Week 16’s NFL slate saved the best game for last, as the leaders of the AFC and the NFC went toe-to-toe on Monday Night Football. The Baltimore Ravens made their way into San Francisco to take on the 49ers in a game that we might end up seeing in the Super Bowl this year.
Things could have started better for the Ravens offense. A three-and-out was followed up by a Brock Purdy interception, one which gave them a chance to build a little momentum. The team was able to convert a third-and-5 to get their first first down of the evening, and then, on first-and-10 from their own 20, the Ravens offense actually gave up points because Lamar Jackson got tripped up by a referee in the end zone, which turned into a safety.
This play ended up being a safety for the 1st points of the game.
Jackson’s unparalleled ability to run out of trouble ran into a pretty serious problem, as Nick Bosa and Fred Warner were both all over him. He went all the way back into the end zone, and when he attempted to turn out of pressure, he found out that the back judge actually slipped while trying to keep tabs on the play, which meant he got tripped up, just tried to get rid of it as Chase Young was getting to him, and got hit with an intentional grounding in the end zone.
The Las Vegas Raiders got a win against the Chiefs for the first time since 2020 on Monday afternoon in Kansas City, as interim head coach Antonio Pierce had his team ready to apply pressure to Patrick Mahomes and a shaky Chiefs offense on Christmas day.
The win could very well earn Pierce the full time job once the Raiders get into the official coaching search after the season, as he has shown he can get the team to show up and play hard each week, even when they’re at a talent deficit. In a way the manner in which the Raiders won this game helps his cause, as it was not thanks to a big offensive performance, but instead almost all courtesy of a huge day from Pierce’s defense. The Vegas defense scored touchdowns on back-to-back plays (their only touchdowns of the game), first with a Bilal Nichols scoop-and-score on a fumbled exchange in the backfield and then on a pick-six from Jack Jones — who then pulled off an incredible heel move, pretending to give a kid in Chiefs gear the ball before pulling it back.
The offense was not particularly impressive in Kansas City, but did get some big plays in the running game as Zamir White had 145 yards on 22 carries, including a few big runs on the game-sealing drive for the Raiders to run out the clock on the win. In fact, quarterback Aidan O’Connell finished the game just 9-of-21 passing for 62 yards, giving him the fewest yards passing from a winning QB with 20 attempts in an NFL game since Eli Manning in 2007.
Aidan O’Connell’s 62 total passing yards is the fewest in a straight up win with at least 20 pass attempts since Eli Manning’s 59 in 2007 pic.twitter.com/V3CVxAWvL6
Beyond that, all nine of those completions came on the same drive in the first quarter, leading to a field goal. After his last completion (a 1-yard pass to Ameer Abdullah), he didn’t complete a pass for the rest of the game, meaning the Raiders got a win without a single successful passing play in the final three quarters of action. That would be insane against any opponent, but seems impossible going up against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. However, Vegas’ defense showed up big time with the two touchdowns, big time pressure on Mahomes, and a pair of 4th down stops in their own territory. It also underscores Kansas City’s offensive woes this season, as they now have to figure out how to do something because this is a particularly embarrassing loss in a standalone game on Christmas.
Today is Christmas, you’ve met with the family (or you don’t celebrate) and… now what? Seriously Christmas is all fine and good but it’s not exactly an all-day thing, and there is only so much you can do. What’s the next play? Go to the movies? What about after that? You’re probably going to be hungry and yeah of course you can cook for yourself but today is a great day to be lazy and do as little as possible, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. And we want that for you!
Luckily there are a few fast food chains and restaurants that are open on Christmas Day that’ll make it easy to get fed, whether you feel like dressing up and celebrating with your friends and family at your favorite chain restaurant, or just want to keep things simple, pick up food without changing out of your pajamas, and scarfing down a big juicy cheeseburger.
We’re here to help you get fed so we’re naming all the chain restaurants and fast food spots that are open right now. If you don’t see a particular restaurant or fast food chain you’re looking for, it’s safe to assume we did the research and they’re closed. Let’s eat!
Applebee’s — Applebee’s is open on Christmas Day at normal operating hours, but be warned. Applebee’s being open on the holiday is well known so expect a crowd.
Arby’s — Arby’s will be open on Christmas Day but may be operating at altered hours. Call ahead of time to make sure Arby’s is open.
Benihana — Benihana will be open on Christmas Day, though hours may vary by location.
Bonefish Grill — Bonefish Grill will be open on Christmas Day, though hours may be reduced.
Boston Market — Boston Market is open on Christmas Eve, so if you’re feeling some rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes, this is your spot.
Buca Di Beppo — Bucca Di Beppo will be open for big family-style dinners on Christmas Eve.
Buffalo Wild Wings — Buffalo Wild Wings will be open for limited hours on Christmas Day. Call ahead of time to see when your local B-Dubs will be opened.
Del Taco — Del Taco will be open on Christmas Day but check hours at your local Del as they may be altered.
Denny’s — Denny’s will be open on Christmas Day with reduced hours. Be sure to call ahead of time to make sure your local Denny’s is open.
Domino’s — Domino’s is open at regular operating hours on Christmas Day, but expect them to be busy. It might be better to carry this one out rather than wait for delivery.
Dunkin — Dunkin will be open on Christmas Day with reduced hours. Call your local Dunkin’ for specifics.
Fogo de Chão — Grab a Brazilian steak on Christmas Day as most Fogo de Chão restaurants will be open.
Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. — Carl’s Jr will be open on Christmas Day though hours may be reduced at some locations.
IHOP — Most IHOP locations will be open on Christmas Day. Go hard on those pancakes.
Jimmy John’s — Jimmy John’s is open on Christmas Day though hours will vary by location.
KFC — KFC will be open and operating at regular hours.
McDonald’s — Hours will vary but expect most McDonald’s to be open on Christmas Day.
Morton’s Steakhouse — Morton’s will be open on Christmas Day operating at normal hours.
Panda Express — Panda Express is open and operating at normal hours!
Romano’s Macaroni Grill Romano’s Macaroni Grill will be open on Christmas Day with reduced hours. Call your favorite Macaroni Grill ahead of time to check hours.
Starbucks — Starbucks is a real toss up. Some locations will be open, some will be closed. Be sure and call your favorite Starbucks ahead of time. Or just take a look at the drive-thru, if its poppin, you know it’s open.
Taco Bell — Most Taco Bell locations will be open on Christmas Day but may be operating at reduced hours.
Michelle Elman, a body positivity coach, helps people who are struggling to find confidence in their own skin.
After persevering through numerous medical conditions and surgeries in her own life, Elman realized a few years ago that body positivity wasn’t just about size or weight. Things like scars, birthmarks, and anything else that makes us feel different of self-conscious have to be a part of the conversation, and she tries to make the movement accessible to everyone.
Sharing her own journey has been one of her most effective teaching tools.
In May, she shared a post on Instagram of herself trying on a dress she bought five years ago in order to prove a powerful point.
In the first photo, from 2012 — when she was a size 12, she says — she’s wearing a size 14 dress. In the new photo, she’s wearing the same dress, though she says she normally wears a size 20.
“NUMBERS DON’T MEAN ANYTHING,” she wrote in the post. “So are you really going to let a change [in] dress size dictate your day? Are you really going to let an increase in a number affect your mood?”
“A higher dress size doesn’t mean: — you are less beautiful — you are less worthy — you are less lovable — you are a worse human — you are a bad person — you are a different person AND it doesn’t even mean you have a bigger body.”
The viral photo inspired thousands of people. While a huge majority of the comments were positive, there was still something bugging Elman about the response.
Not everyone was getting the right message.
“Since the creation of this account, I have always been told I’m beautiful ‘for my size’ and I never wanted to talk about it because I thought I was being pedantic but eventually decided to speak my mind about it,” she says in an email.
She decided to create a follow-up post to set a few things straight about what body positivity really means.
In the second post, she took a different approach to the “before and after” shots we see so often on Instagram. People loved it.
In the caption, Elman addresses a couple of things well-meaning people got wrong about the message she was trying to spread. Some commenters said she looked “skinnier” in the 2017 photo which, though meant as a compliment, just reinforces that being skinny is somehow better.
Others said she wasn’t fat enough, to which Elman could only scoff.
“If people tell you they are a certain size, believe them,” she wrote.
“People think that body positivity is about trying to convince people that bigger bodies are attractive, either physically or sexually,” she says.
But that’s totally missing the point of what her work is all about.
“If you are still relating your love for your body to society’s perception of beauty,” she says, “then you are still reliant on someone else’s opinion. Body positivity is about saying that you are more than a body and your self-worth is not reliant on your beauty.”
Her second post is currently sitting at over 26,500 likes on Instagram — a clear sign that this is a message many of us desperately needed to hear.
Six years ago, a high school student named Christopher Justice eloquently explained the multiple problems with flying the Confederate flag. A video clip of Justice’s truth bomb has made the viral rounds a few times since then, and here it is once again getting the attention it deserves.
Justice doesn’t just explain why the flag is seen as a symbol of racism. He also explains the history of when the flag originated and why flying a Confederate flag makes no sense for people who claim to be loyal Americans.
This high school student, Christopher Justice, does a great job at explaining the Confederate flag and its problems.pic.twitter.com/CcOXHCB8GQ
But that clip, as great as it is, is a small part of the whole story. Knowing how the discussion came about and seeing the full debate in context is even more impressive.
In 2015, a student at Shawnee Mission East High School outside of Kansas City came up with the idea to have student journalists document students engaging in open discussions about various topics. In support of this idea, history teacher David Muhammad helped arrange a debate about the use of the Confederate flag in American society in his classroom.
According to the Shawnee Mission Post, Muhammad had prepared a basic outline and some basic guiding questions for the discussion, but mainly let the students debate freely. And the result was one of the most interesting debates about the Confederate flag you’ll ever see—one that both reflects the perspectives in American society at large and serves as an example of how to hold a respectful conversation on a controversial topic.
The full discussion is definitely worth a watch. Justice had quite a few Confederacy defenders to contend with, and he skillfully responded to each point with facts and logic. Other students also chimed in, and the discussion is wildly familiar to anyone who has engaged in debate on this topic. For his part, Mr. Muhammad did an excellent job of guiding the students through the debate.
“I had Chris in class, so I knew he was super intelligent and that he read a lot,” Muhammad told the Shawnee Mission Post in 2018. “But that really came out of left-field. He was never out there very much socially, so I didn’t expect for him to want to speak in front of a crowd like that.”
(In case you’re wondering, according to LinkedIn, Christopher Justice is now studying political science at Wichita State University after switching his major from sports management. David Muhammad is now Dean of Students at Pembroke Middle School and also serves as a Diversity Consultant.)
Thanks, SM East, for documenting and sharing such a great discussion.
Parents, do you think your child would be able to survive if they were transported back to the ’70s or ’80s? Could they live at a time before the digital revolution put a huge chunk of our lives online?
These days, everyone has a phone in their pocket, but before then, if you were in public and needed to call someone, you used a pay phone. Can you remember the last time you stuck 50 cents into one and grabbed the grubby handset?
According to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, roughly 100,000 pay phones remain in the U.S., down from 2 million in 1999.
Do you think a 10-year-old kid would have any idea how to use a payphone in 2022? Would they be able to use a Thomas Guide map to find out how to get somewhere? If they stepped into a time warp and wound up in 1975, could they throw a Led Zeppelin album on the record player at a party?
Another big difference between now and life in the ’70s and ’80s has been public attitudes toward smoking cigarettes. In 1965, 42.4% of Americans smoked and now, it’s just 12.5%. This sea change in public opinion about smoking means there are fewer places where smoking is deemed acceptable.
But in the early ’80s, you could smoke on a bus, on a plane, in a movie theater, in restaurants, in the classroom and even in hospitals. How would a child of today react if their third grade teacher lit up a heater in the middle of math class?
Dan Wuori, senior director of early learning at the Hunt Institute, tweeted that his high school had a smoking area “for the kids.” He then asked his followers to share “something you experienced as a kid that would blow your children’s minds.”
A lot of folks responded with stories of how ubiquitous smoking was when they were in school. While others explained that life was perilous for a kid, whether it was the school playground equipment or questionable car seats.
Here are a few responses that’ll show today’s kids just how crazy life used to be in the ’70s and ’80s.
First of all, let’s talk about smoking.
u201cMy high school had a smoking area. For the kids. Whatu2019s something you experienced as a kid that would blow your childrenu2019s minds?u201d
Mine too. Up until my senior year. Also, my biology teacher smoked in the classroom. We used to tell time by how many cigarettes she had in her ashtray.
We had a smoking room IN our high school. We also had cadet training and a shooting range in the basement of the school. We had Latin as an option and could drop math in Grade 10! Also in the « good old days »: we could smoke in class at Carleton, at the movies and on airplanes.
I grew up in a rural area. It wasn’t unheard of for guys to have a shotgun in a gun rack in their trucks, parked at school. Could also carry large knives and openly chew tobacco in school. They don’t allow any of this now, which is good.
Using a pay phone that was outside the school gym to call my parents for a ride home from practice. But calling collect and saying “pick me up” and hanging up before getting charged. 😂
I have heard stories of country schools in the 50s (which are now urban schools) having boys swim naked in PE (that’s just how they did it in the country). Van Horn High School in Independence MO.
I use this example any time people lament the changes from the “good ole days”.
Also, in Driver’s Ed. We warched this film, “Blood on the Highways.” 45 minutes of unedited film of fatal highway accidents. This was mostly before mandatory seatbelts. 45 years later, I remember the rear view mirror that split a guy’s skull, imbedded in his brain.
— some call me Tim 🇺🇦 🌻 MAT Elem. Educ. (@realtimaier) April 24, 2022
Large fry as your entire meal in middle school. It was the most popular item too. Literally as it sounds. Just a large basket of French fries for lunch.
I wrote letters regularly to a penpal from a different country and then saved them all in a shoebox. Then in college I flew to “meet” her for the 1st time to participate in her wedding ❤️ But now we connect on FB 😂
A lot of people bemoan the fact that the children of today aren’t as tough as they were a few decades back. But that’s probably because the parents of today are better attuned to their kids’ needs so they don’t have to cheat death to make it through the day.
But just imagine how easy parenting would be if all you had to do was throw your kids a bag of Doritos and a Coke for lunch and you never worried about strapping them into a car seat?
Sometimes we’re not in the mood to be touched, and the same goes for our pets. While cats are notorious for snubbing humans who dare to touch them without explicit affirmative consent for exactly 3.5 pets, dogs are different. Dogs like to get head scratches, butt pats and for some reason slapped on the ribs somewhat aggressively. I don’t know why dog owners do the last one but I’ve seen it enough to think it’s a thing that dogs enjoy.
The point is dogs generally want you to pet them as often as humanly possible and until it feels like your arms are going to fall off. They try to climb up on your lap because being as close to your cornea as their snouts will allow is comforting to them. But apparently, dogs also get into moods where they don’t want to be touched by their humans.
Weird, right? A chocolate lab on TikTok is simply not in the mood for pets and his reaction to his owner attempting to pet him has commenters in stitches.
The dog, Colby, looks as if he’s trying to relax when you see his mom’s hand reach out to pet him. He doesn’t break eye contact with his human, Morgyn Seigfried, as he gently pushes her hand away with his back foot. She tries several times, and each time Colby has the same response.
“Let’s not make this more embarrassing than it has to be,” one commenter wrote.
“He said pet me…WITH YOUR EYES,” another person said.
While some were imagining what the dog was saying internally, others just found it hilarious, especially because he uses his hind leg to reject the affection.
“Such a boss move to use the back leg and not the front paw,” someone wrote, complete with a crying laughing emoji.
“The fact that he used his rear leg makes the exchange even better,” another commenter said.
Colby is clearly over Seigfried’s need to touch him, as you can see for yourself below:
First it was Bilal Nichols scooping up a fumbled exchange between Isiah Pacheco and Patrick Mahomes and then it was Jack Jones picking off Mahomes on the sideline and taking it back for six. Many folks paid attention to Jones giving Mahomes the business as he ran into the end zone, but the clip the league posted to social media cut out before his true villainy kicked in as he went full Grinch on Christmas by reaching the ball out to a kid wearing Chiefs gear, pulling it back as the kid reached out for it.
It’s some incredible heel work from Jones, who was extremely amped up for the game, as evidenced by the next drive after his pick-six when he was jawing with seemingly everyone on the Chiefs offense and had to be pulled over to the Raiders sideline by his head coach, Antonio Pierce. Jones will be hoping to send every Chiefs fan home unhappy by helping hand Kansas City a loss on Christmas, but at the very least he ensured one young Chiefs fan had their hopes of getting a ball dashed.
It was a slow first quarter from the Chiefs and Raiders in the first of the NFL’s Christmas day games, as the Chiefs had negative offensive yardage in their first three drives and Vegas could only manage three points to capitalize on Kansas City’s slow start.
In the second quarter, the game came to life entirely with the Chiefs offense on the field, first with Kansas City’s offense springing to life with a touchdown drive they capped off with a tremendous trick play design that got Isiah Pacheco into the end zone untouched as the Raiders had eyes on a fake reverse to Patrick Mahomes.
QB Isiah Pacheco takes the snap himself and scores!
However, on the next Chiefs possession they went back to the well on some direct snap trickery and had disastrous results, as Pacheco and Mahomes fumbled an exchange and Bilal Nichols scooped it up for a Raiders touchdown.
A Christmas gift at the perfect time for the Raiders
The Raiders dropped the snap on the ensuing extra point, making it just a two-point game, and the wild sequence continued on the very next play as Mahomes threw a dreadful pick-six to Jack Jones along the sideline — who then let Mahomes know all about it as he ran into the end zone.
Vegas would then go for two and get it to make it a 17-7 game thanks to two defensive touchdowns in seven seconds of game time, as the Chiefs went from up four to down 10 without the Raiders offense doing anything. Things only got weirder on the Chiefs next drive, as they stalled out at midfield but picked up a fourth down conversion on a fake punt pass from Tommy Townsend to Justin Watson.
Teachers are almost always teaching even when it’s not in their lesson plan.
Those that were born to be teachers find teachable moments everywhere and one woman found herself in one of those moments. Though this one was likely just a bit more personal than she probably would’ve liked.
Emily Elizabeth posted a TikTok video about how she found herself in a predicament in front of her classroom full of 10 and 11-year-old kids. The teacher explained that she was noticing a lot of commotion and whispering among the little girls in her class while she was wearing white pants. After reminding the girls to stay on task, the whispering continued, prompting Emily to be more direct.
That’s when one of the girls asked to speak with her privately dropping the bomb that no one that gets periods wants to hear in public.
“She goes, ‘I’m sorry Ms. Emily, but I just want to let you know that I think you might have got your period,'” the teacher recalls.
But instead of freaking out or being flustered, Emily decided to swallow her embarrassment and use the moment as a teachable experience. She promptly told the concerned girls that it was fine and that she had a change of clothes that she could wear. Just before excusing herself, the boys noticed something was wrong so they curiously asked. Emily informed them that she had gotten her period and while she was annoyed, she was perfectly fine.
One of the boys even sent her an email double checking that she was okay in a less public way. The sweet reaction from her class warmed her heart and the hearts of viewers.
“That boy who emailed…his parents must be incredible,” one commenter says.
“You set an excellent example! And to not hide it from the boys who asked because that would have spoken SO LOUDLY to the boys and girls about normalizing periods,” another writes.
“The email, you sound like an amazing teacher with an amazing group of kids,” someone says.
Let’s normalise talking about periods for girls AND boys … trying to find the silver lining 😅 #fyp #melbourneteacher #teachersoftiktok #teacherlife
This article originally appeared on 10.2.23
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
: #BALvsSF on ABC
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/pkwa8SXokx pic.twitter.com/W3MEkx5zVe
