Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys Preview and Predictions 10-14-2018 in NFL
NFL Previews 11th October 2018 by Gracenote
Jaguars vs. Cowboys Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/11/2018
The Jacksonville Jaguars came up well short in a battle for AFC supremacy last weekend, getting wiped out by the high-powered and undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Jacksonville will look to shake off the lopsided defeat when it plays its second inter-conference game of the season with a visit to the struggling Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.
Although the Jaguars were unable to slow down the Chiefs, they figure to have an easier time against a Dallas offense that centers around running back Ezekiel Elliott. "We know the offense flows through the running back," Jacksonville linebacker Telvin Smith said. "They're going to try to get him going. We've just got to go out and execute and play." The Cowboys dropped a 19-16 decision in overtime at Houston last week to fall to 0-3 on the road and frustration has been building in the locker room. "We just got to play better on offense, we have to coach better, play better on the offensive line, better at all spots," Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. "Everyone has a piece of it, it's not just one area."
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Jaguars -3. O/U: 40.5
ABOUT THE JAGUARS (3-2): Jacksonville owns the league's top-ranked defense, permitting an average of 292.2 yards per game, but the unit was sliced up for 424 yards by Kansas City. Quarterback Blake Bortles was forced to go to the air 61 times and wound up throwing for a career-high 430 yards, but he also committed five turnovers and was sacked five times. "It's a trend that I talked about with the team today," Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said of the team's minus-7 turnover differential. "If we don't change that, we're going to be in trouble. We have to change that." T.J. Yeldon will again have to carry the ground game with running back Leonard Fournette set to miss his fourth game of the season.
ABOUT THE COWBOYS (2-3): Dallas ranks fifth in the league in rushing (135.8 yards) thanks to Elliott, but its offense is No. 28 overall and the passing game is a lowly 30th with 172.0 yards per game. Elliott was limited to a season-low 54 yards on 20 carries by Houston last week, but he still leads the NFL in rushing with 480 yards and had a team-high 22 receptions. Dak Prescott lost his two favorite targets in the offseason with the departures of Dez Bryant and Jason Witten and his No. 1 wideout is Cole Beasley, who is averaging 38.6 yards per game on 17 receptions. The Cowboys are tied for sixth in the league with 15.0 sacks, paced by defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, who has posted a team-leading 5.5.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Yeldon is one of four players in the AFC with at least 450 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.
2. Prescott has a 104.7 passer rating and has accounted for six TDs in his last four at home versus AFC foes.
3. The Jaguars signed RB Jamaal Charles this week.
PREDICTION: Jaguars 20, Cowboys 16
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Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans Preview and Predictions 10-14-2018 in NFL
NFL Previews 11th October 2018 by Gracenote
Ravens vs. Titans Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/11/2018
The Tennessee Titans are used to playing close games but wouldn't mind running it up a bit on the scoreboard. The Titans will try to reach 30 points for the first time this season and earn a key AFC win when they host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Each of Tennessee's first five games was within a touchdown at the finish - the last four within a field goal - due in large part to an offense that struggles to score and is ranked 29th in the league at an average of 17.4 points. "We've just got to make more plays," running back Dion Lewis told reporters. "Just got to bounce back man. That's what it's all about. Come ready to work, take the criticism, learn from the coaching, and try to be better to get ready for the Ravens." Baltimore is not the defense a struggling offense wants to see as it comes into the week first in the NFL in points allowed at an average of 15.4 after holding the opposition to 14 points or fewer in four of its five contests. "We have some good things that we're doing right now on defense," Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale told reporters. "We're doing very well. And we're still just ... (head coach) John (Harbaugh) always talks about chasing perfection, and that's where we're at. We're trying to ... We take nothing for granted, and we're going to keep just plugging away, plugging away, plugging away as a defense."
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Ravens - 2.5. O/U: 41.5
ABOUT THE RAVENS (3-2): Baltimore saw its offense slip in a 12-9 overtime loss at Cleveland last week and attention to detail is what offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg would like to see improve. "There are some things that you have to do to win a game, and then there are some things that you just have to stay away from or you give the game away, and we did several of those things," Mornhinweg told reporters. "Just big picture, the thing, we talked about it as a team. If you look at it, the last two ball games, we've fumbled down there on the goal line and thrown an interception on the goal line. These are things that good teams just stay away from." Quarterback Joe Flacco is averaging 45.4 pass attempts but is up to three interceptions and three fumbles on the season.
ABOUT THE TITANS (3-2): Tennessee has a secret weapon against Baltimore in the form of defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who spent the previous six seasons in the same position with the Ravens. "I know guys always say it's another game. It's not another game (to me)," Pees told reporters. "First of all, it is a game we have to (win) to be 4-2 to keep a lead in our division, that's the most important thing. And second of all, any time you play somebody that you know and know well and respect, it is always an emotional game." Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is hoping another week practicing against Pees' defensive will give him an extra edge and help overcome a 14-of-26 performance for 129 yards and an interception in last week's 13-12 loss at Buffalo.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Titans LT Taylor Lewan (foot) was a full participant in practice on Thursday and is expected to play Sunday.
2. The Ravens have gone over 123 minutes of game time without scoring a touchdown.
3. Mariota threw for 218 yards and a pair of TDs in Tennessee's 23-20 home win over Baltimore last season.
PREDICTION: Titans 24, Ravens 17
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Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots Preview and Predictions 10-14-2018 in NFL
NFL Previews 11th October 2018 by Gracenote
Chiefs vs. Patriots Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/11/2018
Five Super Bowl championships and three NFL Most Valuable Player awards has Tom Brady in the conversation of greatest quarterback of all time, but he may be taking a back seat in his upcoming matchup. Patrick Mahomes is off to a sizzling start to the season and will look to keep the Kansas City Chiefs perfect when they visit the Patriots on Sunday night.
Mahomes leads the NFL with 14 touchdown passes in his first season as a starter and is the talk of the league after guiding Kansas City to a 5-0 start for the second year in a row. "Pretty much everything," New England coach Bill Belichick said when asked what impresses him about Mahomes. "He gets the ball to all of his receivers quick, quick release, sees things quickly, can extend plays, got a great arm, got a fabulous arm, can throw the ball out of the stadium. He makes good decisions, accurate, gets the ball out on time." The Patriots have won two straight following a slow start as Brady threw for a season-high 341 yards and three touchdowns in last week's win over Indianapolis to become the third quarterback to reach 500 career scoring passes. "I was a Cowboys fan when I was younger, so being from Texas, I wasn't necessarily a fan of him winning all the time," Mahomes said of Brady. "But you definitely respected his game and how he played. When you have that much success, it takes a bunch of hard work, so you respect that."
TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Patriots -3.5. O/U: 59.5
ABOUT THE CHIEFS (5-0): Mahomes failed to throw a scoring pass for the first time and tossed his first two interceptions of the season in last week's 30-14 win over Jacksonville, but he still threw for over 300 yards for the fourth straight game. Tight end Travis Kelce has a team-high 28 catches and three touchdowns while speedster Tyreek Hill is next with 27 receptions and three scores. Kareem Hunt has come alive with four rushing touchdowns in the last three games and burned New England for 148 yards and a score to lead the Chiefs to a 42-27 win at Gillette Stadium in his NFL debut in 2017. Kansas City forced five turnovers and had five sacks last week, but it allows an NFL-worst 461.8 yards per game.
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (3-2): After a pair of double-digit defeats at Jacksonville and Detroit, New England has found its offensive stride by scoring 38 points in wins over Miami and Indianapolis. The passing game got a lift last week as Julian Edelman (seven catches, 57 yards) returned from a four-game suspension and recent acquisition Josh Gordon made his Patriots debut with two receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown. That opens up more room for tight end Rob Gronkowski and rookie running back Sony Michel, who has scored in each of the past two games while rushing for 210 yards. New England's defense is middle of the pack against the run and pass and ranks 30th in the league with only 7.0 sacks.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Brady can become the first quarterback in history to notch 200 career regular-season wins.
2. Mahomes is bidding to become the sixth QB since 1970 to win each of his first seven career starts.
3. Gronkowski needs three catches to become the fourth tight end with 500 receptions in fewer than 110 games.
PREDICTION: Chiefs 33, Patriots 30
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