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Bears Down …

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New England 38, Chicago 31

When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 21, 2018
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago
Attendance: 62,389
Recap for Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media
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CHICAGO – Tom Brady tossed three touchdown passes and the New England Patriots held on for a 38-31 victory at Chicago on Sunday when the Bears’ late Hail Mary attempt came up a yard short.

Brady completed 25 of 36 passes for 277 yards with two touchdown passes to James White and one to Julian Edelman with one interception. New England (5-2) added two special-teams touchdowns thanks to a 95-yard kickoff return by Cordarrelle Patterson and a 29-yard blocked punt return by Kyle Van Noy.

Mitchell Trubisky completed 26 of 50 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns and two picks for Chicago (3-3). Trubisky and Jordan Howard each rushed for a score, while Tarik Cohen and Trey Burton each hauled in touchdown passes.

The score was tied at 24 late in the third quarter when a blocked punt led to a go-ahead touchdown for New England. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower crashed through the line to bat down a punt by Pat O’Donnell, and Van Noy scooped and scored.

New England made it 38-24 when Brady zipped a 2-yard pass to White for his second touchdown reception of the game. It was set up by a 55-yard completion from Brady to Josh Gordon.

Chicago pulled within 38-31 on an 11-yard score by Burton with 4:13 to go. However, the Bears could not complete the comeback as Kevin White was stopped at the 1 after a 54-yard Hail Mary heave from Trubisky.

The Patriots earned their first road victory of the season despite playing most of it without running back Sony Michel, who left in the second quarter with an apparent left knee injury. The rookie was helped off the field and carted to the locker room after his leg twisted awkwardly as he was being tackled.

The Patriots were already shorthanded without tight end Rob Gronkowski, who sat out with back and ankle injuries.

Brady made up for the absences of two key starters. He rarely felt pressure from the Bears, whose star linebacker Khalil Mack played through an ankle injury that limited him in practice during the week.

The Patriots struck first with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive on the opening possession. Brady tossed a screen pass to Edelman, who bounced off a couple defenders for a 9-yard touchdown.

Chicago scored the next 17 points to seize a double-digit lead. Trubisky (8 yards) and Howard (2 yards) each rushed for touchdowns during the outburst.

New England responded with back-to-back touchdowns by Patterson and White to take a 21-17 lead into halftime.

A 29-yard field goal by the Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski evened the score at 24 after Cohen’s 6-yard grab for the Bears.

–Field Level Media

NFL SNF Game Scout:

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Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs

When: 8:20 PM ET, Sunday, October 21, 2018
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote
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KANSAS CITY – The Kansas City Chiefs will face a third consecutive AFC contender when they host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night. The Chiefs put the best record in the conference on the line against the Bengals, who are tied atop the AFC North standings.

Both teams are looking to bounce back from crushing losses a week ago. The Bengals took the lead with 1:18 left, only to see Pittsburgh drive for a score with 10 seconds remaining and claim a 28-21 victory. Kansas City phenom Patrick Mahomes led a spirited comeback in the second half at New England, which kicked a field goal in the final seconds for a 43-40 triumph. “We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Mahomes told reporters. “We wanted to win and we ended up coming up a little short, but I feel like that fight that we had in the second half of that game will carry over into this next week.”

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Chiefs -6. O/U: 58

ABOUT THE BENGALS (4-2): Cincinnati ranks just 23rd in total offense but sixth in scoring thanks to a league-best 75 percent touchdown rate in the red zone. Andy Dalton has thrown seven interceptions but also has 14 touchdown passes – including three to veteran star A.J. Green and four to Tyler Boyd, who has emerged as a dangerous secondary target. With the exception of a Week 3 loss at Carolina, the Bengals have been solid against the run, but the secondary has struggled – in large part because of an inconsistent pass rush.

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (5-1): Kansas City’s offense is producing at a record-setting clip, with Mahomes passing for 1,865 yards with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions through six games. The second-year quarterback is surrounded with talent – including running back Kareem Hunt and versatile speedster Tyreek Hill, who have combined for 13 touchdowns. The defense has been another story, ranking last in the NFL in total defense and 27th in scoring, as it has struggled mightily against the pass and still is without safety Eric Berry (Achilles) while linebacker Justin Houston (hamstring) could miss his second consecutive game.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mahomes is the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for 300 yards in five consecutive games and second in the league to do so (Aaron Rodgers) since 2016.

2. The Bengals have recorded 12 sacks in their four wins and only one in their two losses.

3. Hill has averaged 47.4 yards on his 27 career touchdowns.

NFL: Cheerio With Your Cherrios

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Tennessee vs L.A. Chargers

When: 9:30 AM ET, Sunday, October 21, 2018
Where: Wembley Stadium, London
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote
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LONDON – Philip Rivers is enjoying a stellar season for the Los Angeles Chargers, and the 36-year-old quarterback attempts to carry his success over to London when his squad faces the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Rivers has completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 1,702 yards and 15 touchdowns against three interceptions through six games.Rivers ranks sixth in NFL history with 357 touchdown passes and eighth in yardage (52,050), but leading the Chargers to a fifth win is his main focus. “Whatever the numbers are, I really don’t care anymore,” Rivers told reporters. “I do, in that if you play well, you give your team a chance to win. But where you stack up all of those things, unless there’s a direct correlation to winning, that’s really what it’s all about.” Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota is on the other side of the equation with just two TD passes this season, and the Titans haven’t scored an offensive touchdown during their two-game slide. “When it comes down to it, I think the mistakes, the lack of execution, those things are correctable,” Mariota told reporters. “For us, if we can just go out there and focus on being efficient, on every little detail, that I think in itself will help us and hopefully lead to more points. When you are not scoring touchdowns, especially the last couple of weeks, there is a sense of frustration.”

TV: 9:30 a.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Chargers -6.5. O/U: 45.5

ABOUT THE TITANS (3-3): Tennessee is looking to bounce back from an abysmal offensive performance in last Sunday’s 21-0 loss to Baltimore as the team registered just 106 total yards and seven first downs while allowing Mariota to be sacked 11 times. “This is a humbling league, and we’ve been humbled the last few weeks,” Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur told reporters. “Every game is different, and unfortunately, last week we got outcoached and we got outplayed, and that starts with me. It’s a pretty humbling experience.” Tennessee ranks 30th in scoring offense (14.5 points per game), but the defense is third in average points allowed (17.8) and will get a boost from the return of linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who missed most of the last three games with a shoulder injury.

ABOUT THE CHARGERS (4-2): While Rivers leads an attack averaging 29.2 points per game, unsung running back Melvin Gordon is on the verge of losing that label. Gordon is averaging 5.1 yards per carry, has scored nine touchdowns and leads the AFC with 745 yards from scrimmage (466 rushing, 279 receiving). The Chargers recorded five sacks in last Sunday’s 38-14 win over Cleveland and Melvin Ingram (37.5 career sacks) likely is salivating at the prospect of facing a Tennessee offensive line that struggled so mightily against Baltimore.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Chargers have won nine of the last 10 meetings.

2. Los Angeles WR Tyrell Williams registered 118 receiving yards against the Browns for his sixth career 100-yard effort.

3. Tennessee RB Derrick Henry (team-best 240 rushing yards) has been held below 30 yards on three occasions and has yet to score a touchdown.

Patriots Game Scout:

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New England Patriots at Chicago Bears

When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 21, 2018
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote
Embed from Getty Images

The New England Patriots appear to have found their mojo after a rocky start to the season and will take a three-game winning streak into Sunday afternoon’s matchup at the Chicago Bears. The Patriots are coming off a thrilling victory over the previously unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs but they have lost both road games by double-digit margins this season.

New England scored a combined 30 points in road losses at Jacksonville and Detroit but has averaged 39.7 points during its three-game run following the 43-40 win over the Chiefs. “No matter how they start, they always finish strong and they get better every single week throughout the year,” Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said of the Patriots. “So it will be a great challenge for this team this week and we’ll kind of have a good measurement of where we’re at as a team and how we’ve grown from last year and the first bunch of games this year.” Chicago failed to hold an 11-point third-quarter lead and had a three-game winning streak snapped on a last-second overtime loss at Miami last weekend. “This really looks like a 5-0 team to me,” New England coach Bill Belichick said of the Bears, whose two losses have come by a combined four points.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -2.5. O/U: 49

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (4-2): The return of Julian Edelman from suspension and the addition of fellow wide receiver Josh Gordon via trade has provided a boost for quarterback Tom Brady, who has thrown for 681 yards over the past two games. “As a football player, you always want to play against the best players at a position,” Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd said. “It definitely adds fuel to the fire going against Tom Brady.” Rookie running back Sony Michel has added balance to the offense by rushing for 316 yards and three touchdowns during the three-game winning streak. New England’s defense was gashed by the Chiefs and ranks 21st against the pass (268.7 yards per game).

ABOUT THE BEARS (4-2): After three pedestrian efforts to open the season, Trubisky has put together two stellar back-to-back performances by passing for 670 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception while completing over 71 percent of his passes in each. Running back Jordan Howard has received 25 carries over the past two weeks but third-down back Tarik Cohen has emerged as a weapon with 14 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns in that span. Wide receiver Allen Robinson (groin) and star pass rusher Khalil Mack (ankle) each sat out practice again Thursday. Mack’s absence would be a huge blow for a defense that has 18 sacks, 10 interceptions and nine forced fumbles.

OVERTIME

1. Brady has won all four meetings against Chicago, throwing for 1,318 yards with 11 TDs versus three interceptions.

2. Mack, who has never missed a regular-season game, has five sacks and four forced fumbles in five games this season.

3. Patriots RB James White has 37 catches and four receiving touchdowns this season.

NFL Game Scout: (Kickoff 4:25pm)

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Dallas Cowboys at Washington

When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, October 21, 2018
Where: FedExField, Landover, Maryland
By Gracenote
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The Dallas Cowboys attempt to break their cycle of alternating wins and losses this season and continue their recent dominance in the all-time series when they visit the NFC East-rival Washington Redskins on Sunday. Dallas is looking to post consecutive victories for the first time in 2018 after trouncing Jacksonville 40-7 last week.

The Cowboys, who have won four straight meetings with the Redskins and eight of the last 10, are winless on the road this season but have been victorious in each of their last five visits to the nation’s capital. Washington is in the same position as its bitter rival, looking to snap an identical trend and record back-to-back triumphs for the first time this year after defeating Carolina 23-17 in Week 6. The Redskins sit atop the NFC East, one-half game ahead of both Dallas and Philadelphia, but will be playing their first divisional contest of the season. Washington has not been two games over .500 since owning an 8-6-1 record in 2016 and has gone 1-7 in its last eight contests following a victory.

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Redskins -1.5. O/U: 41.5

ABOUT THE COWBOYS (3-3): Dak Prescott is tied with Jack Kemp for the fourth-most games with at least one passing and one rushing touchdown in his first three seasons with nine after throwing two and running for another against Jacksonville. The 25-year-old, who rushed for a career-high 82 yards last week, is one away from tying Mark Sanchez and two shy of matching Steve Grogan for second. Ezekiel Elliott, who leads the NFL with 3,200 rushing yards since 2016, ranks second in the league this year with 586 and is third in scrimmage yards with 752.

ABOUT THE REDSKINS (3-2): Adrian Peterson has gained 217 of his 339 rushing yards this season in his last two home games. The former league MVP hasn’t faced the Cowboys since Nov. 3, 2013 while with Minnesota but has rushed for a touchdown in each of his last three meetings against the club. Alex Smith, who has been sacked three times in four of his five games – fumbling in each of those contests – has thrown four of his six scoring passes this season at home.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Elliott has registered 361 yards from scrimmage and five rushing touchdowns in three career meetings versus the Redskins.

2. Washington released DL Ziggy Hood and promoted WR Jehu Chesson from the practice squad.

3. Dallas WR Terrance Williams (foot), who is on injured reserve, was handed a three-game suspension by the NFL on Thursday for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

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