LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — This was not a terrific performance by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, from a fumble on the opening kickoff to a pair of penalties on the tush push to three wide-left field-goal tries to a halftime deficit.
Still, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and company eventually got going in the right direction and clinched a second consecutive NFC East title by beating the Washington Commanders 29-18 on Saturday night. The game included a late brawl after Barkley tacked on a 2-point conversion to increase the Eagles’ lead to 19 points.
Starting plays under center far more frequently than he did earlier in the season, Hurts completed 22 of 30 throws — with 15 of those caught by A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith — for 185 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. He connected with Smith from 5 yards out in the first half and with tight end Dallas Goedert from 15 to put Philadelphia ahead 14-10 in the third quarter, capping a 17-play, 83-yard, 10 1/2-minute drive.
Hurts also did plenty of damage on the ground, gaining 40 yards on seven carries for the Eagles (10-5), who have followed a three-game losing streak by winning two in a row. They are the first team to top the NFC East in back-to-back seasons since Philadelphia did it every year from 2001 to 2004; the gap since then was the longest drought without a repeat champ for any division in NFL history.
Barkley added a 12-yard TD run for the Eagles, part of his 21-carry, 132-yard performance.
BEARS 22, PACKERS 16, OT
CHICAGO (AP) — Caleb Williams threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore in overtime, and Chicago overcame a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter for a win over Green Bay, who lost quarterback Jordan Love to a concussion.
The Bears (11-4) extended their lead in the NFC North to 1 1/2 games over the Packers (9-5-1) with two left to play and got some payback for a loss at Lambeau Field two weeks earlier. It was Chicago’s sixth win this season after trailing in the final two minutes and its most incredible — Green Bay had a win probability of 99%.
Chicago moved closer to its first trip to the postseason since 2020 with a rare victory in the NFL’s oldest rivalry. Counting the playoffs, the Bears are 7-30 against Green Bay since 2008. They would clinch a playoff berth if old nemesis Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Cairo Santos kicked a 43-yard field goal that got Chicago within 16-9 with 1:59 remaining. The Bears had no choice but to try an onside kick, and Josh Blackwell recovered it.
The Bears tied it with 24 seconds left when Williams beat an all-out blitz on fourth down and lofted a pass to a wide-open Jahdae Walker in the right corner of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown. Coach Ben Johnson opted to have Santos kick the tying extra point rather than go for the 2-point conversion.
In overtime, the Packers had fourth-and-1 at the Chicago 36 when backup quarterback Malik Willis fumbled the snap. Chicago took over at the 36 and, four plays later, Moore hauled in the winning TD from Williams with Keisean Nixon draped all over him, setting off a wild celebration. Two weeks earlier, Nixon sealed the Packers’ win when he intercepted Williams in the end zone.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby (37) runs for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
PHOENIX (AP) — When Turning Point USA's annual AmericaFest convention reached its halfway point, Erika Kirk tried to put a smiling face on things.
“Say what you want about AmFest, but it’s definitely not boring,” said Kirk, who has led the influential conservative organization since her husband Charlie was assassinated in September. “Feels like a Thanksgiving dinner where your family’s hashing out the family business.”
That's one way to put it.
Some of the biggest names in conservative media took turns torching each other on the main stage, spending more time targeting right-wing rivals than their left-wing opponents.
The feuds could ultimately define the boundaries of the Republican Party and determine the future of President Donald Trump's fractious coalition, which appears primed for more schisms in the months and years ahead.
Here are some of the most notable moments from the four-day conference.
Ben Shapiro, co-founder of the conservative media outlet Daily Wire, set the tone with the first speech after Erika Kirk opened the convention. He attacked fellow commentators in deeply personal terms, saying some of the right's most popular figures are morally bankrupt.
Candace Owens “has been vomiting all sorts of hideous and conspiratorial nonsense into the public square for years,” he said.
Megyn Kelly is “guilty of cowardice" because she's refused to condemn Owens for spreading unsubstantiated theories about Kirk's death.
And Tucker Carlson's decision to host antisemite Nick Fuentes on his podcast was “an act of moral imbecility.”
Barely an hour later, Carlson took the same stage and mocked Shapiro’s attempt to “deplatform and denounce” people who disagree with him.
“I watched it,” he said. “I laughed.”
Others had their chance the next night.
“Ben Shapiro is like a cancer, and that cancer spreads,” said Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser.
Kelly belittled Shapiro as a marginal figure in the conservative movement and said their friendship is over.
“I resent that he thinks he’s in a position to decide who must say what, to whom, and when,” Kelly said.
Owens, who has spread unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk's death, wasn't welcome at the convention. But she responded on her podcast, calling Shapiro a “miserable imp."
Israel came up repeatedly during the conference.
Some on the right have questioned whether the Republican Party's historically steadfast support for Israel conflicts with Trump's “America First” platform. Carlson criticized civilian deaths in Gaza in remarks that wouldn't have been out of place in progressive circles.
Some attendees dug deep into history, highlighting Israel's attack on the USS Liberty off the Sinai Peninsula in 1967. Israel said it mistook the ship for an Egyptian vessel during the Six Day War, while critics have argued that it was a deliberate strike.
Bannon accused Shapiro, who is Jewish, and others who staunchly support Israel of being part of “the Israel first crowd.” Kelly said criticism from Shapiro and Bari Weiss, the newly installed head of CBS News, “is about Israel."
Erika Kirk pledged Turning Point’s support for Vice President JD Vance to be the next Republican presidential nominee.
“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she said on the first night of the convention. Vance would be the 48th president if he takes office after Trump.
Turning Point is a major force on the right, with a massive volunteer network around the country that can be especially helpful in early primary states.
Vance was close with Charlie Kirk, whose backing helped enable his rapid political rise. The vice president is scheduled to close out the convention as the final speaker on Sunday.
The Make America Healthy Again movement had a big presence at Turning Point, signaling its quick rise in the right-wing ecosystem.
MAHA is spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy, who leads the Department of Health and Human Services. However, there has been friction with other parts of the Make America Great Again coalition, particularly when it comes to rolling back environmental regulations.
Wellness influencer Alex Clark, whose podcast is sponsored by Turning Point, asked the crowd whether the Environmental Protection Agency is “with us or against us?”
“Big chemical, big ag and big food are trying to split MAGA from MAHA so things can go back to business as usual, but we don’t want that, do we?” Clark said.
Clark and others have asked for Trump to fire EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who responded by reaching out to MAHA activists. The EPA also said it would release a MAHA agenda for the agency.
The EPA did not immediately return a request for comment on Clark's speech.
Erika Kirk smiles at a question and answer session during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Benny Johnson speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Attendees sing and pray during Faith Night worship events at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Benny Johnson speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Megyn Kelly, center, speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Ben Shapiro speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Erika Kirk, center, speaks as Jack Posobiec, left, and Megyn Kelly look on during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
