Thu Nov 14 1:19am ET
Field Level Media
The Detroit Lions would prefer to take an easier path to victory this week.
The Lions managed to extend their winning streak to seven games on Sunday night even though Jared Goff was picked off five times and they trailed by 16 points at halftime. Jake Bates hit a pair of 50-plus yard field goals in the fourth quarter, including the final play of the game, as the Lions pulled out a 26-23 win over Houston.
The Lions (8-1), who hold the top spot in the NFC, now host struggling Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon. Another victory would give the Lions their longest winning streak during the Super Bowl era.
"We're going to get everybody's best shot and you have to understand that we have to assume that we will get the best version of what they are and what they're capable of," coach Dan Campbell said. "So, with that, we have to be on our game, and it really is about yourself and it's about the details to what we do."
Goff hadn't thrown an interception in the Lions' previous five games and will look to be more efficient against the Jaguars.
"There's a million things that we can improve on, that I can improve on, that we're going to have to improve on if we want to continue on the trend we're on," Goff said.
Defensive lineman Za'Darius Smith is expected to make his Lions debut on Sunday. He was acquired at the trade deadline from Cleveland to fortify the pass rush.
"I'm looking for a complementary piece and somebody that's going to be able to help our defense, that's going to elevate us a little bit and I think that he'll do that for us," Campbell said.
The Jaguars (2-8) will be without their starting quarterback again this week. Trevor Lawrence will miss his second straight game with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.
Mac Jones will fill in once again as Jacksonville looks to snap a three-game losing streak ahead of its bye next week.
Jones' first start with the Jaguars didn't go too well. He threw for 111 yards and two interceptions in a 12-7 loss to Minnesota last Sunday.
The team's top wide receivers, Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis, were limited to a combined three receptions.
"I thought we played with good tempo in and out of the huddle," Jones said. "Obviously, there are a lot of things to work on throughout the game but it boils down to finishing better by me. I thought I left three plays out there and if you change those three plays then maybe the outcome's a little different."
He'll now face a ball-hawking pass defense that's tied for second in the league with 13 interceptions.
"They're sound all around," Jones said of the Lions' defense. "They do everything well together and they play very physical. It's a physical group. The fan base is awesome and playing at Ford Field will be great and I feel like that whole city embodies football and tough football."
Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby suffered an ankle injury in the Vikings' contest and didn't practice all week and will miss the contest. That likely means a heavier workload for Travis Etienne Jr., who was held to 44 yards on 11 carries by Minnesota.
Detroit tight end Sam LaPorta will sit out the contest. He departed Sunday's game in the third quarter with a left shoulder injury. Offensive tackle Taylor Decker missed that game with a shoulder injury but is slated to play against Jacksonville.
Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III broke his left thumb during Thursday's practice but was a full participant Friday while sporting a cast on the hand. Davis will play Sunday.
Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 14
Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft continued his fine fantasy season as he got into the end zone in the Packers' 34-31 loss to the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions in Week 14. Kraft caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jordan Love in the third quarter; his only touchdown pass of the night. With only 20 passing attempts, there wasn't much volume to be had by the Packers' pass-catchers, but Kraft reeled 3-of-5 targets for 41 yards. Next up for the Packers is a date with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 where Kraft should be considered a low-end TE1 for fantasy managers.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks was solid but unspectacular in the Packers' 34-31 loss to the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions in Week 14. Wicks had extended playing time thanks to Romeo Doubs (concussion) being ruled out and was moderately productive, bringing in 4-of-5 targets for 49 receiving yards. Two of his receptions in back-to-back plays of 28 and 12 yards directly led to great field position where the Packers eventually settled for a game-tying field goal. The Packers will head west to Seattle to take on the Seahawks in Week 15 and if Doubs remains out, Wicks will be a low-end flex option for fantasy managers.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson posted his second 100-yard game in the last four contests as the Packers lost 34-31 to the Detroit Lions. Watson led the Packers with seven targets and caught four passes for 114 yards, pacing the Packers on the receiving end of things. After losing a fumble at the end of the first quarter, Watson made a few long catches, including a 59-yard reception in the third quarter. With Romeo Doubs (concussion) out for Week 14, Watson got some extended playing time and took advantage with a big game on not a ton of volume. Depending on the health of Doubs, Watson will once again be a boom-or-bust fantasy flex when the Packers head west to Seattle to face the Seahawks in Week 15.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs provided most of the Packers' scoring as he was a massive part of the Packers' game plan in their eventual 34-31 loss to the Detroit Lions. Jacobs was solid on the ground, piling up 66 yards on the ground on 18 rushing attempts, but he scored three times to highlight Jacobs' stellar performance. Pacing the Packers' offense as the closer to three of their four touchdown drives, Jacobs plunged in a one-yard score in the second quarter, a six-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and a four-yard plunge. Jacobs almost had a fourth touchdown through the air as well, if not for an offensive pass interference penalty. Week 14 was Jacobs' second three-touchdown game in the last three games, so Jacobs is clearly a must-start fantasy option at running back heading into Week 15's tilt against the Seattle Seahawks.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love was a bit of a disappointment in the Packers' 34-31 last-second loss to the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions in Week 14. Love only had 20 pass attempts, completing 12-of-20 pass attempts for 206 yards and a single touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft in the beginning of the third quarter. On the ground, Love also added 23 yards on the ground, most of that coming from an eight-yard scramble in the first drive and then a 14-yard scramble in the second quarter. Without much in the way of passing volume, it would have taken extreme efficiency for Love to thrive from a fantasy perspective. He'll look to improve in Week 15, where he and the Packers will travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. Consider Love a back-end fantasy QB1 for that matchup.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed was nowhere to be found in the Packers' 34-31 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 14. Coming into this matchup with the Lions, Reed was expected to have an excellent game against Detroit, who has been vulnerable as they have given up the most receiving yards to opposing slot wide receivers this season. All the Lions did was completely blank Reed from the stat sheet, as Reed only registered one target and reeled in zero catches on the night. Week 14's game was a disappointing outcome for Reed and the Packers, who only had only 24 dropbacks and just 20 pass attempts. The Packers will have a long week to think about this loss as they'll take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15, where Reed will be a volatile fantasy WR3 who will no doubt look to bounce back from this goose-egg.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers rookie safety Evan Williams (concussion) suffered a concussion on Thursday Night Football against the division-rival Detroit Lions and has been ruled out for the rest of the game. Williams suffered the concussion in the first half and will not be allowed to come back into the game in the second half. That will make things more difficult for the Packers' defense the rest of the way against one of the best offenses in football. Williams, who was a fourth-round pick this year, came into Thursday's game with 45 tackles (28 solo), an interception, three pass breakups and a forced fumble in his first 11 games (four starts). Javon Bullard will see more playing time for however long Williams remains out. The good news for Williams is he'll have extra time to try and clear the league's concussion protocol before Green Bay's next game on Dec. 15 against the Seattle Seahawks.
From RotoBaller
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Alim McNeill (head) suffered a head injury on Thursday night against the division-rival Green Bay Packers and was taken to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion before eventually being ruled out for the rest of the contest in the second half. The Lions defense can ill-afford any more injuries to their defensive line. All-Pro pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson (leg) is already out for the year, and the Lions were also missing three other defensive linemen due to injury coming into the Week 14 game. For the rest of the game on Thursday evening, the Lions will be forced to test their depth with Brodric Martin and Myles Adams. The good news is McNeill will have extra time to recover before the Lions face the Buffalo Bills in Week 15 on Sunday, Dec. 15.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (knee) practiced in full during Thursday's session. Fantasy managers shouldn't be concerned about Mayfield's status after back-to-back full practice sessions to begin the week. Mayfield briefly exited during last week's win over the Carolina Panthers. Afterwards, head coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield was dealing with some soreness, but it's going to take more than that to get him off the field. Fantasy managers should go ahead and plug in Mayfield as a QB1 for Sunday's plus matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (Achilles) was a full participant during Thursday's practice session. Mooney was back on the practice field here after sitting out on Wednesday due to rest purposes. The 27-year-old has been dealing with an Achilles issue, but it doesn't appear to be something that is going to hold him out of action. Fantasy managers should expect Mooney to be ready for the Week 14 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Mooney has five receptions for 47 yards over his last two games. He should be considered a WR3 for this weekend.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (ankle, wrist) was a full participant during Thursday's practice session. This is now back-to-back full practice sessions for Oliver ahead of the Week 14 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Oliver appears to be on track to return from a two-game absence on Sunday. However, his fantasy value is likely going to be limited with T.J. Hockenson back in the fold. The expectation is that Oliver will serve as the No. 2 tight end, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect Oliver to be a viable fantasy option. He could see a few targets, but probably won't be enough to warrant keeping him rostered in most fantasy formats.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard (quad) was a full participant during Thursday's practice session. This is good news after Reichard was designated to return from the injured reserve on Wednesday. He has missed each of the last four games due to a strained quad. Reichard has been able to get in back-to-back full practice sessions which puts him in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. This season, Reichard has connected on 14-of-16 field goal attempts and all of his extra points tries. He'll be worth looking at as a streaming option, assuming he's active for Sunday's game.
From RotoBaller
The Los Angeles Chargers added Laviska Shenault Jr. to their practice squad on Thursday. Shenault was waived by the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, so it didn't take him long to find a new home. The former second-round pick was been quiet this season with five receptions for 36 yards in 11 games. He hasn't done much in the league since his first two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. This was likely just a move to add experienced depth to their roster. In a corresponding move, fellow wideout Dez Fitzpatrick has been cut from the practice squad. The former fourth-round pick has five receptions for 49 yards over the course of his first three professional seasons. He'll look to catch on elsewhere as depth going forward.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle, calf) was downgraded to a non-participant in Thursday's practice after being limited the day before. Not only is a mid-week downgrade bad news for Walker, but these are both new injuries for him this year after previous battling through an oblique ailment earlier in 2024. Fantasy managers that have the 24-year-old rostered should be looking to add Zach Charbonnet if he's available on the waiver wire just in case Walker cannot get the green light to play against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals in the desert in Week 14. In the two game that Charbonnet started in Weeks 2 and 3 with Walker unavailable, he had 32 carries for 129 yards and three touchdowns as Seattle's lead back. The volume increase alone would make Charbonnet at least an RB2 in fantasy if Walker is out this weekend.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (shoulder) was listed as a non-participant for the team's practice on Thursday after he was limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Metcalf recently missed some time with a knee injury, but it's his shoulder that is bothering him now. The 26-year-old missed the first two practices last week with his shoulder ailment but returned to practice on Friday and was active for the Week 13 win over the New York Jets, catching four of nine targets for 66 yards. Mid-week downgrades usually aren't good news, but fantasy managers should feel better about the fact that Metcalf missed two practices a week ago and still played. If he returns to practice on Friday, there's a good chance he'll have a shot to play on Sunday versus the division-rival Arizona Cardinals. If Metcalf can't play, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett would see more targets.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (ankle) fully participated in practice Thursday, Dec. 5.
Fantasy Spin: Stafford's injury should not limit his play this week against the Buffalo Bills. He has been playing well recently with eight touchdowns in his last three games and could be a low-end No. 1 quarterback in some deeper leagues.
From TheHuddle
Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee (knee) fully participated in practice Thursday, Dec. 5.
Fantasy Spin: Head coach Sean McVay indicated that Higbee likely will need more time before returning to the lineup, so fantasy players should not count on him playing this week.
From TheHuddle
The Detroit Lions have declared OG Kayode Awosika, DL D.J. Reader, DT Levi Onwuzurike, OT Taylor Decker, CB Emmanuel Moseley, OT Giovanni Manu and DE Josh Paschal inactive for Week 14.
From TheHuddle
The Green Bay Packers have declared CB Jaire Alexander, WR Romeo Doubs, LB Edgerrin Cooper, CB Corey Ballentine and C Jacob Monk inactive for Week 14.
From TheHuddle
Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp (non-injury) fully participated in practice Thursday, Dec. 5.
Fantasy Spin: Kupp has been productive since returning from injury but was held to only 17 yards last week. He should see plenty of targets this week and can be a starting option in all fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle