San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Colts take shot at becoming a contender
It’s difficult to sneak up on anybody in the NFL, given the attention the sport commands.
Yet the Indianapolis Colts have been something of a secret at 6-3. If you’re surprised to see them tied with Tennessee atop the AFC South, it’s excusable.
After beating the Titans, should they handle one of the NFL’s elite teams, the Packers, on Sunday, well, evaluations of the Colts will change from outsider to contender.
“We enjoyed the heck out of that win (at Tennessee). We were all excited,“quarterback Philip Rivers says. “That was a big win, but at the same time we know you just have to keep pushing. I refer to it as … it’s a weekto-week league. It’s what are you doing this Sunday?
“As excited as we are to put ourselves in position here after nine games, we know that our best football needs to be ahead of us starting this week.”
Green Bay (7-2) is solidly in control of the NFC
North and in strong position to pursue the conference’s top seed and lone playoffs bye. The Packers have only one future opponent that currently has a winning record, the Titans.
KANSAS CITY AT LAS VEGAS
Howmuch have the Chiefs dominated the AFC West? Try:
Kansas City has won 17 of the past 19 road games in the division, losing only to the Raiders in 2014 and ‘17. Kansas City also has won 17 of its past 18 games overall, including the playoffs, with the only loss coming last month to Las Vegas.
The Raiders believe they are prepared for a shootout against Patrick Mahomes and Co. Mahomes has 25 touchdown passes and one interception; Drew Brees in 2018 is the only quarterback to throw more TDs before his second pick, 26. And KC looks to score at least 23 points for an NFL-record 24th straight game.
PITTSBURGH AT JACKSONVILLE
The Steelers don’t play particularly well in Jacksonville, but they still have squeezed out victories in their past three trips. While their running game has sagged a bit, there’s nothing wrong with the defense. The Steelers have at least one sack in 66 consecutive games, three shy of Tampa Bay’s NFL record set between 1999 and 2003.
Jacksonville, which has lost eight in a row, is one shy of a very dubious mark: 100 defeats under owner Shad Khan. He fired coach Gus Bradley following a ninth straight loss in 2016. The Jaguars are 41-99 in Khan’s nineyear tenure. A loss Sunday would tie him with former
New Orleans Saints owner John Mecom Jr. as the second fastest to reach 100.
TENNESSEE AT BALTIMORE
It’s all about Derrick Henry, as the Ravens found out in last January’s playoff loss to the Titans’ superb running back. Henry, second in the NFL in rushing with 946 yards, ran for 103 yards in his previous game, a loss to Indianapolis. Henry has five 100-yard rushing games this season and 11 since the start of the 2019
schedule.
But the Ravens lead the NFL in fewest points allowed per game (18.3), forced fumbles (17) and fumble recoveries (10). And they can also run the ball, having rushed for at least 100 yards in 32 straight games, the thirdlongest streak in NFL history.
PHILADELPHIA AT CLEVELAND
The Eagles have won five straight against the Browns and four in a row at Cleveland. But these Eagles have been serious underachievers — injuries have had a lot to do with that — and are on top of the NFC East only because the division is so week. The Eagles’ next five opponents are a combined
32-13.
They do play the run pretty well, and the Browns run well. Nick Chubb returned last week after missing four games with a sprained right knee and rushed for 126 yards. Kareem Hunt added 104 yards against Houston; Chubb and Hunt are the first Cleveland backs to run for 100 yards apiece since Hall of Famer Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green in 1966.
MIAMI AT DENVER
Turnovers often are decisive in the NFL, so get this: The Dolphins rank second in takeaways per game at 1.7. They have a takeaway in 16 consecutive games, the longest streak in the league. Denver leads the league with 21 giveaways, including a league-high 16 interceptions.
The Broncos turned over the ball five times at Las Vegas last week.
Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa could match Ben Roethlisberger as the only quarterbacks in the past 40 years to win their first four starts as a rookie. Roethlisberger won his first 13 starts in 2004. The Dolphins’ five-game winning streak is their longest since 2016.
L.A. RAMS AT TAMPA BAY
For all the excitement about the offenses, Monday night could come down to a pair of dependable defensive units.
LA’s defense has allowed 29 points in the second half this season, including just two touchdowns, both by Buffalo in Week 3.
The Rams have allowed an NFL-low nine touchdown passes, including just one TD throw in their six victories. In Aaron Donald, they have the most dominant defender in the league, and Tom Brady will be facing a top-level secondary led by Jalen Ramsey.
ATLANTA AT NEW ORLEANS
The Falcons are playing better under interim coach Raheem Morris, and the Saints, minus Drew Brees, could be vulnerable.
The Saints have won six straight games, the fourth straight season they’ve had a winning streak that long. Whether it continues might depend on if Jameis Winston can protect the ball better than he did when he was with Tampa Bay, and how productive
Alvin Kamara is against a vulnerable Atlanta defense. Kamara ranks second in the NFL in scrimmage yards with 1,134, and has 11 TDs.
CINCINNATI ATWASHINGTON
The top two selections in last April’s draft face off.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow ranks second in the NFL with 370 pass attempts and third with 242 completions. He has five 300yard passing games, tied for second most among rookies in NFL history.
Washington edge rusher Chase Young hasn’t had nearly as much impact, but leads all rookies with 3 1-2 sacks. Young committed a roughing-the-passer penalty that set up the Lions for Matt Prater’s winning 59-yard field goal last Sunday.
DETROIT AT CAROLINA
The Lions are 3-2 on the road, the Panthers are 1-4 at home and have dropped five in a row overall.
Surprising factoid: Carolina’s Robby Anderson ranks fifth in yards receiving (772), and DJ Moore ranks 10th with 736, making Carolina the only team in the league with two players with more than 700 yards receiving.
N.Y. JETS AT L.A. CHARGERS
Two teams headed nowhere.
New York has not won a regular-season road game against the Chargers since 2004, and has never been 0-9 before. We might be repeating the phrase each week as the numbers climb.