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NFL: Week 15 Primer

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Holiday shopping season has been a smashing hit.

We found Buffalo and Josh Allen to be profitable last week, along with the Rams (+7.5) taking the Ravens into OT before losing on a punt-return TD (but LA covered!).

Our player prop, Texans QB CJ Stroud under 226.5 passing yards also hit.

This week we’ll go high and low, with a three-team teaser as our main selection.

See how the primary play developed, along with a bonus play and a player prop below.

THE HEADLINER

The big three betting lines:

Dolphins -8.5 vs. Jets
Rams -6.5 vs. Commanders
Chiefs -7.5 at Patriots
(per DraftKings)

We’ve assembled a tasty plus-money three-team teaser, fading the revenge factor while considering one particular facet of the weekend weather.

First, we are teasing the Jets’ number to a whopping +17.5. It’s not because we believe in a Zach Wilson renaissance; rather, it’s that we don’t believe the Dolphins are dramatically better than they showed in Monday night’s upset at the hands of the Tennessee Titans.

Add the weather factor: It’s going to be windy in Miami. Deep throws to Miami speedsters might not be readily available, and the Jets would like to control the clock – similar to the Titans’ scheme.

Next up, the Los Angeles Rams. We can’t quit them. As their collective health improves, so, too, does their record. In another must-win game, LA can’t afford to play carelessly against the wobbly Commanders – but we’ll tease ourselves a little cushion just to be sure.

Finally, we already jumped off the Kansas City Chiefs bandwagon and can see others doing the same. The “KC will figure it out” crowd is thinning, and Sunday’s opponent, the Patriots, have nothing to lose (except a prime draft position).

The Chiefs don’t appear to have the hammer anymore. We think the talented Patriots defense can keep this close enough to cover, and hope that Bailey Zappe doesn’t throw a couple of pick-6s.

The bet, a three-team teaser parlay (+105 at DraftKings):

Jets +17.5
Rams +3.5
Patriots +14.5

THEY SAID IT

“It’s tough man. It’s real tough, and all we can do is bounce back and just try to go out there and give everything we have. We’re playing a tough, tough team this next week that plays really good defense.”

– Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the critical Kadarius Toney offside penalty that helped doom KC last week.

BONUS COMBO

Falcons at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET

The line: Falcons -3, total 34 (FanDuel).

The one feels too easy.

The Falcons need the victory to continue chasing the NFC South title, while the Panthers are in experiment mode under interim head coach Chris Tabor.

The quarterback matchup, Atlanta’s Desmond Ridder vs. Carolina’s Bryce Young, is a mismatch. Momentum is going the Falcons’ way.

Ridder threw for 347 yards last week while Young hit only 13 of his 36 pass attempts for 137 yards.

The forecast has rain and some wind, so while Ridder has some scrambling ability and a stronger arm, Young will be challenged again.

Atlanta receivers Drake London (10 catches) and Kyle Pitts (a touchdown reception!) are finding their form.

The play: Tease Falcons down to -2.5 (-148 at FanDuel).

PROP CORNER

Rachaad White, the talented Tampa Bay running back, had success last week in a 29-25 win over Atlanta, and has posted rushing totals of 100, 81 and 102 yards over the past three games.

The Bucs are on the road for the second consecutive week, this time at Green Bay, and face an angry group of Packers.

There isn’t much fear from the Packers regarding QB Baker Mayfield, so there should be added focus on the ground game.

The Bucs’ rushing success recently can be seen as a bit of a mirage, too, as they are better than only two NFL teams in rush success rate and were 24th in EPA per rush entering Week 15.

White is due for regression and, after 45 carries the past two games, he’s likely to see fewer carries as well. The number was 81.5 early Thursday but had been bet down to 80.5 by Thursday afternoon.

Prop play: Buccaneers RB Rachaad White under 80.5 rushing yards (-115 at BetMGM, FanDuel).

– Field Level Media

NFL Saturday 2023

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CINCINNATI – The first NFL Saturday schedule of 2023 starts with the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Minnesota Vikings (1:00pm EST), but the two nightcaps promise to be playoff-deciding football, especially for the four participating teams, all (7-6) on the season or better.

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Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) at Indianapolis Colts (7-6): A wildcard intersection might become a postseason off-ramp for the loser of this game depending on how dominoes fall Sunday. The Colts lost for the first time since the end of October last week at Cincinnati and cracks are starting to appear in the run defense. Indianapolis has been hit for at least 125 rushing yards in six of the past seven games. Pittsburgh, what with a backup quarterback and milquetoast offense, is primed to deploy a ground-and-pound approach using a conservative running game to back the Steelers’ stout defense. Indianapolis won’t have top back Jonathan Taylor (thumb) again, but the combination of Gardner Minshew and WR Michael Pittman Jr. has been filthy. Pittman has at least eight receptions in six consecutive games.

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Denver Broncos (7-6) at Detroit Lions (9-4): Sean Payton brought the Broncos back from the brink of self-combustion by lending a stronger voice to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Denver has a string of eight consecutive games holding opponents to 22 or fewer points with 18 takeaways in the past seven games and 15 sacks in the past three. Lions coach Dan Campbell sees the dashboard warning lights, but believes the easy fix to most of what ails Detroit is the turnover battle. The return of safety CJ Gardner-Johnson should spark the secondary, but more consistent play from QB Jared Goff has been the focus for Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Goff threw two picks and was sacked four times in the Lions’ loss at Chicago last week.

NFL Week 15 Props

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Reports) With just four weeks remaining in the regular season, all 32 teams have had their byes and a full slate of games is on the docket through Week 18.

There are plenty of options on the board if you’re shopping for player props.

Here are three we like on Sunday.

–Clyde Edwards-Helaire under 45.5 rushing yards (-115 at FanDuel)
The emergence of Isiah Pacheco relegated Edwards-Helaire to a backup role in the Chiefs’ running back pecking order. However, Edwards-Helaire did get a chance to start in Week 14 against the Bills, as Pacheco was inactive due to a shoulder injury.

Edwards-Helaire wasn’t exactly convincing, rushing for 39 yards on 11 carries. His 3.5 yards per carry matched his season mark, perhaps suggesting that this is as good as it will get with the backup running back.

Edwards-Helaire couldn’t get much going against a Bills team that ranks 18th in the FTN Network’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) metric.

Next up for the Chiefs is a Patriots defense that sits atop the league using the same metric.

Given how the Chiefs run their offense, ranking 26th with a run play rate of 38.7%, I question whether there are enough carries for Edwards-Helaire to go over this prop.

–Ezekiel Elliott under 19.5 rushing attempts (-114 at FanDuel)
Elliott is coming off a season-high 22 carries, he ran for just 3.1 yards per carry. He was more effective out of the backfield, with 72 receiving yards on seven receptions.

I’ll expect him to regress to the mean against a Chiefs team that will be in a foul mood following their 20-17 home loss to the Bills.

Questions continue to linger about Kansas City’s wide receiver group, which has been underperforming despite having an MVP-caliber quarterback in Patrick Mahomes.

Kansas City can get right against this Patriots pass defense that ranks 24th in Nfelo’s expected points added (EPA) metric.

Part of Elliott’s increase in usage in Week 14 might have more to do with how the game played out, given that New England jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the second quarter and held on for a 21-18 victory.

The Patriots are likely to be chasing the game against the Chiefs, making them less likely to prioritize a rushing attack with Elliott staying under his attempts prop.

–Mitch Trubisky over 4.5 rushing attempts (+114 at DraftKings)
At 7-6, the Steelers are currently the sixth seed in the AFC. Seating could change quickly given that four teams with identical records remain in the hunt for one of the three wild-card spots.

Pittsburgh is currently on a two-game losing streak and won’t have starting quarterback Kenny Pickett due to a high ankle injury. The Steelers will turn to backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky when they desperately need a win to snap a two-game losing streak.

Thus, it’s imperative that the Steelers put together a strategy that suits Trubisky’s skillset. That game plan should include rolling Trubisky out of the pocket and calling some designed run plays for the quarterback.

His lone start this season was last week, and he carried the ball eight times. He’s had two other games where he didn’t start but took roughly half of the quarterback snaps and finished with three carries in each contest.

If Trubisky can play the entire game, I expect him to use his legs and go over this rushing prop. Note that this Colts defense can be vulnerable against the run, ranking 26th in both EPA and DVOA.

–Field Level Media

Raiders Set Franchise Record

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) –  Raiders reserve QB Aidan O’Connell threw for four touchdowns in the first half Thursday night and Las Vegas set an Oakland/LA/Las Vegas franchise record for most points in a game in a 63-21 evisceration of the Los Angeles Chargers in Vegas.

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O’Connell completed 20 of 34 passes for 248 yards as Las Vegas improved to 6-8, keeping its slim AFC wild-card hopes alive. Los Angeles fell to 5-9 with its fifth loss in six games, clinching a losing season in a year when some picked it to win the Super Bowl.

It was a complete 180-degree turn for the Raiders, who were shut out on Sunday in a dreary 3-0 loss at home to Minnesota. But they roared out to a 42-0 halftime lead Thursday and never looked back, dropping their AFC West rivals to last place in the division.

Zamir White initiated scoring at the 8:10 mark of the first quarter with a 1-yard run, then O’Connell went to work. He found Tre Tucker for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 4:41 left, then made it 21-0 with a 22-yard connection to Jakobi Meyers. Both came right after Chargers turnovers.

Los Angeles put the game away in the second quarter. O’Connell cashed in a fumbled punt two plays later, hitting Michael Mayer for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 9:15 remaining.

Brandon Bolden ran 26 yards for a score at the 3:50 mark, and O’Connell hooked up with Tucker for a 20-yard touchdown 31 seconds before the half ended.

The Raiders made it 49-0 on their first possession of the second half as Meyers flipped a 3-yard scoring strike to Davante Adams. Their defense got into the act for their last two touchdowns as John Jenkins returned a fumble 44 yards and Jack Jones lugged an interception 16 yards.

Chargers quarterback Easton Stick, who made his first start in place of Justin Herbert (finger), hit on 23 of 32 attempts for 257 yards with three second-half touchdowns, including a 79-yard strike to Joshua Palmer.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Rooney Sportsmanship Finalists

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Official News Release) – The eight finalists for the 2023 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, given annually to an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, were announced Thursday by the league.

The finalists are:

AFC:

Defensive end Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas)

Linebacker Khalil Mack (Los Angeles Chargers)

Linebacker C.J. Mosley (New York Jets)

Guard Kevin Zeitler (Baltimore)

NFC:

Safety Budda Baker (Arizona)

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco)

Quarterback Dak Prescott (Dallas)

Linebacker Bobby Wagner (Seattle)

A four-member panel from the NFL Legends Community whittled the list of 32 NFL team nominees to eight. Voting for the winner will be done on the Pro Bowl ballot.

The award was created in 2014 and named for Art Rooney Sr., the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Each nominee has displayed the character of Mr. Rooney’s legacy,” said former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, a member of the panel. “The award represents teamwork, competitiveness, hard work and integrity while on the field.”

–Field Level Media

NBC Opts for Eagle Over Michaels

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -NBC plans to use 26-year-old Noah Eagle as the play-by-play voice for its No. 2 NFL playoff broadcast crew in January, passing on venerable voice Al Michaels.

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NBC “Sunday Night Football” tandem Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth have the call of the network’s primary playoff broadcast next month, but NBC declined to bring back Michaels for the second game. Instead, the college football broadcast team of Eagle and Todd Blackledge with sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen was assigned the No. 2 game.

Michaels, 79, reportedly earns $1 million per game in an agreement with Amazon that affords him the opportunity to accept assignments from NBC in his “emeritus” label granted when he left at the end of his last contract in 2022.

Michaels and Tony Dungy called the AFC wild-card game in Jacksonville last year, when the Jaguars rallied from a 27-point deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers.

Eagle is the son of Ian Eagle, an established play-by-play announcer for CBS, TBS and TNT, working college basketball, NBA and NFL games. Noah Eagle replaced Ian Eagle on YES Network NBA broadcasts this season.

Noah Eagle, Blackledge and Tappen are also assigned to the NBC regular-season broadcast of Steelers-Bengals on Dec. 23 and the Nickelodeon kid-focused broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11.

Michaels has been the voice of primetime NFL coverage since 1986, first on “Monday Night Football” until he took the “Sunday Night Football” job alongside John Madden in 2006. He worked in the SNF role until the end of the 2021 season.

He currently calls Thursday night games streamed on Amazon Prime Video with analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

–Field Level Media

Niners In the NFL Playoffs

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SAN FRANCISCO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -Welcome to the 2023 playoffs, San Francisco 49ers. And don’t look now, but howdy to New York Giants and Chicago Bears, both just one game out in an overflowing NFC wild-card chase.

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San Francisco (10-3) stands as the No. 1 seed in the NFC entering Week 15. The 49ers received the initial entry into the NFL postseason by virtue of the Giants’ win over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.

The 49ers have the same record as the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco beat both teams in head-to-head matchups and can secure the NFC West division title this weekend.

Green Bay is one of five 6-7 teams in the NFC and holds the seventh and final playoff spot in the conference through 13 games.

Right behind the Packers are the Giants and Bears — 5-8 entering Week 15 — and still very much alive while also currently looking at top 10 draft picks based on their 2023 record. Chicago and Green Bay play in the regular-season finale Week 18 at Soldier Field.

The Baltimore Ravens (10-3) are alone in first place in the AFC following the loss by the Miami Dolphins (9-4) on Monday night to the Tennessee Titans.

Kansas City (8-5) and Jacksonville (8-5) lead their respective divisions by narrow margins to currently sit No. 3 (Chiefs) and No. 4 (Jaguars) in the conference.

At No. 5 are the Cleveland Browns (8-5), a game up on the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) and Indianapolis Colts (7-6).

The Colts play the Steelers on Saturday and Cleveland hosts the Bears.

Three teams with 6-7 records are angling for position in the NFC South. Tampa Bay, outscored 270-262 this season, is 5-4 in the NFC and own head-to-head victories of the Minnesota Vikings (7-6) and Bears with a trip to Lambeau Field to play the Packers this week.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Monday Night Football Preview

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Tennessee Titans (4-8) at Miami Dolphins (9-3): Tennessee has two wins since Oct. 1, and the Dolphins have two losses in the same span. The Titans have seven losses in which they scored 16 points or fewer. Miami has a 70-point outing and has put up less than 17 points once in 12 games. The Titans have 20 offensive touchdowns in 2023. The Dolphins have 22 rushing touchdowns and 25 passing touchdowns. The Titans have a healthy Derrick Henry, which gives them a chance to execute a ball-possession plan to limit Miami’s offensive opportunities. Henry was over 100 yards with two touchdowns last week when he was sent to the locker room and didn’t return. Henry insists he’s ready to roll for Monday’s visit to Miami. The Dolphins have won three in a row with 99 total points and have a firm grip on the AFC East.

Green Bay Packers (6-6) at New York Giants (4-8): Tommy DeVito kept the starting QB job even with Tyrod Taylor returning from a rib injury after leading back-to-back wins to give the Giants a reasonable chance to finish with a winning record. New York’s offense isn’t a big-play machine, relying instead on RB Saquon Barkley — 865 yards from scrimmage — and a collection of wide receivers without a lead option since losing TE Darren Waller to a hamstring injury last month. The Packers are a different story with Jordan Love coming up clutch to win three consecutive games, steering Green Bay back into the playoff picture. Green Bay’s third-down offense (44 percent conversions) and the emergence of rookie WR Jayden Reed, one of three Packers’ receivers with five or more TDs, has helped cover in the absence of injured RB Aaron Jones. The Packers last allowed more than 24 points Sept. 28 at Detroit (34-20 loss). The Giants have scored more than 17 points once — 31 at Washington on Nov. 19 — since Sept. 17.

–Field Level Media

Cowboys Kick the %#@& Out of Eagles

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Surging Dallas QB Dak Prescott threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, Brandon Aubrey converted several extra-long field goals and the Dallas Cowboys got revenge on the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles 33-13 on Sunday night in Arlington, Texas.

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Prescott completed 24 of 39 throws to help the Cowboys (10-3) win their fifth straight. They have not lost since the Eagles beat them 28-23 in Philadelphia on Nov. 5. Now the rivals are tied atop the division standings with four games to play.

Tight end Jake Ferguson led Dallas in receiving with five catches for 72 yards. CeeDee Lamb had six receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Aubrey hit from 60, 59, 45 and 50 yards, becoming the first kicker in NFL history to make two field goals of 59 yards or longer in one game.

Jalen Hurts finished 18-of-27 passing for 197 yards for the Eagles (10-3), with A.J. Brown accounting for nine catches and 94 yards.

The Eagles lost three fumbles and committed 10 penalties for 95 yards in their second straight loss. In consecutive weeks, the San Francisco 49ers and the Cowboys combined to outscore Philadelphia 75-32.

Dallas opened the game with a methodical 10-play, 75-yard drive. Lamb caught a 13-yard touchdown pass exactly five minutes into the game.

Hurts guided the Eagles to the Dallas 21-yard line, where Donovan Wilson forced and recovered a fumble on a Hurts keeper. On the ensuing drive, Aubrey drilled his 60-yarder for a 10-0 lead that held up at the end of the quarter.

Jake Elliott converted from 52 yards for Philadelphia to cut it to 10-3 before the Cowboys scored touchdowns on their next two drives. First, Rico Dowdle pushed in from the 1-yard line; he was originally ruled short of the goal line before the call was overturned on a challenge.

After Elliott made a 44-yard field goal, the Cowboys sprinted 75 yards in eight plays and 1:28. Prescott hit Brandin Cooks over the top on a 30-yard play to the Eagles’ 1, and from there he connected with Michael Gallup for a touchdown to make it 24-6 at halftime.

Stephon Gilmore stripped Brown of the football and recovered it early in the third quarter.

Philadelphia capitalized on a fumble the other way when Fletcher Cox strip-sacked Prescott and Jalen Carter finished off a 42-yard scoop-and-score.

But Dallas’ next possession culminated in Aubrey’s 59-yard field goal. Aubrey, a rookie who played in the USFL before signing with Dallas, added the 45- and 50-yarders in the fourth quarter and improved to 8-for-8 on field goals 50 yards or longer.

The Eagles got to the red zone one more time, but Markquese Bell caused DeVonta Smith to fumble to prevent them from drawing any closer.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Week 14 Previews

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Previews) – This week’s NFL game capsules:

Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) at Clev. Browns (7-5): Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team is preparing for both Trevor Lawrence (ankle) and C.J. Beathard to play for the Jaguars. Lawrence limped through practice Thursday but has a high-ankle sprain and his mobility would be minimal if he tries to play six days after being injured in the Jaguars’ loss to the Bengals. The Browns have allowed the fewest yards per game in the NFL at 260.5, and pass rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward are both playing with shoulder ailments. It’ll likely be Joe Flacco shouldering the load for the Browns at quarterback. He is 1-9 in his past 10 starts but had the Browns driving to take the lead when he threw an interception in Cleveland’s loss at the Rams last week.

Detroit Lions (9-3) at Chicago Bears (4-8): Urgency is being encouraged up and down the Lions’ locker room in the rematch with the Bears, who nearly upset Detroit in the first meeting. The Lions scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to defeat the Bears 31-26 last month. The Lions subsequently lost to Green Bay and defeated the New Orleans Saints to hold a three-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings and the Packers in the division with five games remaining. They’re nipping at the heels of the Eagles and 49ers in the NFC playoff race, but that push would be deflated by another defeat. Balance is becoming the calling card for the Lions, who are fourth in the NFL in rushing and passing. The Bears haven’t won back-to-back games since 2021.

Carolina Panthers (1-11) at New Orleans Saints (5-7): Two concussions and a rib injury are among the injuries for Saints QB Derek Carr in the past month, and New Orleans weighed turning the offense over to Jameis Winston this week. The Panthers are eliminated from playoff consideration and lost the first meeting to the Saints, 20-17 in Week 2. But New Orleans’ playoff hopes are in peril thanks to three consecutive losses. The Saints were in sole possession of first place in the NFC South before losing to the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago. To remain in the mix, the Saints are in a must-win spot this week. Carolina swept the Saints in 2022.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7) at Atlanta Falcons (6-6): Atlanta can accelerate its march toward its first playoff game since 2017 by sweeping Tampa Bay. The Bucs can pull even in the standings with a victory. The Falcons already own a win over the Bucs — 16-13 on Oct. 22 — who understand the gravity of this NFC South game and the stakes the rest of the season. The Falcons are 3-0 in division games but last won the NFC South in their Super Bowl runner-up season (2016). Quarterback Desmond Ridder is 2-0 against Tampa Bay, beating them in the regular-season finale as a rookie and on Younghoe Koo’s 51-yard field goal earlier this season. He said the Falcons left “meat on the bone” in the three-point win at Tampa this season, a game in which Atlanta didn’t have a healthy Bijan Robinson (illness).

Houston Texans (7-5) at New York Jets (4-8): Any faint prayer for the playoffs rests in the hands of Jets QB Zach Wilson, who bounds back up the depth chart from the No. 3 role in the latest spin of the carousel by head coach Robert Saleh. Houston won for the fourth time in five weeks last Sunday, defeating the Denver Broncos 22-17. After facing the Jets, the Texans play three division games in the final four weeks — including two against the last-place Tennessee Titans. Houston and Indianapolis are tied one game behind Jacksonville in the AFC South entering the home stretch. The Texans are firmly in the wild-card mix and jumped into the No. 7 playoff spot in the AFC thanks to Pittsburgh’s loss to New England on Thursday night.

Indianapolis Colts (7-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-6): Pittsburgh’s loss Thursday pushed the Colts into the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Cincinnati has pep in its step on the heels of the historic effort from quarterback Jake Browning at Jacksonville. Making just his second career start after Joe Burrow’s season-ending right wrist surgery. Browning completed 32 of 37 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 22 yards and another score, calmly rallying the Bengals from TD deficits of 7-0, 14-7 and 28-21. The Colts won their fourth consecutive game last week, downing the Titans in overtime, and have the Steelers, Falcons and Raiders left on the schedule before hosting Houston in the Week 18 finale.

Los Angeles Rams (6-6) at Baltimore Ravens (9-3): The Rams answered a three-game losing streak with three wins in a row, scoring 37 points at Arizona and 36 last week to beat Cleveland in their highest outputs of the season. Baltimore has only one loss in the past seven games, thriving behind the No. 1 rushing attack (158.6 yards per game) and No. 2 defense (273.2 yards per game). The Ravens lead the NFL with 22 rushing TDs. Baltimore is coming out of the bye week and 12-3 in that situation under coach John Harbaugh. Rookie RB Kyren Williams keys the Rams’ offense, looking like the missing link the past two games in accounting for 317 total yards and three touchdowns. Rams QB Matthew Stafford has also picked up the pace, throwing seven touchdown passes with just one interception in the past two games.

Minnesota Vikings (6-6) at Las Vegas Raiders (5-7): The Vikings welcome back their best offensive player when they visit the Raiders. All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson missed the past seven games because of a hamstring injury that he sustained Oct. 8. The 24-year-old was off to a terrific start to the season before it was interrupted by injury. He hauled in 36 catches for 571 yards and three touchdowns and had at least 149 receiving yards in three of those five games. Interim Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is 2-2 since taking over for Josh McDaniels, who was fired on Oct. 31. QB Aidan O’Connell is set to make the sixth start of his rookie campaign. The Purdue product has posted a 76.4 passer rating while completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,194 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions.

Seattle Seahawks (6-6) at San Francisco 49ers (9-3): After a 41-35 loss last Thursday at Dallas, the Seahawks face the 49ers for the second time in 17 days. San Francisco won 31-13 at Lumen Field on Thanksgiving night as Christian McCaffrey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks’ offense got untracked against Dallas, after entering the game with 20 consecutive possessions without a touchdown. Geno Smith threw for 334 yards and three TDs — all to DK Metcalf — and also rushed for a score. But Seattle’s defense allowed 25 or more points for the fourth time in the past five games. The 49ers have won four consecutive games, one shy of their season high. After starting 5-0, they lost three in a row before rebounding following a bye week. Their biggest victory came last Sunday in Philadelphia, when they avenged a defeat in last season’s NFC Championship Game by trouncing the Eagles 42-19, scoring touchdowns on six consecutive possessions. 49ers QB Brock Purdy is 3-0 in his career against the Seahawks, averaging 31 points against the division rival.

Buffalo Bills (6-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (8-4): The Bills are making their fifth visit to Kansas City in 34-plus months and sandwiched between playoff disappointments at Arrowhead, Buffalo has won consecutive regular-season games at the raucous road venue. That’s a welcome trend for a team embracing the must-win feel of this game having lost four of its past six games before a bye last week. If the playoffs began today, the Bills aren’t in the postseason picture. For the first time in recent memory there is some doubt about the Chiefs keeping pace with the Bills, who are fifth in the NFL in scoring at 27.3 points per game. The Chiefs suffered losses in three of their past five games and have multiple key injuries to navigate, including the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher Isiah Pacheco (shoulder) and left tackle Donovan Smith (neck stinger). Last Sunday’s 27-19 loss to the host Green Bay Packers marked the fourth time Kansas City scored 21 or fewer points during the five-game stretch. Patrick Mahomes, who threw for 424 yards in an October victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, has been held to 210 or fewer yards in three of the past four games.

Denver Broncos (6-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-7): Los Angeles has no less than five teams to jump over in the season’s final five weeks if it wants to earn an AFC playoff spot. Only the Kansas City Chiefs have a winning record among the Chargers’ final opponents. They have two meetings with Denver, a Thursday night game next week in Las Vegas against the Raiders and a Dec. 23 encounter with the visiting Buffalo Bills. Los Angeles’ defense is going strong behind NFL sack leader Khalil Mack, who has 15 sacks this season, all in the last nine games. Denver saw its five-game winning streak end last week with a 22-17 loss in Houston. The Broncos nearly erased a 16-3 deficit in the third quarter but Russell Wilson tossed his third interception with nine seconds left to deal their playoff chances a major blow.

Tennessee Titans (4-8) at Miami Dolphins (9-3): Tennessee has two wins since Oct. 1, and the Dolphins have two losses in the same span. The Titans have seven losses in which they scored 16 points or fewer. Miami has a 70-point outing and has put up less than 17 points once in 12 games. The Titans have 20 offensive touchdowns in 2023. The Dolphins have 22 rushing touchdowns and 25 passing touchdowns. The Titans have a healthy Derrick Henry, which gives them a chance to execute a ball-possession plan to limit Miami’s offensive opportunities. Henry was over 100 yards with two touchdowns last week when he was sent to the locker room and didn’t return. Henry insists he’s ready to roll for Monday’s visit to Miami. The Dolphins have won three in a row with 99 total points and have a firm grip on the AFC East.

Green Bay Packers (6-6) at New York Giants (4-8): Tommy DeVito kept the starting QB job even with Tyrod Taylor returning from a rib injury after leading back-to-back wins to give the Giants a reasonable chance to finish with a winning record. New York’s offense isn’t a big-play machine, relying instead on RB Saquon Barkley — 865 yards from scrimmage — and a collection of wide receivers without a lead option since losing TE Darren Waller to a hamstring injury last month. The Packers are a different story with Jordan Love coming up clutch to win three consecutive games, steering Green Bay back into the playoff picture. Green Bay’s third-down offense (44 percent conversions) and the emergence of rookie WR Jayden Reed, one of three Packers’ receivers with five or more TDs, has helped cover in the absence of injured RB Aaron Jones. The Packers last allowed more than 24 points Sept. 28 at Detroit (34-20 loss). The Giants have scored more than 17 points once — 31 at Washington on Nov. 19 — since Sept. 17.

–Field Level Media