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NFL Capsules: 1pm Games

January 4, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

New Orleans Saints (6-10) at Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

Sunday, 1 p.m. (FOX)

FanDuel odds: Falcons -3, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: The Falcons defeated the Saints 24-10 on Nov. 23, which tied the all-time regular-season series at 56-56.

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Rookie QB Tyler Shough is acquitting himself nicely since the decision by the Saints to make a switch at QB1. He had 333 passing yards, two TDs and a 142.7 passer rating last week. New Orleans has four consecutive wins and wraps up the regular season without top TD producer Chris Olave, who landed on injured reserve this week after scoring nine of the team’s 26 offensive touchdowns. Atlanta has three wins in a row and became a factor in the NFC South playoff picture by proxy with a win over the Rams on Monday. The Falcons can play a spoiler role if the Buccaneers beat the Panthers, which puts the division postseason entry in the hands of Atlanta. If the Falcons win after a loss by the Panthers, Carolina would still advance to the postseason as division champion. They’ll put the game in the hands of RB Bijan Robinson. He tallied a career-high 195 yards rushing and scored twice last week.

Cleveland Browns (4-12) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)

Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS)

FanDuel odds: Bengals -7.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: The Bengals have won five of the past six meetings.

The Bengals escaped with a narrow 17-16 win in Cleveland in the opener when Browns rookie kicker Andre Szmyt missed an extra point and a 36-yard field goal. Cleveland started current Cincinnati backup Joe Flacco in that game. The Bengals aim to close out the regular season with their first three-game winning streak of the season after blowout wins over Miami and Arizona in the past two weeks. The 45-21 victory in Week 16 at Miami followed by a 37-14 romp in Week 17 against Arizona at home marked the first time the Bengals won back-to-back games by a margin of 20 or more points since Weeks 6-7 in 2021. Cincinnati’s offense has exploded in the last two weeks, earning season highs in first downs (29) and net yards (429) against Arizona. On defense, the Bengals tallied four sacks and held the Cardinals to 42 yards rushing. The Browns enter after their most emotional win of the season, a 13-6 defeat of rival Pittsburgh last Sunday in their home finale in Cleveland. The biggest storyline for the Browns heading into the season finale continues to be star defensive edge Myles Garrett and his pursuit of the NFL single-season sack record. Entering with 22 on the season, Garrett had two sacks of Joe Burrow on Sept. 7. Garrett’s 15 sacks in 13 games against Cincinnati are the most in his career against any opponent.

Indianapolis Colts (8-8) at Houston Texans (11-5)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

FanDuel odds: Texans -10.5, Total 38.5

Series Rewind: The Texans have won five of the past six meetings against the Colts.

A ninth consecutive victory for the Texans would put the Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) in a must-win spot to claim the AFC South. The Texans previously clinched at least a wild-card berth but winning the division and getting a home playoff game would rate as a much better situation. The Texans have ridden their top-ranked defense during the solid winning streak in which they have won by 10 or more points on just two occasions. Houston is coming off a 20-16 home win over the Los Angeles Chargers, another playoff team. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 244 yards and tossed scoring passes of 75 yards to Jayden Higgins and 43 yards to Jaylin Noel in the opening six minutes. Indianapolis was flying high with an 8-2 record entering a Week 11 bye. But Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was playing with a fractured fibula and then tore an Achilles in Week 14 against Jacksonville. Indianapolis continued to plummet, as signing 44-year-old Philip Rivers to a contract couldn’t stop the losing streak from reaching six games and eliminating Indianapolis from the playoffs. Riley Leonard, a sixth-round selection in last April’s draft, gets his first career start for the Colts with nothing on the line Sunday.

Tennessee Titans (3-13) at Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

FanDuel odds: Jaguars -12.5, Total 47.5

Series Rewind: The Jaguars have won six of the past seven games in the series and defeated the Titans 25-3 on Nov. 30.

The Titans have won two of their last four games and QB Cam Ward is finishing his rookie season with a kick. He’s going for a fifth consecutive game with two or more touchdowns, but Tennessee averages only 17.3 points per game this season. The Jaguars are steamrolling into January with seven wins in a row and have no trouble putting up points. QB Trevor Lawrence leads a Jacksonville offense which had scored 34-plus points in its last three games and 24-plus points in eight straight before encountering a bit of a wall against the Colts. The offense amassed 370 yards — its fourth most in a game this season — but three turnovers inside the Colts’ 25 stymied the Jaguars’ scoring. Lawrence threw his first interception in five games and had just his third game without a touchdown this season, his first since Week 9 vs. Las Vegas. Jacksonville’s defense picked up the slack, allowing just seven points over Indianapolis’ final nine possessions after Indianapolis leapt out to a 10-0 lead on its first two drives. With two fourth-quarter interceptions, the Jaguars defense is up to 21 on the season, tying the franchise record and the second most in the NFL.

Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) at Minnesota Vikings (8-8)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

FanDuel odds: Packers -8.5, Total 36.5

Series Rewind: Green Bay defeated Minnesota 23-6 on Nov. 23, but the Vikings have won two of the past three meetings.

The Packers want to get healthy heading into the playoffs, where they already have clinched a wild-card berth. This weekend’s game will do nothing to change their No. 7 NFC playoff seed. Green Bay has no shot at the NFC North division title after the Chicago Bears claimed that last week. The Packers know they will open the playoffs on the road next weekend, with the opponent and starting time to be determined. Packers quarterback Jordan Love cleared the league’s concussion protocol, but coach Matt LaFleur announced Thursday that third-stringer Clayton Tune will start instead. Backup Malik Willis, who has started with Love out, also is dealing with shoulder and hamstring injuries. Tune has made 14 appearances in the NFL and is 0-1 as a starter. His lone start came in 2023 as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. There is far less indecision in Minnesota, where J.J. McCarthy is set to make his 10th start in his first season of NFL action. McCarthy missed all of last season because of a knee injury. An ankle injury cost him five games early in the 2025 campaign, and he sat out another contest while in concussion protocol. McCarthy was sidelined last week due to a hairline fracture in his throwing hand, but he returned to full practice late this week. He has 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first nine games.

Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) at New York Giants (3-13)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

FanDuel odds: Cowboys – 3.5, Total 49.5

Series Rewind: The Cowboys are 16-1 in the past 17 meetings with the Giants.

The Giants ended an eight-game losing streak and by defeating the Raiders last week, are likely out of the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.

Quarterback Dak Prescott enters Week 18 with a league-high 4,482 passing yards, 34 ahead of the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford. Prescott could become the first Dallas quarterback to lead the NFL in aerial yardage. While Dallas aims for a .500 finish, New York could still earn the No. 1 overall pick if Kansas City beats the Raiders thanks to an inferior strength of schedule. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart threw for 207 yards on 22-of-30 passing while adding 48 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Dart’s nine rushing scores are a franchise record for a quarterback and the third most by a rookie QB in NFL history. Dart could end his first year in the league with a bang. The Cowboys own the league’s worst passing defense (253.6 yards per game allowed) and are tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed (33).

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: NFL

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