Tag: League

The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are primed for a 13 seconds rematch, the Dallas Cowboys have their sites on snatching the NFC East title from the Philadelphia Eagles. Week 14 is shaping up nicely; we guide you through the latest news, views and build-up ahead of Sunday in the NFL…

Editor’s note…

There might not be a quarterback playing better football in the NFL than Dak Prescott at this moment. He has entered the MVP conversation, and so too the Dallas Cowboys to-be-taken-seriously Super Bowl contention. Yes, you might have heard that before.

It can often be what goes unnoticed that can be so impressive and so defining to the way Dak plays. From the mastery of his rhythmic and hoodwinking pre-snap cadence, to the speed at which he can diagnose a field and slide protections, adjust assignments or alter play concepts accordingly at the line of scrimmage. “He plays the position” as Aaron Rodgers said recently on the Pat McAfee Show, igniting a ‘Texas Coast’ offense that has buried its early-season teething issues.

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Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks against the Dallas Cowboys in week 13 of the NFL season.

Only Brock Purdy owns a better EPA+CPOE composite (an advanced metric on quarterback play-by-play value and efficiency) than Prescott this season, the Dallas quarterback having put up a passer rating of at least 115.0 in five of six games since the Week Seven bye week. In that time he has completed 156 of 221 passes (70.59 per cent) for 1,901 yards and 20 touchdowns to two interceptions. He also happens to be the league’s best quarterback on third down this year, which tends to serve as a nice indication of how well a passer is faring in decisive moments of a game, which always comes with an added caveat of pressure as an expectation-burdened Cowboys play-caller.

McCarthy’s offense is purring as it empowers its quarterback to take command of games with more aggressive pass designs and opportunities to use his legs alongside an increased use of play-action, while dressing up the line of scrimmage with pre-snap motion and crowning CeeDee Lamb as their focal point by shifting him across multiple spots in the formation.

Lamb has taken a seat at the table alongside the league’s most dynamic receivers with 90 catches for 1,182 yards and seven touchdowns, Brandin Cooks has answered the Cowboys’ call for a legitimate No 2 receiver, Jake Ferguson is peppering the seam as his threat continues to increase as the team’s lead tight end. Tony Pollard’s multi-purpose production out of the backfield has meanwhile picked back up after a minor lull as a crucial sell for the Cowboys play-action game.

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The Her Huddle team discuss whether this could be the season which sees a player who doesn’t play at quarterback win the NFL’s MVP award, with Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill the frontrunner.

Dallas rank third in EPA/play and sit at the top of scoring rankings on offense, while Dan Quinn’s stunting, route-jumping defense continues to be among the NFL’s elite at third in EPA/play and third in total yards. ‘Our year’ sentiment has been long-exhausted and long-unfulfilled in Cowboys territory amid their pursuit of a first Super Bowl appearance since their victory at the end of the 1995 season.

The 49ers are nagging frontrunners to prolong that pain, and beckon as a potential ultimate test somewhere down the line in the playoffs. Before then, Dak and the Cowboys have the opportunity to force home their respective MVP and Championship credentials across a home stretch that sees them face the Philadelphia Eagles – who they could yet leapfrog in the NFC East – and Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins.

How ’bout them Cowboys? We are about to find out.

Around the league…

• Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was limited on his return to practice Thursday having appeared to swerve serious injury after suffering a high ankle sprain in Monday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals; Lawrence said he was hopeful of facing the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, with head coach Doug Pederson insisting he won’t sacrifice a player’s health for one game.
• New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh confirmed Zach Wilson will start at quarterback against the Houston Texans having been demoted for Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian in the last two games.
• Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Von Miller remains available to play against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday following allegations of domestic violence against the edge rusher.

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence shows his frustration after suffering an injury against the Cincinnati Bengals.

• Former Indianapolis Colts three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaq Leonard signed a one-year deal with the Eagles this week.
• Miami Dolphins right tackle Austin Jackson agreed a three-year, $36m extension on Thursday amid his impressive 2023 campaign.
• Justin Jefferson is set to make his return for the Minnesota Vikings against the Las Vegas Raiders after missing seven games due to a hamstring injury.
• Carolina Panthers tight end Hayden Hurst has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Amnesia by an independent neurologist after suffering a concussion in the Week 10 game against the Chicago Bears, his father announced.
• Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is expected to coach at the weekend despite undergoing surgery on Wednesday after being diagnosed with an acute case of appendicitis.

What to watch…

Week 14 live on Sky!

Los Angeles Rams (6-6) @ Baltimore Ravens (9-3): The Ravens struck gold with Kyle Hamilton, who has arrived as advertised since entering the league as the No 14 pick at the 2022 Draft. He stands to be the quintessential modern NFL safety as Mike Macdonald’s disguised blitzer, hybrid box tackler, slot demon and sideline-to-sideline blockade. With Marcus Williams on hand to play deep, Hamilton has free rein to wreak havoc as Baltimore’s most dangerous disruptor at the line of scrimmage. And while attention has been on the Rams’ young offensive playmakers, the audition process for Aaron Donald’s supporting cast has been intriguing. Third-round rookie nose tackle Kobie Turner has quietly amassed a rookie-leading 5.5 sacks, while fellow third-rounder Byron Young is close behind on five sacks.

Buffalo Bills (6-6) @ Kansas City Chiefs (8-4): Tight ends, assemble. For years the Bills have watched Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce torch the NFL as the league’s most dynamic quarterback-tight end tandem, shattering Buffalo’s Super Bowl hopes on a couple of occasions in the process. In a bid to add their own Kelce-esque dimension, the Bills went and drafted Dalton Kincaid in the first round earlier this year. The vision was tight splits in multiple tight end sets from which he and Dawson Knox could sell the run game, lure defenses downhill and open up shots for Josh Allen downfield, as well as leaking out into routes of their own. The production (56 catches, 474 yards) has been sporadic, not helped by the absence of Knox, with flashes of an integral supporting role behind Stefon Diggs, while Kelce, without lighting up the world, leads the Chiefs with 813 receiving yards and five scores.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (9-3): Do we call this the Shaq Leonard bowl? There was little surprise when the Eagles edged out the Cowboys to wrap up a deal for the former Indianapolis Colts man, not because Howie Roseman is one of the savviest operators in the market but because of the extent to which the 49ers exposed Philly’s linebackers in Week 13. Time and time again Kyle Shanahan disorientated the likes of Nicholas Morrow and Christian Ellis, standing in for the injured Zach Cunningham, with Deebo Samuel’s pre-snap reload motion to muddy the play direction, eventually disguising it to unleash the Niners receiver for his first-half catch-and-run touchdown out of the backfield. Morrow bit hard on a Christian McCaffrey out-route at the sideline before later being shrugged off by Samuel again on his 48-yard touchdown; it was a torrid day, Nick Sirianni’s safeties included as Shanahan toyed with the middle of the field. Can Leonard step in immediately? And will the Cowboys similarly plot to exploit the Eagles’ weakness at the second level?

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Jeff Reinebold says Baltimore Ravens’ defense create mental as well as physical problems for their opponents, and backs them to beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14.

Best quotes

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on his injury against the Bengals: “I’m thankful it’s not a worse injury than what I thought on the field.”

Taylor Swift, in her interview for 2023 Time magazine’s person of the year: “Football is awesome, it turns out. I’ve been missing out my whole life.”

Nick Bosa suggests the 49ers showed the NFL how to stop Jalen Hurts: “You see it on tape. Obviously, we put the blueprint out there. Hopefully, the Dallas Cowboys watch the tape. We made Jalen stay in the pocket and escape outside instead of those B-gaps. And it paid off.”

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show: “The most disappointing thing about the whole rehab process was December 24 was literally on my mind. It would have been like 14-and-a-half weeks, I thought that would be reasonable based on my progress.”

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Speaking on Inside The Huddle, Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold discuss the Miami Dolphins’ season so far and why sealing home matches in the playoffs could be crucial to their success.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel on his team’s 9-3 record at the top of the AFC: “Call me when it’s a 13-game season. That’s all nice, but we have a job to do today. If we short-change and are worried about anything other than the Tennessee Titans when we’re game planning, then all those conversations and stories literally don’t matter at all.”

Ravens coach John Harbaugh on Rams receiver Puka Nacua: “I liked him (in the Draft). He was one of my highest-rated guys. You can ask anybody here, he was way up on my board. He’s playing exactly how I thought he would, for the record.”

Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on facing Houston’s CJ Stroud: “He’s a very unique young quarterback. He’s a guy I really wish we would’ve played Weeks One to Four when he was still trying to figure out this game.”

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Speaking on Inside The Huddle, Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold discuss the San Francisco 49ers’ impressive win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13.

The stats

• Tyreek Hill’s 938 yards on vertical routes so far this season are the most of any receiver in a single campaign since 2018
• Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen currently has 898 catches in 138 games and has the chance to surpass Antonio Brown (143 games) as the fastest player in history to reach 900 career receptions
• Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson sits on 5,396 career receiving yards, leaving him needing just 117 more to overtake Michael Thomas for most by a player in his first four seasons in history
• Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons, who has 11.5 sacks on the year, is looking to become the second player since sack statistics began in 1982 to record at least 13 sacks in each of his first three seasons – Hall of Famer Reggie White having been the first
• CJ Stroud needs 253 passing yards to overtake Andrew Luck for the second-most by a player in his first 13 games
• Brock Purdy can become the fourth quarterback in NFL history to post a completion percentage of 70-or-higher in seven straight games this weekend

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Jeff Reinebold describes the Packers’ win over the Chiefs as a ‘magical night’ and hails the performances of quarterback Jordan Love.

Essential reading:

NFL playoff contenders or pretenders: Can Packers make a charge?

Can Jordan Love guide Green Bay to the playoffs?

The NFL playoff race has reached the home stretch in one of the most wide-open seasons in recent memory, with surprise teams occupying postseason spots and expected contenders battling for their place.

Sky Sports NFL‘s Phoebe Schecter gives her verdict on some of those around whom there remain question marks when it comes to their playoff credentials…

The 13 seconds rivalry: Bills and Chiefs meet once again

Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen meet again

All is not rosy in the land of the mighty. The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs have been marred by drops and deficiencies on a limping offense, behind which Patrick Mahomes and Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive subterfuge have between them retained some level of serious contention, with question marks over an 8-4 team speaking volumes as to the self-imposed expectations in Arrowhead.

And in western New York the Buffalo Bills are fighting for their playoff lives as they play catch-up having endured marquee injuries, suffered late heartbreak, fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and slipped behind the pack in what is still deemed a Championship window for under-pressure head coach Sean McDermott and his high-powered team.

Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen know all about thrillers. The AFC rivals meet again in their latest high stakes clash on Sunday…

Her Huddle: Meet Nausicaa Dell’Orto.

Hannah Wilkes and Phoebe Schecter talk to Italy Women’s flag football captain Nausicaa Dell’Orto about the challenges she faced in forming a female team in Milan.

Inside the Huddle: 49ers-Dolphins Super Bowl?

Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold discuss the San Francisco 49ers’ emphatic win over the Philadelphia Eagles and the red-hot form of the Miami Dolphins…

Thursday night rewind…

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Highlights of the New England Patriots up against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 of the NFL season.

Bailey Zappe threw three first-half touchdown passes as the New England Patriots snapped a five-game skid while damaging the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff hopes with a 21-18 victory on Thursday night.

Watch the Baltimore Ravens host the Los Angeles Rams from 5pm (kickoff at 6pm) live on Sky Sports NFL this Sunday, followed by the Buffalo Bills at the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys against the Philadelphia Eagles

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson says “everything is stable” with Trevor Lawrence after the quarterback suffered an ankle injury in Monday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals; Pederson has not ruled Lawrence out of Sunday’s clash with Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson says quarterback Trevor Lawrence was “very fortunate” to avoid a more serious injury after damaging his ankle in Monday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Lawrence was injured in the fourth quarter as Jake Browning threw for 354 yards and a touchdown in his second career start to lead the Bengals to a stunning 34-31 overtime win.

Browning also ran for a score as the Bengals (6-6) won on Monday Night Football for the first time since 1990 on Evan McPherson’s 48-yard field goal in the extra frame, with Lawrence’s injury for the Jaguars (8-4) appearing to be potentially the biggest blow of the evening for the home team.

Left tackle Walker Little stepped on Lawrence’s ankle, causing him to twist it as he was sacked. Lawrence tried to get up, but dropped to the ground, ripped off his helmet and threw it in disgust. He was helped off the field and into the tunnel for X-rays.

Pederson said on Tuesday tests on Lawrence’s right ankle showed “everything’s stable, everything’s good”. He added surgery “is not necessarily something that would be warranted at this time”.

“We’ll see where he’s at in a couple days,” Pederson said roughly 12 hours after the game had finished.

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The Bengals took the lead with Ja’Marr Chase’s 76-yard touchdown reception, his team’s longest play of 2023

“[It] looked worse than it really was. Very fortunate there.”

It ended an otherwise stellar night for Lawrence, who completed 22 of 29 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a score.

Pederson has not ruled Lawrence out of Sunday’s upcoming clash with the Cleveland Browns.

“I’m not going to put that timetable on Trevor,” he added. “Not going to put him in a box like that. We’ll see how he is in a couple of days.”

Browning was equally stout in place of star Joe Burrow, who watched and coached from the sideline while wearing a cast and a sling. Browning completed 32 of 37 passes and directed the overtime drive that set up McPherson’s winner.

McPherson, who played collegiately at nearby Florida, banged a 57-yarder off the crossbar in the same direction early in the game.

Jacksonville backup CJ Beathard completed nine of 10 passes for 63 yards in relief of Lawrence. Beathard put the Jaguars in position for Brandon McManus’ 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining in regulation.

Stats leaders:

Cincinnati Bengals

• Passing: Jake Browning, 32/37, 354 yards, 1 TD
• Rushing: Joe Mixon, 19 carries, 68 yards, 2 TDs
• Receiving: Ja’Marr Chase, 11 catches, 149 yards, 1 TD

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Passing: Trevor Lawrence, 22/29, 258 yards, 2 TDs
• CJ Beathard, 9/10, 63 yards
• Rushing: Travis Etienne, 11 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD
• Receiving: Evan Engram, 9 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD

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A Bengals trick play went all wrong when Tyler Boyd’s pass was picked off by Jaguars’ Josh Allen

Ja’Marr Chase caught 11 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown, a 76-yarder in the third quarter that got the Bengals going. Joe Mixon ran for 68 yards and two scores, and rookie Chase Brown added 61 yards on the ground for the league’s worst rushing attack. Mixon also had six receptions for 49 yards.

The Bengals made it harder than it should have been when coach Zac Taylor called a trick play that turned into a debacle in third.

Browning lateraled to receiver Tyler Boyd, who inexplicably threw directly to pass rusher Josh Allen. Allen caught the ball for his second career interception. The Jaguars scored four plays later when Lawrence jumped and stretched the ball across the goal line.

It was the second bungled trick play for the Bengals, who also lost seven yards when Chase completed a double pass to Browning. Still, the Bengals finished with 491 yards and were eight of 14 on third down.

Scoring summary

What did they say?

Jags quarterback C.J. Beathard on injury to Lawrence: “First instinct was ah, it sucks for Trevor when you see him on the ground hurting. That sucks. It kind of takes the breath away from the guys on the sidelines and stuff when you see your starting quarterback hurting like that. But then you quickly flip into going into that two-minute drive to try and tie the game or win the game. Obviously, don’t have much time for the news to kick in, just kind of got to go.”

What next?

The Bengals are back in action at home to the Indianapolis Colts (7-5), while the Jaguars prepare for a spell without Lawrence on the road against the Cleveland Browns (7-5).

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DaRon Bland made it five interceptions returned for a touchdown in a single season, breaking the record he had equalled in Week 11; Dak Prescott passed for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a big win for the Dallas Cowboys; Washington Commanders QB Sam Howell was sacked four times

DaRon Bland capped a 45-10 Thanksgiving victory for the Dallas Cowboys over their NFC East rival Washington Commanders by breaking the NFL record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown in a season.

Rico Dowdle put the Cowboys (8-4) ahead at AT&T Stadium with 46 seconds remaining in the first quarter with a 15-yard touchdown, and further scores from Brandin Cooks and Tony Pollard helped the home side into a 20-10 lead at half time.

Joey Slye’s field goal and a rushing touchdown from Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, who ended the day with 300 yards and completed 28 of 44 passes but was sacked four times, ensured the visitors kept within touching distance of their NFC East rivals.

But after a scoreless third quarter Brandon Aubrey’s field goal, a sixth receiving touchdown of the season for CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin’s grab in the end zone ensured a sixth-straight home game of Dallas scoring 30-plus points, with quarterback Dak Prescott passing for 331 yards and four touchdowns.

There was still time for Bland to make NFL history though, coming up with a pick-six with under five minutes remaining as he snagged a pass from Howell and raced 63 yards downfield for his fifth of the season – breaking the record of four he had jointly held with Eric Allen (1993), Jim Kearney (1972) and Ken Houston (1971).

Stats leaders:

Washington Commanders

• Passing: Sam Howell, 28/44, 300 yards, 1 INT
• Rushing: Brian Robinson Jr, 15 carries, 53 yards
• Receiving: Curtis Samuel, 5 catches, 100 yards

Dallas Cowboys

• Passing: Dak Prescott, 22/32, 331 yards, 4 TD
• Rushing: Tony Pollard, 13 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD
• Receiving: Brandin Cooks, 4 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD

The dichotomy that is Howell’s 2023 season was shown again on Washington’s opening drive as the NFL’s passing yard leader heading into this game was sacked for a league-leading 52nd time this season, and the Commanders were forced to punt after their first two possessions of the game stalled at midfield.

Having punted at the end of their first possession, the Cowboys built steadily on their second, despite back-to-back penalties which left them facing second and 25, and put together a 15-play, 110-yard drive which ended in Prescott’s short pass to Dowdle sending the running back streaking away for the opening score.

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DaRon Bland created history with his fifth pick-six of the season, a new NFL record.

The Commanders responded with a strong second-quarter drive led by Howell and running back Brian Robinson Jr earning consecutive first downs, yet some strong defensive plays from the Cowboys saw the visitors pushed back to third and 18, and eventually have to settle for a 43-yard field goal from Joey Slye.

Dallas were soon on the board again though as Prescott unleashed a pass to Cooks, who broke double coverage and sprinted away for a 31-yard touchdown to extend the home side’s advantage.

Despite being sacked for the second time in the game, Howell was able to guide Washington up to within striking distance and finished off the 67-yard drive with a four-yard run for a touchdown which closed the gap to four points inside the two-minute warning.

The Cowboys stunned the Commanders with a third touchdown before half time though, taking over possession with 1:51 of the second quarter remaining and going 70 yards for a drive which was finished by Pollard rushing seven yards up the middle to score, although Aubrey missed the extra point attempt.

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Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys celebrated their touchdown with a turkey leg!

Washington’s offense clicked more into gear in the third, but each time they found themselves thwarted by some determined defense from the Cowboys and were unable to make further inroads despite preventing the hosts from adding to their tally as well.

Dallas eventually managed to add some points to their tally early in the fourth quarter as rookie kicker Aubrey notched his record-extending 22nd-consecutive field goal with a 52-yarder.

Micah Parsons’ 11th sack of the season and Johnathan Hankins taking down Howell as the Commanders went for it on fourth then earned the Cowboys a turnover on downs, and they put the game to bed soon after when Prescott connected with Lamb for a 15-yard touchdown pass which was followed by a successful two-point conversion.

The Cowboys were not done there though as Prescott found Turpin with a 34-yard pass, followed by cornerback Bland putting the icing on the cake and writing his name in the NFL history books.

Scoring summary

What was said?

Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland, after breaking the individual pick-six season record on Thanksgiving: “To do it on Thanksgiving just means everything, in front of fans and family.”

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on what was behind his team’s big win: “I credit a lot around me, the offensive line protected great, look back at a couple of those touchdowns and they gave us a lot of time. We are playing free.”

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Dak Prescott and DaRon Bland celebrated their Thanksgiving win with some well-earned turkey!

What’s next?

The Dallas Cowboys open Week 13 at home to the Seattle Seahawks, who face NFC West rivals the San Francisco 49ers in the late game on Thanksgiving, in the Thursday night encounter.

The Washington Commanders, meanwhile, face a tough task when they host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, December 3.

The New York Jets (4-6) then take on the Miami Dolphins (7-3) in the NFL’s first ever Black Friday game from 8pm.