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A20 SPORTS
Saturday 17 November 2018

Potential classic on Monday night in Chiefs-Rams, now in LA

By BARRY WILNER tice that way and then you ning three. It did so missing games, the NFL's longest score 40 in five of the first
AP Pro Football Writer go play." some starters. Safety Har- active streak. nine. Brees is completing
What some are calling the OK, guys, go play. Let rison Smith likes seeing the TENNESSEE (5-4) at INDIA- 77.1 percent of his passes,
NFL's Game of the Year has thrown for 21 TDs with
already has made huge one interception, and has
headlines by being moved a 123.8 passer rating.
out of Mexico City because Michael Thomas is tied for
of poor playing conditions. the NFL lead with 78 catch-
Chiefs-Rams is back in Los es, ranks second with 950
Angeles, in prime time and, yards, while Alvin Kamara
if it lives up to its billing, and Mark Ingram form a
could be a wild, high-scor- formidable and versatile
ing affair. backfield.
Regardless of who wins, PITTSBURGH (6-2-1) at
both clubs figure to be in JACKSONVILLE (3-6)
the Super Bowl mix. And The Steelers will be wise to
because of the extracur- look forward and not back
riculars associated with at their last encounter with
Monday night's meeting, the Jaguars. Jacksonville
perhaps it won't be a fair beat Pittsburgh twice last
measurement which is the season, including a 45-42
superior team. playoff shocker at Heinz
Who cares? Field.
For a mid-November Thinking revenge would
match, fans can't ask for be foolish because the
much better than a pair of Steelers are on a roll. Well,
9-1 teams with powerhouse so are the Jags: Pittsburgh
offenses and stars galore — In this Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley rushes during has won five in a row, Jack-
leading MVP contenders the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Los Angeles. sonville has dropped that
Todd Gurley of Los Angeles Associated Press many consecutively.
and Patrick Mahomes of Steelers running back
Kansas City for starters — James Conner has not al-
going at it as the only show America watch what could Bears: Smith has four inter- NAPOLIS (4-5) Suddenly, lowed the team to regret
in town. No matter which be a classic. ceptions and six passes de- there's a race in the AFC the contract impasse that
town. The weekend began Thurs- fended in 10 career games South, and the Colts could has led to Le'Veon Bell sit-
It's the first meeting in NFL day night with Seattle's vs. Chicago. get even more involved ting out the season. Conner
history this late in a season 27-24 home victory over Chicago dropped 10 in a with a fourth consecutive is the eighth player in team
between two teams aver- Green Bay. Russell Wilson row against the NFC North victory. But the Titans, com- history with at least 10 rush-
aging 33 points per game. threw for 225 yards and his before beating Detroit last ing off their best game by ing touchdowns, leads the
"He's made some plays that 15-yard touchdown pass Sunday. It leads the NFL far in an upset of the Pa- AFC in rushing, and is ex-
you sit back and you can't to Ed Dickson with 5:08 left with 16 interceptions, and triots, have won six straight pected to play after being
help but just say, 'Wow, was the difference. Seattle ranks second with 24 take- within the division. placed in concussion pro-
what a great play,'" Rams (5-5) snapped a two-game aways. Of course, Andrew Luck tocol following last week's
coach Sean McVay says of losing streak. Green Bay HOUSTON (6-3) at WASH- was not in the lineup for win over Carolina.
Mahomes, who leads the dropped to 4-5-1. INGTON (6-3) any of those; Luck is 9-0 in CINCINNATI (5-4) at BALTI-
NFL in yards passing (3,150). Off this week are New Two also-rans of 2017 now starts against Tennessee. MORE (4-5)
Rams QB Jared Goff is sec- England (7-3), the New leading their divisions. "I'm aware of it," Luck says. Cincinnati brings an his-
ond (3,134). York Jets (3-7), Miami (5- The Texans have won six in "But what's happened has torically leaky defense to
Mahomes set a Chiefs re- 5), Cleveland (3-6-1), San a row and come off a bye. happened, and good, Baltimore, which might be
cord with an NFL-best 31st Francisco (2-8) and Buffalo Key personnel such as DE bad or ugly, it doesn't really without regular quarter-
TD pass of the season last (3-7). J.J. Watt and QB Deshaun matter." The Titans have the back Joe Flacco (hip). That
week. Len Dawson had MINNESOTA (5-3-1) at CHI- Watson were injured last league's No. 1 scoring de- would mean either first-
held that KC record since CAGO (6-3) year and are now playing fense, allowing 16.8 points round pick Lamar Jackson
1964. We soon will find out if the at peak efficiency. a game, and have yielded or veteran Robert Griffin
Gurley paces the NFL in Bears are for real. They are If Watson gets time to throw a league-low 16 touch- III will try to further expose
scoring (108 points), yards on top of the NFC North, — Houston has surrendered downs. that Bengals unit.
rushing (988), carries (198), now face the defending 30 sacks — DeAndre Hop- PHILADELPHIA (4-5) at NEW The Bengals have won
yards from scrimmage division winners, then in a ri- kins will be the biggest chal- ORLEANS (8-1) eight of the last 10 in the se-
(1,390) and touchdowns diculously short turnaround lenge to cover. He has four New Orleans looks like the ries, but they fired first-year
(17). He has scored a from Sunday night, they games with 10-plus catch- NFL's top team right now, defensive coordinator Teryl
touchdown in 13 consecu- play the early Thanksgiving es, 100-plus yards and a and the Eagles don't re- Austin after a 51-14 loss to
tive games, extending his Day game at Detroit. They touchdown through the air. semble their title-winning the Saints, the second-most
own franchise record. also have the Rams and That's most in the league squad of last season. points allowed in franchise
"He is a heck of a player. A Packers on the road in De- since the start of 2017, and Injuries are damaging history. They became the
great player," Chiefs coach cember. Hopkins has five TD catches Philly's defense at a really first team in the Super Bowl
Andy Reid says when asked Two of the NFL's stingiest over the past four games. . bad time. A banged-up era to give up 500 yards in
how to slow Gurley. "You and most physical defens- Washington has showed secondary takes on Drew three straight games and
have to be disciplined. es should be main factors some balance on offense, Brees and his assortment are on pace to give up an
They're a disciplined of- Sunday. but the defense has been of helpers. The Saints have NFL-record 7,273 yards.
fense, so you have to be Minnesota has allowed an a major factor in its strong scored at least 40 points in Head coach Marvin Lewis
disciplined from a defen- average of only 252.5 yards year. It has forced a turn- five games this season, the takes over defensive coor-
sive standpoint. Then prac- over last four games, win- over in 13 consecutive third team in NFL history to dinator duties, too.q