NFL

Giants bid to end miserable run against division rivals, in-form Eagles host Titans

By Sports Desk December 02, 2022

With just six weeks left of the regular season schedule, the drama in the NFL continues to ramp up.

The playoff picture is wide open and Week 13 action presents clashes between a number of sides who each boast a winning record this season.

Victories this week would provide a considerable boost for those teams' hopes of continuing beyond the regular campaign.

A huge divisional rivalry between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants is the pick of the action, while there is also a rematch from last season's AFC Championship game with the Kansas City Chiefs seeking redemption against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Stats Perform has delved into the numbers for those matchups along with some of Sunday's other big games.

New York Jets (7-4) @ Minnesota Vikings (9-2)

The Jets head to Minnesota with an 8-3 record against the Vikings, though have lost the last two meetings – including a 37-17 loss in the last meeting in 2018, which marked the most ever points scored by the Vikings in this series.

Defensive strength has been key for the Jets this season, with last week's 31-10 victory over the Chicago Bears being the fourth time this year where they have held their opponents to 10 or fewer points – the last time they had such a sequence was five games in 2010, which was also their last season with a trip to the playoffs.

The Jets defense will be tested against the Vikings' aerial threat, however, with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen each catching touchdown passes in the Thanksgiving win over the New England Patriots – the ninth time each player has had a receiving TD in the same game, which marks the most of any NFL teammates since Jefferson's 2020 debut.

A win against the Jets would see head coach Kevin O'Connell join Jim Caldwell and Jim Harbaugh as the only men this century to earn 10 wins in 12 or fewer games to start their career as an NFL head coach.

Washington Commanders (7-5) @ New York Giants (7-4)

A series sweep for Washington last season was the franchise's first against the Giants since 2011, leaving the Commanders looking for their first win streak of at least three games against New York since a four-game streak that ended in 2000.

Four consecutive wins on the road have seen Washington hold their opponents to 54 points total in those contests, marking the first time they have won four straight road games while allowing fewer than 60 points since 2001.

The Giants head into the contest having lost their last five against divisional opponents, standing just 1-7 in that regard over the past two seasons. That makes them just one of two teams without multiple wins in divisional games over that span (also Denver Broncos, 1-8).

Saquon Barkley remains the biggest threat for the Giants and sits just eight rushing yards short of his third 1000-yard season, where he would join Tiki Barber (6), Rodney Hampton (5) and Joe Morris (3) as the only Giants with at least three such seasons for the team.

Tennessee Titans (7-4) @ Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)

Philadelphia host the Titans on the back of a six-game winning run against AFC opponents dating back to last season, matching the Eagles' longest such streak in franchise history.

Last time out against the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles scored a touchdown in four of their five trips to the red zone – with Philadelphia leading the NFL in touchdown efficiency in the red zone this season, scoring in 29 of 40 trips (72.5 per cent).

Tennessee, meanwhile, have rushed for fewer than 100 yards in each of their last three games, matching their longest streak since Mike Vrabel became head coach in 2018.

In the 20-16 loss to the Bengals last time out, Derrick Henry fumbled but was it was recovered. Of the 39 players with at least 200 offensive touches since the beginning of last season, Henry, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey are the only three to have not lost a fumble.

Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) @ Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)

Two meetings last season saw the Bengals win by three points in both contests, including in the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, with the Chiefs' last road win against the Bengals coming in 1984 – losing six straight since.

A 26-10 home victory against the Los Angeles Rams last week saw Travis Kelce catch his 12th touchdown pass of the season, with no other tight end having more than five this term. The largest all-time gap between a league leader and second place stands at six (Rob Gronkowski in 2011 and Antonio Gates in 2004).

The Bengals overcame the Titans 20-16 on the road last week, giving Cincinnati their first three-game winning streak of the season. Since 2018, they stand 3-34 when scoring 20 or fewer points in a game, but two of those wins have come against Tennessee.

Cincinnati have converted 78.1 per cent (25-for-32) of their third downs this season when needing fewer than four yards, the best mark in the league. However, they've also allowed opponents to convert such third downs at a 76.5 per cent rate (26-for-34), the worst record in the league.

Elsewhere…

The Miami Dolphins head to San Francisco with a 4-3 record on the road against the 49ers, the second-best such record by any team behind the Carolina Panthers (7-4).

The Los Angeles Rams host the Seattle Seahawks having won eight of the last 10 clashes between the two divisional rivals, with Seattle's last victory on the road in this matchup coming in Week 5, 2017.

An overtime victory over the Seahawks last week was the second in a row for the Las Vegas Raiders, having beaten the Denver Broncos in OT in Week 11. No NFL team has ever won three consecutive games in overtime going into the Raiders' latest battle with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Dallas Cowboys host the Indianapolis Colts on the back of a four-game spell with at least 400 net yards, with only one longer streak in team history – running eight games in that regard in 2016.

Related items

  • Warner hails Niners for 'standing tall' in nervy Seattle win Warner hails Niners for 'standing tall' in nervy Seattle win

    San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner hailed the team for standing tall on the road after they held off a Seattle Seahawks fightback for a crucial 36-24 win.

    The Niners were in dire need of a victory after blowing double-digit fourth-quarter leads in losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals in Weeks 3 and 5.

    They made a strong start to Thursday's meeting between two NFC West rivals, assuming a 23-3 lead early in the third quarter, as Brock Purdy threw a 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown to Deebo Samuel and another score to George Kittle.

    However, the defending NFC champions let Seattle back in and saw their lead trimmed to six points by the start of the fourth, with the Seahawks reeling off 14 straight points then getting the ball back via a Rasheem Green interception.

    However, they held firm and another two touchdowns – a second Purdy-Kittle link-up and a six-yard Kyle Juszczyk rush – ensured they improved to 3-3, level with Seattle. 

    Asked if doubts began to creep in as the Niners' lead shrunk, three-time All-Pro Warner said: "A thousand percent. 

    "It sucks, but yes, it was something that felt familiar for sure. We could go one of two ways right there. 

    "We could stand tall in a hostile environment and get the game that we got to get or we could settle for exactly how we've been playing the last couple losses."

    The 49ers' season has seen them hampered by injuries to the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Dre Greenlaw and Javon Hargrave, and head coach Kyle Shanahan was handed another headache on Thursday as running back Jordan Mason was forced off with a shoulder issue.

    Asked for an update on Mason's condition after the game, Shanahan said: "He thought he was going to be alright.

    "He went back in, and it just hurt him too much, so he went out. We'll find out more tomorrow."

    San Francisco's victory came at a crucial time as they are involved in the matchup of the season so far in Week 7, when they face the Kansas City Chiefs in a repeat of February's Super Bowl LVIII clash.

    Offensive tackle Trent Williams said of that game: "It's not like we can get payback for losing in the Super Bowl. That ship has sailed. 

    "Obviously, we know what type of team that is, one of the best teams in the league... All-Star quarterback, great coach. 

    "We're going to take these three days off and regroup and try to put a complete game together."

  • Purdy throws three touchdowns to lead 49ers past Seahawks Purdy throws three touchdowns to lead 49ers past Seahawks

    Brock Purdy threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers never trailed in a 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night.

    Deebo Samuel had a 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown and finished with three catches for 102 yards for the defending NFC champions (3-3), who moved into a tie with Seattle (3-3) for first place in the NFC West after an uneven start to the season.

    George Kittle added five receptions for 58 yards and two scores for the 49ers, who beat the Seahawks for a sixth straight time. Kyle Juszczyk added a late TD run for the 49ers, and he and Kittle both celebrated their scores by leaping into the stands to embrace their wives, who were sitting together in the first row.

    Matthew Wright, who joined San Francisco earlier this week to replace injured kicker Jake Moody, had a trio of first-half-field goals from 25, 41 and 35 yards.

    Geno Smith passed for 312 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice, and the Seahawks lost their third straight after a 3-0 start under new coach Mike Macdonald.

  • Purdy throws 3 touchdowns to lead 49ers past Seahawks Purdy throws 3 touchdowns to lead 49ers past Seahawks

    Brock Purdy threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers never trailed in a 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night.

    Deebo Samuel had a 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown and finished with three catches for 102 yards for the defending NFC champions (3-3), who moved into a tie with Seattle (3-3) for first place in the NFC West after an uneven start to the season.

    George Kittle added five receptions for 58 yards and two scores for the 49ers, who beat the Seahawks for a sixth straight time. Kyle Juszczyk added a late TD run for the 49ers, and he and Kittle both celebrated their scores by leaping into the stands to embrace their wives, who were sitting together in the first row.

    Matthew Wright, who joined San Francisco earlier this week to replace injured kicker Jake Moody, had a trio of first half-field goals from 25, 41 and 35 yards.

    Geno Smith passed for 312 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice, and the Seahawks lost their third straight after a 3-0 start under new coach Mike Macdonald.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.