Jared Smith

The New England Patriots finished the regular season with a 12-4 record, and on Tuesday SB Nation's final NFL power rankings ranked them the No. 4 team in the league.

The Boston Red Sox reportedly worked out veteran Bobby Abreu at first base. The two parties met in Venezuela as the organization looks for a backup first basemen.

The Boston sports slate for Sunday, Dec. 30, features a lot of NFL Week 17 action, including the New England Patriots looking to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Boston Celtics also visit the Sacramento Kings at 9 p.m. ET.

After losing on Sunday, the New England Patriots dropped in the latest SB Nation NFL Power Rankings released Tuesday. Last week, the Patriots were ranked No. 1.

The New England Patriots may have lost Sunday to the San Francisco 49ers, 41-34, but the result had no baring on the team's playoff spot. If the season ended today, New England would earn the No. 3 seed and home-field advantage in the Wild-Card Round

New England Patriots veteran defensive tackle Vince Wilfork says a solid week of practice and confidence helped the Patriots defeat the Houston Texans, 42-14, on Monday night. New England (10-3) earn its seventh seventh victory.

The New England Patriots were ranked No. 1 in the latest SB Nation NFL Power Rankings, released Tuesday. The Patriots easily defeated the Houston Texans, 42-12, Monday night. New England has won seven straight games.

New England Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib injured his hip in Monday night's victory over the Houston Texans. Its still unknown how bad the injury is.

SB Nation released its weekly NFL Power Rankings Tuesday, and the New England Patriots are now ranked the third-best team in the league. Last week, the Patriots (9-3) were slotted fifth. New England defeated Miami, 23-16, on Sunday.

The annual men's basketball event, the Jimmy V Classic, will be played Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. The Connecticut Huskies play the N.C. State Wolfpack in the second game of a double-header on ESPN.