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Thanksgiving Day 2018 NFL Schedule TV Channels On Nov. 22

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NEW ORLEANS, LA — Three NFL games are on the schedule on Thanksgiving Day with the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys among the teams in action on Thursday.

New Orleans (9-1), which is the ESPN’s Power Rankings, will take a nine-game winning streak into today’s highlighted Turkey Day fixture with the Atlanta Falcons (4-6) at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA.

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Live coverage of this game is scheduled for 8:30 pm ET and live streaming will be on NBCSports.com and the NBC Network.

Since dropping their first game of the season to the Buccaneers, Drew Brees and the Saints have been very impressive and coming off a dominating 48-7 smashing of Philadelphia last Sunday.

In that game, Brees passed for 363 yards and four touchdowns, and according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, New Orleans should have it easy again after being back at 80 percent to win its 10th straight this season.

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“With Drew, you’re never covered in his eyes. He knows how to manipulate the defense to put the ball where only you can get it and no one else gets it,” Saints rookie WR Tre’Quan Smith said according to ESPN.

“As a young receiver I need that because my game isn’t all the way there. So I have a quarterback that can put it somewhere where only I can get it, it’s wonderful.”

Meanwhile, the Falcons enter this game on a two-game losing streak, including a 22-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys the last time out and they will be hoping to snap this skip.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is confident Atlanta can turn it around.

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“I think the opponent we’re going against, the stage that it’s on, makes it pretty easy to be able to turn around quickly and put this one behind us,” Ryan said after the Dallas defeat.

“We’ve got to win,” Falcon tackle Jake Matthews said in the buildup. “We just have to prepare well this week. We aren’t going to drink some magic potion and it’s going to happen.

“We have to take what we do during the week and execute better during the game because we have a good game plan and have good things going at times. We just have to do it more consistently and finish more drives.”

Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving Day fixtures will kick-off at 12:30 when the improving Chicago Bears take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on CBS.

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Chicago (7-3) has won four straight coming into this one, but is expected to be without quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

Trubisky, who has passed for 2,469 yards and 20 touchdowns so far this season, suffered a shoulder injury in the latter part of Sunday’s 25-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings and is still struggling with his finest.

In fact, ESPN is now reporting that the Bears will start Chase Daniel at quarterback.

Detroit (4-6) snapped a three-game losing streak with a narrow hold 20-19 win against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday.

Entering this game, the Lions will be without running back Kerryon Johnson and wide receiver Marvin Jones who are out because of knee injuries.

The other NFL Thanksgiving Day game will see Dallas Cowboys (5-5) meeting the Washington Redskins (6-4) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Cowboys have a 74.2 percent chance of beating Washington at home.

This game is set for 4:30 PM ET and it will be live on Fox and streaming on FoxSportsGo.com.

Super Bowl 51: Patriots 34 v Falcons 28 Live Updates; Brady Does It Again!

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HOUSTON, TX, Sporting Alert — New England took advantage of the open possession of overtime to score a touchdown and won Super Bowl LI in thrilling fashion after being down big for more of the contest. Th Patriots erased a 21-point second quarter deficit to seal the win.

Quarterback Tom Brady, who threw two touchdown passes on the night, became the first to win five Super Bowls, while coach Bill Belichick became the first coach to win five titles.

Brady was named Super Bowl LI MVP after breaking the NFL record for title game passing yards with 466 yards and completed 43 passes.

 —

Game is tied 28-28 after the Patriots scored and converted yet another two-point conversion and we are heading to the first overtime in Super Bowl history.

New England overcome a 19-point fourth quarter deficit to tie the game and keep its title hopes alive.

For live coverage of Super Bowl LI, tune in to FOX, while live streaming coverage is on FOX Sports GO for English and Spanish video commentary. Follow Live GameCast and Score Updates

—–

A just like that it’s now an 8-point game, as Brady and the Patriots have cut the deficit to 28-20 in the fourth quarter.

Tom Brady tossed second touchdown pass of the night following Atlanta’s first turnover of the game.

Brady found Danny Amendola for a six-yard touchdown and James White ran in the 2-point conversion for New England.

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Matt Ryan threw his second touchdown of the night, this time to Tevin Coleman and the Falcons extend their lead to 28-3 in the third quarter against the Patriots. So far, Tom Brady has not been able to get going.

The Atlanta Falcons raced out to a 21-3 lead over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. Tom Brady and Patriots opened as 3-point favourites, but are struggling at the moment.

The end of the first quarter the score remains 0-0 in Super Bowl LI here in Houston, Texas. It’s the eighth scoreless first quarter in Super Bowl history.

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6:00 PM Local Time Report:

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will face-off against Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons in this year’s Super Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Brady, who took the field early to fire up the Patriots supporters, is aiming to become the first quarterback to win five Super Bowls.

A victory on Sunday would see the 39-year-old moving ahead of Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana on the list.

He has a 4-2 record in Super Bowls.

The Patriots are also hunting their fifth Super Bowl and they have lots of supporters encouraging them here in Houston.

Meanwhile, Atlanta is making just its second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history and will be gunning for their first title.

League MVP Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones have been two of the main contributors up to this point and the duo hope to finish the night as winners.

The New England Patriots start the game as 3-point favourites.

NFL Divisional Playoffs Scores: Jan. 14-15

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DALLAS — NFL Divisional round playoffs scores on Saturday, Jan. 14 and Sunday, Jan. 15, with the Patriots, Falcons and Packers among the winners.

PATRIOTS 34, TEXANS 16

The New England Patriots easily put away the Houston Texans 34-16 in their AFC divisional round game in Foxborough, Mass., on Saturday night.

Patriots running back Dion Lewis, who was injured during this period last term, became the first player in NFL postseason history to score a touchdown by rushing, catching and a kickoff return as the Patriots (15-2) dominated the contest after halftime.

Tom Brady: NFL and NFL Scores
New England Patriots QB Tom Brady

Quarterback Tom Brady was 18-for-38 on completed passes and threw for 287 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for New England on his way to improving to 23-9 in NFL playoffs career games.

The Patriots, who were far from perfect on Saturday night are heading for their sixth straight appearance in the AFC championship game.

Meanwhile, receiver Julian Edelman took eight catches for 137 yards and Chris Hogan caught all four of his passes for 95 yards for the Patriots, who will host Pittsburgh on Jan. 22.

Houston (10-8) was competitive in the opening two quarters and trailed 17-13 at halftime.

However, the game got away from the travellers after the break, following some costly turnovers that assisted in them getting outscored 17-3 in the second half.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler started effectively but was all over the place after halftime and got intercepted three times.

Osweiler went 23-of-40 on completed passes for 198 yards and a touchdown.

FALCONS 36, SEAHAWKS 20

The Atlanta Falcons beat the Seattle Seahawks 36-20 in the NFC divisional playoff game on Saturday.

Quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons (12-5) won just their second playoff game since 2004 and move on to face the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game next Sunday.

Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Tevin Coleman all took catches for touchdowns for Atlanta, which last played in the NFC title game in 2012 when it was beaten 28-24 at home by the San Francisco 49ers.

The Seahawks (10-6-1) jumped out to an early 10-7 lead but the Falcons used a 19-point second quarter to take a 19-10 halftime advantage and then added a pair of touchdowns in the second half to finish off the game.

Seattle’s Russell Wilson threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns in the defeat.

However, the veteran quarterback also threw two interceptions and fell in the end zone for a safety in the second quarter.

Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham each took catches for touchdowns for the Seahawks, who were losing in the divisional round for the second straight year.

SUNDAY GAMES

PACKERS 34, COWBOYS 31

The Green Bay Packers extended their late-season outstanding form with another victory on Sunday after edging the NFC’s No. 1 seeded Dallas Cowboys 34-31 in a thriller to advance to the NFC championship game next weekend.

Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers takes a TD catch

Mason Crosby kicked a clutched 51-yard field goal as time expired to seal the win for the Packers (12-6) who have won eight straight games and are heading to the NFC championship game for the first time since the 2014 season.

With the game tied at 31-31 in the final minute, Rodgers connected with Jared Cook, who stunningly made a sliding 35-yard catch as he was going out of bounds with 3-seconds remaining to setup the field-goal position for Green Bay.

Rodgers completed 28-of-43 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns with an interception for the Packers, who almost blew an 18-point second quarter lead.

Dallas (13-4) trailed 21-3 with 7:37 left in the first half, but rallied twice to even up the game at 28-28 and then 31-31 before Crosby held it together to win the contest on the second time of asking for the visitors.

Ty Montgomery rushed for two scores and Cook caught six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown for Green Bay, which will be full of confidence heading to Atlanta next week.

Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott was 24-of-38 for 302 yards with three touchdowns and an interception for Dallas, while Dez Bryant caught the ball nine times for 132 yards and two TDs in the defeat.

Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott carried the ball 22 times for 125 yards for the Cowboys, who looked stunned after the loss.

STEELERS 18, KANSAS 16

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 18-16 in an AFC divisional round game on Sunday to advance to the conference championship game.

Running back Le’Veon Bell broke his own franchise playoff record by running for 170 yards on 30 carries for the Steelers and Antonio Brown took six catches for 108 yards for Pittsburgh (13-5).

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 20-of-31 passes for 224 yards with an interception for the Steelers, who will look for their first trip to the Super Bowl since 2011.

Alex Smith completed 20-of-34 passes for 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Chiefs (12-5), whose mistakes prove costly in the defeat.

Falcons v Seahawks Inactive Players: Watch Live on FOX

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ATLANTA, GA. — The following are the inactive players for today’s NFL divisional round playoff game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks at Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Among the highlighted players not suiting out today is Seattle Seahawks running back C.J. Prosise, who remains on the sidelines because of an injury.

Prosise, who was questionable entering the game with a shoulder injury, took part in a session on the field on Saturday before the game but apparently didn’t convince the staff enough to let him play.

He looked capable, but the medical crew still believe he needs another week of recovery.

Also out for Seattle are running back Terrence Magee, wide receiver Kasen Williams and offensive lineman Bradley Sowell.

Meanwhile, receiver Nick Williams and running back Terron Ward are among the inactive players for the Falcons.

Atlanta has also listed linebacker Josh Keyes and cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson among the unavailables as well.

The Atlanta Falcons come into this game with a 73 percent chance to beat the Seattle Seahawks, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Don’t forget that you can watch live coverage of the game on FOX and also stream the action live on Fox Sports GO. Kick-off time for this clash is 4:35 PM ET.

NFL INACTIVE PLAYERS

Falcons inactive players vs. Seahawks: WR Nick Williams, RB Terron Ward, S Dashon Goldson, LB Josh Keyes, OG Wes Schweitzer, TE D.J. Tialavea, CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson.

Seahawks inactive players vs. Falcons: RB C.J. Prosise, RB Terrence Magee, WR Kasen Williams, LB Ronald Powell, OL Bradley Sowell, TE Nick Vannett and DT John Jenkins.

ESPN/WatchESPN: Saints v Falcons MNF Livescore; Stream

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NEW ORLEANS, LA, Sporting Alert- The New Orleans Saints have officially listed Willie Snead as inactive for tonight’s – Monday Night Football game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Watch Live on ESPN/WatchESPN at 8:25 p.m. | Stream Monday Night Football live | Game Preview Video

The wide receiver was a doubt for the Week 3 game and listed as questionable because of a toe injury, but had not been completely ruled out of the match.

However, the Saints (0-2) have now listed the second year pro as inactive, which could mean rookie receiver Michael Thomas, who is being highly looked after by the club, is expected to play a large role in the contest.

New Orleans has been very impressed with the rookie WR they drafted out of Ohio State and he could see more targets on Monday night.

Besides Thomas, the Saints can also call on Brandon Coleman as another complement to Brandin Cooks.

Listed as inactive as well is safety Kenny Vaccaro, who has been ruled out with an ankle injury.

What to watch for on Monday night

Vaccaro was listed as questionable, after failing to take the practice field on Thursday and Friday. He entered the pitch for practice on Saturday and it was thought he would be available for the Falcons clash.

With him being ruled out, Roman Harper is expected to move into the starting lineup.

Also inactive for the Saints are defensive tackle Tyeler Davison, who is out with a shoulder and foot problem, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (quad) and TE Josh Hill (ankle).

Meanwhile, for the Falcons, linebackers De’Vondre Campbell and Paul Worrilow are both listed as inactive players, along with guards Mike Person and Wes Schweitzer.

Julio Jones and Keanu Neal are both active for the travellers.

ESPN Football Power Index is backing the Saints to win their first game this season, giving them a 60.6-percent chance to beat the Falcons (1-1).

Monday Night Football Inactive Players

Saints Inactives: WR Willie Snead, S Kenny Vaccaro, DT Tyeler Davison, LB Dannell Ellerbe, TE Josh Hill, LT Terron Armstead, CB Delvin Breaux

Falcons Inactives: LB De’Vondre Campbell, LB Paul Worrilow, DL Courtney Upshaw, G Mike Person, G Wes Schweitzer.

Video Highlights: Falcons 20, Beat Panthers 13 NFL Week 16

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ATLANTA – Check out the video highlights from the NFL game between the Panthers and the Falcons on Sunday. See the winning plays and much more in the busy contest.

The Carolina Panthers quest to win out this NFL regular season crashed on Sunday following their 20-13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16.

YouTube Video Full Video Highlights:
Atlanta Spoil Carolina Perfect Season | Week 16 Highlights | NFL

Matt Ryan went 23 of 30 on completed passes for 306 yards and a touchdown, Julio Jones had nine receptions for 178 yards and a key 70-yard touchdown catch, and Devonta Freeman carried the ball 22 times for 73 yards and a score for the Falcons (8-7) who outscored the Panthers 20-6 in three-quarters.

“I viewed this game as a measuring stick for us,” Atlanta coach Dan Quinn said.

“I wanted to see how our team would respond after the game up there.”

Cam Newton was 17 of 30 on passes for 142 yards, but failed to throw a touchdown pass for the Panthers (14-1). The star quarterback ran for a score to give Carolina the lead on the opening drive of the game and held a 10-7 in the third quarter, but the team failed to build on that.

Newton and the Panthers had the ball for the final 90 minutes of the game but failed to get any production with the MVP candidate fumbling the ball after he was stripped by Vic Beasley Jr.

Adrian Clayborn recovered the ball for the Falcons, and with the Panthers out of timeouts, the game was all wrapped up.

“That’s unacceptable, particularly at this time of the year,” Newton said about Carolina’s failure to get into the end zone after their opening drive.

The Falcons were handing Carolina its first regular-season loss since Nov. 30, 2014, as the 18-game regular season winning streak came to an end.

“We’re 14-1 now,” Newton said. “We put ourselves in a situation that we can use this as fuel to the fire.”

Atlanta was bouncing back from losing 38-0 to  the Panthers in Week 14 on the road.

New Orleans Saints v Atlanta Falcons: Live GameCast

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NEW ORLEANS, Sporting Alert – NFL Week 6 fixtures get going on Thursday night with the 5-0 Atlanta Falcons looking to extend its undefeated season record when they travel to the New Orleans Saints.

Atlanta: The Falcons come into this battle sitting alone at the top of the NFC South Division and are one of six teams with a perfect record so far on the term.

Atlanta has scored 162 points and allowing 112 through its opening five games. The team is passing for an average 280.2 yards per game and rushing for 126 – both of which are in the top 10 rankings in the league this term.

At 32.4 points per contest, the Falcons are ranked 3rd in the NFL in that category, while their 22.4 points against ranks them 15th in the NFL on the defensive side.

New Orleans: The Saints (1-4), as they did last season, are again off to a shaky start. New Orleans sits in the top three for passing yards, at 302 yards per game, but things aren’t as colourful in the rest of the columns.

In fact, the club ranks last among the 32 teams in the NFL in yards allowed per game, at 409 yards, while sitting 30th in rushing yards allowed per game.

Nevertheless, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan remains confident a turnaround is on its way.

But for now, he is taking the blame for the team’s poor performances on defense.

“Stats don’t mean anything to us,” Ryan said on NFL.com. “I know what it looks like. … [A breakthrough] is coming.

“I know it is. Just keep blaming me. Keep blaming me and that will be great.”

Going For Three: The Falcons are hunting their third successive win against the Saints after sweeping their opponents last season – doing so for the first time in the series since 2005.

The last time out, Atlanta battled its way to a comeback overtime 25-19 victory over Washington, a game the host defense held the Redskins to just 51 yards rushing.

For New Orleans, the team is coming off a disappointing 39-17 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, despite Drew Brees passing for more than 300 yards for the second successive game and receivers Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead each reaching 100 yards receiving for the first time.

Falcons running back  Devonta Freeman has been dominant so far this season – rushing for 405 yards on 93 carries with eight touchdowns, and he is expected to be a handful for the Saints on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Falcons will be without linebacker Justin Durant, who has been ruled out of the game with an elbow injury.

Wide receiver Julio Jones (hamstring) is listed as probable, but he is expected to be fit for the visitors.

Thursday, October 15
NFL Week 7

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
Time: 7:25 PM CBS/NFL
Place: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
ESPN Live GameCast and Box Scores

Week 4 NFL Scores and Results on Oct. 4

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TEXAS, Sporting Alert – Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons all stayed undefeated in the NFL in Week 4 on Sunday.

PANTHERS 37, BUCCANEERS 23

TAMPA, Fla. — Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes and went 11 of 22 for 124 yards and the Carolina Panthers (4-0) beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 37-23 to secure their fourth straight victory of the season.

Josh Norman returned one of Jameis Winston’s four misplaced passes for a score and finished with 80 interception yards, while Ted Ginn Jr. caught two touchdown passes in the win for the Panthers, who start a season 4-0 for the first time since 2003 when they opened with 5-0.

Rookie quarterback Jameis Winston finished with a QBR of 18.0.

The Buccaneers ball distributor was 26 of 43 on passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns, but threw four interceptions in the defeat.

Doug Martin ran for 106 yards and a score and Vincent Jackson caught 10 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown for Tampa Bay (1-3).

BENGALS 36, CHIEFS 21

CINCINNATI — Jeremy Hill ran for three touchdowns in helping the Cincinnati Bengals (4-0) beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 36-21 on Sunday.

Hill rushed for touchdowns for 8, 5 and 1 yards, while Andy Dalton found Brandon Tate for a 55-yard score to continue his impressive start to the season.

Dalton completed 17 of 24 for 321 yards and his one TD pass in Week 4 took his tally for the season to nine.

Giovani Bernard ran for 62 yards and a touchdown, Mohamed Sanu caught four passes for 84 yards and A.J. Green had seven catches for 82 yards for the Bengals.

Alex Smith was 31 of 45 on passes for 386 yards without a touchdown or an interception for the Chiefs (1-3), who have dropped three in a row.

Jeremy Maclin had 11 catches for 148 yards and Jamaal Charles ran for 75 yards in the defeat for Kansas City.

PACKERS 17, 49ERS 3

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Aaron Rodgers three for 224 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 33 yards, and the Green Bay Packers (4-0) grabbed a 17-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Rodgers, who now passed for 995 yards and 11 touchdowns, was 22 of 32 on completed passes on Sunday, as the Packers opened its season with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2011.

James Jones grabbed five of his six targets for 98 yards, Eddie Lacy ran for 90 yards and Richard Rodgers and John Kuhn both scored to help setup the win for Green Bay.

BRONCOS 23, VIKINGS 20

DENVER — Brandon McManus kicked three field goals, including one from 39-yard with 1:51 left to help the Denver Broncos hold off the Minnesota Vikings, 23-20 in the NFL on Sunday.

Peyton Manning threw two interceptions and passed for 213 yards and a touchdown on 17 of 27 passes for Denver which had seven sacks in the win.

Ronnie Hillman ran 11 times for 103 yards and a score and Demaryius Thomas took nine catches for 93 yards and a touchdown for the Broncos (4-0).

Teddy Bridgewater threw for 269 yards and a touchdown, veteran running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 81 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown for the Vikings (2-2).

FALCONS 48, 49ERS 21

ATLANTA — Devonta Freeman rushed for three touchdowns and the Atlanta Falcons rout the Houston Texans 48-21 to extend their winning streak to 4-0 to start the season.

Freeman ran for touchdowns from 16, 23 and 6 yards. He took five catches for 81 yards.

The Falcons, who led 28-0 at halftime, scored 42 points through the first three-quarters before the Texans (1-3) finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter.

Matt Ryan threw for 256 yards and a touchdown pass to Leonard Hankerson in the second quarter for Atlanta.

Hankerson caught six of his eight targets for 103 yards.

NFL WEEK 4 SCORES
OCT. 4

PANTHERS 37, BUCCANEERS 23
BENGALS 36, CHIEFS 21
PACKERS 17, 49ERS 3
BRONCOS 23, VIKINGS 20
FALCONS 48, 49ERS 21
BEARS 22, RAIDERS 20
COLTS 16, JAGUARS 13, OT
CHARGERS 30, BROWNS 27
REDSKINS 23, EAGLES 20
SAINTS 26, COWBOYS 20, OT
GIANTS 24, BILLS 10
JETS 27, DOLPHINS 14
RAMS 24, CARDINALS 22

Falcons Hold On For 26-23 Win Over Eagles; Jones Had 2 TDs

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ATLANTA, Sporting Alert – The Atlanta Falcons held off a second half rally from the Philadelphia Eagles to start the season with a 26-24 victory on Monday Night Football. Box Score and Play-by-Play Score Summary

The win ensured that Falcons new head coach Dan Quinn got off to a winning start.

Julio Jones caught two touchdown passes from Matt Ryan in the second quarter and finished the contest with 141 yards to lead the way for the home side, but it was the late performance from the Eagles defense that  got the praises.

“I am so happy right now,” quarterback Ryan told ESPN. “The defense stepped up and hats off to them, they played great tonight.”

Atlanta led the Philadelphia Eagles 20-3 at half time after a strong start to the contest.

Ryan first found Jones from 10 yards with 10:44 on the clock before connecting again with the wide receiver for a 22-yard touchdown with less than one minute to play in the first half. (VIDEO)

Ryan finished with 23 of 34 for 298 yards, but threw two interceptions, which almost cost his team.

After a sluggish first half where they tallied 125 yards and ended the opening 30 minutes with just eight yards rushing, the Eagles, who were kept out of the end zone during that period, picked up the tempo after the break.

The visitors, who stormed out of the gates in the second half and scored the first 14 points, went on to take a 23-24 lead with 8:37 left in the game.

However, Cody Parkey missed a 44-yard field goal attempt when trying to give the Eagles a 27-26 advantage with 2:27 left.

Sam Bradford then threw his second pick as he failed to connect with Jordan Mattews on what turned out to be the last play for the travelers in the defeat.

In his first start for the Eagles, Bradford finished with 36 of 52 for 336 yards and one touchdown.

The Falcons were securing its eighth successive victory in season openers in Atlanta, a streak that is the longest active run in the NFL.

Credit must be given to new coach Dan Quinn and his staff for the work done on what looks like a new and improved Falcons defense.

INACTIVE PLAYERS

Prior to kick-off, the Eagles announced that linebacker Marcus Smith will be inactive for this Week 1 contest.

The Eagles didn’t score a touchdown in the first half in Week 2 (vs. Colts) or Week 11 (vs. Packers) last season. They only have a field goal on the board with just over six minutes to play in the half.

Smith, who was listed as day-to-day and was limited in practice last week, has not fully recovered from a hamstring injury he picked up during a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens in August.

Also listed as inactive for Kelly’s Eagles side was the recent addition to the quarterback position Stephen Morris, running back Kenjon Barner, as well as offensive linemen Josh Andrews and Dennis Kelly.

Inactive as well were defensive end Brandon Bair and cornerback Denzel Rice.

Meanwhile, for the Atlanta Falcons, offensive linemen Gino Gradkowski and Bryce Harris and linebackers Brooks Reed and Joplo Bartu, were among the seven players listed as inactive for the home side.

Not suiting up for the Monday Night Football opener as well were receiver Justin Hardy, and receiver and return specialist, Devin Hester.

FALCONS INACTIVES: WR Justin Hardy, WR Devin Hester, CB Dezmen Southward, LB Brooks Reed, LB Joplo Bartu, C Gino Gradkowski, T Bryce Harris

EAGLES INACTIVES: QB Stephen Morris, RB Kenjon Barner, CB Denzel Rice, G/T Dennis Kelly, G Josh Andrews, LB Marcus Smith, DE Brandon Bair

UPDATED 2: NFL Scores, Replays, Box Scores Of Week 1

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HOUSTON, Sporting Alert – NFL Scores and results from Week 1 in the new season on Sunday, September 13.

There were wins on the day for the New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans.

Rewatch all of Sunday’s games | NFL Box Scores Fro Week 1

In Houston, Texas, Alex Smith and the Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 27-20 to win another game this season, after going 4-0 during the preseason fixtures.

Smith, who went 22 of 33 on pass completions, threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as Kansas City established a big lead and then held off the hosts to secure the win.

“We got the couple of turnovers in the red zone and were able to capitalize and I think in the end that was the difference,” Smith said.

Travis Kelce caught all six of his targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while Jamaal Charles took five catches for 46 yards and touchdown. He also rushed for 57 yards on the day for the Chiefs.

Kansas City did well to capitalize on Houston’s turnovers.

“It’s tough to turn the ball over a couple of times and win the game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, according to the Associated Press.

“With that we were able to score points … and get up fairly quickly and decisively.”

For the Texans, Brian Hoyer went 18 of 34 for 236 yards and one touchdown and an interception, with backup Ryan Mallett finishing with 98 yards and threw for a score in the defeat.

Defensive player of the Year J.J. Watt left his mark again in the game with another multi-sack outing that included six tackles for a loss along with two sacks.

DeAndre Hopkins had nine catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns and Nate Washington caught six targets for 105 yards for Houston, which now turns the attention to next week’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

The Chiefs will play hosts to the Denver Broncos on Thursday night in Kansas City.

At Soldier Field in Chicago, the Bears suffered a 31-23 defeat to the Green Bay Packers.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 189 yards and three touchdowns, while James Jones caught all four of his targeted passes for two touchdowns for the Packers.

For Chicago, Jay Cutler completed 18 of his 36 pass attempts for 225 yards and a touchdown in the defeat, while Matt Forte carried the ball for 141 yards and a score.

Also on Sunday, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes and Chris Ivory ran for two scores and 91 yards to lead the New York Jets to a 31-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Rookie quarterback, Marcus Mariota, the No. 2 NFL Draft pick, outshone the No. 1 pick, Jameis Winston when leading Tennessee to a dominating 42-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mariota threw four touchdown passes in the first half and finished with 13 of 16 for 209 yards for the Titans.

He became the first player in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes in the 1st half of his 1st career game, according to The Elias Sports Bureau.

Top pick Winston threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, but the former Florida State QB also threw two interceptions, the first of which was picked off for a score for Tennessee.

In more NFL scores, Peyton Manning helped the Denver Broncos beat the Baltimore Ravens 19-13, while the Dallas Cowboys secured a late 27-26 win against the New York Giants, with quarterback Tony Romo, who finished with 356 yards passing, threw two TDs to Jason Witten for the home side.

NFL SCORES AND RESULTS
WEEK 1 SCORES

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Philadelphia 24, Atlanta 26
Minnesota 3, San Francisco 20

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

Kansas City 27, Houston 20
Carolina 20, Jacksonville 9
Green Bay 31, Chicago 23
Cleveland 10, New York 31
Indianapolis 14, Buffalo 27
Miami 17, Washington 10
Detroit 28, San Diego 33
Seattle 31, St. Louis 34 (OT)
New Orleans 19, Arizona 31
Tennessee 42, Tampa Bay 14
Baltimore 13, Denver 19
Cincinnati 33, Oakland 13
New York 26, Dallas 27

NFL Week 16 Games, TV Channels and Team News

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(Sporting Alert) — Atlanta Falcons have revealed that wide receiver Julio Jones, who is second in the league this season with 1,428 receiving yards, is active and will play against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Jones was forced to sit-out last week’s 31-15 win over the Chicago Bears because of a hip injury, but has recovered enough to feature at Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Atlanta (5-9), although struggling overall this season is 4-0 in NFC South division play this season, while New Orleans (6-8) is 2-2.

In an update ahead of the Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray has reportedly told friends and teammates that he will play against the Indianapolis Colts.

Murray underwent surgery on his left hand last week, but is expected to play, with reports saying that he will wear a pad to protect his hand.

The Cowboys (10-4), who are fourth in the NFC standings, will look to offer more protections for the star man.

Meanwhile, the following is a list of all the NFL games that are on the schedule as Week 16 and playoff hunts continues.

Week 16 started with two special Saturday fixtures, as the Washington Redskins beat the  Philadelphia Eagles, 27-24 and the San Diego Chargers secured a 38-35 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers.

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be hoping to clinch a playoff spot when they take on a Kansas City Chiefs team that is also trying to win a slot in the postseason again this season.

The game will be at Heinz Field.

NFL WEEK 16 FIXTURES, ON, DEC 21

TIME (ET) TV CHANNELS LOCATION

Detroit at Chicago 1:00 PM FOX  Soldier Field
Kansas City at Pittsburgh 1:00 PM CBS  Heinz Field
Cleveland at Carolina 1:00 PM CBS Bank of America Stadium
Minnesota at Miami 1:00 PM FOX  Sun Life Stadium
Baltimore at Houston 1:00 PM CBS NRG Stadium
Atlanta at New Orleans 1:00 PM FOX Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Green Bay at Tampa Bay 1:00 PM FOX  Raymond James Stadium
New England at NY Jets 1:00 PM CBS MetLife Stadium
NY Giants at St. Louis 4:05 PM FOX  Edward Jones Dome
Buffalo at Oakland 4:25 PM CBS  O.co Coliseum
Indianapolis at Dallas 4:25 PM CBS  AT&T Stadium
Seattle at Arizona 8:30 PM NBC  U of Phoenix Stadium

BREAKING: Calvin Johnson inactive; NFL Fixtures, Channels

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Calvin Johnson
Wide receiver Calvin Johnson is inactive. Lions Photo

LONDON (Sporting Alert) — The Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons face an early kick-off at Wembley Stadium in England in their NFL Week 8 clash on Sunday.

Cheerleaders, celebrities and of course the fans are already gathering at the stadium for what is expected to be a very exciting atmosphere in London.

Missing the game, however, will be the Lions’ C.J. Mosley after the defensive tackle was slapped with a two weeks team suspension and sent back home to the United States.

Detroit (5-2) made the news public on the eve of the clash with the Falcons (2-5) on Saturday, but didn’t go into details about the incident. They did revealed though that Mosley was suspended for “conduct detrimental and violation of team rules.”

Mosley has been placed on the reserve/suspended by the team list.

The Lions have also announced that wide receiver Calvin Johnson is inactive after he failed to recover from a high ankle sprain. He was a listed as questionable to play, but will not feature.

Johnson did practice on Thursday and Friday and looked good as well, but he failed a game time decision fitness test on his ankle Sunday morning.

Out as well is star running back Reggie Bush with an ankle injury. The team was optimistic that Bush would be available, but he still has pain in his ankle and cannot play.

The club said on its website that safety Jerome Couplin has been promoted from the practice squad and made active to fill Mosley’s spot, while rookie reserve defensive tackle Caraun Reid will now play a bigger role on Sunday with Mosley out.

In other games on Sunday, the winless Oakland Raiders (0-6) travel to Cleveland Brown (3-3), the Philadelphia Eagles (5-1) take on Arizona Cardinals (5-1), the improving Indianapolis Colts (5-2) battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Kansas City Chiefs entertain the St. Louis Rams at Arrowhead Stadium.

SUN, OCT 26 TIME (ET) TV LOCATION
Detroit at Atlanta 9:30 AM FOX Wembley Stadium
Houston at Tennessee 1:00 PM FOX LP Field
Seattle at Carolina 1:00 PM CBS Bank of America Stadium
St. Louis at Kansas City 1:00 PM FOX Arrowhead Stadium
Minnesota at Tampa Bay 1:00 PM FOX Raymond James Stadium
Baltimore at Cincinnati 1:00 PM CBS Paul Brown Stadium
Chicago at New England 1:00 PM FOX Gillette Stadium
Buffalo at NY Jets 1:00 PM CBS MetLife Stadium
Miami at Jacksonville 1:00 PM CBS EverBank Field
Philadelphia at Arizona 4:05 PM FOX U of Phoenix Stadium
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh 4:25 PM CBS Heinz Field
Oakland at Cleveland 4:25 PM CBS FirstEnergy Stadium

Sunday Night Football
Green Bay at New Orleans 8:30 PM NBC Mercedes-Benz Superdome