Drew Lock rescues Seahawks; Georgia gets a QB back, loses another

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🙌 Good morning to everyone but especially …

THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Quarterback uncertainty. Against the reigning NFC champions. Four straight losses, and staring down a fifth.

Drew Lock and the Seahawks delivered a stunner. Declared the starter just moments before the game, Lock led the game-winning drive of a lifetime in driving rain to upset the Eagles, 20-17.

• Lock took his team 92 yards in 10 plays in just 1:24, capping it with a beautiful 29-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. DK Metcalf made a pair of incredible catches along the way.
• It’s Lock’s first win as a starter since Dec. 13, 2020, over three years ago.
• Julian Love then picked off Jalen Hurts to seal the game, his second pick of the quarter. Love recorded his first career multi-interception game and became the first Seahawk with multiple fourth-quarter interceptions since Richard Sherman in 2016.

What a moment for Lock, what a moment for Smith-Njigba, what a moment for Love, and what a moment for Seattle. Barely over a month ago, the Seahawks were 6-3 and tied for the NFC West lead. They entered Monday 6-7, without starting quarterback Geno Smith and fading fast. Then Lock came to the rescue. This is one he and Seattle won’t soon forget.

👍 Honorable mentions

• Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels declared for the NFL Draft.
• The Clippers are quietly up to eight straight wins.
• Chet Holmgren‘s shot-blocking prowess is out in full force.
• Dalvin Smith made two ridiculous one-handed touchdown catches as Western Kentucky stormed back for a 38-35 overtime win over Old Dominion in the Famous Toastery Bowl.
• The 2024 WNBA schedule has arrived, and it includes changes to the Commissioner’s Cup.
• Purdue is back on top of the men’s AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll. South Carolina remained unanimously atop the women’s AP Top 25.
• The Orioles are staying at Camden Yards.
• Maria Sanchez became the highest-paid player in NWSL history.

😖 And not such a good morning for …

THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Winning cures everything. But when the winning stops, the questions return and come out in full force. And the Eagles have a lot of questions to answer after their third straight loss.

The offense — despite similar personnel to last year — is struggling. Hurts is up to 17 turnovers this season, more than double his total from last season. The down-to-down consistency isn’t there, and neither are the big plays: Hurts went a career-worst 0 for 4 with two interceptions on throws 20+ yards downfield Monday. Overall, the Eagles are tied for 14th in plays of 20+ yards this season. They were second last year. Turnovers mounting and big plays disappearing is a bad recipe.

The defense’s struggles are a little more understandable given the roster turnover, but they’re no less concerning. The Eagles changed play callers from Sean Desai to Matt Patricia, an eye-opening (to say the least) move at this juncture in the season. The pass rush isn’t as dominant, and the secondary and linebackers aren’t nearly as good as last year. Over the last three weeks, only the Commanders are allowing more points per game.

Every team goes through slumps. The 49ers — the league’s consensus top team — had their own three-game losing streak earlier this season. Looking at the glass half-full, the Eagles still control their NFC East destiny and, in theory, have three “get-right” games (Giants twice, Cardinals) to close the regular season. Looking at the glass half-empty, this team was never the dominant outfit of last year, and those issues are starting to show in the loss column, too. 

👎 Not so honorable mentions

• Ja’Marr Chase (shoulder) will miss the Bengals‘ upcoming game against the Steelers, and perhaps more time. Speaking of the Steelers …
• Just like Santa, Pittsburgh is turning to Rudolph in adverse late-December conditions: Mason Rudolph will likely start at quarterback this weekend.
• Steelers safety Damontae Kazee was suspended for the rest of the season after another illegal hit. Tom Brady is not a fan of the decision.
• Will Levis (ankle) might be out Week 16.
• Miles Bridges was denied entry into Canada.
• The Senators fired D.J. Smith.
• Breanna Stewart wants to opt out of the WNBA CBA.

🏈 Carson Beck returns, but Georgia loses Dylan Raiola in wild day of QB news

Georgia got some very, very good short-term news … and some not-so-good long-term news. Carson Beck is returning to Athens, while Dylan Raiola won’t even get there: The No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 class flipped his commitment to Nebraska, becoming the Cornhuskers’ highest-ranked recruit ever.

Let’s start with Beck, because he is really good: 22 touchdowns passing and just six interceptions this season helped put him on the draft radar in the first place. His passer efficiency rating is better than Stetson Bennett‘s was in the 2022 championship-winning season. Not only can Beck improve upon his draft stock, but he’ll lead the charge for a program looking for its third title in four years, Will Backus writes.

Raiola, meanwhile, could be a program trajectory-changing addition for Matt Rhule in Lincoln. After three different high schools and three different commitments — first to Ohio State, then Georgia, and finally Nebraska — he could start from Day 1, writes Shehan Jeyarajah.

There was plenty more player movement Monday, including …

• Oregon landed another transfer quarterback, reeling in former five-star recruit Dante Moore. The Ducks added Dillon Gabriel earlier this month. Gabriel will likely be the 2024 starter with Moore as the future under center thereafter.
• Texas flipped five-star defensive back Xavier Filsaime from Florida.
• Marvin Jones Jr. transferred from Georgia to Florida State.

Here are all of the key transfer portal comings and goings.

🔥 NFL hot seat rankings

There are three weeks left in the regular season. We’ve seen three coaches fired, six teams eliminated from playoff contention and countless rumors about the second-winningest coach in league history. Bill Belichick, in very Bill Belichick fashion, has dodged questions about his future with the Patriots, but a departure in some way, shape or form seems likely — and, according to one report, is all but official.

Belichick tops our NFL hot seat rankings, and Ron Rivera sits behind him. Those two seem straightforward. But the third name on Garrett Podell’s rankings intrigues me:

• Podell: “3. Robert Saleh (16-32 with Jets) — The dysfunction on offense is partially caused by Saleh’s mismanagement of the quarterback position. … When Aaron Rodgers went down in Week 1, it was thought Saleh would be given a mulligan for this season. However, after the bungling of how to handle replacing Rodgers in 2023, Saleh’s seat may be warmer than it was initially thought to be.”

I’m starting to come around on Garrett’s thinking. On one hand, it’s not fair to judge Saleh on this year’s disappointment alone. On the other hand, Saleh’s teams before this year weren’t good, and it’s not clear he and GM Joe Douglas can build a winning roster — one that includes a competent backup quarterback and supporting cast.

I think Saleh will be back, but who’s to say the Jets don’t wipe the slate clean and treat next year as a true Year 1 under Rodgers … and a new regime?

⚽ Winners, losers from UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw

The UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw came early Monday morning, and here are the matchups:

• Porto vs. Arsenal
• Napoli vs. Barcelona
• PSG vs. Real Sociedad
• Inter vs. Atletico Madrid
• PSV vs. Borussia Dortmund
• Lazio vs. Bayern Munich
• Copenhagen vs. Manchester City
• RB Leipzig vs. Real Madrid

Jonathan Johnson has winners and losers from the draw, and after scraping into the elimination rounds, PSG got a favorable outcome.

• Johnson: “As far as teams getting their ideal draw opponent on Monday went, the French champions will absolutely be the happiest having landed arguably the most straightforward of seeded teams. … The Basque side are no mugs as they proved in their group, but there is no disguising that Luis Enrique and his Qatari bosses will be very happy with this outcome.”

That’s part of a difficult draw for La Liga overall: Real Madrid and Barcelona joined Real Sociedad in Jonathan’s “losers.”

While the round of 16 is plenty appetizing, it also sets up for tremendous quarterfinals, notes James Benge. We’ll see if the favorites can follow through on James’ premise when the round of 16 begins Feb. 13, 2024. And if you’re not subscribed to Paramount+ yet, now’s the perfect time.

📺 What we’re watching Tuesday

🏀 No. 22 Virginia at No. 23 Memphis (M), 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Grizzlies at Pelicans, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 6 Marquette at Providence (M), 8:30 p.m. on FS1
🏈 Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl: UTSA vs. Marshall, 9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 24 North Carolina at Oklahoma (W), 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Celtics at Warriors, 10 p.m. on TNT