What the Bengals’ and Bills’ Wins Mean for the Divisional Round

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The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Las Vegas Raiders for the second time this season, 26-19, and the Buffalo Bills rolled over the New England Patriots, 47-17, as better-seeded teams held on to advance to the divisional round of the N.F.L. playoffs.

Saturday’s outcomes resolved much of the A.F.C.’s playoff bracket, with only No. 2-seed Kansas City left to play the No. 7-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday to determine next week’s matchups.

The No. 4-seeded Bengals’ win most likely means that Cincinnati will travel to face the top-seeded Tennessee Titans next weekend, while the No. 3-seeded Bills could face Kansas City in a rematch of last season’s A.F.C. championship game, which the Chiefs won. But those pairings depend on Kansas City dispatching the Steelers, who, in the event of an upset on Sunday, would get the Titans (and presumably Derrick Henry) in the next round, leaving the Bills and Bengals to scrap it out.

Buffalo Bills 47, New England Patriots 17

Bills quarterback Josh Allen had a near-perfect game, throwing for 308 yards and five touchdowns, and running for 66 yards to keep the Patriots on their heels from the start.

Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas to be ‘Legends of the Game’ for wild card

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In what might be the Buffalo Bills’ final home game until next season, the team might have saved the best for last in one aspects.

The team’s “Legend of the Game” for their wild-card matchup on Saturday against the New England Patriots is actually a duo. A well-known pair, at that.

A group that needs little introduction, Buffalo will bring back Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas for Saturday’s game:

The stars will be out for prime time football. 🤩@JimKelly1212 and @ThurmanThomas are the @BillsLegends of the game for Saturday night: https://t.co/DT86W9FMOn pic.twitter.com/lgMAFfq6ye — Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 12, 2022

The former quarterback and running back will certainly get a warm reception at Highmark Stadium despite the freezing temperatures.

Earlier this week, Thomas spoke to the team’s website about being at the game. He’s hopeful showing up with Kelly will help jazz up the crowd, which will help the team on the field in a huge playoff contest.

“I get to be back on the field and be part of the game,” Thomas said. “If you look at all the players that have done it all the way up to this point and Steve Tasker last week, which was incredible. To be out there with Jim, I couldn’t ask for a better partner to do this with at the beginning of the playoff game.”

Kickoff is slated for 8:15 p.m.

Keys to the Game: Celtics 114, Bulls 112

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Key Moment

Clutch defense and clutch free throws. That’s what gave the Celtics their fourth win in five games Saturday night at TD Garden.

To be more precise, it was four clutch free throws, and two clutch stops. Here’s how it all went down.

With the Celtics trailing 112-110 with 43.1 seconds left, Robert Williams grabbed a defensive rebound to give Boston a chance to tie the game up. Just 12 seconds later, he found himself at the free-throw line after being fouled on a layup attempt when Jaylen Brown hit him with a pass in the paint.

Williams straddled the line with 31.0 seconds left on the clock and with the game potentially being on the line. His first attempt bounced off the front of the rim, then off the back of the rim, and through the net to make it a one-point game. His second attempt again bounced off the front of the rim – twice – before falling through the net to tie the score up at 112-112.

To be truthful, neither of those attempts looked like should have fallen through the net. But they did, and now it was on Boston’s defense to preserve an opportunity to grab a win.

Chicago opted not to call for a timeout and put the game in the hands of its best and most proven player, DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan has given the Celtics nightmares with clutch basket throughout his career, and on a night during which he scored 14 points during the fourth quarter, it felt as if another one was on the way.

It wasn’t, thanks to Jayson Tatum.

The Bulls put the ball in DeRozan’s hands and let him go one-on-one with Tatum. Boston’s two-time All-Star wing, who is known far more for his offensive prowess than his defensive abilities, stepped up to the plate and delivered during that isolation possession.

DeRozan tried to attack to his left, but Tatum beat him to his spot. DeRozan then used three crossovers to try to shake Tatum but was unsuccessful. With five seconds left on the shot clock and 12.5 seconds left in the game, DeRozan resorted to a side-step jumper – which was eerily similar to the move Tatum has become known for – and fired up a shot from 20 feet out. Tatum contested it perfectly while avoiding a foul and forced DeRozan to clank his shot off the backboard and then off the rim.

As the ball clanked away, Williams was in position to grab the rebound but was fouled from behind by Nikola Vucevic before he could haul the ball in. That play sent Williams back to the line for two potential game-winning freebies with 9.7 seconds left on the clock.

This time around, Williams’ attempts were much more of a sure thing. He stepped to the line and calmly swished both attempts to give Boston a 114-112 lead.

Boston still needed another stop following a timeout by Chicago, and it wound up getting two. First, Jaylen Brown rotated over to Vucevic and strongly challenged a 3-pointer by the big man to force a miss. The rebound bounced right into the hands of DeRozan at the left elbow, forcing Josh Richardson to react and contest another shot at the buzzer. Richardson defended the shot perfectly and forced DeRozan into an airball.

With that, the Celtics had closed out an emotional and challenging 114-112 win.

Nickelodeon NFL game: How to watch, live stream 49ers vs. Cowboys playoff game

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For the third straight season, the NFL and Nickelodeon will partner for a special Super Wild-Card Weekend broadcast between the 49ers and the Cowboys.

CBS Sports’ Noah Eagle, former NFL wide receiver Nate Burleson and Nickelodeon’s Garbielle Neveah Green (That Girl Lay Lay) will serve as announcers for the game, while Nickelodeon’s Dylan Gilmer (Young Dylan) will be a sideline reporter with Iain Armitage (Young Sheldon) explaining penalty calls.

The game will broadcast nationally on Nickelodeon on Sunday, starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. Viewers will experience enhanced on-field graphics, including augmented reality with an AR blimp that will fly around the stadium and new takes on pregame and halftime shows.

The NFL debuted this broadcast during the 2020 postseason between the Packers and the Eagles. Last season, it aired during the wild-card matchup between the Bears and Saints, a 21-9 victory for New Orleans.

Here’s everything you need to know about watching Sunday’s game between the 49ers and Cowboys.

MORE: Watch 49ers vs. Cowboys live with fuboTV (free trial)

What channel is Nickelodeon?

Here’s a list of the Nickelodeon channel number on popular cable/satellite services:

DirecTV : 299/300

299/300 Dish Network : 170/171

170/171 AT&T U-Verse : 314 (1314 HD)

314 (1314 HD) Xfinity : 1728 (HD)

1728 (HD) Verizon Fios: 252 (752 HD)

Nickelodeon is one of the most popular children’s television channels in the country. Popular shows on Nickelodeon (previously and currently running) include:

Spongebob Squarepants

The Fairly OddParents

iCarly

Hey Arnold!

Rugrats

Avatar: The Last Airbender

MORE: NFL playoff power rankings 2022: Every team’s real chances to win Super Bowl 56

Nickelodeon launched on Dec. 1, 1977, a short while before ESPN launched. It’s owned by ViacomCBS, thus the connection with this particular NFL matchup. As of Sept. 2018, the channel was available to more than 87 million homes in the United States.

Why is 49ers vs. Cowboys on Nickelodeon?

49ers vs. Cowboys is following up on what the station called a “success” of last season’s telecast between the Bears and Saints. This broadcast will feature guest appearances from Nickelodeon characters and more to complement the network’s style.

Last season, Bears vs. Saints was on Nickelodeon to “maximize the co-viewing appeal for kids and families, while maintaining the integrity of the game and its traditions,” according to a statement by CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus.

The reason that it’s 49ers vs. Cowboys and not a different game is in part because VicomCBS owns both the CBS network and Nickelodeon. Since CBS has the rights to the 49ers vs. Cowboys game, it was a possibility to also be broadcast on Nickelodeon.

How to watch 49ers vs. Cowboys on Nickelodeon

Date : Sunday, Jan. 16

Sunday, Jan. 16 Kickoff time: 4:30 p.m. ET

The game will be available on your local CBS affiliate at 4:30 p.m. ET. for a traditional broadcast called by Jim Nantz and Tony Romo.

How to stream 49ers vs. Cowboys on Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon does not have its own standalone streaming service, but it is available on Paramount+ or as a channel on most major services, including Hulu, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Nickelodeon is also available to stream on fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

Children watching the game on Nickelodeon can access NFL-themed content on NFLNickPlay.com in the days leading up to and during the game.

What’s different about 49ers vs. Cowboys on Nickelodeon?

Nickelodeon’s broadcast will have a kid-centered focus. As stated above, the game will have original on-field graphics, advanced augmented reality including an AR blimp that will fly throughout the field, a special pregame and halftime presentation, guest appearances from Nickelodeon characters and much more.

One of the game’s top performers will be presented with the Nickelodeon Valuable Player (NVP) award, which can be voted on NFLNickPlay.com.

At halftime, Nickelodeon will show an exclusive look of its brand-new animated series Big Nate, based on the best-selling children’s books and comic strip written and drawn by Lincoln Pierce. The series follows Nate, a sixth-grade kid “who has a never-ending need to prove his awesomeness to the world,” and is set to debut on Paramount+ in early 2022.

NFL playoff schedule: Wild Card round

Saturday, Jan. 9

Matchup Start time TV channel Raiders at Bengals 4:30 p.m. ET NBC Patriots at Bills 8:15 p.m. ET CBS

Sunday, Jan. 10

Matchup Start time TV channel Eagles at Buccaneers 1 p.m. ET FOX 49ers at Cowboys 4:30 p.m. ET CBS, Nickelodeon Steelers at Chiefs 8:15 p.m. ET NBC

Monday, Jan. 11

Hogwarts Legacy Report Warns the Game Is in “Trouble”

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A new report about Hogwarts Legacy – the highly-anticipated Harry Potter game currently scheduled to release this year via the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X – warns the game is “in some sort of trouble” and in danger of being delayed to 2023. This new report comes on the back of a smattering of rumors and reports that suggested the game was on schedule to release this year and could rear its head at a rumored PlayStation State of Play in February.

The report comes the way of PlayStation insider and Sacred Symbols host, Colin Moriarty, who notes that he has been “hearing behind the scenes that [the] game isn’t coming out this year.” Unfortunately, this is more or less the extent of the report. Moriarty reveals that he’s looking forward to the game, but based on what he’s hearing, it needs a bit more time in the oven.

If this is true, it seems unlikely WB Games would resurface the game at a February PlayStation State of Play. Meanwhile, if the game is going to be delayed to 2023 it wouldn’t be a great sign. Due to the pandemic, many games have suffered and been delayed, but Hogwarts Legacy was originally slated for 2021. To slip two years wouldn’t be the greatest look. That said, this speculation assumes the report is accurate. Moriarty is widely considered a reliable source, however, not only does that not negate the fact this is information of the unofficial variety and subject to change, but that it’s at odds with previous and recent reports about the game that claimed it’s going to release this year and get a second trailer soon.

At the moment of publishing, WB Games hasn’t commented on the report and the speculation it has created. Typically, WB Games does not comment on rumors, reports, leaks or anything of the unofficial and speculative variety. However, if it bucks expectations and issues any type of response, we will be sure to update the story accordingly.

Hogwarts Legacy is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. For more coverage on the upcoming Harry Potter game, click here.