NFL Sunday: 49ers, Vikings, Cowboys, Panthers, Bears and Packers live on Sky Sports
Sky Sports NFL Sunday previews are powered by the guys at Pro Football Focus.
Friday 21 September 2018 11:18, UK
Live Sunday night NFL action returns with our first triple-bill of the 2018 season, and the line-up for Week One is a corker!
We are live on Sky Sports Action (channel 407) from 5pm for an hour's build-up. Here's a look ahead to what you can expect as we preview Sunday's game.
San Francisco 49ers @ Minnesota Vikings, KO 6pm
Form guide
The 49ers rode the Jimmy Garoppolo express to five wins to end the 2017 season. They were 1-10 before bringing him into the line-up following his trade from the New England Patriots, and the quarterback's win streak has given cause for optimism in the Bay Area of a return to the postseason promised land.
Minnesota shared a four-way tie for the best record in football in 2017, finishing 13-3 (the same as the Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles). The Vikings made it all the way to the NFC Championship game, courtesy of a 'Minnesota Miracle' walk-off touchdown from Stefon Diggs to see them past the New Orleans Saints in the final seconds of the divisional round. No more miracles were forthcoming against eventual Super Bowl champs Philadelphia.
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Stat Attack
Kirk Cousins is a new arrival in Minnesota. The former Washington Redskin is one of only two quarterbacks (along with Philip Rivers) with over 4,000 yards passing and 25 or more TDs in each of past three seasons. While, according to PFF, over that same period, Cousins' 109.5 passer rating from a clean pocket is second only to Drew Brees (109.7).
Key battle
Ones to watch
The battle between the quarterbacks will be fascinating. Cousins is trying to prove his worth outside of Washington, while Garoppolo is attempting to prove his success at the back-end of 2017 was no flash in the pan. Having said that, the stars of this game could well come from the trenches, with Vikings second-year back Dalvin Cook making his comeback from injury, and former Redskin Alfred Morris filling in for the 49ers after Jerrick McKinnon - signed from Minnesota - went down in the preseason. Also, it will be strange seeing Richard Sherman suit up in San Francisco red as the former Seattle Seahawk makes his debut.
Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers, KO 9.25pm
Form guide
Off the back of a 13-3 mark in 2016, the Cowboys fell away last season due to Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension that loomed overhead before finally being enforced in Week 10. At that stage, Dallas were still in the hunt at 5-3, but a three-game skid in the initial matches without their superstar running back put an end to any playoff ambitions.
Carolina did reach the postseason, for the fourth time in the past five seasons, making it out of an uber-competitive NFC South division as the NFC fifth seed, only to then come undone (again) against divisional foes New Orleans - who had beaten them twice already during the season - on Wild Card weekend.
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Stat Attack
Focussing on a couple of the running backs slugging it out on Sunday; according to PFF, Carolina Christian McCaffrey's 106 pass targets in 2017 were the most seen by a rookie running back since Reggie Bush's 107 with the Saints in 2006. As for Elliott, since 2016 he has faced more stacked boxes of eight or more defenders than anyone else, with 306 such such attempts, yet he also has the third-most yards after contact (3.1) and forced the second-most missed tackles (43) in that time.
Key battle
Ones to watch
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is always box office. He led quarterbacks with 754 rush yards in 2017, his third season in his seven years in the league in which he has rushed for 700+ yards, while he is also the only QB in NFL history with more than 50 rushing touchdowns (54). Having said all that, offensive coordinator guru Norv Turner arrives in Carolina and has stated he wants to make Cam more of a prototypical pocket passer - how will that partnership work? Also, can opposite number Dak Prescott rediscover his best form with comfort blanket Elliott back in the backfield after struggling sans his star runner down the stretch last season?
Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers, 1.20am
Form guide
The Packers raced out of the blocks in 2017 and looked a class above at 4-1 through five weeks until Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone against the Vikings. That game would become Green Bay's first loss of five over the next six weeks to all but end their playoff hopes; Rodgers washed rushed back to action in Week 15 as the team briefly rallied back into contention, but defeat to Carolina saw him back resting for this season.
As for Chicago, it was another season to forget under the much-maligned tutelage of head coach John Fox, who is now out of a job following the 5-11 season. Rookie QB Mitch Trubisky showed flashes of potential though, enough for Bears fans to be optimistic of a turnaround for 2018, especially with the arrival of for Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as the new man in charge in the windy city.
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Stat Attack
Packers wide receiver Davante Adams was tied for second in the NFL last season with 10 touchdown receptions, while his 22 since 2016 is the most in the league. He has four scores in his last four games against Chicago, while fellow wideout Randall Cobb has tallied one TD in each of his last three outings against the Bears.
Key battle
Ones to watch
Adding further to Rodgers' array of options to throw the football to is former Saint and Seahawk Jimmy Graham, who makes his debut. The 6 ft 7 tight end is a match-up nightmare, especially in the redzone - leading the NFL at his position with 10 TD grabs in 2017. However, Rodgers is unlikely to get things all his own way. Returning from a serious injury, as he is, he'll not be thrilled at the prospect of going up against edge-rushing beast Khalil Mack, who makes his first start for the Bears following a blockbuster trade from the Oakland Raiders. Since 2015, Mack ranks second in the NFL with 36.5 sacks!
@PFF will provide a host of in-depth analysis throughout the season across Sky Sports platforms including our live coverage on Sunday and throughout our weekly build-up and reaction on www.skysports.com/NFL
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