Eagles, Vikings, Falcons, Panthers and Saints feature on NFL Sunday
Monday 4 December 2017 01:58, UK
It's an NFC love-in on Sunday night, with six teams all jostling for position in the playoff picture competing live on Sky Sports.
Kicking off our triple-bill on Sky Sports Action (407), from 5.30pm, current No 2 seed the Minnesota Vikings travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons, who occupy the final No 6 spot.
At 9.25pm, two contenders for the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers and Saints, go head-to-head in New Orleans, while the evening's entertainment wraps up with the NFL-best Philadelphia Eagles and their trip to Seattle - at 7-4, the Seahawks are currently on the outside looking in on the playoff picture.
Here's a look ahead to another super Sunday of NFL...
Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons, Sky Sports Action (407), 5.30pm
In a tweet...
The Vikings take their NFC No 2 seed and seven-straight wins into Atlanta, who are putting together their own nice little run as they try to keep pace for a playoff spot.
Live NFL
What's the latest?
Falcons running back Devonta Freeman has cleared the concussion protocol after missing two games and could return for Sunday's game. Freeman, the league's highest-paid running back, has suffered two concussions this year and three in three years. He was hurt in the win over Dallas on November 12, with Tevin Coleman starting in his place the last two weeks. In less happy news, Atlanta cornerback Desmond Trufant is sidelined with a concussion and won't play Sunday.
Stat attack
Minnesota quarterback Case Keenum has recorded a 100+ passer rating in each of his past three games, while wide receiver Adam Thielen - 70 catches for 1,005 yards - has joined Randy Moss (2003) as the only Viking to have reached those marks through the first 11 games of a season.
Key battle
The return of Freeman is certainly a boost, while Coleman is also a threat out of the backfield. But, the Vikings have the second-best run defense in the league, giving up only 75.5 yards per game. Instead, the nicely heating up Atlanta offense stand a better chance by leaving the offense in QB Matt Ryan's hands or, more specifically, Julio Jones'...
Game-changer
Julio Jones. The Falcons wide receiver had 12 catches for 253 yards and two touchdowns in their win over Tampa Bay last week. Jones has three career games with at least 250 receiving yards - the only player in NFL history to have multiple 250+ yard receiving games.
Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints, Sky Sports Action (407), 9.25pm
In a tweet...
The NFC is uber competitive in 2017, no more so than in the South where as many as three teams could force their way into the playoffs - the Panthers and Saints jostle for position in New Orleans.
Live NFL
What's the latest?
New Orleans have listed top rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore as questionable for Sunday's game after missing last week's loss to the Rams with a left ankle injury which occurred near the beginning of the Week 11 win over Washington. Fellow cornerback P.J. Williams and left tackle Terron Armstead also are questionable, while safety Marcus Williams (groin) and tight end Coby Fleener (concussion) have been ruled out.
As for the Panthers, defensive end Charles Johnson has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. Johnson has started all 11 games this season, making 16 tackles with no sacks, and will be eligible to return to Carolina's active roster on December 25.
Stat attack
With 54 rush yards and 52 receiving yards on Sunday, Saints running back Alvin Kamara will become the third rookie in NFL history to record 600+ rush yards and 600+ receiving yards in a season. The other two, Billy Sims (1980) and Charley Taylor (1964), both won Rookie of the Year. Kamara is also averaging 8.1 yards per touch on 123 touches this season. No running back in the last 25 years has averaged 8+ yards per play over 100+ touches.
Key battle
Unstoppable force meets immovable object. New Orleans has the No 2 ranked offense in the NFL (409.4 yards per game) while Carolina boasts the league's second best defense (288.3 yards allowed per game). What gives? The Panthers will particularly have to be on guard against the Saints' super one-two punch of Mark Ingram and Kamara in the backfield - the latter had a 71-yard run for a score against the Rams last week.
Game-changer
Julius Peppers. The Carolina defensive end has 8.5 sacks this season and ranks fourth in NFL history with 152 career QB takedowns. Peppers, who turned 37 years old in January, is looking to become the third player with at least 10 sacks in a single season at the age of 37 or older, joining Hall of Famers Bruce Smith (10 in 2000) and Kevin Greene (12 in 1999).
Philadelphia Eagles @ Seattle Seahawks, Sky Sports Action (407), 1.20am
In a tweet...
The Eagles get a true test of their NFC No 1 seed credentials with a trip to Seattle to take on the fearsome '12th man' fans as well as a Seahawks team with it all to play for.
Live NFL
What's the latest?
Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor joins cornerback Richard Sherman on injured reserve and out for the season due to a neck injury suffered earlier this month. Chancellor was hurt late in Seattle's victory over Arizona on November 9 while making a tackle. Also out with a neck injury, since October, Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril is undergoing "disc-related" surgery this week.
Stat attack
With a heavy beating of the Seahawks on Sunday night, the Eagles can become the sixth team in NFL history to win five consecutive games all by at least 20 points and the first since the 1999 Rams.Since 2012, Seattle are an NFL-best 19-5 (.792) in regular-season games played in December/January. In those games, quarterback Russell Wilson has completed 450 of 698 passes (64.5 per cent) for 5,726 yards, 47 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 103.5 passer rating - the highest mark among active quarterbacks over that span.
The Seahawks can't run the ball, and the Eagles certainly can stop the run! Only one team has allowed fewer than 70 rushing yards per game in a season since 2010, and this Philly defense could feasibly be the second, currently surrendering only 65.1. Meanwhile, it's quarterback Russell Wilson who leads the Seattle run game in carries (60), rush yards (384) and touchdowns (3) this season. As such, the Seahawks would be better off taking to the skies, with Wilson trying to pick apart the Philadelphia's secondary - he has the third-most passing yards (3,029) and TDs this season (23).
Game-changer
Carson Wentz. Philadelphia's second-year QB leads the NFL with 28 touchdown passes, and with a two-TD and zero-interception showing against Seattle on Sunday, he would become only the third different quarterback in NFL history with at least 30 TD passes and five or fewer interceptions through his team's first 12 games of a season, joining Tom Brady (2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2011, 2014).
Week 13 continues on Sunday with three live games on Sky Sports Action, starting with Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons, from 5.30pm
Follow the 2017-18 NFL season with us on Sky Sports and through our website skysports.com/NFL also our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL
