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Banged-Up Ravens vs Bengals on TNF

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Preview) – Two teams reeling from Sunday losses at home will try to regroup and claim a key AFC North win when the division-leading Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

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The Ravens (7-3) blew a golden opportunity to put more distance between themselves and the Steelers, Browns and Bengals, losing leads of 17-3 and 31-17 at home to Cleveland in a 33-31 loss. The setback snapped a four-game win streak.

Cincinnati (5-4) also had a four-game win streak snapped when they fought back from a 27-17 hole in the final three minutes, only to watch rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud lead Houston down the field for a game-winning field goal.

“We live, we grow, we get better. Every team is tested, and we’re getting tested. So I’m excited for (Thursday),” said Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who enters Thursday just one touchdown shy of matching Todd Heap for the team’s all-time mark of 41.

The game against Cincinnati marks the end of a three-game homestand for Baltimore while Cincinnati is in a stretch of four games where Thursday is the only road contest.

Baltimore claimed a 27-24 victory at Cincinnati in Week 2.

Zay Flowers needs just one catch for 51 on the season, which would break a tie with Torrey Smith for the all-time Ravens rookie record. On defense, Ravens safety Geno Stone leads the NFL with six interceptions.

The Bengals’ defense is looking for a better effort after surrendering 17 plays of at least 20 yards in Sunday’s loss to Houston.

Both teams are also dealing with a multitude of injuries heading into a game on only three days of rest.

Ravens starting right tackle Morgan Moses (shoulder) has missed two straight games while Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey (ankle), starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley (knee) and linebacker Trenton Simpson (concussion) left Sunday’s loss to the Browns and did not return.

“I think we’re dealing with it right now. We’ve done a good job of that,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the injury woes. “We’ve been on the road (a lot). We’ve (played) very tough teams in very physical games, and I feel like our guys have handled it very well.

“We have to continue to do it. That’s probably the main point right now: It’s how we handle that and how we approach it. Our job is to handle it better than our opponents do.”

The Bengals lost star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a hyperextended left knee when Houston receiver Noah Brown rolled into him on the play before the game-winning field goal.

Hendrickson is expected to miss Thursday’s game, while Hendrickson’s bookend, edge Sam Hubbard, is dealing with a right ankle injury and missed last Sunday’s loss.

Rookie receiver Andrei Iosivas suffered a knee injury but finished the game Sunday against Houston.

The Bengals also missed the services of star receiver Tee Higgins, who is nursing a hamstring injury suffered Nov. 8 in practice. He also sat out last Sunday’s game vs. Houston.

“You’ve got to cram a whole game plan into really about two and a half days,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “And so the team’s got to understand that. We walked off the field Sunday, it was a Wednesday afternoon, post-practice is really the point of the week you’re at. And so, you’ve got to get your bodies right after a physical long game like we had.

“Baltimore had the same thing. I mean, it really similar styles of games that were just played. And our guys have to get themselves ready and our coaches have to do a good job preparing them in a short span this week.”

–Field Level Media

NFL Round-Up: Browns Win

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – PK Dustin Hopkins drilled a game-winning 40-yard field goal as time expired and the Cleveland Browns completed a stunning comeback for a 33-31 victory over the host Ravens on Sunday afternoon.

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Hopkins redeemed himself after missing the point-after following Greg Newsome II’s 34-yard pick-6 with 8:16 remaining that pulled Cleveland (6-3) within 31-30. Gus Edwards had provided Baltimore (7-3) with a 31-17 advantage with 11:34 to play when he scored on the ground from 1 yard out, but the Browns responded emphatically.

Deshaun Watson directed a six-play, 75-yard drive that took just 2:37, capping it with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Moore. Just 41 seconds after Moore’s scoring catch, Newsome came down with the pick, and Cleveland rode that momentum to the surprising victory.

Watson completed 20 of 34 passes for 213 yards with the TD and one interception for the Browns, who got 107 yards on 17 carries from Jerome Ford. Amari Cooper had six receptions for 98 yards. Lamar Jackson finished with 223 yards, a touchdown and two picks on 13-for-23 passing as the Ravens saw a four-game winning streak come to an end.

Lions 41, Chargers 38

Jared Goff passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns and Riley Patterson made a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give Detroit a wild win over Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.

David Montgomery rushed for 116 yards for the Lions (7-2), including a 75-yard touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs added 77 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Justin Herbert passed for 323 yards and four touchdowns for the Chargers (4-5) in the back-and-forth affair. Keenan Allen caught 11 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Austin Ekeler added 115 scrimmage yards (67 rushing, 48 receiving) along with a rushing score.

Seahawks 29, Commanders 26

Jason Myers kicked five field goals, the last a 43-yarder as time expired, as Seattle outlasted visiting Washington.

Geno Smith completed 31 of 47 passes for 369 yards and two TDs as the Seahawks (6-3) remained in a tie with San Francisco atop the NFC West. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 63 yards and scored on a 64-yard reception.

Sam Howell was 29-of-44 passing for 312 yards and three scores for the Commanders (4-6). Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for 38 yards and caught six passes for 119 yards and a TD.

Texans 30, Bengals 27

Matt Ammendola hit a 38-yard field goal as time expired to lead visiting Houston past Cincinnati. CJ Stroud followed up his record-setting rookie performance by throwing for 356 yards on 23-of-39 passing for Houston (5-4). He added a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Devin Singletary ran for 150 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries to lead the Texans, who blew a 10-point lead with three-plus minutes remaining, only to rescue the game at the end.

Joe Burrow completed 27 of 40 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. But he threw fourth-quarter interceptions on back-to-back drives before engineering a late rally. The Bengals (5-4) saw their four-game win streak come to an end.

Cardinals 25, Falcons 23

Matt Prater kicked four field goals, including the 23-yard game-winner, and Kyler Murray passed for 249 yards and ran for a score to spark Arizona to a home win over Atlanta in Glendale, Ariz.

A 9-yard touchdown run by Desmond Ridder with 2:33 remaining in the game put Atlanta up 23-22, but Murray, in his first game back since tearing his ACL, led the Cardinals (2-8) on an 11-play, 70-yard drive to set up Prater for the game-winning kick. James Conner had 16 carries for 73 yards after spending four games on injured reserve.

Ridder replaced Taylor Heinicke in the second half after he left with a hamstring injury and passed for 39 yards. He led the Falcons down the field midway through the fourth quarter but was stopped on a fourth-and-1 run at the Arizona 21-yard line with 8:01 to go. Heinicke passed for 55 yards and a score for the Falcons (4-6). Bijan Robinson added 22 carries for 95 yards and a score and Scotty Miller had a scoring reception.

Vikings 27, Saints 19

Joshua Dobbs passed for one touchdown and rushed for another in his first start with Minnesota, leading to a victory over New Orleans in Minneapolis.

Dobbs had another strong game after his performance off the bench in last week’s come-from-behind victory over Atlanta in his Vikings debut. On Sunday, he passed for 268 yards and rushed for 44 as Minnesota (6-4) won its fifth consecutive game. T.J. Hockenson had 11 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Saints quarterback Derek Carr left the game due to a third-quarter injury. Jameis Winston replaced him and threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions for the Saints (5-5).

Steelers 23, Packers 19

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren rushed for one touchdown apiece as Pittsburgh held on for a win over visiting Green Bay.

Kenny Pickett completed 14 of 23 passes for 126 yards for the Steelers (6-3), who won for the fourth time in their past five games. Warren finished with 110 yards from scrimmage (101 rushing, nine receiving), and Harris had 96 yards (82 rushing, 14 receiving). Pittsburgh won despite being outgained 399-324 by Green Bay.

Jordan Love completed 21 of 40 passes for 289 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Packers (3-6), who have lost five of their past six. Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed had one touchdown catch apiece. Damontae Kazee intercepted Love near the goal line on the final play of the game.

Cowboys 49, Giants 17

Dak Prescott threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another as Dallas steamrolled New York in Arlington, Texas.

Prescott completed 26 of 35 passes for 404 yards and was picked off once. He has thrown for at least 400 yards and four scores three times in his career, marking a franchise record for Dallas (6-3).

Brandin Cooks and CeeDee Lamb carved up the secondary, of the Giants (2-8), with Cooks grabbing nine catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. Lamb finished with 11 receptions for 151 yards and a TD. In his first career NFL start, New York quarterback Tommy DeVito threw for 86 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on 14-for-27 passing.

Buccaneers 20, Titans 6

Baker Mayfield threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns as Tampa Bay snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over visiting Tennessee.

Mayfield completed 18 of 29 passes with an interception and Mike Evans caught six passes for 143 yards and a touchdown for the Buccaneers (4-5).

Will Levis connected on 19 of 39 passes for 199 yards with an interception in his third NFL start for the Titans (3-6). Derrick Henry managed only 24 yards on 11 rushes.

49ers 34, Jaguars 3

Brock Purdy passed for 296 yards and three touchdowns and Deebo Samuel scored once in his return from injury as San Francisco ended host Jacksonville’s winning streak at five games.

George Kittle caught three passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, and Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Juszczyk also had scoring receptions for the 49ers (6-3), who halted a three-game losing streak. Talanoa Hufanga and Fred Warner had interceptions and Nick Bosa and Ambry Thomas forced fumbles.

Trevor Lawrence passed for 185 yards and two interceptions for Jacksonville (6-3). Christian Kirk had six catches for 104 yards for the Jaguars, who were outgained 437-221.

Raiders 16, Jets 12

Aidan O’Connell tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Michael Mayer early in the fourth quarter to fuel host Las Vegas to a victory over New York.

Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs rushed for 116 yards, but his costly fumble set up New York’s penultimate drive in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Robert Spillane intercepted Zach Wilson with 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.

O’Connell completed 16 of 27 passes for 153 yards and Davante Adams had six catches for 86 yards for the Raiders (5-5), who have won four of their past six games. Wilson completed 23 of 39 passes for 263 yards. Garrett Wilson had nine catches for 93 yards and Greg Zuerlein made four field goals for the Jets (4-5).

–Field Level Media

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Patri_ts Lose to Colts in Germany

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Colts 10, Patri_ts 6

FRANKFURT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Gardner Minshew passed for 194 yards, Jonathan Taylor scored the game’s only touchdown, and Indianapolis defeated sinking New England in Germany.

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The Colts (5-5) won their second straight game and enter their bye week at .500, while ensuring the Patriots (2-8) remained with the AFC’s worst record.

Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes and threw one interception. Taylor rushed 23 times for 69 yards, and Michael Pittman had a game-high eight catches for 84 yards for Indianapolis. The Colts intercepted Patriots quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe on consecutive possessions late in the fourth quarter.

 

Belichick Takes It One Trip at a Time

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FRANKFURT (Germany) – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Not to be confused with Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, NFL fans in Germany will be treated to another matchup of popular NFL teams when the sub-.500 New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts play Sunday in Frankfurt.

After the NFL came to Germany for the first time last season, Frankfurt received a turn with games in consecutive weeks. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 21-14 there last week.

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The Patriots (2-7), the designated home team, have international marketing rights in Germany and are a fan favorite there because of their German-born former offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer — not to mention their six Super Bowl victories from 2001 to 2018.

“It’s a unique opportunity,” said coach Bill Belichick, whose Patriots teams are 3-0 in international games all-time. “When it gets there, we’ll look forward to it.”

Owners of the worst record in the AFC, the Patriots are not at all playing like the dynasty of the past two decades, and while it may have been unthinkable a few years ago, the proverbial seat is getting hotter for Belichick as New England continues to lose.

A 20-17 defeat to the Washington Commanders was the Patriots’ fifth loss in six weeks. They’ll have their bye week upon returning from Germany.

Mac Jones steadied to some degree after a dismal early October. He threw for 220 yards and one touchdown against Washington and didn’t take a sack, but he was intercepted on the last drive of the game as the Patriots scored just three points after halftime.

“Just being consistent and trying to work together,” Jones said of the offense’s struggles. “We have some young guys playing, and just making sure we’re all on the same page and out there executing each week. Like I say, each week’s different and it’s important to understand what we need to do this week.”

This week’s task involves getting past an opportunistic defense. Kenny Moore of the Colts (4-5) scored two pick-6s in a 27-13 win over the Carolina Panthers last week. That ended a three-game losing streak that saw the Colts allow 37, 39 and 38 points.

Jones is tied for the league lead with nine interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.

As for the Colts’ offense, Gardner Minshew has been under center since rookie Anthony Richardson’s season-ending shoulder injury. But the Colts are a run-first team, and while Jonathan Taylor is the household name, Zack Moss ranks second in the NFL with 615 rushing yards this season.

“We know this stretch, this back-half stretch, is where teams have to bolster up,” Taylor said. “You’re either gonna go up or you’re gonna go down, so (the game will) do a lot in order to make sure that we can continue to trend upwards.”

Both the Colts and Patriots are practicing at home through Thursday and taking a flight overseas Thursday night, landing Friday morning Frankfurt time.

“We’re going over there on a business trip to go win a football game,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “That’s the message — it’s just a long road trip. Stay focused.”

One player not making that trip is Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson, who reportedly is being disciplined for reporting late to the team hotel last Saturday.

Jackson did not practice Wednesday and was ruled out along with left tackle Trent Brown (personal/ankle) and wide receiver DeVante Parker (concussion) as the Patriots departed for Germany on Thursday.

Defensive lineman Christian Barmore (knee), linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (hamstring) and cornerback Jonathan Jones (knee) made the trip but were limited in practice.

On Thursday, the Colts ruled out tight end Andrew Ogletree (foot) and cornerback Julius Brents (quadriceps).

–Field Level Media

Patriots Prep for NFL/Germany Game

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FRANKFURT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Not to be confused with Brady vs. Manning, NFL fans in Germany will be treated to another matchup of popular NFL teams when the sub-.500 New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts play Sunday in Frankfurt.

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After the NFL came to Germany for the first time last season, Frankfurt received a turn with games in consecutive weeks. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 21-14 there last week.

The Patriots (2-7), the designated home team, have international marketing rights in Germany and are a fan favorite there because of their German-born former offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer — not to mention their six Super Bowl victories from 2001 to 2018.

“It’s a unique opportunity,” said coach Bill Belichick, whose Patriots teams are 3-0 in international games all-time. “When it gets there, we’ll look forward to it.”

Owners of the worst record in the AFC, the Patriots are not at all playing like the dynasty of the past two decades, and while it may have been unthinkable a few years ago, the proverbial seat is getting hotter for Belichick as New England continues to lose.

A 20-17 defeat to the Washington Commanders was the Patriots’ fifth loss in six weeks. They’ll have their bye week upon returning from Germany.

Mac Jones steadied to some degree after a dismal early October. He threw for 220 yards and one touchdown against Washington and didn’t take a sack, but he was intercepted on the last drive of the game as the Patriots scored just three points after halftime.

“Just being consistent and trying to work together,” Jones said of the offense’s struggles. “We have some young guys playing, and just making sure we’re all on the same page and out there executing each week. Like I say, each week’s different and it’s important to understand what we need to do this week.”

This week’s task involves getting past an opportunistic defense. Kenny Moore of the Colts (4-5) scored two pick-6s in a 27-13 win over the Carolina Panthers last week. That ended a three-game losing streak that saw the Colts allow 37, 39 and 38 points.

Jones is tied for the league lead with nine interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.

As for the Colts’ offense, Gardner Minshew has been under center since rookie Anthony Richardson’s season-ending shoulder injury. But the Colts are a run-first team, and while Jonathan Taylor is the household name, Zack Moss ranks second in the NFL with 615 rushing yards this season.

“We know this stretch, this back-half stretch, is where teams have to bolster up,” Taylor said. “You’re either gonna go up or you’re gonna go down, so (the game will) do a lot in order to make sure that we can continue to trend upwards.”

Both the Colts and Patriots are practicing at home through Thursday and taking a flight overseas Thursday night, landing Friday morning Frankfurt time.

“We’re going over there on a business trip to go win a football game,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “That’s the message — it’s just a long road trip. Stay focused.”

One player not making that trip is Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson, who is reportedly being disciplined for reporting late to the team hotel last Saturday.

Jackson did not practice Wednesday, nor did tackle Trent Brown (personal/ankle). Eight players were limited, including wide receiver DeVante Parker (concussion), defensive lineman Christian Barmore (knee), linebacker Ja’Whuan Bentley (hamstring) and cornerback Jonathan Jones (knee).

Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (knee), tight end Andrew Ogletree (foot), linebacker Zaire Franklin (knee) and cornerback Julius Brents (quadricep) sat out Wednesday’s walkthrough. Cornerback Troy Brown (concussion) was limited.

–Field Level Media

Rookie Davis Sets Tone for LA Chargers

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Rookie Derius Davis returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown, Austin Ekeler added two more scores and the Los Angeles Chargers cruised past the New York Jets’ standout defense for a 27-6 victory on Monday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

Ekeler ran for 47 yards on 14 carries, and the Chargers (4-4) flashed some defense of their own with eight sacks while winning back-to-back games after a two-game skid. Los Angeles won with 191 total yards of offense, while the Jets had 270.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was 16-of-30 passing for just 136 yards, the lowest total in a game in his career, while getting sacked five times. Los Angeles receiver Keenan Allen had eight receptions for 77 yards, passing the 10,000-yard mark for his career.

Zach Wilson was 33-of-49 passing for 263 yards for the Jets (4-4), who failed to score more than 10 points for the third time this season. Breece Hall had 50 yards on 16 carries for New York and Garrett Wilson had seven receptions for 80 yards.

Zach Wilson lost two fumbles for the Jets and Garrett Wilson lost another as New York saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.

After the Jets went three-and-out on their opening drive of the game, Thomas Morstead sent a punt inside the Chargers 15-yard line and Davis split traffic up the middle of the field to find the end zone. The rookie from TCU scored his first career TD for a 7-0 lead.

The Chargers’ Joey Bosa recovered a Zach Wilson fumble with 6:27 remaining in the opening quarter and Los Angeles went 50 yards in eight plays, finishing the drive with a 1-yard TD run from Ekeler.

The teams traded field goals in the final six minutes of the first half, with the Jets’ Greg Zuerlein hitting from 47 yards and the Chargers’ Cameron Dicker answering with a 55-yard kick just before the break for a 17-3 advantage.

Zuerlein added a 46-yard field goal for the Jets with 9:52 remaining in the third quarter.

Dicker struck again to give the Chargers a 20-6 lead, making good on a 38-yard kick with 9:18 remaining in the game. Los Angeles’ Khalil Mack forced another Zach Wilson fumble late in the game and Alohi Gilman returned it 48 yards to the Jets 2 yard-line. Ekeler scored on the next play with 3:22 left.

In an illustration of how the night went for the Jets, C.J. Uzomah dropped a pass in the end zone with 41 seconds remaining and Tyler Conklin was stopped at the Los Angeles 2-yard line on New York’s final offensive play.

–Field Level Media

NFL Round-Up: Stroud Leads Texans

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Houston QB C.J. Stroud threw for a rookie-record 470 yards and five touchdowns, capping the game with a 15-yard TD pass to Tank Dell with six seconds left to give the Texans a wild 39-37 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

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Stroud led a 75-yard drive in 40 seconds after Baker Mayfield put Tampa Bay ahead with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Cade Otton, the duo’s second scoring hookup of the day. Stroud found Dell for a 26-yard completion to set up their go-ahead scoring connection.

Stroud completed 30 of 42 passes, connecting with Noah Brown six times for 153 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. Dalton Schultz added 10 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown and Dell finished with six grabs for 114 yards, along with two scores.

The Texans (4-4) grabbed a 33-30 edge when backup running back Dare Ogunbowale kicked a tiebreaking 29-yard field goal with 8:45 remaining. Ogunbowale replaced Ka’imi Fairbairn, who was ruled out at halftime after suffering a quad injury.

Mayfield connected on 21 of 30 passes for 265 yards for the Buccaneers (3-5), who lost their fourth straight game.

Bengals 24, Bills 18

Joe Burrow completed 31 of 44 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns to lead host Cincinnati to a victory over Buffalo.

Buffalo (5-4) threatened to rally when Josh Allen found Stefon Diggs for a 17-yard touchdown and ensuing two-point conversion with 3:32 left in the game to cut the Bills’ deficit to six. But the Bengals (5-3) got the ball back and forced the Bills to use their third and final timeout, and Joe Mixon rushed for a first down with 1:53 remaining to seal the victory. Mixon finished with 14 carries for 37 yards and a score, while Tee Higgins was Burrow’s favorite target through the air, hauling in eight catches for 110 yards.

Allen completed 26 of 38 passes for 258 yards with the TD and an interception for Buffalo, which lost for the second time in three games. Diggs had six receptions for 86 yards, while Dalton Kincaid totaled 81 yards on 10 catches.

Vikings 31, Falcons 28

Joshua Dobbs fired a go-ahead, 6-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Powell with 20 seconds remaining, and Minnesota beat host Atlanta.

Dobbs’ last-minute heroics capped a sterling performance in which he came off the bench only five days after Minnesota (5-4) acquired him from the Arizona Cardinals. He replaced rookie starter Jaren Hall — who sustained a concussion on a scramble in the first half — and went on to pass for 158 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 66 yards and a score.

Taylor Heinicke completed 21 of 38 passes for 268 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Atlanta (4-5). He heaved a late Hail Mary pass attempt, but it fell incomplete as time expired.

Eagles 28, Cowboys 23

Jalen Hurts passed for two touchdowns and rushed for one more, and Philadelphia escaped with a win over visiting Dallas.

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith had one touchdown reception apiece for Philadelphia (8-1). Kenneth Gainwell had a rushing touchdown along with Hurts, who threw for 207 yards on 17-for-23 passing.

Dak Prescott completed 29 of 44 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns for Dallas (5-3). In the closing seconds, he completed his final pass — a 23-yarder to CeeDee Lamb — but a swarm of Eagles defenders hit Lamb at the Philadelphia 4-yard line as time expired and forced a fumble that the Eagles recovered.

Chiefs 21, Dolphins 14

Patrick Mahomes threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns as Kansas City held off Miami in the first NFL game played in Frankfurt, Germany.

Bryan Cook’s fumble return for a touchdown just before halftime proved to be the game-winning score for the Chiefs (7-2), who earned what might prove to be a crucial win for playoff-seeding tiebreakers with the Dolphins (6-3).

For Miami, Tua Tagovailoa went 21-of-34 passing for 193 yards and a touchdown. Raheem Mostert took 12 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown, and Tyreek Hill caught eight passes for 62 yards in his first game against his former team.

Ravens 37, Seahawks 3

Rookie Keaton Mitchell, who hadn’t had an NFL carry before Sunday, rushed for a game-high 138 yards and a touchdown as Baltimore trounced visiting Seattle.

Gus Edwards rushed for 52 yards and two scores, Odell Beckham Jr. celebrated his 31st birthday with a TD reception and Justin Tucker added three field goals for the Ravens (7-2), who sit atop the AFC North.

Baltimore’s defense limited the Seahawks (5-3) to 151 yards of total offense and six first downs. Seattle’s Geno Smith was 13-of-28 passing for 157 yards. Rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba made six catches for 63 yards.

Browns 27, Cardinals 0

Cleveland ran roughshod over rookie quarterback Clayton Tune and blanked visiting Arizona.

The shutout was the first for the Browns (5-3) in a span of 251 games, dating back to an 8-0 win over the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 16, 2007.

The Browns spoiled the NFL debut of Tune, who was replacing Joshua Dobbs after Arizona (1-8) traded him earlier in the week. Tune completed 11 of 20 passes for 58 yards, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble on one of Cleveland’s seven sacks. Tune’s passer rating was 20.8.

Packers 20, Rams 3

Jordan Love completed 20 of 26 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown to help Green Bay snap a four-game losing streak with a victory against visiting Los Angeles.

Aaron Jones rushed for 73 yards on 20 carries and scored a touchdown for the Packers (3-5), who held the Rams to 187 total yards and shut them out in the second half.

Quarterback Brett Rypien made his fourth career NFL start and first for the Rams (3-6) in place of Matthew Stafford, who sat out with a right thumb injury. Rypien completed 13 of 28 passes for 130 yards and an interception.

Commanders 20, Patriots 17

Sam Howell threw for 325 yards as Washington scored the game’s final 10 points to beat New England in Foxborough, Mass.

Howell completed 29 of 45 passes with a touchdown and an interception for Washington (4-5), which won for just the second time in its past seven games. The Commanders fell behind 17-10 with 10:14 remaining in the third quarter when Chad Ryland made good on a 43-yard field goal for New England (2-7).

But Washington answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Howell’s 33-yard scoring strike to Jahan Dotson, and Joey Slye later provided what ended up being a game-winning field goal — from 30 yards out — with 1:49 left in the third.

Saints 24, Bears 17

Paulson Adebo had two interceptions and a fumble recovery as host New Orleans forced five turnovers to defeat Chicago.

Adebo’s takeaways led to 10 points for the Saints (5-4), who did not commit a turnover. That enabled them to hold off the Bears (2-7) as New Orleans’ Derek Carr passed for 211 yards and two touchdowns.

Rookie Tyson Bagent, making his third consecutive start in place of an injured Justin Fields, passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble.

Colts 27, Panthers 13

Kenny Moore II returned two interceptions for touchdowns as Indianapolis beat Carolina in Charlotte, N.C.

Moore’s TDs went for 49 and 66 yards — one in each half for the Colts (4-5). According to Pro Football Reference, Moore is the ninth player since 2000 with two interception returns for touchdowns in the same game.

Bryce Young’s three interceptions were costly for Carolina (1-7). He also was sacked four times, negating a 24-of-39 effort for 173 yards and a touchdown.

Raiders 30, Giants 6

Josh Jacobs rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries and Las Vegas was impressive in its first game under interim coach Antonio Pierce, routing visiting New York.

The Raiders fired Josh McDaniels on Tuesday after a string of woeful offensive performances, and Las Vegas (4-5) had set a season high for points scored before the first half ended. The Raiders’ previous high for a game was 21.

New York’s Daniel Jones injured his right knee on consecutive plays and departed after the first play of the second quarter with 25 yards on 4-of-9 passing. Jones missed the previous three games with a neck injury for the Giants (2-7), and ESPN reported later Sunday that New York fears he now has a torn ACL.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Sunday Night Football Preview

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Buffalo Bills (5-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-3): Cincinnati knocked the Bills out of the AFC playoffs with a 27-10 win in the divisional round last season, and the Bengals are on a three-game winning streak that corresponds with QB Joe Burrow (calf) saying he’s healthy. His play backs up the claim. Burrow completed 28 of 32 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers last week. He also completed 19 consecutive passes, one shy of Ken Anderson’s team record set on Jan. 3, 1983. The Bills are fourth in the NFL with 27 sacks, which could limit the amount of time the Bengals have to separate from Buffalo’s man coverage. Burrow said he won’t be thinking about the last game at this site between the teams, in January, when the game was canceled due to the medical emergency involving Bills safety Damar Hamlin. The Bills also claim their focus is on this week and enter with a little extra rest, having defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-18, on Oct. 26. Bills quarterback Josh Allen needed the time off. He is dealing with an injured right shoulder and wasn’t a full participant in practice. Allen will be going against Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson, with whom he played collegiately at Wyoming in 2016 and 2017.

 

NFL: Week 9 Previews

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Week 9 NFL Capsules

Miami Dolphins (6-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (6-2): The Dolphins aren’t getting much attention for their defense, but with safety Jevon Holland (concussion) back in the lineup a week after cornerback Jalen Ramsey (knee) returned, Miami has potential to be menacing for teams without multiple threats in the passing game. Enter the Chiefs, who looked mortal at Denver in a 24-9 loss, the third time this season they’ve been held under 20 points. The Chiefs find themselves in unfamiliar territory — no, not the Frankfurt, Germany part — going conservative to keep the ball away from Tua Tagovailoa and former KC No. 1 receiver Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs’ passing defense is no slouch, allowing 176.1 yards per game in 2023. Hill is already over 1,000 receiving yards and has 61 catches, more than twice the number for the Chiefs’ leading wide receiver (Rashee Rice, 30). Tagovailoa has 18 TD passes, tied with Kirk Cousins for the NFL lead, but far more weapons to lean on than Patrick Mahomes. What’s uncertain is the merit of the Dolphins’ position in the AFC pecking order. Miami is winless (0-2) against teams with winning records this season.

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Minnesota Vikings (4-4) at Atlanta Falcons (4-4): Imagining a more chaotic week of quarterback change for two teams going head-to-head isn’t easy to fathom. The Vikings lost Kirk Cousins (Achilles) for the season just as he got Minnesota back to .500 following an 0-3 start. Atlanta benched Desmond Ridder “for this week” with turnovers becoming a detrimental factor. That sets up a save-your-ticket-stub type of QB pairing not to be confused with Montana-Elway: Vikings rookie Jaren Hall gets the call against journeyman Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke makes his first start for the first-place Falcons but the 30-year-old is 12-12-1 as a starter in his career. Minnesota’s toothy defense depends on chaos caused by blitzing more than 57 percent of snaps. DE Danielle Hunter has 10 of Minnesota’s 23 sacks, but if the mobile Heinicke can get Atlanta aligned and see the pressure coming, big plays are possible. Opponents complete 72.2 percent of their passes and converted third downs 43.5 percent of the time. Hall could benefit from a more reliable rushing attack and the Vikings are pushing Cam Akers ahead of Alexander Mattison in search of a spark.

Arizona Cardinals (1-7) at Cleveland Browns (4-3): Rookie Clayton Tune jumped to the front of the line at QB this week when starter Joshua Dobbs was traded to the Vikings. Dobbs was expendable with Kyler Murray nearing his return from a December 2022 ACL tear. Tune’s task would be to get the best of the NFL’s No. 1-ranked pass defense spearheaded by DE Myles Garrett (8.5 sacks). Arizona has averaged just 318.6 total yards and 18.9 points per game. In other words, the margin for error is miniscule. Cleveland coughed up the ball on a late-game interception by PJ Walker to lose at Seattle in Week 8. Deshaun Watson, sidelined with a bruised rotator cuff, said he’s getting stronger and the Browns plan to welcome him back Sunday. But the last time Watson deemed himself ready, he wasn’t, and Walker ended up finishing the game. Walker has six turnovers and one touchdown, and the Browns are also without All-Pro running back Nick Chubb (knee) for the rest of the season. Following this game, the Browns enter a stretch of pivotal AFC North games: at Baltimore next week, followed by a date with the Steelers.

Los Angeles Rams (3-5) at Green Bay Packers (2-5): Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said publicly the next 10 games are critical for QB Jordan Love, whose future with the franchise is likely tied to his performance the rest of the way. Three losses (Falcons, Raiders, Broncos) ended with Love having a chance to win the game but failing to get the Packers points. Green Bay enters on a four-game losing streak but could get a break if Matthew Stafford (sprained thumb) can’t play. Backup Brett Rypien is untested and the Rams lost their leading rusher, rookie Kyren Williams, to a knee injury two weeks ago. Green Bay’s rushing game isn’t exactly dangerous. Aaron Jones is off to a slow start this season. He has yet to rush for more than 45 yards in any of his four games after surpassing that mark in nine of 17 games last season. Love has 11 touchdown passes but his eight interceptions are tied for second-most in the NFL.

Washington Commanders (3-5) at New England Patriots (2-6): Even with losses in five of the past six games, Commanders coach Ron Rivera appears convinced Sam Howell is the right man to lead Washington forward. With showings like last week against the Eagles, it’s easy to buy the argument. Howell have four touchdown passes and put up 31 points against Philadelphia for the second time this season. But he has nine turnovers (eight INTs) and has been sacked 41 times in 2023. With a running game averaging 85.9 yards per game, Howell is being asked to carry a heavy burden. In the team’s four losses in the past five games, the Patriots scored a combined 37 total points compared to 29 in the lone win during that stretch. The Patriots’ top two rushers, Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott, are both averaging less than 4.0 yards per carry and the ground game (84.4 yards per game) isn’t a threat. Falling behind in games places the onus on Jones, as New England is being outscored 118-53 in the first half this season.

Chicago Bears (2-6) at New Orleans Saints (4-4): The Bears traded a 2024 second-round draft choice to the Commanders in return for DE Montez Sweat to try and upgrade one of the NFL’s weakest pass rushes. General manager Ryan Poles, who previously traded pass rushers Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack out of Chicago, called Sweat “a huge addition” to a defense with an NFL-worst 10 sacks. Sweat has 6.5 sacks so far this season, giving him a total of 35.5 in five seasons. Rookie QB Tyson Bagent will make his third straight start in place of Justin Fields, who continues to rehab a thumb injury. Bagent completed 25 of 37 for 232 yards but was intercepted twice in a 30-13 loss to the Chargers last Sunday in Los Angeles. New Orleans had lost four of five before recording its highest-scoring performance in the last 20 games in a 38-27 victory at Indianapolis last Sunday. Just in time for Sweat’s arrival, New Orleans changed the left side of the offensive line because guard James Hurst missed the last two games due to injury, and Trevor Penning was benched three games ago. Andrus Peat moved from guard to tackle, and Max Garcia started at guard. The Saints had season highs of 350 passing yards, 161 rushing yards and 511 total yards against the Colts. It was the third consecutive game in which they gained 400 yards.

Seattle Seahawks (5-2) at Baltimore Ravens (6-2): Division leaders separated by 2,300 miles duel in Maryland with critical matchups against more familiar rivals dead ahead. The Seahawks moved past struggling San Francisco and into first place in the NFC West with last Sunday’s 24-20 victory against visiting Cleveland. Geno Smith threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 38 seconds remaining for the winning score. “Our team is such a scrappy team. We find ways to win no matter what,” Smith said. “I feel like if I can play up to my capabilities, play up to my standard, who knows where we can be. Because we’re one of the best teams in football if we play right.” Seattle’s defense has been a big reason why it is atop the division. Over the past four games, the Seahawks have allowed a total of nine second-half points and zero touchdowns. They also acquired DT Leonard Williams from the Giants this week. The Ravens have used their usual ground-and-pound approach to build a 1 1/2-game lead in the AFC North. They labored offensively at Arizona last week, with just 268 yards of total offense. Gus Edwards ran for three touchdowns — two after interceptions — as the Ravens came away with a 31-24 victory, their third in a row.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) at Houston Texans (3-4): Despite losing three in a row, Tampa Bay resides in the NFC South, where front-running Atlanta is only a half-game ahead with a matching record and has made a quarterback change. The Texans are 2 1/2 games behind streaking Jacksonville in the AFC South. The Buccaneers’ position might have influenced their thinking when New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas came calling with a trade proposal involving their top wide receiver, Mike Evans. Playing his 10th season, Evans is on his way to his 10th 1,000-yard season with 507 yards on 33 receptions.
Tampa Bay’s decision not to trade means quarterback Baker Mayfield retains his most reliable target. Mayfield is enjoying the most accurate season of his career at 64.2 percent with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. He intends to make the start Sunday despite a knee contusion. Mayfield and the Bucs are looking to revive an offense that has struggled during their recent slide. They’ve managed just 37 points during the losing streak. The Texans missed a chance to get over the .500 mark last week with a 15-13 loss at previously winless Carolina. The Texans managed only 229 total yards against a team ranked 30th in the NFL in scoring defense at more than 28 points per game. That’s part of a recent trend for Houston, which after averaging 24 points and 368.5 yards per game in the first four games has regressed to 17.3 ppg and 279.7 yards per game in the past three games.

Indianapolis Colts (3-5) at Carolina Panthers (1-6): Frank Reich scored his first win with the Panthers last week, just in time to roll out the red carpet for the team that fired him one year ago. Reich would love to dish out a defeat to the Colts on the near-anniversary of being canned. Indianapolis has lost three games in a row to fall from the top of the AFC South to the bottom. Carolina is last in the NFC South and faces a sharp turnaround to a short week date with the Chicago Bears (2-6) next Thursday. “We’ve got to just continue to find ways for us to take the next step,” Reich said. Reich had a 40-33-1 record in four-plus seasons with the Colts. He was fired Nov. 7, 2022. The Colts are consistently putting up points and are the only team with at least 20 in every game this season. But blending the running game to preserve leads — and prevent self-inflicted wounds from QB Gardner Minshew (four fumbles, five interceptions) — remains a challenge. The Colts’ defense has been part of the issue, allowing an NFL-high 28.6 points per game. Carolina is averaging 18.1 points per game (25th in the NFL).

New York Giants (2-6) at Las Vegas Raiders (3-5): Points are a problem for two teams in and out of disarray since Week 1. The Giants started 6-2 last season but enter with the opposite record for numerous reasons. Anyone tuning in to this late afternoon kickoff to see TE Darren Waller’s return to Las Vegas can skip it. Waller could be headed to IR with a hamstring injury. But there are still a few storylines simmering after dramatic ends to October for both franchises. The Raiders fired GM Dave Ziegler, head coach Josh McDaniels and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi. Former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce was promoted to interim head coach, and promptly benched Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of rookie Aidan O’Connell. The Giants have been decimated by injuries and haven’t scored more than 16 points since beating Arizona 31-28 on Sept. 17. New York gets QB Daniel Jones back and could be healthier on the offensive line than at any point this season with both offensive tackles in line to play. The Giants have allowed 41 sacks and must contend with Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby (6.5 sacks). Las Vegas has scored over 18 points just once this season and has four offensive touchdowns in the past four games.

Dallas Cowboys (5-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (7-1): November games don’t typically settle division titles in the NFL, but there’s plenty of anticipation for the top two teams in the NFC East to meet for the first time this season. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is 8-3 as a starter against the Eagles, completing 67.5 percent of his passes for 2,757 yards with 19 TDs and eight picks. All the Eagles did last week was add an All-Pro safety, trading for Kevin Byard of the Titans, to shore up one of their few defensive weaknesses. The Eagles allowed 31 points to the Commanders for the second time this season, but won last week on a huge performance from Jalen Hurts. He matched his career high with four TD passes and matched his season high — set in the first meeting with Washington in Week 4 — with 319 passing yards against Washington. Hurts (shoulder) didn’t play in the December loss to Dallas last season and Prescott (hand) didn’t play when the Cowboys lost at Philadelphia in Oct. 2022. Dallas’ defense gives up 17.1 points per game and has nine interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns by cornerback DaRon Bland. Hurts is 1-2 in his career against the Cowboys.

Buffalo Bills (5-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-3): Cincinnati knocked the Bills out of the AFC playoffs with a 27-10 win in the divisional round last season, and the Bengals are on a three-game winning streak that corresponds with QB Joe Burrow (calf) saying he’s healthy. His play backs up the claim. Burrow completed 28 of 32 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers last week. He also completed 19 consecutive passes, one shy of Ken Anderson’s team record set on Jan. 3, 1983. The Bills are fourth in the NFL with 27 sacks, which could limit the amount of time the Bengals have to separate from Buffalo’s man coverage. Burrow said he won’t be thinking about the last game at this site between the teams, in January, when the game was canceled due to the medical emergency involving Bills safety Damar Hamlin. The Bills also claim their focus is on this week and enter with a little extra rest, having defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-18, on Oct. 26. Bills quarterback Josh Allen needed the time off. He is dealing with an injured right shoulder and wasn’t a full participant in practice. Allen will be going against Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson, with whom he played collegiately at Wyoming in 2016 and 2017.

–Field Level Media

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NFL: Week 9 Player Props

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With eight weeks of the regular season in the books, we have a mature player props market with plentiful data points. Finding winners will become increasingly difficult as the bookmakers sharpen their lines. As a result, this is the time of year when exercising discipline can save your bankroll.

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When studying player props, we typically skew more toward playing under this time of year. However, after beginning with an overall handicap of the Week 9 games, I noticed that quite a few overs piqued my interest.

That can sometimes be a red flag, so we will be a bit cautious in adding more plays. As a result, these are three most intriguing player props heading into Week 9.

–Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke over 10.5 rushing yards (-115 at BetMGM)
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith announced they’re turning to Heinicke after the veteran backup replaced Desmond Ridder last week in the third quarter against the Titans.

Ridder underwent a concussion evaluation at halftime and, despite being cleared, did not check back into the game. He’s been turnover-prone and Heinicke was very productive, albeit against a Titans’ defense clearly playing it safe with a big lead.

Heinicke orchestrated four scoring drives for 20 points and 253 total yards compared to one scoring drive for three points in the first half for Ridder. And while Smith doesn’t view this change as permanent, Heinicke is clearly auditioning for the job.

Opportunities for Heinicke to run the ball against a Minnesota defense that forces opposing quarterbacks to step up in the pocket.

According to Pro-Football-Reference, the Vikings lead the league with a 52.7 percent blitz rate. That’s almost 10 percent higher than the Giants, who rank second at 43.1.

The Vikings have also allowed the sixth-most rushing yards (170) to opposing quarterbacks this season.

Based on these factors, we have enough to play Heinicke over his rushing prop.

–Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa over 22.5 pass attempts (-130 at FanDuel)

There are plenty of storylines in Germany as two of the AFC’s top teams take part of the NFL’s International Series.

The Dolphins and Chiefs have matching 6-2 records. But Miami has yet to beat a team with a record over .500. In comparison, the Chiefs have three wins over .500 teams.

There’s also the Tyreek Hill angle, as the dynamic wide receiver will line up against his former team after spending five years in Kansas City before he was traded during contract talks with the Chiefs.

Even before playing his first game with the Dolphins, Hill drew some criticism after commenting that Tagovailoa was a more accurate passer than Mahomes.

While some in the media interpreted Hill’s comments as a slight towards Mahomes, he never said Tagovailoa was the better quarterback. Hill praised Mahomes for having the stronger arm between the two.

Nonetheless, we have a revenge angle here with Hill facing the Chiefs.

This game will take place at Deutsche Bank Park, which has a retractable roof. The total remains steady at 50.5, the highest of the week.

Given the subplots with Tagovailoa vs. Mahomes and Hill facing his former team, it wouldn’t surprise me if this game turns into a track meet.

–Tyson Bagent over 18.5 completions (-110 at DraftKings)
With Justin Fields still nursing a right thumb injury, Bagent will make his third straight start. While the rookie has only 80 passes this season, he’s completing 70 percent of his attempts.

It also doesn’t hurt that his average intended air yards (5.6) puts him dead last among quarterbacks with at least 68 pass attempts.

It’s not a stretch to think that the Bears’ passing offense is somewhat risk-averse with Bagent under center.

If the Bears continue with this conservative approach, Bagent should be able to pick up some easy completions against the Saints with this prop going over the number.

–Field Level Media