FRISCO, Texas -- With contract talks focused primarily on Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys have agreed on a five-year extension with another key piece, right tackle La'el Collins.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Tuesday to 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that the sides had "come to terms" on a deal.

Jones did not discuss terms of the deal, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Collins will sign a five-year, $50 million extension that will keep him under contract for the next six years. The deal also includes $35 million in guaranteed money, the highest guarantee in NFL history given to a right tackle, according to Schefter.

"(Collins) has done nothing but make his mark," Jones told 105.3 The Fan. "Hes' the enforcer, as (offensive line coach Marc) Colombo refers to him lovingly, on the offensive line."

The extension created $5.7 million of cap space for the Cowboys, according to Schefter.

Two weeks ago, the Cowboys signed linebacker Jaylon Smith to a five-year, $64 million extension with $35.3 million guaranteed.

The deal with Collins is a little more surprising because of the contracts the Cowboys have laid out for Pro Bowl offensive linemen Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin. All three are among the highest-paid at their positions, which would seem to have made it difficult to keep Collins while also aiming to keep Elliott, Prescott, Amari Cooper and others. Smith is in the midst of an eight-year $96 million deal; Frederick is in a six-year, $56 million deal; Martin signed a six-year, $84 million deal last year.

This is the third contract Collins has signed with the Cowboys. He initially joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2015. In 2017, he signed a two-year extension that included $15.4 million in guaranteed money. He was set to make $8.5 million this year.

On Monday, Collins was asked about his decision to join the Cowboys in 2015.

"Obviously I think this is been one of the best things that happened to me going in," Collins said. "For me, it prolonged my career in a way of the coaching I've been able to get since I've been here, coming in working with Coach Frank [Pollack] the way he helped me develop as a player, the way Coach Colombo helped me develop as a player. Just learning some things from those guys, learning things from veteran guys when I got here has really helped me. I wouldn't trade it for the world. So I'm excited to be where I am in my career right now going into Year 5, Year 3 at right tackle. I'm just ready to go out there and show what kind of player I am this year and what kind of unit we are as a group."

Collins has started 46 of the 47 games he has played for the Cowboys, including the past 32 at right tackle. He started only three games at guard in 2016 because of a toe injury and started 11 games as a rookie.

The Cowboys continue to hope to get deals done with Elliott and Prescott before Sunday's season opener. Talks with Cooper have not progressed much, but something could still get worked out during the season.

Of the three, Elliott's deal could be the closest because the sides had been working toward an agreement over the holiday weekend. The Cowboys held their first practice Monday in preparation for the Giants game; players are off on Tuesday.

Jerry Jones indicated that the Dallas Cowboys have made some progress in their contract talks with Ezekiel Elliott, saying that he was "hopeful" to have the star running back available to play in Sunday's season opener.

A source told ESPN's Ed Werder earlier Tuesday that the Cowboys and Elliott are working well together on the contract talks, but there's "serious work left."

ESPN also has confirmed multiple reports that Elliott is traveling to Dallas in order to be present to sign a contract Tuesday if the sides agree to a deal.

Jones, the Cowboys' owner and general manager, said his team is preparing "with the people that we have out here now" for their opener against the New York Giants but also noted that it "would be great" if Dallas could include Elliott in its Week 1 game plan.

"We'll see how today goes," Jones told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "We'll see how tomorrow goes. We'll see how the ensuing hours pan out."

The Cowboys on Monday signed right tackle La'el Collins to a five-year extension, which created $5.7 million in cap space for the team this season, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Normally when we project out the NFL season, we provide a percentage chance of an event occurring -- it's all degrees of maybe. But there's no maybe today.

Before each season, we simulate the entire NFL slate 20,000 times using the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI), our prediction and projection system. In the preseason, it is based on a few factors, including each team's preseason win total matched with its schedule, past performance in all three phases of the game, returning starters and who the starting and backup quarterbacks are expected to be. Altogether that gets us a strength rating for every team, which we in turn use to determine game predictions and the likelihood of one team beating another.

Today, we took just one of those 20,000 season-long simulations -- No. 1,721 -- and played out the entire slate with final scores for all 267 games. And we baked a little creative license into the details along the way. Consider it another way to preview what this 2019 NFL season might look like. Let's dive into the 2019 season, starting with a handful of upsets and a standout rookie performance in Week 1.

Jump to Week:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17
Final standings | Playoffs
Super Bowl LIV

Week 1

Aaron Rodgers, Packers hold off Bears in opener: Unlike last year's opening-week battle, the Packers won't need a valiant comeback to edge Chicago. Green Bay's offensive line is able to keep Rodgers upright in its 34-27 victory. The Bears were able to recover from a devastating Week 1 defeat last time ... can they do it again?

Kyler and Kliff flourish in debut: At least on this night, the Lions looked like a Big 12 defense trying and failing to stop Kliff Kingsbury's new Air Raid offense. Kyler Murray slices and dices Detroit with his arms and legs in the blowout 36-10 win, quickly causing fans to forget his preseason inconsistency and remind them why he won the Heisman Trophy and went No. 1 overall in April's draft.

Texans edge Saints: Deshaun Watson outplays Drew Brees in a Week 1 barnburner, torching the Saints' secondary in a 34-33 win and delivering an early blow to a Super Bowl hopeful. Remember when the Buccaneers did the same to New Orleans in 2018? The Saints rebounded with 10 straight wins.

Slow start for Pats, Rams: Could it be a Super Bowl hangover? Bill Belichick's and Sean McVay's teams stumble out of the gate, but no one is worried about either team ... yet.

Week 2

Sweet, sweet revenge for New Orleans: In a rematch of the NFC Championship Game, the Saints avenge their loss and make sure that a stray pass interference call (or lack thereof) can't get in the way, as they smack down the Rams 27-3.

Worried yet, New England? The defending Super Bowl champs drop another game, this time a 38-28 defeat at the hands of a (2-0!) Miami team that at least seemed in the preseason to be effectively tanking. But FitzMagic doesn't go down without a fight.

Raiders stun Chiefs, man: Jon Gruden can't stop smirking after Derek Carr and his Oakland team get the best of Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs 27-20. Oakland is out of the gate strong with a 2-0 start.

Week 3

Browns living up to the hype: Beating the Titans and Jets was one thing, but taking down the Rams 17-7 in primetime has the league breaking out in Cleveland fever. Jarvis Landry hands out Bless 'Ems to every one of his teammates. They're riding high at 3-0.

Bears, Rams drop to 0-3: Mitchell Trubisky's QBR has taken a precipitous drop, while the Chicago defense has regressed to the mean. Both of those events were fairly expected. But L.A.'s nightmare start? That came out of nowhere. Suddenly the Cardinals say Kliff Kingsbury and Sean McVay weren't like best friends or anything. Only regular friends. Maybe even just acquaintances.

Marcus Mariota puts up 51 on Jaguars: A once-elite defense is torched by a never-considered-elite offense, as the Titans flex a completely unexpected level of firepower. And their 2-1 record is all the more impressive considering their lone loss came against the clearly unbeatable Browns.

Seahawks' defense sends them to winless start: Russell Wilson and the team's offense is doing enough, but the defense continues its early-season struggles -- even after trading for Jadeveon Clowney. After a shocking Week 1 loss to the Bengals and a tough defeat against Pittsburgh, the Seahawks falter again in a Week 3 loss to New Orleans.

Week 4

Packers fans are plenty R-E-L-A-X-E-D: A 44-7 win over the Eagles on Thursday Night Football gives the Packers a 4-0 start, although it has come with a shade less buzz than the Browns' undefeated start (they trounced the Ravens 45-17). Mike McCarthy's job prospects dim.

Your first place ... Miami Dolphins? This was not how "Tank for Tua" was supposed to go. But then again, we've seen this story with FitzMagic before. Don't worry, we know how this ends: In a blaze of interceptions. The Dolphins sit at 3-1, even after dealing Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills right before the season began.

Back pages call for Daniel Jones: Pat Shurmur resists, telling reporters he's sticking with Eli Manning as the 1-3 Giants' quarterback after Big Blue's 23-17 loss to the (suddenly 3-1) Redskins.

Week 5

Browns finally lose: Cleveland was due for a reality check at some point, and it comes in Week 5. Meanwhile, Green Bay edges out Dallas 27-22 as the only undefeated team left in the league.

New Orleans rebounds: Ever since their last-minute loss to Houston in Week 1, Drew Brees has had the Saints clicking at 4-1. Three of the team's four wins have been by more than a touchdown, too.

Jones enters: With a goose egg on the scoreboard late in the third quarter, Shurmur obliges the chanting fans at MetLife Stadium and puts Jones in at quarterback. The game ends in a shutout, but the impact stretches beyond Week 5: Shurmur announces Jones is now the starter.

Week 6

Murray bests Matt Ryan in shootout: It hasn't all gone smooth for the Cardinals since their opening-week wonders, but the Arizona offense gets it together against Atlanta in a 44-41 overtime victory. Both teams are 3-3 after six games.

Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper contained by Jets: The Cowboys can't find the end zone and drop to 2-4 on the season. The Jets' secondary -- including not only Jamal Adams but also last year's disappointment, Trumaine Johnson -- shuts down the Dallas passing attack in a 20-3 win. Gang Green opened with a three-game losing streak but have now won two in a row coming out of their bye.

Lions continue to flounder: Two zeroes remain in the standings, as the Packers make quick work of the Lions to improve to 6-0. Detroit, meanwhile, falls to 0-5. Fans ponder calling for a quarterback change, but then remember Josh Johnson is Matthew Stafford's backup.

Denver loses its fifth game: The Broncos lose their fifth of six in the Joe Flacco era, as the Titans score 36 on Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and the Denver defense. Coach Vic Fangio continues looking for answers at Mile High. Meanwhile, the Titans' win puts them in a three-way tie atop the AFC South at 4-2.

Week 7

Playoff Nick Foles, checking in: Jacksonville drops 38 on the Bengals, marking the third consecutive week the Jags have put up at least that many points. And each have ended with a win. The Jaguars move to 5-2, matching the Titans' record in the division.

Jay Gruden switches it up: After Washington's third consecutive loss (3-4) with Case Keenum at the helm -- this time a 38-21 defeat at the hands of the 49ers -- Gruden announces that Dwayne Haskins will make his much-anticipated debut next week against the Vikings. He's the third rookie QB to be named starter, and it's only Week 7.

Patrick Mahomes has an off day: Mahomes throws three interceptions -- one turns into a pick-six -- in a 34-3 loss to the Broncos. It's the worst performance of his career and not a good sign for next week's meeting with the undefeated Packers. The Chiefs are still 5-2 atop the AFC West, though.

Jones picks up his first win ... over Murray: In college, Jones and Murray weren't considered anywhere near the same level. But in the first bout between the two top-six overall picks, the former Duke QB comes out on top, beating last year's Heisman winner and the Cardinals 28-20. It's the Giants' second win of the season, while the Cards fall to 3-4.

Week 8

Rodgers rolls over Mahomes, Chiefs: Mahomes is no match for the red-hot and revitalized Rodgers. Rodgers becomes a consensus -1,000 favorite to win the MVP, as most consider it a foregone conclusion at this point. Green Bay is flying at 8-0.

Another old guard beats the new: After undergoing their typical September swoon, the Pats are back. And they prove it with a 17-10 win over Mayfield and the Browns. New England is in first place in the AFC East, though only a half-game up on the Dolphins at 6-2. Cleveland is up a game on the Steelers in the North at 5-2.

Falcons take the lead in NFC South: After the 4-4 Saints drop a close contest to the Cardinals and the Falcons beat the Seahawks by a touchdown, Atlanta gains sole possession of first place in the division at 5-3.

Week 9

Chargers become first to down the Packers: Philip Rivers and the Chargers' offense are too much for Rodgers & Co., as they surprisingly dominate a 43-18 game in Los Angeles. The 1972 Dolphins break out the bubbly. But Green Bay appears destined to win the NFC North, as no other team in the division is even at .500, while the 5-4 Chargers keep pace with the Chiefs and remain one game back in the AFC West.

Niners beat Cardinals, take two-game lead in NFC West: A 23-16 win over Arizona gives the 49ers a three-game winning streak and a 6-2 record, as Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan start to put together the kind of run that San Francisco brass imagined when they landed the former Patriot two years ago. With the Rams stumbling at 3-5, the 49ers are in prime position to take advantage.

Eagles go for two to ... tie: Ties are weird. But a late two-point conversion run by Jordan Howard secures one for the Eagles against the Bears, 29-29. Philly holds at 3-5-1, while Chicago's season remains bleak at 2-5-1.

The halfway point

Let's check in on every division at the halfway mark of the season:

• AFC East: Miami (6-2) has stunningly taken the lead in the AFC East by a half-game over the Patriots (6-3).

• AFC North: The Browns (5-3) hold a one-game edge over the Ravens (4-4) and Steelers (4-4).

• AFC South: The Titans have the edge (6-3), but the Colts (5-3) have made a recent surge as they find their offense without Andrew Luck. The Jags and Texans linger at 5-4 apiece.

• AFC West: Despite a couple of hiccups, the Chiefs (6-3) are doing what's expected: Holding first place. The Raiders are actually next on their tail at 5-3.

• NFC East: It isn't pretty. The Cowboys (4-4) lead by a slim margin, while the Redskins (4-5) -- with Haskins at QB now -- are a half-game back.

• NFC North: Green Bay (8-1) all the way. Oh, and the Lions are still winless (0-8).

• NFC South: The Falcons (5-3) hold a one-game lead over a team that many expected to be at the top (Saints, 4-4) and another that no one did (Bucs, 4-4).

• NFC West: The 49ers (6-2) have a strong two-game lead over Arizona and Seattle (both 4-5).

Week 10

Bills hand Browns their third straight loss: Josh Allen beats another 2018 first-round QB in Mayfield and helps move the Bills above .500 and to just one game back in the AFC East. And all of the fawning coverage the Browns received at the start of the season now feels like a decade ago. Can Freddie Kitchens keep the team together and right the ship and win the division? Cleveland is now tied at 5-4 with Baltimore, while the Steelers remain a half-game back.

Steelers' huge fourth quarter forces overtime at Heinz Field: For the second time this season, there is a tie. Ben Roethlisberger and JuJu Smith-Schuster go to work in the game's final quarter to complete a big comeback against the Rams and push the contest to extra time -- but neither team can score again. Pittsburgh goes to 4-4-1, while the Rams continue their struggles at 3-5-1.

Bucs shut out the Cards: Arizona's offensive line implodes and Murray can't get away from the Tampa Bay defense, which shuts down the Air Raid and then some. The Buccaneers move to 5-4.

Jets take the regular-season Snoopy Bowl: The once-every-four-years game between the two New York teams that actually counts comes down to the wire. While neither are really contenders -- the Giants are 3-7, while the Jets are 4-5 -- it's a battle for future dominance. Sam Darnold orchestrates a successful two-minute drill that results in a game-winning field goal.

Week 11

Lions fire Matt Patricia: Enough is enough for Martha Ford. Eager to avoid another winless season, she removes Patricia from his role as head coach after an 0-10 start and an overall 6-20 record for his tenure. Defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni takes over as the interim head coach.

Miami can't be stopped: Those Fitzpatrick interceptions? They haven't begun. And Miami, after beating the Bills, is now 7-3 and a full game up on the Patriots, who lost to the Eagles this week. Forget tanking. Miami is trying to win a division here! Could this really happen?

A four-way tie in AFC South: Yup, all four teams are 6-4. Plenty around the league are surprised with how the Colts have managed without Luck. Jacoby Brissett and T.Y. Hilton have built up a rapport. But Watson is also lighting it up, Mariota is having a career year and Foles is settling into Jacksonville very well. It should be an exciting stretch run for what has often been an anything-but-thrilling division.

Week 12

NFC East misery: All four teams in the NFC East sit at .500 or worse, with the Eagles -- fresh off of a 29-19 win over the Seahawks -- barely leading the pack at 5-5-1.

Packers become first team to 10 wins: With 35 points against the Niners, Rodgers has Green Bay at double-digit wins and in cruise control. It's the Packers' biggest NFC challenge yet -- the 49ers are the only other team in the conference with at least eight wins.

Week 13

Falcons beat the Saints, take lead in NFC South: The two teams entered this rivalry game tied in the standings, but Atlanta had no problem throwing on the Saints in this 37-21 win. For the first time in a while, New Orleans looks awfully mortal, and at 7-5, they are no sure thing for the postseason.

The Motor City Nightmare is over: The Lions win! This is not 2008 all over again. Detroit takes down the Bears, the latest indignity for a Chicago team that entered the year with Super Bowl aspirations and now wallows in third place in the division at 4-7-1.

Vikings win third straight: You like that?! A 24-10 win over the Seahawks puts Kirk Cousins and the Vikings at 7-5 and plants them firmly in the wild-card race.

Patriots regain control of AFC East: Miami loses at the wire in dramatic fashion to the Eagles 30-28, and it costs them first place thanks to another narrow result elsewhere: An 18-16 win for the Pats over the Texans. New England sits at 8-4.

Week 14

Here come the Rams: Aaron Donald has been angry. After reaching the bottom of the division a month earlier, he has become a nonstop force of destruction. And the Rams? They've quietly won six straight, just as the 8-5 Niners drop their third in a row. They're 7-5-1 and right back in this thing!

After a long wait, Chiefs avenge AFC title game loss: A 35-31 win over the Patriots won't mean as much to the Chiefs as a trip to the Super Bowl would have, but it's something. The victory keeps the Chiefs in first place in their division, and at 9-4, gives them the No. 1 seed for the moment in an AFC without a runaway team. The 8-5 Patriots keep a one-game lead in the AFC East after 7-6 Miami stumbles against the Jets.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Cleveland (8-5) is a half-game up on the Steelers in the AFC North, as are the 49ers in the NFC West over the charging Rams. The AFC South is deadlocked yet again with the Colts, Texans and Titans all tied at 8-5. The Falcons and Saints are also tied atop the NFC North (8-5). And out in the NFC East, the Eagles own a 7-5-1 record and are 1½ games up.

Week 15

Monday Night Football drama in the AFC South: The 8-6 Colts' loss sets up a battle for first place in the division between the Titans and Texans. It came down to the end, but the Texans were able to stop Mariota's final drive and hold on for a 17-15 victory. The win kept 9-5 Houston in contention for a bye, too.

Three-way race for the No. 1 pick: Perhaps motivated by the coaching change, the Lions have suddenly won three games, tying them for the league's worst record with the Panthers and Bengals to set up a chase for next year's No. 1 pick. Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy and the rest of the 2020 draft class offer the cluster of teams a lot of options come next April.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: The Patriots, Browns, Texans, Chiefs and Chargers all are tied with nine wins, and each either leads or is tied for the lead in the division. The Ravens, Colts, Titans and Raiders all are in realistic playoff contention, as well. In the NFC, the Packers hold a two-game lead for No. 1 seed. The 49ers and Eagles each have a half-game lead in their divisions, while the Saints are now up by a game on the Falcons. But Atlanta joins the Rams, Vikings and Redskins in a fight for the postseason.

Week 16

49ers clinch NFC West: It seemed preposterous, then likely, then tenuous -- but now certain. The 10-win 49ers are division champs, and they get it done by beating their division-rival Rams 26-24. For the first time, a pang of regret strikes Bill Belichick for dealing a quarterback.

Eagles clinch NFC East: It was far, far uglier than Philadelphia ever imagined it would be, but it still managed to grind out a division title at 8-6-1. A 27-20 win over the Cowboys (6-9) seals the deal.

Saints clinch NFC South: Atlanta gave them a run for their money, but ultimately Brees and Sean Payton were able to keep their foot on the gas down the stretch and build up a two-game advantage over Atlanta at 10-5. The Falcons remain alive for the postseason at 8-7.

Baltimore stacks 51 points on Browns: The 9-6 Ravens stay in the AFC North mix heading into the final week of the season, as Lamar Jackson runs all over Cleveland's defense. The Week 17 matchup with Pittsburgh (8-6-1) could hand John Harbaugh the division title for a second straight year.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: It's all up in the air in the AFC. The Patriots and Dolphins have a Week 17 showdown for the AFC East title (no, really). The Browns, Ravens and Steelers can all still win the AFC North. Either the Chargers or Chiefs can win the AFC West. And the Texans haven't wrapped up the AFC South just yet. Out in the NFC, it's the opposite. Every division is settled, and the Rams are locked into one wild-card spot. The only question now is whether the Falcons or Redskins take the last berth.

Week 17

Patriots hold off Dolphins for AFC East title: Xavien Howard and the Miami defense did everything they could to make Tom Brady's day tough, but it just wasn't enough. Stephon Gilmore and the rest of the Pats' top-five defense shut down Fitzpatrick's passing attack. The Patriots squeak by to win the division title again, and somehow manage to earn a bye, as well. And it truly is the worst of all worlds for Miami: It loses a heartbreaker, misses the playoffs, never gets to see Josh Rosen play a meaningful down and won't have an early draft pick.

Chiefs stumble at the last second to ... miss the playoffs: Rivers guts out an excellent Week 17 performance to topple Mahomes and the Chiefs 27-24. Andy Reid's team finishes 9-7 with a cluster of other teams and ends up on the wrong end of the tiebreaker. It never truly felt like the Chiefs were going to miss the postseason, but after three straight losses to close the year, here we are.

Steeling a playoff spot: Pittsburgh sat a half-game behind Baltimore heading into their Week 17 showdown. Jackson played good enough all year, coupled with a strong defense, but in this one, he couldn't quite hold his own against Roethlisberger, who showed he had just enough left in the tank for another playoff push. With the victory, Pittsburgh locks up a wild-card spot.

Browns clinch AFC North: A Ravens loss and a Browns win landed Cleveland the division crown. The Steelers took care of the first part, and Freddie Kitchens' team didn't bother to make it close. While Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. received most of the glory during the season, this performance was all about Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Joe Schobert, Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon. The league's second-best defense showed up in a shutout of the Bengals.

Texans fall but win divisional title anyway, Titans snag playoff berth: This was a rarely seen win-win in the NFL, as Mariota continued his breakout season by knocking off the Texans in Week 17. Tennessee had been two games back of Houston going into the game, and because Indianapolis lost to Jacksonville, the Texans ended up taking the AFC South anyway. The Titans take home a wild card for their efforts.

Falcons secure final wild-card spot: Julio Jones and the rest of Atlanta's top-five offense outdo Jameis Winston and Mike Evans, as they pull away early in the second half to ice this one.

Cincinnati on the clock: After finishing with just three wins, the Bengals edge out the Panthers on tiebreakers for the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

NFC playoff seeds: 1. Green Bay Packers, 2. New Orleans Saints, 3. San Francisco 49ers, 4. Philadelphia Eagles, 5. Los Angeles Rams, 6. Atlanta Falcons

AFC playoff seeds: 1. Los Angeles Chargers, 2. New England Patriots, 3. Cleveland Browns, 4. Houston Texans, 5. Pittsburgh Steelers, 6. Tennessee Titans

Wild-card weekend

(3) 49ers 37 (6) Falcons 0: Holy Garoppolo. It's one thing to shock the world during the regular season. But to come out like this in the postseason and take down a talented and experienced team like the Falcons? The world better wake up: The 49ers are Super Bowl contenders.

(5) Rams 30, (4) Eagles 26: It's the old 2016 NFL draft postseason battle. And yes, Carson Wentz is healthy this January. But perhaps because the Eagles lacked the magic of Foles or perhaps because the Rams are just sizzling after their second-half run, Sean McVay gets the best of Doug Pederson in a closely contested matchup.

(6) Titans 10, (3) Browns 9: Oh, Browns. Even in the postseason, they find a way to torture their fan base. After a successful regular season, they get a winnable home game in the playoffs against a Titans team that is better than we all thought, but the offense sputters at the worst time. Three field goals is all they can muster in a loss to Tennessee's top-five defense.

(4) Texans 27, (5) Steelers 17: Watson earns his first playoff victory, as he and DeAndre Hopkins connect again and again in Houston's win. The Texans move on to face New England.

Divisional weekend

(5) Rams 30, (1) Packers 17: And just like that, it's over. The Packers' magical season, featuring the league's No. 1 defense and No. 4 scoring offense and Rodgers' resurgence -- it's all gone. The quarterback will still win the MVP, but the 13-win Packers pack their bags without a playoff win. Consider that, in Week 9, the Packers were 8-1, and Los Angeles was 3-5. Now, it's the latter that continues on.

(2) Saints 27, (3) 49ers 17: And here's where Jimmy G's road comes to an end. Brees' devastatingly accurate passing attack was too much for this defense. Still, it was a very successful season for San Francisco.

(1) Chargers 39, (6) Titans 30: Mariota puts on a show, but so does Rivers. And Joey Bosa has clearly become one of the game's elite defensive players.

(4) Texans 38, (2) Patriots 26: Houston finally got past New England in the playoffs. The Patriots stopped Houston in 2012 and 2016, but with Watson under center and Brady showing signs of age on the other sideline, Bill O'Brien is able to get one over on his former superior. But no, neither Brady nor Belichick retires.

Conference championships

Saints 17, Rams 10: Finally, justice. Sure, it was nice for the Saints to beat the Rams in the regular season, but they held the grudge from last year for 12 full months. And they got the opportunity to really pay back L.A. Defense stole the show, too, stifling McVay and Jared Goff.

Chargers 34, Texans 26: Rivers is just flying now. He and Keenan Allen are tearing up defenses. Hunter Henry has broken out to become one of the game's top receiving tight ends. And Bosa picks up a trifecta of sacks against Watson, who is prone to take them. In the end, Rivers is finally going to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LIV: Saints 40, Chargers 33

In a meeting of the No. 1 (Saints) and No. 2 (Chargers) offenses in the NFL, Brees is back on top. A decade after he and Payton beat Peyton Manning and the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV, the duo get it done again. It's heartbreak for Rivers, having come so close to finally winning that elusive championship, but he comes up a touchdown short. He says you'll have to simulate the offseason to find out whether he's coming back for a 17th season at 38 years old, but FPI leaves us at the Saints' victory parade down Bourbon Street.

Big questions. Bold predictions. Breakout fantasy football candidates. Over/under picks. Record and playoff projections. In-depth schedule analysis for all 32 teams. This is what you need to know for the 2019 NFL season.

The ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) ranked every team from 1-32 based on how it projects the season to play out. Click the links below to read about each team.

Jump directly to a team preview:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE
NO | NYG | NYJ | OAK | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Has the defense improved?

Adam Teicher: The Chiefs did as close to a complete overhaul of their defense as is possible in one year, but nobody is quite sure how it will go. They saw some encouraging signs in training camp, most notably the play of end Frank Clark, who was acquired in a trade with the Seahawks, and safety Juan Thornhill, a second-round draft pick. But the Chiefs still need to prove they've improved on defense. Read the full Chiefs preview.

2. New Orleans Saints

Can the defensive line stay dominant?

Mike Triplett: One of last year's hidden strengths, the Saints ranked second in the NFL in run defense and fifth in sacks. But standout DT Sheldon Rankins is still recovering from a torn Achilles, and starting DE Alex Okafor left in free agency. The Saints still have one of the league's best ends in Cameron Jordan. But they'll need big contributions from young DEs Marcus Davenport and Trey Hendrickson and new veteran DT Malcom Brown among others. Read the full Saints preview.

3. New England Patriots

How much will Rob Gronkowski's retirement hurt?

Mike Reiss: The Patriots have looked impressive at times in the preseason, but tight end is one notable question mark. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Patriots keep just two tight ends on the initial roster. Under coordinator Josh McDaniels, the Patriots have traditionally been an offense that reshapes itself annually based on the strength of its personnel. After nearly a decade of at-times dominant play at tight end, the position could be deemphasized without Gronk. Read the full Patriots preview.

4. Los Angeles Rams

Can Todd Gurley perform at high level and make it through the season?

Lindsey Thiry: Gurley rushed for more than 1,200 yards in back-to-back seasons, and last season scored a league-high 21 touchdowns -- even as he nursed a sore knee that sidelined him in Weeks 16 and 17. The Rams took a conservative approach with Gurley throughout training camp, limiting him to an every-other-day practice schedule. It remains to be seen if the star back can return to form, or if he could be forever slowed because of his knee. Read the full Rams preview.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

Can Carson Wentz stay healthy?

Tim McManus: After suffering significant injuries in back-to-back seasons, Wentz overhauled his diet and workout regimen this offseason and plans to be smarter about the number of hits he takes. He hasn't felt or looked this good since making an MVP charge in 2017, but needs to prove he can make it through a full 16-plus games. Read the full Eagles preview.

6. Los Angeles Chargers

How can the defense replace Derwin James?

Eric D. Williams: With the All-Pro safety out until at least November after having surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot, the Chargers are tasked with replacing one of the best defensive players in the game. Veteran defensive back Adrian Phillips will try to fill the void, but it likely will be a team effort to make up for the versatility and playmaking ability that James brings to the defense. The Chargers believe they have one of the best defenses in the league, so players such as Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, Thomas Davis and Casey Hayward have to show leadership and make plays for the Bolts to live up to that billing. Read the full Chargers preview.

7. Minnesota Vikings

Can the defense return to its vaunted form?

Courtney Cronin: The Vikings' once-loaded cornerback group has been depleted by injury (Mike Hughes) and suspension (Holton Hill), and it remains to be seen whether Xavier Rhodes will be able to play like he did in 2017. Coach Mike Zimmer will have to get creative in the way he schemes to overcome the Vikings' weaknesses, relying heavily on Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander to hold this group together. At safety, All-Pro Harrison Smith will lead the way opposite Anthony Harris, while Jayron Kearse provides the Vikings with a different look when they utilize their nickel packages (they were in their nickel defense 77% last season). Read the full Vikings preview.

8. Chicago Bears

Can Mitchell Trubisky take his game to the next level?

Jeff Dickerson: Trubisky is the key to everything. The Bears have arguably the best defense in the league, but the offense struggled at times last year with Trubisky under center. Without any legitimate preseason action, it has been difficult to measure Trubisky's progress over the course of training camp. Is he elite? Is he just average? Will he be any better than last season? Everyone is anxious to find out. Read the full Bears preview.

9. Atlanta Falcons

Is this the Falcons team Matt Ryan finally leads to a Super Bowl title?

Vaughn McClure: The 2016 MVP, entering his 12th season, sounded pretty optimistic this summer, telling ESPN the Falcons have the right people in the building that give them a "great chance'' to get back and, hopefully, win the Lombardi Trophy. The skeptics believe the Falcons might never overcome the Super Bowl hangover from 2016 after their 28-3 implosion and eventual 34-28 overtime loss to the Patriots. Ryan has to prove otherwise and keep his teammates focused on that mission, with the window of opportunity closing. Read the full Falcons preview.

10. Green Bay Packers

Will Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur click?

Rob Demovsky: It has been the question since Jan. 8, the day LaFleur was hired as the Packers' coach. And we don't seem much closer to knowing the answer. It's a new offense for Rodgers, whose entire career as a starter had been under Mike McCarthy's tutelage. Training camp saw days good and bad for the offense. It could take a while before anyone knows whether this system will work for Rodgers & Co. "You're probably not going to know something until the middle of the season," GM Brian Gutekunst said. "These things take time." Read the full Packers preview.

11. Houston Texans

Will Deshaun Watson get hit less in 2019?

Sarah Barshop: The Texans were worst in the NFL with 62 sacks allowed last season. They addressed a hole at left tackle in a trade with the Dolphins for Laremy Tunsil on Saturday. Watson started all 16 games last season but played through several injuries. O'Brien said he believes Watson has improved at getting the ball out quicker, but "the proof will be in the pudding when the real games start." Read the full Texans preview.

12. Seattle Seahawks

Can the rebuilt defense hold up?

Brady Henderson: That seems a lot more likely than it did even a week ago, when Ezekiel Ansah wasn't even practicing and Jadeveon Clowney was still in Houston. Clowney's addition changes the outlook in a big way as does Ansah being on track to play in Week 1. Seattle has a pair of premier edge rushers as part of what now might be the NFL's best front seven -- at least once Jarran Reed returns from his suspension in Week 7. Read the full Seahawks preview.

13. Dallas Cowboys

Can the Cowboys get past the divisional round?

Todd Archer: If Jason Garrett wants to be the coach in 2020, that seems to be the minimum the team will have to accomplish since they have made it to the second round of the playoffs three times in his tenure. The roster is as talented as it has been since 2007 and they have a defense that could be dominant. If the Ezekiel Elliott saga doesn't drag into the season, then the offense can be more than sufficient. Read the full Cowboys preview.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers

Does the Steelers' offense have enough firepower to win big without Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown?

Jeremy Fowler: This question lingered throughout the offseason, and it's one Pittsburgh is eager to answer. The Steelers believe they have a chance in every game with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. The next step is discovering whether JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner can turn Pro Bowl seasons into Year 3 greatness. The Steelers are confident the production will be there. Outside of that, expect the Steelers to spread the ball with several different receivers posting respectable numbers -- maybe 500 here, 700 there -- with the hope a no-huddle attack remains one of the league's best. Read the full Steelers preview.

15. Carolina Panthers

Can QB Cam Newton stay healthy?

David Newton: Now the 2015 NFL MVP has a midfoot sprain that has his status for the opener somewhat in question. For the entire offseason it was his right shoulder that underwent surgery for the second time in three offseasons that was in question. While the team remains cautiously optimistic that Newton will be ready for Week 1, with no proven backup, having their star player healthy will be crucial to success. Read the full Panthers preview.

16. San Francisco 49ers

Can Jimmy Garoppolo stay healthy for a full season?

Nick Wagoner: For now and the future, the Niners need Garoppolo, who has 10 career starts, to play all 16 games so they can truly know what they have in him. To contend for the playoffs in 2019, the Niners need him at full strength after a torn left ACL last season. If he can't stay on the field or struggles to move the offense consistently, San Francisco could have a tough decision to make and, potentially, find itself searching for answers again at the game's most important position. Read the full 49ers preview.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars

Has the offense improved enough to complement what should be one of the league's best defenses?

Michael DiRocco: That mainly depends on what the Jaguars get out of QB Nick Foles and RB Leonard Fournette. Foles led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory, but he ranks 23rd in Total QBR among all QBs who have thrown at least 1,500 passes since 2012 (Foles' rookie year), which means he has pretty much been an average QB. That's still an upgrade over Blake Bortles, though. There are questions about Fournette's work ethic, maturity and ability to stay healthy, but he has had a great training camp and those inside the franchise are optimistic this could be a huge bounce-back season. If those two come through with good seasons, the Jaguars will contend for the AFC South title. Read the full Jaguars preview.

18. Cleveland Browns

How will Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. gel together?

Jake Trotter: In Mayfield and OBJ, the Browns boast potentially one of the best QB-WR combos in the NFL. Collectively, they have that level of talent. The question is whether their chemistry actually will translate into an elite pass-catching duo. All preseason signs have pointed in that direction. But the pressure of actual games will present the real challenge. Read the full Browns preview.

19. Baltimore Ravens

Can Lamar Jackson keep defenses honest with his arm?

Jamison Hensley: Teams are going to stack the box and force Jackson to beat them by throwing the ball. One of the most dramatic developments in training camp was Jackson showing significant improvement in his mechanics and his accuracy downfield. This is an area where he struggled last season. In the last seven weeks of the regular season (when Jackson made all of his starts), he connected on 37.5 percent of his throws (9-of-24) that traveled at least 15 yards. That ranked 24th in the NFL. If Jackson can be more efficient on those passes, the Ravens offense will be dangerous this season. Read the full Ravens preview.

20. Tennessee Titans

Can the Titans' offense do enough to make the playoffs?

Turron Davenport: New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has to figure out a way to make the Titans a balanced attack that can win shootouts or grind it out, depending on the opponent. The Titans invested heavily to set up the offense for a productive season. Their success comes down to three things: the offensive line keeping Mariota upright, Mariota's ability to distribute the ball to the weapons in place and Derrick Henry's effectiveness in the running game. Read the full Titans preview.

21. Indianapolis Colts

Can Jacoby Brissett lead the Colts back to the playoffs?

Mike Wells: Andrew Luck is retired and Brissett -- like many of his teammates -- is in his second season in coach Frank Reich's offense. The easy way to look at Brissett is by his 4-11 record as a starter in 2017 season. Circumstances are completely different from two years ago when he was acquired two weeks before the regular season. Brissett, who struggled at times in training camp, is set up to have an effective season because the Colts have a better overall roster. Read the full Colts preview.

22. Denver Broncos

Is the offense going to score some points, or what?

Jeff Legwold: Though the starters had limited work in the preseason and quarterback Joe Flacco did, indeed, flash some skills in the offense, the regulars still did not construct a touchdown drive in August, and that is always a concern. That's especially true for a team that has been as balky on offense as the Broncos have been for much of the past three seasons. Denver will run the ball better when the games count. But in the passing game, a player or two beyond Emmanuel Sanders and DaeSean Hamilton will have to pick up the pace. Read the full Broncos preview.

23. Detroit Lions

Will Darrell Bevell's new offense produce enough for the Lions to be successful?

Michael Rothstein: The Lions have kept Bevell's plan mostly hidden during preseason games and during practices with the Patriots and Texans. The franchise made the switch from Jim Bob Cooter to Bevell, in part, to find an offense that fits Matt Patricia's overall philosophy. So it should mean more running, play-action and vertical passing. If it works, the Lions have a chance to contend for the NFC North. If it doesn't, it could be another long season in Detroit. Read the full Lions preview.

24. New York Jets

Can Le'Veon Bell still perform at a Pro Bowl level?

Rich Cimini: Bell will be productive, and his presence will help quarterback Sam Darnold, but don't expect a vintage Bell year with 1,900 yards from scrimmage. The concerns: His new surrounding cast isn't nearly as good as what he enjoyed in Pittsburgh, which will mean more attention from defenses. There will be early timing issues with the offensive line. After all, the man hasn't played a game in 20 months. The good news: He's still only 27, and the year away from football undoubtedly preserved some tread on his thinning tires. Read the full Jets preview.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Can the offensive line protect Jameis Winston?

Jenna Laine: Winston enters Year 5 -- the most pivotal season of his career -- with a well-assembled cast of receiving targets: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate. But he won't be able to do much if an offensive line that surrendered a league-high 15 sacks through three preseason games doesn't protect him. Read the full Buccaneers preview.

26. Buffalo Bills

Can Josh Allen put his 'hero ball' days behind him?

Marcel Louis-Jacques: The Bills want Allen to opt for his checkdowns and intermediate options over pushing the ball downfield this season. His ability to do so and take care of the ball is paramount to the team's offensive success in 2019. Read the full Bills preview.

27. Oakland Raiders

Antonio Brown is all-in ... but for how long?

Paul Gutierrez: It's a fair question, since he left camp for two weeks and sought treatment for his frostbitten feet and then took off again for a day after his grievance to wear his old helmet was denied, setting up GM Mike Mayock's ultimatum. Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, swears Brown will play regardless of helmet type, and Brown has reconnected with Derek Carr in pregame warm-ups -- even if he has had to slow up on a couple of deep balls. Brown has averaged more than 11 targets per game since 2013. What happens if Carr cannot get him the ball and the Raiders get off to a slow start? Read the full Raiders preview.

28. Cincinnati Bengals

How soon will the Bengals contend for a playoff spot?

Ben Baby: After five consecutive playoff appearances at the beginning of the decade, the Bengals have failed to finish .500 or better the past three seasons. This year will show if the franchise has the necessary pieces to be competitive in the immediate future or look for new players to build around. Wide receiver A.J. Green is on the final year of his contract and Andy Dalton is approaching the final two seasons of his deal. Read the full Bengals preview.

29. Washington Redskins

Can the offense provide any help?

John Keim: Washington lacks a proven playmaker on the outside. Their top-receiving target (tight end Jordan Reed) is already in the concussion protocol. Their quarterback of the future (Dwayne Haskins) isn't ready, so the job, for now, falls to journeyman Case Keenum. There without perennial Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams. But they should have a good running game, especially if Derrius Guice stays healthy. Still, a lot of questions need to be answered on offense. Read the full Redskins preview.

30. Arizona Cardinals

Can Kliff Kingsbury's offense work?

Josh Weinfuss: It's an impossible question to answer, because nobody has seen what Kingsbury's version of his Air Raid scheme will look like. And nobody will until Week 1. But how well it works will dictate how well the Cardinals do in 2019. And if it doesn't work, the biggest question becomes how bad will 2019 go for Arizona? Read the full Cardinals preview.

31. New York Giants

How are the Giants going to handle their quarterback situation?

Jordan Raanan: Eli Manning is the unequivocal starter. There is no internal debate about that at this point. But rookie Daniel Jones' strong spring and summer has the clock ticking quickly on Manning's tenure. The second the Giants stumble or Manning has a poor performance, the calls for Jones will begin to ring louder. Does coach Pat Shurmur pull the trigger at the first sign of distress or, more likely, wait until the Giants' playoff dreams disappear before making the highly anticipated move? Likely the latter. And how much will owner John Mara and even GM Dave Gettleman be involved in the sensitive situation to bench the most accomplished quarterback in franchise history? Likely plenty. Read the full Giants preview.

32. Miami Dolphins

Will Josh Rosen show enough to become the Dolphins' starting QB?

Cameron Wolfe: The Dolphins don't want to rush Rosen on the field, and the fact that he won't start Week 1 isn't as important to them. Rosen has shown considerable improvement in recent weeks but simply being better than Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't enough to be the Dolphins' QB of the future. Rosen has a certain standard of consistent performance he must reach. Read the full Dolphins preview.

Fresh off an MVP and championship campaign in the BIG3, veteran swingman Joe Johnson is scheduled to work out for three NBA teams next week in attempt to get back into the league, sources told ESPN.

Johnson, who last played in the NBA in 2017-18, will audition for three Eastern Conference playoff teams from a year ago in the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets, according to sources.

Johnson, 38, hit the game-winning shot for the Triplets in Sunday's BIG3 championship game and is a career 16.0 points per game scorer in 17 seasons in the NBA.

He played for Brooklyn from 2012-16, earning one of his seven career All-Star appearances.

In his last NBA action, Johnson averaged 6.0 points on 38.1% shooting in 23 games for the Houston Rockets in 2017-18. In the 2018 playoffs, he saw his playing time cut to just 6.8 minutes per game as the Rockets advanced to Game 7 of the Western Conference finals before falling to the Golden State Warriors.

The Undefeated's Marc Spears previously reported that Johnson worked out for the Philadelphia 76ers and is also receiving interest from the LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans.

"I am hopeful to get back, but I did not get in the BIG3 to get back to the league," Johnson told Spears. "I had a great career. I enjoyed the process. The only thing that keeps the NBA fire in the belly is how it ended in Houston. That just does not sit well with me. So if an opportunity comes along and I feel that it is worth it, yeah, I take that chance."

NEW YORK -- During the month leading up to the July 31 trade deadline, Mike Minor heard often he might wind up pitching in the Bronx.

Whatever the Yankees had in mind, this certainly wasn't it.

Minor and two relievers became the first pitchers in 221 tries to shut out New York's vaunted lineup, helping the Texas Rangers to a 7-0 victory over the AL East leaders Monday.

"He almost made it look easy," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said.

The Yankees had the second longest streak without being blanked since at least 1900 behind a 308-game stretch by the Babe Ruth-led Yankees from 1931-33. New York was previously shut out June 30, 2018, by Chris Sale and the Red Sox.

Jose Trevino -- a first-time batterymate with Minor -- Delino DeShields and Shin-Soo Choo homered to back Minor (12-8), a resurgent All-Star who allowed five hits over 7 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out five, walked one and threw 111 pitches before being pulled with two on in the eighth.

"He's nasty, man," Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier said. "His fastball plays up, which means it might say 92 but it feels faster than that, and he obviously threw every pitch that he wanted in every count that he wanted."

Shawn Kelley replaced Minor and retired DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge to end the eighth. Emmanuel Clase shut down the heart of the order in the ninth to end New York's streak of 220 games with at least a run.

The 31-year-old Minor was drilled on the backside by LeMahieu leading off the first, but recovered to make that out and many more after. He allowed just one runner past second base.

"It felt like he could execute pretty much any pitch in any location," Woodward said. "With his stuff, he's got elite stuff at times, when you get that plus the command, it's tough."

Minor and his deceptive, rising fastball were rumored to be a trade target for the Yankees in July. The 31-year-old said he had a hard time blocking out the speculation, but since sticking with the Rangers, he's posted a 2.83 ERA in six starts.

"It was a little bit difficult to get through that and pitch," Minor said, adding "it feels good to be here. It felt good to be wanted, too, but at the end of the day nothing happened and I'm still here."

The Yankees' scoring streak nearly fell Sunday when they trailed Oakland 4-0 after 7 1/2 innings, but New York rallied and won 5-4 on Mike Ford's game-ending solo homer in the ninth.

"Anytime we don't score or have a good offensive showing, it's always a little bit surprising just because our guys are so good, but it happens," manager Aaron Boone said. "When a good pitcher's on top of his game, he can make it tough on you, credit to him."

Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (10-8) grinded through six innings of two-run ball. He allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out five for New York, which had won six of seven.

The game was delayed 2 hours, 52 minutes by rain, but then played under mostly sunny skies.

GOOD COMPANY

Minor entered the day with 7.0 wins above replacement (WAR), per baseball-reference.com. That led the majors, 0.3 WAR above Astros ace Justin Verlander.

"Doesn't make any sense to me," Minor said with a laugh, adding that Verlander and Houston teammate Gerrit Cole "look better to me."

LEFT IN

Yankees left fielder Clint Frazier drew big cheers when he threw out Elvis Andrus at home for the final out of the fifth. Frazier started in the outfield for the first time since being demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in mid-June for a 2 1/2-month minor league stint that ended Sunday. The brazen, red-headed slugger made a few embarrassing miscues in the outfield prior to the demotion and was tasked with sharpening his defense.

"I made some good throws to home at Scranton in the last couple of months," he said. "For it to carry over up here is obviously good for myself and good for the team."

It wasn't all rosy for Frazier. He overran Nomar Mazara's single in the eighth, but center fielder Mike Tauchman hustled to back him up and bailed him out. Frazier, who missed much of 2018 following a concussion, also hit the wall hard chasing a fly ball in the first but said he was fine.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rangers: OF Joey Gallo (broken right hamate bone) was expected to begin practicing. ... DH Hunter Pence (lower back strain) remained in Texas to continue rehabbing.

Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia said he had his balky right knee drained and received a cortisone shot but remains unsure about his timeline for a return. ... Slugger Edwin Encarnacion (broken right wrist) was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his final rehab game. He'll rejoin the big club Tuesday. ... OF Aaron Hicks (right flexor strain) was slated to begin a throwing program.

UP NEXT

Yankees LHP James Paxton (11-6, 4.39) walked a season-high five against Seattle in his previous start but got the win in a 7-3 victory. He'll start Tuesday night against RHP Edinson Volquez, who is opening for RHP Ariel Jurado (7-10, 5.19).

LOS ANGELES -- Joc Pederson collapsed to the ground and spent several minutes writhing in pain on the right-field warning track on Monday afternoon. Three nearby security guards hovered over him, biding the time until Dave Roberts and a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' medical staff could make the jog over. Pederson eventually stood and walked gingerly off the field.

The prognosis wasn't nearly as bad as the incident looked. Pederson has an abdominal contusion that won't require him to miss much time, if any. After the game, a drawn-out, 16-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies, Pederson said he was "feeling a lot better."

"I got the wind knocked out of me and, like, a weird cramp in my obliques, rib-ish area, so they were a little concerned," Pederson said. "But so far, so good."

Pederson suffered the injury while reaching over the short fence to take away a home run from Charlie Blackmon in the top of the fifth. It prematurely ended what was turning into a dominant performance. Pederson homered to lead off the game, then hit a baseball off the top of the fence in the second inning and came back to blast a 416-foot, three-run homer in the third.

Pederson finished with five RBIs and became the third Dodgers player -- after Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy -- to reach 30 home runs this season. Roberts said he will probably sit Pederson on Tuesday and put him back in the lineup on Wednesday.

Pederson, who hit the go-ahead home run in Sunday's 11th inning, came within an inch or two of four home runs in a string of four plate appearances.

"I've been seeing the ball really well the last couple days," he said. "I like where I'm at, swinging at my own pitches and putting the barrel on it."

Labor Day weekend might have meant one last chance to savor summer for many, but across baseball, it signals that the home stretch has officially arrived, and it is go time for those chasing a spot in the postseason field.

With that in mind, we asked ESPN's Bradford Doolittle, Sam Miller, Buster Olney and Jeff Passan to take a look at the standings and let us know what stands out to them with less than a month of regular-season baseball to play.

1. What's the first thing that jumps out to you in the standings right now?

Doolittle: In the NL, we have two divisions still in play, both because the deficits faced by the second-place teams are manageable and because those teams (Cubs and Nationals) have better run differentials than the teams they are chasing. These races are more interesting to me than the NL wild-card race because even though there are a lot of teams hovering in the four-to-six-games-behind range, none of them has shown that it is likely to get far enough above .500 to challenge the Cubs or Nationals. Both of those teams should have win totals at least in the high 80s, and I don't see the Phillies, Mets, etc. getting there.

Passan: The binary nature of the American League standings vs. the relative across-the-board mediocrity of the National League. There are almost no average teams in the AL, by record or run differential. Teams are good or bad. Only two teams -- the Rangers and Angels -- are on pace to win between 71 and 86 games. The NL, in the meantime, is a parade of 71-to-86-win teams -- seven at the moment, with two or three others threatening. It is the year of two distinct leagues.

Olney: It's incredible how bad the bottom of the American League is. The Seattle Mariners dumped a bunch of salary and have devoted themselves to a rebuilding/tanking strategy; they might finish the year with a run differential of minus-150 -- and there are four teams below them in the standings. The Detroit Tigers' run differential could end up at minus-300 or worse. Too much of the AL schedule is just not competitive, and a lot of baseball executives think it's a problem.

Miller: It's how great the best records are. There are four teams on pace to win 100 games (and a fifth, the Atlanta Braves, on pace for 99), and three are on pace to win 104. The latter has happened only once (in 1942), and the former has never happened, which gives this whole season a mere-prelude-to-the-postseason feel to it.

2. Which pennant race are you most excited to watch over the final month?

Doolittle: The NL Central race should be the best of the bunch. Unless the Cubs or Cardinals collapse between now and Sept. 19, it's going to go down to the wire. Beginning that day, Chicago and St. Louis will play four games at Wrigley Field, then meet again at Busch Stadium for three games to finish the season. It's two old rivals, and though both will likely make the playoffs, the race to avoid the wild-card game will keep the stakes high.

Olney: I'll jump on the NL Central bandwagon because there's nothing better than to see two rivals fighting for the same crown -- and in this case, the Cardinals and Cubs play each other in seven of the final 10 games, meaning that a second-place team can quickly reverse a deficit -- and the first-place team will apply pressure immediately. The year kicked off with Kris Bryant joking about how boring St. Louis is, a quote that will be repeated many, many times this month, no matter what happens.

Passan: Does a wild-card race count? Because the teams in the only clear pennant race to speak of, the National League Central, have spent the last five months fighting as much to show who doesn't want to win the division as who does. The AL wild card, on the other hand, is a wholesome bit of baseball fun. Three teams, in Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Oakland, that share the build-from-within ethos on account of low payrolls. All deadlocked today with 58 losses. And only two spots to be had, with the winner of that tussle moving on to face whoever prevails in the Yankees-Astros fight for home-field advantage, which has a chance to be a doozy of its own.

Miller: The choices are awfully few, so the answer has to be the AL wild card -- especially if the Boston Red Sox could rip off eight in a row and really make this thing fun. But I've started paying attention to the Dodgers, Astros and Yankees bidding for the best record. Home field doesn't shift that many postseason series, but these are three incredibly good teams that have been playing historically great seasons under the tepid stakes of 10- and 15-game division leads. I'd like to think these 162 games had them racing against somebody other than themselves.

3. How many playoff spots would you consider locked up right now?

Doolittle: I don't know about locked, but the five NL teams that are currently in playoff position are the five I think we'll be seeing in October. They are the five best teams in that league. In the AL, we can bank on the Yankees, Astros and Twins, but there is plenty of drama left in the wild-card race. Any combination of the Athletics, Indians and Rays could get in and it wouldn't surprise me, and I think the Red Sox have one more run in them, though the teams they are chasing are probably too good to catch from five-plus games behind.

Olney: Five in all: the Yankees and the Astros in the AL, and the Braves, Dodgers and Nationals -- Washington as a wild-card team in the NL.

Passan: Locked up, as in stone-cold, wouldn't-dare-bet-against-it, send-it-to-the-bank locks? Four: Yankees, Astros, Dodgers, Braves. I'm also exceedingly confident that the Twins, Nationals and Cardinals will play in October, but "lock" is a touch strong.

Miller: I think seven of the 10 teams -- the division leaders plus the Nationals -- are essentially certain to make it, and of those seven teams, six -- all but the Cardinals -- are essentially certain to win the playoff spot they currently hold. There's a small possibility that the Cardinals lose the NL Central and a slightly larger possibility that the Cubs lose the wild card, but the tension has whoopee cushioned out of those races. Just two spots -- the AL wild cards -- are wide open.

4. Which team currently in the playoff hunt do you think is most likely to miss the postseason?

Passan: Cleveland. Losing Jose Ramirez to a broken hamate bone for the remainder of the regular season hurt. Likewise, Tyler Naquin, who was having a sneaky-good season, was lost to a torn UCL. This is not to say the Indians aren't making the playoffs. On the contrary, not only do they have a good shot at the wild card, they've got an advantage over Tampa Bay and Oakland: They're still within striking distance in their division. But if it's a question of the Twins, Rays and A's beating the Indians, or the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Mets or Brewers topping the Cubs -- well, sorry, Cleveland.

Doolittle: Take your pick from whoever is holding on to the AL wild-card spots at the time this piece goes to press. They will have a really good third team bearing down on them. Whether it's the Rays, Indians or Athletics, you can just pick one of those clubs out of a hat.

Olney: It would be too easy to pick one of the AL wild-card contenders, so I'll say the Cubs. They've been so erratic this season, and given the concern about Anthony Rizzo and all of the games remaining against the Cardinals, I think there will be some drama as they try to fend off the pack of second wild-card wannabes -- the Brewers, Phillies, Mets and Diamondbacks.

Miller: The Phillies' final 26 games include 17 on the road and 20 against winning clubs. They aren't a good enough team to overcome that.

5. Who will get home-field advantage in the AL: Astros or Yankees?

Doolittle: Astros. They are simply the better team. The Yankees will probably land the second seed, but don't sleep on the Twins challenging them for that slot.

Olney: The Astros. Jeff Luhnow got some attention in other front offices for saying that he expects Houston to beat the Dodgers and Yankees for the No. 1 overall seed, but everything he said is right on the money. Their rotation is that good.

Miller: The Astros, who have the tiebreaker. Because they have the tiebreaker.

Passan: Astros. The teams' records are the same, at 90-49, a 104-win pace. They've got the same number of off-days left. The extenuating factor in favor of the Astros: home games and competition. Both of these teams are otherworldly at home, with 51 wins apiece there. Houston plays 13 of its final 23 games at Minute Maid Park. New York plays eight of its 23 at Yankee Stadium. And outside of a four-game slate against Oakland at home, the Astros don't play a single game against an over-.500 team from this Thursday through the end of the season.

6. Who will be the first to 100 wins, and when will the team get there?

Doolittle: I'll rule out the Dodgers because their September swoon from a couple of years ago is still embedded in my mind. It's still one of the most inexplicable slumps I've ever witnessed, and I prefer to have no stakes in their current game. I actually think the Yankees might have a tepid September. You'd figure that if they get healthier and start to get the roster they envisioned up and running before October, they might keep it rolling. But I think returnees such as Giancarlo Stanton, Dellin Betances, Luis Severino and Edwin Encarnacion will have an acclimation period, and some of the overachievers are due for regression. Houston's upcoming schedule is fairly soft, so the Astros seem like a good bet to hit 100 first -- say, Sept. 18 against the Rangers.

Olney: The Dodgers. They had a rough weekend in Arizona, but I think they'll be reenergized by their return this week to Dodger Stadium, where they never lose, and after six games against the Rockies and Giants, they'll have a series in Baltimore. I'll say Sept. 20 against Colorado (in a pick sure to go wrong).

Miller: The Yankees have six more games against winning teams. The Dodgers and Astros have just five apiece. Which means they could all get there in about two weeks, with two weeks to spare. I'll go with the Yankees to be first, on Sept. 18.

Passan: This is a fun one. The Yankees sandwich two games against Texas and three at Detroit around four at Boston. You know the Red Sox want to play spoiler -- and preserve their thin playoff hopes. The Astros have it pretty easy, as their only potential roadblock is Oakland. The Dodgers' schedule doesn't look bad -- they host Colorado and San Francisco, travel to Baltimore and the Mets, return home for Tampa Bay and Colorado -- but the cross-country flight can be a drain. Head says Houston ... but heart says Dodgers. The perks of private air travel.

7. Who will be first to 100 losses, and how quickly will the team get there?

Olney: If this makes sense ... the bad teams in baseball are closer to being terrible than the best teams are to being great. The Tigers could lose their 100th within a week, but let's say Sunday in Oakland. Detroit has been losing about three-quarters of its games since the All-Star break.

Passan: Detroit. It feels like the Tigers are there already, and while the next few days against Kansas City could provide a slight respite, they'll hit the magic number Sept. 12 at home against the Yankees.

Doolittle: The Tigers aren't there already? Give 'em 10 days.

Miller: Oh, yes, the flip side to the four 100-win teams: Four teams are going to lose 100 for only the second time in history. (And quite likely all will lose at least 102 or 103). The Tigers will get there first; they won't make it out of their Yankees series on Sept. 12.

8. Who will be the first player to 50 home runs, and when will he get there?

Doolittle: The momentum seems to be slowing for some of the leaders, and the hottest of the 40-homer guys is actually the Reds' Eugenio Suarez. He has gone deep more than anyone else since the All-Star break. But the current big league leader is Mike Trout, and when he's leading in something, you have to anticipate that he will retain the lead. Trout will hit 53 homers this year and knock his 50th circuit clout on Sept. 19 at Yankee Stadium. He'll get there first.

Olney: Mike Trout. Because he's Trout. And it'll be on Sept. 19 at Yankee Stadium. He'll go oppo.

Passan: Pete Alonso, on Sept. 18, in the final game of his first trip to Coors Field, where he will hit No. 50 with a swing that breaks the space-time continuum, or at least prompts the question: If Pete Alonso were a Rockie, would Barry Bonds' single-season record be in trouble?

Miller: I want to stretch and say Ronald Acuna Jr. will have a huge September -- 14 isn't at all unprecedented for the month! -- but even in the unlikely event that he does, he won't be first. It'll be Cody Bellinger, who has three games in Baltimore and that aforementioned run of bad opponents; he'll get there Sept. 21.

9. Which individual award or stat race are you most excited to watch over the final month?

Olney: Easy: the teammates competing against each other for the AL Cy Young Award, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander. The pitcher who will be the most coveted free agent in the upcoming offseason vs. a guy who could retire today and earn unanimous election to the Hall of Fame. And if the voting in recent seasons provides some precedent, it'll probably come down to who is trending better in the second half. Right now, that's Cole, though some voters might lean toward Verlander because of his no-hitter, if their statistics are close.

Passan: There are plenty. Verlander and Cole in the teammate duel for the AL Cy Young. Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger duking it out for the NL MVP. The complete question mark that is the NL Cy Young. But the most intriguing is the MLB home run crown. Forget about league titles. Practically every team and season-long home run record has fallen this year, and hitting more than everyone else crowns you king of the home runningest season in history. There are four clear candidates: Bellinger (44), Alonso (43), Trout (43) and Yelich (43). Throw Suarez (40) in the mix, especially if his hand injury after getting hit by a pitch doesn't sideline him long. Might as well add Freddie Freeman (38) too. With this ball, it's not just a race for 50. It may take 55 to capture the crown.

Doolittle: This might be a little esoteric, but Cody Bellinger has a chance to lead the National League in both runs created (the FanGraphs version based on wOBA) and defensive runs saved. I'm pretty down on defensive metrics these days, but this still strikes me as exceedingly impressive. You can't get much more well-rounded than that. The only thing bad about the pursuit is that you won't really know if he gets it while watching the game. You have to wait until the final leaderboards are published. That's one reason you can only go so far rooting for WAR, WPA, DRS, RC, etc. -- you don't know a unit of any of these things when you see it, as opposed to traditional counting measures.

Miller: Even before his no-hitter Sunday, Justin Verlander's push for a second Cy Young has been incredible to watch. He has finished second for the award three times but could arguably have won all three. Now, at 36, after his decline seemed irreversible just a few years ago, he's having the best season of his career in a wonderful twist on the inevitable story of aging.

10. What's one under-the-radar thing you'll be following the rest of the season?

Passan: The continuing marginalization of the fastball. In 2002, pitchers threw fastballs 64.4% of the time and at an average velocity of 89 mph, according to FanGraphs. Today, those numbers are 52.6% and 93.1 mph. Baseball is close to the point where a fastball is an on-speed pitch and off-speed offerings are the norm, and as the clown cars of September pitching empty on a nightly basis, it will be interesting to see whether the annual watering down of the game in the final month of the season has any effect on overall numbers that as much as anything signal baseball's rapid evolution.

Doolittle: Well, I've been following Albert Pujols' RBI count all season. Let me preface this by acknowledging that none of this would mean that Pujols' presence in the Angels' lineup for 500-plus plate appearances is helping them all that much. But I am a sucker for history, even when it involves counting stats that the dogmatic set will invariably decry. Pujols has a chance for 100 RBIs, which would mark his 15th season getting there. That would break the record he currently shares with Alex Rodriguez. He needs 18 more RBIs, and you have to assume this is his last best chance. This record might mean a little more now that it appears very unlikely that Pujols will chase down Hank Aaron for most career RBIs -- not if he's going to retire after two more seasons.

Olney: The possible staff changes -- front office or manager -- that could be looming. The Phillies have had a disappointing season, and owner John Middleton has been monitoring the organization after spending a lot of money on Jake Arrieta and Bryce Harper the past two winters. Folks around baseball wonder if the Red Sox might really consider moving on from the accomplished Dave Dombrowski, as Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy suggested last month. Also, whom will Farhan Zaidi hire to replace Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy after this season?

Miller: Yu Darvish's revival is not that far under the radar, as Jesse Rogers wrote about him this week and pointed out that Darvish might be in line to win Comeback Player of the Year. But the Cubs' ace (finally) is one of the big postseason stories in the rest of the regular season. Without Darvish, it's hard to take the Cubs seriously as playoff contenders or even as one-game challengers against Max Scherzer in the NL wild-card game. But we've all seen Darvish at his best before, and he's a no-hitter waiting to happen. He's also a great redemption story after two terrible starts in the 2017 World Series.

USADA withdraws charge after receiving guidance from the World Anti-Doping Agency

American sprinter Christian Coleman can return to racing after the whereabouts violation case against him was withdrawn.

The world 100m leader, who has run 9.81 this year and broke the 60m indoor world record with 6.34 last year, had been charged with a potential anti-doping rule violation for failing to properly file his whereabouts information.

But on Monday the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced that it had withdrawn the charge after receiving guidance from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on the interpretation of the current International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI) concerning the date on which a failure to update an athlete’s changed whereabouts information should be considered to have occurred.

A statement from USADA adds: “As a result of this interpretation, Coleman is not considered to have three whereabouts failures in a 12-month period and is not considered to have committed an anti-doping rule violation. Three whereabouts failures in a 12-month period is an anti-doping rule violation under Article 2.4 of the World Anti-Doping Code.”

WADA rules require athletes to submit their whereabouts for one hour every day, plus overnight accommodation and training information, in case they are needed for out-of-competition testing.

According to the statement, anti-doping rules state that the date of a missed test actually relates back to the first day of the relevant quarter.

Therefore, Coleman’s three missed tests are not considered part of the same 12-month period.

“USADA recorded a Filing Failure for Coleman on June 6, 2018, when a DCO (Doping Control Officer) attempted to test Coleman and discovered that he had failed to update his Whereabouts Filing to accurately reflect his location,” reads the USADA statement in part.

“Coleman was subsequently charged with Whereabouts Failures on January 16 and April 26, 2019. Based on these three failures USADA initiated a case against Coleman for three Whereabouts Failures in a 12-month period.

“However, based on a Comment in the ISTI that states that Filing Failures relate back to the first day of the quarter, Coleman contended that his failure to update which was discovered on June 6, 2018, should relate back to April 1, 2018, which would be more than 12 months prior to Coleman’s most recent Whereabouts Failure on April 26, 2019. As a result, USADA consulted with WADA to receive an official interpretation of the relevant Comment in the ISTI. This interpretation was received on Friday, August 30, 2019, and was that the Filing Failure which USADA had recorded in June 2018, should relate back to April 1, 2018, the first day of the quarter in which the failure to update occurred.

“Given these facts, USADA has determined that under the applicable rules, and in order to ensure that Coleman is treated consistently with other athletes under the World Anti-Doping Program, Coleman should not be considered to have three Whereabouts Failures in a 12-month period. Accordingly, USADA has withdrawn its charge that Coleman committed an anti-doping rule violation and has so notified WADA and the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

“USADA has determined that the hearing is no longer necessary, and Coleman is permitted to compete immediately. However, under the applicable rules USADA’s decision not to move forward on a potential rule violation against Coleman, is subject to appeal by the IAAF and/or WADA.”

USADA CEO Travis Tygart said: “Every athlete is entitled to a presumption of innocence until their case is concluded through the established legal process. This is certainly the case for Mr Coleman, who has been found by USADA not to have committed a Whereabouts Violation and is fully eligible to compete under the rules.”

In a statement given to Ato Boldon, the commentator and 1999 world 200m champion, last month, 2017 world silver medallist Coleman protested his innocence and said he was confident that he would be able to compete at the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Doha.

A 72-strong squad has been announced for the global event in Qatar

A British team of 72 athletes has been named for the IAAF World Championships in Doha taking place from September 27 to October 6.

Dina Asher-Smith, Zharnel Hughes and Adam Gemili have all been confirmed for sprint doubles, with Gemili also joined on the 4x100m squad by his fellow reigning world relay champions Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and CJ Ujah.

In total, 44 athletes return to the world stage after having earned selection for London two years ago, including British 1500m champion Laura Muir and world indoor hurdles champion Andrew Pozzi, while 24 athletes will make a World Championships debut for GB & NI in Doha, including European indoor silver medallists Jamie Webb and Tim Duckworth and British champions Ojie Edoburun, Neil Gourley, Harry Coppell and Ben Williams.

Kyle Langford has been handed the third men’s 800m spot, while Jake Wightman has secured a 1500m place.

Mo Farah has not yet confirmed whether he will race as the defending 10,000m champion and the team does not currently feature any male athletes in that event, but Eilish McColgan and Steph Twell have been named for the 25-lap discipline, with McColgan set to double up in the 5000m where she will be joined by Jessica Judd and Laura Weightman.

A first wave of athlete selections was announced in May, with Callum Hawkins confirmed for the men’s marathon, although Dewi Griffiths has withdrawn through injury.

Charlotte Purdue and Tish Jones run the women’s marathon.

British Athletics states that any invites for the championships will be considered “in line with the British Athletics selection policy”.

The governing body adds: “Given the timelines outlined by the IAAF as to when these invites will be received, appeals will not be considered.”

British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: “It gives me great pleasure to name the 72 athletes selected to compete for Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, starting later this month. Given the standard of performances from British athletes this season, and the strength in depth we possess in several events, finalising the team was far from easy and there were some tough decisions to make.

“In the 72 athletes, I truly believe we have selected the strongest team possible to compete for medals on the global stage. The team is full of world-class athletes who over the past two years since we were hosts in London have proven that they belong on the global stage.

“It is great to see so many athletes return having competed in London and also see so many make the step up to the world level for the first time. We have selected more women than men once again for a major championships and special mention needs to go to Martyn Rooney, who is competing at his eighth world championships, a truly remarkable feat for a great athlete.

“The championships are going to be held in a challenging climate at the end of what has been a long season already but what pleases me the most is how our athletes have approached the challenge and are ensuring that they peak when it matters most. The next three and a half weeks are key in preparing for the championships and I look forward to watching our athletes flourish in Doha.”

British team selected for the IAAF World Championships Doha 2019

MEN
100m: Ojie Edoburun, Adam Gemili, Zharnel Hughes
200m: Miguel Francis, Adam Gemili, Zharnel Hughes
400m: Matthew Hudson-Smith, Rabah Yousif
800m: Elliot Giles, Kyle Langford, Jamie Webb
1500m: Neil Gourley, Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman
5000m: Andrew Butchart, Ben Connor, Marc Scott
3000m steeplechase: Zak Seddon
110m hurdles: Andrew Pozzi
400m hurdles: Chris McAlister
Pole vault: Harry Coppell
Triple jump: Ben Williams
Hammer: Nick Miller
Decathlon: Tim Duckworth
Marathon: Callum Hawkins
20km race walk: Tom Bosworth, Callum Wilkinson
50km race walk: Cameron Corbishley, Dominic King
4x100m: Ojie Edoburun, Miguel Francis, Adam Gemili, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, CJ Ujah
4x400m: Cameron Chalmers, Dwayne Cowan, Toby Harries, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Martyn Rooney, Lee Thompson, Rabah Yousif

WOMEN
100m: Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita, Asha Philip
200m: Dina Asher-Smith, Beth Dobbin, Jodie Williams
400m: Emily Diamond, Laviai Nielsen
800m: Alexandra Bell, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Lynsey Sharp
1500m: Sarah McDonald, Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie
5000m: Jessica Judd, Eilish McColgan, Laura Weightman
10,000m: Eilish McColgan, Steph Twell
3000m steeplechase: Elizabeth Bird, Rosie Clarke, Aimee Pratt
100m hurdles: Cindy Ofili
400m hurdles: Meghan Beesley, Jessica Turner
High jump: Morgan Lake
Pole vault: Holly Bradshaw
Long jump: Abigail Irozuru, Shara Proctor
Shot put: Sophie McKinna
Heptathlon: Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Marathon: Tish Jones, Charlotte Purdue
4x100m: Dina Asher-Smith, Kristal Awuah, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Daryll Neita, Ashleigh Nelson, Asha Philip
4x400m: Finette Agyapong, Amy Allcock, Zoey Clark, Emily Diamond, Beth Dobbin, Laviai Nielsen, Jessica Turner, Jodie Williams