By HOWARD FENDRICH
Associated Press
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — In one particularly embarrassing fourth-quarter sequence that drew boos from the home crowd, Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins went from planning to punt on fourth-and-1 to calling timeout and deciding to go for it, to drawing a delay-of-game penalty and, in the end, punting anyway.
Which, naturally, elicited more jeers.
By the end, Cousins was hearing cheers, because he made up for a pick-6 by showing the patience to produce a pair of second-half TD passes on slow-developing plays, helping the Redskins beat the New York Giants 20-10 on Thursday night on a drab field in a drab game between two injury-depleted teams that did not look ready for prime time.
"There were several plays that I would chalk up to the fact that they were sloppy because it was a short week. We just didn't have the reps that we needed to," said Cousins, who was 19 for 31 for 242 yards. "I'm just glad we found a way to win."
The two NFC East rivals combined for more punts (nine) than points (six) in the first half, which ended 3-all on a pair of short field goals — from 30 yards by New York's Aldrick Rosas, and 28 by Washington's Nick Rose. The big play on Washington's lone scoring "drive" of the half? A 37-yard flag for pass interference on New York's Ross Cockrell; the entire possession covered 38 yards.
But Cousins, for whom every game is seemingly a referendum on whether Washington (5-6) should sign him to a long-term deal, connected with Jamison Crowder on a 15-yard pass in the third quarter that broke a 3-all tie, and with Josh Doctson on a 14-yarder with 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the game.
On the Crowder play, Cousins was flushed out of the pocket and bought time by moving to his right before throwing into the end zone, where his receiver was "pretty wide open," according to the QB. On the one to Doctson, Cousins looked for another receiver but eventually came back to last year's first-round draft pick, saying, "He got separation and made a great catch."
In between, cornerback Janoris Jenkins intercepted Cousins' pass and returned the ball 53 yards to make it 10-all.
That one play involved more yardage than Eli Manning and the Giants (2-9) generated in the entire second half.
"Not very good," coach Ben McAdoo summed up.
They gained 47 yards and one solitary first down over the last two quarters. One possession ended with an interception by Manning, four ended with punts, and another dissolved when they turned the ball over on downs.
"It's no fun losing. It's no fun not scoring enough points offensively. It can wear you out. It can test you," said Manning, who was 13 for 27 for 113 yards. "You have to keep going to the drawing board and find ways to play better."
This was the first time the Redskins had hosted a game on Thanksgiving, and they and the Giants didn't exactly treat the national TV audience to a thriller. More of a snoozer.
Given the ugliness, perhaps it was fitting that it was contested on a terrible-looking field. A large swath of brown ran down the middle, all the way from one end zone to the other.
Route-runners stumbled and fell for no apparent reason. Redskins back Samaje Perine gained 3 yards on five carries in the first half, although he did finish the game with 24 runs for 100 yards. Some fans on Twitter blamed the shaky footing for Cousins' poor throw that turned into Jenkins' score.
The ineptness was on display all night, never moreso than on what Redskins coach Jay Gruden called "football folly" — that botched fourth-down gong show that he blamed on a player who was supposed to be in the game but wasn't because he had taken off a shoe.
What?
Yes.
Maybe all the issues were a result of being so depleted by injuries: Washington has placed 15 players on injured reserve this season, including its top two running backs, and New York's total is 14, including star receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Both offensive lines have been particular areas of concern, and Thursday was no different. The Redskins were missing three starters, while the Giants were using their eighth starting combination of the season.
So maybe it was no surprise that there were 10 sacks, plus penalties for false starts and holding.
In the game's first eight possessions, the club combined for seven punts and one turnover on downs, when the Redskins failed to convert a fourth-and-1 in Giants territory thanks to Doctson's dropped pass. Indeed, there were the same number of drops as first downs (four) in that stretch.
CROWDER COMES THROUGH
Crowder had a game-high seven catches — no other player on either team had more than three — for 141 yards and his first score of the season.
INJURIES
Giants: LB Deontae Skinner (hamstring), LB Curtis Grant (right leg), CB Donte Deayon (forearm and jaw).
UP NEXT
Giants: At Oakland on Dec. 3. The Raiders are another playoff team a year ago that is under .500 currently.
Redskins: A second consecutive Thursday night game, this one Nov. 30 at the Dallas Cowboys, a team that won 33-19 at Washington last month.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Rivers, Chargers beat fading Cowboys 28-6 on Thanksgiving
By SCHUYLER DIXON
Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Philip Rivers was more than comfortable on the Thanksgiving stage for the first time in his 14 NFL seasons.
Same with Keenan Allen, who didn't have to wait nearly that long.
Rivers threw for 434 yards and three touchdowns, Allen had a career-high 172 yards in his second straight huge game and the Los Angeles Chargers beat the fading Dallas Cowboys 28-6 on Thursday.
Desmond King returned an interception 90 yards for the punctuating touchdown. The Chargers (5-6) moved within 1 1/2 games of AFC West-leading Kansas City after starting 0-4 while the Chiefs won their first five.
"Playing on Thanksgiving was everything it was cranked up to be," said Rivers, who was 27 of 33 in his ninth career 400-yard game . "As a quarterback, you want to play well and throw it to your guys, and we did a lot today. But I'm more excited about our team."
The defending NFC East champion Cowboys (5-6) have lost three straight games by at least 20 points for the first time since 2004, all without suspended star running back Ezekiel Elliott in a damaging slide for their fading playoff hopes.
Dallas, playing its 50th Thanksgiving game, finally ended a touchdown drought at a team-record 10 quarters on Rod Smith's 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys have been outscored 72-6 in the second half of the three losses.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has looked lost without Elliott, his backfield mate for a pair of remarkable rookie seasons that led the Cowboys to the best record in the NFC last season. Prescott had two interceptions, giving him five in two games after throwing just four a year ago.
Last year's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has nine picks for the season and the Cowboys already have twice as many losses as a year ago with Elliott only halfway through a six-game suspension for alleged domestic violence.
"The last thing I'm doing is pointing a finger and saying, 'We need this guy, we need that to happen,'" said Prescott, who was 20 of 27 for 179 yards in his third straight game without a TD pass. "I'm going to say we've just got to figure out what's going on and get out of this slump."
Rivers had seven completions of at least 22 yards, including Allen's 42-yard catch-and-run when he weaved through five defenders for a 22-6 lead.
Allen, in his fifth season, has two of his three biggest yardage games in the past two weeks. He had 11 catches and a score after 12 grabs for 159 yards and two TDs in a 54-24 win over Buffalo.
"When I first got here, he was a little heavy," first-year coach Anthony Lynn said. "I think once he got his weight down, you could see the run after catch, the quickness, all those things you see in a No. 1 receiver."
LA, with 500-plus total yards (515) for the first time in two years, overcame the loss of kicker Nick Novak to a back injury, the second straight game that Dallas' opposing kicker was injured and in the same game that Dallas' Dan Bailey returned after missing four games with a groin injury.
Just like last week in the Cowboys' blowout loss to division-leading Philadelphia, neither of the kickers mattered much with the Dallas offense sputtering and the defense not getting key stops.
Novak returned to make a 22-yard field goal after the injury, but left for good after missing an extra point . Punter Drew Kaser was 1 of 3 on extra points. The Chargers went for a fourth-and-13 in field goal range in a scoreless game early in the second quarter with Novak's status in doubt, coming up a yard short.
Four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith returned for Dallas after missing two games with back and groin injuries, but the Cowboys lost 2014 All-Pro right guard Zack Martin to a concussion in the first half.
Austin Ekeler had a 38-yard catch to set up San Diego's first touchdown in the third quarter, and Tyrell Williams added a 31-yard grab before making a 27-yard scoring catch.
THANKSGIVING STREAK
LA has a Thanksgiving winning streak in Texas, because the Chargers' previous holiday showing was a 21-17 AFL win at Houston in 1969, the year before the merger. It was the longest gap (48 years) for a team between Thanksgiving games in NFL history.
WITTEN RECORD
Dallas tight end Jason Witten, already the Thanksgiving record-holder in catches, passed Detroit's Herman Moore for the most yards on the holiday. Witten now has 80 catches for 853 yards.
ANTHEM UPDATE
Chargers LT Russell Okung was the only player from either team with a display during the national anthem, raising his fist while he was a step behind teammates lined up on the sideline.
UP NEXT
Chargers: Browns on Dec. 3 in first of two straight home games.
Cowboys: Redskins next Thursday in last of three straight home games.
Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Philip Rivers was more than comfortable on the Thanksgiving stage for the first time in his 14 NFL seasons.
Same with Keenan Allen, who didn't have to wait nearly that long.
Rivers threw for 434 yards and three touchdowns, Allen had a career-high 172 yards in his second straight huge game and the Los Angeles Chargers beat the fading Dallas Cowboys 28-6 on Thursday.
Desmond King returned an interception 90 yards for the punctuating touchdown. The Chargers (5-6) moved within 1 1/2 games of AFC West-leading Kansas City after starting 0-4 while the Chiefs won their first five.
"Playing on Thanksgiving was everything it was cranked up to be," said Rivers, who was 27 of 33 in his ninth career 400-yard game . "As a quarterback, you want to play well and throw it to your guys, and we did a lot today. But I'm more excited about our team."
The defending NFC East champion Cowboys (5-6) have lost three straight games by at least 20 points for the first time since 2004, all without suspended star running back Ezekiel Elliott in a damaging slide for their fading playoff hopes.
Dallas, playing its 50th Thanksgiving game, finally ended a touchdown drought at a team-record 10 quarters on Rod Smith's 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys have been outscored 72-6 in the second half of the three losses.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has looked lost without Elliott, his backfield mate for a pair of remarkable rookie seasons that led the Cowboys to the best record in the NFC last season. Prescott had two interceptions, giving him five in two games after throwing just four a year ago.
Last year's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has nine picks for the season and the Cowboys already have twice as many losses as a year ago with Elliott only halfway through a six-game suspension for alleged domestic violence.
"The last thing I'm doing is pointing a finger and saying, 'We need this guy, we need that to happen,'" said Prescott, who was 20 of 27 for 179 yards in his third straight game without a TD pass. "I'm going to say we've just got to figure out what's going on and get out of this slump."
Rivers had seven completions of at least 22 yards, including Allen's 42-yard catch-and-run when he weaved through five defenders for a 22-6 lead.
Allen, in his fifth season, has two of his three biggest yardage games in the past two weeks. He had 11 catches and a score after 12 grabs for 159 yards and two TDs in a 54-24 win over Buffalo.
"When I first got here, he was a little heavy," first-year coach Anthony Lynn said. "I think once he got his weight down, you could see the run after catch, the quickness, all those things you see in a No. 1 receiver."
LA, with 500-plus total yards (515) for the first time in two years, overcame the loss of kicker Nick Novak to a back injury, the second straight game that Dallas' opposing kicker was injured and in the same game that Dallas' Dan Bailey returned after missing four games with a groin injury.
Just like last week in the Cowboys' blowout loss to division-leading Philadelphia, neither of the kickers mattered much with the Dallas offense sputtering and the defense not getting key stops.
Novak returned to make a 22-yard field goal after the injury, but left for good after missing an extra point . Punter Drew Kaser was 1 of 3 on extra points. The Chargers went for a fourth-and-13 in field goal range in a scoreless game early in the second quarter with Novak's status in doubt, coming up a yard short.
Four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith returned for Dallas after missing two games with back and groin injuries, but the Cowboys lost 2014 All-Pro right guard Zack Martin to a concussion in the first half.
Austin Ekeler had a 38-yard catch to set up San Diego's first touchdown in the third quarter, and Tyrell Williams added a 31-yard grab before making a 27-yard scoring catch.
THANKSGIVING STREAK
LA has a Thanksgiving winning streak in Texas, because the Chargers' previous holiday showing was a 21-17 AFL win at Houston in 1969, the year before the merger. It was the longest gap (48 years) for a team between Thanksgiving games in NFL history.
WITTEN RECORD
Dallas tight end Jason Witten, already the Thanksgiving record-holder in catches, passed Detroit's Herman Moore for the most yards on the holiday. Witten now has 80 catches for 853 yards.
ANTHEM UPDATE
Chargers LT Russell Okung was the only player from either team with a display during the national anthem, raising his fist while he was a step behind teammates lined up on the sideline.
UP NEXT
Chargers: Browns on Dec. 3 in first of two straight home games.
Cowboys: Redskins next Thursday in last of three straight home games.
Keenum-led Vikings beat Lions 30-23, adding to division lead
By LARRY LAGE
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Case Keenum stood in the pocket to take a hit, dipped his right shoulder to slip out of a sack and shuffled his feet in the pocket to give his receivers more time to get open.
Looking like a savvy winner, instead of a journeyman, he picked apart Detroit's defense with his arm and made plays with his legs to help the Minnesota Vikings beat the Lions 30-23 Thursday.
Keenum threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score in the first half to give the Vikings a double-digit lead and they went on to win a seventh straight game.
They took a huge step toward winning the NFC North by taking a three-game lead over the second-place Lions.
Keenum, undrafted out of Houston in 2012, is suddenly 7-2 this season after going 9-15 with the Houston Texas and the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams.
"I want to be great and I have confidence in myself that I can be great," he said.
The Vikings signed him to be a backup and he has made the most of his opportunities with Sam Bradford injured and Teddy Bridgewater recovering from a knee injury.
Keenum was 21 of 30 for 282 yards with both TD passes going to Kyle Rudolph, giving the Vikings a 20-3 lead late in the second quarter.
"Case is amazing because he does so many small things to pick up first downs and keep drives alive," Rudolph said.
"Every time he finds a way to convert another third down, it means we've got three more plays to attack the defense. With the number of big-play guys we've got now, we can do a lot of damage with those three plays."
Detroit (6-5) made mistakes in every phase of the game and Minnesota took advantage. Keenum's 1-yard pass to Rudolph was made a little easier because the Lions had just 10 defenders on the field.
And, Keenum's 9-yard run came after Matthew Stafford was charged with a fumble while trying to hand off to Ameer Abdullah.
Instead of winning to pull within a game of Minnesota and having a potential tiebreaker, the Lions' loss hurts their chances of making a second straight postseason appearance.
"Don't count us out just yet," Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said. "We've got a lot of football yet to play."
FALLING SHORT
The Lions rallied to pull within four points early in the fourth quarter on Stafford's second TD pass to Marvin Jones, who leaped to beat two defensive backs for the 43-yard score as his quarterback was on the turf with an injured right ankle.
Xavier Rhodes sidetracked Detroit's comeback hopes with an interception at the Detroit 37 late in the game.
Detroit's Darius Slay blocked a field goal with 1:15 left and teammate Nevin Lawson recovered the ball and returned it 77 yards for an apparent TD, but it was negated by Slay being offside and that quieted a roaring crowd.
BY THE NUMBERS
Latavius Murray had 84 yards rushing and a 2-yard score, giving the Vikings a 27-10 lead early in the third quarter.
Minnesota's Adam Thielen had eight receptions for 89 yards and deflected credit to his quarterback.
"Case Keenum is one tough human being," he said. "When he's hanging in there — giving you time to get open — you feel like you're letting him down if you can't do it. He's willing to get crushed to make a play, and that makes us want to come though on our end."
Everson Griffen had two sacks, tying his career high with 12 on the season, for the Vikings.
Stafford struggled even before he was hurt late in the game, missing open receivers, and finished 20 of 35 for 250 yards with two TDs and an interception on fourth down with just under three minutes left. Jones had six catches for 109 yards and two TDs. The Lions were held to a total of 53 yards rushing.
INJURIES
Vikings: CB Trae Waynes left the game with an injured right shoulder, but was able to return. RT Mike Remmers was inactive with a concussion and Rashod Hill replaced him.
Lions: Stafford, with a lot of tape covering his right cleat, stayed in the game after hurting his right ankle on his second touchdown when DT Tom Johnson fell on him. S Tavon Wilson (shoulder) and C Travis Swanson (knee) left the game in the third quarter with injuries.
UP NEXT
Vikings: Play Dec. 3 at Atlanta.
Lions: Travel Dec. 3 to Baltimore.
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Case Keenum stood in the pocket to take a hit, dipped his right shoulder to slip out of a sack and shuffled his feet in the pocket to give his receivers more time to get open.
Looking like a savvy winner, instead of a journeyman, he picked apart Detroit's defense with his arm and made plays with his legs to help the Minnesota Vikings beat the Lions 30-23 Thursday.
Keenum threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score in the first half to give the Vikings a double-digit lead and they went on to win a seventh straight game.
They took a huge step toward winning the NFC North by taking a three-game lead over the second-place Lions.
Keenum, undrafted out of Houston in 2012, is suddenly 7-2 this season after going 9-15 with the Houston Texas and the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams.
"I want to be great and I have confidence in myself that I can be great," he said.
The Vikings signed him to be a backup and he has made the most of his opportunities with Sam Bradford injured and Teddy Bridgewater recovering from a knee injury.
Keenum was 21 of 30 for 282 yards with both TD passes going to Kyle Rudolph, giving the Vikings a 20-3 lead late in the second quarter.
"Case is amazing because he does so many small things to pick up first downs and keep drives alive," Rudolph said.
"Every time he finds a way to convert another third down, it means we've got three more plays to attack the defense. With the number of big-play guys we've got now, we can do a lot of damage with those three plays."
Detroit (6-5) made mistakes in every phase of the game and Minnesota took advantage. Keenum's 1-yard pass to Rudolph was made a little easier because the Lions had just 10 defenders on the field.
And, Keenum's 9-yard run came after Matthew Stafford was charged with a fumble while trying to hand off to Ameer Abdullah.
Instead of winning to pull within a game of Minnesota and having a potential tiebreaker, the Lions' loss hurts their chances of making a second straight postseason appearance.
"Don't count us out just yet," Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said. "We've got a lot of football yet to play."
FALLING SHORT
The Lions rallied to pull within four points early in the fourth quarter on Stafford's second TD pass to Marvin Jones, who leaped to beat two defensive backs for the 43-yard score as his quarterback was on the turf with an injured right ankle.
Xavier Rhodes sidetracked Detroit's comeback hopes with an interception at the Detroit 37 late in the game.
Detroit's Darius Slay blocked a field goal with 1:15 left and teammate Nevin Lawson recovered the ball and returned it 77 yards for an apparent TD, but it was negated by Slay being offside and that quieted a roaring crowd.
BY THE NUMBERS
Latavius Murray had 84 yards rushing and a 2-yard score, giving the Vikings a 27-10 lead early in the third quarter.
Minnesota's Adam Thielen had eight receptions for 89 yards and deflected credit to his quarterback.
"Case Keenum is one tough human being," he said. "When he's hanging in there — giving you time to get open — you feel like you're letting him down if you can't do it. He's willing to get crushed to make a play, and that makes us want to come though on our end."
Everson Griffen had two sacks, tying his career high with 12 on the season, for the Vikings.
Stafford struggled even before he was hurt late in the game, missing open receivers, and finished 20 of 35 for 250 yards with two TDs and an interception on fourth down with just under three minutes left. Jones had six catches for 109 yards and two TDs. The Lions were held to a total of 53 yards rushing.
INJURIES
Vikings: CB Trae Waynes left the game with an injured right shoulder, but was able to return. RT Mike Remmers was inactive with a concussion and Rashod Hill replaced him.
Lions: Stafford, with a lot of tape covering his right cleat, stayed in the game after hurting his right ankle on his second touchdown when DT Tom Johnson fell on him. S Tavon Wilson (shoulder) and C Travis Swanson (knee) left the game in the third quarter with injuries.
UP NEXT
Vikings: Play Dec. 3 at Atlanta.
Lions: Travel Dec. 3 to Baltimore.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Week 12 NFL Preview
As the NFL
enters Week 12, there are five teams with at least eight wins, led by the 9-1
Philadelphia Eagles – Philadelphia (9-1), Minnesota (8-2), New England (8-2),
New Orleans (8-2) and Pittsburgh (8-2).
The Eagles are
the 51st team in the Super Bowl era to start a season 9-1. Prior to this
season, all 50 of the previous 50 teams to start a season 9-1 made the
playoffs, 23 advanced to the Super Bowl (46 percent) and 11 won the Super Bowl
(22 percent).
There were 102
teams to start 8-2 in the Super Bowl era entering this season and 96 made the
playoffs (94.1 percent), 30 advanced to the Super Bowl (29.4 percent) and 16
won the Super Bowl (15.7 percent).
Philadelphia
and New Orleans currently have the longest active winning streaks in the NFL
having each won eight consecutive games. Minnesota and New England each have
active six-game winning streaks while Pittsburgh enters Week 12 having won its
past five games.
Week 12 begins
on Thursday with a Thanksgiving tripleheader for the 12th consecutive year.
Traditional competitors Detroit and Dallas will host games during the day
followed by a primetime nightcap.
GAME
|
NETWORK
|
KICKOFF
|
Minnesota
Vikings (8-2) at Detroit Lions (6-4)
|
FOX
|
12:30 PM ET
|
Los Angeles
Chargers (4-6) at Dallas Cowboys (5-5)
|
CBS
|
4:30 PM ET
|
New York
Giants (2-8) at Washington Redskins (4-6)
|
NBC
|
8:30 PM ET
|
A look at
the three Thanksgiving games:
- Minnesota (8-2) at Detroit (6-4) at 12:30 PM ET (FOX): Entering Week 12, the Vikings lead the Lions by two games in the NFC North. Both teams are coming off victories in Week 11. Minnesota defeated the Los Angeles Rams 24-7 while Detroit edged Chicago 27-24 at Soldier Field. The Vikings and Lions will meet for the fifth time on Thanksgiving, including the second year in a row. In last season’s meeting, Detroit cornerback DARIUS SLAY set up the game-winning field goal with an interception with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
- Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) at Dallas
(5-5) at 4:30 PM ET (CBS): The Chargers will play their first Thanksgiving Day
contest since 1969, the longest gap between games on the holiday in NFL history
(48 years). Last week, the Chargers defeated Buffalo 54-24 and became the first
team since 1973 (Miami, December 3, 1973 vs. Pittsburgh) to record five
interceptions in the first half of a game. The Cowboys will make their 50th
appearance on Thanksgiving and own a 30-18-1 record on the holiday.
- New York Giants (2-8) at Washington (4-6) at 8:30 PM ET (NBC): The Giants will make their 15th appearance on Thanksgiving and first since 2009. The team’s history of playing on the holiday dates back to 1926 when the Giants defeated the Brooklyn Lions 17-0 at Ebbets Field. Last week, the Giants knocked off Kansas City 12-9 in overtime. The Redskins will host a game on Thanksgiving for the first time in franchise history. The contest also marks the 10th time Washington will play on the holiday, including the second year in a row.
After Thanksgiving,
the week continues with a full slate of games on Sunday and concludes with a
pair of primetime contests. On Sunday night (8:30 PM ET, NBC), the Green Bay
Packers will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers. And on Monday night (8:30 PM ET,
ESPN), the Baltimore Ravens will host the Houston Texans.
Some of the
other key games in Week 12:
CHICAGO
BEARS (3-7) at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-1) (Sunday, FOX, 1:00 PM ET)
- Chicago running back JORDAN HOWARD rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown in last week’s loss against Detroit. Howard, who is in his second season, has five career games with at least 125 rushing yards and tied Pro Football Hall of Famer WALTER PAYTON for the most such games by a Bears player in his first two NFL seasons.
- Bears
rookie running back TARIK COHEN had
a rushing touchdown in Week 11. Cohen, who has also thrown for a touchdown and
caught a touchdown pass this season, is the first Bears rookie running back
since Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE
SAYERS in 1965 to have a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown and receiving
touchdown in a season.
- The Eagles defeated Dallas 37-9 last week to improve their NFL-best record to 9-1. This is the fifth time in franchise history Philadelphia has started a season 9-1 or better (1949, 1960, 1980 and 2004) and the team advanced to the NFL Championship/Super Bowl in each of the previous four instances.
- Philadelphia quarterback CARSON WENTZ leads the NFL with 25 touchdown passes and ranks fourth in the league with a 103.4 passer rating. Wentz’s 25 touchdown passes are the most by an Eagles quarterback through the team’s first 10 games of a season.
NEW
ORLEANS SAINTS (8-2) at LOS ANGELES RAMS (7-3) (Sunday, CBS, 4:25 PM ET)
- New Orleans defeated Washington 34-31 in overtime last week to improve to 8-2. The Saints, who have won eight consecutive games after starting 0-2, are the first team in the Super Bowl era to win its next eight games immediately following an 0-2 start.
- The
Saints scored 15 points in the final 2:53 of the fourth quarter to force
overtime and won the game on WIL LUTZ’s
28-yard field goal in the extra session. New Orleans is the first team to win a
game after trailing by at least 15 points in the final three minutes of the
fourth quarter since 2011 (Denver, October 23, 2011 vs. Miami).
- The Rams, who lead the NFC West with a 7-3 record, have won four of their past five games and rank second in the NFL averaging 30.3 points per game.
- Los
Angeles running back TODD GURLEY
leads the NFL with 1,216 scrimmage yards (791 rushing, 425 receiving) and 11
touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving). He has recorded at least 100
scrimmage yards in seven of the team’s past nine games and has scored a
touchdown in seven games this season.
GREEN
BAY PACKERS (5-5) at PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-2) (Sunday, NBC, 8:30 PM ET)
- Green Bay safety HA HA CLINTON-DIX had five tackles and an interception in last week’s loss against Baltimore. Since entering the NFL in 2014, Clinton-Dix is one of only three players to record at least 300 tackles (318), 10 interceptions (10) and four sacks (4.5)
- Packers
linebacker NICK PERRY leads the team
with seven sacks and has recorded 4.5 sacks in the team’s past four games.
Perry, who had a career-high 11 sacks last year, needs three sacks to reach 10+
sacks for the second consecutive season.
- Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER threw four touchdown passes – including three to wide receiver ANTONIO BROWN – in the Steelers’ 40-17 win over Tennessee last week.
- Brown finished the game against the Titans with 10 catches for 144 yards with three touchdowns and leads the NFL in both receptions (70) and receiving yards (1,026). Steelers running back LE’VEON BELL leads the league in rushing yards (886), rushing first downs (52) and total first downs (66). Bell ranks third in the NFL in scrimmage yards (1,194) and Brown is fourth (1,026).
HOUSTON
TEXANS (4-6) at BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-5) (Monday, ESPN, 8:30 PM ET)
- Houston defensive end JADEVEON CLOWNEY had two sacks in last week’s 31-21 victory over Arizona. Clowney has recorded a sack in four consecutive games and has eight sacks in the team’s past eight games. Since Week 3, Clowney’s eight sacks are tied for the second-most in the NFL.
- Texans wide receiver DE ANDRE HOPKINS leads the NFL with nine touchdown receptions and teammate WILL FULLER V ties for second in the league with seven.
- The Ravens defeated the Packers 23-0 at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field last week, registering the team’s third shutout this season. Baltimore is the fifth team – and first since 2003 (New England) – over the past 30 years to record at least three shutouts in a single season. Three of the previous four teams to accomplish the feat during that span won the Super Bowl in that season – 1991 Washington, 2000 Baltimore and 2003 New England.
- Baltimore linebacker C.J. MOSLEY, who had seven tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last week, is the only player in the NFL this season with at least 80 tackles (83), an interception (two), a sack (one), a forced fumble (two) and a fumble recovery (two).
NFL WEEK 12
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SUNDAY & MONDAY, NOVEMBER
23, 26-27
(All
times local)
Thursday, November 23
|
Sunday, November 26 (cont’d)
|
Minnesota at
Detroit, 12:30 PM (FOX)
|
Carolina at
New York Jets, 1:00 PM
|
Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas, 3:30 PM (CBS)
New York Giants at Washington, 8:30 PM (NBC)
|
Chicago at Philadelphia,
1:00 PM
Seattle at
San Francisco, 1:05 PM
Jacksonville
at Arizona, 2:25 PM
|
Sunday, November 26
|
New Orleans
at Los Angeles Rams, 1:25 PM
|
Tampa Bay at
Atlanta, 1:00 PM
|
Denver at
Oakland, 1:25 PM
|
Cleveland at
Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
|
Green Bay at Pittsburgh,
8:30 PM (NBC)
|
Tennessee at
Indianapolis, 1:00 PM
| |
Buffalo at
Kansas City, 12:00 PM
|
Monday, November 27
|
Miami at New
England, 1:00 PM
|
Houston at
Baltimore, 8:30 PM (ESPN)
|
Thanksgiving Day – A Tradition of Friends, Family and Football
For generations
of Americans, the tradition of Thanksgiving Day and NFL football are
historically intertwined.
On Thanksgiving
in 1925, a crowd of 36,000 – then the largest in professional football history
– watched the Chicago Bears play the Chicago Cardinals to a scoreless tie at
Wrigley Field. In 1934, the Detroit Lions and the defending world champion
Bears squared off on Thanksgiving in the first NFL game nationally broadcast,
with NBC radio on the call. This year, the three holiday games will be played
inside stadiums with a combined capacity of over 230,000 and will be aired to
millions across the country and around the world.
The 2017
installment of Thanksgiving Day football will feature a tripleheader for the 12th
consecutive season.
The first
game showcases a battle of NFC North rivals as the Minnesota Vikings travel to
Detroit to face the Lions (12:30 PM ET, FOX). The late afternoon game marks the
40th consecutive Thanksgiving Day contest hosted in Dallas as the Cowboys
welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to AT&T Stadium (4:30 PM ET, CBS). The
holiday concludes at FedExField with the 169th regular-season meeting between
the NFC East rivals Washington Redskins and New York Giants (8:30 PM ET, NBC).
GAME
|
NETWORK
|
LOCAL TIME
|
EASTERN TIME
|
Minnesota Vikings
(8-2) at Detroit Lions (6-4)
|
FOX
|
12:30 PM ET
|
12:30 PM
|
Los Angeles
Chargers (4-6) at Dallas Cowboys (5-5)
|
CBS
| 3:30 PM CT |
4:30 PM
|
New York
Giants (2-8) at Washington Redskins (4-6)
|
NBC
| 8:30 PM ET |
8:30 PM
|
The Lions will
play their 78th Thanksgiving Day game dating back to 1934, while the Cowboys
will play in their 50th since 1966. The Giants and Redskins will play in their 15th
and 10th games, respectively, on the holiday. The Vikings will play in their eighth
and the Chargers will play in their fifth Thanksgiving game.
The
Thanksgiving Day records of the teams playing this Thursday:
TEAM
|
WON
|
LOST
|
TIED
|
Dallas Cowboys
|
30
| 18 |
1
|
Detroit Lions
|
37
| 38 |
2
|
Los
Angeles Chargers
|
2
| 1 |
1
|
Minnesota Vikings
|
5
| 2 |
0
|
New York Giants
|
7
| 4 |
3
|
Washington Redskins
|
2
|
7
|
0
|
MINNESOTA (8-2) at DETROIT (6-4): Thursday’s matchup marks the second consecutive
Thanksgiving meeting between the Vikings and Lions, and the fifth overall
meeting on the holiday. Last season, Detroit cornerback DARIUS SLAY intercepted a pass with 30 seconds remaining in the
fourth quarter and kicker MATT PRATER converted
the game-winning 40-yard field goal as time expired in the Lions’ 16-13 win.
The Vikings
lead the NFC North with an 8-2 record and have won six consecutive games.
Detroit, who has won three in a row and is 6-4 on the season, trails Minnesota
by two games in the division. The Lions defeated Minnesota 14-7 in Week 4 and
have won each of the past three meetings.
Detroit enters
Week 12 following a 27-24 win at Chicago last week. Lions quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD passed for 299 yards
with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 120.2 passer rating and Prater
converted the game-winning 52-yard field goal with 1:35 remaining in the fourth
quarter in the team’s win. Prater has converted three career game-winning field
goals of at least 50 yards with under two minutes remaining in the fourth
quarter or overtime, tied with five others for the most such field goals in
NFL history.
The Lions have
won their past four Thanksgiving Day games by a combined score of 135-54. With
a win on Thursday, Detroit will tie the Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers
(five consecutive wins, 1979-present) and Chicago Bears (five, 1930-34) for the
fourth-longest winning streak on Thanksgiving Day.
The most
consecutive wins on Thanksgiving:
TEAM
|
SEASONS
|
CONSECUTIVE WINS
|
Philadelphia Eagles
|
1939-2014
|
6
|
Dallas Cowboys
|
1980-85
|
6
|
Detroit Lions
|
1950-55
|
6
|
Houston
Oilers/Tennessee Titans
|
1979-present
|
5*
|
Chicago Bears
|
1930-34
|
5
|
Detroit
Lions
|
2013-present
|
4*
|
*Active
streak
| ||
In seven career
games on Thanksgiving Day, Stafford has passed for 2,219 yards (317 per game)
and 15 touchdowns, both the second-most in NFL history.
The
players with the most career passing yards and touchdown passes on Thanksgiving:
PASSING
YARDS
| |||
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
GAMES
|
PASSING
YARDS
|
Tony Romo
|
Dallas
|
10
|
2,338
|
Matthew Stafford*
|
Detroit
|
7
|
2,219
|
Troy Aikman^
|
Dallas
|
10
|
2,174
|
Danny White
|
Dallas
|
10
|
1,545
|
Bart Starr^
|
Green Bay
|
8
|
1,345
|
*Active
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
| |||
TOUCHDOWN
PASSES
| |||
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
GAMES
|
TOUCHDOWN
PASSES
|
Tony Romo
|
Dallas
|
10
|
18
|
Matthew Stafford*
|
Detroit
|
7
|
15
|
Bobby Layne^
|
Detroit
|
8
|
14
|
Danny White
|
Dallas
|
10
|
14
|
Troy Aikman^
|
Dallas
|
10
|
11
|
Brett Favre^
|
Green Bay
|
4
|
11
|
*Active
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
| |||
In Week 11, the
Vikings held the Los Angeles Rams to 254 total yards in the team’s 24-7
victory. Minnesota wide receiver ADAM
THIELEN recorded six catches for 123 yards with a touchdown and running
back LATAVIUS MURRAY rushed for two
touchdowns in the win. Thielen, who has 62 catches for 916 yards this season, joined
RANDY MOSS (2003) as the only
players in franchise history to have at least 60 catches and 900 receiving
yards in the team’s first 10 games of a season.
Minnesota has
won five of its seven games on Thanksgiving Day and ties for the
second-highest winning percentage (.714) on the holiday (minimum five games).
The
active franchises with the highest winning percentages on Thanksgiving (minimum
five games):
TEAM
|
WON
|
LOST
|
TIED
|
WINNING
PCT.
|
Philadelphia Eagles
|
6
|
1
|
0
|
.857
|
Houston
Oilers/Tennessee Titans
|
5
| 2 |
0
|
.714
|
Miami Dolphins
|
5
| 2 |
0
|
.714
|
Minnesota
Vikings
|
5
| 2 |
0
|
.714
|
New York Giants
|
7
| 4 |
3
|
.636
|
Note: tie games prior to 1972 do not
count in winning percentage
| ||||
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4-6) at DALLAS (5-5): The Chargers and Cowboys meet for the
11th time in series history, with Dallas holding a 6-4 advantage. Thursday
marks the first Thanksgiving Day meeting between the two teams.
Los Angeles had
five interceptions – all in the first half – in the team’s 54-24 win over
Buffalo last week. The Chargers are the first team with five interceptions
in the first half of a game since the 1973 Miami Dolphins (December 3 vs.
Pittsburgh).
The Chargers are
making their fifth appearance on Thanksgiving Day and the first since defeating
the Houston Oilers 21-17 at the Astrodome on November 27, 1969. In that
contest, the Chargers overcame a 10-point second-half deficit, punctuated by a
fourth-quarter interception-return touchdown by defensive back KENNY GRAHAM.
The Chargers’ 48-year
gap between Thanksgiving Day appearances is the longest in NFL history.
TEAM
|
SEASONS
|
YEARS BETWEEN THANKSGIVING DAY
APPEARANCES
|
San
Diego/Los Angeles Chargers
|
1969-2017
|
48
|
New York
Giants
|
1938-1982
|
44
|
San Francisco
49ers
|
1972-2011
|
39
|
Los
Angeles/Oakland Raiders
|
1970-2009
|
39
|
Baltimore/Indianapolis
Colts
|
1965-2004
|
39
|
The Cowboys
look to rebound in Week 12 following a loss to Philadelphia last week. Dallas
defensive end DEMARCUS LAWRENCE ties
for the NFL lead with 11.5 sacks and quarterback DAK PRESCOTT is one of two quarterbacks in NFL history (CAM NEWTON) with at least 35 passing
touchdowns (39) and 10 rushing touchdowns (11) in their first two seasons.
Last season, Prescott
passed for a touchdown and rushed for a score in the Cowboys’ 31-26 win over
the Redskins on Thanksgiving Day.
Cowboys tight
end JASON WITTEN, who will play in
his 15th Thanksgiving Day game this week, has 73 catches on the holiday, the
most all-time. His 809 receiving yards trail only HERMAN MOORE (834) for the most on Thanksgiving.
The
most career receptions and receiving yards on Thanksgiving:
RECEPTIONS
| ||||
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
GAMES
|
RECEPTIONS
| |
Jason Witten*
|
Dallas
|
14
|
73
| |
Calvin Johnson
|
Detroit
|
9
|
55
| |
Herman Moore
|
Detroit
|
10
|
51
| |
Michael Irvin^
|
Dallas
|
10
|
49
| |
Emmitt Smith^
|
Dallas
|
13
|
42
| |
*Active
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
| ||||
RECEIVING
YARDS
| |||
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
GAMES
|
RECEIVING
YARDS
|
Herman Moore
|
Detroit
|
10
|
834
|
Jason Witten*
|
Dallas
|
14
|
809
|
Calvin Johnson
|
Detroit
|
9
|
769
|
Michael Irvin^
|
Dallas
|
10
|
722
|
Tony Hill
|
Dallas
|
9
|
622
|
*Active
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
| |||
NEW YORK GIANTS (2-8) at WASHINGTON (4-6): The Redskins and Giants close out an
all-day spread of Thanksgiving football with a meeting of two NFC East rivals.
Washington and New York face off for the 171st time in series history
(including the postseason), with the Giants holding a 99-67-4 advantage.
New York wide
receiver ROGER LEWIS, JR. made an
acrobatic 34-yard reception in overtime and kicker ALDRICK ROSAS converted the game-winning 23-yard field goal two
plays later in the Giants’ 12-9 victory over Kansas City in Week 11. Giants
safety LANDON COLLINS recorded a
career-high 14 tackles and an interception in the win.
The Giants will
play on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2009 and the 15th time overall.
The Giants made their first appearance on Thanksgiving Day in 1926, when they
defeated the Brooklyn Lions 17-0 at Ebbets Field, and were one of the earliest
teams featured on Thanksgiving, playing 11 games on the holiday prior to 1939.
Last week,
Washington quarterback KIRK COUSINS
passed for 322 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 132.6
rating in the Redskins’ overtime loss at New Orleans. Cousins has nine
career games with at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions, tied
with Pro Football Hall of Famer SONNY
JURGENSEN and JOE THEISMANN for
the most such games in franchise history.
Washington plays
on Thanksgiving for the second consecutive season and will host a game on the
holiday for the first time in franchise history. Last season, Cousins completed
a franchise-record 41 passes for 449 yards with three touchdowns and no
interceptions for a 120.7 passer rating in Washington’s loss to Dallas.
Cousins’ 449
passing yards are the second-most in a single game on Thanksgiving, trailing
only Pro Football Hall of Famer TROY
AIKMAN, who passed for 455 yards on November 26, 1998.
The most
passing yards in a game on Thanksgiving:
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
DATE
|
PASSING YARDS
|
Troy Aikman^
|
Dallas
|
November 26,
1998
|
455
|
Kirk
Cousins
|
Washington
|
November
24, 2016
|
449
|
Tony Romo
|
Dallas
|
November 22,
2012
|
441
|
Matthew
Stafford
|
Detroit
|
November 22,
2012
|
441
|
^Pro Football
Hall of Famer
| |||
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