The NFC West is on the line tonight as the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, both sitting at 11–3, collide under the lights on Prime Video in one of the biggest Thursday Night Football matchups of the season. With the division crown hanging in the balance and the San Francisco 49ers lurking just behind at 10–4, this game carries massive playoff implications for both teams. Two red‑hot quarterbacks—Matthew Stafford for the Rams and Sam Darnold for the Seahawks—headline a primetime duel that could ultimately decide home‑field positioning in January.

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Key Players to Watch on Both Sides

Both teams enter Week 16 loaded with star power and momentum. The Rams’ offense has been one of the league’s most explosive, averaging 383.6 yards per game, the second‑best mark in the NFL. Running back Kyren Williams continues to be a force, while wideout Davante Adams—though dealing with a hamstring issue—remains a game‑changing presence. Stafford has been sharp, guiding the Rams to wins in four of their last five meetings with Seattle.

Seattle counters with a balanced attack and one of the league’s top defenses, ranking fourth in total yards allowed. Quarterback Sam Darnold has stabilized the offense, while young star Jaxon Smith‑Njigba continues to emerge as a premier playmaker. The Seahawks have won four straight and are undefeated at home in primetime this season.

How to Watch and Listen: Full Broadcast Information

Kickoff:

• 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT) from Lumen Field in Seattle

National Broadcast:

• Prime Video (exclusive national stream)

Local TV:

• FOX 11 (Los Angeles) for Rams fans
• FOX 13 Seattle for Seahawks fans

Announcers:

• Al Michaels (play‑by‑play)
• Kirk Herbstreit (analyst)
• Kaylee Hartung (sideline)

Radio Coverage:

• Rams: ESPN LA 710 AM, 93.1 Jack FM, Tu Liga Radio 1330 AM (Spanish)
• Seahawks: Local affiliates listed via Seahawks Radio Network

The Final Three Games Will Decide Everything

After tonight’s showdown, both teams face critical closing stretches. The Rams, already playoff‑bound, look to secure seeding with three tough matchups ahead. Seattle, which can clinch a postseason berth with a win tonight, must finish strong to hold off San Francisco and keep their NFC West hopes alive.

With two elite teams, two surging quarterbacks, and the division title at stake, tonight’s Rams‑Seahawks clash on Prime Video has all the ingredients of a December classic.

The Tampa Bay Lightning made a roster move on December 2, 2025, calling up defenseman Maxim Groshev from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. It is another move in the gradual development that the organization has been monitoring closely in the past few years, and the timing puts him in a position to play at a time when NHL teams usually begin tightening their rotations. 

Syracuse has been relying on him in critical moments this season, and his statistics show that burden. The 23-year-old has gathered seven assists, eight penalty minutes, and a plus-8 rating through 19 games. He has been the most dependable on the roster as far as plus/minus is concerned and is also close to the top of the list among Crunch defensemen in terms of assists, points, and total number of shots produced. Those early-season trends provided Tampa Bay with good grounds to mention him.   

Fans who follow roster moves usually catch news like this right away, often using a mobile phone to instantly track and react to shifting betting odds, prop bets, and live market movements that create new wagering opportunities in real time.

Such movements are usually indicators that the organization believes in the player’s development and that it is time to act in the NHL. In the case of Groshev, the direction he takes renders the easy comprehension of why he is getting this chance. All his 142 AHL games have been played with the Crunch, and his games have so far yielded 17 goals, 51 points, 51 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 rating. The Lightning drafted him in the third round all the way back in 2020 and has developed into precisely the kind of dependable defenseman they projected when they picked him.

Tampa Bay has built a reputation for bringing players along with patience. Prospects are rarely rushed, especially at a position as demanding as defense. Groshev’s size, 6 feet 2 inches and 196 pounds, has always been one of his calling cards, but size alone doesn’t earn a recall. What’s changed over the last two seasons is how confidently he handles shifts at both ends of the ice. Syracuse has trusted him with defensive-zone starts, penalty-killing work, and heavier minutes against opposing top lines. The coaching staff has leaned on him in situations where consistency matters, and his play has held up without dramatic swings in performance.

And there is the fact that the Lightning, along with all NHL teams, change throughout the season. Simple lineup adjustments, injuries, and fatigue can open a door to a young player. The fact that Groshev was recalled does not necessarily guarantee instant ice time, but it does demonstrate that he is considered to be someone who can intervene where necessary without upsetting the setup of the back end. Predictability on the depth of the team is treasured by the teams, particularly on defense, and his history with the Crunch indicates that he can provide it. His plus/minus score this season, along with his number of shots and his potential to contribute to the offense when the opportunities arise, provides the Lightning with another reliable choice.

A call-up also creates a chance for a player to absorb the pace and rhythm of the NHL environment. Even if Groshev spends his first few days in meetings, practices, and walkthroughs rather than in live game action, that experience still carries value. Watching veteran defensemen manage pressure, communicate on the ice, and adjust to different opponents can be as important as the gameplay itself. For young players, these short windows often shape what they take back to the AHL if they return later.

Syracuse, on its end, will have to adjust the blue-line rotation slightly with Groshev away, but this is exactly the kind of development moment AHL clubs are designed to support. The Crunch have seen many of their players move up over the years, and Groshev’s recall fits into that familiar pattern. The coaching staff knows these opportunities are part of the process and often encourages players to embrace the pace when they get the call.

The time of the year also coincides with the time that NHL teams assess their depth as the season approaches the mid-season mark. December serves as a measurement point. The first two months of performance are examined by the organizations, the needs of the roster, and whether a player has proven enough to warrant exposure to the NHL group. Groshev’s numbers were already high, and the consistency he has demonstrated through several seasons in the AHL placed him at the right time. The line of thinking is not hard to follow: he is one of the most prolific defensemen in the history of Syracuse, he has registered significant minutes in any and every circumstance, and he has not exhibited any lack of consistency that would make a call-up a dangerous move.

The Lightning have been successful in using the Crunch as a development pipeline, and the recall of Groshev is no exception. Syracuse has spawned many players who have gotten small NHL chances, and later tend to be in full-time positions. Whether Groshev goes that way will be determined by how he manages to run this stretch and the way the team develops. Nevertheless, entering the NHL setting opens up a new tier of training and cements the demands of the position.

To Groshev himself, the recall is another step in the process, which began when he was drafted five years ago. His experience with Syracuse has provided him with a base that the organization has faith in, and his production in the early season proved that he was prepared to take the next step. Where it leads over the next few weeks remains to be seen, but he arrives with experience, confidence, and a style of play that fits what the Lightning values on their blue line.

Trey Burton is now officially a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. The former Gator was part of the 2025 induction class at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, becoming the 50th Florida player or coach to be honored. He joins an impressive lineup of names, including Lonni Alameda, Mike Alstott, and Ricky Carmichael.

Burton’s rise from Venice High QB to Super Bowl champion is a snapshot of the all-around skill and persistence that made him such a rare standout in Florida’s football history.

His ability to impact games from multiple positions made him one of the most difficult players for opposing defenses to prepare for during his four years in Gainesville. Florida fans looking for comprehensive coverage of Gator athletics and betting markets can find detailed analysis through the list of offshore sportsbooks. Such platforms track college football futures, player props, and game-by-game odds. Specifically, Burton’s unpredictable usage created unique challenges for oddsmakers trying to project his weekly production, as his snap counts varied dramatically depending on game situations and opponent matchups.

Burton comes from Venice, Florida, and made his name at Venice High School as one of the state’s better dual-threat prospects. In 2008, serving as the junior starter, he went 80-for-133 passing for 1,399 yards and 12 touchdowns.

By 2009, his senior year, he was running the show. He posted 1,876 yards and 18 TDs through the air, got picked off only once, and tacked on 821 rushing yards with 22 more touchdowns. The team went 9–2 with him leading the offense, and he earned FSWA 5A All-State First-Team honors as both a junior and a senior.

In 2007, Burton’s sophomore stat line read 1,318 yards and 13 TDs through the air plus 708 yards and nine scores on the ground. That kind of dual-threat output made him a priority target for Urban Meyer’s Florida program, and he picked the Gators ahead of USF, West Virginia, Miami, and Florida State.

On the next level, Burton signed with Florida and ran with the Gators from 2010 to 2013 for Urban Meyer and Will Muschamp. Meyer saw him as a spread QB when he recruited him. Once camp started, Burton proved to be a Swiss Army knife, taking reps at receiver, tight end, fullback, and quarterback.

Burton’s freshman season in 2010 produced one of the most memorable single-game performances in Florida football history. On September 25, 2010, against Kentucky, Burton scored six touchdowns during a 48-14 victory at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, breaking Tim Tebow’s team record for touchdowns in a single game. 

Burton ranked third in Florida history for total freshman touchdowns in a season with 14, trailing only Jabar Gaffney and matching Emmitt Smith. His 13 rushing touchdowns as a freshman placed him second in Gator history behind Smith’s freshman rushing touchdown record.

The Kentucky game is still the headline performance on Burton’s college résumé. He finished with just five carries for 40 yards, yet crossed the goal line on all five, stacking up six total touchdowns and turning the red zone into his personal playground. Those 36 points made him only the fourth player in SEC history to reach that total in one game and left him tied for second on the league’s all-time single-game scoring list.

He joined a short list that already included Cadillac Williams, who scored six times for Auburn against Mississippi State in 2003. Earlier that year, DeShawn Wynn had dropped 24 points on Florida A&M to set a freshman scoring mark at Florida. Burton later joked that fans would come up saying they remembered him hitting “five” against Kentucky (and he’d politely set the record straight).

The Gators kept moving Burton around, and his workload shifted with each new offensive coordinator and system, but the Swiss-Army-knife tag stuck. Across 50 games, he finished with 720 rushing yards, 976 receiving yards, and 20 total scores. Tennessee fans will tell you his 2012 showing at Neyland Stadium was a reminder of just how quickly he could flip a game.

Burton rushed three times for 93 yards, including touchdown dashes of 14 and 80 yards, as Florida came from behind to defeat Tennessee 37-20 in front of 102,000 fans. His 80-yard touchdown run demonstrated the home-run hitting capability that made him dangerous whenever he touched the ball. As a senior in 2013, Burton finished with a career-high 38 receptions, showcasing his development as a receiving weapon.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed Burton as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2014. He spent four seasons in Philadelphia, gradually carving out a role as a versatile tight end and special teams contributor. On November 26, 2015, Burton recorded his first career reception, finishing with two catches for 49 yards in a loss to Detroit.

He opened his Eagles career as a special-teams ace, posting a team-best 19 tackles in the third phase and hauling in three passes for 54 yards in 16 outings. With Doug Pederson on the sideline, Burton’s responsibilities on offense steadily expanded.

Burton’s career-defining moment came in Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots. With the Eagles leading by three points and just 34 seconds remaining in the first half, Philadelphia faced fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Instead of attempting a field goal, the Eagles ran one of the most famous trick plays in Super Bowl history.

The Eagles broke the huddle with Foles moving out to the right and Corey Clement taking the direct snap. Clement swept left and then lateralled to Burton on the reverse. Burton stopped, set his feet and dropped a short scoring pass to Foles, sealing the “Philly Special” into Super Bowl lore. Philadelphia ultimately outlasted the Patriots 41–33 to claim the title.

Burton cashed in on March 14, 2018, signing a four-year, $32 million contract with the Chicago Bears off the back of his Super Bowl showcase and reliable production. His first outing in navy and orange came on September 9 against Green Bay, when he posted a single 15-yard grab.

He later joined the Indianapolis Colts and wrapped up his pro career after the 2020 season. In total, Burton appeared in 98 NFL games, caught 159 passes for 1,532 yards, and left the league with one Super Bowl title on his résumé.