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BLUE

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  5. Posted · Edited by BLUE

    Per Rotoworld.com:

    Responding to a January article questioning his character and 2018 attitude, Carson Wentz said "I'm not perfect."
    Wentz was surprisingly introspective responding to the wave-making PhillyVoice piece, disputing some specific assertions but acknowledging some of its broader strokes. "I know I’m not perfect. I know I have flaws," Wentz said. "So I’m not going to sit here and say it was inaccurate and completely made up. I’m not going to do that." Wentz also said he's unlikely to change. "I’m 26 years old; my personality, to some extent, ain’t going to change. ... It’s what’s gotten me here, what’s gotten me successful. I’m not going to say, ‘Oh, now I’m going to have this free-spirited, Cali-guy vibe.’ That’s just not going to change." They are fascinating, candid answers from a quarterback who has had a bizarre 15 months since injury likely cost him the 2017 MVP award. Wentz will have plenty to prove in 2019. He has the skill to do it. Feb 4 - 2:16 PM

    Source: Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News

    • Upvote 2

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) It seems football fans everywhere are suddenly on the Kansas City Chiefs' bandwagon, enthralled by their record-setting young quarterback and exciting playmakers and hopeful their amiable old coach can finally win the big one.

    Then again, maybe they're just fans of anybody facing New England.

    The Patriots have dominated the AFC for nearly two decades, and the coach-quarterback combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Bradywill be playing in an eighth consecutive conference title game Sunday night when New England visits the Chiefs at frigid, hostile Arrowhead Stadium.

    But whereas Brady& Co. once instilled awe in their opponents, the Chiefs view their showdown as an opportunity for Patrick Mahomesto take the baton as the league's best quarterback and for Kansas City, seeking its first Super Bowl appearance in 49 years , to surpass the Patriots as the NFL's "it" team.

    "It'll be huge," Mahomes said. "When I got here, the goal was to win the AFC championship and get to the Super Bowl, and win that. To do that early in my career, it would be a huge thing."

    There aren't two more dichotomous teams than the Patriots and Chiefs.

    New England has won five Super Bowls during the Belichick-Brady era, setting all kinds of records along the way. The cruel efficiency with which they've sliced up the AFC has made them the bane of fans everywhere but New England and given them the kind of unbeatable aura that accompanied the New York Yankees teams of Derek Jeter and the Chicago Bulls teams of Michael Jordan.

    It's not just petty jealousy, though. Many fans have been turned off by Deflategate, Spygate and other instances over the years that have saddled the Patriots with a rather unsavory reputation.

    Brady has mostly shrugged it off. So has Belichick, who almost seems to embrace the villain role.

    "I don't think about it too much, what people might say or think," said Brady, whose team is a rare playoff underdog Sunday. "I know we're playing against a very good football team. They're the first seed for a reason. They've had a great season and we're going to have to go into a really tough environment and play our best football, and it's a great opportunity for us."

    On the flip side are the Chiefs, a team that dominated the AFC throughout the 1990s but reached only one conference title game. They were the league's worst franchise six years ago, when Andy Reid came aboard , but have become a perennial playoff team that was always missing that certain something.

    They found it when they drafted Mahomes nearly two years ago .

    The quarterback shattered just about every franchise passing record in his first season as a starter, and his down-home style has made him a fan favorite. Kids dressed up like him for Halloween, his curly Mohawk has become the trend at local barbershops, and the aw-shucks way Mahomes has embraced his stunning success has only made him more endearing.

    "I think he's a great player on a great team that's very well-coached," Belichick said. "They have a great scheme and a great system. He's got a ton of weapons, so he'll be tough to handle, as will their entire offense, as will their entire team. We'll need our best game."

    As the Patriots (12-5) try to advance to their third consecutive Super Bowl, something only two other franchises have accomplished, and the Chiefs (13-4) try to make it for the first time since winning the title in 1970, here are some things to know:

    PERSONNEL CHANGES

    The Patriots beat the Chiefs in a 43-40 shootout in Week 6, but both teams are different these days. The Patriots lost wide receiver Josh Gordon to personal issues, and the Chiefs waived Kareem Huntbecause of off-the-field trouble. Kansas City also is poised to have linebacker Justin Houston and star safety Eric Berry back from injuries on Sunday.

    "I mean, that was Week 6. That was a long time ago," Patriots safety Patrick Chung said. "We can't really worry about that. They're a better team and they're on a roll. It's the two best teams in the AFC, so you can't really worry about, `Well, we beat you guys last, so we're going to win.' If we have that mentality, we'll get kicked - they'll kick our ass, pretty much."

    STAR POWER

    Brady and Mahomes get plenty of attention, but they don't do it alone. Pats running back James White tied Darren Sproles' postseason record with 15 catches in their 41-28 divisional victory over the Chargers, while Sony Michel has become a breakout star and Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman remain dangerous downfield threats . The Chiefs counter with running back Damien Williams and the pass-catching trio of All-Pro speedster Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and sure-handed tight end Travis Kelce.

    ROAD WOE-RRIORS

    New England hasn't lost at home since early last season, but it's been a struggle away from Gillette Stadium . The Patriots were 3-5 on the road this season, their worst mark since 2009, and lost back-to-back games in Miami and Pittsburgh in December. They haven't won a postseason game on the road since 2006, and away teams have lost 10 consecutive conference championship games.

    "I don't get caught up in all that," Reid said this week. "They're a heck of a team. I mentioned that before, if you're talking about a dynasty in the National Football League, they're that."

    HOME COOKING

    The Chiefs were founded by Lamar Hunt, the namesake of the Lamar Hunt Trophy awarded to the AFC champion. But they will be hosting the AFC title game for the first time after ending a 25-year drought in divisional playoff games last week against Indianapolis. They are 8-1 at home this season with their lone loss coming on a last-second 2-point conversion to the Los Angeles Chargers.

    "You know it's going to be a playoff atmosphere there," Gronkowski said. "I've been there in the regular season and it felt like a playoff atmosphere. So I just can't imagine what it's going to be like going into a stadium like this."

    WEATHER WATCH

    While snow is expected Saturday, the forecast for frigid temperatures Sunday has improved a bit and it could be in the 20s much of the game. There will also be a "super blood wolf moon" later in the night, a rare total lunar eclipse in which the moon turns a rusty shade of red.

    "There's not really much you can do with the cold," Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower said. "I think Trey (Flowers) and Bill said it best, give us a ball and a field and we'll be there."

    Source: Hosted.Stats.com

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    NEW ORLEANS (AP) One way or another, the NFC Championship between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints will be won by a coach named Sean - with an Irish surname - who designs and calls plays for one of the most innovative and productive offenses in the NFL.

    The ties between the Saints' Sean Payton and the Rams' Sean McVay go well beyond a shared name.

    "We both cut our teeth in this league under Jon Gruden," Payton said. "That (Rams) staff - there's a ton of guys that we're friendly with and that we know on that staff. Guys who we have worked with, and Sean and I have a real good relationship. He is an engaging guy, a fun guy to be around."

    Gruden, the current Oakland Raiders coach, was the offensive coordinator with the Eagles in 1997 when Payton was hired as quarterbacks. In 2008, Gruden was the head coach in Tampa Bay when he hired McVay as a receivers coach.

    During the past two seasons Payton and McVay have each led their teams to the playoffs with one of the best offenses in football, thanks in part to elite quarterbacks - Drew Brees with New Orleans (14-3) and Jared Goff of Los Angeles (14-3).

    Both coaches have acknowledged they watch each other's offensive film nearly every week - not just because of the possibility of playing against one another; they're looking for good ideas.

    And then there are some connections on the roster and coaching staff. One of the Rams' top receivers, Brandin Cooks, was Payton's first-round draft choice in 2014. Los Angeles' running game coordinator is Aaron Kromer, a former running backs and offensive line coach under Payton, including on the 2009 Super Bowl-winning squad.

    Players on both teams praise their coach's intangible feel for how a game is developing.

    Saints Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead extoled Payton's "fearlessness" in his play calling and said the coach has "so much believe and confidence in us and the system that we can go out and make a play no matter the down and distance."

    Goff mentioned how McVay sends in plays "with confidence and having a good feel for everything."

    "There's certain moments in games where being a good play caller - you can't teach it - but there's certain moments where you have to go for that dagger or you have to pull back a little bit," Goff continued. "There's just different ebbs and flows in games. I think he's got a great feel for that."

    The main thing that separates the two is age and experience. The 55-year-old Payton got his first head coaching job 13 years ago, is coaching in his third NFC title game and trying win his second Super Bowl. In his second season as a head coach, McVay, 32, is preparing for his first NFC title game.

    The same goes for their QBs: the record-setting Brees turned 40 on Tuesday and Goff is 24.

    "He's been doing it at really high level for a lot longer than I have," McVay said of Payton. "He's an outstanding coach - clearly referenced by the way that his team is playing this year, how they've played over the course of his career when he's been leading the Saints. So, I don't think we're in that category yet. We've got to do things for a lot longer to be able to be mentioned in that same breath."

    Getting to a Super Bowl by winning Sunday would be a good start for McVay and the Rams, whose first loss this season came when they last visited the Superdome on Nov. 4 and fell 45-35.

    Here are some other story lines surrounding the high-stakes rematch:

    LOST LEADER

    New Orleans placed top defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins on injured reserve this week after he tore his Achilles last Sunday against Philadelphia . Not only was the 2016 first-round draft choice the anchor of a defensive front that helped the Saints rank No. 2 in the NFL in stopping the run, but he also ranked second on the club with eight sacks. Without his trademark mix of quick spin moves, powerful bull rushes, and ability to draw double-teams, the Saints will rely more on tackles David Onyemata and Tyeler Davison, along with rookie Taylor Stallworth and recently signed veteran Tyrunn Walker.

    RAMS REINFORCEMENTS

    Brees carved up the Rams' defense for 346 yards passing and four TDs in the teams' first meeting, but the Rams have reason to believe they can do better this time. Star cornerback Aqib Talib was injured and missed the game in November, but he is back in uniform. Los Angeles typically doesn't line up cornerbacks against specific receivers, but defensive coordinator Wade Phillips could consider it to get Talib against Michael Thomas, who had 211 yards receiving largely against Marcus Peters in the last meeting. Phillips also has two additional months of experience using edge rusher Dante Fowler, who had just arrived in a trade with Jacksonville for the last meeting.

    DOME ADVANTAGE

    Since Payton and Brees joined forces in 2006, the Saints have gone 6-0 in playoff games in the Superdome, including two wins the season they won the Super Bowl. Payton suggested that the environment in the dome - while not an overwhelming factor - is nonetheless a factor that can influence an opposing offense in particular.

    "What's important for our fan base is understanding when that crowd noise needs to begin differently this week than normal weeks," he said. "That crowd noise needs to begin just as that last play finished. You get 65, 70 snaps of that crowd noise earlier than normal and louder than normal, it's difficult."

    WHIT'S HOMECOMING

    While most of the Rams haven't had much success at the Superdome, left tackle Andrew Whitworth made his share of fond memories there. The West Monroe, Louisiana, native won three high school state championships in the arena, and then he added a national championship with LSU when the Tigers won the Sugar Bowl over Oklahoma in January 2004. The 37-year-old Whitworth, a versatile blocker and locker-room leader, has been a major key to the Rams' offensive success over the past two years. One week after getting his first career playoff victory , he'll try to reach his first Super Bowl.

    ---

    AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Thousand Oaks, California, contributed to this report.

    Source: Hosted.Stats.com

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    It has been three years since the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers have squared off, but the teams will hook up Monday night at Lambeau Field.

    Both teams are struggling but San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan hopes the 49ers make the most of Monday's prime-time opportunity at Green Bay.

    "You like to say that every game is the same, so you don't want to make too big a deal of that stuff, but I think it's a bonus," Shanahan admitted. "Yeah, we're going through some stuff. But get a chance to go play Monday night in Green Bay, which is as cool of a place to play (as there is)."

    The 49ers have shined under the glare of the Monday night spotlight over the years. They have made the playoffs just three times since 2002, yet retain a nine-game winning streak on Monday Night Football, all the while adding to their NFL-record 48 wins under the traditional weeknight spotlight.

    But these Niners (1-4) may have difficulty extending that streak as the injury bug continues to bite them hard. Already without their starting quarterback (Jimmy Garoppolo) and top running back (Jerick McKinnon), eight offensive players were on the sideline during Thursday's practice due to injuries.

    The group includes three starting offensive linemen (left tackle Joe Staley, center Weston Richburg and right guard Mike Person), and three wide receivers (Pierre Garcon, Trent Taylor and Dante Pettis). Tight end George Kittle and running back Matt Breida were also spectators.

    Breida has an ankle injury but has not been ruled out for Monday's game.

    "I know we've been through some adversity," said Shanahan. "I know this is the hand that we've been dealt and I think we have the people in our organization, I think we have the players, I think we have strong enough people who can deal with it and man up and find a way to win. It's never easy. It definitely gets harder when you do have injuries and things like that. But we have people in here who can win games."

    Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows about pain as he "is playing through a whole lot" of injuries beyond an injured left knee, head coach Mike McCarthy said. He did not practice on Thursday. Rodgers has been sacked 16 times and Green Bay is No. 24 in sack percentage. He wore a lighter brace on the knee last week vs. Detroit and hopes to again this week.

    The Packers are scoring 23.0 points per game, which is tied for 18th in the league. A team that averaged 35 points per game in 2011 is looking for its first 30-point game of the season.

    "It's definitely below (expectations), and we've kind of been stuck at that number," Rodgers said of the 23-point mark, attained in last week's 31-23 loss at Detroit that sent the Packers to 2-2-1. "Scored 22, 24, way up to 29 in Week 2. Not quite the standard that we've set here over the years with the type of offense we think we can have and the type of offense we think we could have coming out of training camp."

    The consistency has been what's missing. Get better on third down (three games at less than 40 percent efficiency) and in the red zone (19th with a touchdown rate of 50.0 percent) and cut back on the penalties (10 offensive holding infractions are tied for the second-most in the league), and perhaps the Packers can start piling on the points once again.

    "We are very close to getting things going," Rodgers said. "Like I said then and I'll say it again now, I feel like if we can get off to a better start on offense, it makes the entire squad play with a different type of confidence. We need to lead from the front as an offense and as a team and give our defense an opportunity to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback and make them a little more one-dimensional."

    The 49ers have been outgained by a total of just 115 yards by the Packers so far this season, and actually have outscored Green Bay 118-115, so the potential is there to match points with Rodgers. The 49ers just have to find a way to do something about their minus-8 in giveaways/takeaways.

    "We'll have another chance (against Green Bay)," Shanahan said. "That is what's cool about the NFL: No matter what happens, you get a chance the next week to redeem yourself. If we don't, it'll be just as hard as it is now, if not harder. But we don't plan on that happening. We plan on getting this out of our system. ... We plan on manning up, coming to work, not worrying about things that we can't control and focusing on getting better. I'll be very surprised if our guys don't do that."

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

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    Tom Brady, the New England Patriots' 41-year-old quarterback, is the reigning MVP, has thrown 500 touchdown passes, has won five Super Bowls and will be looking to become the first quarterback to win 200 regular-season games in Sunday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Foxborough, Mass.

    Yet he will share the spotlight with Kansas City's 23-year-old quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, who has started just six NFL games in his career.

    Mahomes has thrown a league-leading 14 touchdown passes with just two interceptions this season while leading the Chiefs to a 5-0 start and directing an offense that averages 35.0 points per game, which ranks second in the NFL.

    Brady has 12 touchdown passes with six interceptions for the Patriots, who are 3-2 and rank tied for ninth in scoring at 26.6 points per contest.

    "I was a Cowboys fan when I was younger," Mahomes said, "so being from Texas, I wasn't necessarily a fan of him winning all the time. But you definitely respected his game and how he played. When you have that much success, it takes a bunch of hard work, so you respect that."

    When Brady won his first Super Bowl, Mahomes was just 6 years old.

    "I don't really remember those first few Super Bowls that he won," Mahomes said. "I remember the Super Bowl, the snow game and them kicking the field goal to win. But not until I got older and just seeing his successes year in and year out as I've gotten older, it is truly special to see all of that hard work pay off."

    Mahomes ranks third-best in the Super Bowl era with 1,797 yards passing in his first six career games. His 14 touchdown passes rank tied for fourth.

    "He can throw it, run it, does a good job of reading coverages, gets the ball to his playmakers in space and creates space for them so they can make a lot of plays," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said.

    Chiefs head coach Andy Reid knows Belichick will come up with looks Mahomes hasn't seen on film..

    "He's the best at that," Reid said of Belichick. "He mixes and matches, and he does that whole thing. He can change up and give you a completely different look one week than the other. So you make sure that you've got plays that are good versus all and you go in and you play."

    There is a comparison at another key position: tight end.

    Former Cowboys tight end and current ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jason Witten said Kansas City's Travis Kelce is the best tight end in football, not the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski.

    "Yeah, I mean, on my list, I would rank Kelce the best tight end in football. I know Gronk has been a great tight end for a long time. But, I mean, I haven't gotten to play with Gronk. I've gotten to play with Kelce, and I've never seen anyone be able to do the things that he's done," Mahomes said.

    Gronkowski has 23 receptions, but that is only second on the team to running back James White, who has caught 32 passes for 270 yards and four touchdowns. White has also rushed for 110 yards, although New England's main rushing threat the past two games has been rookie Sony Michel, who gained 210 yards in consecutive wins over Miami and Indiana.

    The main receiving threat for the Chiefs is Tyreek Hill, who has 27 receptions, nine of which have gone for more than 20 yards.

    "Whoever the fastest player on anybody's team is probably isn't as fast as Hill," Belichick said.

    Hill had seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs' 42-27 victory over the Patriots in last year's season opener.

    The Chiefs started 5-0 last season and limped to the finish line with a 10-6 record that earned them a wild-card berth before losing their postseason opener to the Tennessee Titans.

    The game against New England might indicate whether Kansas City will repeat that slide.

    Belichick says the Chiefs' undefeated start this season is a result of their ability to jump out to early leads. However, he also notes they came from behind to beat Denver in Week 4.

    "They've killed teams in the first quarter," Belichick said, referencing Kansas City's 59-9 advantage in the first quarter of games this season. "It looks like they can play in any situation they're in. That's why they're as good of a football team as there is in the National Football League right now. They're good at everything."

    Reid won two out of three matchups against Belichick and the Patriots during his first five seasons in Kansas City.

    The Chiefs will probably be without linebacker Justin Houston (hamstring) and safety Eric Berry (heel). Berry has yet to play this season.

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

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    The Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans are in the same boat this week. Both will be trying to bounce back from disappointing losses when they meet Sunday in Baltimore.

    The Titans (3-2) appeared to be in prime position for a 4-1 start before falling flat in a 13-12 loss at Buffalo to the Bills last Sunday.

    The Ravens (3-2) were as deficient on offense as the Titans, failing to score a touchdown in their 12-9 overtime loss on the road to the Cleveland Browns.

    After starting the season 13 of 13 in the red zone, the Ravens haven't scored a touchdown since the first quarter of Week 4 in Pittsburgh -- the NFL's longest active streak.

    Baltimore also allowed 342 yards passing and a touchdown to Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield. A breakdown in the secondary led to a long play downfield in overtime, setting up the game-winning, 37-yard field goal by Greg Joseph with two seconds remaining.

    Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said the key this week will be containing Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota and the rest of their playmakers.

    "We just have to play good defense," Harbaugh said. "Tennessee has a very good offense. They have very good players. They have a quarterback that's a pass and a run quarterback, (and) creates a problem for you."

    The Ravens' offense will be going against a Titans defense ranked sixth overall in the NFL and led by former Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who retired in January but came back a month later to join new Titans head coach Mike Vrabel's staff.

    "Compared to other teams, I'm sure it'll be a little bit familiar," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said about facing Pees. "But having said that, they have different players. Defensive coordinators do a really good job of game-planning for individual teams and also game-planning in ways that set up to the strengths of their individual players.

    "Even though some of the looks will all look very familiar, there are going to be different guys over there, and we'll see what they want to do against us."

    Harbaugh isn't worried about Pees' familiarity with his team and schemes.

    "It's more unusual than the average game. You don't have that every week," Harbaugh said. 'Does it give the Titans any strategic advantage?' I don't know. We'll find out. I mean, we'll find out. It is what it is. It's not worth one second of (analyzing) who has the advantage. It would be a waste of time."

    The Ravens are struggling to develop an effective running game. As a result, Harbaugh might rotate players to find a spark.

    Alex Collins entered the season as the starter, but he ranks 27th in the league with 217 yards on 57 carries and has two fumbles. Rookie De'Lance Turner also appears to be playing his way into the rotation.

    "We need to spread the load," Harbaugh said. "You want fresh guys out there playing hard."

    The Titans are hoping to keep the Ravens from establishing their offense with a defense anticipating the return of linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who missed last week's game. He had 14 tackles when the teams met last November.

    "I'm hopeful and never stand up here -- I don't want to say never -- and use any excuses for injuries and that's just really where we don't want to go," Vrabel said. So we'll get him back when we can get him back, and we can't wait to get him back, but we have to get the guys ready to play who will be there and hopefully we see where he's at."

    Like the Ravens, the Titans could use a spark on offense. Mariota ran just twice last Sunday against Buffalo for 10 yards after running 10 times for 46 yards the week before against the Philadelphia Eagles.

    Mariota completed 14 of 26 passes for 129 yards with an interception -- one of three turnovers in the game for the Titans.

    "We can't turn the ball over as an offense," Mariota said. "The defense played great -- they've played outstanding through the year. We have to do a better job of playing complementary football.

    "It is the nature of the beast, man. This is the business we play. If you are not ready to play, it doesn't matter who you are playing, you are not going to be able to put forth your best effort and (you will) ultimately lose the game."

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

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    The Dallas Cowboys have lurched back and forth between two extremes.

    The Cowboys (2-3) have been anemic on offense and prone to giving up big plays on defense in three road losses, starting with the season opener at Carolina and in Weeks 3 and 5 against Seattle and Houston.

    They have been more efficient with the ball and stingier on defense in wins against the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions at home, where they will be Sunday when they play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

    The Jaguars (3-2) are minus-7 in turnover ratio and have committed 11 more penalties than their opponents through five games but still have a winning record.

    Jacksonville has lost five fumbles and Blake Bortles has thrown seven interceptions. Compare the 12 giveaways to the Jaguars picking off three passes and recovering both of their opponents' two fumbles for a total of five takeaways.

    The negative-7 leaves the Jaguars near the bottom of the NFL in turnover ratio, and it's a statistic that concerns Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone as one that the Cowboys will try to exploit.

    "We're 3-2 but minus-7, which is really tough to do, be 3-2 and be minus-7 in the turnover ratio," he said. "It's a trend that I talked about with the team today. If we don't change that, we're going to be in trouble. We have to change that."

    Bortles Blake faces a Cowboys defense that has fared better against pocket passers so far this season. Their losses have come against teams with dual-threat quarterbacks.

    But Bortles might throw a bit of a wrench into the predictability of that pattern. While he doesn't have as many rushing attempts as Houston's Deshaun Watson or Carolina's Cam Newton, Bortles has run more than twice as much as Seattle's Russell Wilson and has outgained Newton in rushing yards 166-165 this season.

    "Like you try to disrupt the rhythm of every quarterback, I think it starts up front," Dallas head coach Jason Garrett said. "You have to somehow, some way try to affect him with your pass rush. Rush and cover work together."

    Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is more of a menace for less mobile quarterbacks, such as the Lions' Matthew Stafford, who was sacked three times by Lawrence.

    "Really important for us to guard the guys in the back end, not give (Bortles) easy places to throw the football," Garrett said.

    The Cowboys' ability to slow down the Jaguars' offense might hinge on the team's running back situation. Jacksonville had more than 500 total yards last week but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

    With Leonard Fournette battling a hamstring injury and third-stringer Corey Grant (foot) on injured reserve, the Jaguars signed free agent Jamaal Charles on Tuesday.

    Fournette will miss his fourth full game this season, left tackle Josh Wells (groin) will be out after starting the last three games for injured Cam Robinson, and nickel back D.J. Hayden (toe) hasn't played since his injury against New England in the second game of the season.

    Charles will serve as the main backup to T.J. Yeldon, currently the team's only healthy running back.

    A 10-year NFL veteran, Charles was a reserve behind C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker with the Denver Broncos last year. He rushed 69 times for 296 yards (4.3 yards per attempt) and one touchdown in 14 games. Charles still holds the NFL career record average of 5.39 yards per attempt for players with at least 1,000 carries.

    Knee injuries have limited Charles the past three seasons.

    "I feel good. Last year, I was trying to get back to feeling good and get back healthy again," Charles told local media on Wednesday. "Now, I have been out for a while, but I have also had time to get my body right and get stronger and get healthy. I feel great.

    "I feel like (the Jaguars) have a contending team and I was happy when they called. I want to win a Super Bowl. That is why I kept my options open, because I did want to win. I want to win a Super Bowl and they have a good chance to do that, so I came here to contribute."

    For the Cowboys to be contenders, quarterback Dak Prescott likely will have to step up his game. He has completed 89 of 144 passes this season (61.8 percent), good for 28th in the league, with five touchdowns and four interceptions while working with a new group of wide receivers.

    "When he's in a really good position, he can be a very accurate passer," Garrett said. "I think we've seen that throughout his career up to this point and I think that's something you have to continue to work with him on."

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

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    The Washington Redskins are on top of the NFC East, and they have plenty of motivation entering Sunday's game against the visiting Carolina Panthers.

    Never mind the fact that the Panthers (3-1) have won two straight and own a better record than the Redskins (2-2). Washington is seeking to erase the stench of a nationally televised mauling on Monday night -- a 43-19 drubbing by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

    "That was an absolute embarrassment," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden told reporters after watching his team fall into an early 20-point deficit coming off its bye week. "Our whole team played poorly. That's a reflection of myself.

    "Everybody in that locker room, hopefully, will say that they have to play better. I absolutely understand that the coaches on this staff have to coach better. That is one way we can look at it. Looking forward, we have Carolina coming in. We are 2-2. There is a bright outlook. We are still right there and will continue to be."

    Quarterback Alex Smith had a rough game Monday, his worst since joining Washington. He is missing wide receiver Josh Doctson (heel), Paul Richardson (shoulder) is playing through immense pain and Jamison Crowder (ankle) has dealt with various nagging injuries since training camp and would not have participated had Wednesday's walk-through been a real practice.

    Acquired in a trade with Kansas City to replace Kirk Cousins, Smith failed to throw a touchdown pass for the second time in four games, but refused to point to the injuries as an excuse.

    "Regardless of where you are at, I guess it doesn't totally matter," Smith said. "I mean we've got to get ready to play. Yeah, are there reps where maybe more time would have helped? Maybe, but at this point that doesn't do us any good. I think we've got to go."

    The Redskins have been among the league's most inconsistent teams, with each of their games decided by double digits. They lost to one-win Indianapolis (21-9) at home and rolled to easy victories over Arizona (24-6) and Green Bay (31-17) before Monday night's debacle.

    Up next are the Panthers, who are coming off an improbable victory when Graham Gano kicked a last-second 63-yard field goal to beat the New York Giants 33-31 last weekend.

    Like the Redskins, Carolina had a bye in Week 4 and is in the midst of a three-game stretch against NFC East opponents, with a road game at reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia looming on Oct. 21.

    The Panthers, who have won five straight games in the series, could have reinforcements in the lineup Sunday. Pro Bowl linebacker Thomas Davis is set to return from a four-game suspension while tight end Greg Olsen, sidelined with a broken bone in his foot, reported that he felt fine after a full workout in Wednesday's practice.

    Former Carolina cornerback Josh Norman, who spent his first four seasons with the Panthers before signing with Washington as a free agent, was benched by Gruden in the second half of last week's loss after he was burned for a 62-yard touchdown pass. The Redskins also gave up a 64-yard scoring pass versus the Packers in Week 3.

    "That's something that we have to get corrected," Gruden said. "That can't happen in pro football. You don't see that happen in pro football. We're together too long. We run the same coverage for too many times. We've got to coach that better. We've got to make sure that never happens again."

    Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who last week surpassed former Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham for the most rushing yards by a QB with a single franchise (4,485), told reporters he knows what Norman brings to the table.

    "Fearless. He's not a person who hesitates to take chances, and that's his gift and his curse," said Newton. "And from watching the little film that I did see Monday night, that's him. That doesn't negate him being a great player. I still go into each and every game pointing out who the impact players are on that defense, and he's definitely one of those players."

    The Panthers feature the league's top-ranked ground game, averaging 154.0 yards. Second-year running back Christian McCaffrey is no one-trick pony with 329 rushing yards, but he is dangerous in space with 192 receiving yards and a touchdown on 32 targets.

    "It's hard for a lot of people to label him," Newton said. "He's obviously not just a receiving back, he's a total running back. He shows signs that this is not a fluke."

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

  14. Posted

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    The Seattle Seahawks are heading to London for the first time. One of the things they hope to import from the United States is continued positivity from a two-point home loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

    Seattle gets a chance to discover if there actually is any carryover effect when they face the Oakland Raiders and former running back Marshawn Lynch on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.

    "I think it's going to be an exciting event," Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said. "Nobody has home field, so we just go ahead and go for it, kind of like a bowl game and we'll go make the most of it."

    Intending to maintain the weekly schedule as normal as possible, Carroll said the Seahawks chose to leave for London on Wednesday rather than earlier in the week to help initiate game-planning before making the 11-hour flight. Of all the legitimate concerns undertaking this lengthy trip, he wants to establish a healthy sleeping schedule right away to help players and coaches adjust well before game day.

    "There is some science to it," Carroll said. "We'll try to sleep on the way over and then keeping them up the day that we get there so that they can get a regular night's sleep, a real healthy night's sleep without going to sleep during the day - that's one of the big issues. Then we have days to turn it around."

    The Seahawks will be the visiting team a week after a 33-31 loss to the Rams in Week 5. Seattle has yet to play a game decided by more than nine points and Carroll anticipates another close affair

    "They've been ahead and had chances to play well in every game. Their games, they've struggled to get the finish," Carroll stated respectfully. "They've got a lot of fire power, they've got a lot of offense. It's a star-studded offensive group that they have there."

    One of those familiar names is Lynch, who had a season-high 130 yards in a wild 45-42 overtime win over Cleveland two weeks ago but was held to a season-low 31 in last week's 26-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that for Lynch featured a flashback to Seattle's loss in Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots.

    Down 20-3, the Raiders had a first-and-goal on the 1-yard line. They lined up with three tight ends on the line and Lynch in the backfield.

    Quarterback Derek Carr faked to Lynch and then threw the ball directly at defensive end Melvin Ingram III. It was Carr's third end-zone interception of the season, and eighth overall, ingloriously tying him for the league lead.

    It was similar to when Lynch ran to the left flat as a decoy in the Super Bowl and Russell Wilson was intercepted by Malcolm Butler instead of handing off to Lynch.

    Lynch avoided chatting with the media, but he did offer a remark for an ESPN reporter on the way out of the locker room.

    "I done seen it happen to me on the game's biggest stage," Lynch said. "Now it's happened in a regular-season game. It's alright, though."

    What was not all right was when Lynch parted ways with the Seahawks. He was displaced as the starter, announced his retirement via twitter in Feb. 2016 and in April 2017, he signed with the Raiders.

    Last season he gained 891 yards rushing with seven touchdowns. He goes into Sunday ninth in the league with 331 yards rushing.

    "I think he looks really, very much the same," Carroll said this week. "I really like the way he is playing. I mean last year and this year. He looks in the same style, in the same mode, aggressive and explosive. He's averaging over four yards a carry. I think he's doing pretty good."

    Carr, however is not doing very well. The Raiders have racked up the sixth-most offensive yards in the league, but are 29th in points (149) and their nine turnovers are among the highest in the league.

    Five of Carr's eight interceptions have occurred on first downs.

    "Interceptions are bad on any down - first down, second down, third down," head coach Jon Gruden said "He's too good a player to throw any and I believe that. I think we can correct these interceptions and we are going to correct these interceptions."

    The Raiders are making their second trip to London and fourth trip for an international game. They took a 28-14 loss to Miami in London in 2014 before splitting a pair of games in Mexico City against Houston and New England.

    Sunday is the fifth meeting between the former AFC West rivals since Seattle relocated to the NFC in 2002. The teams have split four meetings since then with Seattle recording a 30-24 win in the most recent matchup in 2014.

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

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    The New York Jets picked up a much-needed victory last weekend by ending a three-game losing streak.

    The Indianapolis Colts hope to do the same this week, needing a victory to halt a three-game slide and keep them from falling further away from postseason contention when they visit the Jets on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

    Indianapolis (1-4) has stumbled out of the gate and is sitting at the bottom of the AFC South, but it is only two games behind division co-leaders Tennessee and Jacksonville. So there is a sense of urgency surrounding the Colts, whose only victory was a 21-9 win at Washington in Week 2.

    "It will be a big week," said Colts head coach Frank Reich, who wore a "got juice" shirt to his media briefing on Wednesday. "We're back on the road again, up against a very versatile offense that had a quite impressive game last week (34-16 over Denver), and a really good defense. We'll have our hands full, but we're really looking forward to the challenge."

    While the Colts were absorbing a 38-24 beating at the New England Patriots last weekend, the Jets (2-3) halted their skid with the win over visiting Denver, relying on a quick-strike offense that featured a pair of long touchdown passes from rookie Sam Darnold and a long scoring run from Isaiah Crowell.

    The intriguing subplot in the game revolves around Darnold. In March, the Jets made a blockbuster move with the Colts to move up three spots in the draft, allowing them to take Darnold with the No. 3 overall selection.

    Although Darnold had three touchdown passes, including scoring strikes of 76 and 35 yards to Robby Anderson in last week's win, he finished just 10 of 22 for 198 yards and tossed his sixth interception of the season.

    Still, Reich noted that there is plenty to like about the young signal-caller out of USC.

    "First and foremost, one of the first observations is he just looks like the real deal," Reich told reporters. "I love his body language. I like the energy I see from him on the field. He just looks like he belongs. It's funny, you see certain quarterbacks, they just have a look and feel to them on the field, and I think you see that in Sam."

    Jets head coach Todd Bowles is pleased with the progression of Darnold, despite the fact that he has failed to throw for 200 yards in four of his five starts.

    "He's been very positive," said Bowles. "He understands that he's close and we're close as a team and they keep grinding at it. That's what you like about him; he keeps working. He doesn't look at the good and the bad, he looks at the progress and knowing everybody is close and making sure everybody is on the same page."

    Darnold will be matched up against former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck, who missed the entire 2017 season while rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Luck said his shoulder has felt "better and better" as the season progresses, even though he's on pace to set a NFL record for passes attempted.

    Because the Colts have continually played from behind and rank 29th in rushing offense, the offensive burden has been placed squarely on Luck, who has attempted a record 121 passes in the past two games, the most ever in a five-day span and second overall for two games in league history.

    Luck again is expected to be without two of his Pro Bowl pass catchers in wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (hamstring/chest) and tight end Jack Doyle (hip). Luck's offensive line will be pressed into starting a fifth different combination in six games due to injuries that have impacted three spots.

    "Certainly it's not ideal," Luck said. "I'm not going to say it's the perfect situation, but it is the situation that we're in so we'll roll with it.

    "They've got a really strong spine on the defense. Their interior rushers are really special. They've got guys in the secondary who can cover. They've got athletic linebackers that can go field to field. We need to be sharper."

    Darnold, meanwhile, has the luxury of a strong running game that Luck is missing. Crowell was held to zero yards on four carries at Jacksonville in Week 4, but he rumbled for 219 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries last week.

    Crowell ranks third in the NFL with 390 rushing yards and is one of only two players with more than 350 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Bilal Powell has 264 yards rushing for the Jets, who face an Indianapolis defense that has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher.

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

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    After two consecutive road games, the Minnesota Vikings head home to face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Both teams are struggling but come off big victories, as the Vikings (2-2-1) pulled out a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of the 2017 NFC Championship Game while the Cardinals (1-4) defeated the San Francisco 49ers for their first victory of the year.

    Minnesota has followed the league's trend to a pass-first offense with quarterback Kirk Cousins and new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, and it's hard to see that changing at home against Arizona. The Cardinals have top-notch cornerback Patrick Peterson, but the Vikings can counter with a top wide receiver duo that creates mismatches. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are both among the top 10 in the NFL in catches this season, while Cousins has the second-most passing yards (1,688) in the league.

    Cousins has set an NFL record by completing at least 30 passes in four consecutive games.

    "I just want to get wins," Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer said. "I don't care how we do it. Obviously, I have a philosophy, but we have to do what we have to do to win football games. If you watch some of these teams that have been great throughout the years, they may throw it 60 times per game then they may run 50 times per game. Whatever we have to do to win the football game is really what is important to me."

    The Cardinals' passing attack, meanwhile, has only gotten slightly better since rookie quarterback Josh Rosen replaced Sam Bradford. Arizona ranks second-to-last with just 146 passing yards per game, and veteran Larry Fitzgerald has been held to just seven total catches the past three weeks, albeit while playing with a sore hamstring.

    As such, the Cardinals will keep trying to get David Johnson and the running game untracked, but they haven't been able to do it yet, and there's no reason to think it will magically get resolved against a defense like Minnesota's. The Vikings can be susceptible at the linebacker position if the Cardinals can get the right matchups.

    The Cardinals rank dead last in the league in rushing offense, averaging just 64.6 yards per game, and Johnson is on pace to finish with just 774 rushing yards and 48 receptions for 384 yards. That's a far cry from his All-Pro season of 2016, when he rushed 293 times for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns and caught 80 passes for 879 yards and four touchdowns.

    "Just keep grinding," Johnson said. "Just keep grinding and doing what they pay me to do, doing what the coaches and my teammates expect me to do and we'll get through it for sure."

    Minnesota coaches have talked about wanting more balance offensively, and did turn to more of a running attack late in the win against Philadelphia. This week could offer a chance for the Vikings to finally get their ground game going with the Cardinals giving up 142.4 rushing yards per game, the second-highest total in the league. But DeFilippo knows what has worked best for Minnesota this season and that is allowing Cousins and the receivers to hit explosive plays and dictate matchups.

    "The thing that I think is the defenses now, there's so many defenses now that are playing single-high (safety)," Zimmer said. "That makes it much more difficult to run the football into, usually. These teams that are checking the ball and throwing it. They're taking a 5-yard throw as opposed to a 2-yard run. I think that's just kind of how it is. I do think it'll get more balanced as the season continues to progress a little bit. I could be wrong, but I think it'll get more balanced."

    The Cardinals' defense was on the field for 40 minutes and 12 seconds against San Francisco as the 49ers' offense ran a staggering 92 plays. That's the most of any non-overtime game since 2012 and the most a Cardinals' defense has faced since 1958.

    "In regards to the number of plays, we've got to do a much better job of getting off the field," Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks said. "They had a 13-play drive right there, I believe, in the third quarter and they only had one third down. So again, we've got to create negative plays and get these guys in third-and-long and get off the field."

    The Vikings have owned the series recently, winning four of the past five meetings and nine straight in Minnesota. A big reason for the success has been a defense that has limited Arizona to an average of 19 points per game in the past five contests.

    "We need to execute better," said Rosen, who will make his third career start Sunday. "I think we've just got to play better. ... We've just got to execute better -- offense and defense. I don't think anyone plays perfect games, and even if you do play really good, there's always room to get better."

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

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    A pair of teams trying to reach the .500 plateau meet when the Houston Texans (2-3) host the Buffalo Bills (2-3) on Sunday.

    The question following the Texans' overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys last week centered on the health of Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson. He has been dealing with a rib injury for about a month and has been sacked 18 times this season while taking 53 hits.

    Although Watson was only sacked once against the Cowboys, he took some heavy hits, leading to speculation that he might not play against Buffalo.

    Watson ended that discussion early this week when asked whether he was going to play Sunday.

    "For sure," he said. "Another day in the office recovering from the game, getting ready for Buffalo."

    The Texans ranked 22nd in total offense after their first two games -- losses to the Patriots and the Titans. But they have moved all the way up to third after gaining 466 yards against the Indianapolis Colts and 462 against the Cowboys, both of which Houston won.

    The Texans will try to protect Watson against a Bills defense that leads the NFL in sacks with 22.

    Buffalo relies on a lot of players to rush the passer, with defensive ends Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy leading the way with 3.0 and 2.5 sacks, respectively.

    The Bills have forced eight turnovers in their past three games, winning two of them.

    If he has time, Watson has receivers who can provide a deep threat.

    The Texans' top receiving threat is DeAndre Hopkins, who leads the NFL in receiving yards per game (118.8), and defenses have been doing their best to prevent him from producing a big play.

    "They want to make us earn those yards and be able to move down the field in 12 or 13 plays throughout," Watson explained. "That should be in every defensive game plan. Never give up the big play, never let the ball go over your head. We respect that and we just try to find open holes in it."

    Houston head coach Bill O'Brien says Watson is particularly productive when the Texans have a sizable gain on first down.

    "That's the key, is getting into a rhythm," O'Brien said. "How do you get into the rhythm? Well, you get into the rhythm with a positive play on first down."

    Houston will also try to get its running game going with running back Lamar Miller probably returning after missing last week's game with a chest injury. Running the ball will be a challenge against the Bills, who yield just 96.2 yards per game on the ground.

    The Bills have a different way to protect their quarterback, rookie Josh Allen. They run the ball, primarily with LeSean McCoy.

    There were reports early in the week that the Eagles were trying to work a trade to acquire McCoy, and Bills head coach Sean McDermott addressed it this week.

    "Just to get out in front of this LeSean thing a little bit here as best I can, LeSean is one of our better players, thought he had a good game the other day and we're just looking forward to playing the Houston Texans," McDermott said Wednesday. "We get calls all the time, incoming calls happen all the time, Brandon (Beane, Bills general manager) and I talk a lot and I won't go into any more detail than that."

    Sunday was by far McCoy's best game of the year. He has just 170 rushing yards while averaging 3.8 yards per carry in the four games he has played this season.

    Allen threw just 19 passes Sunday, completing 10, in the 13-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans. McCoy ran the ball 24 times for 85 yards, and Chris Ivory had 14 carries for 43 yards.

    "He's a young player, so I think if you give a young player too much information, sometimes that can cloud them up," said offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, explaining why he is leaning on the running game. "There's a fine line between not giving them enough and then giving them too much. Each week, I think we try to balance it the best we can in terms of the amount of plays, the responsibilities."

    Allen has completed just 53.3 percent of his passes for a team that ranks last in passing offense, averaging just 121.8 yards per game.

    Allen was sacked just once by the Titans, but the Texans offer a challenge with defensive ends J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney.

    Watt is tied for the league lead in sacks with six, and all six came in the past three games. Clowney has 12 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and a fumble recovery that resulted in a touchdown.

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

  18. Posted · Edited by BLUE

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    The Los Angeles Chargers are above .500 for the first time this season. The Cleveland Browns have a chance to climb above that mark for the first time since 2014.

    The Chargers will go for their third straight victory and attempt to hand the Browns their first loss at home when the teams square off Sunday at Cleveland's FirstEnergy Stadium.

    The Browns (2-2-1) have already doubled their win total from their previous two seasons combined after squeezing out a 12-9 victory in overtime over the Baltimore Ravens last weekend. The win pushed Cleveland's record at home to 2-0-1 this season.

    "This football team will fight," Browns head coach Hue Jackson said. "We don't do anything perfectly by any stretch of the imagination, but they work hard. They're becoming something. If they will continue to take the coaching, keep working hard and keep doing the things that we're asking them to do, we'll have many more victories."

    While Cleveland is among the league's most improved teams, the Chargers already have ample reason to be wary of the Browns. Los Angeles lost at Cleveland 20-17 in 2016 -- the Browns' lone win that season -- and struggled to a 19-10 home win over winless Cleveland last year.

    "That was a scary game for us," Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said. "And now they are just learning how to win. They have won some close games but they could be 4-1. It is a dangerous football team."

    Cleveland's two losses have both come on the road -- a 21-18 setback at New Orleans and a 45-42 defeat in overtime at Oakland in Week 4.

    The Browns have received a boost since turning to rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield. The No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, who came off the bench in relief of an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 3, has provided the team with production and a swagger.

    "He has sparked them and he has probably added a lot of energy outside the building and inside the building," said Lynn. "I thought he was a heck of a player coming out (of college). He plays with a lot of confidence and that is the way to go about it."

    Los Angeles features the most potent offense the Browns will have faced since playing the Saints in Week 2. The Chargers have scored at least 20 points in all five games this season. Philip Rivers has thrown 13 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. He is receiving excellent protection and has been sacked only six times.

    Running back Melvin Gordon, who has scored a touchdown in four straight games, is leading a rushing attack that, when combined with Austin Ekeler's contributions, is impressive. The tandem has combined for 1,005 yards from scrimmage with nine touchdowns. Gordon ranks eighth in the NFL with 334 rushing yards and is the team's second-leading receiver with 28 catches for 261 yards.

    "Right now things are running smoothly on offense and it could not be more balanced," Lynn said. "Our offense has always been about adjusting to Philip's skill-set," Lynn said. "That is what you have to do when you have a quarterback of that caliber."

    Getting into a shootout Sunday with Rivers would not benefit the Browns. A low-scoring, tight game will allow offensive coordinator Todd Haley to utilize running backs Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson Jr. and Nick Chubb.

    Hyde leads the Browns with 348 yards rushing and five rushing touchdowns on 100 carries.

    "I think we can compete with any team in this league," Hyde said. "We have a really good group of guys and things are definitely going up for us. As long as we keep fighting the way we've been fighting and keep working the way we've been working, things will work out in our favor."

    Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen made history in last year's game against the Browns when he caught 10 passes and gained 100 receiving yards while scoring a touchdown for the third week in a row. With the emergence of fellow wideout Mike Williams, defenses are being spread thin.

    Allen could be matched up against Browns rookie cornerback Denzel Ward, the No. 4 overall pick who has three interceptions and was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday. Defensive end Myles Garrett has five sacks for Cleveland.

    "It's going to be a dogfight," Lynn said. "But they all are so it's nothing we haven't seen before."

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

  19. Posted · Edited by RazorStar

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    The Pittsburgh Steelers are usually the team that sits atop the AFC North while others try to chase them down, but through five games this season, the Cincinnati Bengals are the team that's sitting pretty in first place.

    When the Bengals (4-1) play host to the Steelers (2-2-1) on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, they could take early command of the division. But if the Steelers win, they'll be just a half game out of first place and right back in the thick of the race.

    "I think both teams realize this division is a lot tighter than it has been in years," Steelers guard Ramon Foster said. "The teams that execute and don't hurt themselves will be the No. 1 seed."

    The Bengals are winning in different ways -- capitalizing on turnovers, piling up offense, pulling off late dramatics and grinding.

    "Last week, it was the offense," Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said. "This week, it was the defense."

    The Bengals roared back from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter last Sunday for a 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

    The rally began with running back Joe Mixon's 18-yard touchdown catch on the first play of the fourth quarter.

    Then the defense stepped up in a big way.

    First it was defensive end Michael Johnson, who alertly got his hands on a ball that went off a helmet and raced into the end zone for a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown.

    Then came a 19-yard fumble return for a score by rookie defensive end Sam Hubbard off a Carlos Dunlap strip-sack to ice it with 2:37 remaining.

    "It's really a credit to Carlos Dunlap," Hubbard said. "He was chasing the quarterback down and hit the ball right into my lap. All I had to do was run straight."

    The Bengals produced multiple defensive touchdowns for the first time since Oct. 27, 2013, when Adam Jones and Chris Crocker did it in a rout of the New York Jets.

    Meanwhile, the offense is producing. The Bengals are fourth in the NFL in scoring (30.6 points per game) and A.J. Green has 26 receptions for 409 yards and five touchdowns.

    A Cincinnati win could change the narrative of who is in charge in the AFC North.

    "Nobody gave us a chance when the season started," Green said. "Why do they believe in us now? We're going to continue to keep playing and keep playing for each other."

    Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick took it a step further.

    "We're the team to beat right now. Not them," Kirkpatrick said.

    But the Bengals also must face the fact that they're 1-7 at home against the Steelers in the Dalton-Green era, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a 14-2 record in Cincinnati, and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is 5-18 against Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

    The Steelers offense established the run early last week in a win over the Atlanta Falcons despite the continued absence of unsigned running back Le'Veon Bell. They will look to do the same against a Bengals defense that has struggled to stop the run.

    The Dolphins averaged 5.8 yards per carry last week and the Bengals rank 23rd in the league against the run.

    The Steelers' ability to get second-year back James Conner going against the Falcons paid big dividends in the passing game in the second half. Roethlisberger threw two of his three touchdown passes after halftime, including a 47-yard strike to Antonio Brown.

    "I think we just got to see what we're capable of doing," Roethlisberger said. "I think guys did their job. We talk about trying not to do too much, doing more than your job. I tell the guys before the game: If we, collectively, if we all do our jobs, we're pretty darn good."

    Source: Hosted.Stats.com

  20. Posted

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    The headline for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week is that Jameis Winston is back as the team's starting quarterback. The headline for the Atlanta Falcons is ... just win a game.

    The two teams meet in Atlanta on Sunday, and the Falcons (1-4) will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak.

    "I think you just need to find a way to win next week and keep that mindset that small," Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said. "That's probably the best way that I know how to do it. We have to get all our energy and focus on playing well and getting a win next week. Beyond that we need to keep that approach moving forward."

    The Falcons will try to take advantage of Tampa Bay's propensity for giving up the football. The Bucs have lost two fumbles and thrown seven interceptions. Atlanta will need to find some semblance of a pass rush, although that may be difficult without defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Derrick Shelby.

    The Falcons will also try to get receiver Julio Jones, the third-most productive receiver in the NFL this season, his first touchdown catch.

    "There's no frustration," Jones said. "(Pittsburgh) had a good game plan for me -- a lot of two-man, things like that. Discouraged me early on, you know in the game, that two guys were going to be on me throughout the whole game."

    Tampa Bay (2-2) has had a week to design a scheme to keep Jones out of the end zone. The Bucs are coming off a bye week.

    Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said the lack of activity by Jones in a loss to Pittsburgh last week was "not by design."

    "Just to make sure he gets as many touches as we can in the game," Quinn said. "He's one of our best and most explosive players every game. We want him involved."

    For Tampa Bay, it will be about the transition to Winston from veteran backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had an productive run while Winston was serving a three-game suspension. Fitzpatrick set an NFL record by passing for at least 400 yards in three consecutive games to start the season.

    When Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter learned in July that Winston would be suspended, he took a look at the schedule and in his mind figured Winston would return as the starter at Atlanta this Sunday at 1 p.m. in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

    Fitzpatrick was effective in pushing the football downfield with deep passes to Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson. That's been the strength of the Bucs this season as their defense is allowing 34.8 points per game, the most in the NFL.

    The question is whether Winston can continue to keep the Bucs as the No. 1 passing offense in the NFL, producing 363 yards per game.

    "Obviously, they're both their own player and have their own style but from the beginning, one of the things we liked about Fitz when we evaluated him as a backup was his style of play was similar to Jameis' in that he could push the ball downfield and make those deeper to intermediate throws," Bucs quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian said. "I don't think much will change from (the play-calling) standpoint. Our offense, the types of plays we're running, I don't anticipate much difference."

    The Bucs are coming off two straight losses, including an embarrassing 48-10 loss at Chicago Sept. 30.

    Winston started the second half of that game, and the garbage-time reps were valuable for Winston, who organized workouts with 25 unsigned NFL players and undrafted free agents during his three-game suspension.

    "He hasn't changed," Bajakian said of Winston. "He's come back with a great attitude and the same work ethic he's always had. He's a competitor and a worker and he's going to approach the game the same way."

    But Winston could feel some added pressure, not only because the Bucs need a win, but because Tampa Bay's defense is terrible.

    Former Falcons head coach Mike Smith has come under fire as the Bucs defensive coordinator. His defense was last in the NFL a year ago in total yards and had the fewest sacks with 22. This season, in addition to having the worst scoring defense, the Bucs are allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 77.1 percent of their passes.

    But Smith remains unbowed.

    "The sky is not falling," Smith said. "I can assure you, it felt like it was frickin' crumbling on top of us when we walked off that field in Chicago. But that's an anomaly; that's one of one. And as a defense, we are committed together to right that ship and not play defensive football like we played there."

    As the former head coach of the Falcons, Smith said he is used to the criticism.

    "I've got tracks on my back through the years," Smith said. "That's part of it. You're in this business, hey, it's a week-to-week business. And the great thing about it is you get to go out and do it again. It doesn't hurt my feelings that anybody has their own opinion. That's just the way this world is. That's what makes it go around.

    "You just go out and do your job. You try to be focused on the task at hand. And the task at hand is real simple in the NFL. It's to have one more point than the other team. And we've been able to do that 50 percent of the time in the first quarter of the season, and I just want to say there's a lot of football to be played."

    The Bucs have been hurt by injuries, particularly in the secondary. Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves and safety Chris Conte are on injured reserve. Three rookies -- cornerbacks Carlton Davis, M.J. Stewart and safety Jordan Whitehead -- have been counted on as starters while battling injury.

    Defensive tackle Beau Allen, who has not played since injuring his foot in Week 2 against the Eagles, returned to practice on Wednesday for Atlanta. Tight end O.J. Howard, who was expected to miss 1-2 weeks with a MCL sprain, also practiced on Wednesday on a limited basis. Whitehead, who did not play at Chicago due to a hamstring strain, had full participation in practice on Wednesday.

    For the Falcons, Jarrett (ankle, knee) missed the Steelers game, but could return this week. Shelby (groin) missed his second game, but could also return this week. Cornerback Justin Bethel (knee) did not play against Pittsburgh, but is close to returning. His status won't be known until later in the week.

    Source: Hosted.stasts.com

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    The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are bumbling and stumbling along with a 2-3 record and two straight losses for the first time since December 2016.

    Thing is, though, the NFC East isn't exactly a powerhouse division so far this year. The four teams combined to go 0-4 this past weekend, and the Washington Redskins stunk up the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Monday night, losing to the New Orleans Saints 43-19. There isn't a team above .500 in the division.

    So here are the Eagles, who lost by two points to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday and by three points in overtime to the Tennessee Titans in the previous week's game, playing a New York Giants team on Thursday night in the Meadowlands that lost to the Carolina Panthers on a 63-yard field goal.

    But if there is a silver lining in the 33-31 loss to the Panthers, it's that it has not only galvanized the Giants locker room ahead of the big meeting with the Eagles, it's also proved to the 1-4 Giants that they indeed have what it takes to stand toe to toe with top competition.

    "I think that showed what we're capable of doing," running back Saquon Barkley said.

    Both teams have every reason to feel good about themselves heading into the pivotal clash inside the division.

    "We're excited mainly because it's a divisional opponent," Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz said. "It's the next opponent, but it's a divisional game and we know where the division is sitting right now and it's really wide open. We really want to get off on the right foot in our division."

    The Giants have already lost once inside the NFC East, dropping a game to the Dallas Cowboys. This is the first division test for the Eagles.

    One of these teams will be in deep trouble with a loss.

    "We got a big one against the Giants," Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson said. "As early as it is, we must win against the Giants."

    Although the Giants players are coached to live in the moment, everyone is well aware of the ramifications of Thursday's game and what a win would mean.

    "I've always said, it's a long season, and we have an opportunity to come in here in a big, big division game and be able to reshape our season," Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said. "We know what we have in front of us, short week, just coming off of a tough loss, so we're all just trying to get our minds wrapped around what the game plan is, how we can come out and beat Philly."

    The Giants halted their streak of 37 games without scoring at least 30 points in a game when they put up 31 in Carolina. That it wasn't enough to win didn't seem to matter to some of the players and coaches judging by some of their comments this week.

    "Even though it was in a losing effort, it was obviously our best performance in terms of scoring points," New York head coach Pat Shurmur said. "Obviously, the quarterback is a big piece to that."

    Eli Manning played perhaps his best game of the season. Aside from two interceptions, he passed for 326 yards and two touchdowns.

    Meanwhile, Wentz has thrown for more than 300 yards in the last two games, though the team has lost both of them. He has completed 65 percent of his passes in those two losses.

    Since returning from offseason knee reconstruction, he has thrown five touchdowns to only one interception in three starts.

    "A lot of familiar faces over there," Wentz said. "Personnel-wise, it seems we know each other really well. With their new scheme, it will be interesting to see what they like, what their deal is against us this week. I'm sure they'll bring something new. It seems like something every team has done against us, but we're excited about the matchup for sure."

    Eagles running back Jay Ajayi was placed on injured reserve Monday with a torn ACL in his left knee, so the duties will fall on Wendell Smallwood Jr., a banged-up Corey Clement and 35-year-old Darren Sproles if he's healthy enough to play.

    "Jay is a big part of what we've done, so it's an injury that will impact us here until we get the guys back out there," offensive coordinator Mike Groh said. "Wendell, he's done a really nice job in the playing time he's gotten thus far in the season; really pleased with his production. He's done a nice job. Corey's progressing with his injury. We're happy with the guys we got. We think we still have talented players to be really good at the running back position."

    Sproles has not played since the season opener because of an injured hamstring. He was expected to be a big part of the offense this season, and had nine touches in the opener against the Falcons. His return could go a long way in helping the Eagles overcome the season-ending injury to Ajayi.

    The Eagles have several players on injured reserve now. In addition to Ajayi, they are receivers Mack Hollins and Mike Wallace, tight end Richard Rodgers, and safety Rodney McLeod.

    Veteran safety Corey Graham injured a hamstring after just three plays against the Vikings and did not practice on Monday or Tuesday, which means he is unlikely to play Thursday.

    For the Giants, kicker Aldrick Rosas has not practiced this week because of a quad strain. Shurmur seemed optimistic that Rosas will be OK for Thursday's game, but just in case he's not, the team added kicker Marshall Koehn, who was with them in the summer, to the practice squad.

    Wide receiver Russell Shepard's (neck) status for Thursday night is unclear, but Jawill Davis (shoulder) should be good to go. Tight end Evan Engram (knee) was limited in practice this week, but he should play, assuming he has no setbacks during Wednesday's final tuneup.

    Thursday will be the 167th regular-season meeting between the rivals. The Giants lead the series 83-81-2, although the Eagles have had the upper hand recently, winning the last three and seven of eight.

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

  23. Posted

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    The New England Patriots will have a new face on the sideline Sunday night when they encounter a familiar one in Matt Patricia and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

    The Patriots (1-1) have seen a revolving door at wide receiver over the last few months, with numerous players coming and going as the team looks to open up the offense for Tom Brady.

    Josh Gordon is the latest wideout to join coach Bill Belichick's crew, with the former Pro Bowl wideout boasting incredible upside to go along with a checkered past that has led to suspensions from the NFL. The Patriots acquired the 27-year-old Gordon and a 2019 conditional seventh-round pick from the Cleveland Browns on Monday in exchange for a 2019 fifth-round selection.

    Brady can benefit from the presence of the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Gordon after being limited to 234 yards and two touchdowns in New England's 31-20 setback to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

    The three-time NFL Most Valuable Player will look to feast on a Detroit secondary that could be without Darius Slay, who has yet to practice this week and could miss Sunday's game with a concussion. The Lions (0-2) added depth to the secondary by re-signing fellow cornerback DeShawn Shead, who was one of the last cuts coming out of training camp.

    Brady and company will see a familiar face on the opposite sideline in Patricia, who spent 14 seasons with the Patriots and routinely had his charges challenge the decorated quarterback in practice when he served as the team's defensive coordinator from 2012-17.

    When asked on Wednesday about his "secret" to containing Brady in practice, Patricia showed his quick wit.

    "Probably the fact that it was practice," the 44-year-old Patricia said in a conference call.

    Jokes aside, Patricia knows that execution will be key as he faces his mentor (Belichick) and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for the first time as a head coach.

    "I think in the end, it really comes back to just having a good game plan and good execution, hopefully coaching well enough to give the players the opportunity to come out and do it the right way," Patricia said. "I don't think it's anything really more than that. It's really about the players and the game itself more so than I would say it is about anything else."

    Patricia hasn't been laughing much since being hired by the Lions on Feb. 5, one day after the Patriots fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. He has seen his Lions yield 78 points and an NFL-worst 359 rushing yards.

    It's not all gloom and doom in Detroit, however.

    Patricia's stamp on the defense has been evident, notably with the club recording eight sacks already this season.

    Devon Kennard and Jarrad Davis each registered two sacks and fellow linebackers Christian Jones and Eli Harold had one in last Sunday's 30-27 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

    "When we need to, we've got to make the quarterback uncomfortable, we've got to try to be disruptive," defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni said. "And (our linebackers) work, fundamentally and technique-wise, they're working as hard at that as they are stopping runs. So, they understand it and they're excited about it and they're a hell of a group to work with."

    Belichick is very much aware of what the Lions' aggressive defense brings to the table.

    "They have very good coverage players, they have good pass rushers and they have multiple variations in their scheme that make it hard for quarterbacks to find open receivers," Belichick said. "They do a good job disguising and mixing up their coverages and the looks and the leverage that they play on different patterns and receivers. So, all those lead to problems in the passing game."

    Running back James White could serve as a quick outlet for Brady, a decision that would keep the Lions' aggressive defense at bay. White led the Patriots with seven catches for 73 yards in Week 2.

    Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford rebounded from a four-interception performance in a 48-17 season-opening setback versus the New York Jets to throw for 347 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers.

    Kenny Golladay has taken a big step up in his second season with 13 receptions for 203 yards and a touchdown while fellow wideout Golden Tate has 14 catches for 188 yards and a score.

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

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    Still licking their wounds from two disheartening road losses to open the 2018 season, the Seattle Seahawks believe some much-needed home cooking can steer the team in the right direction against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.

    Following a 24-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night, Seattle dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 2015. While many have disregarded the Seahawks' playoff chances, coach Pete Carroll said he thinks returning to CenturyLink Field can be a turning point after what has been a dreadful start.

    "This is really special to come home. It feels like we haven't been home for a long time and to be playing in front of the 12s and all that is a big deal to us," Carroll told reporters Wednesday. "It's obvious we need to get kick-started and this is the best place in the world to do that, so we're going to try to make the most of this opportunity."

    Historically, the Seahawks have been dominant at home, but the team managed to lose four out of their final five games at CenturyLink last season, including a 42-7 obliteration at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15 as part of a late-season swoon.

    They'll be looking to restore their winning ways in front of a raucous hometown crowd against a talented Cowboys squad that grinded out a 20-13 victory over the New York Giants last week.

    Still, the home team hasn't fared well in this series of late. Dallas won in Seattle in 2014, then the Seahawks posted back-to-back victories at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in 2015 and 2017.

    When Dallas rolls into Seattle, the Cowboys will have one of the architects of the Seahawks' Legion of Boom defense on their sideline.

    Dallas's new defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Kris Richard drew the media's attention for his intense approach during OTAs and training camp. Richard was the Seahawks' defensive coordinator for the last three seasons (2015-17) and coached the defensive secondary for five seasons before that.

    The Cowboys' defense has started this season with a more aggressive tone, which many in the media and the stands are crediting to Richard's presence. Dallas sacked Eli Manning six times and shut down the Giants for long enough for the Cowboys to control the first three and a half quarters on the way to victory. Dallas also sacked Carolina's Cam Newton three times in the season opener and held the Panthers to 16 points.

    All of that, plus the Seahawks' sputtering offense so far this season bodes well for the Cowboys' defense.

    Also, Dallas has already seen a dual-threat quarterback this season in Newton, which will help when facing Seattle's Russell Wilson.

    Wilson (5 feet 11, 215 pounds), doesn't have the same kind of intimidating physical presence as Newton (6-5, 245), but is still plenty accomplished using his arm and feet to make plays.

    "(Wilson) certainly challenges you a lot of different ways," Garrett said. "He is a dual threat. He can beat you with his feet. He can beat you on designed runs, when plays break down, when he gets out of the pocket he extends plays. He can stand in there and throw it too."

    Newton passed for 161 yards and ran for 58 in the Panthers' 16-8 victory over the Cowboys in the season opener.

    Dallas faces a challenge in Seattle tight end Will Dissly. After setting an NFL-record for rookie tight ends with 105 receiving yards in his debut against Denver, the fourth-round pick out of Washington followed up with another steady performance in Chicago, catching three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown while also contributing a few key blocks against Khalil Mack late in the game.

    The Cowboys had some trouble covering Giants tight end Evan Engram last week, surrendering six catches for 73 yards and a score. Dissly isn't the same athlete as Engram, but at 270 pounds, he's a load to bring down in the open field and he's fleet-footed for his size.

    Of course, Dallas has been inconsistent on offense through two games as well.

    The Cowboys found their rhythm at times against the Giants with Dak Prescott making key plays. They'll try to keep it up against a remodeled Seattle defense.

    In the fair-trade category, Ken Norton Jr., a member of two Cowboys Super Bowl champions, is the Seahawks' new defensive coordinator.

    "I see a really good defense," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "They've got a lot of new faces, but they still play the same way they've played for a long time."

     

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

  25. Posted

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    The Arizona Cardinals have scored just six points while losing their first two games of the season and face a defense on Sunday that could prove more of a challenge.

    The Chicago Bears (1-1), led by outside linebacker Khalil Mack, head to the desert to face the Cardinals (0-2).

    Cardinals quarterback Sam Bradford and the offense will be tasked with figuring out a way to muster some yards. They plan to simplify things in an attempt to move the ball more effectively.

    "Just really feel like we own the plays that are in the game plan that week as opposed to having so many calls on the sheet that maybe we know them," Bradford said, "but we're not owning them the way that we should.

    "The thought is just to allow everyone to go out there and play faster, simplify everything a little bit, and hopefully, it shows up in the speed in which we play."

    For whatever reason, most of Bradford's completions have resulted in fewer than 10 yards in the opening two weeks. His lack of patience in the the pocket is reflected in three wide receivers -- Chad Williams, J.J. Nelson and Trent Sherfield -- having no catches so far.

    "I've been saying it from day one, we've got to create more separation down the field," Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said. "Sam does a great job of throwing guys open as I've mentioned before, but we've got to create separation, coming back for the ball, and we've got to create separation down the field.

    "We need to take some shots, loosen the defense up a little bit, those kind of things. We're working on that. I think those guys have done a great job at the line of scrimmage trying to fight and get off the press (coverage).

    "Again, it's not just one thing. We're all in this together and we've got to find ways to make sure we get this offense going in the right direction."

    In the opening two games, the Cardinals have been outscored 58-6.

    Bradford was sacked just three times in those two games, but the Arizona offensive line now faces a Bears defense that accumulated 10 sacks and five forced fumbles in two games.

    Mack obviously will be a person of concern for the Cardinals' offensive line.

    "We've just got to get on him," Cardinals right tackle John Wetzel said. "You've got to have some good sets for him because he can turn and go power inside moves on you and he can rush you from the outside, so you've got to get your hands on him, be inside-out, and just react."

    A loss would leave the Cardinals at 0-3 for the first time since the 2005 season.

    But as the offense struggles, Wilks isn't ready to replace Bradford with rookie first-round draft pick Josh Rosen.

    "Sam, right now, is the quarterback," Wilks said, diplomatically. "As I've said before, I don't think it's just the quarterback position. I think we have some issues across the board in all three phases and we're working on those issues."

    The Bears' defense could become even tougher once rookie linebacker Roquan Smith gets acclimated after missing 29 days of training camp in a contract holdout. He played nearly 90 percent of the snaps last week against the Seattle Seahawks.

    "He had a couple missed tackles we didn't like," Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "And it goes back to another thing. He missed basically all of training camp. ... But I really liked the way he played. He had some really nice plays. Good tackler. Obviously he can run, and we're thrilled to have him."

    The Bears would be excited to see their offense get going against the Cardinals. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has connected on 69.6 percent of his throws but is averaging only 5.4 yards per completion.

    Wide receiver Allen Robinson has emerged as one of Trubisky's favorite targets. In the win over the Seahawks, Robinson finished with 10 receptions for 83 yards.

    "We had a couple of route-depth things we'll clean up," Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said. "They were simple things that he watches on film and goes, 'Oh, yeah.' Knucklehead-type stuff.

    "I think he's confident now. You never know with that kind of an injury how a guy is mentally approaching things, and that's a huge, huge hurdle to get over, (to say), 'Hey, I'm good.' And that's big."

    Helfrich expects the Cardinals to try to confuse Trubisky with different defensive looks.

    "They bring it," Helfrich said. "It's impressive how well they cover out of it. You know they're bringing it and the fans know they're bringing it, and they get it done. So, again, it's an all-hands-on-deck type of deal. You have to protect. You have to play in rhythm. You have to throw in time. The routes have to be crisp and urgent. And play cleanly."

    Source: Hosted.stats.com

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