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NFL Preview: London Game

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Indianapolis Colts (1-2) vs. Washington Commanders (1-2) in London
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Colts -3.5. Total 47.5
Series rewind: Indianapolis has a 21-11 record against Washington all-time. This is the first game between the teams since the Commanders beat the Colts 17-16 in 2022.

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With four combined wins since Nov. 10, 2025 – Washington has three of them — a trip across the pond comes with a chance for one of these teams to post back-to-back wins. The Commanders’ strength on defense is stopping the run. Washington gives up only 82 rushing yards per game. Jonathan Taylor embraced the European vacation last season with a career-high 286 total yards (244 rushing, 42 receiving) and three touchdowns against the Falcons. A focus on slowing down Taylor has been good for business for Tyler Warren. He’s third in the league among tight ends with 18 catches and set a career high with nine last week. The Commanders brought quarterback Jayden Daniels along for the trip after he missed last week’s game, a Marcus Mariota-engineered victory over the Seahawks. Daniels (elbow) was injured Week 2 at Dallas and won’t play for at least another week.

NFL Previews: 1pm Games

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ORCHARD PARK – (Wire Service Previews) – Week Four in the NFL begins the very important stretch of the schedule where the contenders separate themselves from the draftniks. There’s no better example than the New England at Buffalo game where – if the Patriots lose – will plummet them into a (1-3) hole a month into the 2026 season.

New England Patriots (1-2) at Buffalo Bills (3-0)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bills -6.5, Total 48.5
Series rewind: The AFC East rivals have split the season series during each of the past three campaigns, with all six of those meetings decided by seven or fewer points.

The Bills have a chance to start 4-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time 1991-92. Josh Allen is just the fourth player in NFL history — and first quarterback — with six or more rushing touchdowns in at least nine consecutive seasons, joining Marshall Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson and Jim Brown. Bills running back James Cook has two career 100-yard games against the Patriots, going for 107 yards and two TDs at New England in Week 15 last season. Buffalo linebacker Greg Rousseau is just the third player since 1982 with multiple sacks in each of the season’s first three games, along with Mark Gastineau (1984) and Kevin Greene (1998). Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has thrown six interceptions and only one touchdown pass for an offense that ranks next to last in scoring at 12.0 points per game. New England has scored only one TD on six trips to the red zone. Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez is looking for his third straight game against Buffalo with at least five tackles and a pass breakup.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bengals -2.5, Total 51.5
Series rewind: The Bengals have won the last four games against the Jaguars to level the all-time series at 13 apiece. That includes their costly 31-27 win in Week 2 last season, when Joe Burrow sustained a turf toe injury that sidelined him for nine games.

Cincinnati and Jacksonville enter this week’s game off decidedly different results. The Bengals took their first loss after a costly Burrow fumble doomed them in a 30-27 setback to division rival Pittsburgh, while the Jaguars dominated the New England Patriots 35-6 to send a statement to the rest of the AFC. The Bengals enter this game with a depleted secondary as Ja’Sir Taylor and Jalen Davis are on injured reserve while Jordan Battle, Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger have all not practiced fully this week. That could be a problem against a Jacksonville offense helmed by Trevor Lawrence, who has thrown for seven touchdowns and two interceptions through three games. The Jaguars’ ground game also has been a strength, though, 10th in the league in rushing yards per game while rushing for 95-plus yards in every game so far this season. Cincinnati’s passing game also has been on point, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combining for 429 yards and four touchdown catches early this season.

Green Bay Packers (1-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Packers -3.5, Total 38.5
Series rewind: Green Bay leads the all-time series 34-24-1 but Tampa Bay has won three of the last four, including 31-26 in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 24, 2021.

Both the Packers and Buccaneers could badly lose in this game. The Packers, quickly buried in what again appears to be a very strong NFC North, were handily beaten 35-14 at home by the Atlanta Falcons. Green Bay’s ground game has not remotely helped quarterback Jordan Love, with the team’s 146 total rushing yards standing as its fewest through three games since 1933. The defense also isn’t helping, giving up 30.3 points per game — tied for third most in the NFL. To make matters worse, Love is completing just 52.4% of his passes. But Green Bay at least can enjoy having its starting quarterback available Sunday, with Tampa Bay unable to say the same after Baker Mayfield sustained a dislocated thumb late in last week’s loss to Minnesota. He’ll miss at least three weeks, leaving undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels to lead the offense after he beat out Jake Browning for the backup job. Daniels accounted for 90 total touchdowns (67 passing, 23 rushing) across 49 career games at Kansas, and now becomes the first un-drafted rookie to start a game in the first four weeks of the season since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.

Tennessee Titans (0-3) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Ravens -11.5, Total 42.5
Series rewind: The Ravens have won the last two games in the series to take a 14-13 lead. These teams have faced off twice in the playoffs this decade, with Baltimore winning a 2021 wild-card matchup while Tennessee came out on top in a 2020 AFC Divisional Round game.

Derrick Henry faces the team that drafted him for the first time on Sunday. The former second-round pick ran for 9,502 yards and 90 touchdowns over his first eight seasons in the league with Tennessee. He’s already up to 301 rushing yards (fifth in the NFL) and six rushing touchdowns (tied for the league lead this season) through three games this season for the Ravens. He could be in for another big day against a Tennessee defense which is allowing 126.3 yards per game. Luckily for Baltimore, quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to full practice on Thursday after he was limited with a back injury. Even though the Titans have surrounded last year’s No. 1 overall pick with a new coaching staff and wide receivers Calvin Ridley, Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson, Cam Ward’s 80.9 passer rating ranks 29th among 39 quarterbacks who have started at least one game this season, and his 168.0 passing yards per game rank 31st. Tennessee, still seeking its first win of the Robert Saleh era, has been close the last two weeks, losing 24-20 to the Eagles and 12-7 last week at the Giants.

Los Angeles Rams (1-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Eagles -3, Total 43.5
Series rewind: Including the postseason, the Eagles have swept the last four meetings with the Rams. That includes a 33-26 victory in Philadelphia in Week 3 last season.

The Eagles are the only NFL team that hasn’t scored a point in the first quarter or recorded a takeaway. When these teams met last September, Jalen Hurts outdueled eventual MVP Matthew Stafford. Hurts threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth while Stafford was held under 200 yards with two TDs and an interception. The Rams have outgained the Eagles by more than 300 yards through three games but only have six more points to show for it thanks to a mediocre performance in the red zone. Los Angeles should get a boost from the return of wideout Puka Nacua, a full participant in Thursday’s practice after missing two games with a hip injury. Davante Adams is just 9 yards away from 13,000 for his career and has six TDs in five career games vs. Philly. They will be facing an Eagles defense that began this week without top linebacker Zack Baun (concussion protocol). No. 1 wideout DeVonta Smith also missed Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury.

New York Jets (1-2) at Chicago Bears (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bears -3.5. Total 42.5.
Series rewind: The Bears beat the Jets 31-10 in their last meeting in November 2022. Chicago has won five of the past six in the series.

Maybe it’s time to believe Bears coach Ben Johnson when he asserts it doesn’t matter which of his quarterbacks start a game, trusting the collective offense to perform regardless of No. 1 QB Caleb Williams’ status. Williams (hamstring) won’t play for a second consecutive game but the Bears did just fine in demolishing the Eagles behind Case Keenum, the 38-year-old No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart. Tyson Bagent (concussion) was sidelined last week and could be in the picture Sunday. But Keenum passed for 247 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in a 27-7 victory over the Eagles after Bagent spent much of the previous week in concussion protocol. Taking care of the ball has kept the Jets in every game this season. Finishing has been another story. Geno Smith will be wary in this matchup after the Bears had three takeaways in a return to the aggressive, opportunistic style that helped the unit lead the NFL in that category last season. The Jets are coming in following back-to-back losses by a combined 10 points against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Revving up the running game remains an area of emphasis for the Jets. Breece Hall is week-to-week with a quad injury he suffered in last Sunday’s 31-24 loss at Detroit. He has rushed for just 61 yards on 29 carries after gaining 102 yards on 22 attempts in the season opener. Enter Braelon Allen, who figures to see an accelerated workload in the backfield. Smith  sports a 75.5% completion rate. He was 31-of-37 passing for 321 yards with touchdown passes to Garrett Wilson, rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq and tight end Jeremy Ruckert against the Lions. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin) likely will face the Bears, providing a boost to a secondary bracing for a challenge.

Arizona Cardinals (1-2) at New York Giants (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Cardinals -2.5. Total 43.5.
Series rewind: The Cardinals have a four-game winning streak at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won the last meeting, 31-28, in Glendale, Ariz., in the 2023 season.

Jameis Winston remains the quarterback for a second consecutive week, despite the Giants trading with for J.J. McCarthy on Monday. McCarthy, acquired to provide insurance with starter Jaxson Dart out for the season with a knee injury that required surgery, will be the primary backup. The Giants came away with a 12-7 win over Tennessee despite failing to put the ball in the end zone last week. Winston is 25-of-49 for 229 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in two games this season. The Cardinals showed some resilience in keeping it close in a 36-30 loss at San Francisco last Sunday, a week after being dominated at home by the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Arizona’s offense has lacked the big plays, a few having been negated by penalties, but has been fairly efficient in moving the ball.

 

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NFL: Late 4pm Game Previews

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Wire Service Previews) – Here are the four game previews for Sunday’s (October 4) late afternoon NFL games:

Miami Dolphins (0-3) at Minnesota Vikings (3-0)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Vikings -10.5. Total 38.5.
Series rewind: Kirk Cousins outdueled Teddy Bridgewater to lead the Vikings past the Dolphins, 24-16, in the most recent meeting (October 2022), despite being outgained 458-234 in total yards. Miami has won the past two meetings and leads the all-time series 7-6.

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The Dolphins are playing with losing margins, averaging 12 points per game while giving up 28.7. Revving up the offense became more complicated last week when RB De’Von Achane (ACL) was lost for the season. Minus Miami’s top playmaker, QB Malik Willis is fighting uphill while trying to solve the NFL’s most aggressive defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Flores and the Vikings hunt with a blitz-heavy scheme to force the ball out of the quarterback’s hand early. They have 14 sacks and four interceptions this season. The Dolphins are turning to Ollie Gordon II as the primary ballcarrier while starting a pair of rookies at wide receiver: Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell. The Vikings might have to shake things up on the offensive depth chart with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (ankle) hurting.

Denver Broncos (2-1) at San Francisco 49ers (3-0)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: 49ers -2.5. Total 47.5
Series rewind: This is the first meeting since 2022. The series is tied 8-8 including the playoffs, highlighted by the 49ers’ 55-10 romp against the Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV.

One of two unbeaten NFC teams remaining (with Minnesota), the 49ers lead the league in point differential (plus-48) and rank second in scoring (32.7 points per game) behind the fast start of quarterback Brock Purdy (league-leading 133.1 passer rating). San Francisco is just the fourth team since 1990 to allow zero sacks in each of its first three games. Four-time first-team All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner recorded a career-high 17 tackles in last week’s win against Arizona. Denver rallied from a 16-0 deficit to stun the Rams, 30-26, last Sunday night. Bo Nix fueled the rally with two third-quarter touchdown passes and the game-winning TD run with 47 seconds left. Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga — who played for the 49ers from 2021-24 — made NFL history with a sack and two interceptions in a single quarter. His fourth-quarter heroics against Los Angeles included a 66-yard pick-six. Five 49ers starters missed practice to start the week, including WR Mike Evans (ribs), DE Nick Bosa (knee, calf) and LB Dre Greenlaw (quad).

Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) at Las Vegas Raiders (3-0)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Fan Duel: Chiefs -4.5. Total: 47.5
Series rewind: The teams split two meetings last season. The Las Vegas victory in the second matchup when Patrick Mahomes was sidelined with his knee injury was just the Raiders’ third win in the past 17 matchups with the Chiefs.

Both teams are undefeated and fighting for first place in the AFC West? Sounds like a flashback to the Raiders’ long-ago better days in Oakland. The Raiders haven’t started 4-0 since 2002 — a season in which they reached the Super Bowl before losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Las Vegas hasn’t allowed a single point in the fourth quarter during the surprise start that has seen Kirk Cousins throw nine touchdown passes in 92 attempts. New Raiders coach Klint Kubiak quickly has changed the atmosphere around the team. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Nakobe Dean has been a stellar free-agent pickup and leads the squad with 27 tackles, 3.5 stops for losses and three sacks. Cornerback Hezekiah Masses has three interceptions entering a matchup in which Las Vegas wishes to slow Mahomes. Saying the two-time NFL MVP regularly carves up the Raiders is putting it nicely – he has thrown 36 touchdowns against five interceptions while winning 13 of his 15 starts. Mahomes is doing well this season on his surgically repaired knee as he has passed for 812 yards and seven touchdowns against two interceptions. Kansas City is tied for seventh in scoring at 29.3 points (the Raiders are also part of that tie) and ranks second in total offense at 416.3 yards per game as running back Kenneth Walker III has pumped life into the running game with a league-leading 360 yards. Walker has two rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores. Linebacker Nick Bolton leads the defense with 28 tackles but one problem is that Kansas City has just four sacks and seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Chris Jones doesn’t yet have one.Buy Game Tickets

Los Angeles Chargers (0-3) at Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Fan Duel: Seahawks -7. Total: 43.5
Series rewind: This is the first meeting since 2022 when the Seahawks recorded a 37-23 road victory. The Chargers have won three of the past five matchups after Seattle prevailed in the previous five.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba picked up where he left off after being the NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season. Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with 405 receiving yards and six touchdown catches and is tied for the league lead with 27 receptions. He has posted outings of 122, 155 and 128 receiving yards and fared well with backup Drew Lock as well as starter Sam Darnold. The latter was back from a Week 1 glute injury and threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 33-31 loss against the host Washington Commanders. Darnold also threw two interceptions as the Super Bowl champions saw their winning streak end at 12 games dating back to last November. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams is pacing the defensive with three sacks. The winless Chargers are nearing desperation mode and will fully be there with another loss. Of course, the 1994 team in San Diego reached the Super Bowl after opening with four straight losses when it was led by no-nonsense coach Bobby ‘Boss’ Ross and all-everything linebacker Junior Seau. But 32 years later, coach Jim Harbaugh brought in former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel to run the offense and the unit isn’t clicking and has a high of just 16 points. The Chargers rank 29th in scoring offense at 14.7 points per game and 20th in total offense at 308.7 yards per game. Quarterback Justin Herbert’s completion percentage is 59.1% — his career rate is 66.3 – and he has thrown more interceptions (four) than touchdown passes (three). Ladd McConkey’s 12 catches lead the team.

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NFL Throws the Book at York

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NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report) – San Francisco 49ers principal owner Jed York has been suspended for six games and fined $500,000 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the league announced Friday.

York, 46, originally was charged in August with two misdemeanors: engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools. The prostitution charge later was amended to disorderly conduct as part of his no-contest plea agreement.

Per the NFL, York is credited with serving three of those games by virtue of steering clear of the 49ers during the league’s investigation. He will serve the next three and is eligible to return on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

“Today, the NFL concluded its review, and I accept its decision in full,” York said in a statement. “To my family, to the players, coaches, and employees of the San Francisco 49ers, to our fans and partners, I am deeply sorry.

“This was an inexcusable mistake and I take full responsibility. What I did does not reflect my values or the man I strive to be for my family.

What’s With Drake Maye?

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FOXBORO – (Wire Service Report) – Have we already seen the worst of quarterback Drake Maye this season?

Have we already seen the worst of quarterback Drake Maye this season?

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That’s the question undoubtedly on the minds of New England fans as the Patriots prepare for an AFC East matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Through three games, Maye has looked nothing like he did a year ago, when he led the Patriots (1-2) to the Super Bowl and finished as the runner-up to Matthew Stafford in voting for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. Maye has thrown one touchdown pass and has been intercepted six times.

Although he practiced on Wednesday, Maye was on New England’s injury report due to a right shoulder issue. He said the injury has not affected his play on the field.

“No, it hasn’t,” he said. “It hasn’t. And it doesn’t impact my decision-making. That’s what makes and breaks play for quarterbacks. I don’t feel like we’re struggling to move the ball. I think we’re turning the football over, doing things that are preventing us from scoring touchdowns. And I think that’s one of the biggest things for me.”

Maye has also been sacked nine times this season.

“You turn on the tape from last year, and it was dynamic,” Buffalo defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said. “You just have to put some pressure on him and hope that the trend continues. Great players are eventually going to come out the other side. You just hope it’s after you play them.”

The Patriots are tied for the NFL lead with eight turnovers.

“If we want to get where we need to get to, we’re going to have to go through bumps along the way,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “This is all a part of the journey. When we talked about preparing for the journey, the journey wasn’t always going to be 10 wins in a row, road warriors and everything else. It comes, sometimes, with turnovers, you give up touchdowns, you miss a field goal, and sometimes that’s what the journey looks like.”

Buffalo (3-0) is one of three unbeaten teams in the AFC, joining the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, but the Bills turned the ball over five times last week in a 24-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Quarterback Josh Allen was intercepted twice and lost a fumble in the win, though he ran for two touchdowns.

“I’m not concerned with Josh,” Buffalo coach Joe Brady said. “It’s so hard to play the quarterback position. You can look at Josh, for example. The questions I’m getting about Josh this week are different than the first two weeks. … It’s a week-to-week league.”

Buffalo running back James Cook III ranks third in the NFL with 346 rushing yards. The Bills are averaging 5.2 yards per carry, which is tied for second in the league.

“(The Patriots) were a great defense last year, and through three games they haven’t taken any dropoffs,” Brady said. “They’re a hard team to game-plan for. …

“We’re not the same as we were last year, they’re not the same as they were last year. It’s two teams that are just still trying to figure out who they are at this point in the season, and it’s going to be great football game.”

Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder), offensive tackle Morgan Moses (foot) and defensive tackle Christian Barmore (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday.

New England outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder) and tight end Eli Raridon (thigh) returned to the field on Wednesday as limited participants after sitting out the Patriots’ 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.

Bills linebacker Joe Andreessen (knee), cornerback Christian Benford (toe), wide receiver Keon Coleman (ankle) and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (illness) sat out the team’s Wednesday practice.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Monday Night Football Preview

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Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) at Chicago Bears (1-1)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Eagles -4.5, Total 41.5
Series Rewind: The Eagles have won their last three games at Soldier Field, including a 16-15 wild-card victory on Jan. 6, 2019. The Bears racked up 425 yards in last season’s 24-15 Black Friday win in Philadelphia.

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Philadelphia extended its September winning streak to six games with a last-minute touchdown drive at Tennessee in Week 2. It was the eighth fourth-quarter comeback by Jalen Hurts since 2023, second in the NFL over that span to Green Bay’s Jordan Love (nine). Hurts does have a losing record (5-6) on “Monday Night Football,” however, with 15 interceptions and just nine touchdown passes. Saquon Barkley, on the other hand, has at least 100 scrimmage yards in five straight Monday nighters. The Eagles brought back Zach Ertz this week after losing fellow tight end Dallas Goedert to a knee injury. Injury was the word of the week in Chicago’s locker room, where QB1 Caleb Williams (hamstring) and QB2 Tyson Bagent (concussion) may have to watch QB3 Case Keenum shake the rust off his 38-year-old arm in prime time. With wideout Rome Odunze off to a slow start (five catches, 95 yards), the Bears may need to lean on D’Andre Swift, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a Pro Bowl season for Philly in 2023.

–Field Level Media

The Road to Inglewood via Jacksonville

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JACKSONVILLE – (Wire Service Preview) – The New England Patriots were the best road team in the NFL last season, a perfect 8-0 in the regular season.

New England travels to Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon looking to start a new streak against the Jaguars. The Patriots lost at Seattle to begin the regular season.

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It won’t be easy against a Jacksonville crew going for its sixth consecutive regular-season home win dating back to last season.

“They play well at home. They’ve been getting great first-half leads,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said of Jacksonville. “They feast off turnovers. They’ve been creating turnovers and turning those into points.”

Division winners in the AFC last season, Jacksonville and New England have taken opposing paths to their respective 1-1 records.

The Jaguars opened with a convincing win over the Cleveland Browns before blowing a fourth-quarter lead in last week’s 20-13 loss at Denver.

Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass to four different receivers in the opening win, then was held under 200 passing yards with no touchdowns against the Broncos.

Jacksonville hasn’t found the same consistent offensive success as it had in Liam Coen’s first season as head coach.

The 2025 Jaguars finished sixth in the NFL in scoring offense (27.9 points per game) and 11th in total offense (337.4 yards per game). This year’s team ranks 15th in scoring (23.5 ppg) and total offense (314.0 ypg) through two games.

Wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. (80 yards) and Jakobi Meyers (68) and tight end Brenton Strange (48) haven’t carried over their production which buoyed the 2025 offense.

Parker Washington, however, has built on his breakthrough 2025 campaign, following up his 847 yards and five TDs with a team-high 181 yards and a touchdown this season.

“Obviously, he’s super talented. He gets open, creates separation. He’s a really good route runner, great ball skills, can make contested catches. All those things are part of it,” Lawrence said of Washington’s success. “I trust him. Our chemistry has grown more and more over the past year of him being put in a lot of different situations and excelling and winning his 1-on-1s. All those things kind of play into that.”

New England features a lockdown cornerback in Christian Gonzalez, who has excelled since signing a record-breaking four-year, $135 million extension before the regular season began. Gonzalez locked up DK Metcalf in the Patriots’ win last week. Washington isn’t the same type of physical specimen, but has been more productive.

He’s No. 2 in the NFL in target share behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 36.7% which is why he warrants the attention of Gonzalez.

The Patriots were unable to beat the Drew Lock-led Seahawks in their opener but bounced back with a resounding 20-3 home win over Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh last week.

New England is allowing a league-best 8.0 points per game, while Drake Maye scrambles to recapture the momentum of his second-place MVP finish last season.

The third-year quarterback has one touchdown pass and four interceptions. Vrabel is trusting the process over the early results.

“Being decisive, believing in what you see,” Vrabel said of what he wants to see from Maye. “All we ask all our players to do is prepare to try to play fast and aggressively and make great decisions. So, yeah, we could always say, ‘Man, we should have let that one rip,’ or ‘We’ve got to make a better decision.’

“Ultimately, it’s his responsibility to be able to distribute the football as quickly and decisively as possible in the places that it’s supposed to go.”

Meyers (thumb), running back LeQuint Allen Jr. (hip), offensive linemen Robert Hainsey (elbow/groin) and Cole Van Lanen (knee) as well as defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton (back) were all limited in Jacksonville’s practice on Thursday. Cornerback Christian Braswell (knee) pracaticed in full one day after being limited.

A pair of New England linebackers in Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder) and Quintayvious Hutchins (knee), along with safety Craig Woodson (shoulder) and tight end Eli Raridon (thigh) didn’t practice Thursday, while starting right tackle Morgan Moses (foot) was limited.

Jacksonville has won the last two times it hosted New England, most recently in 2024, but the Patriots hold a 12-3 edge in the all-time series, including postseason play.

–Field Level Media

Defense! … Defense!

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FOXBOROUGH – (Wire Service Report) – New England linebacker Elijah Ponder had a sack and also returned a fumble 19 yards for a touchdown to help the Patriots defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 Sunday in Massachusetts.

Ponder’s touchdown came after defensive tackle Christian Barmore stripped the ball from Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The TD plus the Andy Borregales point-after kick gave the Patriots a 20-3 lead with 13:37 to play.

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TreVeyon Henderson (16 carries, 76 yards) scored New England’s other touchdown on a 39-yard run. The Patriots (1-1) also received two field goals from Borregales (30 and 45 yards).

Drake Maye completed 14 of 22 passes for 208 yards. He was intercepted once. Romeo Doubs had three receptions for 96 yards, and tight end Hunter Henry caught three passes for 40 yards.

Pittsburgh (1-1) was limited to 235 yards of offense (3.5 yards per play) and was 2 of 12 on third down. The Steelers’ offense has produced one touchdown in eight quarters this season.

Rodgers was 23 of 39 for 187 yards and was intercepted once. Germie Bernard was Pittsburgh’s leading receiver with four catches for 35 yards.

Linebacker Christian Elliss led New England with 12 tackles (seven solo). He recorded one of New England’s four sacks.

New England opened the scoring on Henderson’s 39-yard touchdown run with 8:22 remaining in the first quarter. It was a four-play, 49-yard scoring drive.

Borregales made a 30-yard field goal with 14:14 left in the first half that extended the lead to 10-0, and Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell kicked a 56-yard field goal on the first half’s final play to make it 10-3 at halftime.

The Patriots had a 13-3 lead after Borregales made a 45-yard field goal with 43 seconds left in the third quarter.

New England rushed for 136 yards in the win.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sunday Night Football: Week Two

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Indianapolis Colts (0-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chiefs -6.5, total 46.5
Series History: The Chiefs beat the Colts 23-20 in overtime last season, breaking a two-game losing streak in the series.

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Indy’s beleaguered defense has already swapped its lead “blue-dot” communicator on defense, from S Cam Bynum to LB Akeem Davis-Gaither. The Colts are overturning every stone to try to figure out how the opener against the Ravens went so poorly. A run defense whipped by Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson (202 yards, four TDs) is praying that Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III won’t have much left for an encore in KC. Walker had 173 rushing yards and 18 receiving yards on three catches to power the Chiefs to a Monday night victory over the Broncos. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor did his part in the opener, with the exception of a rare fumble. He had 98 yards and two TDs. But QB Daniel Jones couldn’t get the passing game to fire. WR Alec Pierce had four receptions but Indianapolis amassed only 251 total yards. Pierce (heel) has been bothered by the same injury that limited him in the offseason, but he’s a go for Sunday night after being removed from the injury report.

NFL: Week Two Previews; 4pm Games

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Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) at Denver Broncos (0-1)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Broncos -2.5, total 45.5

Series History: The home team has won four of the past five games in the series, which is tied 7-7 all-time.

Jacksonville prepped for a rematch with the Broncos by destroying the Browns 34-10 last week. The Jaguars travel west to face the Broncos in Denver on Sunday. Bo Nix completed 17 of 28 passes for 131 yards, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2024. It certainly didn’t help the third-year QB that he was sacked four times and hurried five more times, contributing to converting just 2 of 12 third downs. The Jaguars led the Browns 31-0 after the first drive of the second half before taking their foot off the gas. Trevor Lawrence, who found restored success last season under head coach Liam Coen, had nearly as many touchdown passes (four) as incompletions (five). Lawrence knows it will be tough to find the same success against a Denver defense that finished last season second in yards allowed (278.2 per game) and third in points allowed (18.3). While Denver led the league in sacks (68) a season ago, it managed just two in its loss at Kansas City, while Jacksonville’s defense is tied for the league lead with five. That included 1.5 sacks apiece from former first-round picks Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. The Jaguars’ receiver room has bumps and bruises. Jacksonville removed Jakobi Meyers (thumb) and Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder) from the injury report after they were limited throughout the week in practice.

Las Vegas Raiders (1-0) at Los Angeles Chargers (0-1)
Sunday, 4:05 PM ET
FanDuel odds: Chargers -6.5, total 43.5
Series History: The Chargers have won five of the past six meetings.

Pundits are hedging before pushing the chips to the table on a revival in Las Vegas. The Raiders enter Week 2 off an impressive 27-13 win over Miami, but that’s the qualifier. The Dolphins are in full-blown rebuilding mode and lack the playmakers to compete with … almost anyone in the league. The win highlighted the reasons the Raiders opened with Kirk Cousins at quarterback instead of rookie No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. Cousins was calm and collected, delivered three touchdown passes and spread the ball around. RB Ashton Jeanty took a strong first step toward a rebound season. He collected 147 total yards from scrimmage. Las Vegas’ defense had five sacks and held the Dolphins to 74 rushing yards, appropriate to bring up because of the Chargers’ run-first approach. The Chargers would like to erase Week 1. LA had 14 points and lost WR Ladd McConkey (ribs) after he scored a touchdown. To open up the running game, offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel wants Herbert to push the ball vertically.

Seattle Seahawks (1-0) at Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
Sunday, 4:25 PM ET
FanDuel odds: Seahawks -4.5, total 41.5
Series History: The Seahawks own nine consecutive wins over the Cardinals.

The Seahawks entrusted the game to their defense for a 13-10 win over New England in the opener after starting QB Sam Darnold left on the opening offensive drive. Drew Lock was efficient in relief, completing 73% of his passes, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba delivered 122 yards and a touchdown. Seattle intercepted three passes and generated consistent pressure. They’ll need to get to the pocket quickly this week. Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett threw to his primary or first read on almost every pass last week. For the Seahawks, getting rookie Jadarian Price will be a focus. He’ll be opposite his former Notre Dame backfield teammate Jeremiyah Love, who had a strong debut to help Arizona surprise the Chargers.

Washington Commanders (0-1) at Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
Sunday, 4:25 PM ET
FanDuel odds: Cowboys -4.5, total 50.5
Series History: The Cowboys have won five of the past six meetings in the series.

Dak Prescott has only two career losses to the Commanders and is chasing redemption with WRs George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb after a Week 1 defeat. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels was inconsistent in Week 1, but came alive late to make things interesting at Philadelphia thanks to rookie wideout Antonio Williams. He was a bright spot with 64 yards and a touchdown and all four receptions were long enough to move the chains. RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt has big-play speed and had two touchdowns in the last meeting with the Cowboys in December. The Cowboys might look to work underneath and between the hashmarks as the Eagles had great success working the ball to TE Dallas Goedert last week. Dallas lost a close game to the Giants, allowing 394 yards and struggling against the run. Rookie Caleb Downs was impressive with a sack and forced fumble but the Cowboys are banged up in the secondary already. OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku brought pressure off the edge, but the Giants converted 9 of 11 third-down tries and had too much time to survey the field. Protecting Daniels against Dallas’ aggressive pass rush could decide momentum early in the game. Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker didn’t have a dream of an opener in the loss at New York but he trained under Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Miami Dolphins (0-1) at San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
Sunday, 4:25 PM ET
FanDuel odds: 49ers -13.5, total 45.5
Series History: The Dolphins won the last meeting (29-17) in 2024. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is 1-2 against Miami.

QB Malik Willis threw for 220 yards but the Miami offense struggled to finish drives in the Week 1 loss at Las Vegas. Willis had two rookie receivers in the starting lineup. Caleb Douglas was a bright spot with 94 yards. RB De’Von Achane added 66 total yards and is the player the 49ers — and most opponents — will game plan to stop. The Dolphins have to put up points to keep pace with a diverse and balanced 49ers scheme with Brock Purdy at the controls. While the Dolphins forced two turnovers at Las Vegas, the Miami run defense allowed 130 yards, and top pass rusher Chop Robinson (concussion) is out this week. San Francisco opened its season with a dominant 27-7 thrashing of the Rams in Australia. The offensive line was a major advantage in the game and it stands out as a mismatch against Miami. RB Christian McCaffrey could be in line for a massive game. He had 146 total yards in his last game against the Dolphins.