Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Key matchups to watch in Week 12 between the Bucs and Colts.
The Indianapolis Colts (6-5) are looking to stay in the playoff hunt when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
As the Colts are one of the hottest teams in the NFL having won three in a row and five of their last six, the Bucs are quite possibly the most formidable test they’ll see this season. Led by Tom Brady, this unit is elite on both sides of the ball.
Here are some key matchups to watch in the Week 12 bout at Lucas Oil Stadium:
Three key matchups to watch when Jordan Love and the Packers take on the Chiefs in Week 9 of the 2021 season.
Maybe one day we will get to see Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes go head-to-head. Mahomes missed the first opportunity in 2019 due to a knee injury. Two years later, Rodgers is now the one not suiting up after testing positive for COVID-19. Unfortunately, this historic matchup will have to wait as the Green Bay Packers take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9. Green Bay hopes to extend their 7-game win streak, but they will have to do it without their starting quarterback.
The Chiefs have not looked like themselves this season. Usually, it’s the defense holding them back, and while their defense has been pretty bad in 2021, the offense also hasn’t been great. Mahomes has already thrown 10 interceptions through the first eight games, which is uncharacteristic for the 2018 MVP.
If there was ever a game where the Packers needed to force a turnover, this is the one. Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense would greatly appreciate it. Luckily, defensive coordinator Joe Barry is back with the team, which should help even though Jerry Gray did a superb job filling in against the Arizona Cardinals. Rasul Douglas came up huge with a game-winning interception at the end of last week’s game, and perhaps some of that turnover luck will carry over to Week 9.
Sans Rodgers, this is still an intriguing matchup. Both teams have talented rosters and two of the best head coaches in the NFL. This is also a chance for Green Bay to get a good look at their young backup quarterback making his first career start.
Not that it should come as a surprise, but for this week’s list of key matchups, let’s start with Love facing a struggling Kansas City defense.
Highlighting three key matchups for when the Packers face Washington on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Green Bay Packers will be sporting a new look on Sunday when they take the field against the Washington Football Team. The Packers will be wearing jerseys similar to what the team wore in the early 1950s in their latest installment of throwback uniforms. Hopefully, it helps Green Bay look good as they try to extend a five-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Washington is desperately trying to get back into the win column if they have any chance of staying in the hunt for the NFC East.
The Football Team will be carrying a 2-4 record when they travel to Lambeau Field for Week 7. Their only wins were against the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons. New York and Atlanta have a combined record of 3-8.
Washington did not fare well in last week’s matchup against a struggling Kansas City Chiefs team. The Chiefs tallied almost 500 yards of total offense compared to just 276 by the Football Team. Meanwhile, the expectation was for Washington’s defense to carry them through the 2021 season, but they are currently ranked 31st in total defense and 32nd in points allowed.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense should be aiming for a big week that ends with putting a lot of points on the board. On the other hand, Green Bay’s fourth-ranked defense (by yards allowed) will do everything they can to rattle quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who will be without two starting offensive linemen.
The Packers should win comfortably if they play well, but there will be a few intriguing matchups to keep tabs on throughout the game. Let’s take a closer look.
With Barkley getting his legs under him and Daniel Jones showing promise, Dallas’ defense is in for a big test on Sunday. A look at the top matchups on deck. | From @CDBurnett7
The Dallas Cowboys enter a third-straight home game against the New York Giants on Sunday. New York is coming off of an overtime win against the Saints while Dallas is coming off back-to-back impressive home wins as part of three straight victories.
As to be expected in a divisional showdown, there will be storylines to watch and matchups to key on. The Dallas offense has been impressive so far, scoring 36-plus points in their last two games and there’s no reason to expect that will change against the Giants. That being said, what can change?
Daniel Jones has had an impressive start to the season, but will Trevon Diggs spoil it with another interception against an injury-ridden receiver core? Penn State standouts Saquon Barkley and Micah Parsons will face off for the first time and there’s plenty of speed and star power between the two to keep an eye out for.
This is another return to AT&T Stadium for Jason Garrett, but this time he faces a new and improved Dallas defense under Dan Quinn. Here’s three matchups to focus on for Cowboys-Giants on Sunday.
The big day is nearly upon us as the SEC gets geared up to start its 2020 conference-only football schedule including three key matchups.
The big day is nearly upon us as the Southeastern Conference gets geared up to start its 2020 conference-only football schedule this Saturday, which includes three key league matchups among the many games being played.
USA TODAY Sports’ college poll editor Eddie Timanus took a look at the five biggest matchups this weekend, including the three from the SEC: the No. 6 Florida Gators at Ole Miss Rebels, the Kentucky Wildcats at No. 8 Auburn Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 5 LSU Tigers.
Here is what Timanus had to say about the Gators’ game in Oxford, Miss., this Saturday.
Noon ET, ESPN
We’ll start with the Gators, who hope to overtake Georgia in the East Division, hitting the road to Oxford for Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss debut.
The QB competition for the Rebels remained the subject of speculation as game week arrived, and the depth chart Kiffin released Monday shed little light on the situation. It is likely that strong-armed Matt Corral and speedster John Rhys Plumlee will both take snaps in the game, so DT Kyree Campbell and the Florida defense will be prepared for either. QB Kyle Trask is back to direct the Gators’ offense. His arsenal includes standout TE Kyle Pitts, who will command attention from Jacquez Jones and the Ole Miss LB corps.
[lawrence-related id=24158,24151,24156,24109,24107]
[vertical-gallery id=23934]
Ahead of Sunday’s Bears-Packers game, here are some matchups to watch as the two NFC North rivals square off for the 2nd time this season.
Arguably no two teams in the NFL know each other better than the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. The league’s oldest rivalry adds another chapter to its storied history on Sunday when the Bears travel north to take on the NFC North division leaders in a pivotal game for both teams.
The Bears are on life support when it comes to their postseason hopes, sitting at a 2% chance to make the playoffs heading into Week 15. They’ll need to win and get some help from other teams to improve their chances.
The Packers, on the other hand, are knocking at the door when it comes to the playoffs. They’ll clinch a playoff berth with a win and a Los Angeles Rams loss when they take on the Dallas Cowboys.
Despite the Packers’ better record of 10-3, this game will likely be close, as the 7-6 Bears are riding a three-game winning streak. Look for a few key matchups that may decide the game for either team.
Jones has been the catalyst for the Green Bay offense in 2019, accumulating over 1,200 yards from scrimmage and scoring 15 total touchdowns. He’s been the Packers’ most dangerous weapon this season, meaning the Bears linebackers are going to have a tall task ahead of them on Sunday.
With starting linebackers Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan both out with injuries, that responsibility falls to Kwiatkoski. The fourth-year pro has been superb in relief of Trevathan, playing excellent run defense and improving in pass coverage. Now, he faces another big test against Jones without Smith by his side. Can “Kwit” slow down Jones both in the running and passing game?
As the Bears prepare for the Cowboys, they’ll face a tall order as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive. Here are matchups to watch.
When the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys kick off at Soldier Field on Thursday evening, it will officially mark the beginning of the fourth quarter of the 2019 NFL season.
Each sitting at 6-6, the Bears and Cowboys still eye a spot in the postseason, although the Cowboys’ road to the playoffs is much smoother than the Bears’. Nonetheless, neither team can afford a loss in December and will look to inch closer towards securing a playoff berth.
With injuries sidelining impactful players on both teams, this game will come down to a few key matchups. Here are three of the biggest:
A (literal) battle of the heavyweights, Mack and Smith are perennial Pro Bowl players who will go head to head for a significant portion of the game. Statistically, Mack hasn’t reached his totals from 2018 and is in danger of missing out on double-digit sacks for the first time since his rookie season. But he has five forced fumbles and is still a game-changer when coming off the edge. He’ll line up on both ends of the line but will face a major test when lining up across from Smith.
Smith has only surrendered one sack this season, and the offensive line as a whole has given up 19 total, tied for third-best in the league, according to Football Outsiders. Getting to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will be paramount when it comes to winning this game.
