Former France international and World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi has announced his retirement at the age of 35.

The midfielder, who has not played this year after he was omitted from Inter Miami's 2022 roster, has officially called time on his career.

An 84-cap veteran for Les Bleus, Matuidi was a member of Didier Deschamps' Russia 2018-winning squad, starting four of their matches including the 4-2 final success against Croatia.

In a statement to social media, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus man spoke of realising his ambitions, and thanked fans for their support over the years.

"Football, I loved you so much," he wrote. "Football, you gave me so much, but the time has come to say stop.

"I accomplished my dreams as a child, my dreams as a man. It is with a tight throat but with pride that I turn this page today."

Matuidi, who made his senior debut with Troyes in 2004, spent over the first decade of his career in his home country, moving to Saint-Etienne, and then PSG in 2011.

There, he was one of several players who formed the bedrock of their emergence as the dominant force in French domestic football.

A switch to Juventus in 2017 brought three Serie A titles with the Bianconeri, before he joined Miami in 2020.

With seven domestic top-flight titles across his career, Matuidi was also a member of the France squad that came second at Euro 2016, and was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour for his international success.

The Indian Premier League auction for the 2023 season is done and dusted, with some of the world's biggest players front and centre on Friday.

England's Sam Curran, the Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, fetched a new record price when he was bought by Punjab Kings for 18.5 crore (£1.85million).

International team-mate Ben Stokes also brought in an impressive fee of 16.25 crore (£1.65m) from Chennai Super Kings, while Mumbai Indians landed Australia's Cameron Green for 17.5 crore (£1.75m).

Stats Perform runs through the standout deals of the day...

Sam Curran (Punjab Kings)

Having started his IPL career with Punjab in 2019, Curran is headed back after a stint with Chennai Super Kings and returns on the back of the best year of his career.

With 13 wickets at the T20 World Cup and huge batting potential, Curran is one of the most exciting purchases ahead of next year's tournament – as the price suggests.

Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings)

England's Test captain once again dug into his bag of tricks with a superb batting performance at the T20 World Cup to help his team beat Pakistan in the final.

Stokes heads to Chennai for a fee that matches the previous record set by Australia's Chris Morris last year, while his career IPL strike rate of 134.50 is indicative of a batsman who always goes big.

Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians)

The second-most expensive buy in the auction, it is little surprise Green commanded such an impressive figure given his huge 173.75 strike rate across eight T20I matches.

The Australia all-rounder was expected to figure near the top of the bidding, and he will hope to live up to his billing with Mumbai next year.

Kane Williamson (Gujarat Titans)

Williamson was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad, allowing him to enter the auction and be picked up at his base price of 2 crore.

Despite playing a role in Sunrisers' title success in 2016, that fee illustrates Williamson's diminishing returns since then, although Gujarat will hope this is a bargain deal.

Harry Brook (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

This has been a breakout year for Brook, who followed T20 World Cup glory with an impressive impact on the Test stage, dominating for England against Pakistan.

Back in the white-ball arena, Brook was briefly the most expensive specialist batsman in IPL history when signed for 13.25 crore (£1.325m).

Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants)

Brook's record was short-lived as Pooran went under the hammer and sparked a bidding war.

Lucknow came out on top, paying out 16 crore (£1.6m) for his services and acquiring one of the most fearsome white-ball players around.

Josh Little (Gujarat Titans)

Ireland bowler Little saw his stock rise following a T20 World Cup where he took a hat-trick against New Zealand and helped inspire a shock triumph over England.

Little will become the first Irishman to play in the IPL after fetching 4.4 crore (£440,000).

Joe Root (Rajasthan Royals)

At last, one of the defining batsmen of his generation is headed to the IPL, with the former England Test captain finally selected to play in the world's premier T20 domestic competition after going unsold back in 2018.

Root, who did not play at the T20 World Cup, looked set for the same fate again, but a late one crore (£100,000) base price bid in an accelerated auction will take him to India next year.

The Green Bay Packers have locked up their biggest impending free agent by agreeing to a four-year, $68million extension with versatile offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins, according to NFL.com.

Jenkins, a Pro Bowl selection in 2020, will receive a $24m signing bonus and can earn up to $74m over the life of the contract with incentives.

The deal makes Jenkins the NFL's second-highest-paid guard in terms of annual salary, behind only the Indianapolis Colts' Quenton Nelson. 

Jenkins, who turns 27 on Monday, had been slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and likely would have been franchise tagged by Green Bay if an extension was not reached.

A second-round pick of the 2019 draft, Jenkins has started 50 regular season games and four postseason contests over his four NFL seasons. The Mississippi State product has spent the majority of his time at left guard but has made multiple starts at both tackle spots as well as center.

Jenkins started eight games at left tackle in place of injured two-time All-Pro David Bakhtiari in 2021 before tearing his ACL that November. He returned to start 12 games this season, seven at left guard and five at right tackle.

Jurgen Klopp is adamant he can offer no insight into how much money Liverpool need to spend following claims the Reds boss will have told the club £250million of investment is required.

Former Liverpool defender Carragher made those comments while working as part of Sky Sports' punditry team for their EFL Cup last-16 defeat to Manchester City.

His words came after Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) put the club up for sale last month, with FSG saying it is also open to bringing in a strategic partner.

Liverpool resume the Premier League season against Aston Villa on December 26 following the World Cup break sitting 15 points behind leaders Arsenal and seven behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

The Gunners' renaissance and Newcastle United's emergence as Champions League contenders have complicated Liverpool's pursuit of a place in the top four and leave the Reds likely facing more competition for those positions in the coming years.

"I think there's no doubt that Jurgen Klopp has said to Liverpool's owners, 'I need £250m to spend in the summer'," Carragher said, "and that sounds like an outrageous figure, but that's what Man United and Chelsea spent last summer. 

"These are the figures that the teams Liverpool are competing with are spending, and I think only once in Jurgen Klopp's tenure Liverpool have really gone for it in the transfer market, just after the Champions League final [in 2018]. They bought a lot of players, and I think it needs that now. 

"You're talking about that kind of investment, and I don't think FSG have those funds right now, that's why they're looking for investment to come in and help them."

Liverpool have been linked with Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Benfica's Enzo Fernandez, both of whom impressed at the World Cup for England and Argentina respectively.

"Ooooh, it's Christmas time, huh?" Klopp replied when asked about Carragher's remarks.

"I don't know about what amount of money you need exactly, but I am not against investment, to be honest. 

"We will see what the future brings. Nobody knows in the moment, but I'm convinced it will be good and the future is bright for us. At the moment, we have to sort the present, and that is what we are working on."

On Liverpool's prospects in the January transfer window, Klopp replied: "I am the wrong person to ask; I don't know. January in our situation is a window where we are always prepared, that's how it is. 

"It's clear what ideas we have and how the necessity is from our point of view. All the rest doesn't lie 100 per cent in our hands. We always work with what we have got, and that will not change."

Stuart Broad is back in the England fold after making the squad for February's Test tour to New Zealand, as teenager Rehan Ahmed sits out the series.

Veteran bowler Broad, who is England's second-highest wicket-taker in international red-ball cricket after James Anderson, missed this month's 3-0 series success against Pakistan following the birth of his first child.

The 36-year-old Nottinghamshire seamer is one of three players who return to the squad, along with Durham's Matthew Potts and Essex's Dan Lawrence.

Ahmed, who became England's youngest men's Test player when he debuted in the third and final match against Pakistan in Karachi, is omitted as part of a wider management plan for his progression.

The 18-year-old will instead head to the UAE T20 League in the new year, with a view to him possibly earning white-ball international honours during March's tour of Bangladesh.

Paceman Mark Wood is rested after a busy few months in which he has been one of just two England players to feature in both white-ball and red-ball series against Pakistan, as well as the T20 World Cup in Australia. Harry Brook was the other to have featured throughout in England's squads, but the batter retains his place for the two-match New Zealand trip.

England Test squad: Ben Stokes (captain), James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Will Jacks, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Olly Stone.

Graham Potter was delighted to see Hakim Ziyech show his quality at the World Cup, but the Chelsea head coach says there will always be talented players out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

Ziyech was one of the stars of the tournament as Morocco became the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, playing a prominent role in several devastating counter-attacking displays from the Atlas Lions.

However, the tricky winger has enjoyed limited time on the field in the Premier League this season, featuring for a total of just 148 minutes and only starting one game. 

Ziyech's strong performances in Qatar have led to suggestions he could leave Chelsea in search of regular game time, but Potter remains hopeful he will excel at Stamford Bridge.

"Where he was at when we first came in, he was away from the first XI, but he has been involved in the games," Potter said on Friday. 

"We know his qualities, we like him as a player. He plays between the lines and has fantastic quality, and we saw that at the World Cup.

"At Chelsea, there are always good players that aren't in the starting XI, and they have to be patient. 

"I'm delighted for him that he helped his team; I kept in touch with him throughout the World Cup."

Ziyech's Morocco lost out to Mateo Kovacic's Croatia in the third-place play-off, and both players will sit out Chelsea's Premier League meeting with Bournemouth on Tuesday. 

"It's a real mix in terms of when they got knocked out and how much they played. They've dripped back in according to their own circumstances," Potter said of his returning World Cup stars.

"They've come back in a really good way. We're still waiting on Hakim and Mateo. Obviously, they went the distance with the third-place play-off.

"It's a big demand for those two, so it was important to give them a bit of time. They won't be available for the game. Everyone else has been back and had a few days of training."

James Milner and Roberto Firmino are set to be absent as an excited Liverpool launch their Premier League "chase", manager Jurgen Klopp announced.

Milner was forced off in the 38th minute of Liverpool's 3-2 EFL Cup defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday after sustaining a hamstring injury against his old club.

He will now be unavailable for the Premier League trip to another of his former teams, Aston Villa, on December 26, and the December 30 clash at Anfield with Leicester City.

Firmino missed the loss to City with a calf injury sustained in training, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been dealing with a virus that kept Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the last-16 defeat. Oxlade-Chamberlain came on as a substitute against City.

"Milly [Milner] will be out for a couple of games," Klopp said ahead of Liverpool's trip to Villa Park. "Same for Bobby [Firmino], even though Bobby is already on the better side of it, it's not a major thing and we will go day by day with him.

"Ox is fine. No other stuff. We have to be careful [with the viruses going around] like everyone else. Trent hopefully will be better. He hasn't taken part in a full session, let's see how that develops until tomorrow."

Liverpool resume the Premier League season following the World Cup break sitting 15 points behind leaders Arsenal and seven behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

The Gunners' renaissance and Newcastle United's emergence as Champions League contenders are complicating Liverpool's pursuit of a place in the top four, but Klopp remains positive.

"We are really excited [about the Premier League season restarting]. All the players who are back from the World Cup look really on it," Klopp said.

"Hendo [Jordan Henderson], for example, had a good World Cup and that was helpful.

"We have left a gap between us and much more exciting positions in the table. We have to chase.

"There is a lot to come, we don't think about the break any more. It's a start for something new and building on the things we've done so far and knowing and expecting that we can do better – starting on Boxing Day."

Jadon Sancho is unlikely to feature when Manchester United host Nottingham Forest as Erik ten Hag hopes performance psychologist Rainier Koers can help to revitalise the winger.

Sancho last featured for United in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on October 22 and was absent from Gareth Southgate's England squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

With the former Borussia Dortmund player subsequently left out of United's travelling party for a training camp in Spain, Ten Hag said he was "not in the right status or fitness state" to participate.

Having secured a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals by beating Burnley on Wednesday, United return to Premier League action at home to Forest on Tuesday, but Sancho is unlikely to feature.

Asked whether the 22-year-old will play at Old Trafford, Ten Hag said: "I don't think so."

Earlier this month, Ten Hag said Sancho's underwhelming form was the result of physical and mental factors, and the Dutchman has hinted sports performance psychologist Koers could help him return to form.

Koers describes himself on his personal website as a 'life coach', and Ten Hag believes he has plenty to offer to the likes of Sancho but also United as a whole.

"He [Koers] is here for the whole season, working as part of the coaching staff on man management," Ten Hag said.

"He is working with the squad, but also with the staff and with all the departments.

"That's his job – one of his jobs – to get the right spirit in individuals and in the team."

Sancho's lack of form has done nothing to dispel rumours United could move for Cody Gakpo in the January transfer window after he impressed for the Netherlands at the World Cup, but Ten Hag was unwilling to discuss the PSV winger.

Asked whether he was impressed by Gakpo's displays in Qatar, Ten Hag said: "There were many, many good players at the World Cup."

Reece James will be available when Chelsea face Bournemouth on Tuesday but N'Golo Kante is out until at least February with his hamstring injury, Graham Potter revealed.

James missed out on Gareth Southgate's England squad for the World Cup in Qatar after sustaining a knee injury in October, leading the right-back to describe himself as "devastated".

Chelsea confirmed James returned to training as the Blues were put through their paces in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, and the 23-year-old could now feature against the Cherries at Stamford Bridge.

However, fellow defenders Ben Chilwell and Wesley Fofana remain unavailable, with the latter suffering a setback in his bid to recover from a knee injury.

"Wesley had a little setback, which can happen. It's a couple of weeks, he won't be available for the game," head coach Potter said on Friday.

"Reece is back in, he's been training and completed 65 minutes in the week [in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford].

"We're still without Ruben [Loftus-Cheek], Ben Chilwell and Kante."

Kante has not featured since Chelsea – then under the leadership of Thomas Tuchel – drew 2-2 with Tottenham in August, and Potter is unlikely to have the midfielder available any time soon.

"He'll be a while, he'll be [back at] the end of February or the start of March," Potter said when asked about Kante's condition. "It's due to the surgery, the minimum period was four months."

Kante's contract with Chelsea expires at the end of the season, and with no new deal agreed, the 2018 World Cup winner has been linked with a move to Barcelona.

However, Potter was unwilling to discuss the midfielder's future, adding: "My focus is just to help him get back fit as soon as possible.

"Everyone knows the quality he has, so it's just about helping him get on the pitch, helping him to get fit, and I'm looking forward to seeing him play football, as we haven't seen him."

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez must be ready to make an impact on his return to club football after Argentina's World Cup win, manager Erik ten Hag warned.

Martinez featured in five of Argentina's seven games as they clinched their third World Cup title in Qatar, starting twice.

Argentina's victory – which was sealed via a penalty shoot-out after a pulsating 3-3 draw with France – sparked wild celebrations in the country, with Tuesday's parade in Buenos Aires being cut short as huge crowds held up the team's bus.

While United boss Ten Hag says Martinez must savour his career highlight, he emphasised the need for the Red Devils' squad to switch focus as the Premier League returns.

"I can understand that it's emotional, it's very loaded when you achieve this. When you get the World Cup into your country it's magnificent, it's the highest thing you can achieve," he said.

"But also Licha has to accept that on the 27th, the Premier League will go on.

"We all know that the restart is five or six days after the World Cup final, and we all know that after the World Cup, the Premier League continues quickly. 

"Everyone has to be ready for that and you have to accept it; the manager, the coaching staff, but also the players. 

"We wanted to have a strong team to battle for the trophies. We spoke about the tough competition, so we have to be ready for it and it's not easy."

Having beaten Burnley to reach the last eight of the EFL Cup on Wednesday, United return to Premier League action against Nottingham Forest next Tuesday.

Martinez and fellow defender Raphael Varane will almost certainly be absent after helping their countries to the World Cup final, but Ten Hag has backed the France man to bounce back from the disappointment of seeing Argentina triumph.

"Of course, he's disappointed about losing the final, but I think he can be proud that he was in the final again, and of everything that he achieved already in his career," Ten Hag said of Varane.

"As a team, or as a player like Rapha, when you win so many trophies and now he's second [in the World Cup], I think you can still be proud because getting to the final is already a big achievement.

"I think the level of the nations was so close as they came into the final, then it was even in the final, as you know, they were very close."

United entered the World Cup break three points adrift of a top-four place with a game in hand, and although Ten Hag recognises his side are under pressure to qualify for the Champions League, he believes their rivals are in the same situation.

"As you say, I accept it, how it is, but I think it's also for the manager of Chelsea, for Newcastle United and all those clubs invested a lot in their squads," he said. "That will be for every manager.

"It's a big pressure to get into the Champions League, that's clear. You want to be in the top four and you want to fight for trophies and that's our aim."

Real Madrid will face fourth-tier club Cacereno in the Copa del Rey's round of 32 in early January.

Cacereno produced the biggest shock of the second round when beating LaLiga side Girona 2-1 on Thursday, with the Catalans becoming the first top-flight side to be knockout of this season's competition.

The Segunda Division RFEF side have been rewarded for that success with a dream duel with Real Madrid, who will travel to Caceres for the game.

For Cacereno, such a draw will provide a huge boost financially.

Club president Carlos Ordonez was quoted by AS as saying: "It is the maximum lottery that a man from Caceres could win. It has been a continuum of messages, calls, WhatsApps...

"It is the greatest prize that could be given to us. It is an economic boost that for a club like ours is super important. Real Madrid hasn't come to Extremadura for a long time and it's a prize for all Extremadurans."

Madrid only entered the competition in Friday's draw, with Barcelona joining them.

The Blaugrana are set to face third-tier side Intercity of San Juan de Alicante, who have had a fairly rapid ascension to the Primera Division RFEF since their 2017 foundation on the sixth level of the Spanish football ladder.

Atletico Madrid will go to Real Oviedo, while holders Real Betis begin their campaign at Ibiza Islas Pitiusas.

Real Sociedad and Sevilla were drawn with third-tier opponents in Logrones and Linares Deportivo, respectively.

Matches are due to take place between January 3 and 5, with exact kick-off dates and times to be confirmed in due course.

Full third-round draw:

Ibiza Islas Pitiusas v Real Betis

Cacereno v Real Madrid

Intercity v Barcelona

La Nucia v Valencia 

Logrones v Real Sociedad

Eldense v Athletic Bilbao

Pontevedra v Mallorca

Gimnastic Tarragona v Osasuna

Linares Deportivo v Sevilla

Ceuta v Elche

Deportivo Alaves v Real Valladolid

Levante v Getafe

Real Oviedo v Atletico Madrid

Cartagena v Villarreal

Sporting Gijon v Rayo Vallecano

Espanyol v Celta Vigo

Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer put India in control of the second Test against Bangladesh after helping to open an 80-run lead at the end of day two at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

Bangladesh had been restricted to 227 on day one, but for a while on Friday they looked to be following that up with an extremely effective display in the field.

None of India's first four batsmen managed to reach 25, with openers KL Rahul (10) and Shubman Gill (20) tallying just 30 between them, the former caught right at the crease and the latter misjudging a sweep attempt.

But Pant (93) and Iyer (87) soon took charge, putting on 159 for the fifth wicket, with India eventually tallying 314 all out.

Pant and Iyer each hit 12 boundaries, including five sixes for Pant. Although there was a hint of frustration from Pant as he was dismissed in the 90s for the sixth time in his career, he and Iyer had undoubtedly taken India from looking in trouble to almost complete control.

Pant ultimately fell to Mehidy Hasan Miraz (1-61), with the outside edge landing in the gloves of Nurul Hasan, while a straight ball from Shakib Al Hasan (4-79) accounted for Iyer as he was pinned lbw.

Shakib and Taijul Islam (4-74) ran through the tail, although they could not prevent India surpassing 300 and eventually opening an 87-run lead.

Six overs were possible for the start of Bangladesh's second innings before stumps – Najmul Hossain Shanto (five not out) and Zakir Hasan (two not out) ensured the hosts will begin Saturday's action with a full complement of wickets as they bid to level the two-Test series.

Pant and Iyer power India into the ascendancy

There was clearly a reasonable amount of pressure on Pant and Iyer after India's start as Bangladesh's bowlers began in particularly impressive form.

But suddenly the likes of Taijul looked considerably less threatening once Pant stepped up. You have to feel a degree of sympathy for him yet again falling in the 90s, but that should not take away from a vital score.

Taijul gave Bangladesh a platform

It is true, Taijul did struggle to get to grips with Pant and Iyer, but his early work should not be overlooked.

He snaffled Rahul and Gill lbw on middle and leg, before also claiming the scalp of Cheteshwar Pujara (24) – thanks to Mominul Haque's catch – to reduce India to 72-3. Perhaps Bangladesh did not take full advantage of his initial efforts, but if they do manage to turn things around in the second innings, they might look back on Taijul's early treble as significant.

The Philadelphia Eagles may have already won the NFC East and will enter Week 16 without quarterback Jalen Hurts, but a clash with the Dallas Cowboys remains the standout game on the slate.

While the Cowboys' attempts to stick with the Eagles this year were hampered by their road form, Dallas are strong at home and will hope to send a warning to their division rivals ahead of a playoff campaign in which both teams will hope to feature prominently.

Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs have work to do still as they aim, like the Eagles, to secure a bye with the number one seed in the AFC.

But it is not all about the NFL's leading lights, with the battle for position ahead of the postseason ongoing – with a big game in store in Charlotte.

Stats Perform picks out the key facts ahead of a busy Christmas weekend...
 

Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (10-4)

In beating the Chicago Bears last week, the Eagles secured a 13th win in a single season for only the third time in franchise history. On the two previous occasions, Philly finished with a 13-3 record and reached the Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots in the 2004 season and beating the same team in 2017.

The Eagles have never won 14 games in a regular season and will be without injured QB Hurts as they aim to end a four-game losing streak in Dallas.

But the Cowboys are coming into this big home game on a downer, having blown a 17-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week for their first loss in five.

That game also again showed big QB performances can sometimes prove immaterial, with Dak Prescott throwing for 256 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys are 1-2 this season when Prescott has thrown three or more TD passes and only 7-6 since 2020. Prior to that, they were 13-3 in such games.

Seattle Seahawks (7-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)

Patrick Mahomes and Geno Smith each earned Pro Bowl selections this week – a fifth for Mahomes but only a first for Smith. Both were well deserved, with the pair third and second respectively for passer rating among qualifying players this year (Smith, 105.3, and Mahomes, 105.0).

However, Mahomes will look to do something he has never done before on Saturday: beat the Seahawks. Having lost 38-31 to Seattle in his only previous such clash in 2018, they are one of just two teams Mahomes has played but never beaten (also 0-2 against the Indianapolis Colts).

Smith, who has never faced the Chiefs, leads the NFC with 26 touchdown passes as he aims to follow Russell Wilson (2017 and 2018) and Matt Hasselbeck (2005) as the only Seahawks to lead the conference across a season. However, with eight interceptions and four fumbles lost by Smith, Seattle are the sole team in the league to have committed a turnover in every game this year.

Detroit Lions (7-7) @ Carolina Panthers (5-9)

The Lions' stunning 6-1 run, including an active three-game winning streak, has them firmly in playoff contention in the NFC. The last time they won six out of seven games in a single season, back in 2016, was also the last time they made the postseason.

However, the Lions have a miserable history against the Panthers. Their 3-7 record in this matchup is their worst against any current NFC franchise, while Detroit are 0-5 on the road against the Panthers since winning on their first trip in 1999.

With Jared Goff in the best form of his career, the Lions will hope to snap that streak. He has gone six games without an interception, which ties the longest such streak by a Lions QB since the statistic was first tracked in 1960. Goff had never previously gone more than three games without throwing a pick.

Elsewhere...

The Bears this week face the Buffalo Bills, the only team in the Super Bowl era to have lost more consecutive games with 125 or more rushing yards in each loss. Chicago have lost seven in a row, but the 1976 Bills were defeated in 10. With 2,616 rushing yards but a 3-11 record, the Bears are on course to become the first team to lead the league in rushing yards yet have one of the worst two records since the 1932 Staten Island Stapletons.

Recent history suggests the Minnesota Vikings will follow up last week's record-breaking comeback against the Colts with another win over the New York Giants. The Vikings' 7-2 record against the Giants since 2005 is their best against NFC opposition and New York's worst.

The Patriots will have to upset the Cincinnati Bengals to get their playoff bid back on track, yet they have won their past seven home games in this matchup, including the last four while scoring at least 35 points. The last team to win five in a row at home to any one team while scoring 35 points or more were the San Francisco 49ers against the Atlanta Falcons between 1992 and 1996.

Tua Tagovailoa will be relieved this week's game against the Green Bay Packers is in Miami and not Wisconsin. Following last week's defeat to Buffalo, the Dolphins QB is 0-4 in starts when the weather is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit; he is 17-7 when the temperature is at least 50 degrees.