Indianapolis Colts

The running back is out with an ankle injury and is one of four absentees against the Patriots, along with cornerback Tony Brown (hamstring), quarterback Matt Ryan (shoulder) and linebacker Grant Stuard (pectoral).

Deon Jackson filled in for Taylor in his previous absences in Weeks 5 and 6, rushing 25 times for 104 yards and a touchdown, as well as catching 14 passes for 108 yards in those two games.

He faces fresh competition in the backfield, however, following the arrival of Zack Moss – who was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday that saw Nyheim Hines depart, with the Colts also earning a conditional sixth-round pick for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Moss had limited opportunities on the ground in Buffalo, recording 17 carries for 91 yards, and has not played since Week 5.

The Colts are on a two-game losing streak and sit 3-4 on the season, second in the AFC South behind the 5-2 Tennessee Titans.

Willis, who turned 26 in May, announced his intentions on Wednesday in an Instagram post.

"With much prayer and deliberation, I have elected to officially retire from the NFL as I endeavour to devote the remainder of my life to the further advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ," he wrote.

"I thank all my family, friends and those who have supported me on this journey thus far and I look forward to your continued support through the next phase of my life.

"I am both humbled and excited to pursue the holy call that God has for my life which brings me much joy and purpose."

A fourth-round pick of the Colts in the 2019 draft, Willis became a permanent starter midway through his rookie season and started 33 regular-season games for the team as well as one playoff contest.

The Michigan State product totalled 214 tackles, 3.5 sacks and four interceptions – one he returned 50 yards for a touchdown in 2020 – in 39 career games.

"We're thankful and appreciative of Khari's contributions to the Colts both on and off the field over the last three seasons," Colts coach Frank Reich said in a statement.

"Khari's character, leadership and professionalism will be missed in our locker room, as will his play on Sundays. I admire and respect his decision to transition into the next stage of his life and ministry and my prayers will always be with him."

Willis did not attend the Colts' voluntary offseason training activities or the recent mandatory minicamp with what Reich said was an excused absence, and Indianapolis' offseason moves suggest the team was preparing for his potential departure.

The Colts signed veteran safety Rodney McLeod in April and selected Maryland safety Nick Cross in the third round of this year's draft.

Nix had spent his five-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to being released after he was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2014.

The 28-year-old has only carried four times in 60 games and caught 12 passes for 69 yards and one touchdown, appearing mainly as a blocker and on special teams.

He was named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2017 after paving the way for Le'Veon Bell to rush for 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns.

Nix appeared in three games last season before he was placed on injured reserve on November 14.

The addition of Nix marks the first time the Colts have had a true fullback on their roster since 2013. The team has utilised players from others positions in that role in recent seasons.

The quarterback, who was benched for Jalen Hurts towards the end of a miserable 4-11-1 season for the Eagles, is poised to join the Colts, according to widespread reports.

Indianapolis will give the Eagles a 2021 third-round draft pick and a conditional 2022 selection in exchange.

The pick in 2022 is provisionally a second-rounder, but can increase to a first-rounder if Wentz plays 75 per cent of the snaps next season.

It could also convert to a first if Wentz leads the Colts to the playoffs while playing in 70 per cent of snaps.

Wentz will be reunited with Colts head coach Frank Reich, who spent the QB's first two years in the NFL as the Eagles' Offensive Coordinator, with impressive results.

The 2017 season, Wentz's second in the NFL, saw him produce MVP-calibre form and throw for a franchise record 33 TDs before going down with injury and famously being replaced by Nick Foles, who took the team to Super Bowl glory.

Wentz signed a four-year, $128 million contract ahead of the 2019 season.

But he has struggled to replicate his early career form, culminating in the Eagles drafting Hurts in the second-round last year and benching Wentz after Week 13.

The 28-year-old averaged 218.3 yards per game last season, the lowest mark of his career, and threw a career-high 15 interceptions in 12 games.

Philip Rivers' retirement had left the Colts seeking a new QB to lead a roster that appears ready to contend in the postseason.

They narrowly lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round in 2020 after going 11-5.

Wentz is the latest domino to fall in what is proving to be another dramatic offseason on the QB market.

Jared Goff was the number one overall pick in 2016 - one spot ahead of Wentz - but was recently traded by the Los Angeles Rams to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford and draft picks.

Question marks remain over the future of Deshaun Watson with the Houston Texans and Dak Prescott is still unsigned by the Dallas Cowboys. 

Meanwhile, Trevor Lawrence – billed as a generational talent – leads a star-studded crop of QBs in the draft.

There are suggestions Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Justin Fields could go 1-2-3 in the draft.

Wentz had also been connected with the Chicago Bears, who now continue their search for a 2021 starter.

Saturday has no NFL or college coaching experience and had been working as a consultant for the Colts as well as an analyst for ESPN since retiring from the NFL following the 2012 season. 

The 47-year-old Saturday played for Indianapolis from 1999-2011 before his final season with the Green Bay Packers in 2012.

He earned six Pro Bowl selections and was named a first-team All-Pro twice in his career. Saturday helped the Colts win Super Bowl XLI, their first title since leaving Baltimore for Indianapolis, at the end of the 2006 season.

The Colts fired Reich on Monday after Sunday’s 26-3 defeat at the New England Patriots dropped the team to 3-5-1. Indianapolis are last in the NFL with 14.7 points per game. 

Reich went 40-33-1 with the Colts after they hired him prior to the 2018 season. Indianapolis advanced to the playoffs twice during his tenure, reaching the AFC Divisional Round in 2018 before losing in the Wild Card Round in 2020. 

According to multiple reports, the Colts have signed former number one overall pick Eric Fisher to a low-risk one-year deal.

The left tackle was released by the Kansas City Chiefs earlier in March as they remade their O-Line, Fisher having missed their Super Bowl LV blowout loss due to a torn Achilles.

Fisher may not be ready to make his return from that injury until early October, but the Colts are betting he can recapture the form that has seen him voted to the Pro Bowl twice in the past three seasons.

Can Fisher fill Castonzo void?

Fisher allowed a pressure rate of 10.9 per cent in 2020, above the league average of 8.9 per cent but a significant improvement on his 16 per cent pressure rate during a 2019 season in which he battled injuries while helping the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV.

What helped him earn a Pro Bowl nod last season, however, was the lack of sacks he allowed. He gave up only three, though Stats Perform data credited him with four adjusted sacks, which measure pressures on sack plays, even if the pressuring defender did not bring down the quarterback.

His adjusted sack rate allowed of 0.9 per cent was bettered by just eight left tackles with at least 100 pass protection snaps.

It followed a 2019 campaign in which his adjusted sack rate allowed of 1.1 per cent put him in a five-way tie for seventh among left tackles.

The Colts will hope he can prove an effective replacement for mainstay Anthony Castonzo, who retired in the offseason.

Castonzo allowed a pressure rate of 8.4 per cent and an adjusted sack rate of 1.5 per cent in 2020.

The statistics suggest Fisher should be able to fill the void left by Castonzo, but the Colts will have to rely on Sam Tevi at left tackle if Fisher is not ready in time for the start of the season.

Tevi up to the task?

Tevi is coming off his best season in the NFL with the Chargers, allowing a pressure rate of 10.1 per cent, one sack and three adjusted sacks for an adjusted sack rate of 0.8 per cent.

He outperformed Fisher by those metrics but hasn't performed with the consistency for the Colts to be certain he can perform at that level for the long term.

Tevi allowed six sacks in 2018 and 5.5 in 2019 playing right tackle, the latter season seeing him give up a pressure rate of 15.5 per cent - tied for fifth-worst among right tackles with at least 200 snaps - and an adjusted sack rate of 2.3 per cent.

The Colts are banking on Fisher getting healthy and returning to top form if and when he does. Should he fail to do so, they will be hoping Tevi's underrated 2020 was not an anomaly.

Though the Colts are not tied to either Fisher or Tevi beyond the 2021 season, for a team with Super Bowl aspirations but starting a quarterback in Carson Wentz who was sacked a league-high 50 times for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, they need to be right about at least one of their potential Castonzo successors.

Irsay made the announcement via Twitter on Sunday, with the masks to be donated to Indiana State Department of Health.

The 60-year-old wrote: "We must fight and fight WE MUST! We must win and WIN WE MUST! We must fight for, protect, Inspire and pray for every Hoosier that draws a breath in faith or in doubt!

"In UNITY NOTHING can defeat us! HOOSIER POWER AND UNITY......#AmericanLiberty."

COVID-19 is wreaking havoc globally, with more than 69,300 deaths and over 1, 200,300 confirmed cases.

In the United States, the death count has exceeded 9,500, while confirmed cases have climbed above 334,700.

Coronavirus has brought sport to a standstill across the world, including the NBA, NHL and MLB.

However, the NFL is hopeful the 2020 season will get underway as scheduled in September.

Wentz, who joined Indianapolis from the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2021 campaign, endured a nightmare as the Colts missed out on the playoffs by losing 26-11 to the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend.

He was sacked six times in a second successive defeat that brought Indianapolis' season to a halt with a 9-8 record.

Ballard on Thursday stated that it is too early to say what changes could be made after the Colts' failure to feature in the postseason.

"When we made the decision, after Philip [Rivers] retired and we made the decision to make a move on Carson, at the time of the decision we felt good about it and I still don't regret the decision at the time," Ballard said.

"Sitting here today, just so y'all know, I won't make a comment on who is going to be here next year and who is not going to be here next year. That's not fair to any player."

Ballard added: "I'd like to quit Band-Aiding it. I'd like for Carson to be the long-term answer or find somebody who will be here for the next 10-12 years.

"Sometimes it doesn't work out that way. I can dream about it, wish about it, do everything I can to figure out the solution, but you do the best with what you can do at the time."

Ballard suggested Wentz had been too eager to create moments of magic.

He said: "Make the layups. Make the layups. Make the layups. Carson wants to win. He has a will to win.

"Sometimes when you carry the burden where you think you have to make a big play all the time. Sometimes let the team help you, make the layups, make the layups."

Ballard stressed that Wentz is by no means the only player under scrutiny.  

"At the end of the day, I think we have a lot of really good players and really good pieces," Ballard said. "You have to get stability at the quarterback position.

"That position has to play up to his potential to help the team win. I'm not blaming this all on Carson. I'm not, because everybody else has to do their job, too.

"But the hyper-importance of that position, it's real. You have to get consistency there. The years we've gotten it we've been pretty good, and we thought we had it until the end of the season. Something we have to continue to work through."

Wentz ranked 18th in the league for completions (322) in the regular season, from 516 attempted passes (a completion percentage of 62.4, the 25th best in the NFL).

His tally of 27 touchdown passes was bettered by only nine other quarterbacks, though Wentz' total was six fewer than ninth-placed Kirk Cousins in that regard. His seven interceptions tied for 29th in the competition.

Wentz threw for 3,563 yards, the third-best total of his NFL career.

The Vikings trailed 33-0 at the break but rallied in the second half, registering 29 unanswered points to send the game to overtime with the score tied at 36-a-piece.

A 40-yard field goal in the final moments secured the win and the biggest comeback win in NFL history, beating the previous record set by the Buffalo Bills against the Houston Oilers in January 1993.

The win also secured the Vikings the NFC North title for the first time since 2017 and books a return to the playoffs following a two-year absence, but Cousins made it clear there is work to be done.

"The goal every year when the season starts is to win your division, get a playoff game, then sort it out from there," he said on the field to the NFL Network.

"That's the first goal, we were able to secure that, but we've got to play a lot better. You've got to play better football to win in the playoffs.

"Obviously, there's still a lot to play for with our seeding."

Despite the first-half blowout, and a deficit that looked unassailable, Cousins says there was still belief in the locker room.

"It was an ugly first half but we found a way back with complimentary football, a lot of plays, a lot we'd like to have back as well, but we'll take it," he added.

"There was belief at half-time. Patrick Peterson said all we needed was five touchdowns; I thought he was being sarcastic. Obviously, there is some yelling, there is some frustration.

"That [comeback] doesn't just happen. Basic people don't do what we just did."

The Vikings host the New York Giants on Christmas Eve for their final home game of the regular season, followed by back-to-back road trips against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

The win improved the Cowboys' record to 9-3, good enough for third in the NFC, trailing only the Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) and the Minnesota Vikings (10-2) in the race for the one seed.

It was the Colts leading early, with Matt Ryan's 14-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Dulin giving them a 10-7 lead at quarter-time after their opening field goal was answered by a CeeDee Lamb touchdown catch for the Cowboys.

Tony Pollard put the Cowboys back in front when he forced his way into the endzone from the two-yard line, before Hooker seized full control of the game when he intercepted Ryan with one minute remaining in the first half, allowing the Cowboys to add another touchdown ahead of the break.

Michael Gallup was the recipient of that score in the final seconds of the half, and after an Alec Pierce touchdown cut the Cowboys' lead to 21-19, Gallup snagged his second of the game for some breathing room.

Things would go from bad-to-worse from there for the Colts as their next four drives resulted in turnovers.

Hooker added a fumble recovery and defensive touchdown to his big day, and the next two drives would both end in interceptions by fifth-round rookie DaRon Bland, icing the game and setting up some garbage-time stat-padding.

Dak Prescott completed 20 of his 30 passes for 170 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while Pollard rushed 12 times for 91 yards and two scores, and Ezekiel Elliott added 17 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown of his own.

Having lost in New Orleans last time out, quarterback Brady steered the Bucs past the plucky Carolina Panthers in their home opener. 

There were victories for the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers too, while the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans also moved to 2-0. 

However, Sunday's early games were beset by injuries, most notably to Saquon Barkley. The San Francisco 49ers also suffered key losses, though still came out on top against the New York Jets. 

BRADY UP AND RUNNING 

Tampa Bay looked set to be sailing away with the game against the Panthers when they led 21-0 at half-time, Brady helping open up the lead with a 23-yard touchdown throw to Mike Evans. 

Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette scored on the ground to open up a commanding advantage, yet a pair of touchdowns for Christian McCaffrey - who was later sidelined with an ankle issue - put the game back in the balance. 

Both teams traded field goals to leave the score at 24-17, but the Bucs clinched the result when Fournette galloped in from 46 yards out inside the final two minutes. 

PACKERS AND BEARS STILL UNBEATEN 

Aaron Jones was the star of the show as the Packers thrashed the Detroit Lions, the running back rushing for 168 yards and two touchdowns, as well as posting four catches for 68 yards and a score. 

The Bears are also unbeaten in the NFC North - holding off the New York Giants in the closing seconds to seal a 17-13 triumph - but the Minnesota Vikings were beaten again, going down 28-11 to the Indianapolis Colts 

To add further woe for the Giants, star running back Barkley left the game in the first half with a right knee injury. It was later reported by a number of sources that he had suffered a torn ACL. 

COWBOYS LEAVE IT LATE

It appeared Dallas were set to suffer a second straight defeat as they trailed against Atlanta for the majority of a high-scoring contest. 

Calvin Ridley caught two of quarterback Matt Ryan's four touchdown throws as the Falcons impressed on offense, helping them hold a 39-24 advantage midway through the fourth quarter. 

Yet Mike McCarthy avoided losing his home opener as Cowboys head coach thanks to a remarkable rally. Quarterback Dak Prescott's third rushing touchdown cut the deficit to two and, after a successful onside kick secured possession again, Greg Zuerlein kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired. 

For the Falcons, the 20-point blown lead is the largest they have let slip away since Super Bowl LI, when they were 25 points up on the New England Patriots. 

INJURIES A PAIN

Barkley was not the only leading name to be forced out of action.

The already depleted 49ers defeated the Jets 31-13, but the win may have come at a cost. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and running back Raheem Mostert were both hurt during the game, while defensive duo Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas suffered knee injuries.

The Denver Broncos also had to make an enforced change at quarterback, Drew Lock sidelined with a shoulder issue. Jeff Driskel replaced him during the loss to Pittsburgh.

Week 2 scores:

Chicago Bears 17-13 New York Giants 
Dallas Cowboys 40-39 Atlanta Falcons 
Green Bay Packers 42-21 Detroit Lions 
Tennessee Titans 33-30 Jacksonville Jaguars 
Indianapolis Colts 28-11 Minnesota Vikings 
Buffalo Bills 31-28 Miami Dolphins 
San Francisco 49ers 31-13 New York Jets 
Los Angeles Rams 37-19 Philadelphia Eagles 
Pittsburgh Steelers 26-21 Denver Broncos 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-17 Carolina Panthers 

Even in this season of shock results without any clear Super Bowl favourite, Week 10 stood out for its sheer number of upsets.

The defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers were stunned by the Washington Football Team, the Miami Dolphins overturned the Baltimore Ravens and the short-handed league-leading Arizona Cardinals lost to the Carolina Panthers.

When the San Francisco 49ers then beat NFC West rivals the Los Angeles Rams in Monday Night Football, it became the first week in NFL history in which four teams had won by double-digits having entered the week at least four wins behind their opponents.

Week 11 looks no easier to call, and there are plenty of intriguing matchups before even considering the potential for further setbacks for some favourites.

Dallas Cowboys (7-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)

With Patrick Mahomes back on form, two of the best teams in the NFL should be set for a titanic tussle at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.

Mahomes, setting aside his shaky displays to that point, threw for 406 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions against the Las Vegas Raiders last week, becoming the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to have two games of 400-plus passing yards, five-plus TD passes and no picks in his career.

The 41-14 win represented the league-leading 10th time the Chiefs have scored 40 points in a game since the start of the 2018 season, yet they were topped by the Cowboys, whose 43-3 defeat of the Atlanta Falcons was their biggest since a 48-7 victory over Arizona in 2000.

The Cowboys have gone 5-2-1 all-time previously in games following a win of at least 40 points (including playoffs), but this was an unprecedented success. The team's 29 points in the second quarter in Week 10 were their most in a single quarter of any game in their history.

Indianapolis Colts (5-5) @ Buffalo Bills (6-3)

Neither the Chiefs nor the Cowboys can match the Bills' average winning margin of 26.3 points this year. That is the highest mark in the NFL, having been boosted by last week's 45-17 victory over the New York Jets, their NFL-leading sixth win by 15 or more points.

The Cowboys are ahead of the Bills in points per game, but Buffalo have given up the fewest points per game. The last team to lead on both offense and defense in this regard were the 2005 Colts.

The achievements of this year's Colts team have been rather more modest. Their five wins have come against teams with a combined record of 13-34 (.261).

Still, Jonathan Taylor has excelled, scoring a rushing touchdown in seven straight games – the last NFL player to reach eight was DeAngelo Williams in 2008. In fact, there is rushing talent on both sides of the ball, with the Bills last week having four different players score rushing TDs for the first time in team history.

Arizona Cardinals (8-2) @ Seattle Seahawks (3-6)

Another week, another big NFC West game. The Cardinals' form has tailed away a little since Kyler Murray's injury, but they are still unbeaten on the road and looking to start 6-0 away from home for only the second time in franchise history.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks have their starting QB back, but Russell Wilson did little to help their offense against the Green Bay Packers. He was shut out for the first time in his NFL career in his 166th start (including playoffs).

Seattle's problems on that side of the ball did not end there, though. They were held to under 100 rushing yards for a third consecutive game for the first time since the end of the 2016 season, while only twice in the 21st century have they seen such a streak extended to four games.

Whether or not the Seahawks recover this week, history suggests they are likely to be able to stick with the Cardinals. Six of the past 10 meetings between the teams have been decided by three points or fewer.

Elsewhere...

Cam Newton's Panthers face Ron Rivera's Washington, their first meeting since both left Carolina (Newton returned last week). This is the third time since 2010 a former MVP QB has faced the coach he won his award with, following Peyton Manning versus Jim Caldwell in 2015 and Tom Brady against Bill Belichick earlier this season.

The 49ers are now 4-1 when Jimmy Garoppolo's passer rating is above 100.0 this year (141.7 vs. the Rams) and 0-3 when it is not. He was helped last week by a season-high 156 rushing yards, keeping San Francisco's offense on the ball for just over 39 minutes. They should expect more of the same against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have failed to force a turnover in six games this season.

The Cincinnati Bengals need both of their former LSU stars to rediscover some form at the Raiders. Joe Burrow has thrown an interception in five straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL, while Ja'Marr Chase – surely not helped by his QB's struggles – has fallen short of 50 receiving yards in consecutive games after making that mark in his first seven appearances.

The Detroit Lions will hope to learn from next opponents the Cleveland Browns, who have returned to contention since in 2018 becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era to end a losing streak of 10-plus games with a tie. Last week, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Lions became the second.

Indianapolis will receive a fifth-round compensatory draft pick, according to multiple media reports.

The 32-year-old Gilmore will play for his fourth team in four years, joining a secondary that already features Trevon Diggs, whose 14 interceptions over the last two seasons are the most in the NFL.

Gilmore signed a two-year contract with the Colts last year, and unloading him clears an estimated $9million in salary cap room for Indianapolis.

The Cowboys add the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year to a unit that ranked fifth in points allowed per game last season at 20.1.

Reports of the trade came after Dallas announced that starting safety and 2022 leading tackler Donovan Wilson re-signed for three years and $24m.

Gilmore played his first five seasons with the Buffalo Bills before joining the New England Patriots in 2017. The former second-round pick enjoyed his best years with New England, being named to the All-Pro First Team in 2018 and 2019.

He started just three games for the Carolina Panthers in 2021 but had a bounce-back season last year with the Colts. In 2022, Gilmore started 16 games and tallied 66 total tackles, two interceptions and 11 pass breakups.

Gilmore’s 29 career interceptions are tied for the fifth-most among active players.

The Giants qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2016 with a dominant 38-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Jones has been much maligned since the Giants selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft.

But he completed 79.2 per cent of his passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a further 91 yards and a touchdown as the Giants secured the sixth seed in the NFC.

Jones, in the final year of his Giants contract after they declined his fifth-year option, was removed from the game with seven minutes and 30 seconds remaining, receiving a tremendous reception from the crowd and from his team-mates on the sideline.

"That was a special moment," Jones said. "A lot of guys who've put in a lot of work. We've been through, certainly, some tougher times and it feels good to be on this side of it, for sure.

"Special moment with those guys. Really proud of this team, proud of what we did today. Grateful to be a part of it."

The Giants cannot improve their seeding and have nothing to play for in their Week 18 clash with the Philadelphia Eagles.

By contrast, the Eagles need to win to clinch the NFC East and the number one seed in the conference. Defeat for the Eagles would give the Dallas Cowboys the chance to snatch the division and both the Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers the opportunity to clinch the one seed.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll indicated he would not rest his starters and give the Eagles some help in an unexpectedly nervy end to the season for Philadelphia, who suffered a second successive loss at home to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

"You get rest after the season. It's a long season," Daboll said. 

"This is the fun part of the season. It's the fun part of the season when you're winning. It's the bad part of the season when you're losing."

Leonard's deal includes $52.5m in guaranteed money, and he will receive an annual salary of $20m over the first three years, according to a report by NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

It means he overtakes San Francisco 49ers star Fred Warner as the highest-paid player at the position.

Warner signed a five-year, $95m extension with the Niners last month, with his deal paying him $19m annually.

Leonard is one of the key players on a stout Colts defense that ranked 10th in yards per play allowed in 2020.

A second-round pick out of FCS program South Carolina State in 2018, Leonard was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after a stellar first season.

His 416 total tackles are the fourth-most among linebackers since 2018, while he ranks tied fifth for his position group with 22 pass breakups in that time.

Adept at stopping both the passing game and opposing rushing attacks, Leonard registered a run disruption rate of 9.1 per cent in 2020, putting him sixth among all linebackers, according to Stats Perform data.

The signing of Leonard to a long-term deal is some much-needed good news for the Colts, who have lost both quarterback Carson Wentz and All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to foot injuries during training camp.

As a result, the pressure may be on Leonard and the defense to do the heavy lifting when the Colts start their 2021 campaign against the Seattle Seahawks on September 12.

In an ugly offensive showing, the teams combined for 12 punts, six fumbles and four interceptions, heading into halftime with a 6-3 Broncos lead thanks to a pair of Brandon McManus field goals. 

The Broncos had a chance to run out the clock and ice the game, but instead called a pass play, with quarterback Russell Wilson throwing his second interception of the game to keep the Colts alive.

They would march down the field for a Chase McLaughlin field goal with five seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 9-9 and force overtime, and he would kick his fourth field goal of the night in overtime to take the lead.

Needing a field goal to extend the game or a touchdown to win it, the Broncos finally mounted a strong drive with long completions to Melvin Gordon and Jerry Jeudy to move into the redzone. When presented with a fourth-and-one on the five-yard line, they went for it instead of kicking another field goal to tie, and failed to convert a pass into the endzone.

It was a miserable day for both quarterbacks as their offensive lines struggled to keep them upright, with the Broncos sacking Matt Ryan six times while Wilson absorbed four sacks of his own. Ryan finished up completing 26 of 41 passes for 251 yards and two interceptions, while Wilson completed 21 of 39 for 274 yards and two interceptions.

Defensively, Caden Sterns had both interceptions for the Broncos, while teammate Bradley Chubb had two-and-a-half sacks, but Colts cornerback and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore proved to be the game-winner.

Gilmore secured the crucial interception to give the Colts a chance, and was then credited with his second pass break-up on the final play of the game to deny the Broncos the winning touchdown.

Henry, a 2019 Pro Bowler, rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns in the Titans' 45-26 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium.

It marked Henry's eighth straight road game with 100-plus rushing yards.

He tied former Titans running back Chris Johnson for the second longest streak since the 1970 merger, as per NFL Research. Only Barry Sanders (10 games) has had a longer streak.

Henry rushed for the game's opening touchdown, carrying the ball five times for 42 yards in the drive.

He scored another two touchdowns in the second quarter, the Titans opening up a 35-14 half-time lead.

The game was Henry's third with 175-plus rushing yards and three-plus rushing touchdowns.

He joined Hall of Famers Jim Brown (five games) and LaDainian Tomlinson (three), as well as Adrian Peterson (three), as the only players in NFL history with three such games in their first five seasons.

The crucial win saw the Titans (8-3) go top of the AFC South ahead of the Colts (7-4).

Henry is the only player with 100-plus rushing yards against the Colts since 2018, and he has managed it three times.

He surpassed 5,000 career rushing yards and reached 50 rushing touchdowns in the win.

Henry entered Week 12 with the most rushing yards in the NFL this season and an average of 107.9 rushing yards per game – a career-high.

The Titans face the Cleveland Browns (8-3) in Week 13.

The Bills had lived up to their pre-season Super Bowl favourites tag after outscoring their opponents 72-17 in their first two outings, but they came unstuck in Florida.

Two touchdowns from Chase Edmonds propelled the Dolphins to a first win in eight against the Dolphins and gave them sole possession of top spot in the AFC East.

The Dolphins came out on top despite being outgained 497-212 in total yards, with Buffalo picking up 31 first downs to their opponents' 15.

Josh Allen has often been a menace against the Dolphins and completed a career-high 42 passes from 63 attempts for 400 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not enough for the Bills.

Miami took the lead with 10 minutes remaining through the second of Edmonds' touchdowns, and held on despite punter Thomas Morstead bizarrely kicking one into his own teammates' rear end and out of bounds for a safety.
 
Allen drove the Bills as far as Miami's 41-yard line on a completion to Isaiah McKenzie, but he was unable to get out of bounds and the clock struck zero before Allen could spike the ball for a potential game-winning field goal.

Jackson's five inspires Ravens

Lamar Jackson's five touchdowns inflicted a 37-26 loss on the New England Patriots and moved the Baltimore Ravens 2-1 in the AFC North.

Jackson became the first player in NFL history to register three-plus pass touchdowns and 100+ rushing yards twice in the same season, doing so in back-to-back games.

Mac Jones matched Jackson with a rushing touchdown and threw for 323 yards, but the Pats' offense ultimately self-destructed in a disappointing defeat at Gillette Stadium, with Jones limping off at the end to add insult to injury.

Mahomes interception proves costly

Rodney McLeod picked off Patrick Mahomes with eight seconds left for the latter's first interception of the season as the Indianapolis Colts beat the Kansas City Chiefs 20-17.

Mahomes finished the game 20 for 35 for 262 yards, one touchdown and that costly interception that saw the Chiefs fall to 2-1 for the year.

The Colts only took the lead with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter as Matt Ryan and Jelani Woods hooked up for the second time with a 12-yard touchdown.

Late comebacks were the name of the game last week and Week 3 promises to bring even more excitement.

Sunday sees the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins battle it out to remain undefeated, the Baltimore Ravens will aim to respond to a Week 2 defeat against the New England Patriots, while the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans fight to pick up a first win of the season.

There's plenty more on the agenda and Stats Perform has used Opta data to preview the action.

Buffalo Bills (2-0) @ Miami Dolphins (2-0)

The Bills travel to Florida having won their past seven games against the Dolphins, outscoring them by better than a two-to-one margin (258-123). That marks Buffalo's longest winning streak against Miami, beating a run of six consecutive victories from 1987 to 1989.

Buffalo have outscored their opponents 72-17 so far this season to stand 2-0, with the +55-point differential their second-best through the first two games of a season. In 1981, they won their opening two matches by a combined score of 66-3 (+63 points).

The Dolphins overcame a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit (35-14) in last week's 42-39 win at Baltimore, marking the sixth time since 1925 that an NFL team has won a game in regulation time after trailing by such a margin in the fourth quarter. The last such comeback win was in 2010, when the Eagles beat the Giants 38-31 in Week 16, having trailed 31-10.

Tua Tagovailoa threw six touchdown passes, including four in the fourth quarter, against the Ravens last week. Since 2001, the only other player to throw four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of an NFL game was Sage Rosenfels for the Texans against the Titans in Week 7 of the 2007 season, though Houston lost 38-36.

Baltimore Ravens (1-1) @ New England Patriots (1-1)

The Patriots have a 9-2 record against the Ravens in the regular season, the best record by any team against Baltimore in their history – though they have split four postseason matches.

Lamar Jackson became the first player in NFL history to have a 75+ yard passing touchdown and a 75+ rushing touchdown in the same game during last weekend's defeat to the Dolphins.

In week 2, the Patriots beat the Steelers 17-14. Since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000, the Patriots are 42-23 in games decided by three of fewer points, the best such record in the NFL.

Nelson Agholor recorded 110 receiving yards in Week 2, becoming the first Patriot with a 100-yard game since Jakobi Meyers in Week 15, 2020. That brought an end to a 20-game streak without a 100-yard receiver for the Patriots, which was the longest spell in the Belichick era.

Las Vegas Raiders (0-2) @ Tennessee Titans (0-2)

The Raiders have won their past three games on the road against the Titans. The last time the Raiders won four straight road games against a single opponent was a six-game streak against the Chiefs from 2007 to 2012.

An 29-23 overtime loss to the Cardinals in Week 2 came despite them holding a 23-7 lead in the fourth quarter, marking the biggest fourth-quarter blown lead for a loss in franchise history.

The Titans are 0-2 for the first time since 2012 and last started a season 0-3 in 2009. The 41-7 loss to the Bills last week was the largest defeat suffered by the Titans under Mike Vrabel.

Both the Raiders and Titans are 0-2 this season after making the playoffs a season ago. Neither franchise has ever started a season with two defeats and rallied to make the playoffs, while the last NFL teams to do so being the Texans and Seahawks in 2018.

Elsewhere…

Chicago host the Texans with just 432 offensive yards to their name so far this season, the worst in the NFL and the fewest yards the Bears have gained in the opening two weeks of a campaign since they had 335 net yards at the same stage in 2003.

Patrick Mahomes rallied the Chiefs offence to a 27-24 victory against the Chargers last week, overcoming a 17-7 second-half deficit, and are eyeing a third-straight win this season against the Colts. Since his first NFL season (2018), the Chiefs have more comeback victories after trailing in the second half (17) than any other NFL side.

The Saints travel to Carolina on the back of a 20-10 home defeat to the Buccaneers last week. Dating back to last season, New Orleans have scored 17 or fewer points in five of their past nine games (1-4). When they have scored 18 or more, they stand at 4-0.

The Cincinnati Bengals have plenty to do offensively against the Jets, with Joe Burrow having been sacked 13 times so far this season and thrown four interceptions. The last QB to be sacked that many times while throwing as many picks in the opening two weeks of a season was Danny White of the Cowboys in 1987.

Don Shula, the winningest head coach in NFL history and leader of the only undefeated team in league history, died in his home on Monday at the age of 90.
  
"Don Shula was the patriarch of the Miami Dolphins for 50 years," the team said in a statement confirming the news.

"He brought the winning edge to our franchise and put the Dolphins and the city of Miami in the national sports scene."

Shula's 347 career wins as a head coach, including 19 postseason victories, are the most in league history.

Perhaps more astounding is the fact that in his 33-year career as an NFL head coach, he only had two losing seasons.  

He broke George Halas' mark for career wins in 1993 and retired two years later with a regular season record of 328-156-6.

The two-time Super Bowl champion was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.  

"The game has lost one of the greats today, but we have all lost a truly incredible man," Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker said in a statement.

"[Shula] served as an ambassador for this great game for more than half a century."

Shula was at the helm of the 1972 Dolphins, one of the unforgettable teams in league history. They finished 17-0 and won Super Bowl VII – still the only NFL team to complete a perfect season.

The 1973 team finished 15-2 and repeated as Super Bowl champions.  

He presided over the Dolphins for 26 seasons, from the smash-mouth running of Larry Csonka to the record-setting passing of Dan Marino. Since his retirement, Miami are yet to appear in a single conference championship game.  

Although he is best known for his time with the Dolphins, Shula began his head coaching career with the Baltimore Colts in 1963 and ended up coaching three Hall of Fame quarterbacks: Johnny Unitas, Bob Griese and Marino.  

While with Baltimore, Shula was on the losing end of Super Bowl III, when Joe Namath guaranteed a win for the New York Jets, the first American Football League team to win a Super Bowl.  

Shula had playoff victories in four different decades and was a constant in the NFL from the pre-Super Bowl era to the Dallas Cowboys' dynasty in the mid-1990s.

Small in stature, he became a giant of the game as it blossomed into the most popular sport in the U.S. 

Shula was the youngest coach in the NFL when he was hired by the Colts at 33, and early in his career he had built the reputation of a great regular season coach who faltered in the postseason.

In all, Shula coached in six Super Bowls with four different starting quarterbacks. 

The four-time Coach of the Year was one of the head coaches named in the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team and he was honoured on the field before Super Bowl LIV in February.

Shula supported multiple charities, and he founded the Don Shula Foundation as a tribute to his late wife, Dorothy. The foundation primarily focuses on breast cancer research funding.  

They were married for 32 years and raised five children before her death in 1991. 

Shula then married Mary Anne Stephens in 1993. 

His oldest son, David, coached the Cincinnati Bengals from 1992-96 and was able to play against his father in 1994, marking the first father-son head coaching matchup in NFL history. Don won 23-7. 

Another son, Mike, has had several NFL assistant coaching jobs and was head coach at Alabama in 2003-06. 

Shula is survived by his wife Mary Anne and his children Dave, Donna, Sharon, Anne and Mike.