Robert Lewandowski remains Poland's "number one" penalty taker despite missing his spot-kick against Mexico, head coach Czeslaw Michniewicz has confirmed.

Having drawn a blank in Russia four years ago, the Barcelona forward is still awaiting his first World Cup goal after Guillermo Ochoa denied him from 12 yards in the Eagles' Group C opener on Tuesday.

But Michniewicz confirmed Lewandowski remains Poland's first choice should they be awarded another penalty in their second group game against Saudi Arabia.

"When it comes to the penalties, Robert is still number one," the head coach said. "As a striker, of course, he will make a decision whether he will shoot or pass it on to someone else. He feels ready to score for Poland."

Jan Bednarek believes while Lewandowski will be desperate to break his finals duck, the captain's main focus is on the team's performance in Qatar.

"Robert Lewandowski is our captain, he's a striker, he wants to score as many goals as he can," the on-loan Aston Villa defender said. "But for him, the good of the team is most important. He wants us to win.

"He hides his pride in his pocket, and he really focuses on working as hard as he can. It's not important to him if he scores or not, he wants us to win the match.

"He's got his individual objective, but I am convinced he places the team's success at the top. This is the best striker in the world. I hope he leads us to win. I don't know if he will score or not, but the most important thing is for us to win."

Andre Onana revealed he is always learning from fellow Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, while he draws inspiration from Germany captain Manuel Neuer.

The former Ajax stopper joined the Nerazzurri on a free transfer ahead of this season, eventually replacing veteran Handanovic between the sticks after watching their opening eight Serie A matches from the bench.

Onana frequently picks up tips from the 38-year-old, but it is Bayern Munich counterpart Neuer who he regards as "the greatest."

"Handanovic is a giant, I take off my hat to him," he told SportWeek. "He always helps and advises me. I'm a modern goalkeeper, I go out, I take a lot of risks and I play with my feet.

"As a child, I dreamed watching the miracles of [Gianluigi] Buffon and [Iker] Casillas, but the greatest is Neuer: he does crazy things, I am inspired by him."

Onana is on international duty with Cameroon at the World Cup, starting the 1-0 loss against Switzerland, and is set to feature in their remaining Group G encounters with Serbia and Brazil.

The 26-year-old revealed that following the defeat by the Swiss, the Indomitable Lions received a surprise visit from one of their all-time greats.

"The defeat against Switzerland is already behind us," he added. "[Samuel] Eto'o came to the locker room to encourage us.

"[Our] heads [are] held high for the next challenges with Serbia and Brazil at the World Cup. The goal is to qualify for the knockout rounds. For us, the dream remains alive, intact and achievable."

Bryan Habana has defended Eddie Jones' record as England head coach, suggesting he could finally break his World Cup duck at next year's 2023 tournament.

The Australian will see his side conclude the November international break against South Africa this weekend in a replay of the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.

Jones has come under fire for his side's recent performances, with a shock loss to Argentina and a draw with New Zealand both on his record in recent weeks.

But Habana, who won the 2007 Rugby World Cup with Jones as a member of the Springboks' backroom teams, believes he can still guide England to the ultimate prize.

"I was very fortunate that I got to work with Eddie in 2007," he told StatsPerform. "[He] brought in a very different way of thinking. The difference he made with England was absolutely phenomenal.

"Every coach will be criticised and scrutinised by results. I think for many of the English fans, the scrutiny and the criticism has come around England not performing to the maximum.

"Eddie is an astute coach. He'll be able to take responsibility for where this England team currently is.

"But I also know, despite being under fire, despite being under the microscope, he has the ability to see this England side go one step further and actually win a World Cup in 2023."

Jones is not the only coach whose side have struggled across November, with reigning world champions South Africa also finding positive results hard to come by.

But Habana is proud of how the Springboks have performed across a year of ups and downs, and feels they are heading in the right direction for a successful World Cup campaign.

"It's been a pretty topsy-turvy year," he added. "They'll know they have a lot at stake going into 2023. But, we're proud of what the team has achieved so far.

"A year out from the World Cup, the right steps are being taken. The Springbok team is definitely building something special."

Bryan Habana is an ambassador for the Laureus Challenge 2022, presented by Sierra Space

Saudi Arabia produced surely the result of the 2022 World Cup when they stunned Lionel Messi's Argentina this week, but they are not done there.

Herve Renard's men came from behind to beat the Albiceleste 2-1, scoring with their only two shots for one of the tournament's biggest ever upsets.

The odds were stacked against Saudi Arabia in that match, as they will be again on matchday two as they tackle Poland.

Saudi Arabia have lost nine of their 10 World Cup matches against European opposition, including each of the past eight in a row.

That dismal run included an 8-0 humiliation at the hands of Germany in 2002, but forward Saleh Al Shehri knows this is a very different team.

"That was a defeat in the past," said Al Shehri. "I think we, as a country, want to get back and go up to the top as a team.

"And I guess in the 20 years, we worked a lot, we worked hard. Now, in 2022, in Qatar, we made history, and there's still more to come."

 

Al Shehri scored the equaliser against Argentina, setting Saudi Arabia on their way to a second straight World Cup win after another 2-1 success against Egypt in 2018.

Saudi Arabia had won only two of their previous 15 games at the finals – again in succession in 1994 – while this is the first time they have scored twice in consecutive matches.

They have never netted three in a World Cup match, though, and face a Poland team looking for a third clean sheet in a row – last achieving such a sequence between 1974 and 1978.

"I think about the pressure," added Al Shehri. "Every game has its own pressure.

"We did one job perfectly. It's finished and we are waiting for the next game against Poland. The pressure is always on when you play at this top level."

Poland may be tight at the back but have struggled in attack, attempting only six shots in the 0-0 draw with Mexico.

It was their sixth goalless draw in 35 World Cup matches, making up 17 per cent – the largest such percentage of any team to play 15 or more games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Poland – Arkadiusz Milik

Milik is never likely to start while Poland play with only one striker, but the Juventus man will continue to get opportunities from the bench while Robert Lewandowski's drought drags on. Lewandowski has not scored in his four World Cup outings, attempting 11 shots – including that unsuccessful penalty against Mexico.

Saudi Arabia – Salem Al Dawsari

Al Dawsari could have retired a Saudi Arabia World Cup hero even before this tournament, having netted a stoppage-time winner against Egypt in 2018. Now, after topping that effort with the decisive goal in the Argentina game, he is just the second Saudi player to score in multiple World Cups. Sami Al Jaber, the other, netted three goals in total, a record Al Dawsari can match with another key strike.

PREDICTION

Saudi Arabia might have beaten Argentina, but the supercomputer still does not expect them to follow that up with victory against Poland. They are given just a 20.0 per cent chance.

Poland are clear favourites at 55.5 per cent... or could there be another 0-0 on the cards? The draw is rated more likely than a Saudi Arabia victory at 24.5 per cent.

Trevoh Chalobah has been rewarded for his impressive form under Graham Potter with a new deal that will keep him at Chelsea until at least 2028.

The 23-year-old has become an important player since Potter took over from Thomas Tuchel in September, featuring in 12 out of the former Brighton and Hove Albion manager's 14 games at the helm.

Chalobah has made 43 appearances in total for the Blues, is now committed to the Blues until at least June 2028, with a club option to extend to 2029.

The defender, who has been with Chelsea since the age of nine, said: "I'm over the moon to sign this contract. It's been an honour every time I put the shirt on. I want to give my all and do anything for this club.

"As everyone knows I've been here from a young age and to continue here is every kid's dream. Whenever I get the chance, I'll give my all for the club and look for the future ahead."

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali said: "We're delighted that Trevoh will be extending his stay with Chelsea.

"He has been with us since childhood and has grown into an exceptional young player.

"He's an important part of our men's first team squad and we're excited to see what's next for Trevoh at Chelsea."

Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian both scored in stoppage time to secure Iran a famous 2-0 World Cup win over Wales and keep their hopes of reaching the last 16 alive in stunning fashion.

Wales, who had Wayne Hennessey sent off late on, had seemingly been on course to somehow avoid defeat, but two fine goals right at the end sparked bedlam among the Iran team and fans.

Iran opting to sing their national anthem after abstaining against England contributed to a charged atmosphere that brought an early flurry, including a disallowed Ali Gholizadeh goal.

That let-off and the fact Gholizadeh and Sardar Azmoun struck the post just after the break suggested luck was on Wales' side.

But Hennessey's red card for a wild challenge turned the tide, and Iran picked the Dragons off in ruthless and remarkable fashion.

With 11 weeks down in the NFL, Week 12 presents a number of crucial matchups for sides pushing to secure their spot in the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) and Minnesota Vikings (8-2) look set to slug it out for number one spot in the NFC but the picture is far tighter in the AFC, where the 8-2 Kansas City Chiefs lead the way ahead of four sides with a 7-3 record.

Week 12's action includes a number of sides looking to boost their chances of featuring in the postseason, with the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs all having home field advantage.

Stats Perform has taken a look at some of the more interesting numbers ahead of these and other big games on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) @ Tennessee Titans (7-3)

The Bengals head to Tennessee having scored 37 and 42 points in their last two games, with a total of 79 standing as their most over a two-game span since 2005, and Joe Burrow will be looking to make an impact against an opponent he went touchdown-less against last time out.

In the playoff win against the Titans last season their franchise quarterback did not throw a touchdown pass, with that still the only game which the Bengals have won without Burrow throwing a TD when he has started.

The Titans only really got going in Week 3 this season, boasting a 7-1 record since. That stands as the joint-best across the NFL, tied with Minnesota and Philadelphia – the top two in the NFC, as it stands.

Since Week 4, the Titans have held their opponents to an average of 2.8 yards per rush, the best in the NFL, while the 387 yards rushing allowed in those seven games is the lowest tally by any NFL side in such a span since the 2014 Detroit Lions.

Chicago Bears (3-8) @ New York Jets (6-4)

The Bears have won five straight in matchups against the Jets but travel to New York on the back of a three-game losing streak, each of which has been decided by three or fewer points – the first time in franchise history they have experienced such a run.

Chicago will come up against Mike White as the starting QB for the Jets, who have benched Zach Wilson after last week's horror show against the New England Patriots, where they scored just three points despite not turning the ball over in the game.

White last started in Week 10 of last season, while his four games in 2021 saw him throw an interception on 6.1 per cent of his passes, the highest mark of quarterbacks across the NFL last season with at least 100 passing attempts.

Sunday's matchup will see two vastly different teams on the ground, with the Bears rushing for 54 first downs since Week 8, 15 more than the next-closest team over that span, while the Jets have rushed for just 13 first downs in the same period – the lowest total across the NFL.

Las Vegas Raiders (3-7) @ Seattle Seahawks (6-4)

The Raiders head to Seattle having lost their last five road games against the Seahawks, tied for their longest active losing streak on the road against a single opponent – also losing five straight at Green Bay.

Las Vegas have had no more than one takeaway and no more than one giveaway in nine straight games, the longest streak by any NFL side in the Super Bowl era, but come up against a formidable force in rookie Tariq Woolen.

Woolen has five of the Seahawks' seven interceptions in this season (71.4 per cent) and is on course to shatter the NFL rookie record for the highest percentage of a team's interceptions, which is currently held by Washington's Dan Sandifer, who had 13 of 24 in 1948 (54.2 per cent).

Quarterback Geno Smith has completed at least 64 per cent of his passes in all 10 games so far this season, tying him with Steve Young (1992), Drew Brees (2011) and Kyler Murray (2021) for the longest streak to start an NFL season.

Los Angeles Rams (3-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (8-2)

The Rams head to Kansas City on the back of a four-game losing streak, tied with the 1999 Broncos and 2002 Patriots for the third-longest losing streak by a defending Super Bowl champion – behind only the 1987 Giants and 2009 Steelers (five straight losses).

In the past eight games, the Rams have just a single takeaway, which stands as the lowest by any side over an eight-game span in the Super Bowl era.

The Chiefs have a devastating record against the Rams, having scored 246 points (41 per game) over their last six games against Los Angeles, the second most by any NFL team over a six-game span against an opponent since the 1970 merger.

Having fought back from behind to beat the Chargers last time out, the Chiefs have now won six in a row when trailing at halftime, dating back to last season, the longest streak by any NFL team (regular and postseason) since the 49ers won seven such games in a row from 1989-90.

Elsewhere…

All 10 of the Denver Broncos' games this season have been decided by single digits. If that happens again against the Carolina Panthers, they will tie the second-longest such streak to begin any NFL season, trailing only the 2015 Ravens (12 games).

Green Bay head to Philadelphia having won six of their last eight matchups against the Eagles. They had won just five of their previous 17 prior to that.

The 49ers host the Saints having recorded at least one sack in 37 straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest streak for San Francisco in the Super Bowl era.

The Falcons travel to Washington with six wins in their last seven against the Commanders. Atlanta have scored at least 24 points in nine straight games against Washington – the franchise's longest streak against any opponent in team history.

Hugo Lloris is confident Adrien Rabiot will prove crucial to France's World Cup defence following his impressive display against Australia, while Didier Deschamps wants even more from Ousmane Dembele.

Injuries to Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante opened the door for Rabiot to assume a central role in Qatar, and he did not let Les Bleus down in their 4-1 win over the Socceroos.

The Juventus midfielder grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck before the break, cancelling out Craig Goodwin's earlier strike by scoring the equaliser before assisting the first of Olivier Giroud's two goals.

Rabiot subsequently became the first France player to both score and assist a goal on his World Cup debut since Christophe Dugarry against South Africa in 1998.

Lloris said: "A lot has been said about the absences of Kante and Pogba, who have been vital engines for us for some years now. 

"But you can forget that there are players who can step up and have the maturity and experience to take a leading role – Adrien has that.

"We know his qualities, there is an opportunity for him at this World Cup.

"The opportunity is coming at the right time and he has shown that against Australia.

"He stepped up and scored that goal and gave an assist to Olivier, it shows the impact he can have on the team.

"We know how talented he is, but he also is a very hard worker, he is very technically gifted, a very elegant player. I'm sure he'll help us go as far as possible."

Meanwhile, Deschamps believes Dembele must continue to strive for improvement, despite grabbing an assist in the Australia victory.

The Barcelona forward, whose brilliant cross set up Kylian Mbappe, started France's first two games at the 2018 tournament, but made just two further substitute appearances in Russia.

He was then unused during the victory over Croatia in the final.

But Deschamps insists Dembele has not arrived in Qatar with a point to prove, saying: "I don't think he wants to make up for it or forget it; he was in 2018 squad, and it was successful.

"Four years ago, he was going through a difficult time with major injuries. Now, he is more mature, but he is still full of youthful exuberance. He is in a club that is very demanding, and maybe he is better at that club.

"He is always capable of creating problems for the opponent as he is so quick and skilful, but he needs to rule out any wastefulness and be as effective as he possibly can.

"He was pleased to be in first XI [against Australia], and he put in a good performance."

A magnificent stand from Tom Latham and Kane Williamson sealed a seven-wicket win for New Zealand over India in the first ODI of the series at Eden Park.

Shreyas Iyer (80 off 76 balls), captain Shikhar Dhawan (72) and Shubman Gill (50) made half-centuries as the tourists posted an imposing 306-7 in Auckland on Friday.

Tim Southee (3-73) and Lockie Ferguson (3-59) were the pick of the bowlers for the Black Caps, who then showed why they are top of the rankings in the 50-over format with a brilliant run chase.

It was advantage India after Umran Malik (2-66) struck twice on his debut to leave New Zealand 88-3 in the 20th over, but an unbroken partnership of 221 from Latham and Williamson secured a resounding win with 17 balls to spare.

Latham made a sublime unbeaten 145 off 104 balls and skipper Williamson 94 not out as the Blacks Caps made a strong response to their T20I series loss to India.

Dhawan and Gill laid a great platform with a century stand, but both openers fell with 124 on the board before Ferguson cleaned Rishabh Pant and also got rid of Suryakumar Yadav cheaply.

Iyer struck four sixes and as many fours, while Washington Sundar (37 off 16) provided late impetus and Sanju Samson chipped in with 36.

Umran had Devon Conway caught behind and saw the back of Daryl Mitchell after Finn Allen fell to Shardul Thakur, but that was as good as it got for India as Latham and Williamson took the game away from them.

The experienced duo steadied the ship and then started to motor, with India - missing a host of regulars - unable to halt the flow of runs, Arshdeep Singh going for 68 from 8.1 overs on his ODI bow.

Yet another milestone for Southee

It was another memorable day for New Zealand paceman Southee, who became only the fifth New Zealand bowler to take 200 ODI wickets.

He moved above Chris Cairns to go fourth on the list of the Black Caps' leading wicket-takers in this format.

Southee is also the first player to take 300 Test wickets, claim 200 ODI scalps and 100 T20I dismissals.

Latham and Williamson put on a show

The game was in the balance when Latham came in at number five to join his skipper at the crease.

It had soon swung firmly in New Zealand's favour courtesy of brilliant knocks from such a consistent duo that have delivered time and again over the years.

Wicketkeeper-batter Latham raced to his seventh ODI century off only 76 balls, ending up with five sixes and another 19 boundaries. The composed and classy Williamson registered a staggering 40th ODI half-century.

Cristiano Ronaldo's club future could yet be in Saudi Arabia despite rebuffing a previous offer, with the nation's sports minister hailing him as a "role model".

The Portugal captain is without a domestic team after mutually agreeing the termination of his contract with Manchester United in the wake of a controversial interview.

It brings to an end an ill-fated second spell with the Premier League club, yet it could have been curtailed even earlier after the forward fielded bids from other teams during the off-season.

One of those was from an unnamed Saudi club, and now the country's minister of sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, has backed the possibility of another move to bring him to the nation.

"Anything is possible," he told BBC Sport. "I would love to see Ronaldo play in the Saudi league.

"It would benefit the league, the sports ecosystem in Saudi, and it will inspire the youth for the future. He's a role model to a lot of kids and has a big fan base."

Ronaldo's exit prefaced news the Glazer family, long-term owners of United, are reportedly considering a sale, after years of protests over the direction the club has headed under their watch.

Coupled with Fenway Sports Group, the owners of fellow Premier League team Liverpool, exploring their options, the door is open for potential further investment into the English top-flight from the gulf state.

Newcastle United are already owned by Saudi Arabia's state-backed Public Investment Fund (PIF), but while Abdulaziz has ruled out another bid from the government, he has suggested private investment could still be explored.

"It's the most-watched league in Saudi and the region, and you have a lot of fans of the Premier League," he added.

"From the private sector, I can't speak on their behalf, but there is a lot of interest and appetite and there's a lot of passion about football.

"We will definitely support it if any [Saudi] private sector comes in, because we know that's going to reflect positively on sports within the kingdom. If there's an investor willing to do so and the numbers add up, why not?"

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris believes Richarlison has proven his qualities for Brazil, silencing his doubters with a double against Serbia.

Richarlison was the star of the show for Brazil in Doha on Thursday, as Tite's team started their World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory at Lusail Stadium.

The Tottenham forward tucked in an opportunistic opener in the 62nd minute, before lashing an acrobatic attempt into the left-hand corner to seal the victory in style.

Brazil's win was marred by an ankle injury for Neymar, though Tite was confident the Paris Saint-Germain star would recover.

Asked about his Spurs team-mate, as well as Neymar's injury, while previewing France's Group D clash with Denmark, Lloris said: "Neymar is an icon in global football, but I'm not going to talk about him that much, I don't know how serious the injury is.

"For Richarlison, I'm delighted for him, he's not one of the better-known players in the Brazil squad and maybe not everyone expected to be in XI, but he's a great player, a great goalscorer – as he proved with the first goal but then a wonderful second goal.

"[It was] spectacular, and the best goal of the tournament so far, so that's great for him.

"We know how good a team Brazil is, they're favourites. They'll be delighted to win the first game, that's what they needed to do, to get out on the front foot."

Holders France can seal their place in the last 16 by beating Denmark on Saturday, though they go into that match having lost their last two meetings with the Danes, both of those defeats coming in this year's Nations League.

Lloris said: "It gives you an idea of the level of this Danish team, it's an excellent side and capable of beating the best.

"It's been a wake-up for us, we can't say we don't know them and we don't need extra motivation, [it's] a decisive game for qualification. If you look at the first games between Tunisia and Denmark, you can see that we have a lot of work to do. Every team is in a good place."

"They are underestimated," France coach Didier Deschamps said of Denmark, who have kept a clean sheet in three of their last five World Cup games.

"We're talking about just between June and September where they beat us twice and made life difficult. We have to make sure that's not the case. It's not a question of revenge, we know their players, they know us.

"We'll learn from those experiences but Denmark can learn too."

Australia and Tunisia are hungry to snatch a rare World Cup victory when they meet at Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday, knowing they could take a huge step towards the knockout stage.

After Australia were torched 4-1 by France, Graham Arnold will look to rouse his side for a clash with a Tunisia side who revelled in having huge support against Denmark, earning a 0-0 draw against the European Championship semi-finalists.

That result for Tunisia – just a second clean sheet for the team in 16 matches at the World Cup – has raised hopes of advancing beyond the group stage for the first time, at what is their sixth World Cup.

"We want to get past this round, this is our main objective, and we're quite optimistic about achieving this goal," said coach Jalel Kadri.

It is a lip-smacking opportunity for them against a Socceroos side who took the lead against France before being blown away by the firepower of the World Cup holders.

Australia have lost 11 of their 17 games at the World Cup (65 per cent), and have failed to win in their last seven outings on this stage, their longest winless streak in the competition.

Tunisia had just 38.7 per cent of the ball against Denmark and their passing accuracy in the opposition half was a disappointing 55.4 per cent; however, they won a healthy 55.8 per cent of duels.

Australia had just 37.6 per cent of possession against France, and the outcome of that game means they have now managed only one clean sheet in 17 World Cup games.

Kadri said: "We're playing a strong group and today we have one point, and we should invest this energy we have in the next match as well."

He said of the crowd's raucous support for his team: "It gives us a great lift and we're looking forward to seeing the fans continue to do that."

Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine, who plays club football in Germany for St Pauli, wants to see a response after the France result.

He said: "To feel disappointed... is huge testament to the mentality of the group and that desire to win and get results, and it's definitely something we have in us all the time and continue to have going into these next couple of huge games."

Citing the "very different opposition", Irvine predicted: "The game will flow in a totally different way."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tunisia – Issam Jebali

Jebali had Tunisia's best opportunities in the Denmark game, with his three goal chances being worth a total of 0.53 expected goals (xG) out of a team total of 0.92. Denmark's Andreas Cornelius (0.93) was the only player on the pitch with a higher xG score, having missed a golden close-range chance to win the game.

Tunisia will hope for Jebali to be sharper with his finishing against Australia. Kadri has Wahbi Khazri waiting in the wings, promising he will "get his chance", with many surprised the Montpellier man played no part against Denmark.

Australia – Mat Ryan

Goalkeeper Ryan and winger Mathew Leckie could both make their eighth World Cup starts for Australia, setting a new national record at the finals.

Ryan suffered against France as Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and Co made his day a misery, and he will be looking to earn a rare World Cup shut-out this time around.

PREDICTION

Tunisia are given a 47.6 per cent chance of winning this one, while Australia have only a 25.6 per cent prospect of snatching the three points, according to Opta's AI model.

The draw, therefore, is a 27.1 per cent possibility, but with the stakes so high, victory is imperative for both teams. A draw, you might imagine, would likely be a crushing blow to each team's hopes of reaching the last-16 stage.

This will be just the third meeting between Tunisia and Australia – Australia won 3-0 in a friendly in 1997, before Tunisia won 2-0 at the 2005 Confederations Cup.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell says people forget Justin Jefferson is only in his third NFL season after his starring display in Thursday's 33-26 win over the New England Patriots.

Wide receiver Jefferson played a key role for the Vikings as they improved their record to 9-2, scoring a first-quarter touchdown among his nine receptions for 139 yards.

With six games left in the regular season, the 23-year-old also surpassed Randy Moss' NFL record for the most receiving yards of any player through their first three seasons in a career.

Two-time Pro Bowler Jefferson is second in the NFL for receiving yards this season (1093), behind only Tyreek Hill (1148).

"People forget sometimes it's still only year three," O'Connell told reporters. "He's learning so much each and every week but the talent and the competitive drive that he has just makes him a very special player."

Jefferson played a key part in Adam Thielen's game-winning touchdown with a double-team contested catch for a 36-yard gain. Thielen scored on the next play from a Kirk Cousins' pass, with Jefferson double teamed.

"He was double teamed a lot tonight," O'Connell said. "Had some success against double team looks. When he got single coverage Kirk found him a few times, got a great double move there to set up Adam's go-head touchdown.

"He's a special player. He means a whole heck of a lot to our offense, to our team, it was a big night for Justin. Quite frankly, I'm just so proud of the way he battles, the grit, the determination, and the preparation that he's put into this."

Cousins also earned praise from O'Connell, with the win coming after a blowout 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday where the QB completed only 12-of-23 passes for 105 yards.

"Kirk Cousins was phenomenal tonight, getting us in and out of the plays he did, standing back there and making some big, big throws," O'Connell said.

"I can't say enough about the protection as well. It's not easy against that defensive structure, so I give our guys credit."

Odell Beckham Jr's move to the Dallas Cowboys is a step closer with team owner Jerry Jones admitting he held a "good meeting" with the free agent on Thursday.

The 30-year-old wide receiver has been heavily linked with the Cowboys along with the New York Giants.

Jones said after Thursday's 28-20 win over the Giants that he had spoken to Beckham, albeit by phone rather than an in-person visit.

"We had a good visit today, that's it," Jones told reporters. "I don't have a timeframe there."

Beckham has not played since last season's Super Bowl triumph with the Los Angeles Rams, where he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Jones conceded it was unclear if Beckham would be available to play this season, with the Cowboys' latest win improving their record to 8-3.

"We'll see. We'll have to see," Jones said. "I haven't gotten the benefit of his rehab work and where he is."

The Cowboys have not won the Super Bowl since winning three in four years from 1992 to 1995, when they traded for Charles Haley and Deoin Sanders during that era.

"I don't want to make comparisons but Odell could help us," Jones said. "I believe that right now. Now, we've got to make it fit and that's the challenge here."

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