This Week in Sports Talk (TWIST) is our weekly report on the big sports news headlines and major events, plus a preview of what’s up next. For November 27, 2022, here are the weekly top 10 sports news headlines to know: the big stories and major events in sports news this week in the NFL, NBA and more.
weekly top 10 big sports news headlines and major events: November 27, 2022
1. NFL week 11 highlights.
Courtesy of CBS Sports and our Sports Desk, here are the highlights of Week 11 of the NFL season, in case you missed any of it. The waters remain muddy, with no consistently dominant teams in what has been a season full of surprises.
- The Dallas Cowboys dominated the Minnesota Vikings in a historic 40-3 win.
- With just over a minute left in the game, Patrick Mahomes led a game-winning drive with a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the LA Chargers, 30-27. It was Kelce’s 33rd career 100-yard receiving game, and he has now passed Rob Gronkowski for most ever by a tight end.
- In the wake of an embarrassing 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots, New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh called his team’s offense “dog s—” The Jets benched quarterback Zach Wilson after he played horribly and then would not accept any responsibility for the loss. Backup quarterback Mike White will start this week against the Chicago Bears. Reports are the Jets and maybe also the New York Giants may be looking to free agency for new starting quarterbacks. Potential acquisitions include the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo. Or the Las Vegas Raiders’ Derek Carr, who reportedly isn’t meshing well with head coach Josh McDaniels.
- Quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles rallied from 10 down in the fourth quarter to beat the Indianapolis Colts, 17-16.
- Matt Stafford exited early to be evaluated for a concussion as the LA Rams lost, 27-20 to the New Orleans Saints. It’s the Rams’ fourth straight defeat following their bye week.
- On Monday night, the 49ers met the Cardinals in Mexico City. With Kyler Murray out, San Francisco easily won the game, 38-10. It’s their third straight win and they now lead the NFC West. Jimmy Garoppolo played “nearly perfectly” and the 49ers defense took care of the rest.
2. Thanksgiving Day games
Our Sports Desk notes that the three Thanksgiving games ended up being a return to normalcy in this unpredictable season. All the favorites won: the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings (9-2) beat the Detroit Lions, New York Giants and New England Patriots (6-5), respectively.
At this point in the season – with a lot of teams in tight competition – losses are particularly impactful. So the Bills win and Pats loss has the Bills looking good for the AFC East title. Similarly, the Cowboys win means that the Giants’ shot at the NFC’s final wild-card spot is a lot tougher now.
Meanwhile, by shaking off their loss to the Cowboys in week 11 and winning on Thanksgiving Day, Minnesota is closing in on an NFC North title. And still within range of the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed.
3. NFL Week 12 notable games to come
Several star players who had been on the injured list are making strong progress and may be returning soon. The Washington Commanders’ Chase Young was activated to the team’s roster. After missing three games with a hip injury, Ja’Marr Chase has resumed practicing with the Cincinnati Bengals (and may even be playing today). And the Detroit Lions’ Jameson Williams has been practicing, too. Meanwhile, Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields may not take the field today against the Jets, as he’s recovering from a left shoulder injury.
Our Sports Desk reports that Week 12 of the NFL season features some important matchups.
- The big game of the week is the Cincinnati Bengals at the Tennessee Titans. It’s a key AFC showdown.
- Tonight the Philadelphia Eagles host the Green Bay Packers in a key battle for both. After a loss to the Commanders and a narrow win over the Colts, Philadelphia hopes to get back to its previous form. The Packers need to pull off an upset to save their season.
4. CBS Sports snubs Deshaun Watson’s return
The Houston Texans are set to host the Cleveland Browns on December 4th in Deshaun Watson’s first game since his 11-game suspension for multiple accusations of domestic violence. And CBS Sports announced this week that it’s not sending its A team to cover the Week 13 game. Instead, Spero Dedes, Jay Feely and Aditi Kinkhabwala will be calling the game.
Is this an unspoken criticism of Watson’s behavior? Or just a clear-eyed business decision, given that both of these teams are playing poorly right now? Your call.
Meanwhile, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett is playing today against the Buffalo Bills and next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
5. FIFA World Cup 2022 final news
The FIFA World Cup finals are proving to be both an inspiring tribute to sports and an emotional gathering of many of the world’s nations and cultures – and a mirror of the messiness of real world geopolitical issues.
Saudis upset Argentina
Saudi Arabia achieved one of the most shocking wins in the 92-year history of the World Cup when they overcame an early deficit to stun Lionel Messi and Argentina and win 2-1. Reports are that MBS bought every player on the team a $500,000 Rolls Royce as a thank-you for the win.
USA v. Iran on Tuesday
All eyes are on Tuesday’s match between Team USA and Iran. The US is currently in third place in Group B, two points behind England and a point behind Iran, who defeated Wales 2-0. After a lot of excitement, the American team has delivered very little to cheer about. They tied in their first match with Wales, 1-1. And tied again – this time 0-0 – against England. Not exactly the high adrenaline viewing experience many fans expected.
That changes this week, though. Tuesday is a knockout match: Iran can eliminate the US with a win, and there’s a lot on the line – both on and off the field. One Iranian player taunted: “Drop all the sanctions, and we will let your team win”. Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that the Team USA “has been displaying Iran’s national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic republic, as a gesture of support for the months-long nationwide protests challenging Tehran’s theocratic government.”
human rights protests and press freedom in Qatar also in the news
There have been several troubling incidents around support for the LGBTQ+ community in Qatar, with players and reporters being fined or detained for wearing rainbow wristbands or shirts or otherwise showing support for the movement. In Qatar, same-sex relations are illegal.
And unsurprisingly, the ban on beer and alcohol sales in the vicinity of the stadium, combined with the heat, has led to lots of grumbling and smaller crowds in the stadiums than anticipated.
Ronaldo goes rogue
Two days before his fifth World Cup for Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo terminated his contract with his club team, Manchester United. The move came just over a week after Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan, in which he said he said he didn’t respect manager Erik ten Hag. The star player also criticized former teammate Wayne Rooney and questioned the club’s infrastructure. The contract termination came on the same day it was reported that the Glazer family is considering selling the club.
6. MLB news
“hot stove” update
Aaron Judge is the biggest star in the free agent pool this offseason, so not surprisingly there’s heavy coverage of his every move. This week the focus was on the San Francisco Giants, who are making a full-court press to lure the slugger to the West Coast. He made a two-day visit this week that reportedly left the team and fans “elated.”
According to SFGate and other press outlets, a stellar roster of Bay Area sports and entertainment celebrities have joined in the aggressive courtship, including “several current Giants players, Ike Shehadeh of Ike’s Sandwiches fame, legendary East Bay rapper E-40 and Warriors legends Steph Curry and Chris Mullin.”
Nevertheless, the New York press is holding firm on the view that Judge will ultimately stay in Gotham. They’re of the view that the San Francisco trip was just a negotiating ploy. But the LA Dodgers are in this mix, too – can you imagine Mookie Betts and Judge on the same roster? And our Sports Desk notes that given his age and his desire to sign a 7-8 year contract, the frugal Yankees may not pay up for Judge the way one of the West Coast franchises might.
Watch this space for further updates.
MLB Hall of Fame ballots released
The 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was released on Monday. Carlos Beltrán is the top newcomer on the list. His stats are impressive – but the character clause could hold him back. He was said to be one of the ringleaders of the sign-stealing operation in Houston in 2017. We should note that he was not disciplined for any infraction related to that.
Despite the noise around Beltrán, most of the chatter this year will probably center on a notable second-time candidate. Alex Rodriguez is in his second year on the ballot after receiving 34.3 percent of votes last year. A player needs 75% of the vote to enter the Hall of Fame, and they can be on the ballot for a maximum of 10 years.
And in other MLB news, this week Justin Verlander and Albert Pujols won MLB Comeback Players of the Year.
7. NBA News
The Nets finally have all three members of their Big Three back together. And yet they still couldn’t beat the Philadelphia 76ers. Even without Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers beat Brooklyn this week, 115-106. It was Ben Simmons’ first game back in Philadelphia since being traded to Brooklyn and not surprisingly the Philly fans booed him repeatedly.
Overall, the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks are at the top of the Eastern Conference, with the Celts ahead by 1.5. In the West, the Phoenix Suns sit atop the conference, followed by the Denver Nuggets, who are one game back. There’s a three-way tie for third place as of this posting, with the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies all just 2 games back.
8. College football highlights
There were several traditional rivalry games over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and some will have a significant impact on the college football playoffs.
- We’re extremely happy to report that the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines stomped on the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus yesterday. It was the second win in a row for Michigan in this iconic annual game, and the first win for the Wolverines in Columbus since the year 2000. The Wolverines have clinched the Big Ten East division title. And when the new rankings come out, expect Michigan to rise to No. 2.
The weekly top 10 sports news headlines to know, the major events in sports news this week in the NFL, NBA and more for November 27, 2022. Michigan beats Ohio State. Photo Credit: Shutterstock.
- Florida at No. 16 Florida State. Florida State Seminoles win 45-38.
- Iowa State at No. 4 TCU. The TCU Horned Frogs thumped the Cyclones, 62-14.
- No. 15 Notre Dame at No. 6 USC. The Trojans beat the Fighting Irish, 38-27
- Georgia Tech at No. 1 Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs remain undefeated with a 37-14 win.
- Auburn at No. 7 Alabama (aka The Iron Bowl). In this traditional rivalry game, the Crimson Tide easily defeated the Auburn Tigers, 49-27.
9. Djokovic will play in Australian Open
Star tennis player Novak Djokovic has been granted an exemption to the COVID vaccine requirement in Australia. That clears the path for him to play the 2023 Australian Open in Melbourne. This is in contrast to the 2022 tournament, in which he was not allowed to play and ultimately had to leave the country under a court order because he refused to be vaccinated.
In related news, last weekend Djokovic won his sixth career ATP Finals title to tie Roger Federer for most ever.
10. first female named to Division 1 varsity baseball team
The feel-good story of the week is about a glass ceiling shattering. Olivia Pichardo, a freshman at Brown University, made the school’s baseball team on Monday. She is the first NCAA Division I female varsity baseball player ever.
Weekly Top sports news headlines and major events to know: November 27, 2022
That’s our take on the big sports news headlines and major events, and a preview of the week ahead, including what to know about football, basketball and more. Have a great week, dear reader. See you next Sunday.
