NFL WEEK 15 CAPSULES
EAGLES (6-7) AT L.A. RAMS (11-2) Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC
OPENING LINE: Rams by 8
SERIES: Eagles, 21-19-1
LAST MEETING: Eagles, 43-35, 2017 EAGLES OFFENSE: OVERALL (19), RUSH (28), PASS (12).
EAGLES DEFENSE: OVERALL (25), RUSH (10), PASS (30).
RAMS OFFENSE: OVERALL (3), RUSH (5), PASS (5).
RAMS DEFENSE: OVERALL (19), RUSH (23), PASS (14).
FANTASY TIP: Rams have two 1,000-yard receivers already: Brandin Cooks (1,048) and Robert Woods (1,032). Eagles have bangedup secondary filled with reserves.
ETC.: Eagles could become first team to beat Rams coach Sean McVay twice . ... Rams QBs coach Zac Taylor, Eagles QB coach Press Taylor are brothers . ... If healthy, Eagles QB Carson Wentz (10,152) needs 89 yards passing to surpass Tommy Thompson (10,240) for
GREEN BAY (5-7-1) AT CHICAGO (9-4) Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Bears by 6 SERIES: Packers, 97-94-6 LAST MEETING: Packers, 2423, Sept. 9
FANTASY TIP: Aaron Rodgers has haunted Bears, with 45 TD passes, nine interceptions and 108.3 rating in 20 regular-season games.
ETC.: Packers are 0-6 on road, have dropped eight straight away from Lambeau Field . ... Rodgers has thrown 368 straight passes without interception to set NFL record . ... Matt Nagy’s nine wins are most by coach in first season with Bears since Paddy Driscoll (1956, 9-2-1) . ... Bears lead NFL in turnover differential (plus 13), interceptions (25).
MIAMI (7-6) AT MINNESOTA (6-6-1) Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Vikings by 8 SERIES: Dolphins, 8-4
LAST MEETING: Dolphins, 3735, 2014
FANTASY TIP: In six career home games, Vikings’ Dalvin Cook has 660 yards and three TDs. In last five road games, Dolphins have allowed 628 yards and five TDs to opponent’s lead RB. ETC.: Ryan Tannehill’s 105.7 passer rating would be second best in Dolphins history (Dan Marino, 108.9 in 1984). Dolphins are 12-4 in past 16 games Tannehill has played . ... Over last four games, Vikings have 21 first-half points . ... Vikings’ Adam Thielen, who leads NFL with 103 catches, has 50 receptions for 580 yards and four TDs in six home games. fifth place on the team’s all-time list . ... Zach Ertz (98) is 13 receptions away from breaking Jason Witten’s single-season record for tight ends. Ertz already became first Eagles player to have 1,000 yards receiving since Jeremy Maclin in 2014 . ... DE Michael Bennett has all eight of his sacks in last 10 games . ... Eagles WR Nelson Agholor returns to Coliseum, where he played for USC. He set career high with eight catches against Rams last season . ... Rams coming off lowest-scoring performance under McVay. He has never lost consecutive games and has won at least two straight after all seven of career defeats . ... LA could become fifth Rams team to go 12-2, joining 1973, 1975, 1999 and 2001 squads . ... Rams need three more TDs to tie last season’s 51. Franchise record is 67 by 2000 Rams . ... Rams are 6-0 at Coliseum this season . ... DT Aaron Donald leads NFL with 16½ sacks, but had none at Chicago . ... Jared Goff is fourth in NFL with 3,934 yards passing. At Coliseum, he’s averaging 366.5 yards per game with 70.1 completion percentage, 18 TDs, two interceptions.
DETROIT (5-8) AT BUFFALO (4-9) Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Pick’em. SERIES: Bills, 5-4-1
LAST MEETING: Bills, 17-14, 2014
FANTASY TIP: Bills’ QB Josh Allen only offensive player worth considering, though rookie carries high risk-reward factor with four TDs and four interceptions in past three starts.
ETC.: LeGarrette Blount had career-best 189 yards rushing and two TDs for Pats against Bills in 2013 . ... Lions coach Matt Patricia and Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll were both assistants at New England. ... Allen leads Bills with 490 yards rushing, 11 more than RB LeSean McCoy, and five TDs.
WASHINGTON (6-7) AT JACKSONVILLE (4-9) Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Jags by 8½ SERIES: Redskins, 5-1
LAST MEETING: Redskins, 4110, 2014
FANTASY TIP: Both defenses are worth starting, mostly because of offenses they’re facing. ETC.: Washington QB Josh Johnson makes first start since 2011. Johnson is 0-5 as starter. ... Adrian Peterson needs 112 yards rushing to pass Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (13,259) for eighth most in NFL history. Peterson has three TDs in last four games . ... Jacksonville has one offensive touchdown in last two games . ... RB Leonard Fournette has 100 or more yards from scrimmage and touchdown in three of past four games.
TAMPA BAY (5-8) AT BALTIMORE (7-6) Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Ravens by 8 SERIES: Ravens, 3-2
LAST MEETING: Ravens, 48-17, 2014
FANTASY TIP: Go with Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, who can register points on ground and through air against defense that can’t effectively stop either. ETC.: Bucs’ Mike Evans has 1,207 yards receiving, needs 31 to set team record for most yards receiving through 14 games . ... Tampa Bay has 25 sacks over last eight weeks, second most in NFL behind Saints . ... Jackson has 336 yards rushing for Ravens over last four games, most by NFL quarterback in his first four starts during Super Bowl era.
SEATTLE (8-5)
AT SAN FRANCISCO (3-10) Sunday, 4:05 p.m., Fox OPENING LINE: Seahawks by 6½ SERIES: Seahawks, 25-15 LAST MEETING: Seahawks, 43-16, Dec. 2
FANTASY TIP: Niners WR Dante Pettis ranks third among rookies with five TD catches and has four in past three weeks.
ETC.: Seattle QB Russell Wilson has 12 TDs, one INT in last six outings vs. 49ers. Wilson can become first QB with winning record in each of first seven seasons with win . ... Seattle ranks second in NFL with plus-11 turnover margin; 49ers last at minus-21 . ... San Francisco 1-9 in NFC West in two years under coach Kyle Shanahan . ... Niners QB Nick Mullens passed for 414 yards vs. Seattle two weeks ago.
ARIZONA (3-10) AT ATLANTA (4-9) Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Falcons by 6½ SERIES: Cardinals, 16-14
LAST MEETING: Falcons, 3819, 2016
FANTASY TIP: After being held without TD catch in first seven games, Falcons’ Julio Jones has five in last six games. Jones leads NFL with 1,429 yards receiving. ETC.: Cardinals rank last in NFL in scoring (13.7), passing and total yards . ... DE Chandler Jones has 12 sacks, tied for second most in NFC. Jones leads NFL with 40 sacks since 2016 . ... Falcons’ Ito Smith second among NFC rookies with four rushing TDs . ... Rookie WR Calvin Ridley has six TD catches in seven home games.
NEW ENGLAND (9-4) AT PITTSBURGH (7-5-1) Sunday, 4:25 p.m., CBS OPENING LINE: Steelers by 1; Patriots later favored by 1½ SERIES: Patriots, 16-15
LAST MEETING: Pats, 27-24, 2017 FANTASY TIP: Pats TE Rob Gronkowski feasts on Pittsburgh’s defense. He’s averaging 110.7 yards receiving in six regular-season games vs. Steelers, including nine-reception, 168-yard performance last year. ETC.: Win would give Pats 10 for 16th straight year, tying record held by San Francisco (198398) . ... Tom Brady 11-2 vs. Steelers including playoffs. Brady has thrown 30 TDs against Steelers against four interceptions . ... Pittsburgh 10-2 at Heinz Field in December since 2013. One of losses was last year to Pats.
OAKLAND (3-10) AT CINCINNATI (5-8) Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Bengals by 4 SERIES: Raiders, 20-10
LAST MEETING: Bengals, 3313, 2015
FANTASY TIP: Bengals lean heavily on RB Joe Mixon with offense depleted by injuries. He’s facing defense ranked No. 31 vs. run.
ETC.: Raiders QB Derek Carr has gone 263 pass attempts without INT, 14 short of Rich Gannon’s franchise record . ... Carr has 105.4 passer rating since trade of Amari Cooper, compared to 89.4 before deal . ... Bengals playing final home game. They’ve averaged 51,673, secondsmallest attendance since Paul Brown Stadium opened in 2000.
NEW ORLEANS (11-2) AT CAROLINA (6-7) Monday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN OPENING LINE: Saints by 6½. SERIES: Panthers, 24-23 LAST MEETING: Saints, 31-26, playoffs, Jan. 6
FANTASY TIP: Drew Brees has averaged 302.4 yards passing with 13 TDs and four INTs in past seven games vs. Carolina.
ETC.: RB Alvin Kamara has 168 yards from scrimmage and three TDs in two career games vs. Carolina . ... WR Michael Thomas has TD catch in three of past four games and is second in the NFL in receptions (102) . ... Panthers have never had back-to-back winning seasons . ... Panthers are 5-1 at home . ... Cam Newton needs seven TDss to pass Dan Marino (246) for second most in NFL through first eight seasons.