Fernando Heismendoza; Mahomes, Parsons, Adams injuries; Lawrence puts on TD clinic; NBA Cup Finals set

TRENDING FAN CONVERSATIONS FROM THE WEEKEND IN SPORTS

DECEMBER 12 - 14, 2025

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Fernando Mendoza wins the Heisman Trophy: Hoosier QB led Indiana’s first undefeated season and takes a #1 national ranking into the CFB Playoffs. Mendoza goes on to give an all-time Tom Brady-esc speech, as if to be signaling to the Raiders minority owner who to draft in April.

Many fans debated if Vandy QB Diego Pavia should have won the trophy, and that’s fair. Pavia, despite three less total touchdowns, finished with 800 more total yards in one less game and is a far more electric player. The one thing for certain is that the two quarterbacks couldn’t be more on the opposite ends of the personality spectrum. It’s like Phillip Rivers vs Johnny Manziel.

NFL

The Chiefs dynasty is dead: Kansas City will officially not make the playoffs after another loss, this time at the hands of the Chargers. The fall of the dynasty is capped off with Patrick Mahomes going down with a torn ACL in the 16-13 loss.

Three Super Bowl championships since Mahomes took over in 2018 is quite the run. However, this might only be the finale of act one for the quarterback, as Tom Brady similarly went down with an ACL tear in 2008 after winning his first three Super Bowls. Kansas City fans might be alright, though. The last time the Chiefs missed the playoffs, the Royals won the World Series.

Trevor Lawrence has career-best game: The Jaguars stay on top of the AFC South and move to 10-4 after defeating the Jets 48-20. Lawrence finished with six total TDs, becoming the first QB ever with 300+ pass yards, 5+ TDs, 50+ rush yards and 1+ rush TD in a single game. His 330 yards mark the first time he’s eclipsed 300 passing yards this season.

The Jaguars are the hottest team in football with the hottest QB in football (statistically speaking, of course). Lawrence has turned a 14 TD and 11 INT line three weeks ago into a 23:11 line after the win over New York. Even crazier is that Liam Coen has coached a total of 14 games for the Jags and is now only four wins away from entering the top five most winningest coaches in team history.

The Packers lose the game and Parsons: Green Bay’s star edge rusher suffered a torn ACL in the 34-26 loss to the Broncos, signaling a potentially ugly future for a Packers defense with secondary & complimentary pass rush flaws being covered up by Parsons’ dominance. Broncos extend win streak to 11 games as Bo Nix notches the best game of his season with 4 TD, 0 INT, and 302 pass yards.

Not a soul who watched Jordan Love rip for 200+ yards in the first half against an elite Broncos defense could be prepared for the conversation by the end of the game that the Packers season might be cooked. On top of losing Parsons, the oft-injured Christian Watson and star right tackle Zach Tom both left with their own injuries. Cheeseheads everywhere are now grappling with the fact that the Pack might be too far injured to make a championship run in a uniquely wide open NFC.

Baltimore bounces back, Butta gets booted: The Ravens stay in the hunt to win the AFC North with pivotal 24-0 win over the Bengals. Baltimore picks off Burrow two times and gashes them for 189 on the ground. Sidelinr Sports’ content contributor and Ravens die-hard, Butta, was invited to the game by Bengals legend Chad Ochocinco and got booted from Ja’Marr Chase’s family suite for having too much to celebrate over.

It was an epic scene for Butta making his first Ravens game and getting to meet his favorite player in the process. Absolutely stoked for him, he deserves the moment more than anyone as the hands down #1 Ravens fan! Speaking of Ravens, they’re a tricky team. Realistically, no one thinks they will win anything this year. However, Lamar remains undefeated in his career after week 15 (16-0), the AFC is missing a Chiefs on top, the Bills have plenty of flaws, and it’ll be Drake Maye’s first playoffs. The field is open enough for the Ravens to get hot and make a run if the offense is finding rhythm again with Lamar.

Puka goes nuclear in Rams win over Detroit: Nacua strings together a second straight game with 160+ receiving yards, going for 181 on nine catches in the 41-34 victory. Goff tossed a clean game for the Lions with 3 TDs and 0 INTs but it was a tale of two polar opposite rushing attacks. Lions fans reiterate league wide frustrations over officiating while Rams lose Adams to a hamstring injury.

The Lions had five (5) yards of offense in the 3rd quarter and have now switched off wins and losses on a weekly basis dating back to week 5. For as much talent as this team has, the defense is not carrying their weight and slowing down their rushing attack has been the recipe to defeating them. Rams appear to have decided they’re just going to be awesome with or without Adams’ league leading receiving touchdowns.

Bills win thriller over Patriots: The Bills overcame a 21-0 deficit in the second quarter to win 35-31 thanks to 14 4th quarter points. Josh Allen and James Cook both contribute three scores and Cook sprints to his eight game with 100+ rushing yards as Bills rushing attack remains a two-headed monster. The Patriots 246 rush yards and four rushing scores weren’t enough to overcome a lackluster day from Drake Maye.

Everyone expected a MVP shootout game between Allen and Maye, and while Allen delivered, fans were left wondering what happened to Drake MayeVP. A side journey to that main event was James Cook continuing to have the best rushing season in Bills history, as he has three games to rack up 72 yards and own the team’s single season rushing record. Josh Allen’s MVP regime is all the way back as well but the Bills have to do something about their rush defense that has allowed 185+ yards rushing six times this season.

The Saints may have found a quarterback: Tyler Shough leads New Orleans to back to back wins, both over divisional opponents, and sparks hype among the fanbase that despite a lost season, they may have their guy under center. Saints win 20-17 over the Panthers on a walk off field goal and have won three of their last 5 after a 1-8 start.

Shough has more wins than Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, and Shedeur Sanders but certainly doesn’t get the same attention as the three. He now has two games with over 270 passing yards and a completion percentage over 70%, pumping life into what had become a lifeless Saints offense. The only problem is his added competence at the position is winning the Saints out of a draft position in a season with nothing to gain.

NBA

The NBA Cup semifinals delivered: The New York Knicks punched their ticket to the Cup final with a 132-120 win over the Orlando Magic. Jalen Brunson was too smooth with his season-high 40 points and NY shot over 60% to stay hot. The San Antonio Spurs upset the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109, snapping OKC’s 16-game win streak. Victor Wembanyama returned after 12 games on the shelf and helped wipe out a 16-point deficit, scoring 22 in limited minutes.

Let it be known that Brunson is making his presence felt on the MVP ladder. The Knicks are rising fast and despite all the Giannis rumors, this team doesn’t look like they need to take any drastic measures. Wemby came back like he never left and finally a team found a way to beat the Thunder. Despite skeptics calling the NBA Cup gimmicky, the Spurs-Thunder game might have been the game of the year so far in a slate of good matchups throughout the tournament. Knicks fans are all the way up with being in the Cup Finals!