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If it has seemed like Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury were on different pages for most of this season, there's a reason for that.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Josh Weinfuss, the Arizona Cardinals head coach and franchise quarterback have grown "increasingly distant" over the course of a lost year for the team.

Among the issues that have divided the two men are Murray's desire for "wanting more freedom at the line of scrimmage, particularly with running plays," but plays designed to get the ball into the hands of Arizona's playmakers didn't come to fruition "either due to miscommunication, a play breaking down or Murray improvising, and the disjointed attack created unpredictability for some of the team's pass-catchers."

Fowler and Weinfuss also noted the clashing personalities between Kingsbury and Murray trickled down to the rest of the locker room as they stumbled to the finish line last season and has continued into 2022.

The report also noted Kingsbury and Murray have both struggled with direct communication that would have helped calm the tension that had "become obvious" to people in the Cardinals locker room.

"Before Murray's injury, Kingsbury was described as 'extremely frustrated' with the quarterback per a team source, believing that his negativity, if not toxic, was 'starting to get to people' around the building," Fowler and Weinfuss wrote.

Cardinals passing game coordinator Cam Turner has been "forced to serve as a buffer" between Murray and Kingsbury this season.

It had become obvious to anyone watching Cardinals games this season that Kingsbury and Murray weren't on the same page. They were involved in a shouting match on the sidelines during an Oct. 20 win over the New Orleans Saints.

This Kyler Murray-Kliff Kingsbury exchange 👀 pic.twitter.com/ofIQbSK1xd

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 21, 2022

"He's real animated over there on the sideline sometimes," Murray told reporters the day after the sideline incident. "It's … 'Calm down, we're good. We're going to make it right.' We ended up scoring, so that was good, but that's all I was saying. Just chill out."

Kingsbury said at the time the team was "working through as an offense where we want to be and what we want to do, and you have competitors that have a level of intensity like that, I think it will keep pushing us forward."

The Cardinals have completely collapsed over the past 12 months. They are 5-15 in their last 20 games, including the playoffs, after winning 10 of their first 12 games during the 2021 season.

Despite the team's rough finish last season, Arizona signed Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim to extensions in March that run through the 2027 campaign. The Cardinals announced on Dec. 14 that Keim was taking an indefinite hiatus due to health-related reasons.

The Cardinals should have also had a celebratory moment when Murray signed a five-year extension in July, but even that was marred because of a clause that required him to do four hours of independent film study each week during the season.

Amid blowback from the clause, the Cardinals removed it from the contract.

Murray's season came to an end on Dec. 12 when he tore the ACL early in the first quarter of the Cardinals' 27-13 loss to the New England Patriots. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the 25-year-old is on track to be ready for the start of the 2023 regular season.

The Cardinals (4-10) are tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the second-worst record in the NFC with three games left to play. They have just one winning season since 2016.

The playoffs are quickly approaching as the NFL turns the page to Week 16 of the 2022 season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked things off with a 19-3 win over the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. With the win, the Jags kept their playoff hopes alive by improving to 7-8.

There's a lot on the line for multiple teams in Week 16, so let's take a look at the current playoff picture along with this week's clinching scenarios:

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AFC Playoff Picture

1. Buffalo Bills: 11-3 (clinched playoff berth)
2. Kansas City Chiefs: 11-3 (clinched AFC West)
3. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-4 (clinched playoff berth)
4. Tennessee Titans: 7-7
5. Baltimore Ravens: 9-5
6. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-6
7. Miami Dolphins: 8-6
8. New England Patriots: 7-7
9. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
10. New York Jets: 7-8
11. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
12. Cleveland Browns: 6-8
13. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-8
14. Indianapolis Colts: 4-9-1 (eliminated)
15. Denver Broncos: 4-10 (eliminated)
16. Houston Texans: 1-12-1 (eliminated)

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NFC Playoff Picture

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-1 (clinched playoff berth)
2. Minnesota Vikings: 11-3 (clinched NFC North)
3. San Francisco 49ers: 10-4 (clinched NFC West)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-8
5. Dallas Cowboys: 10-4 (clinched playoff berth)
6. New York Giants: 8-5-1
7. Washington Commanders: 7-6-1
8. Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
9. Detroit Lions: 7-7
10. Green Bay Packers: 6-8
11. Carolina Panthers: 5-9
12. New Orleans Saints: 5-9
13. Atlanta Falcons: 5-9
14. Arizona Cardinals: 4-10 (eliminated)
15. Los Angeles Rams: 4-10 (eliminated)
16. Chicago Bears: 3-11 (eliminated)

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Week 16 Clinching Scenarios

Opportunity abounds in the AFC this weekend.

The conference-leading Buffalo Bills can clinch the AFC East for the third straight year with a win in Week 16. They will face the team with the worst record in the NFC, the Chicago Bears, in a game that will feature some incredibly harsh weather conditions at Soldier Field on Christmas Eve.

If the Bills somehow slip up against the Bears, they could still clinch the division crown with a loss by the Miami Dolphins, who host the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day. Miami will face a motivated Aaron Rodgers as he tries to keep Green Bay's unlikely playoff hopes alive, which should make for an entertaining game.

The defending AFC champions didn't even need to take the field to punch their ticket back to the postseason, as the Cincinnati Bengals clinched a playoff berth after Thursday night's loss by the New York Jets. Cincinnati overtook the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North lead with last week's win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Speaking of the Ravens, they can also clinch a playoff berth, but they'd need a ton of help. In fact, there are several different scenarios in which Baltimore can reach the postseason this week.

This weekend's playoff clinching scenarios: pic.twitter.com/fXCgUCNBlO

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 21, 2022

The Los Angeles Chargers also have the chance to clinch a playoff berth with some help, but they're one step closer after Thursday's loss by the Jets. In addition to a win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Chargers also need losses by the Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders.

Over in the NFC, a pair of NFC East rivals take center stage, as the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants have a lot on the line this week.

The first-place Eagles can clinch not only the division with a win against the Dallas Cowboys but also home-field advantage and the NFC's lone first-round bye. Philadelphia hasn't won an NFC East title since 2019, but it will be playing without star quarterback and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts because of a shoulder injury.

The Giants first need to defeat the NFC North-champion Minnesota Vikings to earn a spot in the playoffs, which seemed out of the realm of possibility for New York entering the 2022 season. However, the Giants also need some combination of losses by the Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions or Seattle Seahawks to reach the postseason this week.

In a shocking move, the New York Jets benched quarterback Zach Wilson in the third quarter of their Thursday Night Football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

At the time of his exit, Wilson had completed nine of 18 passes for 92 yards and an interception. Chris Streveler, who was elevated from the practice squad prior to Thursday's game, took over at quarterback for New York.

The Jets struggled to move the ball with Wilson under center, and it was clear that a change was needed as the fans grew restless. In the middle of a chorus of boos, the home crowd at MetLife Stadium chanted "We want Streveler."

This benching is the latest low point in a disappointing season for the 2021 No. 2 overall pick. Wilson has failed to live up to his draft status and looks to have stagnated in his development.

Things got off to a rocky start early, as Wilson suffered a knee injury in the first preseason game of the year that caused him to miss the first three weeks of the season. Upon his return in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jets embarked on a four-game winning streak, largely due to their strong defense and rushing attack.

However, rookie running back Breece Hall suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, leading to more of a reliance on the passing game. Wilson failed to demonstrate an ability to lead the offense, going 1-2 in the next three games. An abysmal performance in a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots was the breaking point, as he was benched in favor of backup quarterback Mike White.

The Jets offense looked more efficient with White running the show, but the team suffered close losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. White injured his ribs against Buffalo, forcing the Jets to turn back to Wilson.

After last Sunday's loss against the Detroit Lions and Thursday night's benching, it's fair to wonder if Wilson's career in New York will come to an end sooner than expected.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has won the appeal of his 324-game suspension.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today shared a statement from Major League Baseball announcing arbitrator Martin Scheinman reduced Bauer's suspension to 194 games on Thursday, meaning he is reinstated.

The official statement by MLB on Trevor Bauer’s suspension reduced to 194 games, reinstating him pic.twitter.com/sQs81yHpSn

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 23, 2022

"While we believe a longer suspension was warranted, MLB will abide by the neutral arbitrator's decision, which upholds baseball's longest-ever active player suspension for sexual assault or domestic violence," the statement said.

On April 29, Major League Baseball announced a 324-game suspension for Bauer covering two full seasons. The suspension didn't include the games he was ineligible to play while on administrative leave.

ESPN's Jeff Passan noted on a May 2022 episode of the Baseball Tonight podcast that a reduced suspension was the most likely outcome from Bauer's grievance against MLB.

"When you look at a suspension as enormous as this one, typically huge suspensions find some kind of reduction," Passan said (h/t SI.com's Inside the Dodgers). "I don't know if it's going to be a half-season, I don't know if it's going to be a full season. But MLB believes that it has a mountain of evidence against Trevor Bauer."

Bauer hasn't appeared in a game since June 28, 2021. Two days later, Southern California law enforcement officials confirmed they were investigating allegations Bauer had sexually assaulted a woman who contacted police on approximately May 16.

Jon Fetterolf, Bauer's attorney, released a statement on behalf of his client denying the allegations:

"Mr. Bauer had a brief and wholly consensual sexual relationship initiated by [his accuser] beginning in April 2021. We have messages that show [his accuser] repeatedly asking for 'rough' sexual encounters. In the days following their second and final encounter, [his accuser] shared photos of herself and indicated that she had sought medical care for a concussion. Mr. Bauer responded with concern and confusion, and [his accuser] was neither angry nor accusatory."

The woman who accused Bauer was granted a temporary restraining order against him. It was dissolved in August 2021 when Los Angeles Superior Court judge Dianna Gould-Saltman denied her request for a permanent restraining order.

MLB placed Bauer on administrative leave on July 2, 2021. Since administrative leave only covers a period of seven days, the league continued to extend it as its investigation into the allegations continued.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced in February it would not pursue criminal charges against Bauer.

"After a thorough review of all the available evidence, including the civil restraining order proceedings, witness statements and the physical evidence, the People are unable to prove the relevant charges beyond a reasonable doubt," the D.A.'s office statement said.

Bauer tweeted after the suspension was announced that he was appealing the decision and denied violating MLB's domestic violence and sexual assault policy.

In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence & sexual assault policy. I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives & I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings.

— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) April 29, 2022

On the same day the suspension was announced, Gus Garcia-Roberts of the Washington Post reported a second woman had previously been granted a temporary restraining order in 2020 after accusing Bauer of choking her unconscious and punching her without her consent, among other things.

Bauer denied that allegation, and he did the same in April after a third woman told the Washington Post that Bauer had choked her without consent multiple times during sex across a multiyear relationship. Bauer said the acts were consensual.

In May, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported people within the sport were uncertain whether Bauer will ever pitch in MLB again.

"No one wants to stand up there next to him," one longtime baseball person told Heyman.

Bauer's contract with the Dodgers will expire after the 2023 season, though Heyman noted the team could release him now that the result of his appeal is known. The 31-year-old signed a three-year, $102 million deal with Los Angeles in February 2021.

Add another twist to the memorable World Cup final between Argentina and France.

FIFA is investigating how Nusret Gokce, who is better known as celebrity chef Salt Bae, gained "undue access" to the field as Lionel Messi and Argentina players were celebrating their dramatic penalty shootout win, per BBC.

Gokce was pictured on the field with players and even held and kissed the World Cup trophy during the celebration.

The BBC explained that FIFA rules limit the ability to hold the trophy to a "very select" group of people. The players who win the tournament, heads of state and FIFA officials are on the list, but celebrity chefs don't exactly make the cut.

"Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail stadium on 18 December," a FIFA spokesperson said. "The appropriate internal action will be taken."

Salt Bae became an internet meme for how he prepared and seasoned meat and owns a chain of steakhouses.

While his presence on the field turned some heads, it didn't overshadow the incredible game.

It seemed like Argentina would cruise to a victory with a 2-0 lead through the first 80 minutes, but Kylian Mbappé buried two quick goals to tie the game and force extra time. Messi then appeared to win it with a goal in the 108th minute, but Mbappé once again answered and clinched a hat trick.

Both stars scored in the penalty shootout, but Messi's teammates came through and helped Argentina win their first World Cup since 1986.

It was also the first World Cup title for Messi in his legendary career.

After a long fight for equal pay, the United States women's national soccer team will be legally required to be compensated as much as the men's team.

Eddie Pells of the Associated Press reported the House of Representatives passed the Equal Pay for Team USA Act on Wednesday after the bill previously passed through the Senate with unanimous support.

The next stop is President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.

"By sending this legislation to the President, both houses have sent a clear message that this is the standard for all National Teams in all sports and it underscores the importance of working with our athletes to achieve equal pay including equalizing international prize money," U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement.

The bill, which stems from the federal gender discrimination lawsuit the USWNT filed against U.S. Soccer in 2019, provides equal pay and benefits for all athletes representing their country in global competitions across 50 sports.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee will provide oversight to ensure the law is followed.

In September, Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press reported the USWNT and USMNT signed collective bargaining agreements with U.S. Soccer that run through 2028 and provide equal pay structure for tournament appearances, tournament wins, revenue sharing and distribution of World Cup prize money.

The fight for equal pay has been a defining storyline for the USWNT even while they dominated on the field for years. Fans chanted for equal pay during the 2019 World Cup in France, and it was discussed by a number of players during their championship celebration back in the United States.

The lawsuit was a significant step, and the team and U.S. Soccer reached a settlement in February that paid the women $24 million and required new labor agreements with the USWNT and USMNT.

This comes as the Red, White and Blue are focused on the 2023 World Cup, where they will attempt to become the first women's team to win the event three times in a row.

Class of 2023 5-star safety Peyton Bowen raised some eyebrows when he flipped his commitment from Notre Dame to Oregon on Wednesday, but he made an even more surprising decision Thursday.

Bowen announced on social media that he has now committed to Oklahoma. He stated that after his commitment to the Ducks, he "immediately started to rethink my future."

Respect my Decision just want peace for me and my family
Boomer Sooner ⭕️U!! pic.twitter.com/ERfET7lIyG

— Peyton Bowen (@PeytonBowen10) December 22, 2022

A 6'0", 185-pound safety from John Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, Bowen is ranked as the No. 2 safety and No. 14 overall player in the 2023 class by 247Sports' composite rankings. In his announcement, he cited a desire to stay closer to home as part of his reason for joining the Sooners. He apologized to the fanbases of Oregon and Notre Dame, acknowledging that his decision-making process "could have been handled better."

247Sports recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks describes Bowen as a "sudden athlete with lateral mobility and great initial burst and acceleration" who can be "dangerous as a center fielder thanks to ability to cover territory and make plays on the ball." Bowen also competed in track and field at a high level during his high school career.

Brooks added that the two-sport athlete "projects a potential high-major impact player in the future with immediate special teams value and a long-term ceiling that could lead to the NFL draft."

Bowen's decommitment from Oregon is another loss for Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and his staff. 5-star quarterback Dante Moore, the No. 5 quarterback in his class, flipped from Oregon to UCLA earlier this week.

However, Oregon managed to sign 5-star edge-rusher Matayo Uiagalelei on Wednesday. He is the second 5-star recruit in the Ducks' 2023 class, joining wide receiver Jurrion Dickey.

Texas A&M football head coach Jimbo Fisher made his feelings clear about the amount of tampering going on in the NCAA's transfer portal as teams continue to navigate the NIL (name, image and likeness) era.

Fisher made his remarks during a National Signing Day press conference.

Jimbo offers his thoughts on the current state of CFB 👀 pic.twitter.com/8ULIhSRTch

— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 22, 2022

Fisher made it clear that he doesn't have any issue with players getting paid. Rather, he has a problem with the rules (or lack thereof) governing the system in place.

"I'm not saying being able to transfer is bad," Fisher said, per Dean Straka of 247Sports. "I'm not saying paying players bad. But the current status of the rules and the way it's done and how it's done? It's ridiculous. It's here. Everybody has the same issues and same problems."

He also expressed concern that teams who weren't abiding by the rules would continue to get rewarded.

"The ones that keep pushing the rules and breaking them will be rewarded," Fisher said. "And the others have to keep fighting, scratching and clawing to do things the right way. You can do it that way and win. Always have."

Fisher's own program went under the spotlight when Alabama head coach Nick Saban claimed that the Aggies "bought every player" in their No. 1 recruiting class of 2022.

"We didn't buy one player. A'ight?" Saban said last May, per Mike Rodak of AL.com. "But I don't know if we're going to be able to sustain that in the future, because more and more people are doing it. It's tough."

Fisher was so displeased with the comments that he soon called a press conference to address them. However, he said in October that the two had moved on.

Fisher also has a feud with Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who got involved in this ordeal after making some remarks about the Aggies' alleged NIL dealings.

"We don't have the funding resources as some schools with the NIL deals," Kiffin said, per ESPN's Dave Wilson. "It's like dealing with salary caps. I joked I didn't know if Texas A&M incurred a luxury tax with how much they paid for their signing class."

Fisher later called Kiffin and Saban "clown acts" in response.

Kiffin had his own take on Fisher's NIL comments from Thursday.

🤦‍♂️ https://t.co/dKOmjGyp0x

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 22, 2022

This was a tough year for Fisher's program, which endured a host of injuries en route to a 5-7 season and a last-place finish in the SEC West. Alabama went 10-2 and just missed out on the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss started 7-0 but lost four of its last five to end at 8-4.

New England Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft invited fan Jerry Edmond, who was aggressively heckled by a Las Vegas Raiders fan following the Pats' shocking Week 15 road loss, to Gillette Stadium for Saturday's matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Video of Edmond getting harassed went viral on social media:

I’d like to thank everyone for all the kind words . I’m the Patriots fan in the video , my name is Jerry Edmond and that was my first ever NFL game . I didn’t want to ruin my experience by retaliating towards that women so I kept my cool

— 🇭🇹Jerry Edmond (@Duggie490) December 21, 2022

Per Alexandra Francisco of Patriots.com, Kraft "called Edmond personally on Wednesday, inviting him to Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Edmond accepted the invitation, and will receive a customized jersey and pregame field passes to take in warm-ups."

Watching the Patriots blow a game in the most incomprehensible way possible was surely rough enough for Edmond before the insult accompanied injury. Saturday's experience should be a friendlier one.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels announced Friday he will return to school for the 2023 season.

pic.twitter.com/lSyPJkUpjA

— Jayden Daniels (@JayD__5) December 22, 2022

Daniels started for three years at Arizona State before transferring to LSU for the 2022 season. He completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns (three interceptions) and 2,774 yards this year.

Daniels also rushed for 818 yards and 11 scores for a 9-4 LSU team that reached the SEC Championship Game. The Tigers knocked off Alabama and Ole Miss this year and finished No. 17 in the final College Football Playoff poll.

He received an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the NCAA calendar and is poised to be a starter for all five of his collegiate seasons.

Up next is a Citrus Bowl appearance against Purdue on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. ET.

LSU returns some big names in 2023, including linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. and wideouts Malik Nabers and Kayshon Boutte. Per Brody Miller of The Athletic, LSU will bring back its entire offensive line as well.

That sets up LSU for success in its second season under Brian Kelly, who has accelerated the rebuild of the Tigers program after it went 6-7 last year.

Having all the key parts back in place will make LSU a strong contender for the College Football Playoff crown. The Tigers had an outside shot at getting there this year before losing to unranked Texas A&M on Nov. 26.

Next year's ledger won't be easy, especially a road game at Alabama, but LSU has the pieces to make the CFP.