucks, 4:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Louisville at No. 5 Kentucky (M), 5:15 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 1 Tennessee at Illinois (M), 5:30 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 6 Marquette at Dayton (M), 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏈 Heisman Trophy Presentation, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 18 UConn (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 NBA Cup semifinal: Rockets vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Creighton at No. 7 Alabama (M), 8:30 p.m. on SEC Network
🏈 Salute to Veterans Bowl: South Alabama vs. Western Michigan, 9 p.m. on ESPN

Sunday

🏀 No. 21 Iowa at No. 17 Michigan State (W), noon on BTN
🏈 Dolphins at Texans, 1 p.m. on CBS
🏀 No. 22 NC State at Louisville (W), 1 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 25 Georgia Tech at No. 14 North Carolina (W), 2 p.m. on ACC Network
🏈 Bills at Lions, 4:25 p.m. on CBS
🏈 Colts at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. on CBS
🏈 Steelers at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Buccaneers at Chargers, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Packers at Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. on NBC