NFL Week 9 kickoff times, TV info and betting lines
GAME TO WATCH
Can Panthers stay perfect vs. Pack?
GREEN BAY PACKERS (6-1) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (7-0)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews)
Line: Packers by 2½
Story lines: NFC playoff seeding could be at stake. … Panthers QB Cam Newton’s numbers do not make him a league MVP candidate, but throw in his contributions as a scrambler/runner plus his ability to inspire others, and he deserves to be in the conversation. … Carolina has allowed the No. 1 receiver on opposing teams just 243 yards. … Packers QB Aaron Rodgers’ 77 passing yards last week were his fewest ever in a start that he didn’t leave early due to injury. His 224 passing yards per game are his fewest since he took over as the starter in 2008. … Green Bay has actually been far more effective on the ground than through the air with RBs Eddie Lacy and James Starks combining for 593 rushing yards.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS (3-4) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-0)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, Pam Oliver)
Line: Patriots by 14
Story lines: A surprisingly deep Washington secondary has led a defense that has become opportunistic, forcing nine turnovers in its past four games. … New England leads the league with an average of 35.6 points per game. … Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski’s 646 receiving yards, seven touchdown catches and 13 plays of 20 or more yards all lead the league’s tight ends by a wide margin. … The Redskins have averaged only 18 rushing plays in their past two games, understandable since they’ve averaged 2.3 yards per carry over their past three games. ... Redskins WR DeSean Jackson is questionable to return from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him most of the season.
TENNESSEE TITANS (1-6) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-4)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS (Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon)
Line: Saints by 8
Story lines: Before their big meeting with Carolina in Week 13, the Saints face three opponents with combined records of 7-15. Taking care of business is huge if New Orleans wants a chance of getting back in the playoffs. … Tennessee’s secondary gave up just two 20-yard passing plays last week. But the Saints had eight passes gain more than 20 yards last week. … Saints RB Mark Ingram has topped 50 all-purpose yards in all but one game this year. … The Saints’ 52 points scored against the Giants last Sunday were more than the Titans have scored in their last 17 quarters combined. ... Tennessee QB Marcus Mariota will be back in the lineup after a knee injury cost him the past two starts.
MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-4) AT BUFFALO BILLS (3-4)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS (Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots)
Line: Bills by 3
Story lines: The Dolphins are 0-3 vs. the AFC East. … Coming out of their bye week, the Bills expect to have QB Tyrod Taylor, RB Karlos Williams and WR Sammy Watkins back in the lineup. … Buffalo has nearly a quarter of a billion dollars invested in its D-line, but after leading the league with 54 sacks in 2014, the Bills are on pace for 25 this season. However it will face a Miami O-line missing injured RT Ja’Wuan James. … Buffalo has lost three of four at home.
ST. LOUIS RAMS (4-3) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-2)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox (Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Tony Siragusa)
Line: Vikings by 2½
Story lines: The Rams haven’t had a winning record this late in the season since 2006. … St. Louis hasn’t allowed a touchdown since Week 5. … Rams RB Todd Gurley’s historic start – his 575 rushing yards are the most by a rookie in his first four games since the 1970 merger – has drawn comparisons to the way Vikings RB Adrian Peterson took the league by storm in 2007. Peterson, now 30, continues to display power and speed and is the NFL’s third-leading rusher. … Vikings rookie WR Stefon Diggs is averaging more than 100 receiving yards in his first four NFL games.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-5) AT NEW YORK JETS (4-3)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS (Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Jamie Erdahl)
Line: Jets by 7½
Story lines: Refreshed from its bye week, Jacksonville hopes to build on its best start in five seasons with a second consecutive victory against an AFC East opponent. … Jags QB Blake Bortles needs nine touchdown passes to pass the team record set by David Garrard (23) in 2010. … Jets WR Brandon Marshall, who is questionable with ankle and toe injuries, has reached at least 100 receiving yards in five of his past six games. … Jets RB Chris Ivory, hampered by a hamstring injury, has averaged 1.8 yards per carry the last two weeks. In his previous four games (all wins), his average was 5.5 yards.
OAKLAND RAIDERS (4-3) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-4)
TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS (Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn)
Line: Steelers by 4½
Story lines: The Raiders are thinking playoffs for the first time in a long time. Besides a last-second loss to the Chicago Bears, Oakland’s other losses have come to unbeaten teams (Broncos, Bengals). … Raiders QB Derek Carr has thrown touchdown passes to eight different receivers. … With RB Le’Veon Bell’s season over, the Steelers are going to be a pass-first team from here on out. The Raiders come into the game ranked 31st in pass defense.
NEW YORK GIANTS (4-4) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-4)
TV: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox (Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin)
Line: Giants by 2½
Story lines: The Giants defense has allowed 35.3 points per game in three road losses. The Bucs defense is allowing 36.7 points per contest in Tampa. … Buccaneers rookie QB Jameis Winston, who threw seven picks in his first four games, has gone three consecutive games without a turnover. … After holding opponents to less than 90 rushing yards in their first four games, the Giants have allowed an average of 154.5 in the last four. … These teams have forced a combine 17 takeaways – 10 by the Giants, seven for the Bucs – in their past three games. ... The Giants may have DE Jason Pierre-Paul for the first time this season.
ATLANTA FALCONS (6-2) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-6)
TV: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox (Chris Myers, Ronde Barber, Jennifer Hale)
Line: Falcons by 7
Story lines: The only thing standing between the Falcons and a three-game losing streak was an uninspired 10-7 win at the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. … Atlanta has turned the ball over 12 times in the past four games. … After QB Colin Kaepernick led them to nine points and 331 yards the past two weeks, the Niners have turned to Blaine Gabbert, who’s lost 11 of his 12 starts since 2012. … Falcons RB Devonta Freeman has tallied more than 100 yards of total offense in each of his last six games. … The 49ers have not scored a first-quarter touchdown this season. And they won't have RB Carlos Hyde on Sunday and will likely be without WR Anquan Boldin.
DENVER BRONCOS (7-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-5)
TV: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS (Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson)
Line: Broncos by 4½
Story lines: The “struggling” Denver offense outgained the Green Bay Packers 500-140 last week. … TE Vernon Davis, acquired before the trade deadline, will make his Broncos debut and could find himself locked up with his brother, Colts CB Vontae Davis. … The listing Colts have lost three of four at home and now they’re adjusting to new OC Rob Chudzinski after Pep Hamilton’s firing. … Broncos RB C.J. Anderson rushed for 101 yards last week after totaling 180 in his first six games. … A win would give Broncos QB Peyton Manning 187 as a starting quarterback, breaking Brett Favre’s NFL record. Manning could also surpass Favre's all-time mark for career passing yads. … Denver’s 29 sacks are a league-high, bad news for embattled Colts QB Andrew Luck.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-4) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (2-5)
TV: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya)
Line: Eagles by 2½
Story lines: Despite season-long struggles, the Eagles are only a half-game out of the NFC East lead coming off their bye week. … Philadelphia is last in the NFL in average time of possession (26:40), meaning they’re ineffective on third down and consequently leave the defense exposed. … With their ongoing struggles at quarterback, the Cowboys have failed to score a TD in two of their past three games. … Despite the controversy constantly following him, Dallas DE Greg Hardy has revived a sagging defense with three sacks in three games and a spectacular interception last Sunday. Keep an eye on his matchup with Eagles LT Jason Peters. … The Eagles’ 19 takeaways lead the NFL, even though they’ve played one fewer game than much of the league. That bodes poorly for Dallas QB Matt Cassel, who threw three interceptions to the New York Giants two weeks ago.
CHICAGO BEARS (2-5) AT SAN DIEGO (2-6)
TV: Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters)
Line: Chargers by 4
Story lines: Nearly one-quarter of the Chargers roster sustained injuries Sunday in a difficult road defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, San Diego’s fourth in a row. … Chicago is yielding an opponent passer rating of 103.5, 28th in the NFL. Meanwhile, Chargers QB Philip Rivers has overcome constant pressure and O-line changes, having been held below 300 passing yards and two touchdowns once this season. … Rivers is on pace for 5,506 yards, which would break Peyton Manning’s NFL record of 5,477 set in 2013. … With RB Matt Forte injured, Bears rookie Jeremy Langford’s first start comes against the NFL’s 28th-ranked run defense, but one that limited the Ravens to just 72 yards.
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