Sunday 9/25/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lions (1-1) at Packers (1-1)

Date: September 25, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

For years, there were two major story lines every time the Detroit Lions visited the Green Bay Packers. One, could the Lions control Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers? And, two, would the Lions ever win a game at Lambeau Field?

Both of those questions are off the board as these NFC North rivals get ready for their Week 3 matchup. Rodgers' struggles from last season have continued into this season. One of his poor performances from last year came when Detroit snapped its 24-game losing streak in games played in Wisconsin by beating the Packers 18-16 in Week 10.

Based on this year's performances, the quarterbacking edge belongs to Detroit with Matthew Stafford. Through two weeks, Stafford has thrown for 600 yards, completed 67.1 percent of his passes and ranks ninth with a passer rating of 101.3. Compare that to Rodgers, who has thrown for 412 yards, completed 57.1 percent of his passes and ranks 22nd with a passer rating of 82.5.

Rodgers knows he must play better as the Packers begin a rare four-game home stand.

"As a leader, you have to take the blame when it's necessary and even sometimes when it's not your fault," Rodgers said. "I think it's important to let those guys know that you're going to stick your body on the line but also you're going to stand up for them when you need to in the locker room, the meeting room and the media and take your responsibility for the way you played.

"I didn't play as well as I wanted to last week and I turned the ball over twice, and I can't do that if we're going to win the game. So I've got to play better and I've got to play more efficiently on offense."

Lions coach Jim Caldwell isn't buying the talk that Rodgers' play has slipped.

"Greatness," Caldwell says, is what he sees when he watches the tape.

Rodgers, however, hasn't been great. The NFL's career leader in passer rating hasn't even reached 100 in 14 consecutive games. With the game on the line at Minnesota last week, Rodgers fumbled with the Packers in field-goal range on their next-to-last possession and was intercepted on their final chance.

Green Bay will attack a Detroit defense that has allowed 5.1 yards per carry and an opponent passer rating of 112.7. The linebacker corps has been gutted, with injuries to DeAndre Levy (quad) and Kyle Van Noy (calf) leaving only Tahir Whitehead among the starting trio from last week vs. Tennessee. The Lions have a star cornerback in Darius Slay, who Rodgers avoided in last year's game in Green Bay, and an excellent safety in Glover Quin.

Change has been the constant for Detroit's offense. Calvin Johnson, still one of the premier receivers in the NFL, retired in the offseason and the Lions filled the void by signing Marvin Jones and veteran Anquan Boldin. Combined with Golden Tate, who has back-to-back seasons of 90-plus catches, the Lions have a talented three-receiver package.

Jones has 12 catches and ranks seventh in the NFL with 203 yards, Tate has nine catches for 54 yards and Boldin has seven catches for 83 yards and one touchdown. They represent three of the Lions' five players with at least seven receptions.

"I think anytime you lose a talent like (Johnson), it's tough," Stafford said. "But our guys have done a really nice job and the ball is being spread around. We've got a lot of guys with a bunch of catches already this year. Hopefully, we'll continue to do that and spread the ball around and make it tough on defenses."

The changes go beyond the passing game. Detroit placed leading rusher Ameer Abdullah (foot) on injured reserve on Wednesday. Theo Riddick, who led all NFL running backs with 80 receptions last season while carrying only 43 times, and rookie Dwayne Washington will take over the ball-carrying chores. They'll be running into the teeth of a Green Bay defense that ranks No. 1 in the NFL by a considerable margin in rushing yards allowed per game (39) and per carry (1.6).

That unit, however, suffered a blow at Minnesota when defensive tackle Letroy Guion exited with a sprained MCL. The Packers already were short on veteran talent on their defensive line. They'll head into Sunday with standout veteran Mike Daniels, first-round pick Kenny Clark, hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end Datone Jones, fourth-round pick Dean Lowry and first-year player Christian Ringo.

"It's always a big loss to lose one of your starters, especially somebody who's as effective as Letroy," Daniels said after the Packers held Minnesota to just 30 yards on 22 carries. "But the young guys, they're pulling their weight and they're doing a heck of a job. We just have to continue to push them to get better."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Vikings (2-0) at Panthers (1-1)

Date: September 25, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Minnesota Vikings are in another adjustment mode without their star running back heading into the third game of the season.

At least they're undefeated as they venture on the road Sunday afternoon to take on the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers (1-1) also are turning to a new starting running back, so the teams are even that regard.

With Adrian Peterson requiring surgery for a torn meniscus suffered Sunday night, the Vikings will be without the leading rusher in franchise history.

"Obviously, it's hard to replace a player like Adrian," quarterback Sam Bradford said. "It's just kind of next man up. I haven't been here long, but I think we have great running backs and the guys behind him are eager for the opportunity."

Third-year running back Jerick McKinnon will have the next chance to make an impact at running back for the Vikings.

The Panthers will have their own committee in the backfield, with coach Ron Rivera indicating Cameron Artis-Payne will be active as the "lead" back and Fozzy Whittaker also in the mix along with short-yardage back Mike Tolbert with Jonathan Stewart (hamstring) likely out a few weeks. Whittaker responded when Stewart was injured against the San Francisco 49ers by gaining a career-best 100 yards on the ground.

"He's a stout inside runner," Rivera said of Artis-Payne, who was inactive against San Francisco. "He's more 'plant that leg and drive straight ahead,' where Fozzy is a little bit more niftier, a little bit better lateral movement."

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton threw for four touchdowns in the latest game, another example of the flexibility the Panthers have on offense.

Seven teammates caught passes from Newton when a 46-27 win over the 49ers marked the most points ever in a Carolina home opener.

"Everybody is on board," Newton said. "We're firing from all cylinders and it's fun to be a part of and I know it's fun to watch."

Minnesota had been going through change since quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was injured during the preseason. Bradford, who was traded to the Vikings from the Philadelphia Eagles before the opener, continues to settle in.

Minnesota's 2-0 start has made the transition easier to digest, at least for now.

"Just being here for two weeks, I'm more comfortable here," Bradford said. "Just having the time with those practices the last couple of weeks, I'm just more comfortable."

Bradford said he anticipates that Carolina's defense could have a different plan without having to deal with Peterson.

"We can't like that affect us," Bradford said. "If you spend too much time dwelling on that, it's going to affect your play. ... We'll have to see how defenses play us from here on out. I can imagine we'll see some different looks now than when we had him in the game."

The Vikings put offensive tackle Matt Kalil on injured reserve this week as well, so coupled with Peterson's injury that was a double-whammy for the team.

"I feel like we have to come back to work and go play Carolina," Zimmer said, summing up his thoughts on the topic. " ... At this point and time, I think it's tough to find left tackles."

Minnesota's injury report means Carolina center Matt Kalil won't be in the same game as his younger brother.

Zimmer said he's turning his attention to the Panthers, whose offense can create trouble in various ways in part because of Newton's mobility.

"It makes it difficult," Zimmer said. "You have to be very disciplined in what you're doing. ... They scored 46 last week, so they can do a lot of things."

Panthers tight end Greg Olsen said the team is capable of moving on after injuries or mistakes.

"We don't really worry about a lot of that, we just keep playing," he said.

In a 2014 victory over Carolina, the Vikings kept Newton under control. He completed 18 of 35 passes for 194 yards, holding a 65.7 quarterback rating. Bridgewater checked in that day at 120.7.

The Panthers have won 14 consecutive home games at Bank of America Stadium, but their uneven performance -- in part because of four turnovers -- against San Francisco left questions for the reigning NFC champions.

"Too many things out there have to get straightened out and get taken care of," Rivera said.

Zimmer said this is a chance for his team to again show it can adjust.

"Everyone is concerned about that we don't have this, we don't have that," Zimmer said. "It's a team game. That's why we have 53 guys here, so we're trying to win as a team."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 49ers (1-1) at Seahawks (1-1)

Date: September 25, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- When the 2016 NFL schedule was announced, a Week 3 visit from their downtrodden division rivals appeared to be the least of the Seahawks' concerns in the opening month of the season.

But after scoring a total of 15 points through a 1-1 start, Seattle (1-1) is admittedly searching for answers as to how to fix its suddenly inept offense ahead of Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET game against the San Francisco 49ers (1-1) at CenturyLink Field.

At the heart of the problem is an offensive line that has only one starter returning at the same spot from the group that helped the Seahawks average 28 points in the final eight games of last season. The overhauled offensive line contributed to quarterback Russell Wilson suffering an ankle injury against Miami in the season opener, and last week the playbook was of the rollouts and zone-reads that have made him so dangerous through his first three NFL seasons.

The Seahawks' lone touchdown came on a late fourth-quarter drive to avoid a massive home upset against the Dolphins, and coach Pete Carroll admitted he is concerned about everything from the line to the imbalance between the running and passing games to the inability to convert on third down (31 percent).

"I never could have thought that we would go the first couple weeks and not score but one touchdown," Carroll said. "I'm just surprised at that. We're better than that."

Wilson insists the offense is "not far off at all," and part of the tonic could be the San Francisco defense, which surrendered 46 points at Carolina last week after pitching a shutout at home against St. Louis in the season opener.

What Seattle still appears to have is a suffocating defense that ranks first in points allowed (9.5 per game) and total yards allowed (248.5) while ranking third (64.0 against the rush) and fourth (184.5) against the pass. Seattle dominated the series last season, winning the two matchups by a combined score of 49-16. And while 49ers coach Chip Kelly's scheme is new to San Francisco, the Seahawks showed they can handle the up-tempo style in a 24-14 victory at Philadelphia in 2014.

"Yeah, we have looked at it, but I don't know how relevant it is," Kelly said. "It's obviously different personnel here, different scheme here in terms of who we are. There's a lot of the same faces there which is one of the reasons they're such a good defense. But we look at everything. So we've probably got 10 or 15 games that we looked at in terms of preparing for Seattle. But I don't know how relevant that matchup was in terms of what we're going to do on Sunday."

The 49ers have averaged 27.5 points through two games, but the passing game ranks just 28th and Kelly has acknowledged that quarterback Blaine Gabbert has left some big plays on the table. At the same time, the team's offensive personnel is still adjusting to the scheme change and Kelly said part of the struggles are also due to poorly-run routes and some protection issues.

"Sometimes it's not the quarterback's fault. It's a combination of everything," Kelly said. "There's a lot that's involved in all of that and I think being good in the passing game on the offensive side of the ball takes all 11 guys."

Offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins said the 49ers have to "get back to basics," and Kelly debunked the notion that the 49ers are always going to run an up-tempo attack.

"That's a misconception we talk about all the time," Kelly said. "We don't try to operate at a very quick pace, and don't try to run more plays than other people run. Just trying to take advantage of what the defense is."

The Seahawks limited running back Carlos Hyde to 40 yards on 11 carries in the first meeting, and a Hyde-less 49ers offense to 61 yards on 15 carries in the rematch. Getting the running game untracked early and keeping Gabbert out of dangerous down-and-distance situations in a tough road environment is critical.

"The Seahawks' secondary is probably the best in the league," Kelly said. "They've got three perennial Pro Bowl players (cornerback Richard Sherman and safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas). They've got a scheme that those guys have been in for a long time.

"You've got (defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril) in that group in the front. You've got two of the best inside linebackers (K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner). ... So they've got playmakers at every level. There's not a lot of inexperience when you're going against this group."

The 49ers' defense doesn't boast nearly the same crop of household names, and San Francisco struggled to stop the run or the pass in Carolina after its Week 1 stomping of the Rams. Seattle desperately wants to get its ground game going to ease the burden on Wilson and the pass blocking, but the availability of Thomas Rawls (leg contusion) might not be known until game day, which could leave the brunt of the work again to Christine Michael, who is averaging 5.0 yards per carry but also had a game-ending fumble against the Rams.

Wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett are also recovering from knee injuries in the physical clash against the Rams, and rookie running back C.J. Prosise is also trying to return from a broken bone in a wrist that sidelined him last week.

On the positive front, tight end Jimmy Graham had three receptions last week as he continues to work closer to full strength after knee surgery. His presence could help thwart the pass rush and help Seattle improve on numbers like converting on just 4 of 13 third-down opportunities last week, including only one of greater than six yards.

"That's still the key, and converting and creating a new set of downs and all that is crucial," Carroll said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rams (1-1) at Buccaneers (1-1)

Date: September 25, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

If you are a fan of high-flying prolific offenses that light up the scoreboard like a Christmas tree, you might not want to tune into the Los Angeles Rams visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday. Points will be at a premium when these two NFC opponents face off in the Florida heat. The Rams haven't scored a touchdown all season and have a total of nine points in two games.

At least the Buccaneers started the year off right as they looked like a Jon Gruden-coached club in Week 1, putting up 31 points in a major NFC South win over the Atlanta Falcons. Then quarterback Jameis Winston and his squad faced the buzz-saw that is the Arizona Cardinals and got trounced 40-7. Winston threw four interceptions.

"It's a humbling league. We got beat up all over the field. Hats off to the Cardinals for a job well done. I didn't a good enough job getting these guys ready to go. We turned it over way, way too many times," said Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter.

Tampa Bay's head coach acknowledged the offense has not been clicking, especially Winston and wide receiver Vincent Jackson. In the first two weeks, Jackson has just six catches for 62 yards despite being targeted 17 times. And now starting running back Doug Martin could be out for an extended period of time with a hamstring injury. Martin's loss puts even more emphasis on the passing attack of the Buccaneers finding the right chemistry.

Both teams are 1-1 yet neither organization has figured out their identity heading into Week 3 of the 2016 NFL season. The Rams have major questions at the quarterback position even if head coach Jeff Fisher will not admit them.

"Well he (Rams starting quarterback Case Keenum) bounced back. He had a good week, came back and made plays. That's a tough defense to attack and throw against. You know, we had some drops nonetheless, but he put the ball where it needed to be put. The last play to (wide receiver) Kenny (Britt) was a great throw -- great anticipation, great throw," said Fisher of his embattled starter. The media and fans have been adamant about the Rams starting 2016 No. 1 overall draft pick Jared Goff since Los Angeles has not scored a touchdown this season.

"Anybody that knows this game would be concerned about not scoring touchdowns, now come on. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but we need to score some touchdowns. But I'll take this win, winning and then some. So if we take anything away from this week, that's what we got to do. We got to keep working on it someway somehow, whether it's special teams or defense, but I'll take a touchdown next week. That would be cool," Fisher said as the team faces the Buccaneers in Week 3.

Fisher may get his wish. The Buccaneers defense, which was not very good under fired head coach Lovie Smith, has struggled in 2016 as well. Only the Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars have given up as many points (64).

Both teams could be a remedy for the others' ills. The lack of offense by the Rams could help the Buccaneers defense or vice versa. A lackluster Los Angeles offensive unit could find solace in attacking a below-average Tampa Bay defensive group.

This then leaves the game primarily in the hands of which Buccaneers offense against which Rams defense shows up. Los Angeles, led by middle linebacker Alec Ogletree and defensive end Robert Quinn, held the Seattle Seahawks to a field goal in their Week 2 win at home. This was after giving up 28 points to the San Francisco 49ers in a Week 1 loss.

The Buccaneers offense installed by head coach Dirk Koetter was flying high in Week 1 in which the offense accounted 371 net yards. Quarterback Jameis Winston threw for four touchdowns. The offensive line gave up zero sacks vs. the Falcons. On the road in Arizona for Week 2, Tampa Bay was shut out in the first half, Winston threw four interceptions and the offensive line gave up three sacks.

Said Koetter, "I expect and want to see fantastic resiliency. If you just look around the league, that's how the NFL is. The Cardinals had a disappointing loss, and they came back and got after us pretty good yesterday.

"Look at the Rams, who we play this week. The Rams lost 28-0 in their opener to the 49ers, come back with a huge win against Seattle. The Falcons, who we beat last week, go on the road to the Raiders who were a hot team and play well enough to get a big win on the road."

As both head coaches have preached this week, depending on which Buccaneers or Rams team shows up will determine the outcome of this NFC showdown.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Steelers (2-0) at Eagles (2-0)

Date: September 25, 2016 4:25 PM EDT

The Battle of Pennsylvania takes on a different feel this season as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles own 2-0 marks and are riding high in the saddle behind rough and ready quarterback play.

The Keystone State rivals will settle their difference at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday (4:25 p.m.).

The old general, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, continues to be the steady hand that has led Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl wins in his time at the helm.

The young lieutenant, Philadelphia's Carson Wentz, has declared his independence as the leader of the upstart Eagles.

The Steelers have two impressive wins over the Washington Redskins in Week 1 and the AFC North rival-Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. But those wins were somewhat expected due to the veterans returning to the team and the stability of the roster.

The two Eagles wins, granted against lesser opponents, may be more impressive. Wentz wasn't named the starter until a week before the opening game, thanks to the trade of quarterback Sam Bradford. The turnover on the roster, a new head coach in Doug Pederson and a front-office shakeup in the offseason led to many pundits and fans alike to view this as a major rebuilding year in Philadelphia.

Wentz wants none of that. The signal-caller from North Dakota State became the first rookie to win his first two season-opening starts and not throw an interception. Wentz hasn't thrown a pick in 71 attempts.

"(Ball security) is something I pride myself on and it's something this offense prides itself on," Wentz said after a mistake-free game versus Chicago on Monday. "Just controlling the ball. Protecting the football. Making smart decisions. Being aggressive, but also being calculated. Knowing when to take chances.

"He can see the entire field that way," Pederson, a former NFL quarterback, said of Wentz. "When people are falling around his feet and the pocket is collapsing, he's always looking to make a play down the field. Even on some scrambles Monday night, he took some shots down the field. We didn't capitalize on them, but it's great to see he can see that part of the field.

"He's commanding the huddle, and the dialogue on the sideline with players and coaches and him is something that a nine- and 10-year vet would do. It just shows his maturity and the ability that he has to play quarterback."

Those are positive signs and fit the narrative of Wentz's comparison to a player like Roethlisberger.

Wentz faces his first true test this week against a Steelers' defense that has only allowed only two touchdowns. Both of those scores have come in the fourth quarter when the games were well in hand.

The secondary has given up 695 passing yards in two games but that statistic is deceiving. Each play they have defended has only been for a 7.2-yard average. Starting cornerback Ross Cockrell has been a major spark for a back half of a defense that has struggled in years past.

"He's growing in all areas," coach Mike Tomlin said. "He's got the things that excite you: he's tough, he's smart and he's got a good above-the-neck game, he's a worker. All of those things kind of make it a very natural thing, this progression he's going through, this improvement. I don't think any of us are surprised by it. I think we all expect it to continue.

Cockrell has no issue following the opponent's best wide receiver all over the field. The problem for the Eagles is that they do not have a true No. 1 wideout. Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor have been solid NFL players but have had their share of drops and lapses in concentration.

That has not been the issue for the Steelers' young wide receivers like Sammie Coates.

Veteran Antonio Brown was not happy after the Bengals' win because he only had four catches for 39 yards.

Brown, Coates and the entire passing attack could see that frustration come to a head against a feisty Eagles' defense. The Jim Schwartz-led unit is fifth in the NFL in pass defense allowing only 194 yards a game. They have only given up an average of 12 points a game as well.

Look out for Brown or Coates on deep routes. The Eagles' secondary has given up three passes of 40-plus yards already this year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (1-1) at Chiefs (1-1)

Date: September 25, 2016 4:25 PM EDT

The third week of any season is not the point where teams, the media or fans can make many definitive statements about a specific club.

In another month, fortunes will rise and fall within the divisions. It's why every game is important in the season's final reckoning and the race for the playoffs.

That makes Sunday's meeting at Arrowhead Stadium (4:25 p.m. ET) a very important game for the New York Jets (1-1) and Kansas City Chiefs (1-1).

Both teams have seen very good play from parts of their roster, while at times also trying to solve problems with underachievement. The watch word around these teams would be Inconsistent.

However, both clubs should be in the mix in December when the league's contenders are fighting for spots in the playoffs. A 10-game winning streak at the end of the 2015 season punched Kansas City's ticket to the playoffs, while the Jets' chance evaporated in a loss to Buffalo in the last game of the regular season.

This is one of those games that looks good in the AFC standings and head-to-head tie-breakers.

"You love challenges in this business, from a coaching standpoint and player standpoint," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. "You work so hard to play against good caliber players. That's what this group is, so that'll be something to watch."

Jets head coach Todd Bowles knows what to expect from Kansas City. He was part of Reid's coaching staff in Philadelphia during the 2012 season.

"They're hard-nosed, tough and physical on both sides of the ball," Bowles said. "They've got playmakers on the outside, ball hawks at the corners, a tough safety, strong fast linebackers. They have a slew of running backs, a great tight end, a great receiver, and a quarterback who's very good."

That quarterback is Alex Smith and he's been the picture of inconsistency over the first two games.

In the opener against San Diego, Smith had one of the best passing days of his career in leading the Chiefs back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Chargers in overtime. Last Sunday, he was erratic and turned the ball over twice in the loss at Houston. The Chiefs did not score a touchdown against the Texans.

"Ultimately it comes down to a lack of execution," Smith said. "This last week certainly, every drive we had - whether it be a penalty, a turnover, a sack, or a negative play - it stalls the drive and it's hard to overcome versus a talented defense."

The start of the season has brought about questions concerning Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. Long considered one of the league's top cover corners, the 31-year old Revis has struggled as Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. Green burned him and Buffalo's Marquise Goodwin caught an 84-yard touchdown pass.

Reid, however, said he didn't see anything on the game tapes to show a crack in Revis' skill level.

"He's getting older, but he's wiser," Reid said. "I've got a ton of respect for the guy. He transitions so easy with his hips and his ability to look back and run fast are unbelievable.

"Listen, I know they're saying he got beat. Maybe he gets beat one time. But the ones that people are saying, he didn't have help on; there weren't people in the middle of the field. So that's not his responsibility. He looks pretty good me. He looks pretty stinking good."

While the Jets have the veteran presence of Revis in their secondary, the Chiefs are like a football daycare center for cornerbacks. They play three in coordinator Bob Sutton's scheme: Phillip Gaines (25), Steven Nelson (22) and Marcus Peters (23). That group has struggled in two games, giving up 100-yard receiving performances last Sunday to Houston's DeAndre Hopkins and rookie Will Fuller.

The Jets' offense enters the game with a great deal of confidence after their victory last week over Buffalo. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance, completing 24 of 34 passes for 374 yards and a touchdown toss. New York ran up 493 yards against the Bills.

"It's fun with everybody involved and everybody making plays," Fitzpatrick said. "The confidence in the huddle and the way the guys felt, we knew we were going to get in the end zone."

Fitzpatrick also understands that this Sunday dawns a new NFL day.

"The NFL is crazy in that we're only as good as what we do this week," he said. "We're not going to sit and celebrate last week because we have to move on. We have a team that last year won 11 straight and were a playoff team and have played very well already this year. And, it's a very tough place to play."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Chargers (1-1) at Colts (0-2)

Date: September 25, 2016 4:25 PM EDT

Quarterback Andrew Luck is sore and beat up and the Indianapolis Colts are winless.

There won't be any sympathy forthcoming from the San Diego Chargers.

Luck and the Colts attempt to begin digging themselves out of a 0-2 hole when they host the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

Indianapolis is winless after two games for the third straight season. The Colts recovered to reach the AFC Championship Game two seasons ago but ended up 8-8 last year.

"You can control what you can control," Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano said. "If a couple plays go a little bit different in each of those games, you are sitting at 2-0. But that is not the case. That has never been the case. It is what it is."

Last season's struggles were partially due to Luck missing nine games with various injuries. The 27-year-old is aching again and missed Wednesday's practice with soreness in his passing shoulder stemming from being sacked five times in last Sunday's 34-20 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Luck, who has thrown five touchdown passes this season, insisted he'll be on the field when the Colts face the Chargers and said there is no cause for alarm.

"I don't think so, but I don't raise the alarms," Luck said. "That's you guys. I would not be concerned."

Meanwhile, quarterback Philip Rivers of the Chargers (1-1) keeps losing key weapons from an offense averaging 32.5 points, second best in the NFL. Star receiver Keenan Allen was lost to a torn ACL in Week 1 and running back Danny Woodhead went down with the same type of season-ending knee injury last Sunday.

Despite the attrition, Rivers has thrown five touchdown passes without an interception and has a stellar 120.3 quarterback rating. Rivers had four passing scores in last Sunday's 38-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rivers has a 5-1 career record against the Colts, who have allowed a league-worst 73 points through the first two weeks.

"We have had some memorable, fun games against Indy," Rivers said. "But I don't think any of those factor in this week.

"We know that we are going to face a team that has a lot of passion and pride and that's going to fight like crazy to get its first win."

San Diego may choose to rely more on second-year running back Melvin Gordon against a Colts' defense ranked 29th against the run (125.0 yards per game). Gordon rushed for 102 yards vs. the Jaguars for the first 100-yard game of his NFL career.

"He's running with authority," Pagano said. "He's big, powerful and he looks like he's a one-cut guy who can make people miss. He gets in the secondary and he has the speed to go the distance."

San Diego's defense is about to receive a boost due to the likely availability of first-round draft pick Joey Bosa. The No. 3 overall pick was a holdout until late August and then injured a hamstring and could make his NFL debut against the Colts.

"I'll let you guys know when we have an update on whether he's going to cut it loose or not," Chargers coach Mike McCoy said. "But I'll keep saying he's day-to-day until we know he can truly go full-go."

Adding Bosa's pass-rushing abilities to team with linebacker Melvin Ingram (two sacks last week) should aid a defense ranking 23rd in total defense (400.5) and 29th in defending the pass (324.0). Cornerback Casey Hayward had two interceptions last week but the secondary has been a weak link.

Indianapolis' beleaguered defense hopes to have Pro Bowl cornerback Vontae Davis (ankle) on the field for the first time this season.

The Colts have been decimated with injuries in the secondary and the list of ailing players include cornerbacks Darius Butler (hamstring), Antonio Cromartie (ribs) and Patrick Robinson (concussion) plus safeties Clayton Geathers (foot) and T.J. Green (knee).

Indianapolis also suffered a key offensive loss on Wednesday when it was announced receiver Donte Moncrief will miss four-to-six weeks with a fractured left shoulder blade.

The Chargers have won four of the past five meetings, including a 19-9 victory in 2013 when they controlled the ball for 38:31 and held Luck and the Colts out of the end zone.

San Diego defensive coordinator John Pagano is the younger brother of the Colts' head coach.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bears (0-2) at Cowboys (1-1)

Date: September 25, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott celebrated his first career victory last Sunday with his teammates.

By the time the 23-year-old woke up the next morning, he was hungry for seconds.

"You've got to bounce back and got to prepare quick for the next team," Prescott told reporters at the Cowboys' practice facility. "It's been all Chicago this week."

That could be bad news for the Chicago Bears (0-2) as they prepare for a challenging road game on short rest. They will head south to face the Cowboys (1-1) in a prime-time matchup Sunday night.

Already, Prescott is making history as a replacement for injured starter Tony Romo. The 6-foot-2, 226-pound signal-caller from Mississippi State has thrown 75 passes without an interception in his first two NFL games. He broke the record held by Warren Moon, who started his career with 72 passes without an interception.

Not bad for a player whom the Cowboys selected in the fourth round of this year's draft at No. 135 overall. The Bears bypassed Prescott three times in the fourth round -- selecting linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, safety Deon Bush and cornerback Deiondre' Hall -- before the Cowboys finally called his name.

Chicago general manager Ryan Pace might want a do-over heading into Week 3.

The Bears are riddled with injuries on both sides of the field, but no position hurts worse than quarterback. Eight-year veteran Brian Hoyer is expected to start against the Cowboys in place of Jay Cutler, who sprained his right thumb Monday and was forced to leave the game early because he could not grip the football.

Hoyer, 30, does not deliver nearly the same excitement level as Prescott provides in backing up Romo. However, the journeyman showed his competency Monday as he completed nine of 12 passes for 78 yards after replacing Cutler. He has thrown for 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions in his career, which also has included stops in New England, Arizona, Cleveland and Houston.

"Whether you're the starter or the backup or the third guy, you prepare every week like you're the starter," said Hoyer, who is 15-11 in 26 career starts. "You may get a few more reps here and there, but that's the fact of being able to play at any time. Just prepare like you're going to play and take it one day at a time and come Sunday, we'll see what happens."

Cutler has plenty of company on the Bears' injury report. The defense will play its first game without linebacker Lamarr Houston, who tore his ACL last week and is out for the season. Other key players who could miss the game include nose tackle Eddie Goldman (ankle), linebacker Danny Trevathan (thumb) and running back Ka'Deem Carey (hamstring).

Bears coach John Fox said his team could not afford to dwell on the injuries. The Bears are 2-0 at the Cowboys' AT&T Stadium since the facility opened in 2009. Their most recent victory came in 2012.

"Any time you have front-line players, obviously it's an issue," Fox said. "They are front-line players for a reason. But if you look around the league, even going into Week 3, there are plenty of significant injuries to some star-caliber type players.

"It's the next man up. You don't have any choice. Nobody comes and rescues you. They're not going to cancel the game. So I don't get much into it."

Comparatively speaking, the Cowboys are in better shape. The team is hoping for more from cornerback Orlando Scandrick, who has been plagued by hamstring injuries early in the season. Dallas' pass defense overall has struggled as the secondary has given up an average of 276.5 passing yards in its first two games.

However, a stellar offensive line has helped the Cowboys control time of possession and let the defense rest. Dallas is first in the NFL with eight drives that have chewed up five minutes or more.

Wide receiver Cole Beasley and tight end Jason Witten have combined for 25 catches, which is second-best in the league. The only tandem to make a bigger impact so far this season is New Orleans Saints wide receivers Willie Snead and Brandin Cooks, who have combined for 27 receptions.

Behind the offensive line, rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott has had an up-and-down start to the season. He has scored a rushing touchdown in each of his first two games. However, he was benched last week after fumbling twice against the Washington Redskins.

"I've never been benched before," Elliott told the Dallas Morning News. "That's new to me. Just got to respond by going to work. That's all you can do."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Falcons (1-1) at Saints (0-2)

Date: September 26, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Ten years ago -- on Sept. 25, 2006 -- the Louisiana Superdome was the scene of an iconic moment in NFL history.

A year earlier, Hurricane Katrina unleashed its fury on one of America's great cities, peeling back the roof of the Superdome, which transformed a shelter of last resort into a palace of pain for thousands of residents who could not flee New Orleans before the storm overpowered poorly designed levees and inundated 200,000 homes.

When the New Orleans Saints returned to the refurbished Superdome for Week 3 of the 2006 NFL season, the stadium's dazzling rebirth and the Saints' 23-3 destruction of the Atlanta Falcons -- fueled by New Orleans' special teamer Steve Gleason's blocked punt for a touchdown in the opening minutes -- became a metaphor for the city's revival.

The stakes are not nearly as high for the Saints this time, but at 0-2, with losses to the Oakland Raiders and New York Giants coming by a combined total of four points, they could use some serious Superdome mojo against the 1-1 Falcons.

Saints coach Sean Payton, who was on the sidelines for Gleason's blocked point, which nearly blew the roof off the Superdome again, is trying to direct his thoughts to a team desperately in need of a win.

"It's the Atlanta Falcons, it's a division opponent and it's our first division game and we have not won," Payton said. "It is Monday Night Football, and that's the easy motivation in regards to the significance or importance to the game. A lot of these guys were not around, and, shoot, they may not have been playing football when that happened. It's more about finding a way to get our first win."

The Saints have three players on their current roster who participated in the 2006 rebirth game -- quarterback Drew Brees, guard Jahri Evans and tackle Zach Strief. The Falcons have only one -- defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux.

But Atlanta coach Dan Quinn realizes the Saints are desperate for a victory and will feed off the home crowd.

"They could just as easily be 2-0," Quinn said. "We know this a good team. In addition, it's a division game for us. We can't wait to get down there."

While the Falcons lead the overall series 48-45, Payton has owned Atlanta since taking over in 2006, winning 15 of 20.

The Saints struggled offensively last week in a 16-13 loss to the Giants. Their defense forced three turnovers against New York, but the critical play of the game turned out to be a blocked field goal that the Giants turned into a touchdown for a 10-point turnaround.

Payton was disappointed in his offense's lack of balance. Even though the game was close throughout, Brees threw 46 passes while the Saints ran the ball just 13 times for 3.2 yards a carry.

"I feel like the offensive line has been doing a great job in the run game," said running back Mark Ingram. "We just have to call them and execute them, give the coaches confidence where we can go out there and be effective in the run game."

The Falcons are tied for 25th in run defense and have allowed their first two opponents to rush for 4.6 yards a carry.

While the Saints seek to get their running game back on track, they realize Brees is their bread and butter.

"Obviously, you want to get after it in the run game, but when you have a dynamic quarterback like Drew who can just pick people off, then you got to play to your strengths," Evans said. "And he's definitely a strength."

The Falcons also have a high-octane offense. Quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown for more than 300 yards in each of his first two games -- a 31-24 Week 1 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a 35-28 road victory against the Raiders. Ryan leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt (10.0) and passer rating (121.4). He has five touchdowns passes and just one interception.

The Saints will have the crowd buzzing. Gleason, who is battling ALS, will be on hand for the game to whip the Superdome crowd into a frenzy.

"It's probably going to be their Super Bowl," said Atlanta safety Kemal Ishmael. "I know it's going to be something special for them, and they're going to get after us."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

September Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

Much like our waistlines after a tasty Labor Day barbeque, MLB rosters have expanded to accommodate September, the final month of the season. And as College Football and the NFL crash onto the scene, MLB pitchers take the final spotlight in hopes of leading their teams on to the playoff trail.

The question is which ones can we count on and which ones figure to be candidates for offseason Weight Watchers meetings?

Check it out.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of September. On the flip side, we’ve also listed pitchers that struggle in September team starts, winning 33% percent or less of their efforts.

To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each September over the last three years.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s September’s list.

Enjoy the games.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Arrieta, Jake - 12-2 (8-1 H)

For nearly two full seasons, Arrieta has been as good as it gets in baseball as a starting pitcher. While strikeouts have been down a bit and walks are up of late, at this time it hard to find fault with a hurler who has opposing batters hitting below .200 against him and has a 2.84 ERA to start the month.

Cole, Gerrit - 14-3 (6-0 H)

The Pittsburgh ace has frankly had a mediocre injury-plagued season and on August 27th had an MRI on his elbow, which revealed no damage. If Pirates the are going to snare a third consecutive Wild Card bid, they will need the Cole of the past two years. Note: Cole’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of September.

*Grenike, Zack - 13-3 (7-1 H)

Greinke's ERA is higher than past year's but pitching in thinner air of Arizona has contributed to this. While the Diamondbacks have little too play for, expect Grienke to be tough as nails like usual.

Hamels, Cole - 12-5 (6-2 H)

Need a big game pitched in September? It’s hard to go wrong with Hamels, whose ERA of 2.91 is well below career mark of 3.26. Still owns lively fastball and changeup is knee-buckling. A true professional.

*Jimenez, Ubaldo - 12-1 (6-0 H)

Still toeing the rubber every five days or for Baltimore in spite of mid-sixes ERA. Baltimore has few options and Jimenez is not trustworthy in the bullpen either. Orioles need big month from their big man to reach the playoffs and this is his best month.

*Kershaw, Clayton - 12-3 (6-1 A)

Kershaw threw in simulated game on August 30 and later said "feeling really good" and if all goes well, the Dodgers hope Kershaw can pitch in September and beyond in some role, which only makes the Dodgers a bigger threat. Best pitcher in baseball.

Kluber, Corey - 10-3 (5-1 A)

Has been back to Cy Young form since the All-Star break with an ERA under 2.00 and Cleveland has won his last six outings. When he commands both sides of dish with fastball, for whatever reason, his curveball has more break. A true established ace for the Tribe trying to win the division.

Koehler, Tom - 10-5 (5-1 A)

Been very effective in a quiet way nationally, but has been extremely dependable for two months leading to this month for Miami, supplying six to seven solid innings per start. If he's throwing strikes inside to batters, he’s tough to hit. Note: Koehler’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of September.

Peavy, Jake - 11-3 (5-1 H)

Went on DL in late August with lower back strain. Had been working out of bullpen most of August and future status with San Francisco is as cloudy as the weather in the Bay.

*Price, David - 12-5 (7-2 H)

After a largely below season in Boston, Price has been much sharper in latter stages of August, which is what the Red Sox need. What has changed is Price became more effective in keeping the ball lower and is getting more fly ball outs as a power pitcher, which are genuinely more routine.

*Scherzer, Max - 11-4 (6-3 H)

After a somewhat slow start, Scherzer has been getting better and better and base hits allowed are well below innings pitched (128 vs. 190), yet walking few batters (45), especially compared to strikeouts (238). Back to pacing around mound like the king of the jungle.

*Shields, James - 13-4 (8-0 A)

It has been a wild ride for Shields this season, with numerous hideous outings blended in with several sharp ones. At this stage, hard to think the 34-year righty can duplicate the past seasons.

Strasburg, Stephen- 9-4 (5-1 A)

Starts the month on the DL after some very ugly starts last month. If Washington is to do anything in the postseason, Strasburg needs to regain early season form, which features moving fastball and big breaking curve.

*Zimmermann, Jordan - 11-4 (6-2 A)

If rehab assignments go well, September 10th is target date for return. Zimmermann has not been very effective for quite some time and easy to forget he had ERA of 2.45 in mid-May, compared to current 4.44.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

*Hellickson, Jeremy - 2-10 (1-5 H)

All things considered, Hellickson has not had a bad year in Philadelphia. However, upon closer inspection, most of his numbers are now near career norms and if that ends being the same this month, real bet against potential.

Leake, Mike - 5-10 (1-7 A)

The Cardinals right-hander has been a lot like his teams, when Leake has been good, he and St. Louis have generally won, when not they have too often lost badly. Cards are hoping not to see a repeat performance from the veteran.

Ross, Tyson - 3-11 (1-6 A)

Started on Opening Day and has not been seen since for San Diego with bum shoulder. Still trying to work way bad through rehab. Probably best to forget 2016.

*Sale, Chris - 2-12 (0-8 A)

It is almost unimaginable Sale could have a record like this in September, yet he does. Part of it is the White Sox offense is too unreliable and Sale's miscues end up being quite costly. Let's see what the final month brings for the big lefty.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Nationals win NL East
By The Sports Xchange

PITTSBURGH -- The Washington Nationals won their third National League East title in the last five years with a 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Saturday night, coupled with the New York Mets' 10-8 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos each drove in two runs and reliever Reynaldo Lopez (4-3) pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings for Washington (90-64).
The Nationals' Joe Ross was making his second start since missing 66 games because of right shoulder inflammation. He went a prescribed three innings in his first outing. However, he got yanked with two outs in the third after giving up a run and leaving the bases loaded for reliever Sean Burnett.

Red Sox 6, Rays 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Dustin Pedroia hit a two-out grand slam in the seventh inning as Boston clinched a postseason berth with its 10th straight victory.
The Red Sox's winning streak is its longest since 2009. Boston's Rick Porcello (22-4) became the majors' first 22-game winner and Boston's first since Pedro Martinez won 23 in 1999.
Tampa Bay's Logan Forsythe hit his 20th home run of the season, a solo shot, with two outs in the ninth off closer Craig Kimbrel, who picked up his 30th save of the season. Kimbrel had held opponents hitless (0-for-20) in his previous eight appearances.

Dodgers 14, Rockies 1
LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw tossed seven scoreless innings and Josh Reddick hit a grand slam as Los Angeles crushed Colorado.
Reddick went 3-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs. It was Reddick's fourth career slam and the seventh this season for the Dodgers.
Justin Turner, Adrian Gonzalez and Joc Pederson drove in two runs apiece as the Dodgers reduced their magic number to one to capture their fourth straight National League West title.

Giants 9, Padres 6
SAN DIEGO -- Angel Pagan raced home with the tiebreaking run on a 10th-inning error by rookie right fielder Hunter Renfroe and Denard Span followed with a two-run homer off reliever Kevin Quackenbush to give San Francisco a victory over San Diego.
The Padres had rallied from a 6-0 deficit to tie the score in the seventh.
San Francisco prevented Los Angeles from clinching the National League West title and moved the Giants into a first-place tie with the New York Mets in the National League wild-card race. St. Louis trails the Mets and Giants by a half-game.

Phillies 10, Mets 8
NEW YORK -- Maikel Franco hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Darin Ruf laced a three-run homer in the fourth as Philadelphia raced out to a 10-run lead and hung on.
New York and San Francisco are tied for the NL wild-card lead, one-half game ahead of St. Louis.
The Mets nearly pulled off the biggest comeback in team history after manager Terry Collins pulled his three best players -- Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes -- with the Phillies ahead 10-0 after four innings.

Cardinals 10, Cubs 4
CHICAGO -- St. Louis scored six runs in the first three innings en route to routing Chicago and staying afloat in the National League wild-card race.
Stephen Piscotty homered, Yadier Molina drove in four runs and Randal Grichuk drove in three for the Cardinals, who are one-half game behind the Mets and the Giants in the NL wild-card race. St. Louis has won five of its last seven games.
The NL Central champion Cubs saw their four-game winning streak end. They remain stuck on 98 victories and tied for a franchise-record 56 home wins. Chicago last won 99 games in 1935, when it reached 100.

Blue Jays 3, Yankees 0
TORONTO -- Jose Bautista hit a three-run homer with two out in the eighth inning to send Toronto past New York.
The Blue Jays beat the Yankees for the second straight time with two games left in the four-game series between the American League East rivals. Toronto leads the AL wild-card race by 1 1/2 games over Baltimore and is two games clear of third-place Detroit.
It was the third loss in a row for the Yankees and the third straight game in which they have been shut out as their chances for a wild-card spot are all but gone.

Orioles 6, Diamondbacks 1
BALTIMORE -- Trey Mancini and Mark Trumbo homered and starter Wade Miley shut down his former team for 8 2/3 innings as Baltimore rolled past Arizona.
The victory moved the Orioles (84-71) back into second place in the AL wild-card battle by one-half game as Kansas City's five-run ninth inning handed the Detroit Tigers a 7-4 loss earlier Saturday.
It was Mancini's third homer this week after his recent call-up.

White Sox 8, Indians 1
CLEVELAND -- Jose Abreu and Carlos Sanchez had three hits apiece and Todd Frazier homered as Chicago beat Cleveland.
The Indians' four-game winning streak and the White Sox's six-game slide were snapped.
The win stalled Cleveland's quest to clinch the American League's Central Division title. The Indians' magic number for clinching was reduced to two, though, with Detroit's loss to Kansas City.

Royals 7, Tigers 4
DETROIT -- Eric Hosmer belted a three-run home run to help Kansas City overcome a two-run deficit with two outs in the ninth.
Paulo Orlando blasted a two-run double in the ninth for the Royals. Hosmer's 24th home run of the season, which gave him 100 RBIs, came on a low 1-1 changeup by Francisco Rodriguez (3-4).
Detroit fell one-half game behind Baltimore for the second wild-card spot in the AL.

Twins 3, Mariners 2
MINNEAPOLIS -- Early homers by Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano helped Minnesota snap a seven-game losing streak.
The Twins, who have 99 losses, got seven solid innings from starter Tyler Duffey (9-11).
Nelson Cruz homered for Seattle, which fell two games behind Baltimore for the second wild-card spot in the AL.

Angels 10, Astros 4
HOUSTON -- Albert Pujols stroked a game-tying single in the eighth and C.J. Cron followed with a sacrifice fly that capped Los Angeles' four-run inning in its victory over Houston.
The Angels piled on with five runs in the ninth to move within one win of completing a four-game series sweep Sunday.
The Astros wasted another strong start from right-hander Brad Peacock by squandering a three-run lead. They also fell 2 1/2 games behind Baltimore for the final wild-card spot in the AL.

Rangers 5, Athletics 0
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Shortstop Elvis Andrus hit a pair of two-run homers, Yu Darvish pitched seven shutout innings and Texas rolled to victory.
One day after clinching the American League West crown, Rangers manager Jeff Banister gave all of his regulars except Andrus and right fielder Nomar Mazara the day off.
Adrian Beltre, Carlos Beltran, Ian Desmond, Jonathan Lucroy, Rougned Odor, Mitch Moreland and Carlos Gomez were spectators as Andrus had the first multi-homer game of his career and drove in a career-high tying four runs.

Marlins 6, Braves 4
MIAMI -- Dee Gordon had two hits, three steals and scored twice as Miami defeated Atlanta.
The Marlins snapped the Braves' seven-game winning streak, which was the longest run by Atlanta since 2014.
The Braves' Freddie Freeman had an RBI single and a solo home run. He has 32 homers this season, and also extended his career-high hit streak to 28 games.

Reds 6, Brewers 1
MILWAUKEE -- Dan Straily struck out five batters in 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball and Joey Votto hit his 26th home run of the season as Cincinnati beat Milwaukee.
Straily (14-8) cruised through his outing, scattering five hits and two walks to post his third consecutive victory. The only earned run he gave up came on a solo home run from Domingo Santana in the second inning.
Votto also drew three walks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Cards, Cubs clash at Wrigley

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS at CHICAGO CUBS

First pitch: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Cubs -170, Cardinals +150, Total 8

Friday: Chicago 5 St. Louis 0
Saturday: St. Louis 10 Chicago 4

The Cardinals will be hoping to better their chances of playing in the postseason with a road win over the Cubs on Sunday night.

St. Louis is currently battling with both the Mets and Giants for one of the two NL Wild Card spots and a win over Chicago on Sunday would come a long way for the team.

With so few games remaining, the Cardinals know that they need to win this one and RHP Carlos Martinez (15-8, 3.16 ERA, 159 K) is going to need to pitch well for St. Louis.

Martinez has, however, really struggled against the Cubs this season. In four starts against Chicago, Martinez is 1-2 with a 5.25 ERA in 24.0 innings of work.

He’ll be hoping to be a lot better this time around, and it’s important that he holds his own in a duel with LHP Jon Lester (18-4, 2.36 ERA, 184 K).

Lester is one of the hottest pitchers in baseball right now, as he has allowed one or fewer earned runs in seven straight starts coming into this game.

He has also pitched into the eighth inning in two of those outings and it would really help Chicago if he can work deep into this one.

Carlos Martinez has pitched well for the Cardinals recently, allowing two or fewer earned runs in six of his past seven starts.

St. Louis has won in all six of those contests, but that one loss was when he allowed four earned runs in six innings of work against this Chicago team on Sep. 14. Martinez is going to need to find a way to figure out this Cubs lineup on Sunday, as the Cardinals are desperate for victories at this point in the season.

Offensively, look for guys like 3B Jhonny Peralta and C Yadier Molina to step it up for St. Louis in this one. The two of them are a combined 16-for-63 with three doubles, three homers (all from Peralta) and 10 RBI against Jon Lester in their careers.

OF Matt Holiday has also gotten the best of Lester, going 6-for-12 with a double and three RBI against the lefty in his career. He is, however, questionable for this one, as he has been on the DL with an injured right thumb.

Lester has been on fire lately and he would certainly be in the Cy Young conversation if it weren’t for his teammate, Kyle Hendricks, being around to steal the show. Lester faced this St. Louis team on Sep. 14 and was brilliant in that outing.

The lefty pitched eight innings in that one, striking out eight batters in a shutout. He’ll be hoping to regain that groove when he takes the mound in this nationally televised game on Sunday. Lester’s run support in this one should not be a huge issue either.

The Cubs have really given Martinez trouble in their careers, especially guys like 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Jason Heyward. Rizzo is 7-for-23 with a double, a triple, three homers and seven RBI against Martinez in his career. He’ll be hoping to go yard once again in this one.

Heyward, meanwhile, is 6-for-14 with a double and two RBI versus the righty. If he can get on base in this one then it’d be big for the team, as he has struggled all season and the Cubs have the bats to take advantage of him being on the bases.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (79-75) at Blue Jays (85-69)

Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: September 25, 2016 1:07 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The New York Yankees will be trying to do something they have failed to do for the past three games when they play the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.

They will try to score a run, or even better, several of them,

The Yankees have not scored in their past three games, the past two against Toronto and the first against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.

It is the first time the Yankees have been held scoreless in three consecutive games since July 27 (a doubleheader) and July 28, 1975.

"It's hard to explain," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after the 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. "We didn't have too many opportunities today. (Toronto starter Marcus) Stroman kept us in check (for seven innings). We just weren't able to get anything going off him.

"You hope you go out and score the first inning the next day and that it kind of gets you going. There's no lack of effort. You become disappointed when there's a lack of effort."

The Yankees have been shut out six times in September and an American League-leading 13 times overall this season. They also have lost 10 of their past 13 games and are pretty well out of the race for a wild-card spot although still mathematically alive.

They also will be trying to end a seven-game losing streak at Rogers Centre when they send out right-hander Michael Pineda (6-11, 4.89 ERA) against Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.62).

The Blue Jays have won six of their past nine games and occupy the first American League wild-card spot.

All of their runs Saturday came on the 20th homer of the season by Jose Bautista with two outs in the eighth inning against Yankees reliever Tyler Clippard.

This season has been a struggle for Bautista, who has had two stints on the disabled list that have cost him 42 games.

"He's heating up at the right time," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He has been known to do some things in key spots. I was sitting on the bench with DeMarlo (bench coach Hale) and mentioned that to him (when Bautista batted in the eighth). Right guy, right time, basically."

Bautista is showing that he might be a key figure down the September stretch and into October.

He hit a ninth-inning homer on Wednesday to tie the score in Seattle, a game the Blue Jays went on to lose 2-1 in 12 innings to the Mariners.

Bautista, who has put the Blue Jays ahead in a game with 14 of his homers this season, was not about to point to nagging injuries this season as an excuse for a .233 batting average and lower than usual power numbers.

"Everybody in here has been banged up or had to deal with something so I can't really point to that as an excuse," Bautista said. "Do I feel better physically? Yes. Does that help? Probably. I've been nicked up for the past fives, six years, and I've had success before so I'm not going to use that as an excuse."

Estrada, who will start the third game of the four-game series against the Yankees on Sunday, ended a three-game losing streak Monday when he held the Mariners to one hit, three walks and no runs in seven innings. He had eight strikeouts in the 3-2 victory. It was his first win since Aug. 29.

In four starts in September, he is 1-3 with a 5.49 ERA. Estrada is 2-0 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts against the Yankees this season and is 3-2 with a 4.09 ERA in nine career games, including eight starts, against them.

Meanwhile, Pineda has not completed five innings in three of his past four starts. He is on an eight-start winless streak that matches his career high. He is 0-1 with a 4.02 ERA during that span, although the Yankee are 4-4 in those starts.

In two starts this season against Toronto, he is 0-1 with a 1.64 ERA. He is 2-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 career starts against the Blue Jays.

It won't matter how well Pineda might pitch, however, if the Yankees do not score.

"Whatever we're doing right now it's not working, which disappointing because we swung the bats well the first two games in Tampa," said Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, who has had a sore neck and was limited to an inning in the field for the past two games. "We just seem to have lost it the last few days."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (70-85) at Mets (82-73)

Game: 4
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 25, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- Rare is it for a team battling for a playoff berth to feel it gained momentum from a late-season loss. But most teams don't lose like the New York Mets did Saturday night.

The Mets look to retain at least a share of the lead in the National League wild-card race Sunday afternoon when they host the Philadelphia Phillies in the regular-season home finale at Citi Field.

The Mets (82-73) and San Francisco Giants enter Sunday tied for the top NL wild card. They are a half-game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals (81-73).

New York won the first two contests of the four-game series against the Phillies on Thursday and Friday before falling 10-8 on Saturday. But the Mets felt pretty good about themselves after nearly coming back from a 10-0 deficit to win. Lucas Duda and Travis d'Arnaud stepped to the plate as the potential winning run in the ninth inning before popping out and grounding out, respectively.

A comeback would have been the biggest in Mets history, exceeding an eight-run comeback in an 11-8 victory over the Houston Astros on Sept. 2, 1972.

"Tremendous comeback," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I'm real proud of them."

Collins was also feeling pretty good knowing the Mets should no longer have to rely on fill-in starters for their ravaged rotation. Ace right-hander Noah Syndergaard, who was scratched Friday from his scheduled start Saturday because of strep throat, had a successful bullpen session Saturday and starts Tuesday. Syndergaard and the Mets' other non-rookie starter, 43-year-old Bartolo Colon, could both pitch twice next week if necessary.

"We've got seven left," Collins said. "You kind of like the pitching going forward right now."

One of those pitchers the Mets will rely on is rookie right-hander Robert Gsellman, who is scheduled to make his sixth career start Sunday. Gsellman, who moved into the rotation in place of injured left-hander Jonathon Niese in August, is 1-2 with a 3.54 ERA as a starter and 2-2 with a 3.13 ERA overall. He made his first major league start against the Phillies on Aug. 28 and took the loss after allowing four runs over six innings in a 5-1 setback.

The Phillies also send a rookie to the mound as right-hander Jake Thompson tries to provide the steady pitching Philadelphia has lacked during an eventful series in which it has been outscored 27-23.

"Offense is coming alive," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "They've been swinging the bats well all week."

The first three starters for the Phillies -- left-hander Adam Morgan and right-handers Jeremy Hellickson and Alec Asher -- have combined to give up 13 runs (nine earned) in 14 1/3 innings while failing to pitch beyond the fifth inning. Philadelphia relievers have not been much better (10 runs, nine earned, in 14 innings).

"Bullpen's been sputtering," Mackanin said.

Thompson won his last two starts, a stretch in which he's allowed five runs over 11 innings. He earned the win Tuesday after giving up three runs over five innings in the Phillies' 7-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Thompson has never faced the Mets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (91-64) at Rays (65-89)

Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 25, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- David Ortiz plays his final game at Tropicana Field on Sunday as the Boston Red Sox try for their 11th straight victory in the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston clinched a postseason berth with Saturday night's victory, but the math was complicated enough that the Red Sox, who haven't won 10 straight in September since 1949, didn't celebrate anything more than a win in the clubhouse.

"We're here tomorrow, playing again," manager John Farrell said when asked about clinching a postseason berth.

Ortiz, who crushed a two-run homer in Friday's 2-1 victory, leaves Tropicana Field as the stadium's all-time leader among visiting players in several key statistical categories including home runs (35), RBIs (90), doubles (23) and extra-base hits (59), and is also second in hits with 115.

The Rays can play spoiler one more time in their final home game, giving their fans something positive to take away from a last-place finish this season.

Having right-hander Jake Odorizzi on the mound helps as he is 2-0 with a 1.01 ERA against Boston in four career starts at Tropicana Field. His overall career numbers against the Red Sox aren't as dominating -- 3-3, 4.05 in 12 starts, including a 1-1, 5.32 this season.

What Odorizzi has excelled at is earning no-decisions -- he has 16 this season, three more than any other pitcher in the majors. That includes 12 no-decisions in which he's allowed two runs or fewer, the most by any pitcher in any season as long as such statistics have been kept at baseballreference.com. Since the start of last season, he has 15 losses, and has 26 total runs of support in those games.

What's more, Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez (3-7, 4.84 ERA) didn't fare well against the Rays in his last outing by allowing nine runs and 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings of a June 27 loss. He's been much improved since the All-Star break, with a 3.21 ERA, and earned the victory against Baltimore on Tuesday, holding the Orioles to two runs in 6.1 innings.

"They are definitely the team to beat right now in my eyes," Rays reliever Danny Farquhar said after giving up a seventh-inning grand slam to Dustin Pedroia, who fouled off several pitches with two outs to dig out of an 0-2 hole and hit a huge home run.

Boston's magic number to clinch the American League East is three, so they can't pop the champagne Sunday, but could on their day off Monday, or in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium that starts Tuesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (63-92) at Marlins (77-78)

Game: 4
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 25, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- The New York Mets, who are engaged with the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals in a fierce battle for the two NL wild-card berths, just caught a bad break.

The Atlanta Braves (63-92), who aren't playing for anything more than pride but have been doing their job competing over the past month, have an easier task Sunday against the Miami Marlins (77-78).

Those are the main repercussions from the Marlins' decision, which was announced Saturday, to move ace Jose Fernandez back one day in their rotation.

Fernandez, who is 29-2 with a 1.49 ERA in his career at Marlins Park, faces the Mets on Monday.

Left-hander Adam Conley (8-6, 3.94 ERA), who hasn't pitched since Aug. 13 because of a finger injury, gets the ball Sunday against Atlanta.

Conley threw a 35-pitch simulated game Wednesday, and that's about how much leash he figures to have Sunday.

"Not very far," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said when asked how long he will allow Conley to go. "We wouldn't be able to do this if we didn't have (expanded rosters and a deep bullpen). Conley's start will be fairly short."

There will be no such restrictions for Braves starter Julio Teheran, who has been Atlanta's best pitcher this season, sporting a 6-10 record and a 3.10 ERA.

But Teheran has struggled this year against the Marlins.

Even though the Braves have easily won the season series against Miami -- it's 11-7 Atlanta entering Sunday -- Teheran is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts against Miami this year.

Teheran and the rest of the Braves starters are benefitting from an improved Braves' offense. In the first half of the season, the Braves were last in the majors in OPS. Since the All-Star break, the Braves have the third-best OPS.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who extended his career-best hitting streak to 29 games with his first-inning RBI single Saturday, said fans needed to show patience after Atlanta got off to a horrendous 18-46 start.

The Braves are 44-46 since. They had won seven in a row until a 6-4 loss to Miami on Saturday night. Still, the Braves are 19-13 since Aug. 21.

"For the first couple of weeks, none of us were hitting, and I think our record reflects that," Freeman said. "We had a tough schedule early, and it took us a couple of months to get going.

"I know the fans don't want to hear that, but that's the truth."

While the Braves have been hot, Mattingly has bemoaned his team's win-one, lose-one inconsistency of 2016.

"This is typical of how we have played," he said. "You win three in a row and think you have some momentum, and then you lose three in a row.

"We've only had one decent run all year long. It's hard to say you deserve anything (regarding the playoffs) when you are below .500."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (78-77) at Tigers (83-71)

Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: September 25, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- While the Detroit Tigers continue their playoff push, the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals find themselves battling to finish above .500.

Kansas City reminded Detroit and everybody else on Saturday that the Royals are, after all, the defending World Series champions. They scored five times in the ninth inning to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 7-4 win that brought them back above break-even at 78-77.

"For me, it's extremely important," Royals manager Ned Yost said Saturday about moving above .500. "This group has made history the last couple years and we still have a chance to do it.

"If we finish over .500, it will be the fourth consecutive year that we've had a winning record and that's only been done one other time in this organization.

"So we need to do everything we can do to achieve that because we feel next year, getting Moose (Mike Moustakas) back, getting (Lorenzo) Cain back, getting some big pieces back in our lineup, that we're going to have an opportunity to be the first club in the history of the Royals to go five winning seasons.

"It's been a struggle here for us lately, but that's a huge goal for us."

Detroit, which finished last in the American League Central a year ago after four straight division titles, is unlikely to overtake first-place Cleveland but expects to be in the thick of the battle for one of the two wild-card spots. The Tigers trail Baltimore by one-half game for the second spot.

"We just need to play well to get to whatever's next, quite frankly," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "Then anything can happen."

Ausmus recalled his time as a catcher with the Houston Astros a decade ago.

"In 2006, the Cardinals were playing like crap the last two weeks of the season," he said. "They won the World Series.

"They lost like nine out of 11. We swept them four straight games in Houston and they went in a tailspin."

The Astros trailed the Cardinals by 8 1/2 games with 13 left but rallied to within a half-game with three games remaining. St. Louis hung on to win the division.

Detroit will send a third straight young starter out Sunday to face Kansas City. Left-hander Matt Boyd (6-4, 4.16 ERA) is coming off a career best eight-inning start at Minnesota in which he allowed just one run and three hits with seven strikeouts.

This will be Boyd's second start against the Royals this season. He was beaten in his other start, allowing seven runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. Boyd has started five times against Kansas City in his two seasons with Detroit, going 1-2 with a 7.43 ERA.

Right-hander Edinson Volquez (10-11, 5.25) is on record as saying he would like to return to Kansas City next year. His contract is a mutual option situation.

Volquez is 2-0 with a 4.05 ERA in three starts against the Tigers this season and is 3-4 with a 5.46 ERA in 10 career starts against Detroit.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (73-81) at Indians (90-64)

Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 25, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians can clinch the American League Central Division title Sunday afternoon when they host the Chicago White Sox in the finale of their three-game series.

The teams split the first two games, with Cleveland winning 10-4 on Friday and Chicago prevailing 8-1 on Saturday.

Despite their loss Saturday, the Indians' magic number for clinching the division was reduced to two by virtue of second-place Detroit's loss to Kansas City. So a Cleveland win Sunday coupled with a loss by Detroit would give the Indians their first division title since 2007.

White Sox center fielder Adam Easton is not expected to play Sunday. Eaton sat out Saturday's game as he tried to recover from crashing into the center field wall while catching a fly ball hit by catcher Roberto Perez in the sixth inning of Friday's game.

Eaton, who had to leave the game after the play, said he hit his head, left shoulder and left hip when he collided with the wall, but said he was feeling better Saturday. "If anybody's ever been in a car accident, it's kind of the same thing," Eaton said. "You're kind of taking inventory of the body parts and making sure everything is back to where it's supposed to be."

White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Eaton will likely play again before the end of the season, but not until he is ready physically.

"It's not anything that you feel like you need to shut him down," Ventura said. "But he's banged up enough to where it's better for him maybe to get re-evaluated Monday and make sure he's good."

In Sunday's pitching matchup, the Indians send Josh Tomlin (12-8, 4.75 ERA) to the mound, while Carlos Rodon (7-10, 4.29) starts for the White Sox.

Tomlin is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts versus Chicago this season. In nine career appearances (eight starts) against the White Sox, he is 4-2, 3.08.

Sunday will be his third start since his turn in the rotation was skipped twice after a bumpy month of August in which he was 0-5 with an 11.48 ERA in six starts. In his two starts since being put back in the rotation, he is 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA.

Rodon has started three games against Cleveland this year, going 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA. However, in eight career appearances (seven starts) against the Indians, he is 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA. Rodon's last two starts overall have been ugly: 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA, allowing 17 hits including four home runs in nine innings.

One of those starts was against the Indians, on Sept. 14, a 6-1 loss in which Rodon gave up six runs and nine hits in four innings.

The Indians' loss Saturday was a bullpen game, with manager Terry Francona using eight relief pitchers to get through it because the team's rotation is in a state of flux and there is no true No.5 starter at the moment.

That can make for a long game, which is what it was -- a blowout that took almost 3 1/2 hours to play. Francona may have to have one more bullpen game in the last week of the regular season.

"There are a lot of moving parts in a game like that, and when you fall behind it can make for a long night for the position players. I get that," Francona said. "But that doesn't mean it can't work for a game."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (90-64) at Pirates (77-77)

Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: September 25, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- It probably wasn't meant to be a state secret. More like leaving their options open and deciding as they went depending on circumstances such as the state of the standings.

So it wasn't until late Saturday night that the Washington Nationals announced A.J. Cole as their starter for Sunday's series finale at Pittsburgh. The Pirates waited until Friday to announce a starter and then switched to Tyler Glasnow later that night.

Washington manager Dusty Baker had been waiting to see whether his club clinched the National League East title. The Nationals did, with a 6-1 win Saturday night coupled with a New York Mets loss.

Naming Cole the starter for Sunday was about the only order of business the Nationals were interested in conducting once Saturday's game ended. There was, after all, a raucous celebration in the visiting PNC Park clubhouse that took a high priority.

"Let these young men have a great time, back to work (Sunday)," Baker said. "First step in a four-step process. This step is the hardest to get."

And if the Nationals have anything to say about it, just one step.

They won the division "because we have a group of guys who only think about going out on the field and doing whatever it takes to win every day," shortstop Danny Espinosa said. "No one is caught up in individual stats. Our focus since the first day of spring training has been to win the division and then keep going."

Washington has eight games left in the regular season to do some fine-tuning before the postseason, beginning with Sunday's game.

As of Thursday, neither team had revealed a starter for Sunday -- officially, that looks like "TBD."

If Washington had not named Cole (1-2, 4.68 ERA), a 24-year-old making his seventh start, it most likely would have been Tanner Roark.

On Friday, Pittsburgh named rookie Steven Brault as the guy. But after their 11-inning win that night, they announced a switch to another rookie, Glasnow.

The move apparently was made to give Glasnow another look as a starter. Brault is not injured.

Glasnow (0-1, 4.11 ERA), a highly touted prospect entering the season, has been in the bullpen most of this month since coming back from a shoulder injury. In three relief appearances, he allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and three walks.

"He was aggressive in the zone," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Glasnow as a reliever. "He mixed his pitches and I love the tempo he's been using on the mound. It's been in a better place than when he first came up. Trust the catcher and go."

Glasnow's long-term value, though, is considered to be as a starter.

With the switch, Brault went to the bullpen.

It's not clear who might pitch in Pittsburgh's final regular-season series next weekend in St. Louis. That might depend on whether the Pirates can manage to keep their wild-card hopes alive this week.

For a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs that begins Monday, Pittsburgh's starters are listed as rookie Chad Kuhl, Ryan Vogelsong, rookie Jameson Taillon and Ivan Nova, who lost for the second time Saturday after starting his Pittsburgh career 5-0.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (64-90) at Orioles (84-71)

Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 25, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles took back the second wild-card spot in the American League with their 6-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night. That's their second straight victory, and they want to keep rolling.

The Orioles will get that chance in the series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. Baltimore will try to wrap up a three-game sweep and keep pushing for the wild card.

Baltimore (84-71) comes into Sunday a half game ahead of Detroit (83-71). The Tigers suffered a 7-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, giving up five runs in the ninth inning.

The Orioles won thanks to a sparkling outing from starter Wade Miley, who was one out short of a complete game against his former team.

The Orioles will send Dylan Bundy to the mound Sunday after having given him some extra rest. He has been a big help to a struggling starting rotation in the second half, and even though Bundy has stumbled a bit lately, the right-hander has given a good look as to why the Orioles thought so highly of him.

Bundy (9-6, 4.13) will try and help a tired Baltimore bullpen get a break like Miley did on Saturday night.

Arizona will start right-hander Braden Shipley (4-4, 5.49). He has gone 2-1 with a 5.55 ERA in his last five games -- three of which were starts, and this is his first career start against the Orioles.

Manager Buck Showalter said even though the Orioles have slipped on this homestand -- going just 4-6 so far -- he's glad they've still got a shot.

"(It's good) to have this opportunity to be doing this," Showalter said. "There's a lot of people in this world that would love to do it. We've got seven games left? We'll see. It's there for us."

The power that was missing when the Red Sox swept a four-game series in Baltimore this week has returned in the first two games of this series. The Orioles have belted five homers in the two games, a big reason they are 2-0 so far in this series.

Trey Mancini hit his third homer in his first week in the major leagues, just the third player ever to homer in each of his first three starts, and Mark Trumbo also homered with him in Saturday's win.

Trumbo hit the game-winning homer in Friday's victory.

This will be Baltimore's last home game of the season. The Orioles will be off Monday before heading to Toronto for three games and then ending the season with three more at Yankee Stadium.

Arizona's offense has had problems in the usually hitter-friendly Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Diamondbacks scored runs in the first two innings of Friday's series opener and then nothing in the final 10 innings of a 3-2 loss in 12 innings.

Then, Arizona didn't score until Brandon Drury's RBI double in the ninth inning of Saturday's loss.

Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale also said before the game that it doesn't look like Zack Greinke will start any more this shoulder because of shoulder soreness. Greinke did not travel with the team to Baltimore and was in line to start Tuesday in Washington.

But Hale doesn't seem to think that could happen -- or if the pitcher could go again. The team just might want to remain cautious in this situation.

"It's just hard to believe he's going to be able to start on (next) Sunday after this," Hale said. "Is it worth it?"