Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Falcons LB Deion Jones was a full participant at Wednesday’s practice after missing Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury.
The Atlanta Falcons returned to practice on Wednesday to begin preparation for their Week 13 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Linebacker Deion Jones was back out there after missing Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury.
Since we’re approaching the final stretch of the season, head coach Arthur Smith wisely gave a couple of players a well-deserved rest day. Here’s a rundown of the day’s top stories, including the team’s first injury report of the week.
Nobody wants to see these Seahawks play in primetime anymore, understandably.
Nobody wants to see these Seahawks play in primetime anymore, understandably. That’s why this week’s game against the 49ers was flexed out of Sunday Night Football and moved to the afternoon timeslot.
Here’s all the info you need to know.
San Francisco 49ers (6-5) vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-8)
When
Sunday, Dec. 5, 1:25 p.m. PT
Where
Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
Watch
The game will be broadcast on CBS in the blue area on the map below.
Broadcasters
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green
Streaming
Live stream fuboTV (free 7-day trial)
Radio
The team’s local radio stations are ESPN 710 AM and KIRO 97.3 FM. You can find more affiliates here.
Referee assignment
Alex Kemp
Odds
Tipico Sportsbook has the Seahawks as 3.5-point underdogs.
History
Seattle beat San Francisco in October by a touchdown and leads the all-time series 29-17. However, these teams are going in two polar opposite directions right now and the Seahawks are on the wrong end of it.
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After losing to the Washington Football Team, the Seattle Seahawks dropped all the way to No. 27 in the Week 13 NFL power rankings.
Ugh. It almost seems untrue. The Seattle Seahawks are now 3-8 on the year and their chances of making the postseason seem as real as the Easter Bunny and it gets even worse.
After losing 17-15 to the Washington Football Team on the national stage, Seattle has fallen all the way down to No. 27 in Touchdown Wire’s Week 13 NFL power rankings.
“A blown coverage by Washington late gave the Seahawks and QB Russell Wilson some hope… but the two-point conversion fell flat… much like Seattle did throughout the game,” writes Nick Wojton. “This team is destined for some changes now.”
With virtually no shot of reaching the playoffs this season, Seattle’s matchup against San Francisco has already been flexed back from “Sunday Night Football” to a lowly afternoon time slot.
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Broncos will be considered 9.5-point underdogs on SNF against the Chiefs this week, according to @Tipico Sportsbook.
The Denver Broncos (6-5) are considered 9.5-point road underdogs against the Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) this week, according to Tipico Sportsbook. The division rivals will be competing for first place in the AFC West when they face off on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 13.
The over/under for total points scored this week has been set at 46.5, per Tipico Sportsbook. Denver’s games have averaged 38.5 total points per contest this year while Kansas City’s matchups have averaged 48.2 total points per game this season.
Last week, the Broncos were considered 2.5-point home underdogs against the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver won by 15 points. Before their bye last week, the Chiefs were considered 2.5-point home favorites against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11 and KC won by 10 points.
The Chiefs lead the all-time series against the Broncos 67-55, including 11-straight wins over their division rival dating back to 2015. Denver has kept some of the games close, losing by eight points in 2020, by seven and four points in 2018 and by three points in 2017.
Denver is 6-5 against the spread this season while Kansas City is 4-7.
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Following their win over the Chargers, the Broncos are now ranked 17th in USA TODAY’s NFL power rankings.
Following their impressive 28-13 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, the Denver Broncos are now ranked 17th in Nate Davis’ latest NFL power rankings for USA TODAY Sports. That’s up five spots from their No. 22 ranking last week.
Here is Davis’ commentary with Denver’s ranking:
Only two teams have allowed fewer points, and only four have turned it over fewer times than Denver. Certainly not a sexy formula, but it’s a winning one that has this team in the wild-card mix.
Despite their rise this week, the Broncos are still the lowest-ranked team in the AFC West, behind the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 5), Los Angeles Chargers (No. 15) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 16). Denver will undoubtedly start to get more respect if the team upsets the Chiefs on the road in Week 13.
The Green Bay Packers are ranked No. 1 this week and the Detroit Lions are ranked No. 32. To view the complete NFL power rankings entering Week 13, visit USATODAY.com.
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The #Broncos are pretty banged up, especially on the offensive line, ahead of the Week 13 tilt with the #Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. | from @TheJohnDillon
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The Kansas City Chiefs will have the benefit of playing a shorthanded Denver team next week as several Broncos suffered injuries on Sunday against the Chargers. Most notably, starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a shin injury during the game.
Nine players were listed on Denver’s injury report heading into Week 12, with five of the hurt players listed as doubtful or questionable on Friday. Starting defensive end Shelby Harris and tackle Bobby Massie were both ruled out ahead of the matchup this week. Their absences weren’t too difficult to overcome the Broncos in their win over Los Angeles.
The list of injuries for Denver expanded in the effort too, with starting running back Melvin Gordon leaving the game, also starting guard Dalton Risner and starting left tackle Calvin Anderson knocked out of the game. Along with Bridgewater and the others listed out with injury designations before Sunday’s matchup, these players constitute six missing starters in all phases of the game for Denver.
Should any of those absences persist into Week 13, it could prove difficult for the Chiefs’ AFC West rival to overcome. Bridgewater and Gordon eventually returned to the game, but both offensive linemen were ruled out with their injuries. With Garrett Bolles on injured reserve, the Broncos could be down to their third-string left tackle in Week 13.
This meeting between Kansas City and Denver will be the team’s first tilt of the season, and the Broncos are going to be at a huge disadvantage in their attempt to take control of the AFC West. The Chiefs would be a tough team for Denver to beat even if they were at full strength, and their losing streak dating back to 2015 could be extended if some of their key contributors aren’t able to return before Sunday.
Kansas City has a huge opportunity to extend its divisional lead if the Broncos remain as hurt as their injury report suggests they’ll be, and could put themselves two games up in the standings with just five games remaining if they win. Andy Reid is one of the best coaches of all time coming off the bye week, and he is sure to do everything in his power to capitalize on his opponent being down so many players with the fate of the season in the balance.
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A Week 13 college football rooting guide for Wisconsin Badger fans
Wisconsin fans know what’s at stake in Minneapolis tomorrow when the Badgers take the field against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
With a win, the Badgers would finish the season with an 8-game win streak and a Big Ten West title after starting the season 1-3. With a loss, either Minnesota or Iowa will likely capture the division and the Badgers will fall a game short.
Related: Five keys to a Wisconsin victory over Minnesota this weekend
Well, there are other relevant games this weekend to the rest of Wisconsin’s season. Some have to do with the Big Ten picture, and some are more on the national stage.
Here is the complete Week 13 college football rooting guide for Wisconsin Badger fans:
The Broncos’ game against the Chiefs in Week 13 has been flexed to ‘Sunday Night Football’ on NBC.
The Denver Broncos will get a second prime-time game this season, after all.
Denver’s road game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13 has been flexed to NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” window, the NFL announced Tuesday. The game was originally scheduled to be played on CBS in the early afternoon window.
To make room for the Chiefs and Broncos on “SNF,” the NFL flexed the Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers game to the mid-afternoon window. Seattle (3-7) vs. San Francisco (5-5) looked like an intriguing matchup in the offseason, but the Seahawks’ decline made the contest a poor choice for prime time.
Denver (5-5) hasn’t been overly impressive this year, but Kansas City (7-4) is back in control of the AFC West and the league will take every opportunity possible to put quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the national spotlight.
If the Broncos upset the Los Angeles Chargers (6-4) in Week 12, their matchup with the Chiefs could have big implications in the division.
Denver was originally scheduled to play in just one nationally televised game this season. The Broncos lost to the Cleveland Browns 17-14 on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 7. Denver will hope for better results in Week 13.
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“One game at a time” has been the Seahawks’ M.O. in practice for the past several years, but Seattle got complacent against the Giants.
NFL fans and analysts across the country were stunned when the Seattle Seahawks lost 17-12 to a woeful New York Giants team that had just four wins coming into their Week 13 matchup. Many blamed coach Pete Carroll’s clock management, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s playcalling, Seattle’s lack of defensive pressure, or any combination of factors for the unexpected outcome.
Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin has a simpler explanation.
“We came in taking the team lightly, you know, just being totally honest,” he said to reporters on Thursday. “We eased up off the gas a little bit… we let that game get the best of us.”
Griffin’s candidness about the team’s mental lapse was both surprising and refreshing to hear in an age where many athletes and coaches prefer to praise the opponent’s performance rather than admit their own shortcomings. The Giants, noted Griffin, were already in good position for a playoff spot, having won three straight games to lead the NFC East coming into last Sunday’s matchup. “We couldn’t take them lightly,” he admitted, “and we did.”
A major focus on practice this week, Griffin said, is getting the squad back on track with the Seahawks’ tradition of treating every game like a championship game (“In this league, you can lose to anybody.”) Still, it stings to fall to a team with four fewer wins than yourself, especially if you are as heavily favored as the Seahawks were.
“That team was not supposed to beat us,” said Griffin. “They were not supposed to win that game, and we have to live with that.”
The 0-12 Jets, who will face Seattle on Sunday, Dec. 13, are also not predicted to win – how do the Seahawks ensure that they will not fall into the same trap as they did against the Giants?
“We talk about it, we fix it, and we move forward from it,” Griffin assured the media. “One game at a time, treating every team the same.”
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The Jersey Boyz Podcast is back with Episode 32 to discuss the Ravens loss and what’s ahead with the Bengals in Week 14.
The Jersey Boyz Podcast puts a bow on the Ravens debacle and focus in on the Cowboys’ Week 14 opponent the Cincinnati Bengals. At 3-9 and two full games behind first place the Cowboys would have to win out and have help from the New York Giants and Washington Football Team to claim the NFC East in 2020.
Does Dave, Bret and Keith think there’s a prayer? What’s the situation with Mike McCarthy going into 2021? Who will be the “fall guy” when the off-season hits? All these questions are attempted to be answered in Episode 32.
Follow us on social media! @JerseyBoyzPod on Twitter and @JerseyBoyzPodcast on Instagram for videos, weekly game picks and more!
