The Buffalo Bills took a number of punches in their 28-25 Thanksgiving win against the Detroit Lions on Thursday, but continued to get off the canvas to tough out a gutsy win.
Despite coming out on the losing side, the Lions took the lead in the first quarter, re-took the lead in the fourth quarter, and after the Bills were able to pull back in front, they clawed their way down the field to tie it with 23 seconds remaining.
But every time the Lions thought they had the visiting Bills on the ropes, Josh Allen and company were always able to find the answer, using those final 23 seconds to make their way into field goal range and escape with the win in regulation.
Coming into the game without two key starters on defense with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and pass-rusher Greg Rousseau out hurt, their injury list received another unfortunate edition in the second quarter when future Hall-of-Famer Von Miller was carted off with a knee sprain.
Touching on how the Bills continued to push through all the adversity they faced, top wide receiver Stefon Diggs said it comes from everybody's belief in the next-man-up to get the job done.
"That next-man mindset is real," he said. "I hate to preach it, sound like a broken record, but guys came in and played at a high level.
"We just preach it to everybody to do the job. You don't need to do more than your job and you do your one 11th, we'll find a way.
"I tried to tell the guys everything in the past is the past. We didn't get off to the best start, but you keep rolling with the punches.
"Things aren't gonna be perfect; I'm riding with my guy [Allen]. We just had to try to get on the same page, every week is different… things didn't happen perfectly, but we figured it out."
Allen echoed that sentiment, and highlighted the mental fortitude of kicker Tyler Bass to come out and nail the game-winner shortly after missing an extra-point.
"Guys are resilient, the ups and downs of an NFL game, that's a good team playing very well, playing good football right now," he said.
"But again, guys just continuing to grind, guys going down and stepping up finding a way. I'm proud of our guys for doing that.
"I don't think you understand how big it is for a guy to do that in this league, for [Bass] just to feel that rollercoaster of emotions, to go step up for our team and nail it."
Head coach Sean McDermott also made sure to praise his kicker, saying he knew he could trust him despite the previous miss.
"You're going to have some [misses]," he said. "But to be able to let a player reset after making a mistake and come out, that's how you earn trust when you do that, right?
"When you can give a player that second chance right there. I didn't have to mess with him. I knew he's so mentally tough, and he showed it again today."
The Bills are now 8-3 and atop the AFC East, with a Thursday fixture on the road against the New England Patriots up next.
The Dallas Cowboys' defense woke up at half-time and took over the game against the New York Giants, carrying their side to a 28-20 victory on Thanksgiving.
Playing on the road, it was the Giants who led early, with two field goals and a Saquon Barkley goal-line touchdown giving the visitors a 13-7 lead at the long break.
What was a competitive contest in the first half turned into one-way traffic in the third quarter, with Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz punctuating back-to-back drives with touchdown catches to jump ahead 21-13 heading into the fourth.
The last quarter was more of the same, adding another touchdown with a hand-off to backup tight end Peyton Hendershot from the two-yard line to complete the rout.
New York only had four possessions after half-time, resulting in a punt and two turnovers-on-downs, before a consolation touchdown in the final seconds with the game well-and-truly decided, as the Cowboys showed why many are picking them as the best defensive team in the NFL.
Defensive Player of the Year favourite Micah Parsons collected two of the Cowboys' three sacks on Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, taking his tally for the season to 12, trailing only Matthew Judon of the New England Patriots (13).
The Cowboys' two-pronged rushing attack also delivered, with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combining for 152 yards and a touchdown from 34 carries, while CeeDee Lamb led all receivers with six catches for 106 yards. Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes with two interceptions on 21-of-30 passing for 261 yards.
The result breaks the tie between the two sides in the NFC East, with the Cowboys now owning sole possession of second place in the NFC East at 8-3, while the Giants slipped to 7-4.
Canada will play Italy in the Davis Cup semi-finals after coming from behind to defeat Germany 2-1 in Malaga.
Initially a wildcard for the finals as the highest-ranked losing nation in the qualifiers, the 2019 runners-up are through to the last four for the second time in three years - and fourth time overall.
Felix Auger-Aliassime overcame Oscar Otte in straight sets - condemning him to a fourth straight singles defeat - to set up a doubles decider and cancel out Denis Shapovalov's earlier loss to Jan-Lennard Struff.
Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil appeared in trouble when they lost the opening set 6-2 against Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz, who had won all eight Davis Cup matches when paired together.
But the Canadian duo, who hit a combined 11 aces during the contest, rallied to force a deciding set, which they took 6-3 to inflict a first defeat on their opponents.
Earlier in the day, Italy also came through a deciding doubles match to beat the USA and secure their first semi-final appearance since 2014.
Despite missing the injured Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini, the Italians were appearing in their first quarter-final for six years, and they made a strong start with Lorenzo Sonego hitting 17 aces on the way to defeating Frances Tiafoe 6-3 7-6 (8-6).
Targeting only their fourth semi-final since 2007, 32-time winners USA rallied with Taylor Fritz overcoming Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets to force the first deciding double match of the finals.
There, just one break per set was enough for Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini to beat Tommy Paul and Jack Sock 6-3 6-3, and send the 1976 champions through.
The Detroit Lions played tough, but another last-minute, game-winning drive from star quarterback Josh Allen lifted the Buffalo Bills to a 28-25 win on Thanksgiving.
Playing at home and entering the contest on a three-game winning streak, the Lions struck first with a close-range Jamaal Williams touchdown in the first quarter.
The Bills would answer straight back with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Isaiah McKenzie on the next drive, and after trading touchdowns again in the second quarter, a Tyler Bass field goal as time expired gave Buffalo a 17-14 lead at half-time.
Defensive lineman Ed Oliver tacked on two more points for the Bills early in the third quarter when he sacked Lions quarterback Jared Goff in the endzone for a safety, but the hosts would not go away, taking the lead 22-19 to begin the fourth period after a D.J. Chark touchdown catch.
The see-sawing battle would see the Bills retake the ascendancy with under three minutes remaining through a five-yard Stefon Diggs touchdown reception, but the Lions looked destined to take it to overtime when Michael Badgley tied it up at 25-25 with a clutch 51-yard field goal, with only 23 seconds on the clock.
That proved to be enough time for Allen to win it, delivering a 36-yard strike to Diggs to move within field goal range, setting up Bass for another big kick, and another big make to take the Bills to 8-3.
Allen completed 24 of 42 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while top receiver Diggs snagged eight receptions for 77 yards and a score.
Patrick Beverley has been suspended for the Los Angeles Lakers' next three games after shoving Deandre Ayton in their 115-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
With just under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Beverley pushed an oblivious Ayton while the Suns' center was stood over a grounded Austin Reaves, following a flagrant foul by Devin Booker.
Beverley received a technical foul and was then ejected, but the Lakers guard has now received further punishment in the form of a three-game suspension without pay.
The sanction will see Beverley miss out on a reported $268,965 in salary and will rule him out of the Lakers' back-to-back road games at the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and Saturday, as well as Monday's home showdown with the Indiana Pacers.
An NBA statement read: "Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley has been suspended three games without pay for forcefully shoving Suns center Deandre Ayton from behind and knocking him to the court.
"The suspension was based in part on Beverley's history of unsportsmanlike acts."
Over his 14 starts this season, Beverley has averaged 4.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game.
Wales and Australia are each set to hand two players their international debuts when the sides meet at the Principality Stadium this weekend.
The two teams face off in their final game of the November international period, as they look to close out on a winning note in Cardiff.
There will be a first appearance for centre Joe Hawkins for the hosts after he was drafted into the squad following Owen Watkin's absence through injury.
Sam Talakai, meanwhile, is primed to figure off the bench for the visitors, though James Hooper has been ruled out with a concussion sustained in last weekend's loss to Ireland.
Wayne Pivac's side hand a first start since 2021 to Leigh Halfpenny at full-back, while Taulupe Faletau will make his 100th Test appearance between Wales and the British and Irish Lions at number eight.
Alun Wyn Jones will also extend his own record as the most-capped men's rugby union international in history as part of the second row.
Playmaker Ben Donaldson gets a first start at fly half for the Wallabies, partnering Jake Gordon, while James Slipper will lead at prop.
Jordan Petaia, on the bench last time out, makes the move to start on the wing for Dave Rennie's side.
Wales team: Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, George North, Joe Hawkins, Rio Dyer, Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Gareth Thomas, Ken Owens, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements; Ryan Elias, Rhodri Jones, Tomas Francis, Ben Carter, Josh Macleod, Kieran Hardy, Rhys Priestland, Josh Adams.
Australia team: Tom Wright, Jordan Petaia, Len Ikitau, Reece Hodge, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Ben Donaldson, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, Folau Fainga’a, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Cadeyrn Neville, Jed Holloway, Fraser McReight, Langi Gleeson.
Replacements: Lachlan Lonergan, Tom Robertson, Sam Talakai, Ned Hanigan, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Noah Lolesio, Jock Campbell.
Tommy Freeman headlines the changes to England's clash with world champions South Africa at Twickenham this weekend, as Eddie Jones makes four swaps.
After mounting a famous late comeback to secure a 25-25 draw last time out with New Zealand, the hosts have made a handful of alterations for their meeting with the Springboks.
Freeman, a star performer during England's tour of Australia earlier this year, has only recently returned from a foot injury, and takes the spot of Jack Nowell.
Mako Vunipola, Alex Coles and Jamie George meanwhile all come into the side, with Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Simmonds and Ellis Genge dropping to the bench.
Jack van Poortvliet meanwhile keeps his berth in the halves alongside Marcus Smith, while Owen Farrell will skipper the side at centre for Jones' men.
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber meanwhile makes four swaps himself, with three enforced by players returning to their clubs as Saturday's game falls outside the international Test window
Cheslin Kolbe, Andre Esterhuizen, and Jasper Wiese are all out as they head back to domestic commitments, with Salmaan Moerat also omitted from the side that beat Italy.
Experienced pair Makazole Mapimpi and Eben Etzebeth both return to the fold in their place, joined by Jesse Kriel and Evan Roos.
England team: Freddie Steward, Tommy Freeman, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell, Jonny May, Marcus Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Jonny Hill, Alex Coles, Tom Curry, Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, David Ribbans, Sam Simmonds, Ben Youngs, Henry Slade, Jack Nowell.
South Africa team: Willie le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Damian Willemse, Faf de Klerk; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Marvin Orie, Siya Kolisi, Franco Mostert, Evan Roos.
Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Thomas du Toit, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Jaden Hendrikse, Manie Libbok, Canan Moodie.
Thirteen persons trained as boxing officials graduated from an intensive three-week course at the G.C Foster College on Tuesday and some are set to get their first jobs on a 10 fight-card to be staged this Friday under the Jamaica Boxing Board’s Gloves Over Guns initiative.
Twenty applicants had enrolled in the course that ran from October 13 to November 5. However, six men and seven women completed the course. It was the first time that this many women were being trained as boxing officials in Jamaica.
"We covered the duties and responsibilities of referees and judges. We looked at things the referee should do before the bout, during the bout and after the bout,” said Kevin Stupart, AIBA certified instructor, who conducted the course.
“The reason we broke that down into three segments was for ease and simplicity in terms of teaching it and letting them understand the different fundamentals as it relates to boxing officiating."
Toniann Lindsay, one of the graduates expressed her satisfaction at being able to complete the intensive course.
"I wanted to be one that passed. I didn't want to be come through and drop out because it wasn't just 13 of us that started the course but 13 of us finished strong,” she said.
“We learned a lot in this course. We learned the roles and responsibilities of both being a judge and a referee. It was a very interesting course and I am so elated to be here right now at this ceremony collecting my certificate. (I) look forward to Friday as we will also be displaying what we have learnt. I just want to thank everyone who made this possible."
Jamaica Boxing Board President Stephen 'Bomber' Jones and Chester McCarthy, Athletic Director at GC Foster College both welcomed the first cohort of trainees.
“This will first of all allow us to have more activity on the same evening or closer bouts, week to week as we are looking to have closer bouts now,” Jones remarked.
“It will open our minds, expand our thinking as we try and get into high school boxing where we could have officials at multiple venues. Now that we have 13 officials graduating, its huge. The graduates are very excited. They are young, enthusiastic and they are willing to work so starting from this Friday they will be in the ring.”
McCarthy, meanwhile, expressed similar sentiments.
"I am extremely elated for the primary reason that this is the first time in five or six years that we have been able to train a fresh set of officials for boxing here in Jamaica,” he said.
It’s an extremely good feeling to have partnered with the Jamaica Boxing Association to train these youngsters."
Come Friday, there will be nine amateur fights and a professional fight between Jermaine 'Breezy' Richards and Mason 'Common Fowl' Brown.
Kawhi Leonard does not have a timetable for his return to action after a right ankle sprain, says Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue.
The two-time NBA champion sat out Wednesday's 124-107 defeat to the Golden State Warriors after suffering an injury during Monday's showdown with the Utah Jazz.
Leonard rolled his ankle late in the fourth quarter while attempting to make a block, though the player subsequently had seemed hopeful there would be no lay-off.
The small forward's absence at Chase Center alongside fellow key man Paul George, however, is a blow for the Clippers, with no time frame set for his return.
"[He] woke up with some soreness in his ankle," Lue stated when asked on a prognosis for Leonard's recovery.
"It was a little more than we thought. But he's okay, [he's] feeling better, getting better. We don't know a timetable."
Despite defeat, the Clippers still sit just inside the top six of the Western Conference, having posted eight wins and four losses in November so far.
They next face the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers in back-to-back home contests on November 25 and November 27, before they travel to face the Portland Trail Blazers on November 29.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed he has been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand but insists it "doesn't make a difference" to him playing.
Rodgers reluctantly confirmed on Wednesday that he suffered a right thumb injury on the final play of the October 9 game in Week 5 to the New York Giants in London, a 27-22 loss.
The Packers QB conceded the injury was hurting but not harmful, and insisted it would not impact his availability for Sunday's game against the 9-1 Philadelphia Eagles.
"It doesn't make a difference with me playing," Rodgers told reporters. "It doesn't make a difference. You saw the tape on my thumb. Didn't make a difference."
Since Week 6, Rodgers ranks joint 32nd in the NFL for win-loss (1-5), 28th for total QBR (38), 22nd for yards per attempt (6.7) and 26th for completion percentage (62 per cent), with a minimum two starts. Rodgers has thrown 11 touchdowns and four interceptions during that six-game span.
The Packers had started the season 3-0 but are now 4-7 and appear destined to miss the postseason.
"I think I've had worse injuries I've played with," Rodgers said. "Definitely a challenge, but the days off helped. Feeling better this week.
"I actually didn’t even want to get X-rays because I still was going to play but they talked me into it."
The Packers have had an extended break after last Thursday's 27-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans, offering Rodgers additional days to rest the injury.
"I hope it helped his thumb," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said.
Eric Haula called the New Jersey Devils' 13-game win streak-ending 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday as the "complete hurricane" after having three goals disallowed.
The game was halted for six minutes in the third period after fans at Prudential Center after fans littered the ice in protest at the Devils' third disallowed goal of the game.
Dougie Hamilton scored the Devils' lone goal after that delay, proving to be a consolation, after John Tavares and Pontus Holmberg's first-period goals for the visitors.
Toronto goaltender Matt Murray made 34 saves as the Devils failed in their bid for a 10-0 record against Canadian teams this season. The Devils also fell one win short of a new franchise record.
"It was a little bit frustrating," forward Haula told reporters. "It just seemed like it wasn't quite in control in some ways, and then it got crazy.
"Tough luck for us. Tough bounces. If [the streak] was going to end, it was going to end like that. A complete hurricane."
The first of the disallowed goals saw the Devils fail on a coach's challenge for goalie interference from Nathan Bastian with Jonas Siegenthaler's goal waved off.
Damon Severson's second-period goal was disallowed as Tomas Tatar was deemed to have made incidental contact with Murray, bundling him over and leaving the net open.
Haula was involved in the third disallowed goal in the third period, kicking the puck off an opposition skate and into the net, prompting fans to protest, tossing garbage on the ice.
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said: "We've got some passionate fans and I think it was on display tonight."
"You don't often see three in one game. But we saw three in one game… The overturned goals, some of those are 50-50. Some of those you take a chance on."
Jayson Tatum shook off injury to get the better of Luka Doncic as the Boston Celtics blew out the Dallas Mavericks in a 125-112 victory, having led by as many as 27 points on Wednesday.
Tatum, who had been listed as questionable with a sprained ankle, scored 37 points with 13 rebounds and five assists, while Jaylen Brown contributed 31 points on 13-of-18 field shooting.
Doncic scored a game-high 42 points with eight rebounds and nine assists but gave up five turnovers, and was blocked by Tatum in the fourth quarter.
Tatum and Doncic went head to head in the final quarter after the Mavs closed to 117-107. The Celtics forward first dunked, then made two free-throws after being fouled by the Slovenian, before blocking Doncic's driving lay-up.
Brown drained a three-point attempt after Marcus Smart's assist and suddenly it was 124-107 and game over.
Smart had 13 points with nine assists, while center Al Horford hit four-of-four from three-point range in his 14 points.
The Celtics moved to an NBA-best 14-4 record with the victory, while the Mavs suffered their fifth loss in six road games to fall to 9-8.
Wiggins stars as Warriors get back to winning ways
All-Star Andrew Wiggins enjoyed a season-high game with 31 points including six three-pointers as the Golden State Warriors won 124-107 over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Stephen Curry scored 22 points, making four-of-10 from beyond the arc, with six rebounds and nine assists as the Warriors improved to 9-10.
The result ended the three-game winning run of the Clippers, who were without All-Stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Marcus Morris Sr top scored for the Clippers with 19 points.
Bulls topple Bucks to claim another big scalp
The Chicago Bulls claimed another big scalp only a few days after ending the Celtics' nine-game winning run, with a 118-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
DeMar DeRozan starred for the Bulls with 36 points and eight assists, while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Chicago trailed 109-106 with 1:15 remaining before Coby White sunk two three-pointers to sink the Bucks, who gave up 19 turnovers for the game.
Kyrie Irving was thrilled with the Brooklyn Nets' response to the "internet uproar" from Tuesday's 115-106 loss to the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers in Wednesday's 112-98 road win over the Toronto Raptors.
Irving led the way for the Nets with a team-high 29 points, including 19 in the third quarter, as they bounced back after being "embarrassed" by the 76ers who were missing Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
The win improved the Nets to 9-10, fueled by a 39-25 third quarter where Irving scored three triples.
"We're in the business of winning," Irving told reporters after the game.
"We'll take this one, especially after last night's loss, and the whole internet going up in an uproar in terms of how embarrassed we should be, which is true.
"We just wanted to make sure we paid attention to detail tonight. We came out and responded."
Nets teammate Ben Simmons, who had his fifth straight game with 10 points or more, praised Irving for his role in the win.
"Just being Kyrie, that's what we want him to do, just be himself," Simmons said. "Have that confidence to come out and take those shots and be who he is.
"He's an incredible player, an incredible teammate, I'm glad he had a night like tonight."
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said his side had learned and applied valuable lessons from losses to short-handed opponents lately, including their 116-103 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers missing LeBron James along with the 76ers.
"It really was a standard that we have to have for each other," Vaughn said. "A big piece of that is holding each other in a higher standard.
"I thought from the beginning of the game you saw that, a lot more talk from each other, a lot more communication and demand from each other which was great to see."
Kevin Durant was held to only 12 points for the game, but passed Kevin Garnett to be 18th on the NBA all-time points scorers' list.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is expected to return from a hip injury for Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans, according to QB Joe Burrow.
Chase returned to practice on Wednesday having not played since the Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The hip injury had initially been expected to sideline the 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for four to six weeks.
"We expect him to play," Burrow told reporters. "I know he ran yesterday and he felt good. So we'll see how it goes the rest of the week."
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was confident that Chase would be available, labelling him day-to-day.
"He's done all the things we've asked him to do," Taylor said.
"He has done a great job with the trainers in there. Everything has been positive to this point."
The Bengals, who lost last season's Super Bowl, have rallied to 6-4 from an 0-2 start to the season.
Chase has scored six touchdowns on 47 receptions for 605 yards in seven games this season. The 22-year-old scored 14 touchdowns in his rookie year last season.
Zach Wilson's career with the New York Jets is not over, reiterated head coach Robert Saleh after confirming his decision to demote him.
Wilson endured a dismal offensive performance for the Jets in their 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, with the side averaging just 2.1 yards per play and only managing two yards of offense in the second half at Gillette Stadium.
Saleh had said benching Wilson, who was the 2021 second overall pick, was the furthest thing from his mind but on Wednesday announced he had changed his tune ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
"The big thing I want to make sure I address on this one... Zach's career here is not over," Saleh told reporters.
"I know that's gonna be the narrative, I know that's what everyone wants to shout out and that's not even close to the case. The intent, the full intent, is to make sure Zach gets back onto the football field at some point this year.
"When that is, I'll make that decision, I'm going to take it day-to-day. The biggest thing with Zach, it's the same things we've talked about, is the young man needs a reset.
"His decision-making has been fine, his training habits have been fine, but there's some basic fundamental things that have got really out of whack for him and this is just an opportunity for him to sit back and focus on those things.
"That's something that I feel like he's going to be able to do."
Mike White will start for the 6-4 Jets against the 3-8 Bears with Joe Flacco as his back-up, while Wilson will be inactive.
"Is it a small step back? Absolutely," Saleh said. "But do I think it's going to be a great leap forward when he gets a chance to reset himself? Absolutely.
"This is not putting a nail in his coffin. This is not that. This is not close to that. But I do believe, at the end of this, it's going to be a rejuvenated, renewed young man."
The fall-out from the Pats loss included Wilson being criticised for failing to take accountability for his own poor performance where the Jets defense only conceded three points.
But Wilson moved to apologise to his teammates on Wednesday, offering support for White and vowing to win back the QB role.
"I had a sick feeling in my stomach," Wilson said. "It was the only thing I could think of the last couple of days. I wanted the opportunity to talk to those guys and really make it from the heart.
"I wouldn't say [I was] necessarily surprised because I haven't been doing my job. Of course, I would like to not agree with the decision and everything, but it comes down to I have to play better."
For his career, Wilson has completed 55.6 per cent of his passes for 3,613 yards, 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will not play on Sunday at the Kansas City Chiefs after exiting last week's loss to the New Orleans Saints with a possible head injury, coach Sean McVay announced on Wednesday.
McVay told reporters the Rams are still trying to determine whether Stafford suffered a concussion after he was forced to exit last Sunday’s 27-20 loss to the Saints early in the third quarter.
The veteran quarterback previously sustained a head injury in Los Angeles' Week 9 loss at Tampa Bay, and sat out the following week's game against the Arizona Cardinals.
"We're checking all those boxes and going through all that," McVay said. "
"There's a lot of layers to it, but you certainly want to make sure you’re doing everything in your power to [address] exactly what went into that feeling, and letting the experts be able [to] give their opinion, look at the MRI and those scans, and be able to give the right information so that we can move forward accordingly with him."
McVay said Stafford was removed from last week’s game after he felt numbness in his legs after being hit, and was placed in concussion protocol per NFL policy.
The sixth-year head coach added the struggling defending Super Bowl champions could consider shutting Stafford down for the remainder of the season.
"We're not going to do anything that's reckless," McVay said.
"[Stafford] is such a great competitor and I definitely think that's probably one of those deals where if he is cleared, you definitely want to make sure that I'm making a smart decision for him and for our team, not exclusive to this year."
With number two quarterback John Wolford dealing with a neck injury, Bryce Perkins took first-team reps in Wednesday's practice and could be in line for his first career NFL start against the AFC-leading Chiefs.
Perkins, an undrafted free agent who signed with the Rams in 2020, completed five of 10 passes for 64 yards after replacing Stafford last week and added 26 rushing yards on three attempts.
Los Angeles has lost four straight games to fall to 3-7 and are currently three games out of a playoff spot with seven to play.
Borna Coric and Marin Cilic led Croatia to a 2-0 win against hosts Spain in the Davis Cup to set up a last-four clash against Australia.
Coric fought hard to beat Robert Bautista Agut 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in the first contest on Wednesday in Malaga.
In a match that lasted just shy of two hours, Coric hit 12 aces on his way to tying Mario Ancic for fourth place in Croatia's all-time leaders in the Davis Cup with his 13th singles win.
"I didn't know that fact to be honest," the 26-year-old said on court. "It's a very nice fact, Mario is a legend of Croatian tennis and obviously it does mean a lot to me that I am there with him."
His experienced team-mate Cilic had a harder time of things, needing to come back from a set down to overcome Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-5) in a thriller.
Like Coric, Cilic relied heavily on aces, smashing 20 through the contest, but he was made to sweat by Carreno Busta, who took the first set.
Cilic fought back to win the second, and was a break ahead in the third before his Spanish opponent broke back and looked set to take the tie to a rubber clash in the doubles.
The decider went to a tie-break though, with Cilic coming back from 4-1 down to seal victory for his country in front of a disappointed Spanish crowd.
Croatia will now face Australia on Friday after they defeated the Netherlands 2-0 on Tuesday thanks to wins for Jordan Thompson and Alex De Minaur.
Zach Wilson has been benched as the New York Jets starting quarterback in favour of Mike White.
Robert Saleh made the announcement on Wednesday ahead of his side's Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
It comes following a dismal offensive performance for the Jets in their 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots, which dropped them to the bottom of the AFC East at 6-4 as they missed the chance to go top of the division.
The Jets averaged just 2.1 yards per play at New England and had only two yards of offense in the second half at Gillette Stadium.
After the game, Saleh had said that benching 2021 second overall pick Wilson was the furthest thing from his mind.
But he subsequently did not commit to starting Wilson against Chicago and has now elected to switch quarterbacks.
Joe Flacco started the first three games of the season when Wilson was out with a knee injury, but Saleh has instead gone with White this time around.
White developed something of a cult following last season when he inspired the Jets to a shock win over the Cincinnati Bengals in which he threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns.
Wilson was heavily criticised for comments in the media in the wake of the defeat to the Patriots as he swiftly rejected the notion he and the offense had let down a defense that only conceded three points. New England's sole touchdown came on a last-gasp punt return.
For his career, Wilson has completed 55.6 per cent of his passes for 3,613 yards, 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
According to Stats Perform data, Wilson's well-thrown rate of 70.6 per cent is the worst in the NFL while his pickable pass rate of 6.47 per cent is only an improvement on that of Taylor Heinicke (7.35 per cent) and Jameis Winston (7.27 per cent) for quarterbacks with a minimum of 100 attempts.
This Thursday marks Thanksgiving in the United States.
That means several things. Food, family and lots and lots of football, with the traditional three games on the schedule for the holiday.
With the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings all playing, there will be plenty of fantasy relevant players in action, meaning there's no time to waste in terms of getting a winning line-up set.
Thanksgiving is, as the name makes obvious, a time to say what you're grateful for, and Stats Perform hopes you will be appreciative of the fantasy help we're here to provide with our picks of four offensive players and a defense for Week 12.
Quarterback: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers @ Arizona Cardinals
The Chargers may not be feeling too grateful after having their heart broken again by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
But they must be appreciative of getting to face the Cardinals' defense in Week 12, especially with Herbert's top receiver, Keenan Allen, back in the fold.
The Cardinals have allowed 118 pass plays of 10 yards or more, the fourth-most in the NFL. Coming off a game in which he averaged 9.3 yards per attempt, Herbert is well-positioned to get the Chargers' playoff push back on track against opposition that should facilitate one of his best performances of the season.
Running Back: Jeff Wilson Jr, Miami Dolphins vs. Houston Texans
When Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel sits down to eat his turkey on Thursday, he may express thanks for the trade with his former employers, the San Francisco 49ers, that landed Wilson's services for Miami.
Wilson has quickly established himself as the top runner in a Dolphins backfield that was not firing on all cylinders prior to his arrival.
He averaged seven yards per carry against the Cleveland Browns' dreadful run defense last time out and now gets to face a Houston defense that has allowed 57 runs of at least 10 yards, which is 12 more than anyone else in the league.
Wide Receiver: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills
Detroit's leading receiver may not be happy to go against the Buffalo defense in Week 12, but Jameson Williams' debut is likely to bring a smile to his face.
Williams, Detroit's second first-round pick in 2022, is practising after recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in his final college game, and will give the Lions a tremendous deep threat who can stretch the field and open underneath areas for St. Brown to exploit.
In a game where the chances of the Lions falling behind and being forced to throw the ball consistently are high, that is a recipe for St. Brown racking up completions and yardage in the Thanksgiving opener.
Tight End: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings vs. New England Patriots
There is likely to be gratitude in Vikings circles that they get the chance to quickly wash the stink off from their blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11.
Having been shellacked by the Cowboy defense, the Minnesota offense will face a different challenge in the form of the Patriots, who consistently drop eight players into coverage.
New England will almost certainly look to take Justin Jefferson away with double teams, meaning quarterback Kirk Cousins will likely have to frequently look to Hockenson over the middle of the field.
Targeted 28 times in three games since his arrival in a trade with Detroit, Hockenson appears primed for massive fantasy performance in the Thanksgiving nightcap, especially in points per reception leagues.
Defense/Special Teams: San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints
The Saints' coaching staff may have a stressful Thanksgiving game planning for the 49ers, who appear to be rounding into form on both sides of the ball.
San Francisco's defense has not allowed a second-half point in any of the Niners' last three games and is giving up just 4.67 yards per play this season, the second-fewest in the NFL.
Facing a Saints offense that has committed the most giveaways (19) in the NFL, the San Francisco defense should dominate once more and deliver a crucial contribution for its fantasy owners.
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