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BIG EAST Update: Nov. 23

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WASH DC – (Staff Report from Official Conference News Release) – BIG EAST teams were 3-0 on Saturday.  Georgetown moved to 5-0 with a home win over Wagner, Marquette used a strong second half to down Central Michigan, and late long-range shooting propelled Providence past Penn State at Mohegan Sun.
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Georgetown 92, Wagner 75 – Box Score
The Hoyas are now 5-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 season.  Balanced scoring efforts were in full display, tallying a season-high 92 points in a win over Wagner.  Malik Mack led Georgetown with 18 points, connecting on four 3-pointers while also tallying five assists.  Julius Halaifonua registered new career-highs in scoring (16) and rebounding (9).  GU also tallied 21 assists on 29 made field goals for the game.
Marquette 85, Central Michigan 71 – Box Score
Chase Ross was outstanding once again for the Golden Eagles, finishing with 27 points (7-8 FG; 12-14 FT), five rebounds, and seven assists.  Zaide Lowery added 12 points and five assists as seven Marquette players tallied at least six points.  For the game, MU tallied 42 of its 85 points in the paint and connected on nearly 53% of its shot attempts, while recording 21 assists on 28 field goals.
Providence 77, Penn State 65 – Box Score
Stefan Vaaks’ pair of late-game 3-pointers pushed the Friars ahead of Penn State at the Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun.  Leading by three – 68-65 – late, Vaaks connected on a 3-pointer out of a timeout with 1:58 to play and added a second trifecta off a PSU turnover. Jason Edwards tallied 14 points and six rebounds, while Jaylin Sellers added 13 points.  Oswin Erhunmwunse narrowly missed a double-double (11 pts/8 reb) to go with four blocks.
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Sunday features four BIG EAST games, beginning with Butler and Virginia in the title game of the Greenbriar Tip-Off at 2 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.  Xavier finishes up play in the Shriners Children Charleston Classic, taking on West Virginia at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.  No. 3/3 UConn hosts Bryant in Hartford at 6 p.m. on truTV, while DePaul takes on Detroit Mercy at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
CBSSN
Butler vs. Virginia – 2 p.m.
Jack Benjamin (pxp); Anne O’Neil (analyst)
ESPN
Xavier vs. West Virginia – 3:30 p.m.
John Schriffen (pxp); Scott Williams (analyst)
truTV
Bryant at UConn – 6 p.m. ET
Brendan Glasheen (pxp); Steve Smith (analyst)
ESPN+
Detroit Mercy at DePaul – 6 p.m. ET – Watch
Evan Stockton (pxp); Jerel McNeal (analyst)

Welcome to Duke vs. Carolina Rivalry

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CHAPEL HILL – Losses left Duke and North Carolina looking for something to square their attention on the task at hand this week.

So they have each other.

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The neighboring rivals meet Saturday in North Carolina, playing for the Victory Bell, which goes to the winner of this annual matchup.

“The great thing about sports is redemption is always a week away,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “There will be no shortage of people who want to win the game on Saturday.”

The Blue Devils (5-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) pretty much had their aspirations of reaching the ACC championship game dashed with last week’s 34-17 loss to Virginia.

“(We need) the focus and fortitude to put it behind us and focus on what is a really, really important week for the program,” Diaz said. ” … All of our attention goes forward to getting a win on the road this weekend down in Chapel Hill.”

The Tar Heels (4-6, 2-4) had a two-game winning streak snapped with a 28-12 loss at Wake Forest. The Tar Heels were held without a touchdown in a game for the first time since October 2016.

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said he’s aware of the importance of the game regionally.

“Everybody knows each other pretty well, and (I’m) looking forward to being a participant in this event,” Belichick said.

If the Tar Heels want to participate in the postseason, they will need victories this week and next to reach 6-6 for the regular season. Up next is NC State (5-5).

North Carolina is averaging 18.7 points per game (16th out of 17 ACC teams), but has managed to stay within striking range in several games.

“They’re playing to their strength,” Diaz said. “They’re playing in low-scoring games that turn into one-score games.”

Duke is giving up 29.6 points per game, 13th in the ACC.

Duke’s offensive numbers look far superior to those for the Tar Heels. Quarterback Darian Mensah is averaging a league-best 300.7 passing yards per game, while Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard is averaging 70 rushing yards per game.

North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez has thrown for 158.3 yards per outing, with Demon June the team’s top rusher with 45.2 yards per game.

Prior to becoming Duke’s coach, Diaz said he made three visits to the New England Patriots when Belichick was still the coach there for what he referred to as “professional development” opportunities.

Duke, which already won games at Syracuse, Cal and Clemson, would finish off an undefeated road slate in ACC play with a win Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Big East Update: Nov. 22

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WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS – Butler held a commanding 48-29 rebounding advantage in its win over South Carolina at the Greenbrier Tip-Off on Friday afternoon.  Xavier erased a 14-point second half deficit but ultimately fell, 78-77, against Georgia at the Shriners Children Charleston Classic.
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Butler 79, South Carolina 72 – Box Score 
The Bulldogs led wire-to-wire over the Gamecocks, jumping out to a double-digit lead early after a 10-0 run midway through the first half. Butler led by as many as 15 with 14 minutes to go.  Finley Bizjack led four Butler players in double-digits with 18 points, while Michael Ajayi posted his fifth consecutive double-double, with 15 points and 14 rebounds.  Butler’s 79 points was a season-low; its 92.4 points per game is good for 35th nationally.
Georgia 78, Xavier 77  – Box Score
Xavier powered back from 14 points down in the second half to take a 77-75 lead after a 3-pointer from All Wright with 1:38 to play.  Georgia connected on the game winning shot from beyond the arc with 11 seconds to go.  Tre Carroll posted his first double-double of the season, with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Wright and Jovan Milicevic each had 19.
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Three BIG EAST teams are in action today, beginning with 4-0 Georgetown hosting Wagner at noon.  Marquette and Central Michigan play at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee at 2 p.m. ET, followed by Providence and Penn State in the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut at 4 p.m. ET.
ESPN+
Wagner at Georgetown – Noon ET – Watch
Jeremy Huber (pxp); Martin Bahar (analyst)
truTV
Central Michigan at Marquette – 2 p.m. ET
Brian Anderson (pxp); Grant Hill (analyst)
Providence vs. Penn State – 4 p.m. ET –
Brandon Gaudin (pxp); Robbie Hummel (analyst)

Nets Beat Celtics in NBA Cup

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. scored 33 points and Nic Claxton recorded his first career triple-double, fueling the visiting Nets to a 113-105 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday to salvage a split of their home-and-home series. Porter sank 13 of 21 shots from the floor — including 4 of 6 from 3-point range — to extend his career-best run of games with at least 20 points to eight in a row. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter.

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Brooklyn, which avenged its 113-99 home court setback on Tuesday, improved to 1-2 in NBA Cup Group B play. The Celtics, in turn, fell to 1-2.

Noah Clowney scored 19 points and Claxton had 18 to go along with 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Rookie Egor Demin added 12 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Nets, who have recorded all three of their wins this season on the road.

Jaylen Brown collected 26 points and eight rebounds while dealing with foul trouble for the Celtics, and Anfernee Simons added 23 points off the bench.

Boston trimmed a 15-point deficit down to four at 96-94 following a 17-4 run to start the fourth quarter before Demin drained a crowd-silencing 3-pointer with 5:04 remaining. Porter sandwiched shots from the interior along with a 3-pointer to push Brooklyn’s lead to 106-97 with 2:50 to play. Neemias Queta made a tip-in to bring the Celtics within three points at 71-68 midway into the third quarter before the Nets ignited a 19-4 run. Ziaire Williams threw down a dunk in transition to cap the sequence.

Brooklyn capped a 40-point second quarter with an 11-2 run. Demin scored four points during that sequence and recorded a crucial steal and set up a Clowney for a layup with 2.8 seconds remaining to give the Nets a 62-53 lead at halftime. Porter drained a 3-pointer to stake Brooklyn to a 19-12 lead with 5:14 remaining in the first before Boston began a 16-3 run to end the quarter. Payton Pritchard converted three times from beyond the arc and Luka Garza added a 3-pointer during that sequence and the Celtics took a 28-22 lead after 12 minutes.

Brooklyn converted 43 of 82 shots from the floor (52.4%), while Boston attempted eight more shots, but sank one less field goal (42 of 90, 46.7%).

–Field Level Media

No Go, Joe

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CINCINNATI – (Wire Service Report) –  Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow will not play for the Bengals on Sunday against the New England Patriots, according to multiple reports on Saturday. Burrow, who had surgery for turf toe on Sept. 19, practiced with the team the past three days, and coach Zac Taylor said he had a decision to make about the veteran’s readiness for the visiting Patriots (9-2).

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Now, the Bengals (3-7) are shifting gears, hoping he will be able to play against the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL’s primetime game on Thanksgiving.

Instead, veteran Joe Flacco, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, will start his sixth straight game. He sustained the injury in the Oct. 26 loss to the New York Jets.

Burrow played the first two games of the regular season and landed on injured reserve on Sept. 16.

“Everything is moving in a great position,” Taylor said Friday. “Now we just have to make a decision. You play a game Sunday, you play a game Thursday, you got to factor in all that stuff. He has tried to put himself in a position to be ready to go.”

The Bengals started his 21-day window for practice availability on Nov. 10, but Burrow would need to be added to the active roster by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to be eligible for Sunday’s game versus New England.

Burrow, 28, has played in 71 career games and has a 40-30-1 record. In his sixth NFL season, Burrow has completed 68.5% of his passes for 19,190 yards with 142 touchdowns and 46 interceptions.

He is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and has twice been named Comeback Player of the Year after his return from serious injuries that ended his 2020 and 2023 seasons.

–Field Level Media

 

From the Vault:

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A Memory of an Old Friend

Note: Reprinted from a Digital Sports Desk column of November 18, 2019

By TERRY LYON(S)

There’s a very special bond shared with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bill Lyon that only the letter “s” could separate. He had a highly demanding job as lead sports columnist in a sports-loving city where the games frequently ended just as his deadline approached. In Philadelphia, no sportsman wore glass slippers, so … somehow, through sheer talent … Bill Lyon endured and excelled, an hour and a half before the clock struck midnight. Just as many a writer with a west coast, pacific time zone deadline would be sitting down to craft a game story or sidebar, Lyon would be packing up for the night, computer tucked away in his bag slung over his shoulder with his work already placed in a column, flush-left, adorning the front page of the sports section or maybe A-1 of the newspaper, if the game just concluded was as worthy as his prose.

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Bill Lyon was a gentleman and a professional. He covered sports in Philadelphia and his job placed him in press boxes and locker rooms all across America. He wrote about the Phillies and baseball, the Eagles in football, the Flyers in ice hockey, but the bond shared revolved around the Philadelphia 76ers and NBA basketball. Bill rode shotgun alongside the Inquirer’s beat writers for 76ers basketball. From Hall of Famer Bill Livingston to the eccentric style of the late George Shirk to the solid reporting of Frank Lawlor or Joe Juliano, and nowadays Keith Pompey. Bill marched side-by-side at the broad sheet Inquirer with the great Bob Ford, as Lyon cranked out columns, on tight deadlines, with an upbeat approach and depth that few could even imagine, nevermind dream up and publish in 20 or 25 minutes.

During his tenure, he covered Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Moses Malone of the Sixers, although Lyon’s personality was undoubtedly more Maurice Cheeks than Darryl Dawkins. As the seasons changed, he covered Steve Carlton or Mike Schmidt of the Phillies, Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb of the Eagles, Rick Tocchet and Eric Lindros of the Flyers, prize fights, golf tournaments and maybe an Olympics or ten, but it was adjacent to NBA hardwood where we met and spoke quite often.

You see, long before the days of electronic mail, voicemail or iPhone 11s, Motorola Razors, Blackberries or any other type of mobile, voice-mail enabled devices, Bill Lyon was the recipient of hundreds upon hundreds of my hotel messages. Back in the day, they say with a degree of reminiscence and disdain at the same time, hotel phone operators took a pen and a pad of pink, pre-printed message slips and wrote down the name and phone number of a caller who used a telephone with a hard line and dialed the main number seeking out a guest. In our case, we frequently stayed at the same NBA media headquarters hotel and Lyon would appear on the operator’s screen before Lyons, and thus the problem.

Bill and I formed a bond in 1981 or so, and we made a pact, written in stone and not on a pink message slip. That pact was to diligently and without judgement, frustration or fatigue, with neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor first flights out, nor late nights at the hospitality room stay our bond to swiftly deliver the message or voice mail to one another during our appointed round. The ratio of Lyons to Lyon messages was probably, oh, roughly 100-3. Bill would either call, or sometimes it was easier to just walk them over. From the Los Angeles Airport Marriott to Boston’s Copley Place, the Lyon-to-Lyons message center was more reliable than a Maytag, more efficient than a GM factory and stronger than U.S. Steel. We traveled the land, undaunted by incompetent hotel operators and mixed up messages.

He marveled at the number of media credential requests, or later, of the sheer volume of international media seeking NBA information.

Likewise, his editors or occasionally his wife, Ethel, might cross telephone lines into the land of Lyons rather than Lyon. The mishaps were usually met with good-natured laughs and a promise to pass a message along or even better. As the Lyon-Lyons tandem learned over the years, we’d compare notes before a “Game 1” and then be able to say, oh no, he’s in Room 404, let me see if I can transfer your call.

It was a special bond.

Yesterday, Jim Nantz of CBS Sports informed me and the rest of the world of Bill Lyon’s passing and, at the same time, he reminded me a fantastic and wonderful bond had officially and irreversibly ended.

That made me quite sad.

Rest In Peace, old pal. You’ve got a smooth operator now.

NFL Sunday Night Football: Preview

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Detroit Lions (6-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Eagles -2.5, Total 46.5
Series Rewind: Dan Campbell and Nick Sirianni have met twice since both became head coaches in 2021. Sirianni’s Eagles defeated Campbell’s Lions in Detroit in Week 8 in 2021 (44-6) and in Week 11 in 2022 (38-35).

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Sirianni is 10-0 against the NFC North, including the playoffs, and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is 10-1. In his past 15 regular-season games dating back a full calendar year to Week 11 in 2024, Hurts has accounted for 31 touchdowns (22 passing, nine rushing) with just one interception. In his last appearance on “Sunday Night Football,” Philadelphia star Saquon Barkley racked up 302 scrimmage yards (255 rushing, 47 receiving) with two TDs against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12 last season. A.J. Brown has been quiet this season for the Eagles but has found the end zone in four of his past five Sunday night games. Lions quarterback Jared Goff has completed 77.6% of his passes with 10 TDs and just one interception in five road starts this season. Detroit has the NFL’s No. 2 scoring offense (31.4), powered by running back Jahmyr Gibbs (920 yards and 10 TDs from scrimmage) and wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown (64 receptions, 693 yards and eight scores).

–Field Level Media

NFL Week 11: 4pm Game Previews

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Seattle Seahawks (7-2) at Los Angeles Rams (7-2)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Rams -3, Total 47.5
Series Rewind: Five of the past six meetings in the rivalry have been decided by six or fewer points, including overtime victories by the Rams (26-20 in Week 9 last season) and the Seahawks (19-16 in Week 18 in the 2022 season).

Seattle’s Sam Darnold (116.5) and L.A.’s Matthew Stafford (114.8) rank third and fourth in the NFL in passer rating, with Stafford leading the league in passing yards per game (269.7) and Darnold ranked No. 1 in yards per completion (14.0) and per attempt (9.9). Darnold’s top targets are longtime Ram Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who just became the third player in NFL history with 75-plus receiving yards in each of the first nine games of a season (Michael Irvin, Antonio Brown). Stafford’s primary weapons are Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, whose next catch will be No. 1,000 of his storied career. All those stars are facing two defenses ranked in the top five in scoring defense, with the Rams allowing 17.0 points per game and the Seahawks 19.1. Seattle has won a franchise-record 10 straight road games, including a 30-25 victory over Los Angeles in the regular-season finale last season at SoFi Stadium.

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San Francisco 49ers (6-4) at Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: 49ers -3, Total 48.5
Series Rewind: The teams have traded season sweeps of late, the 49ers doing the honors in 2022 and 2023 and the Cardinals in 2021 and 2024. San Francisco looks to keep the trend going after its 16-15 win in Week 3.

Barring a late setback with his toe injury, Brock Purdy will make just his third start of the season and first since Week 4 for the 49ers. Purdy is 4-1 against Arizona with a 120.4 passer rating and a 9-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. San Francisco star Christian McCaffrey last week became just the fourth player in NFL history with more than 7,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards, joining Hall of Famers Marcus Allen and Marshall Faulk as well as Tiki Barber. In the 49ers’ 16-15 win in Week 3, no Cardinals rusher or receiver gained more than 44 yards. Arizona QB Jacoby Brissett has passed for at least 250 yards with multiple touchdowns in all four of his starts this season in place of the injured Kyler Murray. Trey McBride is on a historic streak as the first tight end in NFL history with five or more catches in each of his first nine games in a season.

Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) at Denver Broncos (8-2)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chiefs -3.5, Total 44.5
Series Rewind: The Broncos have taken two of the past three meetings after the Chiefs ripped off 16 straight wins in the series. Denver won 38-0 in Week 18 last year with Kansas City resting many starters.

The Chiefs’ streak of nine straight division titles is in jeopardy as they travel to Denver for a game that will either put the Chiefs back in the AFC West race or leave them battling for a wild card. If the Broncos win, they’d open a 3 1/2-game advantage over Kansas City with six games to go. The Chiefs went into their bye after losing by seven at Buffalo on Nov. 2. Patrick Mahomes is utilizing his legs more than previous seasons. Mahomes rushed for a career-high 389 yards in 2023, and this year he has 285 rushing yards in just nine games, on pace for 538 yards. Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs’ leading rusher, missed the Bills game due to a knee injury and didn’t practice Wednesday. The Broncos have stayed stout while missing cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year who missed the past two games due to a pectoral injury. He’s expected back after the Week 12 bye, while linebacker Alex Singleton is out after having surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Leading rusher J.K. Dobbins sustained a foot injury against the Raiders; backup RJ Harvey would carry more of the load if Dobbins can’t go, as expected.

Baltimore Ravens (4-5) at Cleveland Browns (2-7)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Ravens -7.5, Total 39.5
Series Rewind: Jackson threw for four touchdowns when Baltimore blew out Cleveland 41-17 in Week 2. Each of the Ravens’ last three wins in the series have come by 24 or more points.

The Ravens have won three straight games — the last two with Lamar Jackson (hamstring) back as quarterback — and can reach the .500 mark if they finish off the regular-season sweep of the Browns. Jackson surprisingly has never had a 300-yard passing game against Cleveland but he has thrown three or more touchdown passes on four occasions and rushed for two touchdowns three times. Baltimore has outscored Chicago, Miami and Minnesota 85-41 during the three-game winning streak. Derrick Henry has three 100-yard rushing outings but was held to a season-low 23 yards on 11 carries by Cleveland in the mid-September meeting. The Browns are trying to learn as much as they can about rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel and he has topped 200 yards just once in five starts. Gabriel has thrown just two interceptions in 174 attempts but is completing just 58.6% of his throws. He has 869 yards and seven touchdowns. Cleveland star defensive end Myles Garrett is enjoying another big season and is tied for the NFL lead with 11 sacks. Garrett had 1.5 sacks against Baltimore in the first meeting. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, a second-round pick, has been superb with a team-best 74 tackles.

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NFL Week 11: 1pm Game Capsules

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Green Bay Packers (5-3-1) at N.Y. Giants (2-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Packers -7, Total 42.5
Series Rewind: This is the third meeting in four seasons. The Giants have won the past two games against the Packers by a total of seven points. The decades-old rivalry includes five NFL Championship games, four of them won by Green Bay.

Green Bay is packing good-luck charm Micah Parsons, who is 8-0 in his career against the Giants from his time with the Cowboys. Parsons can introduce himself to first-game head coach Mike Kafka, who is at the controls of the Giants on an interim basis following the firing of Brian Daboll on Monday. Kafka won’t have rookie QB Jaxson Dart (concussion), but turns to Jameis Winston in their joint debut in new roles. Winston was the No. 3 quarterback behind Russell Wilson, who was demoted by Kafka this week. Now in his fourth season with the Giants, Kafka had the offense performing reasonably well. New York had Chicago down by 10 points last week but fell apart in the fourth quarter. WR Wan’Dale Robinson leads New York with 53 receptions and might get an opportunity to line up across from former Kentucky teammate Carrington Valentine, a corner for the Packers. Winston’s undoing in the past has been turnovers. He has the arm to attack vertically if protection keeps Parsons and Rashan Gary at bay. The Packers have only three interceptions this season. Scoring has been the moving target for the Packers and QB Jordan Love. In losses to the Browns, Panthers and Eagles, Green Bay totaled 30 points. They averaged 30.5 in their other six games (five wins and a 40-40 tie at Dallas) this season.

Carolina Panthers (5-5) at Atlanta Falcons (3-6)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Falcons -3.5, Total 41.5
Series Rewind: The Panthers enter having won consecutive games against the Falcons for the first time since 2014-15. Prior to that, Atlanta had won 13 of the last 18 against Carolina and leads the all-time series 37-24.

At seven years apiece, the Panthers and Falcons are tied for the second-longest active playoff drought, shorter than only the New York Jets. This week’s game feels important as both teams attempt to hang on the precipice of postseason contention this season. Atlanta enters on a four-game losing streak, with the last two defeats coming in heartbreaking fashion on a missed extra point at New England and an overtime loss to Indianapolis in Berlin last week. Second-year QB Michael Penix Jr. ranks 31st among qualified passers in completion percentage (58.8), while the offense has converted just 3 of 29 (10.3%) of its third-down attempts across the last three games. Carolina has shown higher highs of late, handing Green Bay just its second loss of the season on the road two weeks ago before laying an egg in Sunday’s 17-7 home loss to the New Orleans Saints, who previously had just one win. Bryce Young ranks 30th in the NFL with 168.2 passing yards per game for a Carolina offense that’s 15th of 16 NFC teams in scoring (17.7 points per game).

Cincinnati Bengals (3-6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Steelers -5.5, Total 49.5
Series Rewind: The Steelers have dominated the all-time series with this AFC North rival, but the Bengals have snatched up the past two wins, including a 33-31 home win last month.

Two AFC North teams struggling for consistency meet for a rematch of a dramatic finish from mid-October. Joe Flacco outdueled Aaron Rodgers and led the Bengals’ game-winning drive in the final two minutes, capturing a 33-31 win on Evan McPherson’s 36-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining. Flacco finished 31-of-47 for 342 yards and three touchdowns, while Rodgers threw for 249 yards and four touchdowns but was intercepted twice. Last week, the Steelers managed just 10 points and 221 total yards in a prime-time flop at the Chargers. “I don’t need a pat on the back,” coach Mike Tomlin deadpanned. “We stunk it up. We’ll be back.” Flacco again practiced only once this week due to a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder, but he’s been the least of the Bengals’ problems. They rank last in the league in total defense, rushing defense and points allowed, and defensive ends Trey Hendrickson (hip/pelvis) and Shemar Stewart (ankle) were pronounced doubtful to play early in the week. Pittsburgh, whose division lead has shrunk to one game, may be without cornerback Darius Slay (concussion) and linebacker Alex Highsmith (pectoral), among others.

Houston Texans (4-5) at Tennessee Titans (1-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Texans -5.5, Total 37.5
Series Rewind: After an 0-3 start, the Texans got their first win of the season in shutout fashion, 26-0, over the Titans back in Week 4. Houston has won five of the last six meetings to trim Tennessee’s lead in the all-time series to 24-23.

With a chance to pull itself back to .500 for the first time this season, Houston will again turn to Davis Mills at quarterback, with C.J. Stroud (concussion) ruled out for his second straight game. The good news for the Texans is that Mills sure seemed up to the task last week when he anchored a 19-point fourth-quarter comeback with three late touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) to fuel a 36-29 win over the Jaguars. He’s supplemented by a defense that leads the league in total defense (261.3 yards per game) and scoring defense (16.7 points per game). The Titans are coming off a bye week which they hope has set the stage for a strong finish to a challenging rookie season for No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. He still hasn’t thrown multiple touchdowns in a game this season and has more interceptions (six) than passing TDs (five) through his first nine starts. A return of receiver Calvin Ridley, who has been limited in practice this week after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury, would certainly make things a bit easier for Ward.

Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chargers -3, Total 43.5
Series Rewind: This will be the first time these teams face off since Jacksonville rallied from a 27-0 deficit to stun Los Angeles 31-30 in an AFC wild-card playoff game in January 2023. The Jaguars have won the last two games, but the Chargers lead the all-time series 9-5.

Los Angeles brings a three-game winning streak into Jacksonville as it remains right in the middle of the contested AFC West race, a game behind Denver and two ahead of Kansas City. While the Chargers have done that despite battling injuries, they received good news on that front this week. Star QB Justin Herbert, who is second in the league in passing yards (2,610), has been practicing fully after he was seen limping during last week’s win over Pittsburgh. Jacksonville, which was 4-1 in early October, is 2 1/2 games behind Indianapolis in the AFC South after blowing the largest lead in franchise history (19 points) last week at Houston. The team announced Tuesday that two-way sensation Travis Hunter Jr. was undergoing season-ending knee surgery, and top receiver Brian Thomas Jr. also appears questionable to return this week after he was limited in the team’s first two practices. That could make things hard for Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence, who has two TDs and two interceptions in the last three games.

Chicago Bears (6-3) at Minnesota Vikings (4-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Vikings -2.5, Total 47.5
Series Rewind: Minnesota has won eight of the past nine meetings, including a 27-24 road victory in Week 1.

Chicago is soaring with six wins in its past seven games after stumbling out of the gate. After Chicago’s opening loss to Minnesota, the Bears were walloped 52-21 by the Detroit Lions. But Chicago has rebounded well under first-year coach Ben Johnson and has scored at least 24 points in all six of its victories. Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams has emerged and has thrown for 2,136 yards and 13 touchdowns against four interceptions. But perhaps the 14 sacks are the most impressive stat. As a rookie, Williams was sacked a league-worst 68 times. Safety Kevin Byard and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (team-best 80 tackles) are tied for the team lead with four interceptions. Minnesota has dropped three of four games and is looking for first-year starting QB JJ McCarthy to get more comfortable. He has been picked off six times in 108 attempts and has a meager 53.7 completion rate. McCarthy has thrown six scoring passes but has been sacked 15 times in four games. Star wideout Justin Jefferson hasn’t had a 100-yard receiving game since Oct. 5 and has ended up with less than 50 each of the past two weeks. He caught four passes for 37 yards with a long of 11 in last week’s 27-19 loss to Baltimore.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) at Buffalo Bills (6-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bills -5.5, Total 47.5
Series Rewind: Josh Allen passed for two scores and rushed for one as Buffalo defeated visiting Tampa Bay 24-18 in Week 8 in 2023. Baker Mayfield tossed two touchdowns for the Buccaneers.

Two star quarterbacks from the 2018 draft class square off in this contest. Buffalo’s Allen is the reigning NFL MVP, while Tampa Bay’s Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick of their class. Allen was the seventh overall selection and has passed for 2,139 yards and 15 touchdowns against five interceptions this season. However, not all is well for the Bills as they were whipped 30-13 by the lowly Miami Dolphins last week for their third loss in five games. Buffalo running back James Cook has been superb and ranks second in the NFL with 920 rushing yards. Cook and Allen have both run for seven scores. The Buccaneers also have slowed down and are just 3-3 after a 3-0 start. Mayfield has been a high performer and has thrown for 2,192 yards and 16 touchdowns and has been intercepted just twice. Star rookie Emeka Egbuka has been a force with 40 catches for 677 yards and six touchdowns. Tampa Bay could get running back Bucky Irving (shoulder/foot) back after missing the past five games. Buccaneers star nose tackle Vita Vea (back) is responding well to treatments. He was injured in last week’s 28-23 loss to the New England Patriots.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Nov 16

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