Brady, Rodgers face off Sunday
Hey old-timer, what are you still doing on an NFL field?
Guaranteed no one is asking that question to the quarterbacks in the bays: 43-year-old Tom Brady in Tampa and 36-year-old Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. The two future residents of Canton, Ohio — at least their busts in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, that is — spice up the Packers-Buccaneers game Sunday in Tampa.
And who says these quarterbacks are old? Certainly not Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians, who has worked with some of the best — young or old — throughout the decades.
“Barring major injury, I think these guys can play until they’re 45, as long as their arm holds up,” he says. “With sports science and all the stuff that these guys are doing to stay in shape and keeping their arms strong, I don’t see — unless their legs go —why they couldn’t play until they’re 45.”
Rodgers, whose Packers (4-0) have been the most fundamentally sound team in the NFL so far on both sides of the ball, is 1-1 against Brady. He’s a big fan of Brady’s.
“He’s kind of always been ahead of the field with his footwork and just his dedication to what he’s doing,” Rodgers says. “He really cares about it obviously. He cares about taking care of himself and trying to get to 45, it looks like. And he’s gonna get there.”
The Packers have won their past nine regular-season games. They are the first team in NFL history to score at least 150 points and commit no turnovers through the first four games of a season.
Tampa (3-2) is ranked No. 1 against the run, No. 2 overall on defense. The unit has held opponents to less than 50 yards rushing the past three weeks. The 2016 Packers were the last team to do that in four consecutive games.
Off this week are Seattle (5-0), New Orleans (3-2), the Los Ange
les Chargers (1-4) and Las Vegas (3-2).
Cleveland (4-1) at Pittsburgh (4-0)
Here’s a rarity: A matchup of these AFC North archrivals that draws headlines. It’s the first time they both are at least three games over .500 when they meet since 1994.
The Browns have won four straight and are 4-1 for the first time since that year, but have lost 16 straight games at Heinz Field to the Steelers.
“It is a great test for us,” says Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has been nursing sore ribs. “Another great defense. They bring a physical challenge. They bring the muddied pockets. They will hit you. They try to impose their will.
“That is what our divi- sion is all about. We have to play that ball, match that energy and exceed it.”
Kansas City (4-1) at Buffalo (4-1), Monday
Much uncertainty surrounded when this game would be played, not because of anything the Bills or Chiefs had done but because of Tennessee’s COVID-19 outbreak.
Both come off losses and displayed leaky defenses in those defeats. That makes the prospect of slowing Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes or Buffalo’s Josh Allen not exactly enticing.
Los Angeles Rams (4-1) at San Francisco (2-3)
Key (and weird) stats time:
—San Francisco is 2-0 at the home. against —Los Meadowlands, the Angeles NFC East. is 0-3 4-0 at —San Francisco has a league-low 38 catches and 480 yards receiving from wideouts. —The Rams are tied for the NFL lead with 20 sacks after getting eight at Wash- ington. DT Aaron Donald tied a career high with four sacks and also had a forced fumble last week. Donald is the fifth player since 2000 with multiple four-sack games and he has a sack in six straight games against San Francisco.
— The Niners have allowed five sacks i n backto-back games for the first time since 2014.
Arizona (3-2) at Dallas (2-3), Monday
A Big D homecoming of sorts. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray and coach Kliff Kingsbury will make their first NFL appearances in their home state. Both are quite familiar with the home of the Cowboys: Murray has a 6-0 record at AT&T Sta- dium from his high school and Oklahoma days. Kingsbury coached there six times with Texas Tech, going 2-4 vs. Baylor. Cowboys QB Andy Dal- ton will make his first start in place of the injured Dak Prescott. The Houstonarea native will be playing down the road from where he starred at TCU. The Cowboys are playing their third straight home game, and the Cardinals are playing their third straight on the road.
Denver (1-3) at New England (2-2)
Originally scheduled for last Sunday and also affected by the Titans’ outbreak, both teams could benefit from the one-week delay. QBs Cam Newton (coronavirus) for the Patriots and Drew Lock (shoulder) for the Broncos figure to be back on the field. Denver also gets back top runner Phillip Lindsay after a three-week absence. The Patriots have won six of the past seven meetings, including four straight in New England. Julian Edelman has 24 catches for 274 yards and three touchdowns in his past three meetings with Denver.
Houston (1-4) at Tennessee (4-0)
Romeo Crennel replaced Bill O’Brien as Texans coach and the team promptly won for the first time. That was against weak Jacksonville. The Titans, despite their COVID-19 issues in recent weeks, are a much more formidable foe.
Look for Derrick Henry toting the ball — often. He ranks third in the NFL with 376 yards rushing and ran for 211 yards and three touchdowns in the previous meeting with Houston.
The Texans got their first takeaways last week on two fumbles. They are the only team in the NFL without an interception.