Tag: steelers

Season’s greetings! Sky Sports NFL brings you SIX live games over the holidays; Bengals @ Patriots kicks off the Christmas Eve action from 6pm, while there is also RedZone on Sky Sports Mix on Saturday night; the Packers visit the Dolphins as part of the Christmas Day triple-bill

Celebrate your Christmas with Sky Sports this year as we bring you SIX live NFL games over the holiday weekend, including an NFC East grudge match between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve live on Sky Sports NFL

For Week 16, the usual Sunday night slate moves to Saturday, December 24, with the clash between the NFL’s-best Eagles (13-1) and Cowboys (10-4) the second game up in the weekend’s first triple-bill of live action on Sky Sports NFL (407).

The evening’s festivities get under waywith the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals (10-4) taking their six-straight wins on the road to the New England Patriots (7-7), who will be desperate to put their shocking late loss to the Las Vegas Raiders behind them and stay in the AFC playoff hunt. Kick-off is at 6pm.

After the huge divisional clash in Dallas, the night rounds off with a meeting between the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8) and Raiders (6-8) – kick-off at 1.15am, Sunday morning – as the two famous old franchises celebrate the 50th anniversary of Franco Harris’ ‘immaculate reception’ in the classic 1972 AFC divisional playoff between the pair.

As well as these three standalone games, you can keep up to speed with all of the action from elsewhere around the league via NFL RedZone on Sky Sports Mix (416) from 6pm.

Christmas Day live on Sky Sports NFL

On Sunday, December 25 we’re back to bring you yet another triple-header, this one also kicking off at 6pm with a huge matchup in Miami as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers (6-8) hope to hang on to their playoff hopes with a victory over the Dolphins (8-6), who themselves are desperately clinging on to their post-season aspirations despite three defeats on the trot.

We then head out to Los Angeles for a meeting between the defending Super Bowl-champion Rams (4-10) and Denver Broncos (4-10), both heavily tipped pre-season contenders eager to salvage some pride in these final few weeks following hugely disappointing seasons – this one gets under way from 9.30pm.

The Christmas Day festivities then conclude into the early hours of Boxing Day morning as, at 1.20am, the Arizona Cardinals (4-10) host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8) at State Farm Stadium, the site of this year’s Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.

What other NFL is live on Sky Sports this week?

The Week 16 action gets under way with the traditional Thursday night fare and another matchup with huge playoff implications as the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8) visit the New York Jets (7-7), both battling it out for a wild card spot in the AFC and with the Jags also still in with a shout of winning the AFC South division. This one is live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am on Friday morning.

And finally, to close out Week 16, there’s a Monday Night Football clash between the Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1) and Los Angeles Chargers (8-6), with the visitors hoping to move a step closer to clinching a postseason berth with a win over the reeling Colts, who suffered an NFL-record comeback loss to the Minnesota Vikings last weekend. Watch all of the action on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am, Tuesday.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

Donovan Peoples-Jones scored the only touchdown of the game as the Cleveland Browns beat the Baltimore Ravens 13-3 on Saturday to stay alive in the AFC playoff race.

Story of the Game

In Deshaun Watson’s home debut for the Browns (6-8), his scoring toss to People-Jones came with two minutes and 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter to put Cleveland 13-3 up.

Watson, who was banned for 11 games for alleged sexual misconduct, finished 18 of 28 for 161 yards in wintery conditions, adding 22 more on the ground.

Browns rookie Cade York made two field goals but missed two others, while Baltimore’s All-Pro Justin Tucker – the league’s most accurate kicker – had a rare off night, missing with a 48-yarder to end the first half and then having another attempt blocked in the second.

Tyler Huntley, who was only cleared from concussion protocol a few days ago, started again in place of Lamar Jackson (knee), who missed a second straight. But Huntley but couldn’t get Baltimore going, finishing 17 of 30 for just 138 yards.

Huntley made a critical mistake in the third quarter, when he was intercepted at the Cleveland nine-yard line by Denzel Ward – the Ravens trailing only 6-3 at that precise moment.

Watson then directed a 91-yard scoring drive, delivering his TD strike to Peoples-Jones which proved to be enough to close out a crucial victory.

Stats leaders

Ravens

• Passing: Tyler Huntley, 17/30, 138 yards, 1 INT
• Rushing: JK Dobbins, 13 carries, 125 yards
• Receiving: Mark Andrews, three catches, 31 yards

Browns

• Passing: Deshaun Watson, 18/28, 161 yards, 1 TD
• Rushing: Nick Chubb, 21 carries, 99 yards
• Receiving: Amari Cooper, four catches, 58 yards
• Donovan Peoples-Jones, four catches, 31 yards, 1 TD

What’s next?

Tom Brady takes on Joe Burrow for the very first time in the NFL as two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL go toe to toe on Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL.

Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) welcome Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) into town – kick-off at 9.25pm – with the New York Jets (7-6) also hosting the Detroit Lions (6-7) in a key clash for playoff spots, with this one getting under way at 6pm. The Sunday night triple-header rounds off with the Washington Commanders (7-5-1) hosting the New York Giants (7-5-1) in an NFC East divisional battle with huge postseason implications for the two wild card hopefuls – kick-off at 1.20am on Monday morning.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

As many as eight games on Sunday were decided by one score. We had the usual upsets, big plays and tight finishes – it’s the theme of this NFL season so far through nine weeks.

1) Jets pass big test against Bills

Most would have said it was a big positive for the New York Jets to even keep this one close against the Buffalo Bills, but they ended up winning the game.

Their defense was lights out. Sauce Gardner continues to impress as a rookie, as well as D.J. Reed in the secondary. They’ve also got a good pass rush, making an incredible quarterback in Josh Allen look very uncomfortable. The run game was also there, even without star rookie Breece Hall – they rushed for over 170 yards.

I’m very impressed by what the Jets are doing this season. And it was a great way for this team to bounce back after a difficult loss to the New England Patriots. They are proving they’re no fluke.

I’ve been speaking to a lot of Jets players this season and they genuinely are not surprised by where they’re at. It’s what they expected; they believed they could be this team. They’re a confident bunch.

2) Tua tops 300 yards once more

Another week in the NFL, and another game where Tua Tagovailoa throws for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, this time against the Chicago Bears. It is becoming a regular thing now for the Miami Dolphins.

They’re so hard to stop because he is so quick with his decision-making – the ball comes out of his hand so fast – and the receivers are so fast too. He is throwing the ball in under two and a half seconds, and by that time Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are already 25 yards down the field.

As a result, defenses are terrified of being beaten deep, so they give Miami a lot of the middle of the field and their offense are feasting on that.

Hill has over 1,000 yards already and we’re only nine games into the season. It’s incredible!

3) Where have you been, Joe Mixon?

When the Cincinnati Bengals went on their run to the Super Bowl last year, so much was made of the play of quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase, but Joe Mixon and the ground game was also a big part of that.

He has been missing for most of this season, but he arrived in a big way on Sunday with 211 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. Yes, it was against a poor Carolina Panthers team, but I want to see if the Bengals can stick to this style going forward and more of a balanced attack?

4) Don’t let Brady hang around!

If you give even a 45-year-old Tom Brady, with no running game and no offensive line, just enough time, let him hang around, he’ll beat you.

The Los Angeles Rams continue to be hugely disappointing this season. They’ve been dreadful in the fourth quarter of games – outscored 71-10 in the final period. That’s on coaching, but also their big players not being able to close out games.

They played really soft on defense. They allowed Brady a deep pass down the middle and then he was able to work the sidelines before throwing the game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds. It was classic Brady, and a great moment in what will most probably be his last season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been pretty awful – not terrible, but certainly bad by their standards – yet they’re in first place in the NFC South, with no one running away with that division. And weirdly, because of the respective strength of their divisions, as it stands the 4-5 Bucs aren’t in a dissimilar spot to the 6-2 Bills in terms of controlling their division and their destiny.

5) Raiders’ shocking collapse against Jags

I was really disappointed by the Las Vegas Raiders’ collapse from being 17-0 up in the second quarter to finding a way to lose that game to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

There have now been three games this season where the Raiders have led by 17 and have lost. That’s unforgivable, and it’s the sort of thing that will get head coach Josh McDaniels fired. And these NFL owners aren’t afraid to pull the trigger… we’ve seen it already this season with Matt Rhule in Carolina and most recently with Frank Reich at the Indianapolis Colts.

He’s now firmly on the hot seat, because that team simply can’t close out games. How can you run the ball for three-straight weeks with Josh Jacobs to the tune of about 200 yards per game, but then you get a 17-point lead in this game and yet you can’t run it to save your life?

Also, Davante Adams had nine catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the first half… and then just one grab for zero yards in the second. That is shocking!

Player of the Week: Joe Mixon

I left him out of my NFL Fantasy Football team, which absolutely destroyed me. But it has to be Mixon after his five-TD day for the Bengals.

It was a reminder that if he gets the right blocking, he is one of the best running backs in the NFL. He is going to be key for the Bengals the rest of the way.

Play of the Week: Justin Fields

I’m going with Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ 61-yard touchdown run against the Dolphins.

Not only did it keep Chicago in the contest, but it was one play of many that he made in a really entertaining game that offered hope for the future of the Bears and their fans.

Fields is an incredible talent who is going to grow as a passer. But for now, let him do his thing, let him run free. He has made the Bears one for the more entertaining teams in the NFL in recent weeks.

And I loved the clip of Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel shouting at Fields as he ran out of bounds at one point on the Miami sideline… he was basically saying, ‘please, stop it!’

Coach of the Week: Kevin O’Connell

I’m a bit conflicted about this choice, because Kevin O’Connell is an offensive-minded coach, but his Minnesota Vikings unit does tend to get bogged down at times in games.

They’ll score fast in games, then will follow it up with about six punts in a row, before then finding another way to score again.

Yet, this team are 7-1, are on a six-game winning streak and every one of those wins has been by one score. You look back to last year, and this Vikings team lost a lot of heartbreakers; this season, they’re finding a way to get over the line, and I think that is down to a coach who gives his players such confidence.

You can see their team spirit come through in the way they celebrate as a team – on the field, in the locker room and even on the plane! They had an old curmudgeon as a coach before in Mike Zimmer, who wouldn’t have allowed those sort of things.

Whatever magic formula they’ve found, it’s working, because they’ve practically assured themselves a playoff spot already at only the halfway point of the season.

On My Radar

Jeff Saturday as the new interim coach of the Colts really is a head-scratcher.

I really like Reich, but I think it was inevitable that he was going to get fired as the Colts’ season was heading south. They made a change at quarterback, fired the offensive coordinator… that was really the only logical next move.

It was textbook from owner Jim Irsay really, all the way up until the hiring of Saturday. I believe he now becomes the first head coach in the league to have never coached at NFL or college level – he has only coached high school football before.

He was an All-Pro player for the team though, and was a really good leader. During the NFL lockout of 2011, he was a key negotiator in completing the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NFL and NFL Players’ Association. There’s obviously something about him.

But it’s one to keep an eye on, because it’s a hugely unconventional move by the Colts. I’m curious but also dubious.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

This week’s NFL Sunday action live on Sky Sports sees the one-loss Minnesota Vikings (7-1) travel to the Buffalo Bills (6-2), while the Green Bay Packers (3-6) are desperate for a win as they host the red-hot Dallas Cowboys (6-2) – live on Sky Sports NFL, from 6pm, Sunday

The in-form Dallas Cowboys head to Green Bay on Sunday night to face a Packers outfit in the midst of a five-game losing streak and desperate for a win.

The Week 10 games to be shown live on Sky Sports NFL have been announced, with the matchup between the Cowboys (6-2) and Aaron Rodgers’ Packers (3-6) getting underway at Lambeau Field from 9.25pm on Sunday.

Prior to that one, the Buffalo Bills (6-2), fresh from a surprise defeat to the New York Jets last weekend, have the chance to put things right against the one-loss Minnesota Vikings (7-1). This one in Buffalo kicks off at 6pm.

And before the traditional NFL Sunday double-header, the NFL lands in Germany for the very first time in its history as Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) take on the Seattle Seahawks (6-3) at the Allianz Arena in Munich – this one exclusively live on Sky Sports NFL from 2.30pm.

Rounding off the Sunday night action, we join our friends at NBC for Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football, with Christian McCaffrey eager for another star showing for the San Francisco 49ers (4-4) as they host Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) – kick-off is at 1.20am, early on Monday morning.

Elsewhere, the Week 10 action gets under way with the traditional Thursday night fare as the Atlanta Falcons (4-5), travel to the Carolina Panthers (2-7) in an NFC South divisional clash – watch live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am on Friday morning.

Then, on Monday night, Week 10 concludes with the still unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles (8-0) hosting the Washington Commanders (4-5) in another rivalry clash, this one in the NFC East. Watch live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am, Tuesday.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

The NFL trade deadline passed on Tuesday without the Packers adding a new face on offense – should fans in Green Bay be frustrated?; Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks had been among the names linked to a move to Lambeau Field

The Green Bay Packers were a team widely though to be in the market for some new additions to their flagging football team ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline, but the 4pm ET cut-off passed without a deal being done.

Packers (3-5) fans watched on as their division rivals strengthened, the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings (6-1) bringing in tight end T.J. Hockenson from the Detroit Lions, and the Chicago Bears (3-5) adding star receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It is on offense too that the Packers are most in need of help, the team themselves linked with Claypool, as well as Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans, in the hopes of solving the league’s 26th ranked scoring offense (18.1 points per game) and 22nd in passing (217.4 passing yards per game).

Wide receiver is a position the Packers are badly lacking depth at following on from the trade of their No 1 wideout Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason. A four-game losing streak leading into Tuesday’s trade deadline strengthen the belief that Green Bay would be forced to make a move with their playoff hopes fading.

“If you’re a Packers fan, you’ve got to really be frustrated right now,” Sky Sports’ Jeff Reinebold said on the latest Inside The Huddle podcast. “Certainly Aaron Rodgers.

“I hope somebody took away the remote control of his television and put it in a drawer.

“The Minnesota Vikings, who are hot, go out and get Hockenson, because Irv Smith is on injured reserve for six to eight weeks. They give up a second-round draft choice to get a really good tight end out of Detroit.

“You just wonder with the Packers, how serious are you about winning?”

Claypool deal a ‘fresh start’ for Steelers

Commenting further on the Claypool deal, Reinebold believes it benefits both parties, with the Bears securing their second-year quarterback Justin Fields a much-needed weapon on offense and the Steelers getting a player off their books who had become “kind of a distraction”.

The 24-year-old Claypool has topped 850 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL, while his rookie year in 2020 saw him also tally 10 receiving touchdowns.

“Claypool; here’s a guy that in his rookie season goes off, he looks as if he’s going to be the future as wide receiver number one in Pittsburgh,” Reinebold said.

“For the Bears, it’s a great trade because they’re desperate for talent on offense. And it’s a fresh start and for the Steelers, they get rid of a guy that had become really kind of a distraction with some immature behaviour.

“I don’t think he’s a bad kid, he just needs to grow up a little bit. Hopefully he’ll help Justin Fields and the Bears.”

‘Dolphins show they’re committed to winning’

As well as the Claypool and Hockenson deals, on a hugely busy trade deadline day, the Denver Broncos traded pass rusher Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins (5-3), with running back Chase Edmonds heading the other way as part of the deal. The Dolphins also added San Francisco 49ers RB Jeff Wilson Jr to their backfield.

Another pair of running backs also swapped homes, with the Indianapolis Colts moving Nyheim Hines to Bills and Zack Moss sent the other way in the deal, while the Jacksonville Jaguars traded for suspended Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley.

With the last two Super Bowl winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020) and Los Angeles Rams (2021), achieving success in large part due to loading up on superstar talents such as Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford via free agency or trade, Reinebold believes teams are trying to be similarly aggressive.

“It goes back to, sadly, a guy we’ve lost; Ted Thompson, who was the general manager for a lot of years in Green Bay, was a ‘draft and develop’ guy. But I’m not sure if that philosophy works in this day and age,” Reinebold said.

“We talk about the Les Snead [Rams general manager] effect in the NFL, creating a team of superstars and continuously depending on trades, free agency and that mode, as opposed to the draft – bringing in to your football team what are proven players.

“And we say it all the time; it’s a copycat league. What’s hot is what’s hot. At the moment, that approach seems to be the way to do it in the NFL.

“Look at the Kansas City Chiefs. They shed players in the offseason, they lost Tyreek Hill and what did they do? The got JuJu Smith-Schuster, and now they’ve brought in Kadarius Toney [from the New York Giants].

“They keep their core, but they’re constantly trying to upgrade via the draft or free agency. That’s what good football teams have to do.

“And if you’re a Dolphins fan, these are heady times. They have shown they are committed to winning.”

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

Denver Broncos claim 21-17 victory over Jacksonville Jaguars after Latavius Murray runs in late touchdown; the Jags had led 10-7 at half-time after Evan Engram’s opening touchdown; Russell Wilson finishes 18/30 for 252 yards, one touchdown and one interception

The Denver Broncos temporarily eased pressure on head coach Nathaniel Hackett as they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 21-17 in the final London game of the season and the first outing at Wembley Stadium since 2019.

Story of the Game

Latavius Murray ran in a one-yard go-ahead touchdown with 1.43 to play after Travis Etienne had put the Jags up 17-14 with a one-yard score amid his 156-yard performance.

K’Waun Williams then crowned the win by intercepting Trevor Lawrence at the 35-yard line on the first play of the Jaguars’ ensuing drive.

Denver improved to 3-5 on the season with the much-needed victory having arrived in the UK facing scrutiny over a sputtering offense behind Russell Wilson and with trade speculation lingering over wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and star edge rusher Bradley Chubb.

Doug Pederson’s Jags meanwhile fell to 2-6 after their fifth straight defeat having led 10-7 at half-time thanks to Evan Engram’s opening touchdown and Riley Patterson’s field goal followed by Jeudy’s score.

Denver took the lead for the first time in the contest through Melvin Gordon’s one-yard touchdown run with five minutes to play in the third quarter after Wilson had connected with tight end Greg Dulcich for 38 yards amid a nine-play 98-yard drive starting at their two.

The teams then exchanged four straight three-and-outs by way of the Broncos’ second-ranked defense – also tied-first in EPA/play – and a sack from Jags No 1 overall pick Travon Walker followed by a sloppy false start penalty from Denver.

DJ Jones sacked Lawrence for a loss of seven on third-and-nine to derail the Jags’ eight-play drive with 8.51 remaining, celebrating by pretending to sip a cup of tea in an ode to his British hosts.

Penned in at his own end zone on third-and-10 with seven to play, Wilson threatened a field-flipping sucker-punch when he spotted KJ Hamler and Dulcich two-on-one downfield, only for his pass to land between the Broncos duo much to the relief of Jags defenders.

The Jags subsequently took the lead with Etienne’s one-yard touchdown run at the end of a six-play march boosted by Christian Kirk’s 25-yard reception and the second-year running back’s own run of 11.

But Wilson responded with a 47-yard toss to KJ Hamler, who followed up with a nine-yard burst before Murray burrowed through the bodies to complete the defining drive.

Wilson, having almost been intercepted on the opening throw of the game, was picked off on Denver’s next drive when Tyson Campbell jumped Courtland Sutton’s route to wrestle the ball away at the sideline.

The Jags capitalised emphatically as Lawrence floated a 22-yard strike to Engram on a corner route at the back of the end zone to cap the ensuing possession.

Jacksonville squandered an opportunity to extend their advantage as Lawrence was intercepted by Justin Simmons at the goalline having benefited from four Broncos penalties in a 13-play drive that ended pointless.

Riley Patterson’s 37-yard field goal handed the Jags a 10-0 lead after Etienne’s 49-yard burst before Jeudy scooted in on a six-yard jet-sweep touchdown to put Denver on the board with three minutes to play in the half.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage throughout the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

This week’s live NFL on Sky Sports sees the Jaguars host the Broncos at Wembley, before the Patriots visit the Jets and the 49ers and Rams clash in LA; remember the action starts slightly earlier as the clocks go back; watch live on Sky Sports NFL, from 1.30pm, Sunday

The defending Super Bowl champions are back in action live on Sky Sports this Sunday, with the Los Angeles Rams facing off against their big NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers – in a must-win game already for both sides.

The Week Eight games to be shown live on Sky Sports NFL have been announced, with the matchup between the Rams and the 49ers (3-4) a repeat of last season’s NFC Championship Game, which the Rams won on their way to lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

That said, the Rams have lost their last seven-straight regular season games against the Niners, including a handy 24-9 win for their opponents in Week Four of this year… and both will be desperate for victory on Sunday after rough starts to the season. The action gets under way live on Sky Sports NFL from 8.25pm, Sunday.

But, prior to heading out to LA, we visit the Big Apple to see the upstart New York Jets (5-2) host the struggling New England Patriots (3-4) in another division rivalry matchup, this one from the AFC East – kick-off at 5pm.

Before the traditional Sunday double-header, the NFL returns for a third and final time to the UK this season, with Wembley back playing host to the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) and their clash with the Denver Broncos (2-5) – this one gets under way live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.30pm.

Rounding off the Sunday night action, we join our friends at NBC for Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football, with many people’s Super Bowl favourites, the Buffalo Bills (5-1), hosting one of the biggest surprise strugglers of the season, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers (3-4) – kick-off is at 12.20am, early on Monday morning.

Speaking of teams to have struggled this season, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) get the Week Eight NFL action up and running when hosting the Baltimore Ravens (4-3) on Thursday Night Football – live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am on Friday morning.

Then, on Monday night, Week Eight concludes in the AFC North and with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) visiting the Cleveland Browns (2-5), in yet another key divisional contest. Watch live on Sky Sports NFL from 12.15am, Tuesday.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

Watch the Chicago Bears (2-4) visit the New England Patriots (3-3) in Monday Night Football live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am in the early hours of Tuesday morning

Mac Jones looks poised to return to action when the New England Patriots take on the Chicago Bears in Monday Night Football.

The second-year quarterback has been nursing a high ankle sprain suffered in the Week Three defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, paving the way for rookie play-caller Bailey Zappe to step in.

Zappe has since led the Patriots to back-to-back wins as a starter having recorded a completion percentage of 81 in a shutout victory over the Detroit Lions before throwing for 309 yards and two scores against the Cleveland Browns.

“I think it [his ankle] feels pretty good,” Jones said on Friday. “Just trying to work through all the stuff to be able to play in an NFL football game. I want to be able to go out there and help the team, and once I’m there, I’m there. I’m definitely making a lot of progress, and we’ve done a good job with the treatment.

“Gonna try to do my best to put the hours in to get ready. Definitely moving better, so I feel pretty good.”

Jones has endured a difficult start to the season after completing 64 of 97 passes for 786 yards and two touchdowns to five interceptions prior to his injury against the Ravens.

The former first-round pick had been struggling in a re-modeled offense under Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, which appeared to step away from the features that had set Jones up for success as a rookie.

New England have been more productive under Zappe, placing an added emphasis on play-action and heavy set extra-protection packages in view of easing the burden on the fourth-rounder. The run game has, meanwhile, starred behind Rhamondre Stevenson, who rushed for 161 yards off 25 carries against the Lions before adding 76 yards for two touchdowns on the ground versus the Browns.

The Cleveland game saw rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton open his NFL account with one receiving and one rushing touchdown in his second outing, previewing an expanded role against the Bears having missed the start of the season due to injury.

His home-run speed combines with a flourishing run game and a seemingly-more favourable scheme in making for a better situation upon Jones’ return.

“Tyquan [Thornton] didn’t have a big variety of routes at Baylor. But he’s a smart kid. He has a good skill set. He’s picking those things up like everybody, every rookie,” said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

“The passing game in the NFL is quite different from college. A lot of refinement. But he gets better every day. We’ll see how it goes. Like you said, it’s only been a couple of weeks out there in the regular season.

“So he’s working hard and we’ll work with him. Ross [Douglas], Troy [Brown], he’s got two great coaches that have helped him a lot. He’s working hard and getting better.”

Victory on Monday would mark the 325th of Belichick’s career and lift him above iconic Bears founder George Halas for second-most by a head coach in NFL history, leaving him behind only Don Shula’s 347.

Belichick is one of just four people to coach at least 400 games with one team, among which is winning percentage of .716 is the highest.

Awaiting him is a struggling Bears outfit that arrives in Foxboro 2-4 after a 12-7 defeat to the Washington Commanders amid a difficult start to the year for Justin Fields.

The second-year quarterback, drafted 11th overall in 2021 ahead of Jones at 15th, has completed 63 of 115 passes (54.8 per cent) for 869 yards and four touchdowns to five interceptions having faced a league-highest pressure rate of 46 and be sacked a league-high 23 times.

Chicago’s offense entered the week ranked third-worst in Football Outsiders’ offensive DVOA metric (-22.0), and face a Patriots defense ranked seventh in the league in DVOA (-9.2).

Watch the Chicago Bears (2-4) visit the New England Patriots (3-3) in Monday Night Football live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Tom Brady: “We play a game, and the military is defending our country. It’s two different things and I shouldn’t have made the comparison”; Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 3-3 through six weeks of the 2022 season and next face the 1-5 Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Tom Brady has apologised for comparing playing an NFL season to being in the military, saying it “was a very poor choice of words.”

Brady opened his weekly press conference on Thursday by apologising for the comment he made in his ‘Let’s Go!’ podcast.

“Earlier this week, I made a statement about playing football and the military and it was a very poor choice of words,” Brady said. “I just want to express that to any sentiments out there that people may have taken it a certain way. So I apologise.”

He added: “I have a tremendous amount of gratitude to everyone who served.”

“In the end, we play a game, and the military is defending our country. It’s two different things and I shouldn’t have made the comparison.”

On the podcast, Brady had told his co-host Jim Gray and Brooklyn Nets basketball star Kevin Durant, “I almost look at a football season like you’re going away on deployment in the military – it’s like, ‘Man, here I go again.’

“There’s only one way to do it. And I think, Jim, we’ve talked from time to time just about how do you enjoy the certain moments of it? The reality is you can really only be authentic to yourself, right?

“Whenever you may say, ‘I want to make sure I spend a little more time doing this’, when it comes down to it, your competitiveness takes over and as much as you want to have this playful balance with the work balance, you’re going to end up doing exactly what you’ve always done, which is why you are who you are.”

Some members of the military community took to social media following Brady’s comments to express their disappointment.

Brady has shown support for the military in the past, including a 2018 trip to visit U.S. Army and Air Force troops at Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar.

Brady and the Buccaneers are currently 3-3 through the first six weeks of the 2022 NFL season. The 45-year-old, record seven-time Super Bowl winner had initially retired in the offseason before changing his mind and returning for another year.

‘No special treatment for Brady’, says Bucs coach

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has defended his management of Brady this week, saying the legendary quarterback does not receive special treatment.

Brady missed the team’s walk-through practice on Saturday, prior to their 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, as he was allowed to attend New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s wedding in New York on Friday.

Brady has also been granted Wednesdays off this season as a ‘rest day’ and he took an 11-day break during the team’s preseason training camp for personal reasons.

“He works as hard as anybody,” Bowles said. “Special treatment? There have been a few guys that have missed meetings and some practices for some special thing. It just doesn’t get publicised because they’re not him.

“It just kind of comes with the territory. You don’t worry about it too much.”

Then asked if Brady is as “locked in” as he has been in the past, Bowles answered, “yes.”

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Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, said: “Everyone knows if your quarterback is not healthy, you don’t have a chance to win… We’re not going to back off of protecting the quarterback”

The NFL is “not going to back off of protecting the quarterback”, following criticism of recent ‘roughing the passer’ penalties called in games.

Roughing the passer penalties are called when an on-field official deems a defensive player to have made illegal contact with the quarterback. The NFL rulebook also notes: “When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer.”

But the rule became a hot topic again in the league after a number of penalties called in Week Five – one involving 45-year-old, seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady – that were deemed too soft.

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, who was flagged for a seemingly harmless sack on Brady, said he was left “clueless” by the call, while former NFL quarterback Chris Simms said referee’s calls were “ruining the sport.”

But at the NFL’s Fall League Meeting in New York on Tuesday, executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said the league are “not changing the philosophy around that call”.

Vincent said: “Everyone knows if your quarterback is not healthy, you don’t have a chance to win… We’re not going to back off of protecting the quarterback.”

Asked specifically about the Jarrett penalty on Brady, Vincent added that it is one you’d “not like to see” but that “philosophically, you can support it”.

“The game is not softer,” he said. “It’s a different game. It’s a safer game.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell answered in a similar vein to Vincent, saying: “We’re not backing off of protecting players that are in a defenceless position or in an exposed position that could lead to injury. And we’ll take those techniques out of the game.”

“We’ve had less calls than we’ve had in the past. There has been no change to the rule.”

Rich McKay, chairman of the NFL’s competition committee, told reporters that roughing-the-passer penalties are actually down compared to years past at this point in the season. Through Week Six, there were 53 in 2018, 59 in 2019, 43 in 2020, 52 in 2021 and 38 so far in 2022, per McKay.

The league is to review rouging the passer as a rule this offseason, but said there will be no changes made during this season.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

This week’s NFL Sunday action live on Sky Sports sees Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens host the Cleveland Browns in an AFC North rivalry clash, followed by the Seattle Seahawks at the Los Angeles Chargers – live on Sky Sports NFL, from 6pm, Sunday

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens host the Cleveland Browns in an AFC North rivalry clash, while Geno Smith and the red-hot Seattle Seahawks offense are also in action as part of the Week Seven double-header live on Sky Sports this Sunday.

The Ravens (3-3) have been a thrill-a-minute so far this season, with Jackson and the offense back to their explosive best, but the team has also shown a fair amount of fragility in repeatedly blowing leads. They now host a talented Browns (2-4) team that are badly underperforming in 2022 and desperate for a win to begin to turn things around. The action gets under way live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm on Sunday.

Then, following on from that mouth-watering match-up, the Seahawks (3-3) are headed to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers (4-2). Not much was expected of Seattle this season after the exit of their Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, but Pete Carroll’s team have exceeded expectations so far, thanks in large part to the play of former backup Smith at QB – this one gets under way at 9.25pm from SoFi Stadium.

Rounding off the Sunday night action, we join our friends at NBC for Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football, with Tua Tagovailoa’s anticipated return at quarterback for the Miami Dolphins (3-3) as they host the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) – kick-off is at 1.20am, early on Monday morning.

Elsewhere, the Week Seven action gets under way with the traditional Thursday night fare as Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals (2-4) host the New Orleans Saints (2-5) – live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am on Friday morning.

Then, on Monday night, Week Seven concludes with the Chicago Bears (2-4) on the road at the New England Patriots (3-3), with the hosts riding a two-game win streak under rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe coming into the contest. Watch live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am, Tuesday.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

The Chargers (4-2) win third straight game to sit atop the AFC West, tied with the Chiefs; the Broncos (2-4) fail to score more than 16 points in a game for fifth time this season; watch Thursday Night Football – Saints @ Cardinals – live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.20am, Friday

Dustin Hopkins kicked four field goals, including a 39-yarder with two and a half minutes remaining in overtime, as the Los Angeles Chargers piled on the misery for Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos with a 19-16 victory on Monday night.

Story of the Game

Hopkins, who had injured his hamstring during the first half, grimaced as he kicked the ball and fell to the ground before being picked up by his team-mates.

The game had appeared to be headed toward a tie until Denver’s Montrell Washington muffed JK Scott’s punt at the Broncos 32-yard line, with Deane Leonard recovering the ball for the Chargers at the 28-yard line.

The Chargers have won three straight to improve to 4-2 on the year, seeing them tied with the Kansas City Chiefs atop the AFC West. Denver’s season, meanwhile, continues to implode with a third consecutive defeat dropping them to 2-4.

The Broncos’ struggles on offense, in particular, continued; Denver have failed to score more than 16 points in a game on five occasions this season, the only exception being a 32-23 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week Four.

Wilson completed 15 of his 28 pass attempts for 188 yards and a touchdown. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert went 37 of 57 for 238 yards and an interception – snapping his 26-game streak of throwing at least one TD.

Denver had jumped out to a 10-0 first-quarter lead courtesy of two scoring drives to start the game. Brandon McManus kicked a 51-yard field goal to kick things off, then Wilson found a wide-open Greg Dulcich for a 39-yard touchdown.

The Chargers answered on their ensuing possession, putting together a 15-play, 82-yard drive that was capped by an Austin Ekeler six-yard score. Los Angeles tied the game at 10 apiece thanks to Hopkins’ first field goal, with 53 seconds remaining in the half, before a further McManus kick nudged the Broncos nudged in front at the break.

The Chargers again tied things up courtesy of Hopkins’ boot on their first drive of the third quarter and the teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter. McManus was good from 48 yards after Baron Browning picked off Herbert. The Chargers answered with Hopkins making it from 35.

It was left to the Chargers kicker to deliver the decisive blow late in overtime.

The two teams combined for 19 penalties and a season-high 240 yards in a sloppy contest. The Broncos were flagged 10 times for 151 yards, the 24th time since 2000 a team has drawn more than 150 penalty yards, according to TruMedia.

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Josh Allen threw for 329 yards and three TDs as the Buffalo Bills gained some revenge for their overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s playoffs; watch Denver Broncos @ Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football, live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.15am, Tuesday

Josh Allen threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead scoring strike to tight end Dawson Knox with a minute left, as the Buffalo Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20 on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Story of the Game

Stefon Diggs had 10 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown for Buffalo, with Gabe Davis grabbing the other of Allen’s TD tosses as the Bills gained some revenge for their overtime loss in Kansas City in the playoffs last season. Along with that divisional round defeat, the Bills also had their season end at Arrowhead in AFC title game the previous year.

Patrick Mahomes, who needed only 13 seconds to drive the Chiefs into field goal range to send that playoff game to overtime last year, had a minute left on the clock to try and get the game-winning score himself this time round, but his interception to Buffalo cornerback Taron Johnson on a pass intended for rookie Skyy Moore all but ended the contest.

Mahomes finished with 338 yards passing to go with two touchdowns and two picks, including throwing one in the endzone early on in the game. JuJu Smith-Schuster had five catches for 113 yards and a score for Kansas City, a 42-yard catch and run that gave them the lead for the first time in the second quarter.

Allen and the Bills were guilty of wasting a couple of golden opportunities in the first half, with their star quarterback fumbling the football at the Kansas City 13-yard line on their opening series, while they also turned it over on downs following that Smith-Schuster score for KC as Allen threw incomplete on fourth-and-goal from the three-yard line.

But Buffalo answered with a frantic touchdown drive in the final minute of the half. Backed up on their own one-yard line, Allen drove his team the full length of the field in just 73 seconds before finding Davis for a 34-yard touchdown.

But, just like in January, the Chiefs only required mere seconds in order to immediately answer back. In the final 16 seconds of the first half, Kansas just about moved into field goal range for Harrison Butker and the kicker successfully struck a 62-yarder through the goal posts to tie the game up at 10 apiece heading into the break.

The back-and-forth contest continued in the second half; after Butker missed from 51 on the opening series, Diggs hauled in a 17-yard TD to have the Bills 17-10 up. But, again, Kansas City answered straight back, with Mecole Hardman tying the game up after a goal-line grab.

When the Bills failed on another fourth-down attempt early in the fourth quarter, Butker added a 44-yard field goal to secure Kansas City a 20-17 lead. But, on this occasion the Bills and Allen would have the final say, with the quarterback finding Knox for a 14-yard score to cap a hugely impressive drive, before Mahomes’ game-ending error moments later.

The Bills hold the best record in the AFC as the only team that’s 5-1 on the season in the conference, while the Chiefs slip back to the pack at 4-2.

Stats leaders

Bills

• Passing: Josh Allen, 27/40, 329 yards, 3 TDs
• Rushing: Devin Singletary, 17 carries, 85 yards
• Receiving: Stefon Diggs, 10 catches, 148 yards, 1 TD
• Gabe Davis, three catches, 74 yards, 1 TD

Chiefs

• Passing: Patrick Mahomes, 25/40, 338 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
• Rushing: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, nine carries, 33 yards
• Receiving: JuJu Smith-Schuster, five catches, 113 yards, 1 TD
• Travis Kelce, eight catches, 108 yards

Scoring Summary

What’s next?

Monday Night Football sees Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos (2-3) back in action, on the road against AFC West division rivals the Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) – live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am early on Tuesday morning.

The Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers (3-3) next Sunday as they look to get back to winning ways following their defeat to Buffalo, who are meanwhile on their bye in Week Seven – the Bills host the Green Bay Packers (3-3) in Week Eight.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

This week’s NFL Sunday action live on Sky Sports sees the Atlanta Falcons host the San Francisco 49ers, before two young superstar QBs clash as Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs face Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills – live on Sky Sports NFL, from 6pm, Sunday

Two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, go head-to-head on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Buffalo Bills, live on Sky Sports NFL.

The game picks for the Week Six double-header live on Sky have been announced, with the San Francisco 49ers (3-2) travelling to the Atlanta Falcons (2-3) in the opening game of the evening – kick-off at 6pm.

Then, following on from the action in Atlanta, is the latest meeting of Mahomes and Allen. These two superstars of the sport have met three times previously, with Mahomes currently holding a 3-1 advantage, including most recently and most crucially an epic 32-36 overtime triumph in last year’s divisional round of the playoffs.

Allen threw for a staggering 329 yards and four touchdowns in that game and still came out on the losing side, while Mahomes had 378 passing yards and three TDs – and famously got his team in position for a game-tying field goal with only 13 seconds left on the clock after the fourth of those Allen TDs had earned Buffalo a late three-point lead.

Mahomes and the Chiefs were ultimately victorious in overtime, scoring on their first possession, with Allen left helplessly watching on from the sideline.

The two quarterbacks, and both teams, have started this season in similarly explosive fashion, the Chiefs and Bills both 4-1 through the first five weeks going into their latest monumental matchup. Watch it live on Sky Sports NFL from 9.25pm.

Rounding off the Sunday night triple-header, we join our friends at NBC for Football Night in America and a classic Sunday Night Football encounter, as the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles (5-0) host their bitter NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys (4-1), who come into the contest fresh from their own four-game win streak – kick-off is at 1.20am early on Monday morning.

Elsewhere, the Week Six action gets under way with the traditional Thursday night fare as the struggling Washington Commanders (1-4) head to the Chicago Bears (2-3), both teams desperate for a victory to keep their fading hopes for this season alive. It’s live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am, Friday morning.

Then, on Monday night, Week Six concludes with the Denver Broncos (2-3) on the road at the Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) in another key divisional clash, this time in the AFC West. Watch it live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am, Tuesday.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!

“While the investigation determined that the team medical staff and unaffiliated medical professionals followed the steps of the Protocol as written, the NFL and NFLPA agree that the outcome in this case is not what was intended when the Protocols were drafted,” a joint statement read

The National Football League (NFL) and its players’ association have agreed to enhanced concussion protocols after a head injury suffered by Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa prompted widespread concern.

A joint statement from the two parties on Saturday said ataxia – which includes abnormal balance, motor coordination or “dysfunctional speech” – would be added as a “no-go” symptom. Players diagnosed with ataxia during a game will not be allowed to return to the field.

Tagovailoa was carried off the field last week when his head slammed into the turf as he took a sack during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fans and armchair experts alike questioned why he was allowed to play against the Bengals as four days prior he looked disoriented after hitting his head to the ground during a game against the Buffalo Bills.

Miami coach Mike McDaniel defended his decision to allow Tagovailoa to play against the Bengals, saying “several layers of medical professionals” had cleared the quarterback.

The NFLPA initiated an investigation into the incident.

“While the investigation determined that the team medical staff and unaffiliated medical professionals followed the steps of the Protocol as written, the NFL and NFLPA agree that the outcome in this case is not what was intended when the Protocols were drafted,” the joint statement read.

“As such, as has been done in previous cases, based on the advice of the parties’ respective medical experts, the Protocol will be modified to enhance the safety of the players. Specifically, the term “ataxia” has been added to the mandatory “no-go” symptoms.

“‘Ataxia” is defined as abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue.

“In other words, if a player is diagnosed with “ataxia” by any club or neutral physician involved in the application of the Concussion Protocol, he will be prohibited from returning to the game, and will receive the follow-up care required by the Protocol.”

Tagovailoa will not travel for his team’s Sunday game against the New York Jets.

Ward: Tagovailoa ‘could have died’ | Joe Burrow: Head injuries part of NFL

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa “could have died” as a result of the mismanagement of a concussion, former rugby league player Stevie Ward has told Sky Sports.

Ward, who was captain of Leeds Rhinos before he was forced to retire from rugby league at the age of 27 due to concussions he suffered on the field, said: “We need to sit with the understanding that people are getting really ill, whether that’s short-term or long-term.”

“I saw that injury, the first one on the Sunday,” Ward said. “And the way that he got up, then stumbling to the floor – his team-mates holding him up, knowing it’s not right – there’s fundamentally something wrong.

“But then he’s able to come back onto the field and test himself against the other team of prime athletes, who are all out to get him… and he plays four days later.

“He could have died.”