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NFL Desk: Featured Game

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New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears

When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, October 20, 2019
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Preview for Digital Sports Desk: By Gracenote

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CHICAGO – The Chicago Bears have had two weeks to stew about an upset loss to the Oakland Raiders that snapped the team’s three-game winning streak. Coming off their bye week, the Bears will hope to get their offensive struggles rectified with the expected return of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to the lineup when they host the surging New Orleans Saints this afternoon.

Trubisky was injured in a Week 4 win over Minnesota and sat out against the Raiders due to a dislocated left shoulder, but he practiced fully Thursday and is on track to start. “He’s feeling good. I like where he’s at,” Chicago coach Matt Nagy said of Trubisky, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. 

The Saints have been without their starting quarterback since Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury in Week 2, but backup Teddy Bridgewater has guided the team to four consecutive victories. “There’s a calmness about him — I think it’s contagious, if you will — and how he approaches things,” New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. “It’s one of those unique traits that leaders have.”

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Bears -3.5. O/U: 38

ABOUT THE SAINTS (5-1): Although Bridgewater threw for 314 yards and matched a career high with four scoring passes in Week 5, he struggled against Jacksonville last week and is averaging only 217.8 yards passing. Bridgewater may have to do more this week against Chicago’s rugged defense with the potential absences of star running back Alvin Kamara (ankle/knee) and tight end Jared Cook (ankle), who each sat out practice for the second straight day on Thursday. Latavius Murray will get the start if Kamara can’t go while wide receiver Michael Thomas (NFL-high 53 catches) is the top option in the passing game. New Orleans has been stout defensively, allowing 40 points over the past three games.

ABOUT THE BEARS (3-2): Trubisky averaged 230.2 yards passing in 2018 and his production was no better through his first three games, with his best performance coming in a 231-yard outing at one-win Washington in Week 3. Rookie David Montgomery has rushed for only 225 yards and has yet to jump-start a running game that is averaging only 80.6 yards while third-down back Tarik Cohen has done next to nothing on the ground with 37 yards rushing while averaging nearly 20 yards fewer than last season in the passing game. Allen Robinson has been the only reliable option in the passing game with 31 catches. Chicago’s defense ranks fifth against the run at 83.0 yards per game.

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Bears LB Khalil Mack has 10 sacks in nine home games with Chicago.
  2. Bridgewater has won his last three versus Chicago while the Saints have won four in a row in the series.
  3. The Bears placed RT Kyle Long on injured reserve earlier this week.

PREDICTION: Bears 20, Saints 17

Sunday Night Football Desk:

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Can Cowboys Bounce Back?

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

When: 8:20 PM ET, Sunday, October 20, 2019
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Preview for Digital Sports Desk: By Gracenote

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DALLAS – The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys expected to be battling for supremacy in the NFC East this season, but both clubs likely envisioned having better records heading into their tonight clash in Arlington, Texas. The Eagles fell to 3-3 following a 38-20 loss to Minnesota last week while the Cowboys own the same mark after dropping their third straight game with a 24-22 setback to the previously winless New York Jets.

“We’re going down to Dallas, and our guys are gonna be ready to play. And we’re gonna win that football game, and when we do, we’re in first place in the NFC East,” Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson said on 94.1 WIP. “We control our own destiny. We’re right where we need to be.” 

Carson Wentz, who threw for two touchdowns last week versus the Vikings, has 10 scores against just one interception in five career starts versus the Cowboys. Dak Prescott has six total scores (five passing, one rushing) en route to recording three straight wins against the Eagles, perhaps giving Dallas coach Jason Garrett a bit of optimism upon hearing Pederson’s comments earlier this week.

“My response is we’re excited about the challenge,” Garrett said. “Obviously they’re a great football team and we’re going to focus on ourselves and what we need to do to prepare to play our best football on Sunday night.”

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Cowboys -2.5. O/U: 48.5

ABOUT THE EAGLES (3-3): Alshon Jeffery has been quite busy since returning from a calf injury, with the 6-foot-3, 216-pound wideout picking up 13 first downs on 19 receptions in that stretch — with several catches coming off a screen behind the line of scrimmage. “He’s a big target. It’s a way to get him the football,” Pederson said. “He’s physical down the field.” Jeffery had a team-leading 10 receptions for 76 yards last week and has found the end zone in each of his last two games against Dallas. Zach Ertz, who has four touchdowns in his last five contests versus the Cowboys, joins fellow tight end Travis Kelce (Kansas City) and Michael Thomas (New Orleans) as the lone NFL players with 50-plus receiving yards in each of his first six games this season.

ABOUT THE COWBOYS (3-3): Amari Cooper’s availability is in question against the Eagles after exiting Sunday’s game against the Jets with a bruised thigh. “We’ll take his situation day by day,” Garrett said of Cooper, who torched Philadelphia with 10 receptions for 217 yards and three touchdowns in the last encounter. “Obviously, he’s as tough as they come and does everything he can to get himself in position to play and play through some of those things. He’s done that throughout his career. He’s done that for us.”

With the availability of fellow wideout Randall Cobb (back) also in jeopardy, veteran tight end Jason Witten could be in line for an increased workload against the Eagles’ 29th-ranked pass defense (280.2 yards per game) after recording season highs in receptions (five), targets (seven) and receiving yards (57) last week. The offense, however, likely will go through Ezekiel Elliott, who ran for a touchdown in his third straight game last week heading into a tilt with Philadelphia’s second-ranked rush defense (72.8 yards per game).

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Philadelphia WR DeSean Jackson (abdomen) is in line to return from a four-game absence on Sunday night.
  2. Dallas DE Robert Quinn has five sacks in his last four games overall after collecting just 6.5 in his lone season with Miami in 2018.
  3. Eagles LB Brandon Graham, who leads the team with four sacks, has 5.5 in his past seven meetings with the Cowboys.

PREDICTION: Eagles 24, Cowboys 21

NFL Desk: Featured 1pm Game

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Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 20, 2019
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Preview for Digital Sports Desk: By Gracenote

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DETROIT – The Detroit Lions let a key divisional win slip away last week, but they get another shot when they host the Minnesota Vikings today. Both teams are trying to keep pace with NFC North-leading Green Bay.

The Lions had a chance to gain ground on the Packers on Monday night, but a couple of controversial hands-to-the-face calls against Trey Flowers helped Green Bay escape with a 23-22 win.

“I think if you go through a game and you’re relying on the officials to tell you whether or not you won, I don’t really think you’re going to turn out in a favorable manner more times than not,” Detroit coach Matt Patricia said.

The Vikings have won back-to-back games for the first time this season after posting an impressive 38-20 win over Philadelphia last week. Minnesota has won three straight meetings with the Lions.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Vikings -2. O/U: 43.5

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (4-2): Minnesota has been sound all around, ranking fifth in the NFL in total defense and 11th in total offense. Dalvin Cook (583 yards, six touchdowns) has powered the league’s third-ranked ground attack, but quarterback Kirk Cousins had a huge performance against the Eagles, going 22-of-29 for 333 yards and four touchdowns. The Vikings gave up a season-high 400 total yards versus Philadelphia but forced three turnovers, giving them 10 takeaways this season.

ABOUT THE LIONS (2-2-1): Detroit has been one of the league’s most interesting teams as all five of its games have been decided by four points or fewer, including a 27-27 tie at Arizona in Week 1. The Lions’ offense is steady, if unspectacular, as veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford leads a capable passing attack, but the ground game has been too inconsistent with Kerryon Johnson averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Detroit’s defense has been bailed out by turnovers – the team ranks 29th in total defense but 18th in scoring defense thanks to 11 takeaways.

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Stafford needs 87 to become the fastest player to 40,000 passing yards in NFL history (147 games).
  2. Minnesota WR Adam Thielen has recorded at least six receptions and a touchdown in back-to-back contests.
  3. Vikings DE Everson Griffen has registered a sack in four straight games against Detroit.

PREDICTION: Vikings 24, Lions 20

#PatriotsDesk – NE Game Scout

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NFL on ESPN and Monday Night Football

New England Patriots at N.Y. Jets

When: 8:15 PM ET, Monday, October 21, 2019
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

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NEW JERSEY – The New York Jets were among the teams victimized in the red-hot start by the New England Patriots, who breezed to a 30-14 victory during the first meeting between the AFC East rivals in Week 3. The Jets will get a chance to avenge that defeat and hand the Patriots their first loss when they host the reigning Super Bowl champions on Monday Night Football.

New York was forced to go with third-string quarterback Luke Falk and was totally outclassed in the first matchup, but it hopes to turn the tables with starter Sam Darnold back in the lineup. “He’s a good quarterback,” New England coach Bill Belichick said of Darnold. “We saw him at the end of the year last year. He can make all the throws. Big, strong kid.” 

The Patriots suffocated the Jets on Sept. 22, allowing only 105 total yards in posting their seventh straight win in the series, and have yet to permit more than 14 points. “I think for us, when you get locked in on trying to break the dynasty or tear them down, that’s when you start losing control of yourself,”

Darnold said of not placing too much emphasis on the revenge factor versus New England, which has not played since beating the New York Giants on Oct. 10.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Patriots -9.5. O/U: 44

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (6-0): Tom Brady has been intercepted in each of his last three games and failed to throw for a touchown in two of them, but he finished with 306 yards and a pair of scores in the first meeting as New England opened a 30-point lead before New York scored a pair of defensive TDs. New England ranks second to Carolina with 25 sacks and leads the league in points (8.0) and total yards allowed (234.7) while limiting opponents to 73.7 yards on the ground. Wideout Josh Gordon (knee/ankle) is not expected to play Monday, but Julian Edelman is coming off consecutive 100-yard games and had seven catches for 62 yards and a touchdown in Week 3.

ABOUT THE JETS (1-4): Darnold missed three games due to mononucleosis but returned to the lineup last week and guided New York to its first victory, throwing for 338 yards and a pair of scores in a 24-22 victory over visiting Dallas. New York was limited to 128 total yards in a Week 5 loss at Philadelphia, but Darnold jump-started the offense by connecting with wideouts Robby Anderson and Jamison Crowder for a combined 11 receptions for 223 yards and a score. Running back Le’Veon Bell finally scored his first rushing TD last week but averages only 51.2 yards, including 35 on 18 carries at New England. The Jets have mustered only seven sacks in five games.

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Brady has eight TDs and zero interceptions in his last three games against New York.
  2. Jets S Jamal Adams, coming off a season-high nine tackles, had a 61-yard pick-six in Week 3.
  3. Patriots RB James White has at least six receptions in three straight games.

PREDICTION: Patriots 26, Jets 18

Pats Desk: NE Not Taking Jets Lightly

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FOXBORO – The New England Patriots didn’t allow an offensive touchdown while beating the New York Jets last month. But New York didn’t have Sam Darnold at the time, so New England isn’t taking the Jets lightly when the two AFC East teams meet again on Monday night in New Jersey.

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The Patriots (6-0) will be looking to defeat New York for the eighth consecutive time and are largely dismissing the Week 3 victory in which they held a Jets’ squad quarterbacked by since-released Luke Falk to 105 total yards in a 30-14 triumph.

New York (1-4) finally recorded a victory on Sunday when it beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-22 as Darnold, back from a bout with mononucleosis, passed for 338 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s a good quarterback,” New England coach Bill Belichick said on a conference call. “We saw him at the end of the year last year. He can make all the throws. Big, strong kid. He can run. Short, intermediate, deep. He’s got good weapons.” 

Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in 2018, isn’t ready to proclaim that the Jets have turned the corner even though they scored more points against the Cowboys than in the three games (23) he missed.

“I think, for us, we have to continue to work out the details,” Darnold told reporters. “Obviously, we got the win, which was awesome. Our defense played great, we (the offense) played good at times, but there are a lot of things we can clean up.

“I think we left a lot of points on the field. We just have to clean up the details and get back to work.”

Part of the challenge for the Jets will be moving the ball against the New England defense. The Patriots lead the NFL in scoring defense (8.0 points per game) and total defense (234.7).

New England limited Le’Veon Bell to 35 yards on 18 carries in the first meeting, when the Jets had just six first downs. New York was 0-for-12 on third-down conversations and also failed to convert a fourth-down attempt.

So while the Patriots are tipping their hats to Darnold as a difference-maker, the players also feel you can’t take a division foe lightly. Especially when the contest is a prime-time affair.

“It’s a division rivalry game, ‘Monday Night Football.’ Everybody’s tuned in watching you,” running back James White said. “They’ll be fired up; we’ll be fired up. We beat them once, so they’re going to come out ready to play. So we better come out ready to play from the start of the game to the end of it.”

On the other hand, the Patriots lead the NFL in scoring offense (31.7) and have recorded five victories by 16 or more points.

Veteran quarterback Tom Brady has been his typical solid self with 1,743 yards and 10 touchdowns while being intercepted three times.

While Josh Gordon (knee, ankle) might not be available, fellow receiver Julian Edelman has been a force with 38 receptions for 449 yards and two touchdowns.

Demaryius Thomas was part of that wideout mix earlier this season before being traded to the Jets on Sept. 11. The four-time Pro Bowler raised a ruckus this week by referring to his short stint with New England as a waste of time and said the team was disrespectful to him by cutting him, re-signing him and then trading him.

“It was insulting, for sure,” Thomas told the New York Daily News. “Once I got cut, I could have just come here (to the Jets) and not stayed there and re-sign. When they re-signed me, I was thinking that I was good. Two weeks later, I was gone. So it’s like, ‘Why did I waste my time?’ Because at the end of the day, it was kind of a waste of time for me.”

New York could have linebacker C.J. Mosley (groin) on the field for the first time since he was injured during a season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8. Mosley insisted to reporters that he will play, although the team has yet to make such a declaration.

–Field Level Media

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