The 10 best episodes of “The Sopranos”, ranked

"Lately, I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over."

So says New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) in the first episode ofThe Sopranos, setting the stage for HBO's exploration of American decline and the creeping question of how we're contributing to it. Premiering in 1999, its themes remain resonant over 25 years later, cementing creator David Chase's bracing, hilarious, and tragic work as one of the most important (and entertaining) television series of all time.

The show has far more excellent episodes than duds, so choosing our favorite installments wasn't easy. From season 1 standouts to the final season's "Second Coming," here areEntertainment Weekly's picks for the best episodes ofThe Sopranos, ranked.

"The Second Coming" (season 6, episode 19)

As Tony slips into sociopathic self-preservation in the series' waning days, his love for his children provides his last link to humanity. Yet he acts like an animal to protect them, bullying AJ out of depression and kicking in the teeth of Phil's henchman, who harassed Meadow. It takes AJ's suicide attempt to bring him back, clutching his wailing son and tenderly murmuring ''Come on, baby.'' He finds his heart, but it's too late. Devastating. —Josh Wolk

"D-Girl" (season 2, episode 7)

HBO/Courtesy Everett

In an episode where AJ turns to Nietzsche and weed while Big Pussy winds up in FBI wires and tears, the mood is lightened when aspiring screenwriter Christopher stumbles into the film industry: He scores with a foul dialogue fix on a Janeane Garofalo set, sleeps with a hungry film exec, and ultimately gets used byJon Favreau, who swipes one of Christopher's off-limits Mob stories for his own script. A clever metameeting of two mercenary worlds. —Dan Snierson

"Boca" (season 1, episode 9)

Watching Tony turn on Meadow's soccer coach is to watch him exert his influence in every way. He goes from offering strippers (when the team wins) to bribery (when the coach takes a new job) to wanting him dead (when it is revealed he bedded a player). And when word leaks Junior has a taste for a certain sex act, the old man retaliates with the best food-to-face scene sinceJames Cagneyintroduced Mae Clarke to a grapefruit inThe Public Enemy. —Dalton Ross

"Long Term Parking" (season 5, episode 12)

In the beginning was the joke — ''We're in a f---in' stagmire,'' spoken, inimitably, by Little Carmine. In the end, though, we're still shaken remembering the miserable last days of Chrissy's tragic girlfriend and rat, Adriana — and her last desperate moments, crawling on hands and knees away from her fate at the end of Silvio's gun barrel.

She was beautiful, venal, used, and a user. She had to go. We still miss her the most. —Lisa Schwarzbaum

"Employee of the Month" (season 3, episode 4)

Barry Wetcher/HBO

The esplanade scam. Meadow and Jackie Jr. Johnny Sack's rotund wife. ''EOTM'' was ground zero for so many arcs. But it's Dr. Melfi's rape for which it's best remembered, and the way Melfi is tempted to ditch her principles for a shot at vengeance.Lorraine Braccois almost unbearably brilliant; she makes you feel every painful inch of her physical, emotional, and ethical ordeal. Her haunting final line — ''No'' — is crushingly heroic. —Jeff Jensen

"Funhouse" (season 2, episode 13)

Anthony Neste/HBO

What's a few stolen airline tickets between son and mother? Enough to land son in FBI custody, cuffed to an endlessly destructive relationship. But this season finale truly transcends when a different ''family'' tie is severed as Tony realizes that his homeboy-turned-snitch Big Pussy must be whacked. Watching a tequila-soaked Pussy try to negotiate the terms of his deep-sea shooting triggers waves of queasy heartbreak. —Dan Snierson

"Pine Barrens" (season 3, episode 11)

It's remembered as a comic high point: Paulie and Christopher botch a hit on a drunk Russian, get lost in the snowy woods tracking him, and end up freezing in an abandoned truck, sucking down ketchup packets for sustenance. But in light of Tony's paranoid housecleaning at series' end, it's the feral way the panicked duo turn on each other that resonates, a reminder how in this crew, survival trumps loyalty. —Josh Wolk

"Whitecaps" (season 4, episode 13)

The Sopranos' imperfect marriage always got by on a screwed-up code ofomertà, but it takes a near-fatal whacking when one of Tony's ex-comaresdrunk-dials the house and tells Carm about Tony's dalliances. The fallout is family drama at its unparalleled best. Watch this episode forEdie Falco's fiery, Emmy-winning performance as a woman both exhausted and scorned. It's a historic exercise in onscreen fearlessness. —Nicholas Fonseca

"The Knight in White Satin Armor" (season 2, episode 12)

''All in all,'' says T as his sister takes her bag of need and rage back to Seattle, ''I'd say it was a pretty good visit.'' Better than that: Tony deals with a suicidalgoomah, Junior sides with his nephew, Big Pussy sings. Oh, and Janice pulls the trigger on Richie Aprile in one of the greatest shock pops inSopranoshistory. For a Grand Guignol flourish, nothing beats the late-night fleshhacking in Satriale's. —Lisa Schwarzbaum

"College" (season 1, episode 5)

What starts as an innocent father/daughter college visit takes a shocking turn when Tony brutally strangles a Mob turncoat. But it's Carmela who serves up the show's essential themes of trust and treachery, rationalization and regret, as she flirts with Father Phil during a dark night of true confessions and illicit movie-watching: ''Well, let's face it, Father — we got somemajorcontradictions here!'' Fuhgeddaboudit? Impossible. —Jeff Jensen

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December 27, 2025

The 10 best episodes of “The Sopranos”, ranked

"Lately, I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over." So says New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano (Jame...

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Brooklyn Beckham Celebrates Christmas with Wife Nicola Peltz’s Parents amid Ongoing Beckham Family Drama

Nicola Peltz Beckham/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• Brooklyn Beckham spent the holidays with his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham, and her parents, Nelson Peltz and Claudia Heffner Peltz

• Nicola shared a series of photos on Instagram of the family gathering

• Brooklyn's time spent with his in-laws comes amid ongoing drama with his own family

Brooklyn Beckhamis spending the holidays with his wife,Nicola Peltz Beckham, and her loved ones amid ongoing drama with his family.

On Friday, Dec. 26, Nicola, 30, shared a series ofphotoson Instagram of herself posing in front of a Christmas tree with Brooklyn, 26, and her parents,Nelson Peltz and Claudia Heffner Peltz.

"We wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year filled with so much love, peace and happiness ❤️🎄⭐️," Nicola wrote in her caption.

Two days prior, Brooklyn shared a glimpse of their holiday festivities witha snapshot of himself holding his wife's handon his Instagram Stories.

"My everything," he wrote across the photo, which showed a tattoo on his hand that read, "Beautiful girl Nicola."

View this post on Instagram

The holiday posts from Brooklyn and Nicola were shared not long after the drama surrounding the family's Instagram following.

After it was reported that Brooklyn and his parents,DavidandVictoria Beckham, were no longer following each other on Instagram,Cruz Beckhamcame to his parents' defense, claiming thatBrooklyn blocked them.

Alongside a screenshot of aDaily Mailarticle stating that his parents had unfollowed Brooklyn, Cruz, 20, wrote on his Instagram Stories, "NOT TRUE."

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham/Instagram

"My mum and dad would never unfollow their son … Let's get the facts right," he continued. "They woke up blocked … as did I."

While David, 50, and Victoria, 51, both still follow their other two sons, Cruz andRomeo Beckham, they do not follow Nicola, and she does not follow them back. The couple's youngest child, daughterHarper Beckham, meanwhile, has a private Instagram account.

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Victoria Beckham/Instagram

Victoria previously shared a glimpse at her Christmas festivities on Instagram, including avideo of herself dancingwith her husband, which she captioned, "Truly the best daddy.❤️."

She also posted an image of herself wearing matching pajamas with David, and she commended Cruz for making "the best dirty martini."

Thefeud between Brooklyn and the rest of his familybegan around the time of his and Nicola's 2022 wedding.

Back in May, a source told PEOPLE that Victoria allegedlyhijacked a dance at Brooklyn's wedding, despite her son and Nicola's planned moment for a song performed byMarc Anthony.

"Before the song began, Marc Anthony asked Brooklyn to come to the stage, and then announced, 'The most beautiful woman in the room tonight, come on up … Victoria Beckham!' " the source said, adding that Nicola allegedly "felt that Victoria ruined her wedding, and couldn't understand why."

Since then, tensions have grown, withBrooklyn missing David's 50th birthday celebrations, and members of the familysharing cryptic messageson social media.

One Brooklyn shared in May was an Instagram video of himself and Nicola riding a motorcycle.

"My whole world x," Brooklyn captioned the post. "I will love you forever x I always choose you baby x you're the most amazing person i know xx me and you forever baby❤️❤️," he wrote in the caption.

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December 27, 2025

Brooklyn Beckham Celebrates Christmas with Wife Nicola Peltz’s Parents amid Ongoing Beckham Family Drama

Nicola Peltz Beckham/Instagram NEED TO KNOW Brooklyn Beckham spent the holidays with his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham, and her parents, Nel...

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'Survivor' Finalist Sophi Balerdi Gets Real About Menstrual Cycles During the Show

From the very beginning,Survivorhas been all about keeping yourself alive and strong in the wild. Contestants have been seen catching fish or eating worms for food, shivering through the night in their makeshift shelters during rainstorms, brushing their teeth with sticks, and joking about going to the bathroom in the water, so what happens when a woman on the show menstruates? Season 49 finalist Sophi Balerdi shared what it's really like on Dec. 26.

Related:Are Survivor's 'Tres Leches' Alliance Still Friends After the Show?

"Here's the deal with the periods onSurvivor," she began in an honestInstagram video. "It is a TV show where we're actually starving. We're actually pooping in theocean, and I think for this reason, the women have it a lot harder. The game's a lot harder because we have to deal with our menstrual cycle."

However, that doesn't mean you have to make your own sanitary napkins out of palm fronds. "Luckily, the people behind the scenes onSurvivorreally care about their players," she continued. "You're gonna be in good hands if you ever apply. There's a doctor on standby. There are feminine products if you need [them]."

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That said, it's definitely "still difficult," according to the runner-up, who lost to her bestieSavannah Louiein the Season 49 finale inDecember2025. She said "bleed[ing] through your underwear and your tampons," "hav[ing] cramps", and "hav[ing] mood swings" can still lead to difficulty in the game.

Related:'Survivor 49' Favorite Reveals Grueling Pre-Show Diet and Exercise Routine

"If you've got cloudy judgment, you might not take someone's advantage, and you might lose the game," she joked, as she herself failed to steal Steven Ramm's Block a Vote with her Knowledge Is Power, while many believed she should have taken her ally Rizo Velovic's idol instead.

Balerdi, who was one of only two players who made it out of the unlucky Kele tribe after losing every single challenge in the early stages of the game, was also unfortunate when it came to her cycle.

"A lot of women get lucky in that because we're starving, they don't get their period at all," she explained in the video. "I was unlucky and got my period two times in the entire time that I played, so I had it in the first six days of the game, and I had it in the last six days of the game. It was very uncomfortable."

Related:Jeff Probst Is 'Embarrassed' by This Outdated 'Survivor' Rule

Despite the added challenges, Balerdi made it all the way to No. 2, and she's proud of herself, Louie, and second runner-up Sage Ahrens Nichols, for what they achieved. "That is why women are amazing," she said. "On my season, the final three were all women, and a woman won. So was it hard to have your period onSurvivor? Hell yes. But will it stop you from winning the game and a million dollars? No, because women can do anything."

This story was originally published byParadeon Dec 27, 2025, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

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'Survivor' Finalist Sophi Balerdi Gets Real About Menstrual Cycles During the Show

From the very beginning,Survivorhas been all about keeping yourself alive and strong in the wild. Contestants have been s...

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Hundreds of thousands of ‘Epstein files’ have been released — and there’s a lot more to come

The "Epstein files" saga will spill into 2026, despite a deadline last week to release all of the records.

Congress passed a law last month — with near-unanimous support — requiring the Justice Department to release all of its files about Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who was accused of abusingdozens of underage girls. Epstein died by suicide in 2019.

The so-called"Epstein files"are made of over 300 gigabytes of data, papers, videos, photographs and audio files that live within the FBI's main electronic case management system and largely originate from the FBI's two major investigations into Epstein, in Florida and New York, spanning decades.

The new transparency law gave the Justice Department a December 19 deadline to release all the records related to Epstein. The department has since published hundreds of thousands of files over the past week to a landing page on the DOJ website, dubbed the "Epstein Library."

The records included on the Justice Department website include court records, responses to public records requests, and documents previously released by the House Committee on Oversight and Government reform.

But many of Epstein's victims, as well as lawmakers from both parties, have criticized these releases for beingincomplete and over-redacted. Others raised concerns aboutunder-redacted portionsthat exposed at least one victim's identity.

And then the Justice Department made asurprise announcementWednesday that there are over a million more newly discovered documents potentially related to Epstein — and that they'll take "weeks" to review and release them.

Trump appointees at the Justice Department say they're acting in good faith to release as much material as fast as possible, while also going through the painstaking work of reviewing every file to make sure victims' identifies are shielded, as required by the law.

The Justice Department didn't respond to CNN's request for comment Friday.

Here's what you need to know about the records that have already been released, how many files might come out in the next few weeks, and which documents to look out for in the new year.

How many records have been released so far?

Thefirst releasecame Friday, December 19 — which was the deadline to release all of the records.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said at the time "several hundred thousand" documents would be posted to the "Epstein Library" website that day. In a post on X that day, the Justice Departmentsaidit was "releasing a massive tranche of new documents," and took a swing at the Obama and Biden administrations for not releasing these same files.

The Department continued to post records into the early hours of Saturday, December 20.

Anotherlarger troveof records was posted on Tuesday, December 23. The Justice Departmentsaidthis contained nearly "30,000 more pages." That was the most recent release.

It's important to remember that back in November, the House Oversight Committeeseparately releasedabout 23,000 pages of Epstein-related documents that it got from his estate, and has followed that up with someadditional releases, with more potentially to come. The previously released records from the House were among those re-posted to the new Justice Department website.

What has been released so far?

The "Epstein Library" clearinghouse is broken down into four categories.

One category is "Court Records," which contains already-public filings from more than 50 civil and criminal cases related to Epstein and his now-incarcerated associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Other categories include "Freedom of Information Act," which contain documents released over the years by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies through public records requests. There's also a category with a link to the House Oversight disclosures.

But the key category is "DOJ Disclosures," which contains most of the new material.

This is where we learned about the2021 subpoena to Mar-a-Lagobefore Maxwell's trial and the email from federal prosecutors about Trump flying on Epstein's jet in the 1990s. It's also where we sawnew photosof former President Bill Clinton hanging out with Epstein, and swimming in a pool Maxwell and another woman whose face is redacted.

(Trump and Clinton deny any wrongdoing. Neither man has been accused by law enforcement of any wrongdoing or charged with any crimes in connection with Epstein.)

That category also included a handwritten letter purportedly signed by "J. Epstein" and addressed to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar, which included crude references to Trump. The lewd note went viral almost as soon as it was released Tuesday, but by the end of the day, the Justice Department announced that the document wasfake.

One reporter asked on X why the DOJ would release a known fake document. TheDOJ account respondedthat the law requires it to release all documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. "Are you suggesting we break the law?" the post said.

How much more is out there?

On December 19, the day of the first document drop, Blanche said, "I expect several hundred thousand more" files to be released in the future. A Justice Department"fact sheet"posted on Sunday, December 21, stated that there were still "hundreds of thousands of pages of material to release."

The Justice Department's leadership hadaskedTuesday, two days before Christmas, for career prosecutors in Florida to volunteer over the "next several days" to help redact theEpstein files.

But the bombshell came on Christmas Eve. That's when the DOJ announced that its Manhattan office, and the FBI, "uncovered over a million more documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case."

In its announcement, the Justice Departmentpleaded for patience, saying "We have lawyers working around the clock," but that, "due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks," before all of the new documents are posted.

That drew bipartisan anger on Capitol Hill, and from the community of Epstein survivors.

Some asked how so many new files could be discovered, one month after the law was passed, andten months afterAttorney General Pam Bondiorderedthe FBI to "deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office" — and set a February 28 deadline.

"From the very beginning, as we've said, this has been a disaster," James Marsh, an attorney for Epstein survivors, said Friday on CNN's "The Situation Room."

"They came in to this administration, going to unseal all of these documents on the very first day," Marsh continued. "They backtracked. They released some. They hadbinders. They've had at least a year to start working on this. And it's somewhat no surprise that it's come down to the last minute, and beyond, that we begin to see actual compliance."

What still hasn't been released?

It's unclear what's in the potentially new, million-document batch. But it comes from the FBI and the DOJ's Southern District of New York, which prosecuted Maxwell and Epstein earlier, before his suicide.Court filingsfrom her case indicate there were "millions of documents produced in discovery" for her trial.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, has been among the most vocal supporters on Capitol Hill for releasing the files. He told CNN's Kaitlan Collinslast weekthat, "The most important documents are missing."

He said he's eager for the Justice Department to release a 60-count draft indictment against Epstein that was written — but never filed — by federal prosecutors in 2007. There is also an 82-page memo that was written in support of pursuing that prosecution.

Instead of facing federal charges that year, Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to state prostitution charges, including one involving minors, in 2008 and was sentenced to 13 months in jail, though he was permitted to spend a significant chunk of that time on "work release" at his office, an arrangement that drew the ire of victims and has been widely criticized.

Khanna andGOP Rep. Thomas Massie, who co-wrote the Epstein Files Transparency Act, have threatened to possibly hold DOJ leaders in contempt if they don't follow through and release these documents, as well as all the other remaining files required by law.

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December 27, 2025

Hundreds of thousands of ‘Epstein files’ have been released — and there’s a lot more to come

The "Epstein files" saga will spill into 2026, despite a deadline last week to release all of the records. Congress passed a law...

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African regional bodies reject Israel's recognition of Somaliland

Africa's regional governance bodies on Saturday rejected Israel's recognition of Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation, a day earlier.

Somaliland, a territory of more than 3 million people in the Horn of Africa, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 amid a descent into conflict. Despite having its own government and currency, it had never been recognized by any nation in the world until Friday.

The African Union Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, said any attempt to undermine Somalia's sovereignty risks peace and stability on the continent.

He said that the commission "firmly rejects any initiative or action aimed at recognizing Somaliland as an independent entity, recalling that Somaliland remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia."

Somalia's federal government on Friday strongly rejected what it described as an unlawful move by Israel to recognize Somaliland, reaffirming that the northern region remains an integral part of Somalia's sovereign territory.

It was not known why Israel made the declaration at this time or whether it was expecting something in return.

Earlier this year, U.S. and Israeli officials told The Associated Press that Israel had approached Somaliland about taking in Palestinians from Gaza as part of U.S. President Trump's plan at the time to resettle the territory's population. The United States has since abandoned that plan.

Netanyahu's office said on Friday that he, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, and Somaliland's president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, signed a joint declaration "in the spirit of the Abraham Accords."

That initiative, which started in 2020,established commercial and diplomatic tiesbetween Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority countries. Mr. Trump sees it as key to his plan for bringing long-term stability to the Middle East.

"I'll communicate to President Trump your willingness and desire to join the Abraham Accords," Netanyahu told Abdullahi in a video call celebrating the diplomatic breakthrough.

However, Mr. Trump was less willing to join ally Israel in recognizing the independence of Somaliland, telling theNew York Postthat he has to "study" it.

"We'll study it. I study a lot of things and always make great decisions and they turn out to be correct," he said.

The foreign ministry of Egypt — a major mediator in theIsrael-Hamas war— said on social media that it rejects Israel's recognition of Somaliland and stressed full support for Somalia's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

East African governing body IGAD, in a statement on Saturday, said Somalia's sovereignty was recognized under international law.

"Any unilateral recognition runs contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, the Constitutive Act of the African Union, and the Agreement establishing IGAD," the statement read in part.

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December 27, 2025

African regional bodies reject Israel's recognition of Somaliland

Africa's regional governance bodies on Saturday rejected Israel's recognition of Somalia's breakaway region o...

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Soccer Coach and His 3 Young Children Die After Boat Sinks Near Popular Tourist Destination

Handout/BASARNAS/AFP via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• A soccer coach and his three young children died in a boating incident on Dec. 27

• Fernando Martín was 44 and his three children who died were ages 12, 10 and 9

• Professional Spanish soccer club Valencia CF announced the news of the family members' deaths

A soccer coach and his three young children have died in a boating incident.

Professional Spanish soccer club Valencia CFannounced the newsthrough an X post on Saturday, Dec. 27, revealing that its women's B team coach, Fernando Martín, died "in a tragic boating accident in Indonesia."

The soccer club added that three of Martín's children died with him. "At this extremely difficult time, the Club would like to express its deepest condolences and full support to his family, friends and colleagues at Valencia CF, Valencia CF Femenino and the VCF Academy," Valencia CF said.

Real Madrid, another professional soccer club, shared its condolences to Valencia CF and Martín's family for their loss in astatementon Dec. 27. The team said Martín was 44 and his children who died were ages 12, 10 and 9.

"Real Madrid wishes to express its horror, and extends its condolences and deepest affection to his wife, Andrea, and his daughter, Mar, at this incredibly difficult time," the soccer club said, referring to the coach's surviving family members.

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Handout/BASARNAS/AFP via Getty

According toAssociated Press,The Independentand Catalan newspaperDiari Ara, a tour boat carrying 11 people — a family of six, four crew members and a local guide — sank overnight near Padar Island, located within Komodo National Park in Indonesia.

Port authorities in the area said that the boating incident may have occurred due to rough seas, with waves of up to nearly 10 feet high reported, according to Diari Ara.

Fathur Rahman, who heads the Maumere Search and Rescue Office, told the AP that three people were rescued by a passing vessel and four others were picked up by a search and rescue team.

He added to the outlet and Diari Ara that search efforts had to be suspended on Dec. 27 due to bad weather and poor visibility, but they will resume on Sunday, Dec. 28.

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December 27, 2025

Soccer Coach and His 3 Young Children Die After Boat Sinks Near Popular Tourist Destination

Handout/BASARNAS/AFP via Getty NEED TO KNOW A soccer coach and his three young children died in a boating incident on Dec. 27 Fernando Ma...

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Texans vs. Chargers score, live updates: Playoff implications abound as Houston, Los Angeles face off

The Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers have a huge game in Week 17, withwild-card and divisional implications. The Chargers have clinched a playoff spot, while the Texans are still in the hunt, just one game behind Jacksonville in the AFC South.

Houston (10-5) is on a seven-game win streak and feels destined for a playoff run led by the No. 1 defense in the NFL. All that needs to be settled is whether it'll be on the road as a wild card in the first round or playing at home as the AFC South champs for a third consecutive year. The only thing that could hold back Houston is an offense that occasionally gets in its own way.

This Chargers (11-4) team has hung around all season and quietly has a chance to win the AFC West after trailing in the division for most of the season. The Chargers made easy work of the Cowboys in Week 16 and received a helping hand when Jacksonville knocked off Denver. If the Chargers can get past Houston this week, it could set up a winner-take-all scenario in the final week of the season when they take on the Broncos in Denver.

How to watch Texans vs. Chargers

Texans-Chargers start time:4:30 p.m. ETLocation:SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, Calif.TV channel, live stream:CBS, NFL Network

Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers battle it out on Saturday afternoon:

• 

  Sat, December 27, 2025 at 10:02 PM GMT+2

  Sean Leahy

  LA going with navy "Super Chargers" uniforms vs. Texans

  This will be the third time this season the Chargers will go for the vintage look as they hope to go 3-0 in these uniforms.

  The getup is a nod to the 1990s-2000s era that saw the franchise reach Super Bowl XXIX and then a run of five AFC West titles in six years.

  navy always hits pic.twitter.com/ZS6PRfKm6n

  — Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 27, 2025

• 

  Sat, December 27, 2025 at 10:00 PM GMT+2

  Sean Leahy

  What today's game means for both Chargers, Texans

  5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)*: Remaining schedule — vs. Houston Texans, at Denver Broncos

  Notable odds: The Chargers are in the postseason after the Colts lost on Monday. And suddenly, LA control its own path to an AFC West title if it wins out, including at the Broncos in the season finale. The Chargers are also alive for the No. 1 seed at 3%, according to The Athletic.

  7. Houston Texans (10-5): Remaining schedule — at Los Angeles Chargers, vs. Indianapolis Colts

  Playoff-clinching scenarios:

  • Texans win or tie, OR

  • Colts loss or tie, OR

  • Texans clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over Colts (Ravens win + Bills win + Chiefs win + 49er win + Falcons loss + Dolphins loss

  Notable odds: The Texans are a near lock to make the playoffs but have just a 21% chance of winning the AFC South, per The Athletic.

  Read more about the NFL playoff picture here.

byCosmopolite

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December 27, 2025

Texans vs. Chargers score, live updates: Playoff implications abound as Houston, Los Angeles face off

The Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers have a huge game in Week 17, withwild-card and divisional implications. The C...

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