NFL Sunday: Jaguars, Chiefs, Vikings, Eagles, Cowboys and Texans live on Sky Sports
Sky Sports NFL Sunday previews are powered by the guys at Pro Football Focus; watch live on Sky Sports Action from 5pm, with Redzone on Sky Sports Mix from 6pm
Monday 8 October 2018 01:11, UK
Sunday night's live NFL triple-header on Sky Sports includes a match-up between the league's leading scorers and No 1 defense, a rematch of last year's NFC Championship game and a Texas derby.
We are live on Sky Sports Action from 5pm for an hour's build-up. Here's a look ahead to what you can expect as we preview Sunday's games...
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Kansas City Chiefs, KO 6pm
Form guide
The Chiefs (4-0) are one of only two undefeated teams left in the NFL - along with the Los Angeles Rams - having stormed out of the blocks in 2018, particularly on offense. Second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes has taken over the offense, and in some style too, throwing an NFL-record 13 touchdowns through the first three weeks of a season, and then single-handedly (even using his left!) leading his team to a comeback win over divisional rivals Denver Broncos on Monday night.
The Jaguars (3-1) should probably be with the Chiefs on 4-0, but are left cursing a 9-6 loss in Week Three to AFC South bogey team, the Tennessee Titans, that came hotly off the back of an 'AFC Championship' revenge win over the New England Patriots to somewhat cool the optimism in Jacksonville. They promptly got their playoff campaign back on track with a handy 31-12 hammering of the New York Jets last Sunday, however, and their stellar defense currently ranks No 1 in the NFL.
Stat Attack
The Chiefs own the NFL's top-scoring offense (36.3 points per game), while the Jaguars have the top-ranked scoring defense (14.0 PPG allowed). In the last 15 seasons, the No 1 scoring offense and defense have met six times, with the top offense coming out on top five times and averaging 31.8 points.
Key battle
Ones to watch
How can you not mention Patrick Mahomes? The Kansas City QB is the hottest property in football right now, but he will be dealt the toughest test of his fledgling career on Sunday up against a fearsome 'Sacksonville' pass rush - according to PFF, the Jaguars are third fastest (2.34 seconds) in getting pressure to the quarterback. Calais Campbell is unquestionably the leader of the unit, following up his 14.5-sack season in 2017 with three already this year.
If Mahomes manages to stay clean, he and the Chiefs boast arguably the best crop of skill-position players in the league, including the league's leading rusher for 2017 in Kareem Hunt, the devastating deep-threat speed of receiver Tyreek Hill - whose match-up against Jags No 1 corner Jalen Ramsey will be fascinating - and big-bodied, pass-catching tight end Travis Kelce.
Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles, KO 9.25pm
Form guide
It doesn't make for great reading, for either side. The two were battling it out for supremacy in the NFC and the right to reach the Super Bowl back in January, but both have struggled to start the season and, through four games, neither have a winning record to their name. Sunday is a must win.
How the Vikings (1-2-1) must wish they could have their Week Three game against the then-winless Buffalo Bills back! The Bills had been outscored 78-23 coming into that contest, with a rookie quarterback in Josh Allen making his first NFL start, yet Minnesota slipped to a staggering 27-6 defeat. An admirable tie against the Green Bay Packers and 38-31 defeat to the Rams - arguably their best performance of the season so far - either side of that Buffalo shock count for very little.
As for the Eagles (2-2), things aren't quite so bad. For one, they haven't lost hardly any ground in the muddled NFC East, as opposed to the Vikings, who are losing ground on the Packers and Chicago Bears, in particular, in the North. But, there are warning signs in Philly too, having suffered surprise road defeats to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and those pesky Titans last week. It's a welcome return to Lincoln Financial Field then on Sunday.
Stat Attack
Week Five is essentially a 'must-win' game for the Eagles. Only one defending Super Bowl champion has ever started a season 2-3 and gone on to make the playoffs, the 1996 Dallas Cowboys.
Key battle
Ones to watch
Given the key battle between the rampant Eagles pass rush and the struggling Minnesota offensive line, it will be interesting to see the play of Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. He has been sacked 12 times already, including four times in each of his past two outings but, when kept clean, the $84m addition through free agency has generally impressed in purple so far, completing more than 70 per cent of his passes in each of his last three games, including throwing for 400+ yards against each of the Packers and Rams. In particular, he has established a strong connection with star wide receiver pair Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.
Carson Wentz has done well enough since returning from the knee injury that saw him sidelined for Philly's Super Bowl run last year. He has yet to rediscover his best pre-injury form, but his 348-yard and two TD effort in defeat to the Titans last week shows he is trending in the right direction, with the return of No 1 receiver Alshon Jeffery (105 yards, one TD) a welcome boost. Also, don't sleep on Jay Ajayi who, incredibly, is defying a fracture in his back to chalk up some impressive numbers between the tackles - on 28 such runs, according to PFF, Ajayi has averaged 4.5 yards per carry.
Dallas Cowboys @ Houston Texans, 1.20am
Form guide
The Cowboys (2-2) will be hoping for better fortune away from home, having lost both of their trips to the Carolina Panthers, on opening weekend, and the Seattle Seahawks a fortnight later. They've bounced back each time to post home win over the New York Giants and Detroit Lions, and at least stay within the state with their next 'road' game.
According to Jeff Reinebold on this week's Inside the Huddle podcast, there is set to be "an unbelievably loud crowd" for this Sunday night meeting in Houston, with Reinebold adding: "I've lived in Texas, and I will tell you this, Houston has a kind of 'little brother' mentality when it comes to Dallas. They don't like each other." On top of that, the Texans will be keen to keep that winning feeling, having finally tasted success in Week Four with an overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts off the back of defeats to the Patriots, Titans and Giants to start the year.
Stat Attack
Ezekiel Elliott has put the entire Cowboys offense on his back this season. Elliott has accounted for 41.3 per cent of the team's total scrimmage yards, the highest in the league and the highest in a season since Adrian Peterson in 2012. Peterson won the NFL MVP that season, the only time in the last decade a non-QB has claimed the award.
Key battle
Ones to watch
The league's golden boy a year ago, Deshaun Watson has suddenly taken a back seat to fellow 2017 draft-class QBs Mahomes and Mitch Trubisky, who have each dialed up six-TD strong performances in the opening weeks. That's not to say he has played poorly, just more like a mere mortal. Like Wentz, however, he is trending upwards, completing over 60 per cent of his passes, topping 300 yards and throwing multiple TDs for three weeks running. Plus, he has a couple of wide receivers in DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller that would be the envy of most other teams in the league.
One team particularly envious are their Week Five opponents, with the Cowboys desperately thin at receiver. As such, expect Ezekiel Elliott to shoulder much of the burden (again) for the Dallas offense. If and when Dak Prescott does have the ball in his hand, look for defensive line powerhouse J.J. Watt to show up on prime time! Watt was sidelined for most of the 2017 season to injury and was without a sack in over two years, only to rack up five over the last two weeks as he appears to be returning to his best.
@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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