Dallas at Washington starts ‘round-robin’ for NFC East title

Mike McCarthy and Ron Rivera are big fans of the NFL schedule-makers this season. McCarthy’s Dallas Cowboys have a shot at the top seed in the NFC with four of five games left against East Division opponents. Washington has won four in a row to move into the thick of the playoff race, which is exactly what Rivera wanted from his team with five NFC East matchups left. The round-robin for the NFC East title begins with Dallas at Washington on Sunday. The Cowboys (8-4) enter in first place, with Washington (6-6) and the idle Philadelphia Eagles still in the hunt.

DALLAS (8-4) at WASHINGTON (6-6)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox

BETTING LINE: Cowboys by 4.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Cowboys 9-3; Washington 5-7. SERIES RECORD: Cowboys lead 73-47-2.

LAST MEETING: Washington beat Cowboys 41-16 on Nov. 26, 2020, at Dallas.

LAST WEEK: Cowboys beat Saints 27-17; Washington beat Raiders 17-15.

KEY MATCHUP: Washington QB Taylor Heinicke vs. Cowboys

CB Trevon Diggs. As much as Dallas wants to get Elliott going along with Tony Pollard, and Washington would like to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible, Heinicke will likely face some important throwing downs against a dangerous Dallas secondary. After ending his interception drought at Las Vegas, Heinicke will try to avoid making a costly mistake the way he did during the three previous victories.

FANTASY TIP: Washington WR DeAndre Carter could have a sneaky good day against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Carter returns punts and has become Heinicke’s No. 2 target after McLaurin when Thomas does not play.

JACKSONVILLE (2-10) at TENNESSEE (8-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS

BETTING LINE: Titans by 8.5.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Jaguars 4-8; Titans 7-5.

SERIES RECORD: Titans lead 33-21.

LAST MEETING: Titans beat Jags 37-19, Oct. 10 in Jacksonville. LAST WEEK: Jaguars lost 37-7 at Rams; Titans had a bye.

KEY MATCHUP: Titans’ revived run game with Dontrell Hilliard and D’Onta Foreman against the Jaguars’ run defense. Derrick Henry, currently on injured reserve, ran for 130 yards and three TDs in the last meeting between these teams. Hilliard ran for 131 yards on 12 attempts and a TD, while Foreman had 109 yards as the first player this season to run for at least 100 yards against the Patriots defense. They also were the first Titans duo with at least 100 yards each in the same game since Chris Johnson and LenDale White on Nov. 27, 2008, at Detroit.

FANTASY TIP: Tennessee’s defense seems like the safest play game. The Jaguars are averaging 10.7 points a game over their last six games, with nearly half of their 64 points coming in the

fourth quarter.

SEATTLE (4-8) at HOUSTON (2-10) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox

OPENING LINE: Seahawks by 7.5.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Seahawks 6-6; Texans 5-7.

SERIES RECORD: Seahawks lead 3-1.

LAST MEETING: Seahawks beat Texans 41-38 on Oct. 29, 2017, in Seattle.

LAST WEEK: Seahawks beat 49ers 30-23; Texans lost to Colts 31-0. KEY MATCHUP: Seattle QB Russell Wilson vs. Houston’s pass defense. The Texans have been atrocious against the run but not terrible against the pass this season. Now they’ll face a quarterback who has thrown for more than 200 yards in three of four games since returning a finger injury, though Wilson has not approached his previous peak form.

FANTASY TIP: Seattle WR Tyler Lockett has four 100-yard games

this season and needs 119 yards receiving to join Hall of Famer Steve Largent as the only Seattle player with three straight seasons of 1,000 yards receiving.

LAS VEGAS (6-6) at KANSAS CITY (8-4)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS

BETTING LINE: Chiefs by 9.5

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Las Vegas 5-7; Kansas City 5-7. SERIES RECORD: Chiefs lead 69-54-2.

LAST MEETING: Chiefs beat Raiders 41-14 on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas. LAST WEEK: Raiders lost to Washington 17-15; Chiefs beat Broncos 22-9.

KEY MATCHUP: Mahomes and the Kansas City passing attack against the Las Vegas secondary. Mahomes had another poor game last week against Denver, throwing for 184 yards with an interception and no TD passes. He’ll try to bounce back against a Raiders pass defense that is allowing just over 230 yards per game. FANTASY TIP: Hill and Kelce were shut down by Denver, combining for five catches and 47 yards receiving. But rarely do the two of them stay down for long, and you can bet Reid and Mahomes will make a concerted effort to get the two playmakers involved against Las Vegas. That means both could be poised

for a big game.

NEW ORLEANS (5-7) at N.Y. JETS (3-9)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS

BETTING LINE: Saints by 5.5.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Saints 5-7; Jets 3-9.

SERIES RECORD: Saints lead 7-6.

LAST MEETING: Saints beat Jets 31-19 on Dec. 17, 2017, in New Orleans.

LAST WEEK: Saints lost to Cowboys 27-17; Jets lost to Eagles 33-18.

KEY MATCHUP: The Jets’ defensive front vs. the Saints’ run game powered by Kamara and the read-option with QB Taysom Hill. New York has struggled mightily against run-heavy offenses. FANTASY TIP: Jamison Crowder is usually a high-volume receiver as a slot option for the Jets, but could see an increase in targets with Davis out and Moore uncertain. He enters second on the team with 42 receptions despite missing three games.

ATLANTA (5-7) at CAROLINA (5-7) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox

OPENING LINE: Panthers by 2.5.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Falcons 5-7; Panthers 5-7.

SERIES RECORD: Falcons lead 33-20

LAST MEETING: Panthers beat Falcons 19-13 on Oct. 31 at Atlanta. LAST WEEK: Falcons lost to Buccs 30-17; Panthers had a bye. KEY MATCHUP: Panthers OC Jeff Nixon vs. Falcons’ defense: Nixon, the team’s senior offensive assistant/running backs coach, will take over play-calling duties this week after offensive coordinator Joe Brady was fired this past Sunday. Nixon worked with head coach Matt Rhule at the college level so he has a better understanding for what he wants than Brady did. The Panthers ran the ball 47 times for 203 yards against the Falcons in the last meeting and there’s little doubt Rhule wants the team’s focus on that this week.

FANTASY TIP: Panthers PK Zane Gonzalez was 4 for 4 on field goal attempts in the last meeting with the Falcons. He has made 17 straight field goals and has not missed since Oct. 3.

BALTIMORE (8-4) at CLEVELAND (6-6) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS

BETTING LINE: Browns by 2.5.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Baltimore 5-7; Cleveland 5-7.

SERIES RECORD: Ravens lead 34-11.

LAST MEETING: Ravens beat the Browns 16-10 on Nov. 28 at Baltimore.

LAST WEEK: Ravens lost to Steelers 20-19; Browns had a bye, lost to Ravens 16-10 on Nov. 28.

KEY MATCHUP: Ravens LT Alejandro Villanueva vs. Browns

DE Myles Garrett. Teams have found success when they get pressure on hard-to-catch Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was dropped seven times last week by the Steelers. Garrett only got him once when the teams met two

weeks ago, but was close several times and wants to catch Steelers LB T.J. Watt for the league lead.

FANTASY TIP: Browns WR Jarvis Landry has caught at least five passes in nine straight games against the Ravens. He had six receptions for 111 yards in the first matchup.

N.Y. GIANTS (4-8) at L.A. CHARGERS (7-5) Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST, Fox

BETTING LINE: Chargers by 10.5.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: New York 6-6; Los Angeles 6-6. SERIES RECORD: Chargers lead 7-5.

LAST MEETING: Chargers beat Giants 27-22 on Oct. 8, 2017, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

LAST WEEK: Giants lost to Dolphins 20-9; Chargers beat Bengals 41-22.

KEY MATCHUP: Giants LT Andrew Thomas and RT Nate Solder vs. Chargers OLB Joey Bosa. With massive uncertainty at the offensive skill positions for New York this week, the offensive line has to step up. In the loss to Miami, they allowed seven tackles for loss and three sacks. Minimizing those negative plays and staying on schedule will be vital

for the Giants to have any shot against the high-flying Chargers. Bosa had a sack in four straight games before being held in check by Cincinnati, so he’ll want to get back on track in his pursuit of another double-digit campaign. FANTASY TIP: If Allen or Williams is out of the lineup, WR Jalen Guyton suddenly becomes a useful option. He had four receptions for 90 yards against the Bengals, including a 44-yard touchdown catch. Guyton has the speed to get behind defenses, but his targets have tended to be few and far between as long as Allen and Williams have been there to dominate looks in the passing game.

DETROIT (1-10-1) at DENVER (6-6)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST, Fox

BETTING LINE: Broncos by 8.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Detroit 7-4-1, Denver 6-6.

SERIES RECORD: Broncos lead 8-5.

LAST MEETING: Broncos beat Lions 27-17 on Dec. 22, 2019, at Empower Field at Mile High.

LAST WEEK: Lions beat Vikings 29-27; Broncos lost to Chiefs 22-9.

KEY MATCHUP: Williams vs. Detroit’s run defense, which ranks

28th in the league, allowing 131 yards a game. Williams will be spelled either by Mike Boone, who had 54 yards on five touches last week, or the team’s leading scorer, Melvin Gordon III, who missed last week with shoulder and hip injuries.

FANTASY TIP: Williams ranks third among rookies with 939 scrimmage yards and he figures to play the leading role again Sunday even if Gordon is active.

SAN FRANCISCO (6-6) at at CINCINNATI (7-5)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS

BETTING LINE: 49ers by 1.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: 49ers 5-7; Bengals 6-6.

SERIES RECORD: 49ers lead 12-4.

LAST MEETING: 49ers beat Bengals 41-17 on Sept, 15, 2019, in Cincinnati.

LAST WEEK: 49ers lost to Seahawks 30-23; Bengals lost to Chargers 41-22.

KEY MATCHUP: Burrow vs. 49ers’ pass defense. Burrow, after dislocating the little finger on his throwing hand, had one of his worst games of the season. He completed a season-low 60% of his passes, tossed two interceptions, and was sacked six times.

San Francisco’s pass defense has been solid, holding opponents to an average of 205.1 yards per game through the air. FANTASY TIP: San Francisco TE George Kittle had the first

multi-touchdown game of his career last week, finishing with nine receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

BUFFALO (7-5) at TAMPA BAY (9-3)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS

BETTING LINE: Buccaneers by 3.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Bills 7-5; Buccaneers 6-6.

SERIES RECORD: Buccaneers lead 7-4.

LAST MEETING: Bills beat Buccaneers 30-27 on Oct. 22, 2017, at Orchard Park, New York.

LAST WEEK: Bills lost to Patriots 14-10; Buccs beat Falcons 30-17. KEY MATCHUP: Josh Allen and Buffalo’s struggling offense against a Tampa Bay defense that hasn’t been nearly as consistent as the Bucs feel they need to be to make another deep postseason run. The Bills’ struggles generally revolve around the team being overly dependent on its quarterback. Buffalo doesn’t

have a rushing TD in the past three games. Meanwhile, Allen has thrown nine TD passes while also turning over the ball nine times (seven interceptions, two lost fumbles) in his last five games. FANTASY TIPS: Bucs WR Chris Godwin is coming off a 15-catch,

143-yard performance against the Falcons. He has 48 receptions for 540 yards and three TDs, along with a trio of 100-yard performances, in the past six games . ... Bills WR Stefon Diggs had eight

catches for 173 yards and two TDs for Minnesota (2017) the only other time he’s faced Tampa Bay.

CHICAGO (4-8) at GREEN BAY (9-3) Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC

OPENING LINE: Packers by 11.5.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Bears 4-7-1; Packers 10-2.

SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 102-95-6.

LAST MEETING: Packers won 24-14 on Oct. 17 at Chicago. LAST WEEK: Bears lost 33-22 to Arizona; Packers had a bye. KEY MATCHUP: Green Bay offensive line vs. Chicago pass rush. Yosh Nijman will be making his fifth career start at left tackle as Green Bay plays without David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins due to knee injuries. Green Bay also is missing center Josh Myers, who hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury early in the Packers’ victory at Chicago. The Packers should win this game as long as Rodgers isn’t facing constant pressure from the likes of Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith.

FANTASY TIP: Douglas’ pick-6 was one of three turnovers that Green Bay forced in its last game. Given the Packers’ recent penchant for producing takeaways and the Bears’ tendency to cough up the ball, it might be worth taking a chance on Green Bay’s defense this week.

L.A. RAMS (8-4) at ARIZONA (10-2)

Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN

BETTING LINE: Cardinals by 2.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Rams 5-7; Cardinals 9-3.

SERIES RECORD: Rams lead 45-39-2.

LAST MEETING: Cardinals beat Rams 37-20 on Oct. 3, at Inglewood, California.

LAST WEEK: Rams beat Jaguars 37-7; Cardinals beat Bears 33-22. KEY MATCHUP: Rams QB Matthew Stafford vs. the Cardinals’ defense. Stafford had a big game against Jacksonville with 295 yards passing, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He has 30 touchdowns and just nine interceptions this season. Arizona’s

defense is among the best in the NFL against the pass and has a plus-12 turnover advantage through 12 games.

FANTASY TIP: Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins missed three

games with a hamstring injury and then was a little limited against the Bears because of cold, wet conditions in Chicago. But the three-time All-Pro should have a big finish to his season with all of the final five games played indoors in ideal conditions. — All betting lines are according to FanDuel SportsBook

— The Associated Press

Washington swept the season series last year and has a chance for a three-game winning streak against Dallas for the first time since a four-victory run from 1986-88. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman, File)