Digital Sports Desk

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Kings for a Day

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Sacramento Kings 100, Boston Celtics 99

When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, November 17, 2019
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 16,633
By Field Level Media

SACRAMENTO – Richaun Holmes hit a pair of go-ahead free throws with 13.3 seconds left as the host Sacramento Kings ended the Boston Celtics’ 10-game winning streak with a 100-99 victory Sunday afternoon.

Celtics at Kings (House of Highlights/Youtube)

Buddy Hield led all scorers with 35 points and hit seven 3-pointers as the Kings won for the fifth time in seven games. Nemanja Bjelica (12 points, 14 rebounds) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (12 points, 10 assists) each had double-doubles.

Jaylen Brown led six Celtics in double figures with 18 points, and Daniel Theis had 10 rebounds to go with his 14 points. Boston lost for the first time since its season opener Oct. 23.

The game featured 24 lead changes and nine ties. After Marcus Smart was assessed a loose ball foul on a scrum under the net that withstood a coach’s challenge, Holmes put Sacramento up for good with his two makes.

Smart had a shot at the buzzer bounce off the rim to seal the result.

Jayson Tatum followed a three-point play with a 3-pointer to put the Celtics up 93-88 with 3:48 remaining. A Hield three completed an 8-2 run for the Kings for the lead at 1:52.

Tatum and Hield traded baskets, and a Theis dunk made it 99-98 Boston with 52.9 ticks to go.

Down by four at halftime, the Celtics grabbed their first lead since 6:11 of the opening period when a Brown basket put them up 56-55 with 8:08 to go. After the lead changed hands nine times, Boston finally gained separation when a Brown three made it 73-69 with 56 seconds lef in the thirdt.

The Celtics entered the fourth up 75-71.

The Kings scored 12 unanswered midway through the first, leading by as much as 13 before finishing the quarter up 30-18.

After the Celtics got as close as within four, Sacramento went back up by 10, 46-36, on a Harrison Barnes trey with 2:57 to go in the second. Smart’s 3-pointer with 32.8 seconds remaining helped Boston claw back to within four, 50-46, at the half.

Hield led all scorers at the break with 16 points.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sunday Night Football

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Chicago Bears at L.A. Rams

When: 8:20 PM ET, Sunday, November 17, 2019
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears entertained aspirations of defending their respective division titles at the beginning of the season, but inconsistent offensive play has kept both clubs from ascending in the standings. The Rams and Bears hope to get healthier at the other’s expense on tonight when they meet at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The Rams’ once-high octane offense has gone missing since prior to last season’s Super Bowl appearance, with quarterback Jared Goff taking large steps backward behind an offensive line that has been ravaged by injury. “We’re in a place where we’re still good. We’ve got some time to make up some ground,” reasoned Goff, who tossed two interceptions and guided the team to three points in Sunday’s 17-12 setback to Pittsburgh. Much-maligned Mitchell Trubisky silenced the criticism blowing freely in the Windy City with three touchdown passes on Sunday as the Bears snapped a four-game skid with a 20-13 victory over Detroit. “Making those touchdown throws gives you confidence,” the former second overall pick said. “It’s a signal to your teammates that you can do the job. That’s what I expect out of myself.”

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Rams -6.5. O/U: 40

ABOUT THE BEARS (4-5): Rookie David Montgomery appeared to have found his stride by rolling up 235 yards and three touchdowns over his last three games after totaling 231 and two in his previous six, but an ankle injury in practice is raising doubts about his availability. “We wanted to keep him out,” Chicago coach Matt Nagy said. “And we’ll just keep an eye on him for here (Thursday) with how things go.” The Bears released Mike Davis last week, leaving the club with versatile Tarik Cohen and Ryan Nall as the lone active backs should Montgomery be unable to play. Chicago could be missing a key component on the other side of the ball, as linebacker Danny Trevathan (team-leading 70 tackles) is nursing an ailing elbow that ultimately could land him on injured reserve.

ABOUT THE RAMS (5-4): The curious case of Cooper Kupp reared its ugly head on Sunday, as the elusive wideout was held without a catch against the Steelers after erupting for seven receptions for a career-high 220 yards and a touchdown in Los Angeles’ 24-10 win over Cincinnati on Oct. 27. Part of the issue for Kupp’s fruitless performance was a battered offensive line that was unable to protect Goff, who was sacked four times and under duress throughout the contest. Todd Gurley averaged a robust 6.08 yards per carry versus Pittsburgh before being held without one throughout the fourth quarter. The three-time Pro Bowl selection has just 23 rushes for 100 yards in the fourth quarter this season, with 10 carries and 18 yards coming over his last seven games.

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Chicago’s Allen Robinson has 53 receptions for 618 yards, with those totals eclipsing the sum of all other wide receivers on the team (Taylor Gabriel, 21-277; Anthony Miller, 17-218; Javon Wims, 6-70; and Cordarrelle Patterson, 8-39).
  2. Los Angeles’ Gerald Everett (wrist), who recorded a career-high eight receptions last week, and fellow TE Tyler Higbee (knee) are expected to play, McVay said Thursday.
  3. The Bears have won six of their last seven meetings against the Rams, including a 15-6 victory in Chicago on Dec. 9, 2018.

PREDICTION: Rams 24, Bears 17

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With:

Digital Sports Desk’s While We’re Young (Ideas) – Episode 30

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Jeff Moorad Wows ‘Em at 76 Capital Sports Event

PHILADELPHIA – Not to be lost from a highly informative 76 Capital Sports Innovation Conference, held November 6 at the lovely and impressive Citizens Bank Ballpark, was a keynote before the keynote. 

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Immediately before former NBA Commissioner David Stern wowed the crowd with his sense of humor and terrific insights into the world of sportstech and investing, Jeff Moorad, the Chairman of Morgan Lewis Global Sports, sat down for a keynote of his own with ESPN’s fantasy sports guru Matthew Berry doing the honors for the 30-minute Q&A. 

Moorad is widely known for his work as a bigtime sports agent, along with Leigh Steinberg (Steinberg & Moorad – 1983 to 1999) and his years in baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, (2004-2011). He went on to form the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, SC (along with musician Darius Rucker) and to secure PrimeSport, one of the most successful and elite ticket agencies in the world which was eventually sold to On Location in 2017. 

At the Philadelphia sports conference, Moorad shared a few of his views of the sports industry as they related to the assembly of entrepreneur and pitchmen (and women) in the room, citing his philosophy on how to be successful in the increasingly difficult and high-stakes sports business world.

“Over the years, I made presentations to the likes of Troy Aikman (Dallas QB), Warren Moon (Houston QB) or maybe Pat Burrell, here in Philadelphia, and hundreds of other players and pitched the idea of getting involved with them in a business context. So, if you think about that and how it involves the pitch of start-ups, new business and theories on getting involved, whether its investing or just being involved with the company, it’s the same type of sales. 

“To me, what that always required was to be able to look people in the eye and to transmit a feeling of confidence but also deference and the willingness to learn.

“Now, sports is a business that thrives on confidence as it helps the athletes perform on the field. It helps the leaders lead their clubs and perform at high levels, even on the ownership side.

“No matter, you have to be able to deliver a message in a concise way and our business is not really more involved or more complicated than that. It’s about messaging. And doing it in a way people can relate to and understand and remember.

Berry asked Moorad if he could change something from his career and get a do-over, what might it be?

“If I could do it all over again, I’d go to business school rather than law school,” he said. “I teach MBA students at UCLA business school – and I think I learn more from them than they do from me. When we sold the Padres, I was asked if I was interested in teaching. 

“I said, ‘I always wanted to go to business school, so I jumped at it and I’ve been teaching for about seven years. I teach only one class a year, but I get so much out of that.  Every week, I take ’em to dinner. Every week, up to 10 students and we go out – it helps me miss the heavy traffic in LA – and I get to know them better, learn more about them and ask about their career aspirations.

“We had a simple mantra, ‘You’ve got to work harder than the next guy. You have to outwork people and be better deserving of the success than the next guy. If you’re trying to crack the sports industry, you have to distinguish yourself (as he noted he was speaking to the students and not the people currently and already involved in the industry). 

“Whether it’s by education or work experience or a combination of the two, you have to be able to show yourself as an over-achiever. Those are the folks I interviewed everyday when I was the CEO of the Diamondbacks or the Padres in San Diego, if somebody distinguished themselves with a couple of degrees I would interview them every time.”

How does Moorad feel he’s distinguished himself at this point of his career?

“Understanding context is probably the greatest tool I have at this stage of my career. That doesn’t mean I understand everything. I don’t. But, understanding the sports industry from the players’ side, the ownership side, the investors’ standpoint and the legal standpoint, all of those things provide context for me. 

“Not only do I see much better today than when I was younger, I now see it’s a close industry, a relationship industry, but the pieces of the industry rely on each other to survive. 

The more and the quicker you can understand context, the better you can transact business in this industry,” concluded Moorad.

Here Now, The Notes: The Pittsburgh Pirates will name former Red Sox GM Ben Cherrington as the team’s new general manager, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Friday. The former Boston executive vice president and general manager, 45, has been the Toronto Blue Jays’ senior vice president of baseball operations for just over three years. Cherington, who replaced Theo Epstein in Boston following the 2011 season, spent four seasons in his Red Sox post before Dave Dombrowski was brought aboard as the team’s president of baseball operations. Cherington was invited to remain as GM, but he left his role with the Red Sox with a year remaining on his contract. … The 2013 Red Sox won the World Series with Cherington making the personnel moves, but the team failed to reach the playoffs in his other three seasons at the helm. Cherington orchestrated the 2012 trade that sent Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also replaced manager Bobby Valentine with John Farrell before the 2013 season, and the Red Sox went on to win the title. … The Pirates fired general manager Neal Huntington last month. They also parted ways with president Frank Coonelly in October. One of Cherington’s first major moves will be to replace manager Clint Hurdle, who was fired at the end of September. … Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza will manage the Italian national team in the European Baseball Championship and World Baseball Classic. … Piazza made the announcement Wednesday morning, and will coach the team in the EBC in 2020 and the 2021 WBC. … “Excited to announce I have reached an agreement to manage the Italian National Baseball team,” Piazza wrote. “This will include a European Tournament next year and the 2021 @WBCBaseball Classic.” … Piazza retired from baseball in 2008 having spent a total of 16 seasons between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, along with brief stays with the Oakland Athletics, the then-Florida (Miami) Marlins and San Diego Padres. He won 10 Silver Slugger awards as a catcher and was a 12-time All-Star. … Inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016, Piazza has never managed or coached.

Kaepernick Update: Quarterback Colin Kaepernick had NFL teams scrambling again Saturday when he changed the time and location of his workout and opened it up to the media without getting the league’s OK. Backed by his representatives, Kaepernick changed the time of the 3 p.m. ET workout, which was moved to Charles Drew High School in Riverdale, Ga., some 60 miles from the Atlanta Falcons’ training complex in Flowery Branch, where the session for 25 teams was originally scheduled to take place. … Apparently, the change in venue didn’t affect Kaepernick’s performance. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that an NFL executive at the session told him Kaepernick’s arm is “elite” and that he threw the ball well. Prior to the showcase, Kaepernicks’s representatives expressed that they had issues with a liability waiver the league provided the QB to sign, and wanted members of the media to be able to see the workout and also videotape it. … On behalf of Kaepernick, representatives Ben Meiselas and Jeff Nalley issued an official statement to provide reasons for their decision: … “Because of recent decisions made by the NFL, the workout for Colin Kaepernick will be changing to an alternate location in Atlanta which will now start at 4 p.m. All representatives from clubs are invited to attend and will be provided the location. Further, all media will be invited to attend and upon request will be provided with the location. From the outset, Mr. Kaepernick requested a legitimate process and from the outset the NFL league office has not provided one. Most recently, the NFL has demanded that as a precondition to the workout, Mr. Kaepernick sign an unusual liability waiver that addresses employment-related issues and rejected the standard liability waiver from physical injury proposed by Mr. Kaepernick’s representatives. Additionally, Mr. Kaepernick requested all media be allowed into the workout to observe and film it and for an independent film crew to be there to ensure transparency. The NFL denied this request. Based on the prior conduct by the NFL league office, Mr. Kaepernick simply asks for a transparent and open process which is why a new location has been selected for today. Mr. Kaepernick looks forward to seeing the representatives from the clubs today.” … Former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson, with the help of former Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, were set to direct the original session.

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The NFL on Saturday also released a statement that read in part: “We are disappointed that Colin did not appear for his workout. He informed us of that decision at 2:30 p.m. today along with the public. … Today’s session was designed to give Colin what he has consistently said he wants — an opportunity to show his football readiness and desire to return to the NFL. Twenty-five (25) clubs were present for the workout, and all 32 clubs, their head coaches, general managers, and other personnel executives would have received video footage of the interview and workout, shot by the Atlanta Falcons video crew. … We heard for the first time last night, around the same time we heard from Nike, that Colin wanted to bring his own video crew. We heard for the first time this afternoon that Colin wanted to open the event to all media.” … The lengthy statement ended with, “Colin’s decision has no effect on his status in the League. He remains an unrestricted free agent eligible to sign with any club.” … Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who began kneeling on the sideline during the national anthem to bring attention to social injustice, has not played since the 2016 season.

The GOAT:  Former Boston Celtics great Bill Russell announced Friday he accepted his Hall of Fame ring 44 years after his induction. Widely considered one of the NBA’s all-time great centers, Russell did not attend his 1975 induction ceremony in Springfield, Mass., saying via Twitter that he didn’t deserve to be the first black player inducted. … “I felt others before me should have that honor,” he tweeted Friday. … One of those players was Chuck Cooper, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in September. In 1950, the former Boston Celtics forward became the first African-American player to play in the NBA. … Russell said he received the ring in a private ceremony that was attended by fellow Hall of Famers Ann Meyers, Alonzo Mourning and Bill Walton. … Russell was a five-time league Most Valuable Player and led the Celtics to 11 NBA titles — including eight consecutive — between 1956-69. He also was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and led the University of San Francisco to two NCAA championships.

Digital Sports Desk posts a once-a-week Sunday Notes column, entitled: “While We’re Young Ideas.” It’s a throwback of sorts to the days when sportswriting and the baseball beat were the best jobs in the entire sports industry, maybe the entire world. One of those sportswriters was named Dick Young and he wrote “Young Ideas” with a “Diamond Dust” section for notes and quotes. … We welcome feedback and suggestions (psst, they call ’em pitches) for mentions within “While We’re Young Ideas” or Digital Sports Desk. Please follow and encourage (at least) another person or two to plug into (@DigSportsDesk) (@WhileYoungIdeas) and (@terrylyons).

Capital Punishment

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Washington Caps 3, Boston Bruins 2 (OT-Shootout)

When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 16, 2019
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Mass
Attendance: 17,850
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Staff and Field Level Media

BOSTON – The Boston Bruins are making a habit of blowing late game leads and losing in a shootout. Tonight? It was more of the same trend, as Washington’s Jakub Vrana scored in the fifth round of a shootout to lead the visiting Capitals past the Boston Bruins, 3-2 at TD Garden.

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T.J. Oshie tied the game with the goalie pulled and 59 seconds remaining in the third period to force overtime, and Travis Boyd also tallied as the Capitals won for the eighth time in their last 10 games. Braden Holtby had 21 saves.

Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins, who suffered their fifth loss in their last six games (1-2-3). Jaroslav Halak shined in net with 42 stops for Boston, which was playing without top-line center Patrice Bergeron, who sustained a lower-body injury Friday night.

Boston went up during the shootout when Coyle tallied on the team’s first chance. Nicklas Backstrom equalized for Washington on its third and potentially final chance before Vrana tallied the winner two rounds later.

In overtime, Halak turned away multiple quality scoring chances from Evgeny Kuznetsov to keep the Bruins alive.

All night Halak was under siege from the Capitals, who outshot the Bruins 18-9 in the first period, 12-6 in the second and 11-6 in the third. He got some help in the final period of regulation when Charlie McAvoy caught up to Alex Ovechkin on a breakaway to prevent a scoring chance midway through.

Washington pulled Holtby with 1:20 to go, and Oshie capitalized to force overtime.

Pastrnak put the Bruins up 2-1 in the second period. After starting the play with a forced turnover in the offensive zone, he had a rebound of a missed McAvoy shot bounce to him on the right side of the net. Pastrnak collected the puck and flung it in off Holtby at 3:30.

The Bruins were on the board first at 11:32 of the opening period when Coyle converted a pass from Danton Heinen in front of the net to beat Holtby. The Capitals responded just under three minutes later, when Boyd, recalled from the American Hockey League earlier in the day, scored on a deflection at 14:27.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was asked postgame if Washington was the best team his club has faced this season, comparing the Caps to a strong Pittsburgh team.

“I think they are,” said Cassidy. “I thought Pittsburgh came in here and played real well, fastest team. This (Washington) is speed and brawn. Can’t judge this team the same as Pittsburgh because I don’t think our lineup wasn’t equal to theirs in terms of typical manpower.

“We don’t use that as (an) excuse, but if you’re asking me to compare teams, then you’ve got to bring that in, correct?

“But yes, they’re a strong team, they’re one year removed from the Cup. You can see why. I give our guys credit, I thought we battled pretty hard most of the night against bigger men, especially our younger guys. Guys like [Urho] Vaakanainen and [Anders] Bjork haven’t seen a lot of this type of hockey and it’s good for them in the long run, you hope it makes them better down the road.”

–Field Level Media

Cs Desk: Kings Up Next

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SACRAMENTO – Winning 10 games in a row is nothing new for a Celtics team that accomplished the feat just two seasons ago, but for one of Boston’s newest players, the streak has been nothing short of a revelation.

Sacramento Kings Highlights (House of Highlights/Youtube)

“I’ve never won this many games in a row,” said point guard Kemba Walker after the team’s latest triumph Friday. “I’ve never had a start like this. I’m just loving the way I’m feeling after games.”

Walker will try to recapture that feeling for an 11th straight game when his Celtics visit the Sacramento Kings on Sunday afternoon. Long a punching bag for many throughout the sport, these Kings are not to be overlooked, having won four of six since an 0-5 start.

In fact, while the Celtics narrowly closed out a 105-100 win over the Western Conference’s worst team, the Golden State Warriors, on Friday night, the Kings were giving the top team in the West, the Los Angeles Lakers, a serious run for their money. Late heroics from LeBron James and Anthony Davis ultimately resulted in a 99-97 Sacramento loss, but the positives from the outing were clear.

“We had some open looks we didn’t knock down, but that is a big, talented team, and I thought our guys were light on numbers,” said Kings coach Luke Walton, who didn’t have De’Aaron Fox (ankle, no timetable) or Trevor Ariza (groin, day-to-day) available. “We had to put guys in that hadn’t played much at all, and everyone that checked in fought and competed.”

Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 21 points but lamented a no-call on the game-sealing block from Davis that followed a tiebreaking pair of James free throws with 5.5 seconds left.

“We’ve got something good going here, but this game, we should have won. I think we just got it stolen away from us,” Hield said.

Boston had its streak nearly stolen away by Golden State, which led by five with 2:37 left on the clock. The Celtics responded with an 11-0 run to put the game away, Walker sealing a 14-point fourth quarter and the victory with a pair of free throws with 2.7 seconds to go.

Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, his fourth straight game with more than 20, and Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 24, including a thunderous dunk that put Boston up for good with 1:36 remaining.

“Relentless group,” Tatum said. “Just always on to next play.”

The Celtics’ streak is their longest since winning 16 straight early in the 2017-18 season. Boston’s game against Golden State kicked off a five-game West Coast swing that will wrap up with tough contests against the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.

The Kings will host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday before setting off on a four-game East Coast trip of their own that includes a rematch against the Celtics on Nov. 25.

Boston has won seven of its past eight meetings with Sacramento, though the three most recent victories have been by single digits.

-Field Level Media

Bruins: Krug Placed on IR

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BOSTON – Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced defenseman Torey Krug was placed on injured reserve. Krug (right shoulder) suffered an “upper-body injury” in the team’s game vs. Philadelphia on November 10 when he took a hard hit to his right shoulder. The 28-year-old Livonia, MI native was leading all NHL defensemen with 11 power-play assists in 17 games this season.

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Paul Carey has been recalled from Providence. Carey, 31, leads Providence in scoring with seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 17 games. The 6-foot-1, 197-pound forward has posted eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in 99 career NHL games. The Boston native was originally selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth round (135th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Patriots Desk: 44-8 After Loss

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PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles (+3.5) will be searching for their third consecutive victory when they host the New England Patriots on Sunday.

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After falling below .500 at 3-4 after an ugly loss at Dallas, the Eagles have responded with wins over the Buffalo Bills on the road and at home against the Chicago Bears. As a result, the Eagles have pulled into a tie for first place with the Cowboys in the NFC East.

The Eagles added wide receiver Jordan Matthews this week for his third stint with the franchise since deep threat DeSean Jackson was placed on injured reserve after undergoing abdominal surgery. The offense has been inconsistent, as evidenced by rolling up a 19-0 lead over the Bears before struggling the rest of the way in a 22-14 victory. 

“Obviously he’s (Jackson) unique, so it isn’t going to be just one guy that does that,” Eagles offensive coordinator Mike Groh said. “We have plenty of good players that are out there in the huddle with (quarterback) Carson (Wentz) and we have to find ways to create those explosive plays that you talk about, get guys open, and help them get open and then make the plays when the plays are there to be made.”

But outside of tight end Zach Ertz (46 receptions, tied for fourth in NFL among tight ends), Wentz has been unable to move the ball downfield with his wide receiving corps consisting mostly of Nelson Agholor, Alshon Jeffery and Mack Hollins. Agholor and Jeffery have continued to drop passes throughout the first nine games.

Head coach Doug Pederson doesn’t believe it’s a huge problem.

“The ball is going to find the open guy,” he said matter-of-factly.

Pederson confirmed that left tackle Jason Peters had recent arthroscopic surgery on his knee, but was at practice on Wednesday.

For the first time this season, the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots will be entering a game following a loss, 37-20 on the road against the Baltimore Ravens (-4).

Actually, that loss snapped a 13-game winning streak, which had included three playoff games during the team’s Super Bowl run a season ago.

Since 2002, the Patriots are 44-8 following a loss.

New England was uncharacteristically sloppy against the Ravens with two costly turnovers, including a rare interception by quarterback Tom Brady. But the Patriots still stayed close late in the game until two fourth-quarter touchdowns by Baltimore.

“Hopefully, it will be a great second half of the season,” said Brady, who has 14 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. “But it’s really up to us to earn it, the people that are in the locker room. We’ve got to show up to work every day with a great sense of determination, commitment to doing our best for each other and for the team. We’ll try to go get a win and it starts this week in Philly.”

The Patriots’ defense has 32 sacks this season (fourth in NFL), and putting pressure on Wentz will be paramount if New England is able to start a new winning streak with a road win in a difficult environment.

Conversely, the Patriots realize the importance of putting points up early and often.

“Anytime you play a defense like that, you know they’re not going to beat themselves,” Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. “You know they’re not going to make a bunch of simple mistakes and give you easy yards and opportunities.”

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: 1pm Kickoff

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Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens

When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 17, 2019
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

BALTIMORE – Lamar Jackson is making history and leading the Baltimore Ravens near the top of the AFC. Jackson and the Ravens will try to pull off their sixth straight win when they host the AFC South-leading Houston Texans on Sunday.

Jackson became the second player in NFL history (Ben Roethlisberger, 2007) to post a perfect passer rating of 158.3 when he completed 15-of-17 passes for 223 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and added seven carries, 67 rushing yards and a score on the ground in a 49-13 shellacking of the Cincinnati Bengals last week.

“He’s one of the most exciting players I’ve ever seen,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters of Jackson, who owns 2,036 yards and 15 touchdowns passing and 702 yards and five scores on the ground. “(He’s) dynamic. I’m interested to see what teams do down the road here to stop him, because he certainly is hitting on all cylinders right now.”

The Texans are coming off a bye as they prepare for a three-game stretch against the Ravens, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. “I’d love to give you all my thoughts on all the games, but I’ll be honest with you, I’ve been basically immersed in watching the Ravens,” Houston coach Bill O’Brien told reporters.

“You’ve watched the Ravens. Have you watched the Ravens on film? There’s a lot to watch, so I haven’t even thought about those other games.”

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Ravens -4. O/U: 51.5

ABOUT THE TEXANS (6-3): Houston has its own MVP candidate at quarterback in Deshaun Watson, who is completing 70.2 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. Watson posted a perfect passer rating in a 53-32 win over Atlanta on Oct. 6 and joins Jackson as the only quarterbacks with at least 15 passing TDs, five rushing TDs and a passer rating over 100 (107.1). Watson has weapons on the outside in wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who leads the team with 68 catches for 665 yards and four touchdowns, and Will Fuller V (34 receptions, 450 yards, three TDs), who is back at practice and could play Sunday for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 7.

ABOUT THE RAVENS (7-2): Houston will have to figure out a way to stop Baltimore’s “Heisman” package, which debuted last week against the Bengals and features three former Heisman Trophy winners – Jackson, quarterback Robert Griffin III and running back Mark Ingram – in the backfield together. “All of us are pretty dangerous with the ball in our hands,” Griffin, who finished off the “Heisman” play with a nine-yard run last week, told reporters. “It worked out, and that’s what I was most excited about. Who knows how we’ll build on this?” The high-scoring offense has the Ravens one game behind New England (8-1) for the top spot in the AFC and Baltimore owns the head-to-head tiebreaker after taking down the Patriots 37-20 in Week 9.

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Baltimore signed DTs Domata Peko and Justin Ellis on Tuesday.
  2. The Texans claimed CB Vernon Hargeaves on Wednesday after his was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
  3. Ravens WRs Marquise Brown (ankle) and Chris Moore (thumb) are practicing on a limited basis and are questionable.

PREDICTION: Texans 31, Ravens 30

Patriots Desk:

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New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles

When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, November 17, 2019
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

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PHILADELPHIA – It’s not too often that the New England Patriots fail to come out on top in a high-profile match, but one of the most noteworthy examples in recent memory came in a loss to Philadelphia in Super Bowl LII in February 2018. The Patriots will get a chance to avenge that defeat and bounce back from their first loss of the season when they visit the Eagles on this afternoon.

New England quarterback Tom Brady has six Super Bowl rings but acknowledged there was a lot of “mental scar tissue” from the 41-33 loss to Philadephia. 

“They deserved it that year and now a couple years later we get a chance to play the organization again,” Brady said. “We’ve had a lot changes. They’ve had a lot of changes. It’s totally different circumstances. Huge game for us. Big game for them. The better team is going to win.” While the Patriots’ aura of defensive invincibility was punctured in a 37-20 loss at Baltimore prior to last week’s bye, the Eagles have moved back into a tie for first place in the NFC East courtesy of back-to-back wins at Buffalo and against Chicago prior to their week off.

“I think the biggest thing that jumps out to you right now, the glaring thing, is the turnover ratio,” Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson said of the Patriots. “I mean, the fact that they’ve got six defensive scores this season … it’s a brand of defense where they just smother you.”

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -3.5. O/U: 44.5

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (8-1): New England entered its Week 9 matchup leading the league in points allowed (7.6), interceptions (19) and sacks (31), but it could not solve Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, who threw for one touchdown and ran for two more. Brady was held to one touchdown or less for the fourth time in six games, but he established a rapport with recent acquisition Mohamed Sanu, who hauled in 10 receptions for 81 yards and a score in his second game with the club. Running back Sony Michel had a season-low four carries versus the Ravens and has yet to gain 100 yards after reaching that mark six times during his rookie campaign. New England’s defense is allowing 99.1 yards per game on the ground.

ABOUT THE EAGLES (5-4): Philadelphia had absorbed lopsided road losses at Minnesota and Dallas before rebounding with an impressive 31-13 victory in Buffalo and a 22-14 win over Chicago. Carson Wentz, who missed the Super Bowl victory over New England due to a knee injury, has 11 touchdowns versus two interceptions over his last seven games but could be dealing with a patchwork wide receiver corps. Alshon Jeffery (ankle) did not practice for a second straight game and DeSean Jackson was placed on injured reserve, so the Eagles may lean on the running back tandem of Jordan Howard (525 yards, 6 TDs rushing) and rookie Miles Sanders. Philadelphia ranks eighth defensively overall and fourth versus the run (87.3 yards).

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Wentz has thrown a TD pass in 12 straight games, the second-longest active streak in the NFL.
  2. Brady tossed three scoring passes and set a Super Bowl record with 505 yards passing in the loss to the Eagles.
  3. Eagles TE Zach Ertz has four TDs in his last five home games and one in each of the past two versus the Patriots.

PREDICTION: Patriots 23, Eagles 20

NFL: Monday Night Football

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Kansas City Chiefs vs L.A. Chargers

When: 8:15 PM ET, Monday, November 18, 2019
Where: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

MEXICO CITY D.F. – The Kansas City Chiefs’ once-sizable advantage in the AFC West has been trimmed to the narrowest of margins following losses in four of their last six games. The Chiefs look to stem the tide on Monday night when they venture south of the border to Mexico City to face the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Patrick Mahomes didn’t miss a beat in his return from a two-game absence due to a dislocated right kneecap, completing a career-high 36 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. Unfortunately for the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, the impressive afternoon was saddled with a loss following a blocked field goal in the waning moments of Kansas City’s 35-32 setback to Tennessee.

The Chiefs’ lead atop the AFC West rests at a half-game over Oakland, with Los Angeles residing two back after a 26-24 setback to the Raiders on Nov. 7 and fully aware of the magnitude of this matchup. “I don’t think desperation,” Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers told the Los Angeles Daily News. “I think urgency. Any other word you can think of … I don’t think we feel desperate, although we know how crucial this game is.”

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Chiefs -4. O/U: 52 

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (6-4): Tyreek Hill seamlessly shuffled from catching passes from backup Matt Moore to Mahomes last week to become the first player in franchise history to record at least 140 receiving yards and a touchdown in consecutive games. Hill followed up his 140-yard effort in a 26-23 win over Minnesota on Nov. 3 with a career-best 11 catches for 157 yards against the Titans. Damien Williams, who saw the speedy Hill accompany him on the latter portion of a 91-yard touchdown run versus the Vikings, had a season-high 24 touches result in 109 scrimmage yards (77 rushing, 32 receiving) against Tennessee. The 27-year-old had 123 yards (74 receiving, 49 rushing) and two touchdowns in a 29-28 setback to the Chargers on Dec. 13, a decision that snapped Kansas City’s nine-game winning streak in the series.

ABOUT THE CHARGERS (4-6): A healthy dose of Melvin Gordon against Kansas City’s 31st-ranked rushing defense (148.1 yards per game) could be just what Los Angeles needs to control the clock and keep Mahomes and Co. on the sideline. The 26-year-old rushed for a season-high 108 yards and a score last week, boosting his touchdown total to five (four rushing, one receiving) in his past four contests. On the other side of the ball, defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram have combined for nine sacks in the same four-game stretch. Ingram, in fact, had 1.5 sacks of Mahomes in the meeting last December to boost his total to 5.5 in his past four encounters with the Chiefs.

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Kansas City is expected to see the returns of key cogs along the offensive line, namely OTs Eric Fisher (groin) and Cam Erving (ankle) as well as OG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (ankle).
  2. Rivers tossed three interceptions last week — including one returned for a touchdown — to drop the Chargers’ turnover ratio to minus-6, which is tied for the fifth worst in the league.
  3. The Chiefs were initially scheduled to play in Mexico City last season before field conditions at Estadio Azteca prompted the NFL to reschedule their game against the Rams to Los Angeles.

PREDICTION: Chiefs 35, Chargers 20

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