Preview/Prediction

Almost simultaneously on Sunday, while reigning NFL MVP (and 2021 MVP candidate) Aaron Rodgers watched on during the Green Bay Packers' bye week, quarterbacks Tom Brady and Kyler Murray generated a combined eight passing and rushing touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals scored a combined 63 points in victorious performances.

The Bucs and Packers are both 9-3 now, one game back of the league-leading Cardinals (10-2). Murray remains the league's highest-rated passer, and Brady now leads the league in touchdown passes by a considerable margin with 34 (nobody else has more than 30). 

It's been an extreme NFL campaign in terms of parity and unpredictability, and that has rubbed off on the MVP race. Rodgers has a 23-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio for a Super Bowl contender, but he's far from comfortable. Murray has better rate-based stats and is quarterbacking the winningest team in football. Brady is the man behind the NFL's highest-scoring offense. And then there's Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Kansas City Chiefs superstar signal-caller Patrick Mahomes and fringe candidates like Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys. 

A hot run in the coming weeks could put any of those guys over the top, and the same might even apply to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, Baltimore Ravens dual threat Lamar Jackson and Las Vegas Raiders passer Derek Carr. 

The case for Brady

While Murray and Rodgers have both missed some time, the 44-year-old delivered fairly consistently and is the guy orchestrating Tampa's league-leading offense. He was "merely" the league's fifth-highest-rated passer entering Week 13, but he and his cohorts score like nobody else. Sunday's monster performance on the road against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons was a big rebound after three consecutive weeks putting up passer ratings below 90. 

The case for Murray

While representing the league's top team in the standings, Murray now has 24 total touchdowns to just seven interceptions despite missing three games. He wasn't a huge factor with his arm Sunday but entered the day leading the league in yards-per-attempt average and completion rate by huge margins. 

The case for Rodgers

Only Murray has a higher passer rating, but Rodgers' TD-to-INT ratio is much better than Murray's, and the Packers are once again in the mix for the top seed in the NFC. He's also got a 129.4 passer rating in the fourth quarter of one-score games, which ranked behind only Stafford prior to Sunday.

As for everyone else...

Allen: It'll be tough to win this thing with a sub-100 passer rating, and a lack of consistency and recent turnovers are hurting Allen. Still, last year's runner-up has what it takes to make a run for the AFC's highest-scoring offense. A statement Monday night against the division-rival New England Patriots would help. 

Mahomes: The highest-rated passer in NFL history has to be part of the conversation, even if he and the Chiefs haven't been at their best for much of this season. He did have one of the most explosive performances of the season as the Chiefs crushed the division-rival Raiders two weeks ago, and he had another chance to send a message Sunday night against the Denver Broncos. 

Stafford: He and the Rams saved their season with a convincing win Sunday. Struggles prior to that really hurt the 33-year-old's chances, but he ranks second to only Brady in touchdown passes, and only Murray, Rodgers and Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings had higher qualified passer ratings entering Sunday.

Prescott: Dak also hasn't been himself of late, but that Week 11 loss to the Chiefs was still his only truly bad game this year. A 23-to-8 touchdown-to-pick ratio for an 8-4 team has him in the mix. 

Jackson: The Ravens remain in first place in the AFC North, and Jackson keeps killing it with his legs. Despite missing some time, he was the league's ninth-leading rusher entering Week 13. He was also second in the league in completed air yards per attempt.

Herbert: He entered Week 13 with the league's best QBR even before throwing three touchdown passes as the Bolts lit up a solid Cincinnati Bengals team on the road. The consistency hasn't been there, but the sophomore could be in the mix if both he and the team get hot down the stretch. 

Carr: It was tough sledding against Washington in Week 13, but Carr had completed an NFL-best 43 deep passes entering Week 13.

The key is that all of those quarterbacks represent teams that are absolutely in the postseason discussion for now, which isn't surprising because nobody's been able to pull away from the packs in either conference. 

Nobody has dominated the NFL in 2021, either collectively or individually. That certainly becomes obvious when you look at the MVP candidate pool. But if trajectory counts for something, Brady and Murray are in good shape at the moment.

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow him on Twitter: @Brad_Gagnon.

Welcome back to TGIFighting, where we talk to top fighters, preview the weekend's combat sports action and make crotchety observations about the news of the day. Ready? Let's proceed.

UFC on ESPN 31 goes down Saturday from Las Vegas. As its name suggests, the card comes at no cost to everyone with access to basic cable or an ESPN+ subscription.

Free cards usually lack a bit of luster compared with their more glamorous pay-per-view cousins, and generally speaking, Saturday's event follows that trend.

However, the main event is more than worth a little time investment, pitting No. 5 bantamweight and former featherweight king Jose Aldo against an upstart No. 4 in Rob Font. The bout has immediate championship implications for one of the UFC's hottest—if temporarily injury-dampened—title pictures. As of Wednesday, Font is a slim -145 favorite, per DraftKings.

Bantamweight is one of the most star-studded weight classes on the UFC landscape, but injuries and bad fortune will help the winner of Saturday's matchup leapfrog to the front of the line.

Here's the title picture as it stands. There is still no targeted return date for injured champ Aljamain Sterling, who continues to recover from neck surgery. Meanwhile, Petr Yan, who Sterling defeated by disqualification in March following an illegal knee strike, won the interim strap in October with an impressive defeat of Cory Sandhagen, who despite that loss sits at No. 3 in the weight class.

Future Hall of Famer TJ Dillashaw sits at No. 2, although for all his legendary status he can't seem to stay in the ring. In his first fight back after a two-year suspension for violating the UFC's anti-doping policy, Dillashaw defeated Sandhagen in an exciting split-decision win, only to suffer a knee injury that will put him out of action at least until early 2022.

Saturday's winner can fill that vacuum. Heck, they may well get the next shot at Yan, if Yan doesn't feel like waiting for Sterling. A splashy bout with Dillashaw upon his return also is tantalizing, with the winner surely getting the next shot at the strap.

While Aldo has lived in the top five for most if not all of his UFC career, Font is a relative newcomer to this rarefied air.

Meanwhile, the 35-year-old Aldo is writing a redemption story. After being left for dead following three straight losses and a seemingly ill-conceived move down to 135 pounds, he claimed back-to-back victories to get right back in the mix. 

No matter how it goes, this one should play out on the feet. Aldo has great jiu-jitsu but uses it mainly as a deterrent. Font has grappling but converts only 40 percent of his takedown attempts, according to UFC stats. Simply put, both men are comfortable on the mat and can absolutely submit you, but neither is looking to bring this fight to the ground. 

As a striker, Aldo is known for his efficiency as a counterfighter. Font also does not land in bunches. He connects on only 3.63 significant strikes per minute compared with 5.58—nearly two strikes per minute more—for Font, which is good for fifth in the division. For comparison's sake, the division leader in this category, Sean O'Malley, lands 8.37 strikes per minute.

When Font hits, it counts. Ask Marlon Moraes about the knockout Font served up last December, or the career-altering victory Font earned after a dominant decision win in May over former champ Cody Garbrandt, a win that ran Font's current streak to four and gave him easily his highest-profile triumph.

Aldo's famous shots are the leg kicks, and he certainly throws those with ill intent. But his defense and precision striking are his true calling cards. In his last fight, a win over Pedro Munhoz (see video above), Aldo held his opponent to just 41 percent of significant strikes landed.

As they say, this main event has all the makings. With Sterling and Dillashaw still on the shelf and Sandhagen coming off a loss, Saturday's winner could sneak through the cracks and shoot straight to the top of the division. 

Happy Trails (For a While), Kevin Lee

It wasn't terribly long ago that Kevin Lee was in the title picture at 155 pounds. In 2017 he lost an interim lightweight title bout by submission to Tony Ferguson, a contest that was competitive at first but saw Lee fade as the fight wore on. Then in 2018, a doctor's stoppage TKO of respected veteran Edson Barboza ran Lee's UFC record to 10-3.

After that, however, the wheels came off for the wrestle-boxer from Detroit.

Following the Barboza win, Lee lost four of five over a three-year span that saw him experiment unsuccessfully with welterweight and display a notable tendency to get submitted. After his most recent bout in August, a loss to Daniel Rodriguez, Lee failed a drug test and was suspended for six months.

On Tuesday the ax fell and the UFC released him. It's a sad chapter in a solid UFC tenure, but don't shed too many tears just yet. He's eligible to return to competition in February and is still only 29 years old. Bellator or the Professional Fighters League will likely snap him up. I'd look for that announcement sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, Lee may have tipped his hand. He recently told MMA broadcasting personality Ariel Helwani (h/t Sportskeeda) that he'd "be a millionaire within a year," perhaps a reference to the PFL's $1 million tournaments.

The Squeamish Bettor

Record to date: 24-8

This week, we look to the light heavyweights. When last we saw Jamahal Hill in June, he was suffering through a gruesome-looking arm injury. Six months later, here he is a +140 underdog against Jim Crute.

Hill showed toughness in his last loss, and he'll be looking to erase that memory. What's more, he has the boxing to put Crute away. He'll keep it on the outside, manage range and prevent Crute from getting easy takedowns. Sound the upset alarms and lock this one in. 

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It always felt like it was going to be contend-or-bust for the Russell Wilson era in Seattle this season. 

Wilson's Seahawks are 3-8 and in the stacked NFC West's cellar. His highly anticipated return from injured reserve due to a finger injury has produced an 0-3 skid against playoff-contending NFC squads Green Bay, Arizona and Washington. 

Over the course of those three games, Wilson has averaged 205 passing yards with just two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Which isn't to suggest Seattle's free fall is all on the quarterback—roster-building issues around the future Hall of Famer have been persistent for years and seem to finally be catching up with the organization while he returns from the first missed games of his career. 

The overarching context for the Seahawks is unfortunate. This past offseason, Wilson told the Seahawks he wanted to stay in Seattle, but his agent did list four teams that he'd accept trades to. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, they were the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears.

Fast forward to now, the Seahawks even flirting with .500 and putting something on film they could build around might fend off trade speculation. But the relationship feels like it has run its course. Seattle can use (though very unlikely) an out built into Wilson's contract this offseason, but they'll undoubtedly look to trade him in order to get something immediate and valuable in return for his departure, provided he'll waive his no-trade clause. 

Wilson's preferred list of destinations, however, needs updating. Dallas isn't moving away from Dak Prescott and Chicago has first-rounder Justin Fields to develop. Wilson's play this year at the age of 33, isn't helping his cause with some would-be destinations and could lessen the potential return the Seahawks would get via trade compared to say, what the Detroit Lions got when shipping Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. 

Luckily for Wilson, there are some offseason destinations that make sense. They boast strong pieces around the quarterback and are in a position to make a run if Wilson arrives and plays at a high level. 

Here's a look at a handful of those potential landing spots and what it might take to get a deal done.

Washington Football Team

A year removed from backing into the playoffs with a losing record in a weak NFC East, the Washington Football Team continues to hang around the playoff picture with a 5-6 record courtesy of three straight wins. 

That streak also has Washington playing itself out of position for a top pick and a potential top-flight passer in the 2022 draft. After 39-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick made it into just one game this year, former undrafted free agent Taylor Heinicke has made 11 appearances, throwing 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, throwing multiple scores in a game just four times. 

It's fun to imagine a healthy Wilson in Washington teaming up with legit No. 1 wideout Terry McLaurin, versatile weapon Curtis Samuel and reliable chain-mover Adam Humphries in an offense directed by Scott Turner, who lulls defenses with power runs before deep shots. 

Wilson would be a dramatic upgrade, and much faster than any rookie in an NFC East where even Dallas only has seven wins after losing two in a row. Washington sending a pair of first-round picks (2022 and 2023), a mid-round pick (likely a third-rounder) and Heinicke as a piece to compete in Seattle, would likely get it done. 

Carolina Panthers 

The Carolina Panthers have been one of the most surprisingly aggressive teams in trying to fix the quarterback position. 

Carolina rolled with Teddy Bridgewater in 2020, didn't like the results and traded for 2018 first-round pick Sam Darnold in the hopes a change of scenery would give the team a long-term solution. 

But over nine appearances, Darnold has completed just 59.5 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 4-5 record before going on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Carolina then brought back free agent Cam Newton, who most recently got benched in the fourth quarter of a Week 12 loss to Miami after throwing for 92 yards and two interceptions. 

Interestingly, the five-win mark still matches the best non-Tampa Bay record in the NFC South (eight wins), so the Panthers aren't a hard sell as a possible contender in 2022 with dramatic improvement under center. He'd get to work with talented wideouts D.J. Moore and Terrace Marshall Jr., plus elite running back Christian McCaffrey (when healthy) in an offense directed by Joe Brady of 2019 LSU fame. 

Ahead of the trade deadline, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Carolina asked to speak to Deshaun Watson, so Wilson being available would surely pique its interest. If the front office is serious, it would be easy to see them offering two first-round picks, a third-rounder and Darnold. 

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos have not had a good time of finding a secure quarterback since Peyton Manning in 2015. They have run through the likes of Trevor Siemian, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Paxton Lynch and now the tandem of Bridgewater and 2019 second-rounder Drew Lock. 

Lock has completed 59 percent of his career passes, and over 11 appearances this year, Bridgewater has thrown 15 touchdowns and five interceptions but is 6-5 and has more performances with fewer than 200 passing yards (three, two due to missing time with an injury) than 300-yard games (two). 

With Bridgewater 29 years old and so-so over two different stops in as many years, it wouldn't be too stunning to see the Denver front office go with a bigger, safer splash in the form of Wison. 

The sell for Wilson isn't difficult either—Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, Tim Patrick, Courtland Sutton and a stacked backfield make for one of the best offensive casts in the NFL. And to its credit, the Denver defense only lets up 17.8 points per game, the third-best mark in the league. 

Denver would be a tough sell given the uber-competitive AFC West, where all four teams boast at least six wins. But Wilson would have to weigh that against the cast of weapons, especially if Denver woos Seattle with two first-round picks, a third-round pick and their choice of Bridgewater or Lock, depending on whether Seattle wants to attempt to win now or rebuild.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints seemed to easily find a Drew Brees successor with Jameis Winston, sprinting out to a 5-2 start. 

But Winston went down with a season-ending knee injury, and the Saints have dropped four in a row to hit 5-6 as Siemian has completed 57.2 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and three interceptions while averaging just 6.3 yards per attempt, which ranks outside the top 30. 

A team all-in around Brees' final season already, the Saints are an easy sell. They were rolling with Winston under center despite missing elite wideout Michael Thomas. Impressively, the Saints were already somewhat transitioning to a different identity that leaned on a stellar defense, which lets up 22.6 points per game. 

There is the matter of the Saints recently giving Taysom Hill a lucrative hybrid extension worth between $40 million and $95 million, according to Schefter, that changes based on what position he plays. But that's tradeable, and if Hill doesn't perform well to close the season (he's 31 years old and has 142 attempts to his name), the Saints will look for ways out of it. 

That in mind, a package boasting Hill, two first-rounders and a mid-round pick should provide a deal that lets Seattle straddle the line between hopeful contender and rebuilder while the Saints go all-in once more. 

Bruno Cappelozza was two nights away from the most important fight of his life when he awoke to the sound of his training partner, Ronny Markes, crying quietly in the bathroom of their Fort Lauderdale hotel suite.

He wouldn't learn the cause of Markes' tears until the fight had come to pass.  

Cappelozza was in Fort Lauderdale for the Professional Fighters League's annual championship event, which emanated this year from the guitar-shaped Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in nearby Hollywood, Florida. The Brazilian was matched up with Croatia's Ante Delija on the card, with the league's heavyweight championship and a million-dollar prize hanging in the balance. 

It was a wild and gruelling fight, but Cappelozza ultimately won a unanimous decision, earning the PFL heavyweight belt—his first major title in MMA—and a life-changing million dollars in the process.

"It was such an amazing feeling," Cappelozza told Bleacher Report through PFL translator Eduardo Lima, looking back on his win over Delija. "It was such a great moment for me, for my family, for my team. It was one of the happiest moments of my life." 

After posing for a photo with his team, with his new belt slung over his shoulder, Cappelozza headed backstage, ready to celebrate his success with the people that helped him achieve it. Instead, his world came crashing down as his team informed him that his father had died earlier in the week.

In an instant, all his elation faded away.

"I forgot about the belt, I forgot about the money, I forgot about what just happened," the PFL heavyweight champion said, looking back on the moment his team informed him of his father's passing. "I was just focused on what they were telling me." 

Cappelozza's team had learned the news themselves earlier in the week but refrained from telling him, fearing that it would tear his focus away from his imminent title fight—and perhaps even drive him out of the matchup.

Fans were quick to criticize the fighter's handlers for that decision but, as it turns out, it wasn't only their decision.

"I'm so thankful for my team, and especially to Ronny Markes, for keeping this information from me and for doing it the way it was done, because, at the end of the day, it was not only his decision but also my dad's," Cappelozza explained. "When my dad got admitted to the hospital, the first thing he said was 'do not tell Bruno. Don't let Bruno know. I do not want him losing focus on his fight and how big of an opportunity this is.'

"This was one of his last wishes."

It was the kind of selflessness Cappelozza expected from his father—particularly when it came to his MMA career.

"He's the main figure in my entire athletic career," he said. "At times when I was struggling financially, thinking about stopping fighting, he would take money out of his savings and be a sponsor for me and say 'don't worry about it, son, I've got you. Follow your dream.'

"When I was still living and training in Jau, my hometown, he would attend every single one of my training sessions, to the point of counting how many strikes I'd thrown in that particular training session," he added. "He was my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, and at times even a sponsor.

"It's just unfortunate that my biggest fan wasn't there—physically—for me to put the belt on his shoulder."

Time heals all wounds, but Cappelozza's have barely started scabbing. In the month since his victory over Delija, a stretch he might have spent settling into the luxe life of a millionaire MMA champion, he's been mourning.

He's finding the finality of his father's absence particularly difficult to fathom because it had already been seven months since they'd seen each other.  

"It still hasn't hit me, and that's because I'd spent the last seven months away from home, so I hadn't seen him for seven months," he said. "It's been a tough month. I've been struggling to sleep, struggling to keep my head up, struggling to absorb this whole thing."

Cappelozza hasn't done much training since his win over Delija, partly because he's distracted, and partly because the fight took an immense physical toll on both men.

He's been doing what he can, though, knowing it's what his father would have wanted.

"Slow and steady," he said. "I'm getting back into it. I took about three weeks off completely. I haven't gotten back into MMA training, per se. I've been working on strength and conditioning.

"Light work for now," he added. "It was a hard-fought battle, 25 minutes of war, so I'm still kind of healing. I still can't really close my hands. I have a couple of injuries I need to take care of, minor stuff, but I'm giving my body some time."

Just don't take Cappelozza's gradual return to training for flagging motivation. 

While the heavyweight says his father's death has taken an immense toll, he's already dreaming about returning to the PFL cage in early 2022 and beginning his pursuit of another championship and million-dollar payday.

It's the surest way to honor his father's memory.  

"This year has been a mix of a dream and a movie," he said. "I've matured a lot as a fighter. It's been a year of incredible growth for me, and I look forward to 2022.

"I'm going to do exactly what I did this year: keep on fighting, keep winning, and bring another belt home for Brazil, and especially for my dad."