For all the scrutiny on Tom Brady in what could be his final season in the NFL, the championship hopes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may hinge heavily on a running back playing in his first.
Brady and the Buccaneers looked to finally be finding their groove on offense prior to their Week 11 bye, finishing with 419 net yards of offense as they knocked off the Seattle Seahawks in Munich in Week 10 to improve to 5-5.
Though Brady delivered arguably his best performance of the season throwing the ball, a critical development for the Bucs at Allianz Arena was the emergence of rookie running back Rachaad White, who thrived as the lead runner for Tampa Bay after Leonard Fournette suffered a hip injury.
White had 22 carries for 105 yards against Seattle having previously not topped eight carries or 27 yards in any of his first nine games. He became the first rookie running back to rush for 100 yards for Tampa Bay since Mike James in Week 9, 2013.
With Fournette doubtful to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, White will likely get the lion's share of the work in the Tampa Bay backfield again. After a breakout performance in Germany, can he blossom into an offensive weapon who can help propel the Bucs to a deep playoff run?
His season-long average of 3.7 yards per carry is not a point in his favour, however, White has demonstrated an encouraging ability to create yardage for himself.
Indeed, White is averaging 2.17 yards after contact per attempt in his first season after being selected in the third round out of Arizona State, that tally above the league-wide average of 2.07 for backs with at least 50 carries this season.
He bounced off defenders consistently in the defeat of Seattle, in which he racked up 2.71 yards after contact per attempt in a performance that was punctuated by his brutal stiff arm on Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs.
Among backs who had at least 10 carries in Week 10, only five backs averaged more yards after contact.
White's value is not just limited to his efforts on the ground, however. He offers significant upside as a receiving threat out of the backfield, as his burn rate, which measures how often a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, illustrates.
For running backs with at least 25 targets in the passing game this season, White's burn rate of 64 per cent is the third best in the NFL. Though his tally of 135 receiving yards may not be overly impressive, his success in creating separation when he is utilised as a pass-catcher suggests that number would inflate considerably with more playing time.
White has the skill set to be a dynamic runner for the Buccaneers and serve as an outlet for Brady in the passing game, giving the 45-year-old an easy button when his connection with the likes of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin sputters as it has often done in 2022.
Against the Browns, however, it is the former capacity where White will look to enjoy the most significant influence.
The Browns have allowed a run success rate of 42.6 per cent this season, the fourth-worst in the NFL behind the Kansas City Chiefs (42.9%), Los Angeles Chargers (42.7%) and Detroit Lions (42.7%).
In addition, Cleveland's run defense has given up six rushing touchdowns of at least 10 yards, tied with the lowly Houston Texans for the most in the league.
While Fournette was injured against the Seahawks, White appeared to offer the Tampa Bay running game much more explosiveness when he took the mantle as the Buccaneers' primary tailback, suggesting he could be a better safety net who can alleviate some of the pressure on the arm of Brady by producing as a runner and a receiver in critical moments down the stretch and in the postseason.
That hypothesis will be tested in what should be an extremely favourable matchup for White and the Bucs' ground attack. If White takes advantage of this latest opportunity, Fournette may find himself operating in a supplementary role when he returns from injury.
Max Verstappen suggests any drivers in Formula One not prepared for a record-breaking race calendar next season should consider quitting.
The Red Bull man, who claimed a second world drivers' championship crown this term, capped his imperious year with victory at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier this month.
But the Dutchman will face a longer fight to defend his title once more next term, with F1 poised for a possible 24-race campaign, two more than in 2022.
That has raised concerns over the fatigue drivers may face across a mammoth season, but Verstappen suggests those who do not feel they are cut out for the long haul should step back.
"If you're not prepared, then it's better to stop already, right?" he told The Guardian. "I think we're all racers, and we love racing.
"I think we are all prepared for longer seasons. I hope it will be tight. It's always nice to have a fight until the end. But yeah, I'm prepared for more races and for a longer fight hopefully."
Having seen the battle for his maiden title in 2021 go down to the wire in controversial circumstances, Verstappen ultimately secured his second crown with four races to go, at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Acknowledging it was nice to have a change of pace, the Dutchman also affirmed his hopes for a closer contest next term.
"You can't have that drama every single year, for sure," he reflected on 2021. "It's not good for me, it's not healthy for anyone in the team, both teams.
"Of course it's nice to have a season like I had last year, but it's also nice to have a season like I have this year.
"It just would be very tough if you have that every single year. But that also doesn't really happen in F1, so it should be okay."
Kevin Durant feels privileged to see LeBron James' exploits up close as the four-time NBA champion chases Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time points record.
James finished with 21 points on his return from an adductor injury in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, as he inches closer to Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record of 38,387 points.
The 18-time All-Star is the NBA's second-highest scorer with 37,332 points to his name, and Durant is excited by the prospect of seeing the 37-year-old make history.
"To be the number one in anything, there's eight billion people in the world, we just figured that out last week, so to be the number one of all time at scoring the basketball, I'm sure it's going to be a range of emotions for him," Durant said on Friday.
"But to be in an era where we see this live is pretty cool as well. You probably can't even describe the emotions and feelings him and his family and his friends are going to go through, but it's cool to see it up close."
Durant sits 18th on the list with 26,110 points, putting him within 1,000 of six other players, but the 34-year-old is not thinking about his standing among the greatest to play the game.
"I never really thought of it," he said. "I heard the talks, especially early on in my career when I was doing stuff the LeBrons, the Michael Jordans have done in the league, as far as scoring.
"I know how tough it is to consistently do this year in and year out, day in and day out. A lot of stuff is out of your control.
"But I just try to come in and be the best version of myself I can be, and whatever happens, happens."
Asked whether there was any particular player on the list he was aiming to beat, Durant added: "I never thought of it that way.
"It's always about just keep adding, keep building up good days every day. Being consistent in who I am as a player, and seeing what happens at the end of the road.
"I'm just grateful to get up and do something like this every day. Just keep adding to my skill and keep building my database for the game, I guess.
"That's what I look forward to every day. Whoever I pass and whatever records I break for myself, it is what it is. But I'm just trying to get up and be available, be the best I can every day."
Durant had a game-high 36 points as the Brooklyn Nets went down to a 128-117 loss against the Indiana Pacers.
The Los Angeles Clippers will be without franchise centerpieces Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for at least one more game after the duo were ruled out of Sunday's home fixture against the Indiana Pacers.
Leonard initially returned in October for his first action since tearing his ACL in the 2021 playoffs. It was short-lived, with his knee swelling up after two games, forcing him to miss another three weeks.
His latest stint saw him start three consecutive wins over the space of five days, but late in the fourth quarter of the third, against the Utah Jazz on Monday, he landed on an opponent's foot and rolled his ankle.
Meanwhile, George has missed three games since straining his hamstring against the San Antonio Spurs last Saturday – a game where he had 21 points in the first half before suffering the injury.
Making $42million each this season, the duo are the only players on the Clippers' roster making over $17m, and are relied on to lead their team on both ends of the floor.
Los Angeles have lost both of their past two games by double-digits, and will get no reprieve when the Pacers come to town. The visitors boast the fourth-best record (11-7) in the Eastern Conference after a surprising start to what was meant to be a rebuilding season, led by the league-leader in assists, Tyrese Haliburton.
It was only the ninth time in LeBron James' illustrious 1377-game career that he has committed nine turnovers in a game, but he was able to figure it out in "winning time" to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 105-94 on Friday.
James had missed the previous five games with an adductor injury, but returned to the line-up to help the Lakers collect their fourth win from their past five games.
He had six of his nine turnovers in the first half, and had only 13 points through three quarters, but he turned it on down the stretch to finish with 21 points (eight-of-17), eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block.
Speaking to the media after the win, James said he felt rusty in the early stages, but was pleased to deliver in his "favourite quarter".
"My rhythm, my timing was a little off on a few of my passes," he said.
"I had six [turnovers] in the first half, and cut it in half in the second half. I'll be a lot better, obviously, as the games go on I'll get my rhythm back.
"[But] the fourth quarter has always been my favourite quarter. That's winning time, that's closing time and to be out there and being able to execute and make plays in the fourth quarter, it's always a treat for me."
James was supported in style by Anthony Davis, who continued his red-hot form with another 25 points (10-of-13 shooting), 15 rebounds and three blocks.
It continues Davis' best statistical start to a season since arriving with the Lakers ahead of the 2019-20 season, averaging 27.7 points per game in November and a career-high 12.6 rebounds for the season.
"AD was the best player in the league over the last 4-5 games," James said. "Just his numbers and productivity on both sides of the floor.
"It's not just offensively, but defensively he's been super engaged, and tonight once again he was amazing."
Davis is the anchor of the Lakers' defense, which was their calling card during their run to the 2020 championship.
They were the third-ranked defense in the league that year, and the number one defense in the 2020-21 season, before plummeting to 21st this past campaign.
With the additions of athletic defenders Lonnie Walker IV and Troy Brown Jr, as well as Davis' return to form, the Lakers are back up to the sixth-best defense this season, and guard Dennis Schroder made it clear James is a big part of that.
"Defensively, [James] was amazing," Schroder said. "Switching, holding off players and not letting them get to the rim.
"If we got him and AD committing on the defensive end like that, then we're going to go a long way."
Davis echoed that sentiment that James' performance was a two-way clinic.
"His voice, leadership, his playmaking, scoring ability – I think it all came into effect tonight," he said.
"Especially down the stretch, pick-and-roll and calling plays and stuff. I think it was really good for us."
James and Davis being back in the line-up together should see the Lakers begin to work out their offense, which has been weighing the team down early and is the big reason they are 6-11.
Their offensive rating of 106.3 is the second-worst in the league, but if they can get that end of the floor to even league average, their defense has the potential to lead the Lakers to the playoffs.
Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was once again the best player on the floor to lead his Milwaukee Bucks to a 117-102 victory against the breakout Cleveland Cavaliers.
Both teams entered the contest as a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference, and despite a 29-point effort from offseason trade acquisition Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs had no answer for the Bucks' future Hall-of-Famer.
Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting, hitting 10 of his 14 free throws while adding nine rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
While usual running-mate Jrue Holiday was not at his sharpest, shooting four-of-13 for his nine points, it was veteran center Brook Lopez who turned out to be the Bucks' second star.
Lopez scored eight points without missing a field goal, hitting both of his three-point attempts, and he was a force defensively, blocking six shots for the second time this season, and it was the fifth time from his 17 games that he has blocked at least five shots.
His 2.6 blocks per game is a new career-high in his 15th season, and the second-best figure in the league, trailing only Myles Turner (2.8) of the Indiana Pacers.
Along with Antetokounmpo, the pair are anchoring the best defense in the league, conceding 105.9 points per 100 possessions – almost two points per 100 possessions better than any other team.
With the win, the Bucks are now 13-5 and 10-2 at home, while the Cavaliers fall to 12-7, and remain the third seed.
Lakers make it four wins from five
The return of LeBron James has helped the Los Angeles Lakers win their fourth game from their past five outings, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 105-94.
After missing five games with an adductor injury, James was more than a little rusty as he committed nine turnovers for only the ninth time in his 1377-game career. However, he still chipped in 21 points on eight-of-17 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists.
Enjoying his best statistical start to a season since arriving with the Lakers, Anthony Davis scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting, grabbing 15 rebounds to increase his career-high average to 12.6, and he blocked three shots.
Pacers keep on winning
The Indiana Pacers are meant to be in a rebuilding year, but after their 128-117 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday they now own the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Myles Turner continued his career-best season with an efficient 23 points on nine-of-11 shooting, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking two shots, while pick-and-pop partner Tyrese Haliburton had 15 assists and four steals to go with his 21 points. Haliburton leads the league in assists at 10.9 per game, and is the only player averaging over 9.4.
Kevin Durant was not to blame for the Nets' loss, scoring a game-high 38 points (15-of-31) with eight rebounds and eight assists, while Ben Simmons scored 20 points on perfect eight-for-eight shooting.
Injury-plagued Charlotte Hornets wing Gordon Hayward is set for another extended stint on the sidelines after it was revealed on Friday he has a fracture in his left shoulder.
Hayward, 32, has only played more than 52 games in one of the past five seasons since his shocking broken leg in his first game as a member of the Boston Celtics back in 2017.
Averaging 16.3 points, 4.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in his 11 games this season, Hayward allegedly suffered the injury in Sunday's loss to the Washington Wizards.
However, according to his wife Robyn Hayward, Gordon went on to play 29 minutes in Wednesday's win against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring just seven points with four turnovers as he battled pain throughout.
In a comment on Instagram, she said: "He actually has a fractured scapula... that they had him play with last game.
Thursday's Thanksgiving showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants broke a 32-year-old record as the most-watched regular season game in NFL history.
According to Nielsen, the afternoon showcase on one of America's biggest holidays averaged 42million viewers, surpassing the December 3, 1990 Monday Night Football fixture between the Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Cowboys ended up coming from behind at half-time to storm home for a 28-20 win, improving their record to 8-3 in the process.
Having not won a playoff game since 2018, the current Cowboys roster is arguably their best of the past decade, featuring franchise talents at quarterback with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb at wide receiver and edge-rusher Micah Parsons, who is the favourite to win Defensive Player of the Year.
All-in-all, it was the most-watched slate of games ever on Thanksgiving, with the three contests averaging 33.5m viewers to break the 1993 Thanksgiving record of 32.9m, when there were only two games played.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James returned on Friday after missing five games due to an adductor injury.
James, 37, is averaging 24.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game in his 20th season, although his efficiency is the lowest it has been since his rookie year.
Shooting a career-worst 23.9 per cent from long range, James' 45.7 per cent figure from the field would be his worst finish since 2004 if he is unable to right the ship.
The Lakers are struggling to start the season, entering Friday's contest against the San Antonio Spurs with a 5-11 record. They are also 0-6 away from home, which they are looking to change in San Antonio.
During James' absence, Anthony Davis has rediscovered some of his best form, including a stunning 37-point, 21-rebound, five-block, five-steal performance in a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
While the early returns have been poor, there are signs that this roster construction for the Lakers has a chance to figure things out.
After posting the 21st-ranked defense in the league last season, the Lakers now own the eighth-best defense, and are only being weighed down by their 29th-ranked offense.
James returning with a red-hot Davis should begin to push the Lakers' offense to at least league-average, and when partnered with a top-10 defense and two go-to options, they will feel they still have everything to play for.
The Arizona Cardinals are desperate for a spark, and it appears they will get one Sunday with the return of two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury he originally suffered in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings. He reaggravated it the following week against the Seattle Seahawks before sitting the past two weeks.
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said Murray will be back under center Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
"Looks good. Yeah, looks that way," Kingsbury said. "He’s had a good week. He got some full-speed reps today, looked sharp. We’re excited."
The Cardinals have a bye next week and could have held Murray out Sunday to give him more time to heal, but Kingsbury said his quarterback is tired of waiting and knows his 4-7 team can’t afford many more losses.
"We talked about it," he said. "But obviously, he was anxious to get back and he feels great. I mean he feels 100 percent. If there was anything less than that we would have maybe waited, but he feels full go, so we’re going to get him out there."
Arizona split two games with Colt McCoy as the starter in Murray’s place but is coming off an ugly 38-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City on Monday night.
Lleyton Hewitt hailed a mighty Australian effort as his team reached the Davis Cup final with a stunning win against Croatia in Malaga.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson beat the Olympic champion pair of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the deciding doubles to earn a 2-1 team victory and set up a showdown on Sunday against Canada or Italy.
Borna Coric got the better of Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first rubber on Friday, earning a 6-4 6-3 victory to put Croatia in the driving seat.
After a shock title success at the Cincinnati Masters in August, Coric was looking to end his year on another huge career high.
However, Marin Cilic could not seal the deal for Croatia as he slumped 6-2 6-2 to Alex de Minaur in the surprisingly one-sided tussle that followed.
De Minaur broke the Cilic serve four times and held his own throughout, typically with plenty of comfort, as he took down the 2014 US Open champion.
That meant the contest came down to the doubles, and Purcell and Thompson held their nerve in a gargantuan battle with Mektic and Pavic, coming from behind to score a 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-4 victory.
"I couldn't be prouder of the whole team," team captain Hewitt said, quoted on Tennis Australia's website.
"We knew we were the underdogs coming into this today and we like being in that position. It's a place I really enjoyed as a player and also as a captain."
Hewitt was a star of the team when Australia last won the Davis Cup or even made the final, all the way back in 2003. That was the country's 28th triumph in the competition, and now they have a chance to go after number 29.
"To put us in the final, that feeling, I can't describe it," said Thompson.
Canada face Italy on Saturday in the second semi-final.
Buffalo Bills edge rusher Von Miller did not suffer a torn ACL during Thursday’s win over the Detroit Lions but is still having his knee evaluated by doctors, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Friday.
Miller, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, is out indefinitely after being carted off the field during Buffalo’s 28-25 Thanksgiving Day win in Detroit.
The 32-year-old is expected to miss the Bills' December 1 game against the New England Patriots at the very least, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, but the team is still awaiting an official prognosis.
The injury was initially called a knee sprain, indicating some level of tendon or ligament damage.
Playing in his first season with the Bills, Miller has totalled eight sacks in 11 games after he helped the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl last season.
Miller is the NFL's active leader with 123.5 career sacks, placing him 19th on the league's all-time list of sack leaders.
England have "more clarity" than they did a year ago on who they are as a team under Eddie Jones, says winger Jonny May ahead of their clash with South Africa.
The hosts welcome the Springboks to face them at Twickenham in a rematch of the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, less than a year out from the 2023 tournament in France.
It has been a hit-and-miss November international break for Jones' men so far, with a win, a loss and a draw to their name, the latter in a thrilling 25-25 encounter with New Zealand.
But May believes they are starting to take shape ahead of next year's campaign, as England look to win a first World Cup for two decades across the channel.
"I think we have got more clarity in what we are trying to be and what we are, from this time last year," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"We are trying to be an adaptable team, a smart team, a team that still has all the traditional aspects of English rugby, but can play in slightly different ways.
"There are so many variables. You need to be a team that understands the story and the theme of a game and can adapt to weather, referees, injuries, television match officials and then take your chances in the game.
"That is what we are trying to achieve, and it is difficult. We talk about the top eight in the world being very close together, and I think the team that can break out of that pack will be an all-round package."
Having rallied late on to earn their draw with New Zealand, hooker Jamie George is hopeful England can channel the Twickenham energy they closed the game out with into a successful result against South Africa.
"The atmosphere at the end of that game was unbelievable, some of the best atmosphere I have played rugby in," he added to the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly. "We on the field need to give people things to shout about.
"We want to be able to do that for 80 minutes against South Africa and get Twickenham bouncing again."
Hunter Henry felt the officials made a mistake by not awarding him a touchdown in the New England Patriots' Thanksgiving Day defeat to the Minnesota Vikings.
Henry was initially awarded a touchdown after taking a pass from Mac Jones midway through the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday.
That appeared to have given the Patriots a 30-23 lead, but the call was overturned as the pass was deemed to be incomplete following a lengthy review.
The Vikings went on to win 33-26, so the decision to rule out Henry's touchdown proved to be a huge call.
The tight end was adamant that he had control of the ball under pressure from Vikings defensive back Chandon Sullivan.
He said: "I believe I caught it. He said it hit the ground. But I believe my hand was under the ball.
"The hand was under the ball, with hitting the ground, that's what kind of caused it to jump up. They made the call. Just got to live with it."
Quarterback Jones said the Patriots cannot use that contentious call as an excuse for their loss.
"We have to move on from that [overturned] play and play the rest of the game. There was plenty of time left," he said.
"There were other times we could have punched it in and that wouldn't have been an issue. One call can't determine the outcome. We have to be able to do better, so it's not even close."
Patriots coach Bill Belichick urged reporters to ask the officials why they overturned the decision.
"Why don't you guys go to them with your pool reporter and ask them about the play? Isn't that what you do?" he said.
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
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.
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."
Dak Prescott believes the Dallas Cowboys have a championship-level defense after another lockdown performance in the second half of their 28-20 Thanksgiving win against the New York Giants.
Prescott was solid, completing 21-of-30 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions, with both of his scores coming in the third quarter to tight end Dalton Schultz.
His touchdown passes on back-to-back drives quickly turned a 13-7 half-time deficit into a 21-13 lead by the end of the third quarter, and the Cowboys did not concede a point in the second half until a consolation touchdown in the final 10 seconds.
Their defense was led by last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year and current Defensive Player of the Year favourite, Micah Parsons, who sacked Giants quarterback Daniel Jones twice to take his season tally to 12 – the second most in the league.
It comes one week after the Cowboys' defense manhandled the Minnesota Vikings en route to a 40-3 demolition, and Prescott said that defensive group gives them a chance to be great.
"I'm as confident as I can be," he told reporters after the Giants win. "I always have been with this team.
"It doesn't matter what [outsiders] say about what they believe in, I know what this team is capable of – especially with this defense we have.
"We've just got to continue to keep our heads down, take it one day at a time, and one game at a time. We control everything that's in front of us."
Despite the final result, it was a choppy first half for the Cowboys' offense, but star receiver CeeDee Lamb said that is never going to result in a dip in confidence.
"We've been preaching resilience," Lamb said. "That's our motto this year. Everything about this season has been revealing itself. Just understanding that we're always coming to battle, ready for whatever and we've got each other's back.
"[Prescott and I] are still building. I understand how late it is in the season, but we didn't have the first half [of the season, when Prescott was out injured].
"We still had a couple mishaps, but we came out victorious and had a couple completions in the clutch."
At 8-3, the Cowboys are almost assured of a spot in the postseason, where they will have a chance to win their first playoff game since 2018.
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