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Aaron Rodgers’ season may have ended after an injury Frostee Rucker Jersey , just a week after the same thing happened to J.J. Watt and Odell Beckham Jr.

It’s been a painful stretch for some of the NFL’s biggest stars.

Rodgers broke his collarbone Sunday in Green Bay’s 23-10 loss to Minnesota, and the Packers’ Super Bowl hopes could be lost right along with him.

Watt wrote on Twitter that he was “gutted” for Rodgers, who led the Packers to the NFC championship game last season and had them off to a 4-1 start this year.

”Losing Aaron Rodgers speaks for itself,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. ”In my opinion, he’s the best player in football. This is the ultimate team game. We need to be better with the 11 people on the field that we have, regardless of the phase that we’re in. Ultimately that’s my responsibility.”

Jameis Winston also was lost early in Tampa Bay’s game at Arizona Jared Veldheer Jersey , though the Buccaneers made a spirited surge after he left before falling 38-33.

The Packers couldn’t do anything behind Rodgers’ replacement, Brett Hundley, who finished 18 of 33 for 157 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Practice squad player Joe Callahan is the only other quarterback on the roster, but McCarthy indicated the Packers won’t be out looking for a big-name veteran such as Colin Kaepernick.

”Brett Hundley and Joe Callahan, that’s what we’re going with,” he said.

Rodgers was hurt when linebacker Anthony Barr drove him into the turf after he got rid of a roll-out pass. Rodgers writhed on the turf as McCarthy argued for a roughing-the-passer penalty.

For the first time this season Tyvon Branch Jersey , the Packers’ starting offensive line was intact, though that lasted about half of the game. Right tackle Bryan Bulaga was knocked out of action with a concussion and left tackle David Bakhtiari’s hamstring injury flared up. He missed the past four games.

The Packers, who were already missing three starting defensive backs, lost backup cornerback Quinten Rollins to an ankle injury.

If he can’t make it back, Rodgers joins the likes of Watt, Houston’s defensive leader who broke his leg J. J. Nelson Jersey , and Beckham, who broke his ankle in the Giants’ loss last week.

Like Rodgers, Winston hurt his throwing shoulder when he was tackled. X-rays were negative and he will have an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.

He said he’s had the injury before.

”I’ll be back soon,” Winston said.

Jacksonville’s Leonard Fournette also expects to be fine after leaving the Jaguars’ loss to the Rams with a right ankle injury. He had a 75-yard touchdown run earlier in the game and finished with 130 yards on 21 carries before departing late in the game.

Already without Jeremy Maclin, the Baltimore Ravens lost another receiver when Breshad Perriman went out with a second-quarter concussion. Tight end Maxx Williams also hurt his ankle while losing a fumble and did not return, but the Ravens nearly rallied before falling 27-24 in overtime to the Chicago Bears. Baltimore came back with a punt and a kickoff return for touchdowns against a Chicago team that lost special teams captain Sherrick McManus to a hamstring injury.

Pittsburgh linebacker Vince Williams had a pair of sacks in Kansas City but left in the second half with a hip injury. The Steelers also lost right tackle Marcus Gilbert A.Q. Shipley Jersey , who had missed three weeks with a hamstring injury, in the first half after he aggravated it.

Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland will have an MRI on his left knee after being on the receiving end of a low block in a 26-24 victory over San Francisco. Coach Jay Gruden said it was an MCL issue.

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CLEVELAND (AP) Clock management hurt the Browns again.

And this time Nick Boyle Jersey , it cost them a quarterback.

Failing to get the necessary paperwork to the NFL offices by Wednesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline, Cleveland’s proposed deal to get Cincinnati quarterback AJ McCarron fell apart in the final minutes, the latest misstep for a team unable to solve its quarterback riddle.

The teams had an agreement in place, sending McCarron to Cleveland for draft picks, but the required documentation – paperwork signed by both clubs – arrived in New York too late Terrance West Jersey , said league spokesman Brian McCarthy. He did not provide any further detail about why the transaction wasn’t finalized.

The Browns have spent much of the past two decades in a failed search to find their franchise quarterback. McCarron might not have been that answer either, but the 27-year-old could have provided leadership and another option while the team develops rookie DeShone Kizer, who has had an uneven first seven starts.

The administrative glitch comes one day after the New England Patriots traded Jimmy Garoppolo – a quarterback on Cleveland’s radar for months – to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2018 second-round pick. The Browns, who have three second-round picks in next year’s draft, had previous discussions about Garoppolo but were unable to strike a deal.

On top of that Mike Wallace Jersey , Browns fans have had to watch Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson, two players the team could have drafted in the past two years, excel in Philadelphia and Houston, respectively, while Cleveland has gone 0-8 this season and 1-23 under coach Hue Jackson.

Jackson’s history with McCarron is what drew the Browns toward the Bengals backup Eric Weddle Jersey , who made three starts, including one in the playoffs, when Andy Dalton was injured in 2015. McCarron could have helped the Browns plug the gap while Kizer develops or until the team drafts another QB.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCarron has completed 66 percent of his passes for 854 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions with Cincinnati.

Jackson’s future in Cleveland is uncertain as he Browns enter their bye week winless at the season’s halfway point for the second year in a row. He has been criticized for his handling of Kizer, who has been benched three times Matt Judon Jersey , as well as some head-scratching decisions during games.

Cleveland’s front office, led by Sashi Brown, is also under pressure as a plan to turn around the team has shown minimal progress.

Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam have professed patience, but it will be tested by the group’s inability to complete even a basic trade.

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KANSAS CITY Eric Wood Jersey , Mo. (AP) Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was so disheartened after his five-interception performance against Jacksonville last week that he half-jokingly talked about having lost it.

Running back Le’Veon Bell subtly criticized the Steelers’ play-calling this week, and wide receiver Antonio Brown was just a couple of weeks removed from his own sideline temper-tantrum.

The ”Killer B’s” had become the ”Dysfunctional Dudes.”

Well, they got back to normal Sunday.

Roethlisberger ripped apart the Kansas City Chiefs for 252 yards and a touchdown, forcing the ball into some near-impossible windows. Bell hammered away for 179 yards and a score, his patient running style causing Kansas City headaches all afternoon. Brown hauled in eight passes for 155 yards Colton Schmidt Jersey , the big highlight a tipped 51-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter.

The result was a 19-13 victory that could very well turn around Pittsburgh’s entire season.

”I guess,” Roethlisberger said, ”this old cowboy has got a little left in him.”

The Steelers (4-2) appear to have a little left in all of them.

They certainly had their detractors after the Jaguars romped to a 30-9 victory, the Steelers’ worst home defeat in a decade. Throw in an overtime loss to the lowly Bears and all the drama surrounding some of their biggest stars, and some wondered whether a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations was in danger of coming apart at the seams.

Their performance against the red-hot Chiefs answered any lingering questions.

They dominated the first half in every facet Cordy Glenn Jersey , pounding away with Bell and keeping the NFL’s top scoring offense on the sideline. Kansas City only ran 11 plays and gained 6 yards in the first quarter, and was still searching for solutions when the break rolled around.

When the Chiefs finally got on track, the Steelers had an answer every time.

”The thing about Kansas City, they do what they do,” Bell said. ”We made the right calls in the right situations and sometimes they made the right calls and got us off the field. It was kind of a chess match Jerry Hughes Jersey , but it’s always a good game when we come here.”

The Chiefs knew what they were going to get from Pittsburgh, too. It just didn’t matter.

”They were not afraid of us. They beat us twice last year,” Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. ”Regardless of what happened with them and the Jags, hat’s off to them. They were a tough team today.”

The Steelers’ season is starting to resemble last year, when four consecutive losses left them 4-5 in late November. But they leaned on Bell and Brown down the stretch and ripped off seven straight wins to reach the playoffs Preston Brown Jersey , then trounced the Dolphins before beating the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

That game bore plenty of similarities to Sunday, too. Bell churned for 170 yards. Brown caught six passes for 108. And the Steelers’ defense held the Chiefs in check in an 18-16 victory.

”It was all about our team today,” Brown said. ”We rode in together. We came into a hostile environment; we beat a great opponent on the road, an undefeated opponent. That speaks volumes about this group. It speaks volumes about the guys in this locker room.”

The fact that Pittsburgh’s biggest stars shone the most brightly should be no surprise.

That’s what they’re paid to do.

Roethlisberger is making nearly $22 million. Bell’s franchise tender makes him the league’s top-paid running back at $12.1 million. Brown is the top-paid wide receiver at $17 million.

The trio earned those paychecks against the Chiefs.

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) For better or worse Nick Boyle Jersey , Doug Pederson is aggressive.

The second-year coach goes for it on fourth down more than anyone else in the NFL since he joined the Philadelphia Eagles last year.

It doesn’t always make sense and fails half the time. But Pederson isn’t changing his philosophy.

His decision to go on fourth-and-8 from the Giants 43 late in the second quarter with Philadelphia leading 7-0 last Sunday backfired. Carson Wentz was sacked and New York drove to the 1 before a goal-line stand stopped them.

The gutsy call didn’t cost the Eagles any points and they won 27-24 on rookie Jake Elliott’s 61-yard field goal , but Pederson has been criticized all week for the move. He went for it two more times on fourth down against the Giants with only 1 yard to go. Wentz got both on sneaks.

”Sixty-seven percent on fourth down in a game is pretty good,” Pederson said. ”I stand by my decision.”

Pederson relies on an assistant coach in charge of analytics to tell him the percentages. He communicates with the guy during the week and throughout the game.

When it comes down to it Terrance West Jersey , Pederson makes the tough decision on the spot.

”I trust those guys to the standpoint of they’re going to give me every piece of information that I want because I have to make the decision, and it’s ultimately my decision,” Pederson said.

”It’s like going for two (points). I want to know what it says Mike Wallace Jersey , what the analytics say. I still have to trust my gut instinct. I still have to look at a lot of factors to make sure that it’s right to make that decision, and it’s still ultimately up to me. We continue to study these things every week. Our guys are right on point with it.”

Even though it didn’t work, the play call was fine. The execution was the problem.

It wasn’t Pederson’s fault Wentz got sacked because two receivers were open. Nelson Agholor was open beyond the first down marker Eric Weddle Jersey , but Wentz would’ve had to make a perfect throw. LeGarrette Blount also was open a couple of yards short of the sticks so he would’ve needed to break tackles to get it.

”Just trying to make a play there,” Wentz said about holding the ball too long and taking a sack. ”Yeah, LeGarrette was short of the sticks. In my mind Matt Judon Jersey , I’m just `Take it over.’ Wanted to make a play.”

Pederson was 13 for 27 on fourth downs in 2016 and 2 for 3 this year so he’s 50 percent.

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Colts center Ryan Kelly understands this week’s challenge.

Make the right pass protection calls Nick Boyle Jersey , and perhaps the Colts can add another chapter to their home mastery over Jacksonville. Make a mistake, and the Jaguars pass rushers could be off and running.

It’s the kind of challenge the 2016 first-round pick embraces every week, though this one could prove especially difficult.

”It’s a tough front seven,” Kelly said. ”Everybody knows the margin for error is pretty small in the NFL. If you miss one thing, they’ll take advantage of that.”

The stakes are pretty high for the Colts (2-4), who are one game out of the AFC South lead.

They’re playing at home Sunday and hope to rebound from a rare loss to Tennessee on a short week.

On Wednesday, they found out star quarterback Andrew Luck was being temporarily shut down from throwing because of soreness in his surgically repaired throwing shoulder and their short-yardage specialist, running back Robert Turbin Terrance West Jersey , might miss the rest of the season with an injured left elbow.

Indy’s biggest concern this week is getting the seemingly ever-changing offensive line ready to face the league’s top sack teams.

Indy has used a different starting lineup each of the past three weeks and three opening day starters – center Deyshawn Bond (quad), right tackle Denzelle Good (wrist) and right guard Jack Mewhort (knee) – are already on season-ending injured reserve.

Kelly, meanwhile, continues to knock off the rust after missing the entire preseason and the first four regular-season games with a broken foot.

The Jags (3-3) lead the NFL with 23 sacks and in turnover margin at plus-10, numbers that correlate with their successes and failures.

In three wins, Jacksonville has allowed 23 points, had 14 sacks and 11 takeaways. In three losses, it has allowed 87 points Mike Wallace Jersey , had nine sacks and four takeaways.

So coach Doug Marrone is looking for his young team to start showing some consistency, starting in Indianapolis.

”One week it was special teams, the other week we didn’t touch a guy when he was down. Another week there might have been turnovers,” he said. ”We’re working our way through all this stuff and we’ve just got to learn to be more consistent on every down and in all three phases.”

Here are some other things to watch:

FACING BRISSETT

The Jaguars will be facing quarterback Jacoby Brissett for the second time this season.

Jacksonville held two joint practices with Brissett’s former team, the New England Patriots, in August and faced him in the preseason opener. Brissett completed 8 of 13 passes for 88 yards against Jacksonville, playing mostly against backups. He was traded to Indy on Sept. 2 and has started each of the past five games.

”(Brissett) is getting better and better each week and is really doing a nice job,” Marrone said.

HILTON’S HELP

Last season’s league champion in yards receiving Eric Weddle Jersey , T.Y. Hilton, has 25 catches for 485 yards and one TD this season.

But more than half of those totals (14 receptions, 330 yards, one TD) came in victories over the winless Browns and 49ers. On Monday, Hilton was held to one catch for 19 yards.

This week, the Colts need more out of their Pro Bowl receiver against one of the league’s best cornerback combos in Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye.

”There a lot of factors that go into getting a guy involved,” Indy offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski said. ”There were chances and opportunities to get him the ball (in Tennessee), and it just didn’t come together. But he’s always in the forefront of our thought process.”

STACKED BOXES

Jags rookie Leonard Fournette is facing more eight- and nine-man boxes than anyone in the league.

He has a league-high 46 carries for 270 yards against stacked lines of scrimmage. The New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams may have established a blueprint for defending Jacksonville by using a number of fronts in hopes of slowing down the powerful running back. The Rams even played some goal-line defense in the middle of the field.

”We’re going to have to figure out and adjust to it on the fly Matt Judon Jersey ,” quarterback Blake Bortles said. ”I wouldn’t be surprised at this point to see anything.”

SECOND-HALF WOES

Indy hasn’t trailed at halftime since its Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. But it has struggled to close out games for a variety of reasons.

The latest one, Monday night, was that when the Colts couldn’t get first downs in the second half, the defense eventually wore down. If the Colts plan to stay in the division chase, they must find a solution.

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AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville contributed to this report.

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PITTSBURGH (AP) Another uninspiring half in the books in a season littered with them for a team that expects to play deep into January and beyond Eric Wood Jersey , Ben Roethlisberger decided he had seen enough.

So the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback decided it was time to speak up. The defense had kept the Tennessee Titans and star Marcus Mariota in check, yet a game that had the makings of a blowout didn’t feel like one mostly because the offense kept squandering chance after chance.

No more.

”He didn’t call anyone out, he called all of us out,” guard David DeCastro said. ”Linemen. Receivers. Himself. Running backs. Purely positive. It was a challenge. He challenged us. The guys responded.”

None better than the 35-year-old Roethlisberger. Running the no-huddle offense to near perfection, Roethlisberger threw for 299 yards and four touchdowns Colton Schmidt Jersey , three to Antonio Brown, as the Steelers pulled away for a 40-17 victory.

”I don’t care if you’re old or young, just someone has to step up and make a play for this team or else we are going to keep relying on our defense,” said Roethlisberger, who went 20 of 23 for 185 yards and three touchdowns in the second half. ”It is time that we step up and do something.”

Brown caught 10 passes for 144 yards and the three scores Cordy Glenn Jersey , including an acrobatic grab in the back of the end zone in which he pinned the ball to his helmet before bringing it in to put Pittsburgh up 20 in the fourth quarter as the Steelers set a season-high for points and margin of victory.

”We’ve talked so much about having the potential in this room, but we can still strive for more,” said defensive end Cam Heyward, who had two of Pittsburgh’s five sacks. ”We’re a hungry group that still has a lot to prove. We’re chasing ghosts. We’re trying to be the best defense. That’s what we strive for.”

For long stretches, the Steelers (8-2) looked the part while extending their winning streak to five.

Though Mariota ran for a touchdown and threw for another Jerry Hughes Jersey , he was also picked off a career-high four times as the Titans (6-4) saw their four-game winning streak come to a crashing halt. Mariota finished 22 of 33 for 306 yards but was under pressure much of the night.

”When you play teams that are this caliber that are contenders, that win week in and week out, that’s the blueprint,” Mariota said. ”We’re going to learn from it. We’re going to get better from it and hopefully we’ll see them again.”

There’s plenty to work on. Tennessee appeared to be in it when Mariota found Matthews with a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second half to get to 16-14.

Then Roethlisberger and the NFL’s highest-paid offense got going. Finally. Roethlisberger dropped some very not subtle hints that he wanted the freedom provided by the no-huddle after the Steelers used it to pick the Colts apart during the winning drive last Sunday in Indianapolis.

Offensive coordinator Todd Haley appeared to be listening.

Pittsburgh opened in the no huddle and needed just six plays to take the lead as Roethlisberger took advantage of a free play and hit Brown with a 41-yard rainbow. Mike Hilton then returned Mariota’s interception to set up the first of Chris Boswell’s four field goals and the Steelers appeared on the verge of another prime-time blowout at home.

The blowout did eventually arrive, just not quickly.

The offense ground to a halt for the rest of the half Preston Brown Jersey , held in check by former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. The Hall of Famer spent 12 years building a defense that helped Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl victories before being ushered out in favor of protege Keith Butler in January 2015. The 80-year-old is in the middle of his latest project with the steadily improving Titans.

Yet the gap between Tennessee and Pittsburgh remains significant. The proof came after Mathews’ long catch-and-run appeared to give the Titans momentum.

The Steelers reeled off three straight touchdown drives. Roethlisberger found a leaping Brown for a 5-yard score restored a nine-point lead, executed a perfect play-action fake at the goal line before flipping it to a wide-open Jesse James for a 1-yard strike and put the Titans away with a lob to the back corner of the end zone that Brown somehow hauled in from 10 yards out that made it 37-17.

Pittsburgh rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster knelt down and bowed to Brown during the giddy celebration. Hard to blame the 20-year-old. For the first time all season, the Steelers put it all together and looked every bit like a team with a legitimate threat to live up to its own hype.

UP NEXT

Titans: Visit Indianapolis on Nov. 26. Tennessee beat the Colts 36-22 on Oct. 16.

Steelers: Welcome the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 26, the second of four straight prime-time games for Pittsburgh.

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The last time the Titans and Texans met Matt Bryant Jersey , Houston gave Tennessee such a spanking that it probably had a hard time sitting down for the next week.

Rookie quarterback DeShaun Watson threw for four touchdowns and ran for a fifth during the rout in Week 4. The Texans outgained the Titans 445-195, forcing five turnovers and feasting on an opponent playing without its quarterback in the second half.

The 57-14 final score represented the highest single-game point total in Texans’ history and was the most points scored in an NFL game since Seattle hung 58 on Arizona five years ago. It was one of the worst losses in Tennessee history.

The Titans get their chance for revenge Sunday at Nissan Stadium, this time against a greatly reduced opponent. Since that game, the Texans (4-7) have lost Watson, running back D’Onta Foreman, defensive end J.J. Watt and linebacker Whitney Mercilus to season-ending injuries.

Watson’s non-contact ACL tear essentially ended Houston’s hopes of a third straight AFC South title. Tom Savage has been a turnover machine since replacing Watson, tossing two interceptions and losing a fumble Monday night in a 23-16 defeat at Baltimore.

In six games this year Matt Bosher Jersey , Savage has lost seven fumbles and thrown five picks. Coach Bill O’Brien on Tuesday said the team will have to consider alternatives if Savage can’t master the art of ball security.

“I’m really frustrated, to be honest with you,” Savage said. “There’s really no words for it. I don’t want to go out there and throw picks. That’s not my goal. It’s called the NFL. You’re not going to win games turning the ball over.”

His counterpart this week can attest to that. Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota has been unusually loose with the football the last two games. After tossing four interceptions in a 40-17 loss at Pittsburgh on Nov. 16, Mariota threw two more last week in his team’s 20-16 victory at Indianapolis.

While Mariota is completing 63.1 percent of his passes, he also has more picks (12) than touchdowns (9), not the stats one would hope for from an ascending third-year starter. However, Titans coach Mike Mularkey hasn’t lost faith in his quarterback.

“Just watch how he continues to make throws after interceptions Ricardo Allen Jersey ,” Mularkey said. “There’s a lot of guys that can’t overcome those, and I have yet to see him let that affect his play. He made some plays to help us win the game those last two drives.”

Mariota hit passes of 10 and 19 yards to Derrick Henry and Corey Davis on the go-ahead touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter last week. Then he hit DeMarco Murray for eight yards and a critical first down with 2:49 left as Tennessee (7-4) milked the last 3:54 to preserve its second come-from-behind win over the Colts.

Teamed with Jacksonville’s 27-24 loss at Arizona, which won on a 57-yard field goal from the ageless Phil Dawson as time expired, the result put the Titans back in a tie for first place in the AFC South with the Jaguars.

Tennessee presently holds the tiebreaker thanks to its 37-16 victory over Jacksonville in Week 2, and also hosts the Jaguars on New Year’s Eve in a game that might decide the division title.

“We have a lot of football to do,” Mularkey said. “We just have to win one … at a time. I’ll say this, and I’ve said this to our team a number of times. You can’t be concerned about what any other team in this league does. If we win Ryan Schraeder Jersey , everything will take care of itself.”

The Titans’ closing schedule seems conducive towards winning. Winnable road games with Arizona and 1-10 San Francisco follow before they end the year at home with the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville. Tennessee is 4-1 at home and won eight of its last nine in front of its own fans, dating back to last year.

Still, the Titans have things to fix down the homestretch. Their running game slipped to 13th in the league after being among the best last year, and the inability to consistently produce touchdowns has left them too reliant on kicker Ryan Succop for scoring.

But Tennessee did crank up the pass rush last week, sacking the mobile Jacoby Brissett eight times. With Houston perhaps down to its fourth left tackle after an injury to Chris Clark Monday night, it may be up to Kendall Lamm to deal with the likes of Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan.

O’Brien isn’t sure right tackle Julien Davenport (shoulder) will be able to play on Sunday, either.

“There’s other things we can do at that position Andy Levitre Jersey , but those two guys are still on the injury report, there’s no doubt about it,” O’Brien said.

Week 13 is typically the last regular season game in most season-long fantasy football leagues Matt Bryant Jersey , so you’ll want to give a lot of thought before submitting your lineups. If you’re fighting for a playoff spot, our advice is to go with the players that got you there, but unexpected injuries and suspensions may not always make that possible.

START `EM

Quarterback

-Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Cleveland

Rivers has seven TDs and one interception in his last three games. He’s averaged 340 passing yards, thrown five TDs and just one interception in his last two games against the Browns. The Browns have given up the second most points per game this season.

Case Keenum, Minnesota at Atlanta

Keenum has at least 280 passing yards in four straight games, and has thrown multiple TDs in three of those four contests. The Vikings have scored over 31 points per game during that span. The Falcons are dealing with injuries in their secondary including their top cornerback, Desmond Trufant, who is in the league’s concussion protocol.

Running back

– Kenyan Drake, Miami vs. Denver

Overall the Broncos have been tough against the run but they’ve given up the second most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to RBs over the past month. Drake will have the Miami backfield all to himself with Damien Williams sidelined Matt Bosher Jersey , and has scored double digit fantasy points in three of his last four games in point-per-reception (PPR) scoring formats.

– Alex Collins, Dallas vs. LA Chargers

Collins has emerged as the Ravens’ primary early down back and has scored double digit FPPG in PPR formats in three of his last four games. He’s scored TDs in two straight games and faces the Lions, who’ve given up just under five yards per carry (YPC) and the fourth most FPPG to RBs over the past month.

Marshawn Lynch, Oakland vs. NY Giants

Lynch carried the ball a season high 26 times in Week 12, and with injuries and suspensions limiting the Raiders’ passing game, he may get another heavy workload. He’s scored double digit fantasy points in two of the last three weeks.

Wide receiver

– Jamison Crowder, Washington at Dallas

Crowder is averaging 10 targets, seven catches and 103 receiving yards over his past four games. The Cowboys have given up six TDs to WRs over the past month.

– Robby Anderson, NY Jets vs. Kansas City

Anderson has scored at least one TD in five consecutive games. Former standout cornerback Darrelle Revis will make his debut for the Chiefs, however he’s well past his prime. Anderson should still feast against a Chiefs secondary that’s given up the most TDs and third most FPPG to WRs.

Marquise Goodwin Ricardo Allen Jersey , San Francisco at Chicago

Goodwin could be a sleeper with Jimmy Garoppolo making his first start at QB for the 49ers this week. He leads NFL receivers with 21.4 yards per reception and has scored double digit fantasy points in two straight weeks in PPR scoring formats. The Bears have given up the fifth most FPPG to WRs over the past four weeks.

Tight end

– Jared Cook, Oakland vs. NY Giants

With WR Michael Crabtree serving his one game suspension and Amari Cooper almost certainly out this week due to a concussion and sprained ankle, Cook should see an increase in targets. He has a great matchup against the Giants, whose issues with defending against TEs has been well documented.

-Julius Thomas, Miami vs. Denver

Thomas has seen an uptick in targets over the past four weeks, and faces a Broncos team that has given up the fourth most FPPG to TEs, as well as four TDs in their last five games to the position.

SIT `EM

Quarterback

– Derek Carr, Oakland vs. NY Giants

Carr has scored the 22nd fewest fantasy points overall over the past four weeks. Things won’t get any easier for him as Michael Crabtree will be forced to serve his one game suspension, and Amari Cooper will also likely be out due to injuries. The Giants have given up the second most FPPG to QBs, but the Raiders may be forced to lean on their running game this week.

– Dak Prescott Ryan Schraeder Jersey , Dallas vs. Washington

Prescott and the Dallas offense have slumped miserably over the past three weeks. The Cowboys have scored a total of 22 points, Prescott has been sacked 16 times, and he’s thrown five interceptions and no TDs during that span. In addition, Prescott has averaged 169 passing yards in his last two games against Washington.

Running back

– Demarco Murray, Tennessee vs. Houston

Murray has averaged 2.5 yards per carry (YPC) over his past six games and hasn’t rushed for 100 yards in a game since Week 3. The Texans have given up just five rushing TDs, second fewest in the NFL.

– Ameer Abdullah, Detroit at Baltimore

Abdullah has averaged just under 10 carries per game over the past three weeks, and is averaging 2.7 YPC over the past five weeks. The Ravens are giving up the third fewest FPPG to RBs over the past month.

Wide receiver

– T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis at Jacksonville

Hilton has three or fewer receptions in seven of 11 games this season. The Jaguars have given up the fewest receptions, receiving yards Andy Levitre Jersey , TDs, and not surprisingly, the fewest FPPG to WRs.

– Dez Bryant, Dallas vs. Washington

Bryant was held to just four catches and 39 receiving yards against Washington earlier this season. He hasn’t caught a TD in five straight games, and is averaging just five catches and 50 yards during that span. Washington has given up the sixth fewest FPPG to WRs.

Tight end

– Cameron Brate, Ta.

GREEN BAY Eric Wood Jersey , Wis. (AP) A week of missing practice with a groin injury allowed Clay Matthews to get an up-close view of injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ rehab work after collarbone surgery.

Matthews might be back this week for the Green Bay Packers. If the linebacker had any say, Rodgers might follow him back to the field in a few weeks, too.

First things first for the Packers: Green Bay must beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday to keep flickering playoff hopes alive. Getting the veteran pass rusher back would help.

”I’m feeling good actually,” Matthews said after practice Wednesday. ”But every day I was getting exponentially better, so I feel really good today … granted it was a light practice, but I definitely envision seeing myself out there Sunday.”

Matthews returned to practice as a limited participant after missing all of last week leading up to the 31-28 loss Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers that left Green Bay at 5-6. It’s two games out of a wild-card spot in the NFC.

In a 1-4 tailspin since Rodgers got hurt on Oct. 15 at Minnesota, the Packers might need to win their last five games while other contenders falter. Rodgers is first eligible to practice starting Saturday Colton Schmidt Jersey , assuming he’s even healthy enough from right collarbone surgery to be cleared by the team doctor.

If that happens, the earliest Rodgers would be able to return would be Week 15 at Carolina. The Packers from the start have said Rodgers’ injury could end his season.

While there are no guarantees, Matthews has been impressed with Rodgers’ rehab.

”This past week, being a part of that rehab group, to watch Aaron, what he’s been doing in there, I think we probably should have kept him off (injured reserve) the way he’s coming along Cordy Glenn Jersey , some of the balls he’s throwing,” Matthews said. ”Accuracy-wise, everything a quarterback has to do is pretty remarkable.”

But where the Packers are in the playoff picture may also determine Rodgers’ future the rest of the year. It will be up to backup Brett Hundley, who showed progress in the loss to Pittsburgh, to guide the offense for at least the next couple weeks.

Getting more three-turnover games like the one the defense produced against Pittsburgh’s prolific offense would help. Green Bay forced takeaways even without Matthews and run-stuffing defensive lineman Kenny Clark (ankle).

In his second year in the league, Clark has turned into an important piece up front next to Mike Daniels. After being carted off the field, Clark thought his season was over.

He’s hoping to come back Jerry Hughes Jersey , too, against Tampa after returning to practice Wednesday.

”It was ugly. My ankle was swollen,” Clark said. ”I thought it was worse than what it was, honestly. I’m happy it was a high ankle sprain.”

What the Packers might need most on defense is more pressure on the quarterback after coming up with one sack against the Steelers. The defense rarely blitzed while concentrating on stopping receiver Antonio Brown, putting the onus on pass rushers to win matchups. Other times, the Packers rushed three but kept a defender close to the line to spy on crossing routes.

”But we have to win this week … after all these losses,” Matthews said. ”But it starts with a win. We were close on Sunday night Preston Brown Jersey , but close doesn’t cut it. This is the week.”

Notes: RB Aaron Jones (knee) returned to practice for the first time since getting hurt on Nov. 12 against Chicago. The team’s leading rusher was limited. … RB Ty Montgomery (ribs/wrist) missed practice, as did CB Kevin King (shoulder).

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FOXBOROUGH Matt Bryant Jersey , Mass. (AP) Philip Rivers didn’t grow up an NFL fan.

He grew up a fan of quarterbacks.

A northern Alabama native, college football games on Saturdays were his sports meat and potatoes. The NFL was dessert.

”The quarterbacks were the ones I had posters of,” Rivers said. ”The quarterbacks were the ones I picked who I liked, and what numbers I liked and everything.”

Brett Favre, Troy Aikman, Dan Marino, Joe Montana Matt Bosher Jersey , John Elway, Steve Young. His walls were living monuments to the game’s best.

It’s why Rivers said he doesn’t take for granted the opportunity he’ll have Sunday when Los Angeles (3-4) takes on the New England Patriots (5-2) and Tom Brady.

”When you’re going against a guy that’s won all these Super Bowls and is still playing at the level he’s playing at 40…to me, it is a big deal. It’s special,” Rivers said. ”I’m looking forward to getting another shot.”

Rivers is just 1-6 against the Patriots, winning his lone game in 2008 in San Diego, when Brady was sidelined by a knee injury.

If Rivers can post his first victory in Foxborough, it would also be the fourth straight victory for the Chargers Ricardo Allen Jersey , who are coming on after starting the season 0-4.

Brady said he has always admired Rivers from afar.

”He’s really not fazed by much. He has kind of seen everything,” Brady said.

A victory would also be four straight for the Patriots, who have also found a groove over the past three weeks – particularly on offense. Brady leads the NFL with 2,208 passing yards, and is tied for second with 15 touchdown passes.

After two early season losses at home, New England would like nothing more than to enter its bye week with a victory.

”You want to finish on a high note and you want to go in feeling really good about what you’ve done,” Brady said. ”The problem is this team – they’re hot Ryan Schraeder Jersey , they’ve won three straight, they’ve got a really good defense. There’s nothing easy about it.”

Here are some things to know for Sunday’s game:

HIGHTOWER OUT: The Patriots will be short-handed on defense this week. A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that linebacker Dont’a Hightower will miss Sunday’s game and is facing season-ending surgery on his right shoulder. The surgery will be for a torn pectoral muscle, the person said on the condition of anonymity because it has not been announced by the team.

Hightower left last week’s win over Atlanta in the second half with the shoulder issue. He’s missed two games this season with a knee injury.

The injury comes as a blow for a Patriots defense that has improved in recent weeks, but continues to rank last in the NFL in total defense, giving up 426.7 yards per game.

His snaps are expected to fall to Kyle Van Noy and veteran David Harris.

”Dont’a is a special player and he does a lot for this team,” Van Noy said. ”It’s gonna take a group effort.”

STAT WATCH: Rivers has 3,967 completions and needs 22 to pass Hall of Famer Warren Moon (3 Andy Levitre Jersey ,988) for eighth in NFL history.

SACK ATTACK: The Patriots’ offensive line struggled early in the season to protect Brady, allowing him to be sacked 16 times through their first five games.

Brady was only sacked twice in New England’s past two victories, but he is expected to see pressure from the Chargers’ defensive end tandem of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.

Bosa has five sacks and two forced fumbles in the past three games. With 7+ sacks on the season, he and Ingram (8+ sacks) can become the fifth pair of teammates to each get at least nine sacks in their team’s first eight games since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has seen the value placed on his position change a lot during his 15 NFL seasons.

When he first arrived in the league in 2003 he remembers the position being defined by just a few standout names. Today, game planning against tight ends has become the norm as offenses utilize them more and more.

”I don’t even think there’s a team that doesn’t have a tight end that can’t beat you,” Gates said.

He said Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski ”is one of the best that’s doing it right now.” Gronk enters Sunday’s game ranked second among NFL tight ends with 452 receiving yards and is tied for second with four touchdown catches. He has four touchdown catches in three meetings with the Chargers.

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Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower