NAPLES, Fla. – Suzann Pettersen wasn’t done winning this year when she dropped that final putt to lead the Europeans over the Americans at the Solheim Cup in September and retired moments after.

She made a special appearance at the Rolex LPGA Awards dinner Thursday at the CME Group Tour Championship to accept the Heather Farr Perseverance Award.

The award recognizes determination pursuing the love of the game and honors the memory of Farr, the former tour player who died of breast cancer at 28 in 1993.

Pettersen missed nearly two years on tour after taking time away around the birth of her first child, Herman, whose arrival came after some complications in her pregnancy. Pettersen stunned the world announcing she was retiring shortly after she dropped that winning putt in Scotland. She said her retirement wasn’t preplanned, that she didn’t make the decision until she scooped up her son in the celebratory aftermath of the victory.

“I knew then that the circle was complete,” Pettersen said. “The moment I held Herman, my heart told me instantly what the world was about to know. Enough is enough. It was a beautiful run.”

The other awards and winners:

Commissioner’s Award: KPMG, the multinational professional services network, won the award for furthering the cause of women’s golf. John Veihmeyer, the global chairman of the company when it united with the PGA of America to begin sponsoring the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2015, accepted the award. LPGA commissioner Mike Whan explained how KPMG’s vision elevated the championship by advocating for women inside and outside of golf with its women’s leadership conference during the event.

Rolex Player of the Year: Jin Young Ko, with four victories this year, two of them major championships (the ANA Inspiration and the Evian Championship), clinched the points-based award last month.

Rolex Annika Major Award: Ko also took home the award for the best cumulative performance in the year’s major championships. Ko couldn’t take home the Vare Trophy for low scoring average just yet, but she looks like a lock to do so at tournament’s end.

Founders Award: Brooke Henderson, the 22-year-old nine-time LPGA winner, won the award for reflecting the spirit, ideals and values of the LPGA.

Ellen Griffin Rolex Award: Nancy Quarcelino, who runs her own school of golf in Nashville, Tennessee, won the award as a teacher making a major contribution to golf.

Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award: South Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6, still learning the English language, got a standing ovation delivering a flawless speech in English.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Tyler Duncan’s wedge shot at the par-4 eighth hole might have been the highlight of his bogey-free round Friday at the RSM Classic, but it was an 8-footer for par at the last that allowed the 30-year-old to maintain his momentum.

After playing his first 35 holes of the week without a bogey, Duncan faced his first miscue when his approach shot at the 18^th hole came up well short of the green and he was left with an 8-footer for par to close his day.

“It was awesome, just some momentum going into the weekend,” said Duncan, who made the putt at the last for a 61 and a two-stroke lead. “I've been working very hard on putting and kind of that short of mid-range makable putts. To hit that in the middle of the hole was pretty relieving.”

That’s not to say holing out for eagle at No. 8 didn’t provide a spark midway through his round.

“It was a 50-degree [wedge]. We were trying to hit it about 112 yards, a little bit of hurt, and flushed it,” he said. “I figured it was going to be close, I wasn't expecting it to go in, but was happy to see it, for sure.”

Duncan’s second-round 61 is his lowest on the PGA Tour and the lowest this week at Sea Island Golf Club.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – However this weekend at the RSM Classic turns out for D.J. Trahan, 2019 has been a good year.

He didn’t win, although he’s currently tied for second place and just two strokes behind Tyler Duncan at the RSM Classic, but he has accomplished plenty.

“It's been a total rebuild for me just from the perspective of losing my confidence, being injured. It was a vicious downward spiral for me really and a lot of times guys don't come back from stuff like that,” said Trahan, who has struggled with back injuries the last few years.

Trahan admitted Friday at Sea Island Golf Club that he considered quitting the game more than once, and his road back to the PGA Tour was challenging.

“One day I just finally sucked it up and decided to try to get my stuff together and really made some commitments and stuck to them, and so far it seems like I'm progressing in the right direction, slowly but surely,” he said following his second-round 63 on the Plantation course.

A commitment to a fitness regimen has been the biggest change for Trahan, and it paid off this year when he secured a return trip to the Tour via his top-50 finish on the Korn Ferry Tour.

For the first time in a long time Trahan said he’s “100 percent” healthy.

“I worked really hard at it. That's not saying it's never going to get injured again, but I do work at it and I love it, actually,” he said.

MANCHESTER, England -- Pep Guardiola insists there is no chance he will quit as Manchester City manager at the end of the season.

The Spaniard will complete four years at the Etihad Stadium in the summer, matching his spell at Barcelona before choosing to resign. He has never been in charge of the same club for five seasons but Guardiola, who has a contract until 2021, says he is going nowhere.

"If the people say do i want to stay? I want to stay," Guardiola told a news conference on Friday. "I don't have any reasons to move from here. I am incredibly satisfied to work with this club, with these players, and if the people think I am going to resign or be sacked for these results and nine points behind the people doesn't know me so I like to be in this challenge, I love to be in this position.

"And if the club wants [me] next season I want to be here 100%.

"I want to live in this city because I know lovely people here and i want to work and live with them and I want to be here."

Guardiola has guided City to consecutive Premier League titles and last season completed an unprecedented domestic treble after adding the FA Cup and League Cup. Defeat at Anfield before the international break left them nine points behind leaders Liverpool and despite the recent successes, Guardiola accepts he will need to maintain his high standards if he wants to keep his job.

"If they decide the results are getting worse, they are going to take a decision, that's normal," said Guardiola. "It's not because I am friends with Txiki [Begiristain] that i am going to stay for the rest of my life.

"I am here because I win. If I don't win I'm in trouble i know that but I'm incredibly satisfied to work in this city and this club and I want to help this club to get better, I still enjoy working with these players a lot and I would like to stay longer. If the club wants, I will stay."

Everything you need to know about this weekend's Premier League action, all in one place.

Jump to: Will Mourinho have instant impact? | How much will Klopp rotate? | Man to watch | Match to watch | Stats of the weekend | Fantasy tips | Predictions

The weekend's big questions

Will Frank Lampard further prove his chops by beating Pep Guardiola?

Even the people who thought Lampard would do well at Chelsea this season must be surprised at just how well he's doing. Lampard has galvanised a set of young players, freed Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, handled the one new arrival Christian Pulisic perfectly, and as a result goes into this Saturday's game against Manchester City a point ahead of Guardiola's team in the Premier League table.

Even so, you would expect City to eventually overhaul them, but what if Chelsea win this weekend? It's perfectly possible given their form and the disappearance of City's aura after their three defeats so far this term. Lampard will presumably say that the three points are the important thing and any personal glory is secondary, but if he manages to outmanoeuvre Guardiola it will be another sign that he is the real thing as a manager.

Will Jose Mourinho have an instant impact?

With Mourinho, the concern isn't the short-term. The short-term is usually pretty good. He has either equalled or bettered a new club's previous league finish in the first full season of every job he has taken since Porto. It's the long-term that's the problem, and in his last few positions the earth has been firmly scorched after his departure.

Tottenham should worry about the long-term. For now their priority is to rescue this train wreck of a season, starting at West Ham on Saturday, ideal opponents given that Manuel Pellegrini's side last won a game in the middle of September. The question is whether Mourinho will have been able to inject new life into a tired squad after working with them for only three days. Spurs need rapid impact, but will it be instant?

How much will Jurgen Klopp rotate against Crystal Palace?

After the break, the madness begins for Liverpool. Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace marks the start of a ludicrous run in which they will play 15 games in 49 days, the sort of stretch that could scupper even the most commanding position in any title race. It's the reason why caution must be applied to any notion that Liverpool have the Premier League title in the bag already.

Klopp will presumably be satisfied if Liverpool reach Jan. 11 alive, but to do that he will have to employ some pretty hefty rotation to his side, so his team selections over the next six weeks will be fascinating, starting with this game. When he gives his full-backs a breather will be particularly interesting: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are essentially Liverpool's biggest attacking threats but don't really have any specialist senior back-up, so Klopp will have to do all he can to ensure they don't become exhausted or just get injured. You suspect James Milner will be getting plenty of action down either flank in the coming weeks.

Man to watch

Christian Eriksen

It's a fun game to run through the Tottenham squad and try to predict who will flourish and who might be worried at the arrival of Mourinho. Harry Winks doesn't quite fit the profile of a Mourinho defensive midfielder, and Davinson Sanchez probably can't count on a regular spot given how Mourinho targeted him as Ajax's main weakness in the 2017 Europa League final.

But the new man could be good news for Eriksen. The Dane's desire to leave the club essentially became Pochettino's primary excuse for their ropey start to the season. The relationship between the two was pretty bad, but could a new manager mean a new start for Eriksen?

The game you're not planning to watch but should

Arsenal vs. Southampton

Frankly, there are better ways to spend your Saturday, because this should probably be renamed "The Infinite Sadness Derby," but it's a game that could be grimly intriguing. These are two teams who have gathered a grand total of three points from the last available 24, and who would have been well-advised to spend the international break lying in a cool room with a damp towel on their foreheads. Both Unai Emery and Ralph Hasenhuttl could easily have been sacked already, but their respective positions could be in genuine danger if this one goes badly for either.

Stats of the weekend

Information courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information group.

- Manchester City have lost back-to-back games only twice in the Premier League under Guardiola, most recently to Crystal Palace and Leicester City in December 2018. Chelsea will look to do it to Guardiola again with City coming off a 3-1 loss to Liverpool before the international break.

- Mourinho won his first Premier League game in each of his three stints in England's top flight (two with Chelsea, one with Manchester United) and has 11 wins in all competitions against Saturday's opponent West Ham -- tied for his third most against any club.

- Liverpool's Sadio Mane is looking to become the third player in club history to score in five consecutive Premier League matches against a single opponent, after Michael Owen vs. Newcastle United and Luis Suárez against Norwich City

Fantasy tips

Kieran Darcy has some tips for the weekend action.

Must-have player: Sergio Aguero, Tier 1 forward

Jamie Vardy and Tammy Abraham have scored more goals, but Aguero is still the league leader in xG (expected goals) despite playing significantly fewer minutes than the other two.

Worth considering: John McGinn, Tier 2 midfielder

McGinn has taken more shots than any other midfielder in the league, scored three goals for Scotland during the international break, and will be at home against Newcastle.

Avoid at all costs: Roberto Firmino, Tier 1 forward

Firmino hasn't scored a goal in the Premier League or Champions League since Liverpool's win at Chelsea on Sept. 22.

The team that needs a bit of luck

Aston Villa

Bad luck comes in many different forms, and for Aston Villa before the international break it was the fixture list. They had to face Manchester City, Liverpool then the derby against Wolves: two games they could never be expected to win and one where anything could happen. They lost all three, ruining any momentum they might've gained from victories in their two previous games, so they might think they deserve a little fortune when they face Newcastle this weekend.

One thing that will definitely happen

Nobody will be surprised if Manchester United lose

There was a time when Manchester United losing a game would be a notable event, particularly to a newly-promoted team. But those days are long gone, and while it might be a bit of a stretch to say Sheffield United are favourites when the two sides meet at Bramall Lane on Sunday, it would barely even register as a mild surprise, never mind a shock, if Chris Wilder's side prevails.

The Blades are fifth in the table, the only game they've lost since the middle of September was due to Liverpool's lucky goal a few weeks ago and they simply look like a terrifically assured outfit. The same can't, to say the least, be said of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men.

Predictions

West Ham 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Watford 1-1 Burnley
Arsenal 1-0 Southampton
Bournemouth 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Brighton 1-3 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 0-3 Liverpool
Everton 3-1 Norwich City
Manchester City 2-2 Chelsea
Sheffield United 2-1 Manchester United

"That's the second question on Gareth, I won't answer any more," Zinedine Zidane said.

Oh yes you will.

It was Friday lunchtime at Valdebebas, Real Madrid's training ground out near Barajas airport, and these questions had only just started. La Liga and club football were back, which meant that the prematch news conference was back. It also meant that Zidane was back. Above all, it meant that Gareth Bale was back, and the news conference was all about him. Well, almost. Bale and that flag. You know the one by now: "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order."

By the way, at least Madrid are on the list of priorities. Where were his wife and kids?

The first question was about Bale. (He's in the squad this weekend to face Real Sociedad.) The second question was about Bale and despite Zidane answering that one a little pointedly, so was the third. Jose Mourinho made a brief appearance before Zidane was asked if he would only ever manage Real Madrid in Spain -- "yes, I'm white," he said -- before Bale was back again. Question six was on him; so were questions seven and eight.

It became almost a running joke. Another one. Apologies were offered before questions were asked, but no one had any intention of not asking them.

"There have been six questions on Bale so far," someone opened a few minutes later. Six of eight. Make that seven. Of 10. Ah, wait. Eight. And that was just he ones that were asked: from Britain they'd come -- Valdebebas is handy from the airport at least -- but from Britain they wouldn't be heard. And nor was it just Friday.

"There have been eight questions about Bale today..." another began. Nine, now. "... Before Galatasaray, it was seven of the 13. It was 11 of 16 before Leganes," the question continued, taking it to nine of 15 here. "Is he making it too easy for us?" A lot of it has been too easy, that's for sure.

"He thinks it's too much," Zidane said. And Zidane felt the same way. There had been "a lot of noise," he said.

On one level, it's pretty silly. Bale likes golf: what a monster! As crimes go it's pretty heinous, you'll agree, and it's become an obsession, occupying far too many minds in the media, seemingly incapable of resisting teeing up the obvious punchline and taking a swing at him. See? Anyway, "Bale [gets stuck] in the hole," ran the headline of AS on Thursday.

Writing in El Pais, Rafa Cabeleira summed up the essential absurdity of some of it. "Football is so merciless that protagonists are not allowed the slightest glimmer of humanity, the tiniest slither of anything that makes them like mere mortals," he writes. "Gareth Bale knows that well: a football player who has lifted four Champions League trophies with Real Madrid and who, it seems, likes to play golf in his spare time. Guess which of those two things has become of central importance when it comes to judging him, and which is reduced to mere anecdote?"

Maybe it is something probably best laughed at. Bale had said that he found the "Wales, golf, Madrid" chant "hilarious"; his teammates laughed about it, he said. The flag was a joke, prompted by remarks made by former Madrid striker Predrag Mijatovic about the Welshman's supposed priorities and poking fun at a perceived media agenda against him. His teammates have long called him "The Golfer." When AS underlined a trio of concerns that Madrid supposedly had over him, they headlined it "triple bogey"; "I've never had one of them in my life," Bale joked, and in Wales they fell about. Back in Spain during training on Friday, when he messed up a pass, teammate Mariano performed a golf swing. Bale grinned and a lot of people laughed.

A lot of people didn't, though. The more that some don't laugh, the more their knickers get in a twist, maybe the funnier it is. It might have been blown out of proportion, and that was Zidane's line on Friday.

"It's too much already," he repeated, noting: "He just wants to play and he doesn't like the fact that we're talking about this; he thinks it's too much." Zidane also tried to suggest that this was nothing to do with him -- a thing that people were banging on about out there, not in here. "Outside, there are a lot of comments and I'm not here for that," he said. "I'm not interested, I know a lot of people are, but I'm not ... we can't control what goes on outside."

But there is more to it than that, and nor is this some extraneous issue beyond anyone's control. While it was a joke, while it is someone else's flag Bale stood behind, the visual stung. Many a true word said in jest, they say. And while it was aimed at the press, it would be naive not to see the club there too. It is a reality that Bale is not happy with them, that he does not exactly feel forgiveness towards Zidane and the board. He remembers the whistles and jeers. He knows that Zidane wanted him gone -- "it is pretty clear what I am doing," the Frenchman said at the end of last season; "if he goes tomorrow, so much the better," he said this summer -- and he knows that in July and August no one defended him. And yet when it came to it, they didn't let him go either.

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Something broke then -- had been broken before, in fact -- and that's part of the context here: he has nothing left to lose. Nothing really changed, and it doesn't really now: this may deepen divisions with some (although for others it's largely meaningless) but it does not create them. Bale was offered a second chance, starting the opening game of the season, but didn't really see it like that. It wasn't some deep shift, just an adjustment for circumstance, but if he'd been able to grasp it, it might have changed things. And yes, this poked fun at the media, but there was a hint of "up yours" directed elsewhere, too. There was a sense of defiance there, too. If he felt that they didn't respect him -- and rightly or wrongly, he did -- where's the obligation for him to respect them?

Meanwhile, the reaction of those who took offence at this flag also reacted within a context of their own: all those questions about commitment; the injuries (he has missed 91 games at Madrid); the status; and, yeah, yeah, the bloody golf. This is not just a flag, it's what is symbolises, what that message means. His past four games of football have all been for Wales. He's been out for a month for Madrid. He went on one international break and then another. In between times, he didn't play for Madrid. Some think he shouldn't again. Now he is back, ready to play, fit again, but some went so far as to call for him to be kicked out of the club forever. Marca's cover called him "Disrespectful. Mistaken. Ungrateful. In that order." AS demanded he gets "out, out, out."

The only real, lasting solution is a departure -- or perhaps a change of manager and/or attitude? -- but nothing has really changed there either. What does change might be how he is remembered, his legacy, and that's the sad thing, and it is baffling how little that seems to matter, how entrenched and cold this has become. In terms of the situation now, departure was already the solution. And it's not so easy to do. They tried in the summer, thought they had an agreement, but it broke down. Where does he go? Who pays his transfer fee? Who pays the wages? Who backs down? Put bluntly, most clubs can't afford him. He has little intention of returning to the Premier League and no intention of taking a step backwards financially. China was the way out, but Madrid closed that door when he was halfway through it. In the summer they will try again; in the winter they might too, but it is harder, they know.

And so he might as well play. He is, after all, very good at this. And so, everyone gets on with it, tries to make the best of the situation until a definitive solution presents itself. Because there is not a lot else they can do. Punishing him is probably counterproductive -- and may, if they think about it, be left for the fans to do -- and ditching him certainly would be. So there may not be much joy, the warmth that could make it special, but there may be minutes.

Zidane said he would use him, insisted he was happy and said the only problem was that other stick with which he gets beaten: language. He said there was too much noise, but nor was his a particularly spirited defence on Friday. For all those questions, all those opportunities, there wasn't a grand gesture. Instead it was dealt with efficiently enough but not much else. It was cold, not committal, designed to move on.

His conversation with Bale, he said, was like the ones he has with any player: say hello, talk about the game. Asked if Bale will leave, he said he didn't know that either: "what matters is that he is with us now." Asked if Bale was a starter, he said he would be useful. And asked if Bale had disrespected Madrid, mocked the club, he said: "I don't know," insisting it wasn't for him to say.

There was no "it was a joke, you daft idiots"; no "come on, now, leave it out"; no "look, he was injured"; no "Gareth always gives everything when he plays for us"; no "injuries hurt him more than anyone else, you know." In fact, some of those doubts were left lingering there. And, Zidane will feel, why should there have been? Neither of these men is going to fight, and neither is going to come out fighting on the other's behalf, that's for sure. They'll just live with it, maybe not even as best they can. But that can work, perhaps. For a while.

As strong as it got was when Zidane, aware of how supporters might react on Saturday, knowing that Bale could well find himself whistled and booed, said: "If you look at what he has done for the club, those who come to the stadium, who feel our colours, know he is on our team and there's no point in looking beyond that. The fans are with us always, and he is with us, so I will always be with him."

"There has been too much noise," Zidane said. On Saturday, when Bale returns to the Bernabeu, there may be more.

Dissecting the Dallas Cowboys is America's pastime, and at this point it feels a little silly. They are, after all, 6-4 and in first place in the NFC East. This time last year, they were 5-5 and went on to win the division. Since the start of the 2016 season, only four teams have won more games than the Cowboys. You could make a convincing case that we should get off their backs.

But something about this season's version feels weird, right? Ezekiel Elliott doesn't look dominant. Dak Prescott does, which is obviously helpful, but the defense is showing cracks, too. Hasn't been consistent, at least. The Cowboys' success in recent years has been built on the run game, the offensive line and a defense that pressures the quarterback. This season, it's all running through Prescott, who ranks first in the NFL in passing yards per game (322.1) and yards per attempt (8.8) and second in Total QBR (77.8).

So because I'm a reporter and my job is to ask questions, I asked some. Talked to a few Cowboys people earlier this week and more or less asked them, "Is Zeke all right?" Elliott, who led the NFL in rushing yards per game in each of his first three seasons, ranks eighth in that category in 2019. His yards-per-carry average of 4.3 is down from 4.7 in 2018. And he's on pace for 1,333 rushing yards, which would be his lowest total in a full NFL season.

The answers I got were all pretty much the same: Yes, they believe Elliott is fine but that opposing defenses are selling out to stop him and daring Prescott and the passing game to beat them. Which they are, and the team's thought is that eventually defenses will adjust and open things up for Elliott again.

Makes sense, but because I'm a reporter and not a stenographer, I didn't want to just take the team at its word. I was talking to my colleague Marcus Spears on Tuesday, and he thinks part of the Cowboys' problem is that the defense is on the field too much and is getting a little bit exposed. Marcus is a smart man, and the numbers back him up. Dallas' average time of possession per game this year is 29 minutes, 22 seconds, which ranks 20th in the NFL and is, as you can figure out with simple subtraction, less than half of an NFL game. The Cowboys' opponents have had the ball more than the Cowboys have.

This is not the Cowboy way. Over the three years prior to this one -- Elliott's first three years in the league, during which the team went 32-16 -- Dallas averaged a time of possession of 31:13 per game, which ranked sixth in the NFL. It hasn't finished under 30:00 for a full season since 2013.

But what's weird is that the 2019 Cowboys are averaging three more offensive plays per game than they did in 2016-18. So the offense is running more plays ... but is on the field less.

I wanted to explore two key questions, one about the offense in general and one about Elliott specifically. ESPN Stats & Information and NFL Next Gen Stats were an immeasurable help:

Are the Cowboys playing too fast?

That they are playing faster than they used to play is not in dispute. The 2019 Cowboys average 26.6 seconds between plays, which is calculated from the start of the play clock until the snap. That's the fifth-fastest rate in the NFL. In 2016-18, they averaged 29.6 seconds between plays, which was the third-slowest. Former offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was often criticized for running a plodding offense, and the numbers show that he absolutely did. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has picked up the pace. But if you're running plays three seconds faster and running only three more plays per game, it's easy to see how the time of possession edge gets wiped out.

This is obviously working for the offense. Dallas leads the NFL in yards per game (444.6) and yards per play (6.7). But the time-of-possession issue shows up. The Cowboys have averaged 31:19 time of possession in their six wins and just 26:27 in their four losses. Since the start of the 2016 season, they are 29-7 in games in which they have the ball longer than their opponent does, and they're 10-15 in games in which they don't.

This is intuitive, and not unique to Dallas -- the longer a team's defense is on the field, the more likely it is to lose, because it can't score if it doesn't have the ball. But the fact that the Cowboys have seen such a drop in a category that's been such a big part of their DNA gives some weight to the theory that the offense, in spite of Prescott's brilliance, isn't exactly what they want or need it to be. Which leads to the next question.

Is Elliott the victim of extra defensive attention, or is he actually not playing well?

If the Cowboys believe the reason Elliott's numbers are down is that he's running against stacked boxes ... well, we have the ability here to tell them whether they are correct.

They are not.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats data, Elliott is running against loaded boxes (meaning the defense has more defenders in the box than the offense has blockers) just about as frequently as he did last season. A little bit less often, in fact. This season, 38.1% of Elliott's rushes are against loaded boxes, whereas that number was 38.5% in 2018. He's also running a bit better against them (4.4 yards per rush) than he did last season (4.2). The league average for backs in that category is 3.8 yards per rush.

He is not doing as well, however, when his offense has the numerical blocking advantage. Against non-loaded boxes this season, Elliott is averaging 4.2 yards per carry, which is 0.2 less than the league average, 0.2 less than he runs against loaded boxes and 0.8 less than his average in those situations in 2018.

Which is all weird, right? How is Elliott's yards-per-carry average better when the opponent commits more defenders to him than when it doesn't? It's an odd statistical anomaly, with a couple of possible explanations. One is that Elliott just isn't as explosive a runner as he was in his first three seasons, which could be because he's getting older, because he has some nagging physical issue we don't know about, because he skipped camp -- any number of possible reasons, all speculative.

But there's evidence to dispute that, too. Elliott is averaging a career-high 5.4 yards per carry when the Cowboys have the lead, which is a huge part of his job. And he's converting a career-high 71% of his third-down rushes into first downs. So he has been Zeke-level excellent in certain crucial situations.

It's also possible his yards per carry is down because he's running in the red zone more than usual. Elliott already has logged a career-high 43 red zone carries this season. In general, yards-per-carry numbers go way down in the red zone, for everyone, because there's less room to run and a cap on how far you can go even on a breakaway run. An average NFL run play in the red zone this season has gained 2.7 yards, compared to 4.6 outside of the red zone. So if Elliott is getting an unprecedented number of red zone carries, it could be hurting his overall average. Outside of the red zone this season, he's averaging 4.7 yards per carry, down only slightly from his career average of 4.9.

One final possible explanation for Elliott's struggles shows up in the fourth quarter of games, where he's averaging a career-low 3.4 yards per carry. But there's some evidence that his vaunted offensive line is partly to blame for that. His 1.4 average yards per carry before first contact in the fourth quarter is his lowest of any quarter, and his 2.04 average yards per carry after first contact in the fourth quarter is his highest of any quarter. If he's not wearing down as the game goes along, maybe his offensive line, which has battled injuries for most of the season, is.

So what do we make of all of this?

The Cowboys are playing faster than usual, which has resulted in eye-popping numbers for Prescott and the offense as a whole but also has led to extra exposure for their defense as a result of reduced time of possession. And for the Cowboys, reduced time of possession increases the likelihood of losing. So while they might expect opponents to start focusing more on stopping their passing game, opponents probably shouldn't take the bait.

Prescott has reached the point where it's a pick-your-poison situation for opposing defenses. But it should be easy to decide which poison to pick. If you don't stop Elliott, you can't get the ball. If you don't stop Prescott, you might still give up points, but you'll get more chances to score points of your own.

A few other things I found interesting around the NFL this week:

Chark is honest about his second-year rise

I covered the Colts-Jaguars game last weekend and had a chance to speak with Jacksonville receiver DJ Chark, who's having a breakout season with 51 catches for 796 yards and is tied for the league lead with eight touchdown receptions. I asked him what he thought was behind his second-year breakout and he surprised me with his honesty when he said he was taking his job more seriously this season.

"Your rookie year, you can take some shortcuts, going home early instead of staying to watch film, that kind of thing," Chark told me. "So it's more attention to detail, I would say. Everyone tells you to be a professional when you get here. Everybody tells you to take notes in meetings. But just being honest, halfway through camp, those notebooks aren't open anymore."

This season, Chark said, is all about the notebook. He has developed a habit of staying after practice and watching film of himself with a notebook open and pen in hand so he can write down what he sees.

"Bad routes. Was my pad level right? How am I coming out of my blocks? If it's a drop, why did I drop it? That kind of thing," Chark said. "Just creating a habit. I'm on my second notebook now."

How Garrett's suspension affects his contract

I don't expect Browns defensive end Myles Garrett's suspension to last too deep into next season. But if, hypothetically, the NFL suspended him for the first 11 games of 2020 (along with the final six games of this season, which it already has), it could have massive contract implications.

The first overall pick in the 2017 draft, Garrett is scheduled to make about $4.6 million in 2020, the fourth year of his rookie contract. The Browns would hold a fifth-year option for 2021, likely for something in the neighborhood of $15 million. But if Garrett doesn't play at least six games in 2020, it wouldn't count as an accrued season, and his contract would toll, meaning the fifth-year option would be pushed back to 2022.

It's also worth noting that Garrett's rookie contract structure itself is costing him money. Rookie contracts are "slotted," which means the overall value, the signing bonus and the year-by-year payouts on draft picks' deals are predetermined. But the structure is not, and it matters in a big way to Garrett.

Garrett did his deal with a basic contract structure. He got a $20.258 million signing bonus and salaries of $465,000 in 2017, $1.847 million in 2018, $3.230 million in 2019 and $4.621 million in 2020. He's suspended without pay for six games of this season, and because players are paid in 17 weekly installments, that means he's missing six-seventeenths of his 2019 salary as a result of his suspension. That comes out to $1.14 million in lost pay.

Which is why many high draft picks do a different structure when they sign their contracts. The 2018 first overall pick, Baker Mayfield, and the 2019 first overall pick, Kyler Murray, both had their deals structured with roster bonuses in each season as opposed to taking all the money as salary, like Garrett did.

The difference? Well, Mayfield's third-year payout (in 2020) will be $3,451,180, which is slightly higher than Garrett's third-year payout of $3.23 million because the league adjusts these numbers up slightly every year to account for inflation. But Mayfield's deal pays only $660,000 of that in salary and the rest ($2,791,180) as a roster bonus. He gets the same amount of money, just on a different schedule. Murray, same thing. In his third season, in 2021, he'll make $675,000 in salary and $3,016,240 in roster bonus.

The reason this matters is because fines are taken out of the salary, not out of bonuses. So if, hypothetically, Mayfield were to be suspended for six games of his third season without pay, it would cost him only six-seventeenths of $660,000, or a total of $232,941.18. If Murray were to be suspended for six games of his third season, it would cost him $238,235.29. A lot less than Garrett is losing. Remember this the next time you're wondering why the draft picks don't all just sign right away. There is still stuff to negotiate.

Don't count out the Vikings in the NFC North

The Vikings' 20-point, second-half comeback against the Broncos on Sunday was massive for a team trying to hang in very competitive NFC North division and NFC wild-card races. Offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski made a crucial change after halftime, putting Kirk Cousins in the two-minute offense for basically the whole second half and scoring 27 points. Makes you wonder why the Vikings didn't do that in the first half, but at least they figured it out before it was too late.

The Vikings (8-3) are missing injured wide receiver Adam Thielen, thin at receiver overall, and they believe defenses are rolling coverage to Stefon Diggs and it's hurting their ability to do everything they want to do. But they're hopeful that Thielen can return after this week's bye, and with Cousins playing as well as he has since signing there, Minnesota believes it has a chance to run down the Packers and maybe even snag a first-round bye.

How the Dolphins' patience could win out

The Tua Tagovailoa injury, and the chance he drops in the 2020 NFL draft as a result, got me thinking.

For all the talk about how the Dolphins were supposedly tanking to get the No. 1 pick so they could draft Tagovailoa (which they weren't, as we've said many times), imagine if they ended up getting him with the first-round pick they got from the Steelers in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade or the one they got from the Houston Texans in the Laremy Tunsil trade?

The ESPN Football Power Index projects Miami to have pick Nos. 3, 17 and 24 next April.

The Week 12 NFL slate is stacked with great matchups. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the keys to every game, a bold prediction for each matchup and final score predictions.

Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a stat to know for each game, and the Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1 to 100) and a game projection. ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe and ESPN Chalk's Mackenzie Kraemer hand out helpful nuggets as well. It's all here to help get you ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.

Let's get into the full Week 12 schedule, including an NFC showdown on Sunday night.

Jump to a matchup:
SEA-PHI | TB-ATL | CAR-NO
MIA-CLE | DEN-BUF | NYG-CHI
OAK-NYJ | DET-WSH | PIT-CIN
JAX-TEN | DAL-NE | GB-SF
BAL-LAR

Thursday: HOU 20, IND 17
Bye: ARI, KC, LAC, MIN

Seahawks (8-2) at Eagles (5-5)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 71.6 | Spread: PHI -1 (48)

What to watch for: While standout right tackle Lane Johnson remains in concussion protocol, the Eagles have been working rookie Andre Dillard, who has been trained at left tackle, on the right side in anticipation of Johnson's absence. Seattle defensive end Jadeveon Clowney lines up mostly on that side, which could make for a hairy day for Carson Wentz. -- Tim McManus

Bold prediction: The Seahawks will sack Wentz four times. That qualifies as bold for a pass rush that was a major disappointment until it got to Jimmy Garoppolo five times two weeks ago. The Seahawks are coming off a bye and finally have something close to the pass rush they envisioned with Quinton Jefferson healthy, Jarran Reed rounding into form and Clowney continuing to dominate. -- Brady Henderson

Stat to know: Seahawks running back Chris Carson has recorded a rushing touchdown in each of his past three road games. The only Seattle players to do so in four consecutive road games over the past 15 seasons are Shaun Alexander (seven straight in 2005) and Marshawn Lynch (four straight in 2011).

What to know for fantasy: Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is the only tight end to have caught at least nine passes in consecutive games this season, and three of the top four tight end performances against the Seahawks this season have come away from Seattle. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: Seattle has covered in seven straight games as a road underdog, including the playoffs. It is 3-0 outright this season as a road underdog. Read more.

Henderson's pick: Seahawks 27, Eagles 21
McManus' pick: Seahawks 28, Eagles 20
FPI prediction: PHI, 56.5% (by an average of 2.2 points)

Matchup must-reads: Wentz, soft schedule: Keys to an Eagles playoff push ... Former Patriots Hollister, Gordon provide boost to Seahawks' passing game

Buccaneers (3-7) at Falcons (3-7)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 52.2 | Spread: ATL -4 (51)

What to watch for: The Falcons have 13 sacks and 25 quarterback hits over the past three games. They should be able to keep up the pressure against the Bucs' Jameis Winston, who has been sacked a league-high 36 times. An improved pass rush has allowed the Falcons to start creating turnovers, with four interceptions last weekend. Winston also has a league-high 18 picks. -- Vaughn McClure

Bold prediction: Winston will throw two more interceptions against a rejuvenated Falcons defense that pressured Carolina's Kyle Allen heavily last weekend and picked him off four times. And Atlanta receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley will combine for over 200 receiving yards against a young Tampa Bay secondary that's giving up 371.8 yards per game. -- Jenna Laine

Stat to know: Bucs receiver Mike Evans is just seven yards shy of his sixth consecutive season with 1,000 receiving yards. He'd join Randy Moss (2003) as the only players in NFL history with 1,000 receiving yards in each of their first six seasons.

What to know for fantasy: Atlanta's Jones has gone seven straight games without a touchdown after scoring in seven straight. The most recent time he went seven games in a row in a season without a touchdown, he responded with 25.1 fantasy points and a WR4 finish for the week. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: Tampa Bay is 2-8 against the spread (ATS) this season, the worst mark in the NFL. It has failed to cover in six straight games, the longest active streak in the league. Read more.

Laine's pick: Falcons 26, Buccaneers 21
McClure's pick: Falcons 28, Buccaneers 17
FPI prediction: ATL, 65.7% (by an average of 5.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Bucs confident in TE Howard despite talent 'not showing up on Sundays' ... Can Falcons rebound from 1-7 start to save Quinn's job? ... Coaching staff shares blame for Buccaneers' rash of mistakes

Panthers (5-5) at Saints (8-2)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 51.7 | Spread: NO -10 (47)

What to watch for: This is about as "must-win" as it gets for the Panthers, who are now three games behind New Orleans in the NFC South after losing three of the past four. And they'll be relying on Christian McCaffrey to threaten one of the NFL's most underrated streaks: The Saints have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 36 consecutive games, including the playoffs. -- Mike Triplett

Bold prediction: McCaffrey will rush for 150 yards against a defense allowing only 85.3 per game. He'll do it because quarterback Kyle Allen will get back to being a game manager and relying on his playmakers instead of trying to make things happen as he has done the past four weeks, resulting in nine interceptions. -- David Newton

Stat to know: Carolina's Allen has a 1-3 record, 59% completion percentage, 6.3 yards per attempt and 3-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the past four games. He began his season as a starter with a 4-0 record, 66% completion percentage, 7.4 yards per attempt and 7-0 TD-INT ratio.

What to know for fantasy: Saints receiver Michael Thomas has been a top-15 receiver in each of his past seven games and is on pace for 379.5 fantasy points this season, a total among WRs that only Antonio Brown and Randy Moss have touched since 2003. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: Over the past five seasons, Drew Brees is 16-8 ATS in division games and 8-4 ATS at home. However, three of the four home losses came as at least nine-point favorites, including a Week 10 loss against Atlanta. Read more.

Newton's pick: Saints 17, Panthers 13
Triplett's pick: Saints 26, Panthers 19
FPI prediction: NO, 82.8% (by an average of 12.6 points)

Matchup must-reads: Panthers QB Allen gets reboot in place where it all started ... LB Davis making case as Saints' best free agent of the decade ... Big questions ahead on futures of QB Newton, coach Rivera ... Saints revive offense with heavy dose of Kamara

Dolphins (2-8) at Browns (4-6)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 34.4 | Spread: CLE -11 (45.5)

What to watch for: How will a depleted Browns defensive line cope without three starters, including tackle Larry Ogunjobi and end Olivier Vernon, assuming the latter remains out with a knee injury? Of course, not having star pass-rusher Myles Garrett will be a challenge to overcome too -- this game and beyond. -- Jake Trotter

Bold prediction: Cleveland's Nick Chubb will rush for a season high of 165-plus yards. The Dolphins have the 31st-ranked run defense, allowing 148.3 yards per game, and with recent injuries in the secondary, it seems possible they will overcompensate on the back end to protect their young defensive backs. -- Cameron Wolfe

Stat to know: Chubb has 607 rushing yards before first contact this season, the fourth most in the NFL. The Dolphins have allowed 653 (second most in the NFL).

What to know for fantasy: Six times this season has a receiver scored more than 21 fantasy points against the Dolphins. And Odell Beckham Jr. has seen double-digit targets in consecutive games for the first time this season. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: This is the second time since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999 that the Browns have been a double-digit favorite. The other time was in Week 17 of 2007, when Cleveland beat San Francisco 20-7 as a 13.5-point home favorite. That is the longest drought by any team without being a double-digit favorite. Read more.

Wolfe's pick: Browns 31, Dolphins 16
Trotter's pick: Browns 28, Dolphins 14
FPI prediction: CLE, 86.4% (by an average of 14.6 points)

Matchup must-reads: Replacing 'once-in-a-generation player' Garrett won't be easy for Browns ... WR Parker's breakout season with Miami is finally here

Broncos (3-7) at Bills (7-3)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 33.5 | Spread: BUF -4 (37.5)

What to watch for: Despite sporting the league's 23rd- and 25th-ranked passing offenses, the Bills and Broncos feature the AFC's top two wide receivers by receiving yardage in John Brown and Courtland Sutton, respectively. Both teams also possess elite cornerbacks in Tre'Davious White and Chris Harris Jr., who could make things difficult for the wideouts. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Bold prediction: If the Broncos keep Bills quarterback Josh Allen under 50% in completion rate, they'll pull the upset. The Broncos have the league's No. 4 pass defense and rank No. 8 in scoring defense, but they have allowed a 66% completion rate overall this season. In the Bills' three losses, Allen has been held to 46.4%, 47.1% and 53.7%. Those are also the only three times he's been below 60% this season. -- Jeff Legwold

Stat to know: The Broncos have a 28.5% conversion rate on third down this season (third worst in NFL), while the Bills have the sixth-best rate allowed (34.6%).

What to know for fantasy: The Bills' Brown was the top-scoring player in fantasy last week and has over 50 receiving yards in all 10 of Buffalo's games. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: Seven of 10 Buffalo games have gone under the total this season, while 14 of the past 18 Denver games have gone under. Read more.

Legwold's pick: Bills 16, Broncos 13
Louis-Jacques' pick: Bills 17, Broncos 9
FPI prediction: BUF, 60.1% (by an average of 3.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: Inside the Bills' turnaround: Culture-first approach fuels progress, yields wins ... Broncos' Fangio molding Simmons into a top safety ... LB Edmunds' message sparks Bills as they begin pivotal stretch ... How virtual reality training is helping Broncos rookie Drew Lock

Giants (2-8) at Bears (4-6)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 31.0 | Spread: CHI -6 (39.5)

What to watch for: The Giants have allowed 34 sacks on the season, but Chicago's star pass-rusher, Khalil Mack, is in a funk. Mack has just one sack over the past six games, and he failed to record a single tackle in the Bears' loss to the Rams last weekend. -- Jeff Dickerson

Bold prediction: Yes, Mack might have only 5.5 sacks this season, but he gets three Sunday against the Giants. The Giants' offensive line hasn't played well, and right tackle Mike Remmers has struggled while dealing with a back injury. It sets up for Mack to do some major damage. -- Jordan Raanan

Stat to know: The Bears have scored the fifth-fewest points per game this season (16.9), but the Giants' defense is allowing 28.9 (third most in the NFL).

What to know for fantasy: Golden Tate's WR25 average weekly finish this season is the ninth-best among qualified receivers. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: New York is 9-4 ATS on the road over the past two seasons. One of the "road" ATS losses came in Week 10 when it was the road team against the Jets. Ten of the 13 games went over the total. Read more.

Raanan's pick: Bears 23, Giants 13
Dickerson's pick: Bears 17, Giants 13
FPI prediction: CHI, 78.2% (by an average of 10.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Subtle changes on way for Giants in final six games ... Bears' Nagy: Trubisky to be QB starter when healthy

Raiders (6-4) at Jets (3-7)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 18.8 | Spread: OAK -3 (46.5)

What to watch for: The Jets can validate their two-game winning streak over bad teams with a victory over a quality opponent. Their top-ranked run defense will be tested by rookie running back Josh Jacobs. Since allowing a 66-yard run by Leonard Fournette in Week 8, the defense has allowed only 183 rushing yards on 88 carries for a 2.1 average. -- Rich Cimini

Bold prediction: The Raiders will not allow a sack by Jets safety Jamal Adams, who is coming off a three-sack game and has six on the season. "If you don't account for that guy," Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said, "he can ruin a football game." -- Paul Gutierrez

Stat to know: Le'Veon Bell has not rushed for more than 70 yards in any game this season, and his 1.6 rushing yards before first contact is the worst in the NFL (minimum 75 rushes).

What to know for fantasy: Since Week 5, there are two running backs with multiple games of 110 rushing yards and at least three receptions: Christian McCaffrey and Jacobs (both have three such games over that stretch). See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: This is the second time in the current Jon Gruden era (since 2018) that Oakland has been a road favorite. Last season, it lost 34-3 as a 1.5-point favorite at San Francisco. Overall, Oakland is 4-8 ATS in all road games in that span (3-8 in past 11 games). Read more.

Gutierrez's pick: Raiders 17, Jets 16
Cimini's pick: Raiders 27, Jets 24
FPI prediction: OAK, 53.1% (by an average of 1.1 points)

Matchup must-reads: Jets S Adams on a new mission, blitzes his way into record book ... Raiders control destiny in path to (gulp) playoffs ... RB Bell rips NFL for 'random' HGH blood tests ... DT Williams must deliver or else Jets will be haunted by what-ifs ... Crosby, Collins creating one (Raider) nation under a groove

Lions (3-6-1) at Redskins (1-9)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 7.9 | Spread: DET -3.5 (40.5)

What to watch for: The Redskins can tie a franchise record (1960-61 seasons) if they lose their 10th straight game at home Sunday. But the Lions are 1-3-1 on the road this season and 1-21 all time when playing at Washington. -- John Keim

Bold prediction: Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins will throw three touchdown passes and two interceptions. The Lions have allowed two or more passing touchdowns in each of the past six games and haven't recorded an interception since Oct. 14. Detroit's poor pass defense continues and will give Haskins confidence, but it's not enough for Washington to win. -- Michael Rothstein

Stat to know: The Redskins' offense is dead last in efficiency (16.5), passing yards per game (169.8) and points per game (12.5).

What to know for fantasy: The Lions' Jeff Driskel is QB6 over the past two weeks, but Kenny Golladay sits at WR35 in those two games. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: Washington is 1-7 ATS in its past eight games as a single-digit underdog, including 0-4 at home and 0-3 this season. Read more.

Rothstein's pick: Lions 31, Washington 21
Keim's pick: Lions 27, Redskins 17
FPI prediction: DET, 68.9% (by an average of 6.6 points)

Matchup must-reads: Stafford says going on IR hasn't been discussed ... Lions have one of the NFL's worst defenses, but answers are hard to find

Steelers (5-5) at Bengals (0-10)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 7.6 | Spread: PIT -6.5 (38)

What to watch for: The winless Bengals host a Steelers team that has won four of its past five but is coming off last week's controversial loss at Cleveland. Both offenses are averaging less than 20 points per game. -- Ben Baby

Bold prediction: Benny Snell will rush for 100-plus yards. The rookie has missed the past three games after minor knee surgery, but he practiced fully Wednesday. With James Conner's aggravated shoulder injury, the Steelers once again need a running back to step up and fill his spot. The winless Bengals have the worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 167 rushing yards per game. -- Brooke Pryor

Stat to know: The Bengals are already eliminated from postseason contention. Week 11 matches the earliest a team has been eliminated since at least 2002 (the 2014 Raiders and 2008 Lions are only teams since 2002 to be eliminated earlier by date).

What to know for fantasy: Pittsburgh's Jaylen Samuels is poised for an increased role and is averaging 16.6 fantasy points for his career in games during which he gets at least 10 touches. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: In the past four seasons, home teams that are 0-5 or worse outright are 4-13 ATS. Cincinnati has lost 12 consecutive games outright (0-10 this season) but is 6-6 ATS in that span (4-6 this season). Read more.

Pryor's pick: Steelers 14, Bengals 10
Baby's pick: Steelers 17, Bengals 14
FPI prediction: PIT, 66.2% (by an average of 5.6 points)

Matchup must-reads: Bengals receivers need a little space -- and an upgrade in talent ... Steelers' injuries exacerbate offensive weaknesses

Jaguars (4-6) at Titans (5-5)

4:05 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 46.4 | Spread: TEN -3.5 (41.5)

What to watch for: The Jaguars' 29th-rated run defense (134 yards per game) will be determined to keep Derrick Henry from having another outstanding performance against it. Even though Jacksonville held Henry to only 44 yards in the previous meeting, this weekend should give offensive coordinator Arthur Smith another opportunity to focus on the running game. -- Turron Davenport

Bold prediction: Leonard Fournette will get 20 carries for the Jaguars. The Jags have neglected him the past two games (over that time, 11 first-half carries and 19 total); coach Doug Marrone said they'll be recommitted to the running game, so Fournette will get a heavy workload. It won't be easy, though. The Titans are giving up 102.5 yards per game on the ground and have allowed just five rushing scores all season. -- Mike DiRocco

Stat to know: Since Henry entered the league in 2016, no running back has scored more touchdowns against the Jaguars than Henry. In fact, his eight touchdowns are five more than the closest backs (Lamar Miller and Christian McCaffrey, with three each).

What to know for fantasy: Fournette has never rushed for 70-plus yards against the Titans, and he has failed to score in three straight matchups with the division rival. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: Since Ryan Tannehill became the starter, all four Tennessee games have gone over the total. When Marcus Mariota was the starter, the under was 5-1 in Tennessee games. Read more.

DiRocco's pick: Titans 21, Jaguars 7
Davenport's pick: Titans 27, Jaguars 17
FPI prediction: TEN, 66.5% (by an average of 5.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Jaguars aim to save season in their house of horrors: Nissan Stadium ... How the Titans became the NFL's hottest red zone team ... Jaguars have no margin for error, and Foles has to deliver ... Who's best at FIFA 20? Titans bond, trash-talk over video-game tourney

Cowboys (6-4) at Patriots (9-1)

4:25 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 85.9 | Spread: NE -6.5 (45)

What to watch for: Cowboys coach Jason Garrett noted the Patriots' knack for winning the turnover differential (No. 1 in the NFL at plus-18), while the Cowboys are minus-1 on the season (12 takeaways, 13 giveaways). The turnover battle could be key Sunday. -- Mike Reiss

Bold prediction: Tom Brady will pass for 300 yards against the Cowboys. Brady has five 300-yard games this season but none in the past four. Since 2010, Brady has had just three five-game spans of not having at least 300 yards passing. -- Todd Archer

Stat to know: The Cowboys lead the NFL in total offense this season (444.6 yards per game) and have the most efficient offense per FPI. But the Patriots lead the NFL in total defense (249.9 opponent yards per game) and have the most efficient defense per FPI. The Patriots have allowed just nine offensive touchdowns.

What to know for fantasy: The Cowboys have three of the top 12 receivers over the past three weeks, but they face a Patriots defense this weekend that is allowing a league-low 22.5 fantasy points to receivers this season and is on pace to have the lowest WR fantasy points per game average against since the 2009 Jets. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: New England has covered seven consecutive games against NFC opponents, including the Super Bowl (7-1 ATS since the start of last season). Overall, Brady is 44-24-2 ATS in his career against NFC teams in the regular season. Read more.

Archer's pick: Patriots 30, Cowboys 20
Reiss' pick: Patriots 27, Cowboys 17
FPI prediction: NE, 70.4% (by an average of 7.2 points)

Matchup must-reads: Classic matchup: Cowboys' 'America's Team' vs. New England's 'We are all Patriots' ... Brady jokes he has disliked Cowboys 'since coming out of the womb' ... DE Bennett on facing Patriots: 'It's never personal in the NFL' ... Patriots' D makes corrections, now bracing for explosive Cowboys

Packers (8-2) at 49ers (9-1)

8:20 p.m. ET | NBC
Matchup rating: 84.9 | Spread: SF -3 (47.5)

What to watch for: This will be a battle of the NFC's top two seeds and one that pits two of the sharpest young branches of the Shanahan coaching tree against each other: Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur. Expect two offenses that look similar, but the team that emerges with a huge victory in the NFC playoff picture will be the one that takes better care of the ball. -- Nick Wagoner

Bold prediction: Two trends will be broken in this game: The Packers will hurt the 49ers with at least one deep ball, and it will come at the hands of Marquez Valdes-Scantling -- who despite ranking tied for second in the NFL with five catches of 40-plus yards this season has only one reception of any kind in the past three games. -- Rob Demovsky

Stat to know: The Packers have played man coverage 56% of the time this season, the sixth-highest rate in the NFL using ESPN's coverage metrics. Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo ranks top five in the NFL in completion rate, yards per dropback and Total QBR against man.

What to know for fantasy: Excluding the injury-plagued 2017 season that saw him miss time around the bye week, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has failed to score even 16 fantasy points in the week following a bye three consecutive times. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: Green Bay is 6-0 outright and 5-1 ATS against teams that entered with winning records this season. That includes two games as an underdog, which Green Bay won outright both times. Read more.

Demovsky's pick: 49ers 31, Packers 28
Wagoner's pick: 49ers 34, Packers 27
FPI prediction: SF, 60.8% (by an average of 3.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Rodgers: Have to beat 49ers 'once at their place at some point' ... What the 49ers need to fix with challenging schedule ahead ... California, here we come -- a day later for the Packers this time

Ravens (8-2) at Rams (6-4)

Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN App
Matchup rating: 89.6 | Spread: BAL -3 (46.5)

What to watch for: The Rams' defense has allowed a league-low 11 points per game over its past four games, which happens to coincide with the arrival of cornerback Jalen Ramsey. However, most of those games were against teams with struggling offenses, including the Bengals, Steelers and Bears. The Ravens come to Los Angeles as the NFL's top-scoring team, averaging 34.1 points per game. This will be the new-look Rams defense's first true test, and it'll be against a quarterback who is the front-runner to win MVP. -- Lindsay Thiry

Bold prediction: Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters exacts some revenge against his former team and sets an NFL record with another pick-six. Peters would become the first player in league history to score defensive touchdowns in three consecutive road games, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. -- Jamison Hensley

Stat to know: The Rams run the second-most plays per game with at least three wide receivers (52.4 per game). Without Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods last weekend, they ran just 17 snaps with three wide receivers, by far their fewest in a game in the Sean McVay era. Without those receivers, L.A. had designed runs on 62% of plays, its highest mark in the past two seasons.

What to know for fantasy: The Ravens' Lamar Jackson has been a top-three quarterback seven times this season and is on pace to score 16.7 more fantasy points than Patrick Mahomes did in his historic 2018. See Week 12 rankings.

Betting nugget: Since moving to Los Angeles, the Rams are 1-7-1 ATS as a home underdog (0-7-1 in their past eight games), including 0-4 with Jared Goff and 0-2 under McVay. Read more.

Hensley's pick: Ravens 24, Rams 23
Thiry's pick: Ravens 30, Rams 28
FPI prediction: BAL, 53.0% (by an average of 1.1 points)

Matchup must-reads: Inside the Rams-Chargers marriage as the NFL fights for Los Angeles ... Why Jackson and Harbaugh needed each other, and football needed them together ... S Weddle says he won't share Ravens intel with Rams ... After rolling another playoff contender, Ravens are NFL's scariest team ... Ravens CB Peters: No hard feelings that Rams traded him

Charges of third-degree harassing communications against Los Angeles Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins have been dropped and a misdemeanor case has been dismissed, his attorney Moshae Donald told ESPN on Friday.

A warrant for Cousins' arrest was filed in a Mobile, Alabama, county court in August following allegations by Christy West, the mother of their 7-year-old child. West had alleged that Cousins threatened to shoot her during an argument regarding their son. TMZ shared an audio recording West took of the incident, and she said the male voice heard was that of Cousins.

Cousins, 29, could still be subject to an NBA fine or suspension as part of the league's domestic violence policy. The league can undertake its own investigation, despite the absence of criminal charges.

After signing a free-agent deal with the Lakers this summer, Cousins suffered a torn ACL ligament in a summer workout and could miss most, if not all, of the Lakers season. He has remained with the team to rehabilitate the injury.

There's still no exact date set for Zion Williamson's return to the court, but New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said the No. 1 overall pick is "getting better literally every day."

Griffin told ESPN New Orleans 100.3 in an interview on Friday that Williamson is on schedule with his rehab from the meniscus surgery that knocked him out for the start of his first NBA season.

"He's progressing exactly as we had hoped he would," Griffin told the radio station.

With the Pelicans on a three-game road trip, Williamson stayed back in New Orleans to continue his rehab process.

"We're really optimistic, and most importantly, Zion is really excited and that's where we want him to be," Griffin said.

Before Williamson steps on the court, the Pelicans will put him through a series of tests to try to figure out when he's healthy enough to resume action. In the preseason before the injury, Williamson averaged 23.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 71.4% from the field.

Griffin said the team will "err on the side of caution" when it comes to Williamson's return, but the team is confident he's on schedule.

Once the Pelicans return from their current road trip, the coaching staff, led by Alvin Gentry, will begin putting Williamson through mental reps to help get him back up to speed.

"The physical part is easy for him," Griffin said. "He has an incredibly high basketball IQ. He loves being a teammate and getting better. He's really rare among truly elite young players in that he enjoys the process of getting better. He loves the process of learning the game."

The original timeline for Williamson's surgery, which happened on Oct. 20, was six to eight weeks. Griffin said that while Williamson is on schedule, it's more likely he comes back at the latter end of that timeline.

"Right now, I think we're on target for eight weeks," Griffin said. "Probably not to the day, but in and around that."