Sarni's Scrolls: Bills, Dolphins Battle For AFC East Title
The NFL regular season will end with the Buffalo Bills (10-6) at the Miami Dolphins (11-5) on Sunday Night Football on NBC.
At stake: the AFC East title.
The Dolphins are in the playoffs no matter what but a loss would make them a wild-card team and likely send them to Kansas City to face the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
Miami lost to Kansas City 21-14 in a regular-season game in Germany.
Twenty of the 32 teams are alive in the playoff races with three teams in each South Division fighting for titles.
The NFL announced the complete Week 18 schedule at the conclusion of Sunday night's game.
Saturday
■ 4:30: Steelers at Ravens, ABC
■ 8:15: Texans at Colts, ABC
Sunday
■ 1: Browns at Bengals, CBS
■ 1: Falcons at Saints, CBS
■ 1: Jaguars are Titans, CBS
■ 1: Bucs at Panthers, Fox
■ 1: Vikings at Lions, Fox
■ 1: Jets at Patriots, Fox
■ 4:25: Bears at Packers, CBS
■ 4:25: Chiefs at Chargers, CBS
■ 4:25: Eagles at Giants, CBS
■ 4:25: Seahawks at Cardinals, Fox
■ 4:25: Broncos at Raiders, Fox
■ 4:25: Rams at 49ers, Fox
■ 4:25: Cowboys at Commanders, Fox
Both CBS and Fox have Week 18 doubleheaders.
The Bears-Packers and NFC East games were moved to the late window.
Falcons-Saints, Bears-Packers and Eagles-Giants were cross-flexed to CBS.
Jets-Pats and Broncos-Raiders (meaningless games) moved to Fox.
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Jimmy Johnson was all smiles as he became the newest member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor on Saturday night.
The joy for the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach continued during the Fox pregame show on Sunday.
The emotional highlight: Dwayne Johnson came on set to tell J.J. he dreamed of playing for him during his glory days at the University of Miami.
Although The Rock graduated high school two years too late to play for the legendary coach, he elected to still play for the Hurricanes to honor Johnson's legacy. He showed Johnson his letter of intent to play for him during his tenure at Miami.
“When I was 18, I wanted to give you this. This is my letter of intent to play for you,” said the Rock, who spent four years at UM as a defensive end from 1991-94. “If you ever decide to coach again, it would be an honor."
Johnson was moved to tears.
"Let me tell you one thing," he said. "I don't think there's any way that I'll be as happy as I am today."
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NBC Sports host Maria Taylor is a mom.
Taylor welcomed her first baby with her husband, Jon Hemphill, on Christmas Eve. She shared a photo of their son, named Roman Ryan Taylor Hemphill, 8 lbs. 13 oz., on Instagram on Dec. 30.
“To the world you are just a person, but to me you are the entire world,” Taylor said on Instagram.
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ETC.
■ The United Football League, the XFL-USFL merged league, will debut on March 30 with eight teams-- Arlington, Houston, San Antonio, St. Louis, Birmingham, Washington D.C., Michigan, Memphis.
■ The Las Vegas Golden Knights take on the Seattle Kraken in the Jan. 1 NHL Winter Classic (3, TNT).
■ The Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury became the fourth goalie with 1,000 games played.
■ Team USA is undefeated through the World Juniors World Championships group stage.
■ Coco Gauff prepared for the new tennis season in Australia by going skydiving.
■ It's the age of Generation Alpha, the only generation born fully in the 21st Century (2010-2024). The first to live fully online.
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THEY SAID IT
■ "Playing tennis [is easier] than changing diapers." -- New mother Naomi Osaka after winning in her first match in 16 months in Brisbane.
■ "You have to be able to adapt. I always said that dinosaurs couldn't adapt and they aren't around anymore" -- Alabama football coach Lou Saban.
■ "This will be the league with the highest level of skill for women's hockey players ever in the history of the world." -- PWHL Advisory Board member Stan Karsten, whose league began play on Jan. 1.