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Patriots’ Starting QB? A Sunday Gametime Decision

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick plans to hold a decision on his starting quarterback until gameday.

“Will let you know on Sunday,” Belichick told reporters Tuesday morning, when pressed about whether he’ll stick with starter Mac Jones or turn to backup Bailey Zappe or No. 3 Will Grier.

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Jones was benched late in the fourth quarter of a 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 12. The Patriots had a bye this past week. Belichick and the Pats will face the NY Giants Sunday at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford.

Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said Monday that Jones was still taking first-unit reps in practice but noted that the decision will ultimately be up to Belichick.

“Mac took the first-team reps. Bailey rotated in there. Will Grier rotated in there,” O’Brien said. “For me, I basically get everybody ready to play,” he said when asked if Jones was still the team’s starter. “At the end of the day, Bill (Belichick) will make that decision at some point and we’ll go from there.”

“It will be based on what I think is best for the team,” Belichick said of his QB decision. “…I’ve told all the players the same thing: be ready to go. So hopefully they will be.”

The Patriots are wallowing in last place in the AFC East with a record of 2-8 and look to be headed for the worst season since Belichick’s first with the Patriots when they finished 5-11 in 2000.

New England ranks 31st in the league with an average of just 14.1 points per game.

–Field Level Media

Dolphins Drill Jets in Friday Matinee

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jevon Holland scored on a dazzling interception return to conclude the first half and Tyreek Hill had another standout game as the Miami Dolphins notched a 34-13 victory over the New York Jets on Friday in New Jersey.

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Hill had nine receptions for 102 yards and his league-high 10th touchdown catch for Miami (8-3), the leaders of the AFC East. Tua Tagovailoa was 21-of-30 passing for 243 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Jaylen Waddle had eight catches for 114 yards and Raheem Mostert rushed for 94 yards and two scores for the Dolphins.

Tim Boyle made his first start for the Jets and completed 27 of 38 passes and 179 yards and a touchdown throw to Garrett Wilson as New York (4-7) lost its fourth consecutive game. Brandin Echols had an interception return for the Jets, who were outgained 395 yards to 159.

Boyle started due to the Jets demoting Zach Wilson. New York’s Aaron Rodgers continues to insist he will return from his Achilles injury prior to the end of the season.

Before Holland’s game-changing play, Echols intercepted Tagovailoa and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 58 seconds left in the first half to bring the Jets within 10-6.

Then D.J. Reed picked off Tagovailoa at the Jets’ 49-yard line with two seconds left. But all that did was set the Jets up for major heartbreak.

Boyle dropped back and made the Hail Mary throw toward the end zone but Holland caught the ball at the 1 and headed upfield. Holland navigated his way past New York offensive linemen and easily eluded Boyle near the 10 to complete the 99-yard return and give the Dolphins a 17-6 halftime advantage.

The play was a huge blow for the Jets, who were on the verge of trailing by just four points despite being outgained 214-47 in the half.

Miami tacked on a 54-yard field goal by Jason Sanders to start the third quarter and increase the lead to 14 points. The Jets ran three plays for 3 yards in the period.

New York had 50 yards entering the final stanza and Miami had an 18-2 edge in first downs.

On the opening play of the fourth quarter, Mostert scored on a 14-yard run to make it 27-6. That wrapped a 15-play, 92-yard drive that lasted 9:03.

New York’s 10th offensive touchdown of the season occurred when Boyle hit Wilson on a 1-yard throw with 4:37 remaining.

Mostert tacked on a 34-yard scoring run with 3:35 left.

Earlier, Sanders kicked a 38-yard field goal late in the first quarter and Tagovailoa tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Hill with 8:21 left in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Thanksgiving Night Special

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SEATTLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Seattle Seahawks likely would have preferred a full week to determine whether quarterback Geno Smith was healthy enough to start against the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers.

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Instead, they’ll only have until tonight, when the teams meet in Seattle.

Smith was injured late in the third quarter of a 17-16 defeat to the host Los Angeles Rams on Sunday when he was knocked to the turf by Aaron Donald. Smith suffered a bruise on his right arm, near the elbow.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Smith said of his availability for the Thanksgiving Day game. “That’s up to coach.”

Smith missed most of the fourth quarter with his throwing elbow in a heavy wrap before returning after the Rams took the lead with 1:31 remaining. Despite losing communication with the sideline, Smith guided the Seahawks into field-goal range before Jason Myers narrowly missed a 55-yard attempt in the closing seconds.

“Pretty difficult, in a lot of pain, but just tried to go out there and do my best,” said Smith, who finished 22-of-34 passing for 233 yards and one touchdown.

The Seahawks (6-4) don’t know if leading rusher Kenneth Walker III will be available after suffering an oblique injury in the first half against the Rams. They’re hopeful safety Jamal Adams will return after missing Sunday’s game with a knee issue. And star wide receiver DK Metcalf appeared on Tuesday’s estimated injury report with a toe injury.

San Francisco (7-3) has righted itself after a three-game losing streak heading into its bye week.

Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy, who threw five interceptions during the 49ers’ skid, has been nearly flawless the past two weeks in victories against Jacksonville and Tampa Bay. Purdy completed 40 of 51 passes for 629 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions in those games. He posted sky-high passer ratings of 148.9 and 158.3 against the Jaguars and Bucs, respectively.

Purdy said he got the “chip” back on his shoulder.

“Getting back to that and then proving myself every drive, every play that I can be the guy for this team and I have to earn it every single week at practice, in meetings, whatever it may be,” Purdy said. “So, that’s the mindset of what I was talking about and definitely more in tune to being detailed and stuff the last couple weeks and finding that chip again.”

Purdy leads the NFL in passer rating (115.1), completion rate (70.2 percent), yards per attempt (9.7) and percentage of passes for touchdowns (6.5 percent).

“System quarterback, right?” 49ers tight end George Kittle joked about Purdy. “Brock’s fantastic in the way he shows up every single day. Someone asked him about his mindset, like how he can be so aggressive and protect the football. He talked about being a surgeon. He talked about having zero fear and just that quote from him shows his maturity level, how he understands the game and what it means to play quarterback at a high level while being aggressive at taking care of the football.”

San Francisco safety Talanoa Hufanga suffered a season-ending knee injury last week. The 49ers could be without both starting offensive guards, as Spencer Buford (knee) missed practice time this week and Aaron Banks (toe) was limited, as were defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (thumb), wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud (rib) and cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles (shoulder).

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he knows his team faces a tough test but pointed to San Francisco’s recent skid.

“It’s just really a difficult team to deal with. But teams have figured it out. They have found them out and they were able to get them,” Carroll said. “So we understand that. They’ve got three losses. We got four losses. This is a huge opportunity for us.”

–Field Level Media

Packers Sack Lions. 29-22

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jordan Love passed for 268 yards and three touchdowns and the visiting Green Bay Packers surprised NFC North leader Detroit, 29-22, on Thanksgiving Day.

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Christian Watson caught five passes for 94 yards and a touchdown for Green Bay (5-6). AJ Dillon gained a combined 81 yards rushing and receiving, while Jonathan Owens scored on a fumble return.

Detroit’s Jared Goff passed for 332 yards and two touchdowns but also lost three fumbles. David Montgomery rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown, while Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 95 yards (8-3).

Detroit has lost seven straight on Thanksgiving Day.

The Packers led 23-6 at halftime.

Both teams scored touchdowns on their opening drives. Love connected with Watson on a 53-yard pass on the Packers’ first play from scrimmage. A 10-yard pass from Love to Jayden Reed completed the possession.

Goff connected with Sam LaPorta on a 7-yard scoring strike after the same connection produced a 31-yard gain. Riley Patterson missed the extra point, leaving Detroit down 7-6.

Green Bay answered with a 75-yard drive, completed by Love’s 10-yard pass to Tucker Kraft.

The Packers stretched their lead to 14 points when Goff fumbled while getting sacked. Owens scooped up the ball on one bounce and scored from 27 yards out. Anders Carlson missed the extra point.

Carlson made a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Detroit scored on its first possession of the second half on Montgomery’s 6-yard run.

The Lions attempted a run on a fake punt later in the quarter and it failed, giving Green Bay the ball on Detroit’s 23. Watson caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Love on third down. A two-point conversion try failed, leaving the score at 29-14.

Goff threw an incompletion on fourth down deep in Green Bay territory midway through the fourth quarter.

Goff connected with Josh Reynolds on a 12-yard touchdown pass and hit LaPorta for the two-point conversion but there were only 41 seconds left. The Packers recovered the onside kick, essentially ending the game.

–Field Level Media

Thanks! Commanders Visit Dallas Today

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders enter their NFC East Thanksgiving Day matchup in vastly different mindsets.

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While the Cowboys (7-3) are rolling toward their third straight playoff appearance, the Commanders (4-7) are on track for their seventh consecutive non-winning season.

With speculation flying about a potential pink slip for coach Ron Rivera on Black Friday, especially if Washington lays another egg on national TV in Dallas, there’s one overarching storyline entering the game.

Rivera hit perhaps the nadir of his tenure in Washington on Sunday when the Commanders committed six turnovers in a 31-19 loss at home to the lowly New York Giants.

Peppered with questions about his future and the team’s lack of improvement over his four seasons in D.C., Rivera stuck to his one-game-at-a-time mantra Monday.

“What I try to do is just focus in on what’s important today and that’s really just preparing to get ready for Dallas,” Rivera said.

Throughout this season, Rivera has emphasized the development of second-year quarterback Sam Howell and his role as a long-term building block.

But against the Giants, Howell threw three interceptions, including a fluttering pass that Isaiah Simmons returned 54 yards for the game-clinching touchdown with 16 seconds left.

“It’s not like we got outplayed. We just didn’t take care of the football. We were moving the ball up and down the field,” Howell said. “We literally beat ourselves.”

A.J. Dillon Active vs. Packers

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DETROIT – Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon is active for today’s road game against the Detroit Lions.

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Dillon, who is nursing a groin injury, was one of five players listed as questionable on the injury report.

While Dillon is expected to play on Thursday, fellow running back Aaron Jones was listed as inactive due to a sprained MCL. Joining Jones as inactive for the Packers (4-6) are cornerback Jaire Alexander, wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, safety Rudy Ford, linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, tackle Caleb Jones and tight end Josiah Deguara.

As for the Lions (8-2), they listed the following players as inactive: Defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs, cornerback Steven Gilmore, wide receiver Antoine Green, guard Jonah Jackson, defensive lineman Brodric Martin and linebackers Julian Okwara and Trevor Nowaske.

–Field Level Media

Ross Places Dolphins on the Block

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report from a News Post by Sportico) – Billionaire Stephen Ross is exploring options to sell a minority stake in the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium and the F1 Miami Grand Prix, according to a report from sports business site, Sportico.

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Ross reportedly has been talking to multiple investors since earlier this year, according to a Sportico source.

It is possible that Ross could decide not to sell at a later date, according to the source.

The talks are reportedly intended to provide Ross with capital to invest in new sports ventures.

Ross is worth $8.64 billion, according to Bloomberg, but Forbes pegs his net worth at $11.6 billion. He is the principal owner of the Dolphins which, including team-related businesses and real estate holdings, are worth $5.24 billion, per Sportico.

In 2022, the Dolphins had revenue of nearly $600 million and an operating profit of approximately $128 million.

He is also the principal owner of Hard Rock Stadium, which had total revenues of $129.8 million, according to Fitch Ratings.

Ross also owns the Miami International Autodrome, which runs around Hard Rock Stadium and had exclusive rights to host the Miami Grand Prix through the 2032 season. The Formula 1 Grand Prix was held there for the first time in 2022.

In addition to The Related Companies, a real estate development company he founded in 1972, Ross is also the 2012 co-founder of a private investment firm, RSE Ventures, which covers sports and entertainment, media and marketing, food and lifestyle, and technology.

Ross has been active in real estate development and philanthropy for four decades. His other holdings include the Miami Open tennis event as well as investments in the Equinox gym chain and SoulCycle.

Ross is the third NFL owner looking to sell a minority franchise stake. New Washington Commanders owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris need to divest their stakes in the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Los Angeles Chargers have a 24 percent stake available.

–Field Level Media

Eagles Land Big Win at KC

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KANSAS CITY – Philly QB Jalen Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the host Kansas City Chiefs 21-17 on Monday night in a Super Bowl rematch.

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D’Andre Swift rushed for a touchdown and had 107 scrimmage yards (76 rushing, 31 receiving) as the Eagles, who own the best record in the NFL at 9-1, won their fourth straight game. DeVonta Smith caught six passes for 99 yards, including a long one that set up the winning score.

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdowns but also threw an interception and finished with just 177 passing yards. He completed 24 of 43 passes for the Chiefs (7-3). Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Justin Watson had touchdown receptions.

The Week 11 showdown was a rematch of the highly competitive Super Bowl LVII. The Chiefs won the game 38-35 thanks to Harrison Butker’s game-winning 27-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining.

Hurts was 14-of-22 passing for 150 yards and one interception on Monday. He was harassed repeatedly in the first half when he was sacked five times, but the Eagles didn’t allow a sack in the second half.

Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie each had two sacks for the Chiefs. Kelce had seven receptions but just 44 yards.

Philadelphia moved ahead for the first time at 21-17 with 6:20 remaining.

The touchdown was set up by Hurts’ 41-yard pass to Smith to the Kansas City 1-yard line. The Eagles then called for the “Tush Push,” and Hurts received the usual extra help while plunging in for the score.

The Chiefs later took over from their 9-yard line with 2:49 remaining. Kansas City had second down from its 49-yard line when Mahomes threw deep but Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped the pass despite being open inside the Philadelphia 5.

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Later in the possession, Mahomes’ pass on fourth-and-25 was incomplete and the Eagles took over with 1:28 left and ran out the clock.

The Eagles pulled within 17-14 when Hurts scored on a 10-yard keeper on third-and-5 with 4:05 left in the third quarter.

Mahomes threw two touchdowns to help the Chiefs hold a 17-7 halftime lead.

Kansas City got on the board when Mahomes tossed a 3-yard scoring pass to Watson with 5:34 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles knotted the score on Swift’s 4-yard run with 31 seconds remaining in the opening period.

The Chiefs scored 10 points in the final two minutes of the half. Mahomes hit Kelce on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 1:45 left and Butker booted a 43-yarder as time expired.

–Field Level Media

NFL Round-Up

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – David Montgomery scored on a 1-yard run with 29 seconds remaining and the Detroit Lions rallied from a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to pull out a 31-26 victory over the visiting Chicago Bears.

Montgomery, a former Bears running back, rushed for 76 yards. Jared Goff, who threw a season-high three interceptions, engineered two fourth-quarter scoring drives and finished with 236 yards passing and two touchdowns for Detroit (8-2).

Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who missed the previous four games with a thumb injury, passed for 169 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 104 yards. DJ Moore caught seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown for Chicago (3-8).

With his team down 26-14, Goff hooked up with Jameson Williams for a 32-yard score with 2:59 remaining to cut the deficit to five. Detroit forced a three-and-out to set up the game-winning 73-yard drive. Goff completed a two-point conversion pass to Sam LaPorta following Montgomery’s TD.

Aidan Hutchinson forced Fields to fumble, and the ball was kicked out of the end zone, resulting in a safety with 22 seconds left.

Broncos 21, Vikings 20

Russell Wilson lobbed a go-ahead, 15-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton with 1:03 to go, and Denver held on to beat visiting Minnesota.

Sutton leaped for a catch in the back left corner of the end zone, and it marked the first touchdown for Denver (5-5), which had settled for five field goals. Wilson completed 27 of 35 passes for 259 yards in the Broncos’ fourth consecutive victory.

Joshua Dobbs completed 20 of 32 passes for 221 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Minnesota (6-5). Dobbs also rushed for a touchdown for the Vikings, whose five-game winning streak ended.

Browns 13, Steelers 10

Dorian Thompson-Robinson guided Cleveland on a last-minute drive and Dustin Hopkins made a 34-yard field goal with two seconds left to send the host Browns past Pittsburgh.

Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round draft pick this past April out of UCLA, made his second career start with Deshaun Watson out for the season due to a shoulder fracture. The rookie went 24-of-43 passing for 165 yards and an interception for Cleveland (7-3).

Jaylen Warren had nine carries for 129 yards and a long touchdown for Pittsburgh (6-4). He also had 16 receiving yards, meaning Warren accounted for 145 of the Steelers’ 249 total yards of offense. Kenny Pickett completed 15 of 28 passes for just 106 yards.

Cowboys 33, Panthers 10

Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns and Dallas benefited from two scores in a 10-second span early in the fourth quarter to defeat Carolina at Charlotte, N.C.

Tony Pollard ran for a touchdown and finished with 61 yards on 12 carries as the Cowboys (7-3) won for the fourth time in their past five games. Prescott finished 25 of 38 for 189 yards.

The Panthers (1-9) threatened to make it interesting, pulling to within 17-10, before Pollard’s 21-yard touchdown run with 13:58 left. On Carolina’s next snap, DaRon Bland intercepted Bryce Young and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. Young was 16-of-29 passing for 123 yards with a touchdown.

Packers 23, Chargers 20

Jordan Love threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs with 2:33 remaining, and host Green Bay held on for a win over Los Angeles.

Love completed 27 of 40 passes for a career-high 322 yards and two touchdowns for the Packers (4-6). Christian Watson caught Love’s other touchdown pass and Jayden Reed rushed for a score. Green Bay lost running backs Aaron Jones (knee) and Emanuel Wilson (shoulder) to injuries during the game.

Justin Herbert completed 21 of 36 passes for 260 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Chargers (4-6). Keenan Allen finished with 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. Los Angeles lost an important starter when pass rusher Joey Bosa hobbled off the field without putting weight on his right leg.

Texans 21, Cardinals 16

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud survived his first career multi-interception game and Houston withstood a ragged second half to beat visiting Arizona.

Stroud passed for 336 yards and two touchdowns, but two of his interceptions were in the red zone. Those turnovers helped offset strong efforts from rookie receiver Tank Dell, who had eight catches for 149 yards and a touchdown, and running back Devin Singletary, who rushed for 112 yards and a score.

After closing to within five points on a Kyler Murray 1-yard TD run with 2:52 left in the third quarter, the Cardinals (2-9) could not get over the hump, finishing 3-for-10 on third downs and 1-for-4 on fourth downs. Murray passed for 214 yards and rushed for 51 in his second start of the season.

Jaguars 34, Titans 14

Trevor Lawrence was 24-of-32 passing for 262 yards and two touchdowns to go with two rushing scores as host Jacksonville beat Tennessee.

Calvin Ridley caught seven passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns for the Jaguars (7-3), who have won six of their past seven games.

Will Levis went 13-of-17 passing for 158 yards and two touchdowns in defeat for the Titans (3-7), who have lost three straight games overall and all six of their road contests.

Dolphins 20, Raiders 13

Tua Tagovailoa passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns, Jalen Ramsey intercepted two passes and Miami earned a victory over Las Vegas at Miami Gardens, Fla.

Tyreek Hill had another huge outing with 10 receptions for 146 yards and one touchdown for the Dolphins (7-3). Hill entered the day as the NFL leader in receiving yards (1,076) and touchdown catches (eight). Tagovailoa completed 28 of 39 passes and was intercepted once.

Aidan O’Connell completed 24 of 41 passes for 271 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for the Raiders (5-6). Davante Adams caught seven passes for 82 yards and a touchdown for Las Vegas, which is 2-1 under interim coach Antonio Pierce.

Giants 31, Commanders 19

Tommy DeVito threw three touchdown passes and the New York defense forced six turnovers in a victory over Washington in Landover, Md.

With Washington driving late in a bid for a potential game-winning touchdown, Isaiah Simmons picked off a fluttering pass by Sam Howell and ran 54 yards for a game-clinching touchdown with 16 seconds left. Howell completed 31 of 45 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown.

Saquon Barkley caught two of the touchdown passes from DeVito and rushed 14 times for 83 yards as the Giants (3-8) won for just the second time in their past nine games, with both wins against the Commanders (4-7). In his second career start, DeVito weathered nine sacks to complete 18 of 26 passes for 246 yards without an interception.

49ers 27, Buccaneers 14

Brock Purdy threw for three touchdowns and Brandon Aiyuk had a career-high 156 yards receiving and a score to fuel San Francisco to a victory over Tampa Bay in Santa Clara, Calif.

Purdy completed 21 of 25 passes for 333 yards and Christian McCaffrey found the end zone again after seeing his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown (including playoffs) come to an end at 17 last week. Tight end George Kittle had eight catches for 89 yards and a touchdown for the 49ers (7-3).

Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield completed 29 of 45 passes for 246 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mike Evans had a 1-yard touchdown reception and Rachaad White added a 1-yard rushing TD for the Buccaneers (4-6), who have lost five of their past six games.

Bills 32, Jets 6

Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes and Buffalo avenged a Week 1 loss to New York with a victory in Orchard Park. N.Y.

Playing his first game under new offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who replaced the fired Ken Dorsey on Tuesday, Allen completed 20 of 32 passes for 275 yards with an interception. Buffalo (6-5) stayed 1 1/2 games behind AFC East leader Miami.

New York quarterback Zach Wilson was 7 of 15 for 81 yards with a touchdown and an interception before he was benched for backup Tim Boyle late in the third quarter. Boyle couldn’t generate a spark, either, going 7 of 14 for 33 yards with an interception for the Jets (4-6).

Rams 17, Seahawks 16

Lucas Havrisik kicked a 22-yard field goal with 1:31 remaining as Los Angeles rallied to defeat Seattle in Inglewood, Calif.

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith returned from an injury to guide Seattle (6-4) into field-goal range in the final seconds, but Jason Myers’ 55-yard attempt missed just right. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (oblique) and Rams receiver Cooper Kupp (ankle) both left with injuries in the first half and didn’t return.

Smith was 22-of-34 passing for 233 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Stafford was 17-of-31 passing for 190 yards and a touchdown for the Rams (4-6), who snapped a three-game losing streak. Royce Freeman rushed 17 times for 73 yards.

NFL: Week 11 Previews

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CLEVELAND: Week 11 of the NFL season will begin to separate the serious playoff contenders from the mediocre middle of the pack.

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Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) at Cleveland Browns (6-3): In pursuit of AFC North-leading Baltimore, already a Week 11 winner, the Browns and Steelers are leading with defense. That’s especially true with Cleveland turning to rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is out for the season after being injured last week. DTR is an electric athlete who makes his second start under better circumstances than the first, a 28-3 loss at Baltimore. He learned less than three hours before kickoff against the Ravens that he’d be the first-team QB, and threw three INTs while being sacked four times. Cleveland’s defense is built to be a great asset to any quarterback. The Browns are getting their second look at Kenny Pickett and the Steelers, who won the Week 2 matchup 26-22. T.J. Watt’s 16-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was the difference. Each team has won four of its past five games.

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Chicago Bears (3-7) at Detroit Lions (7-2): The Lions play five of their final eight games against their three NFC North rivals, beginning with a home matchup against the last-place Bears on Sunday. The Lions are seeking their first division title since 1993, back when it was known as the Central division and included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “If you aspire to win a division, you have to win your division games,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said. “That’s the bottom line here.” The Lions hold a 1 1/2-game advantage over Minnesota, which has won five straight games. They’ll play the Vikings twice in the last three games of the season. Detroit’s task against Chicago might be a little more difficult with the return of QB Justin Fields. He has recovered from a right thumb injury that cost him four games. Detroit’s offensive playmakers piled up big numbers in the 41-38 thriller over the Chargers last week. QB Jared Goff threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns. Amor-Ra St. Brown caught eight of those passes for 156 yards and a score. The 1-2 backfield punch of former Bears starter David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 193 yards and three touchdowns.

Los Angeles Chargers (4-5) at Green Bay Packers (3-6): Los Angeles is optimistic the playoffs are possible despite losing three of its past five games. The Chargers are coming off a 41-38 setback on a last-second field goal to the Lions. Chargers QB Justin Herbert said he and his teammates remain confident. The team scored a season high in points last week, however it also surrendered a season high in points. To catch Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City, the Chargers must slow down Packers quarterback Jordan Love. He passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie wide receiver Jayden Reed hauled in five catches for 84 yards and a score for his best performance of the season. The Packers have a 10-2 advantage in the all-time series. Winning close games isn’t Green Bay’s forte this season and the Packers gave up a second-half lead and lost 23-19 to the Steelers last week. Of six defeats this season, four were one-score games they fumbled on the road: at Atlanta (25-24), at Las Vegas (17-13), at Denver (19-17) and last week.

Las Vegas Raiders (5-5) at Miami Dolphins (6-3): The Raiders are 2-0 since firing Josh McDaniels and handing the keys to Antonio Pierce, who has quickly energized the squad. The visit to Miami is the only road contest during a six-game stretch for the Raiders. “We were fortunate that my first two games were at home,” Pierce said of the shift since he replaced McDaniels. “Now we are on the road. It’s good to go through adversity. (Miami) is a good football team.” Miami leads the AFC East by 1 1/2 games over the Buffalo Bills and has outscored opponents by averaging 31.7 points per game. The Raiders average 17.2 points this season. Rookie speedster RB De’Von Achane had seven touchdowns before missing the past four games and could be ready to return from a knee injury. Miami dropped two of its past three games, but the setbacks were to last season’s Super Bowl teams (Chiefs and Eagles). Raiders RB Josh Jacobs is rejuvenated under new leadership. He rushed for a then-season-best 98 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-6 win over the Giants in Pierce’s coaching debut and another season high with 116 yards in last Sunday’s 16-12 win over the Jets.

New York Giants (2-8) at Washington Commanders (4-6): Rookie Tommy DeVito gets the call again for the Giants and he draws the Commanders’ defense, which allowed Seattle to score on its final three possessions in a 29-26 loss last week after blowing a late lead against the Eagles prior to that. The Commanders went from No. 3 in yards allowed in 2022 to the fourth-worst entering Week 11. New York has lost seven of its last eight with the lone win coming at home over Washington, 14-7, on Oct. 22. Despite that defeat, the Commanders are a double-digit favorite for the first time since 2017. Health woes continue to haunt the Giants, who are depending on RB Saquon Barkley to move the chains and keep the offense in the game. Playing behind a patchwork offensive line, DeVito has been sacked 11 times the last two weeks. Washington’s offense is a bright spot and the Commanders are closer than ever to being convinced QB Sam Howell is the franchise passer they’ve coveted for years.

Dallas Cowboys (6-3) at Carolina Panthers (1-8): If an ideal time for 2021 first-round CB Jaycee Horn’s return from injury existed, this might be that spot. The Cowboys are the lone team in the NFL this season that has reached the 40-point level in three different games. “This past month, we’re hitting on all cylinders,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. While Horn (hamstring) coming back from IR isn’t certain, the Panthers do expect pass rusher Brian Burns in the lineup on Sunday. But Dak Prescott could be hitting another level. He threw for 404 yards last weekend against the New York Giants, giving him three consecutive games above the 300-yard mark. WRs CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks both eclipsed the 150-yard receiving mark last week, and the Cowboys ran for 168 yards. Lamb is the first player in NFL history with three straight games of double-figure catches and 150-plus receiving yards. The Panthers called a reverse at play-caller this week. Head coach Frank Reich will return to calling plays after handing those duties to Thomas Brown last month.

Tennessee Titans (3-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3): Jacksonville’s five-game winning streak come to a halt with a 34-3 dismantling by the San Francisco 49ers last week. Jacksonville surrendered three passing touchdowns to Brock Purdy, while Jaguars’ QB Trevor Lawrence tossed a pair of interceptions and was sacked five times. While head coach Doug Pederson said he’s sure the team will “bounce back,” he also admitted Lawrence (knee) isn’t healthy. The loss to the 49ers marked the first multi-interception game of the season for Lawrence, who has been picked off six times while throwing nine touchdowns through nine games. He’s completed 67.3 percent of his passes this season 2,120 yards. The Titans lost back-to-back road games to the Steelers and Buccaneers, spinning their tires in the running game. Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears combined for just 42 rushing yards last week. Rookie Will Levis, in his third start, completed just 19 of 39 passes for 199 yards and an interception. The Titans seem to be getting a bit healthier ahead of their first meeting of the season with the Jaguars, who won the winner-take-all regular-season finale in 2022.

Arizona Cardinals (2-8) at Houston Texans (5-4): Above-.500 in November for the first time since 2019, there’s an unrecognizable element in the air in Houston: playoff talk. QB C.J. Stroud has the Texans squarely in the postseason conversation with eight games to play, but head coach DeMeco Ryans said the challenge is to focus on the game in front of them. Up next is a critical fight with the division-leading Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3) on Nov. 26 on the Texans’ home turf. Stroud leads the NFL with 291.8 passing yards per game and is sixth with a 101.0 rating. He is the linchpin of an offense scoring 24.1 points per game — 10th in the league — and averaging 372.5 yards per game, good enough for sixth. Arizona is better equipped to put up points in Kyler Murray’s second game back from his 2022 ACL injury. The Cardinals rank 31st in opponent quarterback rating (101.0) and 29th with an opponent completion percentage of 69.1. The statistics point to Stroud rolling again, especially if his offensive line continues to sweep a pristine pocket clear of obstacles. Houston allowed one sack over 41 dropbacks in a 30-27 road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week. Of importance in that mission, left tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee) has been fighting to practice.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) at San Francisco 49ers (6-3): A rematch of the 49ers’ 35-7 win in the same stadium last December pits a pair of teams that snapped losing streaks last week. The Bucs halted a four-game losing skid with a 20-6 triumph over the visiting Tennessee Titans last Sunday. The Buccaneers now find themselves a half-game behind the New Orleans Saints for first place in the mediocre-at-best NFC South. San Francisco, which also played last week’s game in the state of Florida, ended a three-game slide with a 34-3 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 49ers remain tied with the Seattle Seahawks atop the NFC West. The Buccaneers have a tall order ahead in San Francisco, which ranks tied for third in the NFL in points scored per game (28.0) and tied for second in points allowed (15.9). The trade deadline addition of DE Chase Young produced some scary flashes of dominance last week. Christian McCaffrey, who has made himself at home in the end zone of late, saw his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown come to an end at 17 games (including playoffs). But he scored three TDs in the win over Tampa Bay last season.

New York Jets (4-5) at Buffalo Bills (5-5): Too early to be dubbed an elimination game, but peering ahead at the remaining schedule for both teams might make one wonder. Status quo wasn’t working for the Bills, who fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey following a 24-22 loss at home to the Broncos that featured four turnovers and a pair of last-minute penalties that set up Denver’s game-winning field goal. The Bills can’t afford to stall out, already 1 1/2 games behind Miami in the division and currently behind the wild-card teams in the AFC. The next five weeks bring games at Philadelphia (8-1), the bye week, at Kansas City (7-2), versus Dallas (6-3) and at the Los Angeles Chargers (4-5). Curbing turnovers — Josh Allen has 15 this season — becomes the task of new coordinator Joe Brady. Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s defense has clamped down on Allen the way few teams have in recent years. It forced four turnovers in Week 1 (three interceptions, one fumble), but New York’s offense has gone 36 possessions without a TD.

Seattle Seahawks (6-3) at Los Angeles Rams (3-6): The Rams are coming off a bye and QB Matthew Stafford is expected to return to the starting lineup after missing one game with a sprained ligament in the thumb on his throwing hand. The Rams won the first meeting between NFC West rivals, outscoring Seattle 23-0 in the second half in Week 1 to win 30-13. The Seahawks are tied atop the division with the 49ers and hoping for more consistent play from QB Geno Smith. Smith was 9 of 11 on the final two drives against Washington last week but could be without WR Tyler Lockett (hamstring) this week. The Rams have lost three consecutive games. Stafford returns for the Rams after missing a 20-3 loss at Green Bay on Nov. 5, but rookie WR Puka Nacua (knee) might miss his chance for an encore against Seattle. Nacua had 10 catches for 119 yards in the September matchup.

Minnesota Vikings (6-4) at Denver Broncos (4-5): In the primetime spotlight for the second consecutive week, the Broncos might warrant a little attention thanks to a three-game winning streak including a win over the Chiefs and a pair of two-point wins (Bills, Packers). Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell might be thinking “hold my beer, Sean Payton” as he heads to the Rockies with a five-game winning streak while overcoming the loss of key players including quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (hamstring). The Vikings beat the New Orleans Saints (27-19) last Sunday and could get a big boost with Jefferson back from injured reserve. QB Joshua Dobbs, acquired from the Cardinals to replace Cousins, won his first start with the Vikings last week after leading a late rally the week prior at Atlanta. The anticipated Sean Payton Effect might be showing through in Russell Wilson’s performance. His 104 passer rating is significantly higher than the 84.4 clip a season ago. Wilson has completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 1,806 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. The Broncos’ running game, another Payton staple, is picking up the pace in the second half of the season. Javonte Williams has led the way with 436 rushing yards to go along with 109 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

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Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-2): Whether dubbed Super Bowl 57.5 or the Kelce Clan Reunion, there’s been nothing swift about the success of the teams that battled for the Lombardi Trophy in February. The Eagles have the NFL’s best record. The Chiefs lead the AFC and swept the last four meetings with the Eagles, including 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12. Chiefs coach Andy Reid is the winningest head coach in the history of both franchises, logging 140 victories (including playoffs) for the Eagles from 1999-2012 and 136 since taking over the Chiefs in 2013. Nine months ago in Glendale, Ariz., it was all about QBs. Patrick Mahomes, playing on an injured ankle, threw two of his three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and set up the winning field goal with a gutsy 26-yard scramble. He won his second Super Bowl MVP award. Jalen Hurts was just as effective. He completed 27 of 38 passes for 304 yards and a touchdown and rushed 70 yards for three touchdowns. He used his legs to pick up the game-tying score — and the two-point conversion — with 5:15 remaining. Both are in the MVP conversation again in 2023. Hurts has completed a career-high 68.9 percent of his passes for 2,347 yards with 15 touchdowns but also eight interceptions. He has seven rushing TDs.

–Field Level Media

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