The draft is always popular because it offers hope for the future for just about every fan base, whether it’s a downtrodden franchise looking to turn things around, or a winning one looking to maintain success.

The Jaguars did what they needed to do on New Year’s Eve. Next up, a trip to Nashville with the season on the line.

Jaguars season is back and our News4JAX sports staff is back with its predictions as well. Each week, we’ll unveil our predictions for the week’s game. Jacksonville (8-7) hosts Carolina (2-13) at EverBank Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. trying to escape a four-game losing streak.

We are now here at Week 17 in the 2023 NFL regular season, only two games left, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are getting set take on the Carolina Panthers in their final home game of the season on New Year’s Eve.

The Chicago Bears can increase their chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft by winning a game.

The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers are taking their on-ice Metropolitan Division rivalry to paper.

The Carolina Panthers have given rookie quarterback Bryce Young the first-team reps in practice this week, a move that coach Frank Reich said is the next step in his progression.

Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich says he and general manager Scott Fitterer have reached an agreement on which quarterback the team will take with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

The Carolina Panthers are on the clock.

The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with Ejiro Evero to be their new defensive coordinator.

There has already been two coaching changes halfway through the NFL season with Indianapolis firing Frank Reich this week four weeks after Carolina did the same to Matt Rhule.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield has ignited what was already expected to be an emotionally charged Week 1 game against his former team, the Cleveland Browns.

Baker Mayfield said he was “shocked” to learn that he was not in the Cleveland Browns’ future plans earlier this offseason.

The Carolina Panthers now have two of the top three overall picks from the 2018 draft class on their roster, and both happen to be quarterbacks.

Vincent Trocheck buried a short-handed goal, Teuvo Teravainen had a rare power-play score for Carolina and the Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 3-1 on Thursday night to take a 3-2 lead in the second-round playoff series.

Andrew Copp had a goal and two assists, and Frank Vatrano and Adam Fox each had a goal and an assist as the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 in Game 4 to even their second-round series.

Ian Cole beat Igor Shesterkin at 3:12 of overtime to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 2-1 to take Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.

Brad Marchand scored one goal and assisted on another to lead the Boston Bruins past the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 and send their first-round playoff series to a decisive seventh game.

Brad Marchand had two goals and three assists to help the Boston Bruins beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 and even their first-round playoff series a two games apiece.

The NHL playoffs are missing the close games and comebacks that seemingly comes annually with all the postseason intensity.

Sebastian Aho and Nino Niederreiter each scored twice and the Carolina Hurricanes overcame the early loss of goalie Antti Raanta to beat the Boston Bruins 5-2 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.

Puerto Rico’s governor says he is ending the requirement for mask use indoors for the second time since the pandemic began as cases and hospitalizations ease.

The Associated Press will hand out its individual NFL awards on Feb. 10 at NFL Honors in Los Angeles.

Defenseman Brett Pesce scored his first goal of the season with 2:27 left as the Carolina Hurricanes remained undefeated with a 2-1 victory over the winless Arizona Coyotes on Sunday.

Sam Darnold threw for 304 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and the Carolina Panthers eased past the Houston Texans 24-9 despite losing Christian McCaffrey to a hamstring injury early in the second quarter.

Puerto Rico’s governor has announced new restrictions to fight a rise in COVID-19 cases, including the closure of certain private businesses and banning alcohol sales after midnight.

Andrei Vasilevskiy closed another postseason series by turning away every shot.

Brayden Point and Ross Colton scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy controlled the crease, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Tuesday night to win the second-round playoff series in five games.

An explosive second period propels the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-1 series lead against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli scored while Andrei Vasilevskiy was strong in net once again, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 for a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Barclay Goodrow beat Alex Nedeljkovic for the go-ahead goal at 12:39 of the third period to help the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 to open their second-round playoff series.

Jordan Staal scored off a rebound at 1:44 of overtime to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

The New York Jets have traded quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers.

___The next two George Washington men’s basketball games have been postponed due to the continued pause on basketball activities after positive tests within Tier 1 personnel. ___Boston College has postponed two men’s basketball games this week because of positive COVID-19 tests, prompting the Atlantic Coast Conference to juggle its schedule. Carolina, Dallas, Florida, Nashville and Tampa Bay have all had games postponed because of the pandemic. ___The Chattanooga Mocs have postponed a pair of men’s basketball games after a positive COVID-19 test among the team’s Tier 1 personnel. ___The Southern Conference postponed three games because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Furman and Chattanooga men’s basketball programs.

For Peter Laviolette, his Washington Capitals will keep playing for the next week without four prominent players who broke the rules. There's no indication the Capitals are being shut down, though they will have to play the next four games without captain Alex Ovechkin, No. The NHL defers to local authorities, and the minimum four games for the Capitals players relates to the District of Columbia's quarantine regulations. The Hurricanes have so far had three games postponed because of their outbreak and won't play for at least a week. I think that’s really what we’re going to find out.”___AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard and Stephen Hawkins contributed.

Puerto Ricos new governor Pierluisi announced Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, that he will reopen beaches, marinas and pools, eliminate a Sunday lockdown and shorten a curfew that has been in place since the pandemic began to control the number of COVID-19 cases. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, File)SAN JUAN – Puerto Rico’s new governor announced Tuesday that he will reopen beaches, marinas and pools, eliminate a Sunday lockdown and shorten a curfew that has been in place since the pandemic began to control the number of COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, the new curfew will run from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and face masks remain mandatory. The announcement was cheered by many across Puerto Rico who have long sought to visit the U.S. territory’s beaches that had remained off limits to all except those doing exercise. Carlos Mellado, Puerto Rico's designated health secretary, said he expects 40,000 vaccine doses to arrive on the island every week.

Haskins' failed second chance coupled with a special teams blunder and defensive miscues added up to Washington blowing its first chance to clinch the NFC East by losing to the Carolina Panthers 20-13 on Sunday. With Christian McCaffrey out again, Curtis Samuel had five catches for 106 yards and was the Panthers' leading rusher with 52 yards on seven carries. 2 pick forced Bridgewater to fumble on a sack in Washington territory early in the third quarter to prevent Carolina from putting up even more points. Washington: Played without top WR Terry McLaurin, who couldn't keep gutting through a nagging ankle injury. Washington: Gets another chance to win the NFC East next Sunday at Philadelphia.

Green Bay (11-3) won its fourth straight despite getting outscored 13-3 and outgained 214-49 in the second half. Rodgers called the second half “definitely a stinker for the offense.”“We just know that type of football in the second half is not going to get it done in the playoffs, where we're going,” Rodgers said. Green Bay took a half-game lead over New Orleans (10-3) in the race for the NFC’s best record. We played better after that.”Carolina scored the first 10 points of the second half on Bridgewater’s 13-yard scramble and Slye’s 22-yard field goal. Green Bay hosts Tennessee in another night game on Dec. 27.

Coastal Carolina tight end Isaiah Likely (4) celebrates a touchdown with Coastal Carolina running back CJ Marable (1) against Troy during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Troy, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)TROY, Ala. – Jaivon Heiligh caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Grayson McCall with 45 seconds left and No. 11 Coastal Carolina preserved its first perfect regular season with a 42-38 win over Troy on Saturday. Kaylon Geiger had 103 receiving yards for Troy and Reggie Todd had 101, including a 41-yard touchdown. Free led Troy down the field to stay alive, setting up Jamontez Woods’ 3-yard touchdown run with 2:48 left. He ran for a touchdown and added the two-point conversion with 30 seconds left last season to give Coastal a 36-35 victory.

Brady threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, Ronald Jones set a franchise-record with a 98-yard touchdown run, and the Buccaneers bounced back from a dreadful defeat with a resounding 46-23 win over the Carolina Panthers. Panthers coach Matt Rhule described Brady’s play as “elite” and “fantastic.”The Bucs ran the ball just five times last week. Tampa Bay racked up 544 yards on offense and outgained the Panthers 322-35 in the second half and outscored them 29-6. Chris Godwin had 92 yards receiving for the Buccaneers (7-3), who swept the season series and handed the Panthers (3-7) their fifth straight loss. Rhule said the Panthers were unaware the ball had hit the ground or else he would have just had Bridgewater spike the ball.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) runs toward the end zone to score against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. His kick dropped just outside the uprights, though, allowing the Chiefs to escape. McCaffrey finished with 18 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown while catching 10 passes for 82 yards and another score. Panthers coach Matt Rhule said all week that McCaffrey would get a full load if he was able to take the field. It took nine plays and consumed nearly nine minutes before McCaffrey reached the end zone, keeping the potent Kansas City offense on the sideline.

Pedro Pierluisi, gubernatorial candidate with the New Progressive Party (PNP), arrives at Vivo Beach Club to celebrate a slim lead of the pro-statehood party in the Puerto Rican general elections, in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Pierluisi briefly served as governor following last year's massive protests that led to the resignation of former Gov. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)SAN JUAN – Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico’s pro-statehood New Progressive Party won a majority of votes to become the U.S. territory’s next governor, according to official preliminary results released late Saturday. Pierluisi received nearly 33% of the votes with more than 406,800 ballots, compared with nearly 32%, or more than 389,800 votes, obtained by Carlos Delgado of the Popular Democratic Party, which supports the current territorial status, with 100% of precincts reporting. The results come four days after Puerto Rico held general elections, an unusual delay blamed on a record number of early and absentee votes that overwhelmed officials.

Voters across Puerto Rico are choosing new leaders they believe would help heal a U.S. territory wracked by corruption, hurricanes, earthquakes and the pandemic. “There’s still a lot at play.”Another hotly contested race is that for mayor of Puerto Rico’s capital. The elections commission has not certified any winners in those races or others. The president of Puerto Rico’s elections commission, Francisco Rosado, said he wasn’t satisfied with the job that the administrative board responsible for counting those votes is doing. “The elections commission was one of the few institutions that had credibility,” he said.

The Falcons (2-6) have had a penchant for squandering leads this season, coming into the game 1-3 when leading entering the fourth quarter. Carolina was driving late, but Atlanta stalled the rally when Blidi Wreh-Wilson intercepted Teddy Bridgewater near the Falcons' 10-yard line with 1:04 remaining. Moore on third and 18 to move the Panthers into Falcons territory. Bridgewater was limited to 176 yards passing as the Panthers (3-5) lost their third straight game without injured Christian McCaffrey. The Falcons avenged a 23-16 loss to Carolina 18 days ago in which Bridgewater threw for 313 yards and two scores and Mike Davis piled up 149 yards rushing.

– Massimo Biscardi made a 40-yard field goal with 4 seconds left to give Coastal Carolina a 30-27 victory over No. “We’ve never been in this position before,” second-year Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell said. Coastal Carolina took a 13-7 lead with 1:03 left in the half when McCall capped an 84-yard march with a 13-yard scoring pass to Marable. The Cajuns drove 77 yards in 54 seconds, with Lewis scoring on a quarterback draw with 5 seconds left. The second half started like the first, with both teams scoring on their first possession.

The NHL is embarking on a free agent period like never before in hockey history. A handful of the top free agents are still available, but NHL teams aren't waiting for those big fish to sign to make other moves. Koivu signed for $1.5 million for next season, and they need to re-up top center Pierre-Luc Dubois and other restricted free agents. Teams have to move money, and in order to move money, they might have to move some really good players.”Some good free agents found new homes Saturday. The Buffalo Sabres signed center Cody Eakin to a $4.5 million, two-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal.

Videos from the team’s Twitter account show players gathered in close proximity to Foley — and each other — and singing along without masks on. “.... All of the coaches, including coach Foley who is singing, if it continues, they definitely have to have masks on. I want to make sure we are safe and in compliance.”As for the players, Rhule said that decision will be left up to the team's medical staff. The NFL has fined coaches $100,000 each for not wearing masks on the sideline during games. The Associated Press reached out to the NFL for comment about whether the Panthers locker room singing celebrations were in violation of the league's COVID-19 protocols, but the league has not responded.

Postal worker Jose Montoya does his rounds in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. The absence of street names and numbers across the island has long been a problem for the U.S. territory, where internet map services sometimes fail. Directions can involve a mango tree, or a bakery or a house of a certain color. Without an address, emergency responders cannot find people quickly or deliver basic supplies or medical care when up to 60% of homes in some municipalities lack one. As president of La Unión community, Martínez held a vote on potential street names.

You'd never know it watching Bridgewater break the pocket, juke two defenders and race 18 yards to the end zone on Sunday, helping the Carolina Panthers defeat the Arizona Cardinals 31-21 for their second straight win. Bridgewater also threw for 276 yards and two scores as the Panthers solved their red-zone issues from a week ago by scoring TDs on their first four trips inside the Arizona 20-yard line. It was tough to catch up all day.”Said Panthers DE Brian Burns: “We put emphasis on keeping eyes on (Murray). After the game, Bridgewater gave his offensive line the game ball. “We didn’t play well enough or coach well enough in any phase,” Kingsbury said.

I think we’re still a long way from where we need to be," Brady said. Brady completed 23 of 35 passes, and Evans finished with seven receptions for 104 yards. “Nine penalties and four giveaways, but it’s a one-score game in the fourth quarter," Panthers coach Matt Rhule said. “I thought he competed and there will be days where you can’t get things flowing,” the Panthers coach added. In a twist, the Panthers also made a concerted effort to get wide receiver Curtis Samuel involved in the running game.

Jacobs’ 6-yard run around the right end with 4:14 left put the Raiders ahead for good after they’d surrendered a 12-point fourth quarter lead. McCaffrey racked up 134 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns for Carolina. Carolina battled back with McCaffrey getting 11 touches for 64 yards on one drive and scoring on a 3-yard run. Bridgewater, who replaced Cam Newton as the starting QB, finished 22 of 34 for 270 yards and one touchdown in his Carolina debut. 1 cornerback Donte Jackson left with an ankle injury early in the first quarter and did not return.

TORONTO, ONT Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper took exception to the Columbus Blue Jackets being referred to as a blue-collar team. Is that a positive or a negative? Cooper said Monday, a day before his Eastern Conference second-seeded Lightning open the first round of the NHL playoffs against the seventh-seeded Blue Jackets. Thats in the history books forever, Cooper said, noting how both teams have made various changes to their lineups. Id call them a really good team.Familiarity is breeding respect among the East opponents entering the first round. The Islanders hold a 5-2 playoff series edge over Washington.

A weak front will stall across northeast Florida and southeast Georgia trough the weekend keeping us under a wet weather pattern. We are starting out with partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies and warming up into the low 90s. Temperatures will have a chance to climb into the low 90s as a result. The day starts off mostly sunny, turns hot, and then afternoon storms erupt with 60% coverage of our area. Expect sunny mornings, fast warm ups into the mid 90s, followed by 60-70% coverage of afternoon storms.

Meanwhile, a weak front will stall across northeast Florida and southeast Georgia trough the weekend keeping us under a wet weather pattern. Starting out with partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies and warms up into the low 90s. Temperatures will have a chance to climb into the mid 90s as a result. The day starts off mostly sunny, turns hot, and then afternoon storms erupt with 60% coverage of our area. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday look similar with sunny starts, fast warm ups into the mid 90s, followed by 60-70% coverage of afternoon storms.

Today: Scattered showers with storms, 70-80 percent. Afternoon highs in the upper 80s to low 90s. Afternoon highs in the upper 80s to low 90s inland and along our beaches. Scattered showers with thunderstorms will develop during the afternoon and linger late, 60-90 percent area wide. Looking ahead: A tropical low will cross northeast Florida and southeast Georgia through late Tuesday followed by and unsettled workweek with daily rounds of storms and above normal daytime highs.

Cole Pepper and Mark Brunell discuss the loss at Carolina, whether Jalen Ramsey's return would change the defense and who the team will face at quarterback Sunday when the New Orleans Saints come to town. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) passes against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019. Turnovers, three of them, including one that led to a Carolina touchdown. Still, the Jaguars had their chance against the Panthers. Down 34-27 with 2:19 to play, Minshew tried to make something happen. Defensive end Marquis Haynes, a University Christian product, scooped up the loose ball and all but clinched a Panthers victory.

The Jaguars had a 100-yard rusher (Leonard Fournette) and a 300-yard passer (Gardner Minshew), but they couldn't stop the Carolina running game. Each player in the NFL is judged against the amount of the salary cap that they take up. That's 8.5% of the entire salary cap this year. His contract is the biggest chunk of the salary cap this year for the Jaguars. Late in the game, Fournette came out of the game for a few plays.

Follow the action as Jacksonville faces Carolina. Please be patient if the tweets we're following take a few extra seconds to load. On our app? Tap here to view this Game Day Twitter feed. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

Calais Campbell -- In just two seasons with the Jaguars, Campbell has 24.5 sacks and is the leader of the defense. That loss at Arrowhead was the first of seven straight defeats and the Jaguars haven't been north of the .500 mark ever since. Sunday, they can end that streak if they can beat the Panthers in Carolina. While more teams focus on the pass, the Jaguars showed against Denver that they have to win on the ground in order to be at their best. The Jaguars enter Week 5 tied for sixth in the league with 13 sacks.

Follow the action as Jacksonville faces Carolina. Please be patient if the tweets we're following take a few extra seconds to load. On our app? Tap here to view this Game Day Twitter feed. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.