×

Steelers-Jaguars kick time moved

NEW YORK — The NFL has moved the Vikings game at Chicago from Sunday afternoon to prime time on NBC on Nov. 18.

That bumps Steelers at Jaguars to 1 p.m. EST on CBS. Also moving that days is the matchup between the Eagles and Saints in New Orleans, now a 4:25 p.m. game on Fox rather than at 1 p.m.

Chicago currently leads the NFC North at 5-3, a half-game in front of Minnesota, which has a bye this week. The Bears will play the early game at Detroit on Thanksgiving less than four days after the night game with the Vikings.

It’s the second time this season the league flexed a Sunday game to prime time. Previously it did so to Cincinnati at Kansas City on Oct. 21.

Titans top Dallas

ARLINGTON, Texas — Marcus Mariota threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score after fumbling on Tennessee’s first two possessions, and the Titans spoiled Amari Cooper’s Dallas debut with a 28-14 victory over the Cowboys on Monday night.

Kevin Byard sparked the sluggish Titans with an end-zone interception of Dak Prescott and celebrated T.O.-style. The Tennessee safety sprinted to midfield and stood on the Cowboys’ star logo while spreading his arms, just as Terrell Owens did 18 years ago at old Texas Stadium in a San Francisco rout.

The Cowboys looked like the team headed for a blowout win, but led just 7-0 after Mariota’s early miscues because of Brett Maher’s missed 38-yard field goal and Prescott’s ill-advised throw into double coverage.

The Titans (4-4) stopped a three-game losing streak while handing the Cowboys (3-5) their first loss in four home games and giving Dallas a difficult road to recovery for the playoffs.

Cooper scored the first Dallas touchdown and finished five catches for 58 yards after coming over from Oakland in a trade for a first-round pick during the open week.

Harbaugh not worried

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens have a losing record and are in danger of missing the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, so coach John Harbaugh now finds himself fielding questions about job security as he tries to bring Baltimore back into contention.

Not long after the Ravens (4-5) lost their third straight, 23-16 to Pittsburgh on Sunday, Harbaugh was asked if he was apprehensive about his future with the team.

“I’ve never been someone who’s worried about keeping a job,” he said. “It’s always been, for me, doing the job.”

On Monday, Harbaugh was asked how it felt to deal with that line of questioning with two months left in the season.

“I’m not surprised or insulted,” he said. “I understand that’s part of it and probably not surprised because you have to win games in this league. That’s the bottom line.”

Harbaugh is in his 11th season with the Ravens. Since taking over for Brian Billick in 2008, he’s compiled a 108-76 record, reached the playoffs six times and won a Super Bowl.

But the Ravens are in the midst of a serious dry spell, and owner Steve Bisciotti acknowledged last February that firing Harbaugh after the 2017 season “was certainly a consideration.”

This year’s team jumped to a 4-2 start but has since stumbled. Entering a long-awaited bye week, Harbaugh spoke about how badly the Ravens needed the break to rest and heal.

“If you watch the tape, we played fast, we played hard,” Harbaugh insisted. “But are we as fast as we were early in the year? Probably not, probably a step off just because it’s Week 9. So this week is going to help us. It’s going to help us pick up that step back, and I’m really kind of excited about that.”

From here on out, Harbaugh might have to coach as if his job depended on it. He does not, however, apologize for how he’d guided the Ravens to this point.

‘I feel real good about the way this team has been coached for the last 11 years, and for the last number of weeks,” he said. “So, there are no regrets. Never been any regrets here with me. We’ll keep fighting. That’s what we do.”

The Ravens looked sensational in a 21-0 win over Tennessee on Oct. 14. After that, however, a botched extra point cost them a shot at overtime in a 24-23 loss to New Orleans, and Carolina put a 36-21 whipping on Baltimore before the Steelers avenged a Sept. 30 loss to the Ravens on Sunday.

“It’s been a tough stretch,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve played three really good football teams the last three games. We haven’t won them. The plus part is they’re good football teams and our players have been playing hard.”

New Orleans and Carolina were coming off a bye before playing the Ravens. Now it’s Baltimore’s turn to sit back, reload, and tweak the playbook before hosting Cincinnati on Nov. 18.

“That’s what the bye is for,” Harbaugh said. “Teams use it for that purpose, and we’re going to get a chance to do that this week, too.”

Injuries make impact

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Halfway through the NFL season, lots of stars, starters and key role players are sidelined by injuries with nobody topping the emotional departure of Seattle safety Earl Thomas after breaking his leg the same day Cincinnati tight end Tyler Eifert had his own gruesome leg injury. It’s making a big impact on the standings.

When Texans receiver Will Fuller tore his ACL, he joined a list that includes Jaguars receiver Marqise Lee, who didn’t even make it to the regular season; Eagles running back Jay Ajayi; and Miami defensive end William Hayes, who tore his trying to avoid a roughing-the-passer penalty.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today