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NFL: Patriots Desk

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Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, December 8, 2019
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

FOXBORO – The New England Patriots’ bid for a perfect season slipped away in Week 9 and now they have lost their grip on the top overall seed for home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. The Patriots will try to rebound from their second loss in four weeks and clinch their 11th consecutive postseason berth against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.

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New England set an NFL record with its 17th consecutive 10-win season but it is only one game ahead of Buffalo in the AFC East after dropping a 28-22 decision at Houston on Sunday night that was not as close as the score indicated.

“We’re not any different than any team,” quarterback Tom Brady said of his team’s recent struggles. “At the same time, we’re in decent position here. Now we have to try to go beat a great football team at home, Kansas City.”

The Chiefs suffered a pair of narrow defeats to New England last season, including a 37-31 defeat that kept them from reaching the Super Bowl, but they have chance to win the AFC West title and end the Patriots’ 18-game home winning streak.

“As far as it looks, you’re going to have to go there to win at some point. It’s kind of been a thing where we came close last year,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of playing at Gillette Stadium. “It’s about trying to find the best way to do it.”

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -3. O/U: 48.5

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (8-4): Mahomes threw for a touchdown and ran for another in last week’s 40-9 drubbing of Oakland — the third time in four weeks he failed to eclipse 182 yards passing — but he torched New England for 647 yards and seven scores versus two interceptions last season. Kansas City is thin in the backfield with Darrel Williams going on injured reserve and Damien Williams (rib) still not practicing, leaving veteran LeSean McCoy and rookie Darwin Thompson to carry the load. Mahomes has elite weapons in speedster Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, who needs 77 yards to become the first tight end with four straight 1,000-yard seasons. The Chiefs are a lowly 30th against the run, allowing 141.3 yards per game.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (10-2): New England’s offense continues to sputter and only two late touchdown passes from Brady last week enabled the team to surpass 20 points for the first time in the last four games. While Brady has 18 TD passes against six interceptions, he has barely completed more than 50 percent of his passes over the last three games and has not registered a quarterback rating of at least 100.0 since Week 5 at Washington. Julian Edelman remains Brady’s top target with 61 receptions and four scores over the past eight games, but running back Sony Michel has yet to hit 100 yards after eclipsing that mark twice versus Kansas City last season. The Patriots rank second against the pass at 163.5 yards allowed.

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Hill has 14 catches for 275 yards and four TDs in two regular-season matchups versus New England.
  2. Patriots RB James White scored twice and had a career-best 177 yards from scrimmage last week.
  3. Chiefs K Harrison Butker was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month.

PREDICTION: Chiefs 26, Patriots 23

NFL: Sunday Night Desk

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Seattle Seahawks at L.A. Rams

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

LOS ANGELES – The Seattle Seahawks look to win their sixth straight game when they visit the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Seattle will clinch an NFC playoff berth with a victory or tie, while Los Angeles badly needs a win to keep its playoff aspirations alive.

The Seahawks are tied for first place in the NFC West with the San Francisco 49ers as the Rams – a Super Bowl participant last season – sit third, and coach Pete Carroll is expecting a ferocious effort from Los Angeles.

“We know we have another terrific opponent,” Carroll said of the Rams. “It just seems like one after another after another. We just keep getting challenged by it. The teams keep bringing special players and schemes and histories of winning and all that stuff that just makes this a great run and a great challenge.”

Los Angeles is one game behind the Minnesota Vikings for the second NFC wild-card berth but had lost five of eight games prior to a 34-7 rout of the Arizona Cardinals last week.

“I would be lying to say that this season hasn’t been more challenging,” Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters. “But that’s also why there’s a motivation to make sure to do right and to use this as an opportunity to try to respond in the way that you challenge your players and everybody else.”

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Even. O/U: 47.5

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (10-2): Quarterback Russell Wilson passed for 240 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-30 victory over the Vikings on Monday night and is a leading MVP candidate with an NFL-best 26 touchdown passes along with 3,177 yards, and only four interceptions. Chris Carson has been productive out of the backfield with a team-best 981 rushing yards, while second-stringer Rashaad Penny has picked up the pace with 203 of his 370 rushing yards coming over the last two games. Star middle linebacker Bobby Wagner has six double-digit tackle outings this season and is tied for second in the NFL with 115 stops.

ABOUT THE RAMS (7-5): Quarterback Jared Goff’s level of play has been below his level of the previous two seasons but he stood out with 424 yards and two touchdowns in the rout of the Cardinals. Goff has 13 touchdowns against 12 interceptions this season after having 60 passing strikes against 19 picks over the previous two seasons. Los Angeles has been wildly inconsistent and has allowed 13 or fewer points in each of its past six victories but has yielded 55, 45 and 30 points in three of its setbacks.

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Wilson threw four touchdown passes as the Seahawks recorded a 30-29 home victory over the Rams on Oct. 3.
  2. Los Angeles WR Robert Woods matched his career high of 13 receptions and established a personal best of 172 yards in the win over Arizona.
  3. Carson has five 100-yard rushing outings this season, including a 118-yard effort against the Rams.

PREDICTION: Seahawks 31, Rams 24

NFL: Monday Night Football Desk

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N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

When: 8:15 PM ET, Monday, December 9, 2019
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles have lost three in a row to plummet two games under .500 after 13 weeks of the NFL season, a damning predicament for most teams but not in the NFC East. The Eagles bid to move into a first-place tie atop the moribund division on Monday night when they host the free-falling New York Giants.

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“I’m disgusted, I’m mad, I’m angry and I’m probably more so mad at myself,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson told 94WIP in Philadelphia on the heels of the team’s 37-31 setback to Miami last weekend.

The three-game skid of the Eagles, however, has coincided with that of Dallas, allowing the former to reside a half-game behind the Cowboys as it kicks off the final quarter of the season with four games against NFC East foes — including two versus the Giants. New York, which has lost five in a row in the series and eight straight overall, hopes to turn back the clock by sending two-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Eli Manning under center to replace rookie Daniel Jones (ankle).

“Just take it one game at a time,” the 38-year-old Manning said of his playing career. “You never want to try to make decisions about your future while you’re still living in the present and don’t know the circumstances of what could happen.”

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Eagles -9.5. O/U: 46

ABOUT THE GIANTS (2-10): Saquon Barkley showed signs of returning to form with 115 scrimmage yards (83 rushing, 27 receiving) in Sunday’s 31-13 setback to Green Bay, and a date with Philadelphia could prove beneficial if last season is any indication. The second-year pro erupted for 231 yards rushing with two touchdowns and 16 receptions for 140 yards and a score against the Eagles in 2018, but this year’s rush defense ranks fourth in the NFL. Rookie Darius Slayton continues to show promise after recording 20 catches for 232 yards in his last three games overall and four touchdowns in his last five. Fellow wideout Sterling Shepard reeled in Jones’ lone touchdown pass last week and has at least seven catches and a score in two of his last three encounters with Philadelphia.

ABOUT THE EAGLES (5-7): Carson Wentz collected his third three-touchdown performance of the season last Sunday, while his 310 yards passing fell three shy of matching his best output of 2019. Alshon Jeffery returned from a two-game absence (ankle) and hauled in nine of 16 targets for 137 yards and a score versus Miami, and looks to feast on a generous Giants pass defense that ranks 25th in the NFL. Tight end Zach Ertz, who leads the team in receptions (70) and receiving yards (736), will look to atone after dropping a pair of touchdown passes against the Dolphins in what he called “probably one of the worst games I’ve played in a long time.” Rookie Miles Sanders has made the most of the absence of Jordan Howard (shoulder), rushing for a career-high 83 yards against Miami while highlighting his personal-best five receptions with a touchdown.

EXTRA POINTS

  1. Philadelphia DE Brandon Graham leads the team with 7.5 sacks, including 5.5 in his past four home games.
  2. New York’s minus-14 turnover differential is tied with Miami for the worst in the NFL.
  3. Eagles S Malcolm Jenkins had an interception and forced a fumble in the last meeting, a 25-22 victory over the Giants on Nov. 25, 2018.

PREDICTION: Eagles 24, Giants 17

Da Bears!

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Chicago Bears 31, Dallas Cowboys 24

When: 8:20 PM ET, Thursday, December 5, 2019
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago
Attendance: 61,276
By Field Level Media

CHICAGO – Mitchell Trubisky threw three touchdown passes and added a rushing score to lead the Chicago Bears to a 31-24 victory over the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.

Cowboys at Bears (Youtube/NFL).

Allen Robinson had two touchdown receptions, and Anthony Miller added one as the Bears (7-6) won for the fourth time in their past five games.

Trubisky completed 23 of 31 passes for 244 yards and added 63 more on 10 rushes, though he did throw an interception. David Montgomery had a game-high 86 yards on 20 rushes before leaving with an apparent leg injury.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns for the Cowboys (6-7), who have lost three consecutive games and seven of 10.

Dak Prescott was 27-of-49 passing for 334 yards for Dallas. He threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 4:29 remaining to bring the Cowboys within 10, and Brett Maher added a 31-yard field goal with eight seconds left.

The ensuing onside kick was recovered by Miller to seal Chicago’s win.

The setback will surely bring more heat in the direction of Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, who received an endorsement from owner Jerry Jones after a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Dallas still holds a half-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles (5-7) in the NFC East.

Chicago scored 24 consecutive points after Dallas began the game with a 17-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with Elliott’s 2-yard run.

The Bears tied the score early in the second quarter when Trubisky connected with Robinson for a 5-yard touchdown, and moved ahead when Eddy Pineiro booted a 36-yard field goal with 8:06 left in the half.

Trubisky and Robinson teamed up again on an 8-yard score with 10 seconds left in the half to give Chicago a 17-7 lead.

The Bears increased their lead to 17 when Trubisky tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Miller with 8:18 left in the third quarter.

Dallas pulled within 24-14 on the first play of the fourth quarter, when Elliott plunged in from the 2 on fourth down.

But Chicago rebounded quickly to push the margin back to 17 with a three-play, 60-yard drive. The touchdown came when Trubisky kept the ball on a zone read and meandered 23 yards through the Dallas defense to make it 31-14 with 13:22 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Toasted

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Houston Texans 28, New England Patriots 22

When: 8:20 PM ET, Sunday, December 1, 2019
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 72,025
Special to Digital Sports Desk by Field Level Media

HOUSTON – Deshaun Watson passed for three touchdowns and added a receiving touchdown as the host Houston Texans defeated the New England Patriots 28-22 on Sunday.

Patriots at Texans Highlights (NFL/Youtube).

The Texans (8-4) maintained their one-game lead in the AFC South with their first victory over the Patriots (10-2) since Week 17 of the 2009 season. New England had been 10-1 all-time against Houston, including postseason play, with five wins over the previous four seasons.

Watson, who finished 18 of 25 for 234 yards, became the first quarterback to throw two scoring passes against the Patriots this season.

His 14-yard touchdown pass to Duke Johnson with 38 seconds left in the first quarter gave the Texans the lead for good and capped a brief three-play, 21-yard possession that followed a Bradley Roby interception of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Watson added a 13-yard scoring toss to tight end Darren Fells at the 6:21 mark of the second quarter that extended the lead to 14-3.

His 35-yard strike to Kenny Stills with 5:41 left in the third pushed that advantage to 18 points and proved to be the decisive play because it just beat the play clock and came after a touchdown catch by Will Fuller on the preceding snap that was overturned and called incomplete following a review.

The Texans’ relative success against the Patriots’ top-ranked defense proved surprising. That Brady and the New England offense continued to scuffle was no shock.

While Houston surged to a 14-3 halftime lead, Brady completed just 7 of 19 attempts for 82 yards plus the interception in the first half. New England opened the third quarter with two fruitless possessions, with Roby registering a third-down sack of Brady to snuff the initial drive. Brady threw incomplete on fourth-and-1 at the Houston 42-yard line to complete the second possession of the second half.

Even the Patriots’ first touchdown drive proved laborious, requiring 12 plays and taking 5:30 off the third-quarter clock.

James White caught the first of his two touchdown passes, covering 12 yards, to pull the Patriots to within 21-9. But the Texans answered with haste, covering 75 yards over nine plays, capped when Watson caught a 6-yard pitch from DeAndre Hopkins following a double handoff with 9:53 left.

Brady passed for two touchdowns inside the final four minutes, giving the Texans a scare before the subsequent onside kickoff attempt went out of bounds with 50 seconds remaining.

Brady completed 42 of 47 passes for 326 yards. White paired 79 rushing yards with his 98 receiving yards and the two scores.

–Field Level Media

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