Author: nfltalk

FRISCO, Texas — Even though the Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) were eliminated from postseason contention when they took the field on Christmas Day, it was somewhat understandable as to why they would play 32-year-old, four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott.

Dallas was running the first leg of three standalone NFL games on a holiday in which most of the country was sitting at home. The Cowboys were also playing on a short week on Thursday, which wouldn’t provide many opportunities to get backup Joe Milton ready to roll after playing just 24 offensive snaps this season.

However, first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer plans to start Prescott, who suffered a season-ending hamstring injury midway through 2024, in Week 18 against the 3-13 New York Giants. Why? He would like for the Cowboys to finish 8-8-1 and avoid having a losing record. 

“Yeah, plan on finishing strong and having Dak play, again get a chance to go 5-1 hopefully in the division, finish 8-8-1 and that’s the plan as we’re looking at now,” Schottenheimer said Monday. 

It’s worth Schottenheimer reconsidering since Dallas surrendered a season-high six sacks in a 30-23 win against the Washington Commanders in Week 17 while playing Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith out of position at left tackle with Tyler Guyton (ankle) on injured reserve. Undrafted guard T.J. Bass has slid into the starting lineup at left guard with Smith at left tackle. Smith’s four quarterback pressures allowed were tied for his third-most in a game in his four-year career, per TruMedia, while Bass’ one pressure was tied for the fourth-most in a game in his three-year career. 

“I didn’t think we did a good enough job protecting Dak last game. It wasn’t just those two guys. I thought we ran the ball really, really well. I thought the communication between those guys was really, really good. But I do think that our fundamentals got a little sloppy in a couple of…

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Remember an NFC North quarterback who used to get defenders with his hard count?

We might have another.

Caleb Williams drew the 49ers offside then took advantage of the free play by firing a strike to tight end Colston Loveland in the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown.

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The three-play drive took just 1:24 off the clock.

Still early in the second quarter, the matchup between Chicago and San Francisco is becoming a bona fide shootout.

Williams has completed 6-of-10 passes for 108 yards with two TDs.

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The Week 17 NFL schedule turns the page to Sunday, and it brings the penultimate opportunity for daily Fantasy players to utilize a full-slate NFL DFS player pool. Josh Allen, Drake Maye, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow are the top-priced quarterbacks. Skill position players to consider for NFL DFS lineups include De’Von Achane, Bucky Irving, A.J. Brown and Trey McBride. Meanwhile, injuries to monitor are Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) and Chris Olave (back), both of whom are listed as questionable.

With so much on the line in NFL DFS contests on daily Fantasy sites like FanDuel and DraftKings, who are the NFL DFS picks that can give your lineup a huge edge? Before making any NFL DFS picks for Sunday, be sure to check out the NFL DFS advice, strategy, and stacks from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.

You can also bet props like A.J. Brown as anytime TD scorer (+160) using the latest DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets if your bet wins:

McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every snap of NFL action, taking factors such as matchups, statistical trends, and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best DFS values that he shares only with members at SportsLine. His methodology has led to enormous cashes on FanDuel and DraftKings, including. In 2023, he finished tied for first in the DraftKings Millionaire Maker twice and the FanDuel Million once. Anyone who has followed him could be way up.

Now, McClure has turned his attention to the Week 17 Sunday NFL DFS slate and just locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine. 

Top NFL DFS picks for Week 17 Sunday

One of McClure’s top NFL DFS picks for Week 17 Sunday is Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at $8,600 on DraftKings and $9,600 on FanDuel. The third-year…

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Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has an expiring contract. The Vikings are trying to extend it. Even if they do, Flores can interview for head-coaching jobs and, if offered one, take it.

A survey of various high-level executives throughout the league has pointed to one obvious conclusion: He’ll most likely be a candidate, because of the effectiveness of his scheme. Generally speaking, his peers and various General Managers recognize that he’s doing a phenomenal job in Minnesota.

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Helping Flores in the coming cycle is the fact that, as one source put it, there are many names but very few standouts.

At least one G.M. regards Flores as the best defensive coordinator in the entire league, with a variety of pressures that make it very difficult for offenses to prepare each and every week. Some believe the scheme alone will get him serious consideration.

The other question relates to the bigger picture. Leadership of the team. Owners, as one executive put it, will focus on the ability to collaborate, as well as emotional intelligence.

How will he manage the entire locker room, especially when adversity inevitably strikes? A head coach will be expected to inspire belief through the rough spots, and there will always be one or two (or more) in a given season. The best head coaches instill a belief and a vision for attacking challenging situations with authenticity and real solutions.

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Interested teams will undoubtedly dig deep into his time with Miami, which didn’t go well. How much of that is on him? How much can be attributed to the chronic dysfunction of the Dolphins organization? And while the Steelers, we’re told, loved Flores during his one-year stint as senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach, there are (and have been) league-wide rumblings about his interpersonal style during three years in Minnesota — some of which may trace to eleven seasons spent working for Bill Belichick in New England.

Still, as one source put it, the…

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Two Florida teams square off in Week 17 action when the Miami Dolphins host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are aiming to bounce back after a critical loss last week to the Carolina Panthers. At 7-8, Tampa now trails 8-7 Carolina by a game in the standings ahead of a Week 18 matchup. The Bucs face a Dolphins team that has benched its highly-paid quarterback in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers, who is set to make his second career start this weekend.

Kickoff from Hard Rock Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET. The Buccaneers are 5.5-point road favorites per the latest Buccaneers vs. Dolphins odds from DraftKings, while the over/under for total points scored is 46.5. Before making any Buccaneers vs. Dolphins picks of your own, make sure to look at the top NFL picks from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times. 

Where to watch Buccaneers vs. Dolphins on Sunday

When: Sunday, Dec. 28
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Stream: Fubo  
Follow along: CBS Sports App

Buccaneers vs. Dolphins betting preview

Odds: Buccaneers -5.5, over/under 46.5

At 7-8, the Bucs have underperformed in a lackluster NFC South this year. They’ve been especially bad against the spread at 5-10 ATS, though they’re 8-7 to the Over. Miami is 7-8 ATS this year and is also 8-7 to the Over. Each team has seen three of its last five games finish Under the total.

Buccaneers vs. Dolphins SGP

Miami +5.5Over 46.5Tampa Bay Over 13.5 first half points

Bet it at DraftKings:

Model’s Buccaneers vs. Dolphins score prediction, picks

The model likes the Dolphins to cover at home, with that occurring in 56% of its 10,000 simulations. The model also sees value backing the underdog Dolphins on the money line as they win outright 44% of the time. The Over is also a…

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