New South Wales 2 for 221 (Solway 65, Smith 59*, Hughes 53) against Western Australia

Steven Smith continued his insatiable thirst for batting with a pain-staking unbeaten half-century on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield clash against Western Australia at the SCG.

He batted for two sessions for 59 not out from 217 balls as the home side crawled to 2 for 221 off 96 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

Smith, Daniel Solway and Daniel Hughes all produced half-centuries on a day where the run-rate never climbed above 2.5 on an SCG surface that looked very dry.

Hughes made 53 out of an opening partnership of 73 with Solway. He found the boundary eight times but fell to a loose shot, wafting at a length ball wide of off stump from Marcus Stoinis with Josh Inglis taking an excellent one-handed catch diving to his left.

WA were able to restrict the Blues by bowling straight with straight fields. Solway and Smith shared an 82-run stand but took nearly 42 overs to do so. Solway backed up his debut century against South Australia last week with another patient half-century.

He faced 195 balls for his 65, with just five boundaries, before falling to a leading edge, closing the face of the bat trying to work Liam O'Connor's legspin to the leg side.

Smith took 128 balls to hit his first boundary, launching Ashton Agar for six down over long-off. He struck just three fours and two sixes. Moises Henriques was far more fluent cruising to 43 not out late in the day.

South Australia 1 for 359 (Weatherald 195*, Hunt 132, Neil-Smith 1-74) against Tasmania

Openers Jake Weatherald and Henry Hunt both made centuries as they broke a 52-year-old South Australia record with an opening stand of 293 runs to put the Redbacks in command against Tasmania at Adelaide Oval.

Hunt made his maiden Sheffield Shield century - 132 - while Weatherald thumped his highest first-class score of 195 not out and his third score of 150-plus in Shield cricket.

Their partnership passed the previous South Australian record of 281 set by Les Favell and John Causby against New South Wales back in 1967.

Tasmania, who were asked to field after losing the toss, managed to take just one wicket on the day on what was an excellent batting strip. Their attack lacked penetration without the extra pace of Riley Meredith, who is away on Australia A duty.

Weatherald and Hunt cashed in. Weatherald's performance was quite against the run of his recent form; since scoring 150 in February, also against Tasmania in Adelaide, he had made just 123 runs in 11 Shield innings with a highest score of 37 and four ducks. But he plundered 29 boundaries in his career-best knock, and was particularly savage square of the wicket.

Late in the day, Tasmania had three gullies and a deep point and Weatherald was still able to find the rope with his powerful cut. He finished the day five runs shy of a maiden double-century.

Hunt showed the same patience and diligence he had in his 75 on debut against Victoria. He struck 16 fours and a six and brought up his century with a classy late cut before becoming the only wicket to fall. He succumbed to a top edge when he attempted a front-foot pull late in the day. Callum Ferguson made an easy 20 not out to take his team to stumps alongside Weatherald.

It would have been natural to write off the Steelers after they lost quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (elbow) and opened the season 0-3.

Since then, however, they have pulled off one of their most impressive runs since coach Mike Tomlin was hired in 2006. They have won five of their past six games and pushed their way into the middle of the AFC playoff race.

Let's take a closer look at the playoff race through 10 weeks of the 2019 NFL season.

Jump to: AFC | NFC

AFC

1. New England Patriots (8-1)

The Patriots emerged from their bye week with a one-game lead in the race for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, though the Ravens hold the head-to-head tiebreaker if it comes to that. Now comes the Pats' opportunity to earn that top spot. After playing the NFL's easiest schedule to this point, according to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), they'll now face four consecutive playoff contenders, starting with the Eagles in Philadelphia in Week 11.

Next up: at Philadelphia

2. Baltimore Ravens (7-2)

It would be difficult to find a team that has played better over the past month or so. The Ravens decisively defeated the Seahawks and Patriots by a combined 31 points, and on Sunday they destroyed the Bengals to such a degree that quarterback Lamar Jackson got the fourth quarter off. The Steelers' surge will at least keep the Ravens honest in the AFC North, although they are a full two games ahead and already have won one of the teams' two regular-season matchups.

Next up: vs. Houston

3. Houston Texans (6-3)

The Texans got an unexpected boost in the division during their bye when the Colts lost a home clunker to the tanking Dolphins. That put the Texans ahead by a full game. But Week 10 also made clear that the Titans aren't going away, either. Regardless, the Texans need to be sharp as they return this week. They have a brutal stretch upcoming with consecutive games against the Ravens, Colts and Patriots.

Next up: at Baltimore

4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)

The Chiefs navigated Patrick Mahomes' knee injury only to ... lose upon his return? It happened Sunday in relatively freaky fashion, courtesy of a pair of fourth-quarter miscues by their field goal unit. The Chiefs' 35-32 loss to the Titans tightened the AFC West considerably. The Raiders have closed to within a half-game and will travel to Kansas City in three weeks. In between, the Chiefs have a must-win game next Monday night against another division rival, the Chargers. Kansas City has lost almost all of its wiggle room in what once seemed a weak division.

Next up: at L.A. Chargers

5. Buffalo Bills (6-3)

It might be time to ask if the Bills are a playoff team or one that has simply cleaned up against a really easy schedule. The combined winning percentage of the teams they've defeated is .214, the lowest of any team with at least one victory in the NFL. They looked pretty bad against the Browns on Sunday, but fortunately for them, the Colts' loss in Miami allowed the Bills to hold a relatively strong spot in the AFC race.

Next up: at Miami

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)

Well, well, well. Tomlin has remade the Steelers on the fly, behind a swarming defense and two quarterbacks (Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges) who had no real experience entering this season. The defense alone, fueled in part by newcomers Minkah Fitzpatrick and Devin Bush, appears equipped to keep the team in playoff contention. For the moment, the Steelers stand above the rest of the 5-4 field because they have a better conference record than the Raiders and they have a head-to-head victory over the Colts.

Next up: at Cleveland

Next four

7. Oakland Raiders (5-4)
8. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)
9. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

NFC

1. San Francisco 49ers (8-0)

The Saints' loss adds another layer to what already was a huge Monday night game against the Seahawks. The 49ers already knew that a win would move them into the driver's seat in the NFC West. But now they have a chance to put some distance between them and the Saints in the race for the top seed in the conference. And, wouldn't you know it, they'll host the Packers -- their other prime competitor for the top spot -- in two weeks.

Next up: vs. Seattle (Monday night)

2. Green Bay Packers (8-2)

The Packers rarely make it easy; their plus-45 scoring differential is the second lowest among the eight division leaders. But they rebounded from their Week 9 loss to the Chargers with a tough win over a Panthers team that looks good enough to ascend into the playoff picture at some point. As they enter their bye, all goals are within reasonable reach, including the NFC North title and the No. 1 overall seed.

Next up: at San Francisco (after the bye)

3. New Orleans Saints (7-2)

Deep breaths are necessary in New Orleans. Yes, Sunday's home loss to the Falcons was perplexing and eye-opening. But in the big picture, the Saints remain firmly in control of the NFC South and are one 49ers loss away from getting back into the conversation for the top spot in the conference. And their schedule sets them up to follow that path, with three consecutive division games followed by a Week 14 game against the Niners at the Superdome.

Next up: at Tampa Bay

4. Dallas Cowboys (5-4)

A Sunday night loss to the Vikings ate up the rest of the Cowboys' breathing room in the NFC East. They still own the division lead over the Eagles by virtue of their Week 7 victory in the teams' first matchup of the season. And there is still time to galvanize in the second half. But short of that, the Cowboys are having one of the NFL's most vexing seasons. Are they the team that started 3-0? Or are they the team that has gone 2-4 since? There isn't a ton of time left to find out.

Next up: at Detroit

5. Seattle Seahawks (7-2)

If the Seahawks wants to make a run at overtaking the 49ers in the NFC West, they'll probably need to start Monday night in San Francisco. That is, of course, assuming the 49ers can hold up to a grueling schedule the rest of the way. If not, the Seahawks might ascend as a matter of attrition.

Next up: at San Francisco (Monday night)

6. Minnesota Vikings (7-3)

We shall see if the Vikings' win Sunday night in Dallas was a signature win against a playoff team, or one against a team that started hot and faded down the stretch. But regardless, the Vikings should have a pep in their step after quarterback Kirk Cousins won his first road game in prime time since Dec. 26, 2015. Their schedule gets a bit more favorable for the next few weeks, with home games against the Broncos (3-6) and Lions (3-5-1) sandwiched around a trip to Seattle.

Next up: vs. Denver

Next four

7. Los Angeles Rams (5-4)
8. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)
9. Carolina Panthers (5-4)
10. Chicago Bears (4-5)

The Saints lost by 17 points to the Falcons. And even with Patrick Mahomes back under center, the Chiefs couldn't outlast the Titans. The Jets got by the Giants in a Battle of New York, Baltimore's Lamar Jackson piled on offense against an overmatched Cincinnati team and the Browns held off the Bills for their third win.

In the afternoon, Miami upset Indianapolis, and Green Bay made a late stand to beat Carolina in the snow.

All that and more in Week 10's biggest takeaways from NFL Nation.

Jump to a matchup:
KC-TEN | ATL-NO | DET-CHI
ARI-TB | BAL-CIN | BUF-CLE
NYG-NYJ | MIA-IND | LAR-PIT
CAR-GB | MIN-DAL | LAC-OAK

Tennessee Titans 35, Kansas City Chiefs 32

The Titans rediscovered the importance of using Derrick Henry as the focal point of the offense. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's decision to stick to the run despite being down by nine points to Kansas City in the fourth quarter paid off. Henry finished with 23 carries for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Tennessee's win keeps it in the playoff mix and allows the team to get healthy during the bye week. -- Turron Davenport

Next game: vs. Jacksonville (4:05 p.m. ET, Nov. 24)

Even with Patrick Mahomes back in the lineup and on top of his game, the Chiefs won't be able to outscore every opponents. If they don't clean up their sloppiness on special teams and improve on defending the run, they won't win the AFC West title for the fourth consecutive season. The Chiefs can be get caught by the 5-4 Raiders, who are a half-game behind and come to Arrowhead Stadium in Week 13. -- Adam Teicher

Next game: at L.A. Chargers (8:15 p.m. ET, Nov. 18)

Atlanta Falcons 26, New Orleans Saints 9

The Falcons, who had a league-low seven sacks coming into Sunday, generated consistent pressure against Drew Brees with six sacks and 11 quarterback hits. Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett led the way with 2.5 sacks and five QB hits. The coverage and communication from the defensive backs was solid, and the rushers up front took care of the rest. If the Falcons can rush with such consistency next week at Carolina and the rest of the season, they could be in every game, especially if the offense continues with long scoring drives. -- Vaughn McClure

Next game: at Carolina (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New Orleans needs to figure out how to start faster. The Saints' stunning loss at home to the Falcons feels like a bit of a one-off, since they won the six previous games. But Brees agreed afterward the Saints do need to be concerned about their uncharacteristic trend of slow starts on offense this season. They have scored a total of 25 first-quarter points in nine games. They need to start setting the tone more in a critical month with three more division games coming up, starting next week at Tampa Bay. -- Mike Triplett

Next game: at Tampa Bay (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Chicago Bears 20, Detroit Lions 13

Bears coach Matt Nagy refuses to change. He opened the doors to Club Dub, the Bears postgame locker room dance party, after Sunday's victory over Detroit, even though the team had lost four straight coming in and is 4-5 on the year. "I never considered not doing it," Nagy said. "It's who we are." He recalled one year in Kansas City when the Chiefs were 1-5 and found a way to make the playoffs. "I keep reminding myself of that," Nagy said. The Bears face long odds, but there is no quit in the second-year head coach. -- Jeff Dickerson

Next game: at L.A. Rams (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Life without Matthew Stafford, as expected, was not kind to the Lions. While the stats might appear better than one would think in Jeff Driskel's first start with Detroit, the reality is it was a much different offense without Stafford playing for the first time since the start of the 2011 season. It will be a long season for Detroit, who is now close to needing to win out to reach the postseason, if Stafford can't return soon. -- Michael Rothstein

Next game: vs. Dallas (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30, Arizona Cardinals 27

The Bucs finally found a way to finish. After the Buccaneers surrendered an eight-point lead to the Seahawks last week -- their fifth blown lead of the season -- and having their secondary called out by coach Bruce Arians for a "disappointing" year, cornerback Jamel Dean made a touchdown-saving interception late in the fourth quarter. "I'm just really elated that we finished," said quarterback Jameis Winston, who threw two interceptions but delivered three touchdown drives. "That was a really, really ugly win. That was an ugly win. But we found a way to do it." Arians added, "I can't be happier for anybody than Jamel Dean. He [won] the game. Last week he [was] the goat. He's gonna be a hell of a player." -- Jenna Laine

Next game: vs. New Orleans (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Cardinals blew an opportunity to inch closer to .500. Arizona's offense looked impressive at times, with Kyler Murray setting a new mark for consecutive passes by rookie without an interception (211), per the Elias Sports Bureau. However, too many mistakes -- including a pick by Murray late in fourth quarter -- cost Arizona a win. After the demoralizing loss, the Cardinals now have to gear up to travel to San Francisco for their fourth road game in five weeks. -- Josh Weinfuss

Next game: at San Francisco (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Baltimore Ravens 49, Cincinnati Bengals 13

Lamar Jackson made his most complete statement that he's the MVP in the NFL. He became the third player in the past 30 years to record at least three touchdown passes, one touchdown run and a perfect passer rating in a single game. But what everyone will talk about is his highlight-reel 47-yard touchdown run in which he faked out one defender and spun around another. Coach John Harbaugh said: "I said to offensive coaches on the headphones: 'They'll be watching that run for decades and decades. That's one that everyone in the country is going to see by tomorrow afternoon.'" Thanks to Jackson, the Ravens (7-2) won for the fifth consecutive time, closing to within one game of the Patriots (8-1) and the top seed in the AFC. -- Jamison Hensley

Next game: vs. Houston (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Almost everything that happened during the Bengals' blowout loss against the Ravens was part of the bottoming out that comes with the rebuilding process. Rookie quarterback Ryan Finley had some positive moments but also had a couple of costly turnovers that were returned for touchdowns (one fumble lost, one interception). The Bengals went with rookies like Drew Sample and Germaine Pratt in an effort to make progress in their development. And while all of that is necessary to build for the future, it comes at a cost. Cincinnati needed a late field goal to avoid the biggest loss in franchise history. But it was Cincinnati's 11th straight defeat dating back to last season, which ties the longest in franchise history. The ninth consecutive loss in 2019 makes this the franchise's worst start since 1993. -- Ben Baby

Next game: at Oakland (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Cleveland Browns 19, Buffalo Bills 16

After getting stuffed on goal-to-go on two previous possessions, Cleveland finally broke through in the final two minutes. Cleveland has owned one of the worst red-zone and goal-to-go offenses in the NFL, and those struggles continued Sunday. But with one final opportunity, the Browns kept their season -- and faint playoff hopes -- alive with a gutsy, 82-yard touchdown drive, concluding with a 7-yard pass from Baker Mayfield to Rashard Higgins. Too often this year, the Browns have found ways to lose. Sunday, they found a way to win. Now, in the span of five days, they have an opportunity to double their season win total, with Pittsburgh coming to town Thursday night. Beat the Steelers, and suddenly Cleveland's season outlook quickly could begin to change. -- Jake Trotter

Next game: vs. Pittsburgh (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday)

This loss may go down as a pivotal moment in Buffalo's season. The Bills made things interesting for the AFC's potential wild-card teams after Sunday's loss to the Browns, adding fuel to the critique that this team's record is more a result of a weak schedule than anything else. Unfortunately for Buffalo, that "weak schedule" has come to a screeching halt; its next two games against Miami and Denver can no longer be overlooked before a four-game stretch against Dallas, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and New England. Now 10 weeks into the season, the Bills are 1-3 against their four toughest opponents and haven't created any sort of confidence they can beat good teams. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: at Miami (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New York Jets 34, New York Giants 27

There was finally a sign of life for the Jets. Quarterback Sam Darnold even said the Jets (2-7) have a chance to make the playoffs if they run the table. Easy there, young pup. The Jets are in no position to think that way, but give them credit for showing a pulse. Instead of quitting on coach Adam Gase, they rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Giants. The defense suffocated Saquon Barkley and the Giants' run game, and Darnold played his first interception-free game since Week 1. Baby steps. -- Rich Cimini

Next game: at Washington (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

This Giants' season keeps getting worse with their sixth consecutive loss heading into the bye week. "We lost six straight. ... Don't feel good," said safety Jabrill Peppers. "Definitely embarrassed." Have to wonder now if any changes will be made by ownership considering the embarrassment of this game and season. The Giants (2-8) are worse than last year after 10 games, and the Jets came in averaging 12 points per game. Asked after the games if he wanted to comment, owner John Mara didn't break stride. He immediately exited the building, clearly upset with what is transpiring with his struggling franchise. -- Jordan Raanan

Next game: at Chicago (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 24)

Miami Dolphins 16, Indianapolis Colts 12

The Dolphins appear to have found the right coach in Brian Flores. A two-game winning streak doesn't mean much for 2019, but it does show positive signs for the culture Flores is building in Miami. The Dolphins might have the NFL's least-talented roster, one that has often dealt with sudden, dramatic changes at inopportune times, and yet players and coaches have stepped up over the past month. This is a disciplined, hard-fighting team, even in a year that means little record-wise. If this is the ground-level stage of the new Dolphins, the future has some real promise behind Flores. -- Cameron Wolfe

Next game: vs. Buffalo (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Colts continue to ruin their chances to take control of the AFC South. They followed up a road loss to Pittsburgh in Week 9 by losing to the struggling Dolphins on Sunday. The loss kept the Colts out of first place in the division. Veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer, starting in place of the injured Jacoby Brissett (knee), threw three interceptions, and kicker Adam Vinatieri continued to show he's hurting the Colts more than he's helping them by missing an extra point attempt -- bringing the total of missed kicks on the season to 11 (six extra point attempts and five field goal attempts). General manager Chris Ballard can't sit back and be loyal to Vinatieri. He has to start looking for a replacement for the NFL's all-time leading scorer. -- Mike Wells

Next game: vs. Jacksonville (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Pittsburgh Steelers 17, Los Angeles Rams 12

Quarterback Mason Rudolph said it best in his postgame news conference: The Steelers' defense is playing like the 1985 Bears. Pittsburgh didn't give up a single offensive touchdown in its win against the Rams, and the defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions. Minkah Fitzpatrick sealed the win with a pick, his fifth since being traded from Miami after Week 2. Still in the playoff hunt at 5-4, the Steelers' stagnant offense needs to capitalize on the momentum to make a continued push toward the postseason. -- Brooke Pryor

Next game: at Cleveland (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday)

The Rams continue a run in the opposite direction, now 5-4. The offense has underperformed throughout most of 2019, and did so again Sunday, as Jared Goff passed for 243 yards, threw two interceptions and also lost a fumble. The run game is a shadow of its former self, with Todd Gurley II and a rotation of backs combining for 88 yards. Now the Rams must regroup and hope for the return of two injured offensive linemen in time to play the Bears, who last season had no trouble solving the Rams' offensive game plan. -- Lindsey Thiry

Next game: vs. Chicago (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Green Bay Packers 24, Carolina Panthers 16

If the Packers keep playing the way they did Sunday for the rest of November and into December, they'll have important games to play -- perhaps even at home -- in January. On a wintery Green Bay day, the Packers improved to 4-1 at home with a steady mix of Davante Adams, Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, along with a timely goal-line stop on the last play of the game to stop the Panthers in their snowy tracks. "It seems like this place is becoming what it was for so long: a very difficult place to play," Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "And we're putting ourselves in position to have an opportunity to get one of these meaningful [games] down the line." -- Rob Demovsky

Next game: at San Francisco (4:25 p.m. ET, Nov. 24)

Kyle Allen gives the Panthers a chance to win. Tight end Greg Olsen said the quarterback's performance in the fourth quarter was as good as any he has been around, considering the environment of Lambeau Field and heavy snow flurries. If you want a positive from the loss to the Packers, it's that the second-year undrafted QB showed he can be successful against the league's best teams, posting a career-best 307 passing yards and managing the game despite two costly turnovers (fumble, interception). As Allen said afterward, if he can play "clean football," the Panthers can win a lot of games. -- David Newton

Next game: vs. Atlanta (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Minnesota Vikings 28, Dallas Cowboys 24

Minnesota's victory will go down as one of the most important of Mike Zimmer's tenure. The Vikings went on the road and succeeded in a hostile environment against a good team, something they had not done this season (they had road wins against the Giants and Lions) and will have to do if they are a wild-card team in the NFC playoffs. They proved they have the formula offensively to dismantle some of the league's best defenses, with a rushing attack that pounded 10 straight runs at Dallas on a statement-making touchdown drive in the third quarter. They also showed they can bend and not break defensively when the game is on the line, as evidenced by Eric Kendricks' game-sealing deflected pass. This win legitimizes Minnesota as a contender. -- Courtney Cronin

Next game: vs. Denver (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

At 5-4 after Sunday's loss to Minnesota, the Cowboys' best and likely only chance to make the playoffs is by winning the NFC East. The Cowboys couldn't run the ball but Dak Prescott passed for 388 yards and three touchdowns and Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb had more than 100 receiving yards. The defense, however, could not make the critical stops on third down and failed to take the ball away. For the Cowboys to make the playoffs now, a wild-card route appears unlikely given the tiebreakers. It is division or bust. -- Todd Archer

Next game: at Detroit (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Oakland Raiders 26, Los Angeles Chargers 24

The Raiders are legitimate playoff contenders and in the middle of their best stretch since Jon Gruden returned to the sideline last year. Beating the Chargers on national TV on Thursday night served notice, and with the Chiefs falling at Tennessee on Sunday, Oakland finds itself a half-game behind Kansas City in the AFC West. The Raiders have two winnable games up next against the winless Bengals and at the 2-7 Jets, setting up a potential first-place showdown at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 1. Buckle up. -- Paul Gutierrez

Next game: vs. Cincinnati (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Philip Rivers had three costly interceptions that proved too much for the Chargers to overcome. He struggled against an improved Oakland defensive front that sacked him five times. To his credit, Rivers battled playing in front of a banged-up offensive line that included two backup offensive tackles, but the growing number of turnovers from Rivers is a critical issue for head coach Anthony Lynn, who prioritizes taking care of the football. The Chargers are 16-36 when Rivers turns the ball over at least two times. -- Eric D. Williams

Next game: vs. Kansas City (8:15 p.m. ET, Nov. 18)

LOS ANGELES -- Following a 113-104 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis admitted that he is still feeling discomfort in his right shoulder, which he jammed on a missed dunk attempt two weeks ago.

"There's really never a play I don't feel it," Davis said.

He was still effective against the Raptors, pacing L.A. with 27 points on 10-for-20 shooting along with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and four blocks. He aggravated his shoulder on one of those swats on Pascal Siakam, causing the joint to droop as he made his way back up the court.

"I'm going to go out there and play. I try not to let it affect my game," said Davis, who hasn't missed any games this season because of the injury. "I just play through it and then worry about taking care of it after the game."

His treatment includes wearing a compression T-shirt under his jersey during games and having a heat pack applied on the shoulder when he's on the bench.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Davis' shoulder has "been fine" but acknowledged that he tweaked it Sunday.

"Obviously, we saw that play [against Siakam]," Vogel said. "Medical team didn't feel like he needed to come out."

The entire Lakers team, however, thought they needed to do better in their transition defense.

Toronto was able to snap L.A.'s seven-game win streak by outscoring the Lakers 11-0 on fast-break points in the fourth quarter, allowing the defending champions to break open what was a tied game heading into the final frame.

For the game, Toronto outscored the Lakers 33-11 on fast-break points, including 21-0 in the second half. It was the most fast-break points scored by a team without the opposition scoring a fast-break point in a half this season, according to research compiled by ESPN Stats & Information.

"I mean, that's kind of our Achilles' heel right now," Kyle Kuzma said. "Transition defense, that's kind of hurt us all season. You guys may not look at it because we've won, but that's something that we need to address. And I think that's one thing that kind of hurt us. A bigger issue throughout the game is just transition defense. We get stops and whatnot, but if we can clean that up, we'll be all right.

"We're the NBA's best defensive team, but we've still got our flaws. That's something that we need to start addressing. And that's a little thing that's just all about smarts and just getting back. We can fix it."

The Lakers came into the night with the best defensive efficiency in the league and recognized the Raptors' strength in fast-break scoring -- Toronto's No. 1 in the league, with an average of 22.7 transition points per game -- but that recognition wasn't enough to stop a Raptors team that was supposedly reeling from the losses of Kyle Lowry (thumb) and Serge Ibaka (ankle) to recent injuries.

"We had to execute offensively, and when we didn't, it was going to be a run-out that we couldn't recover from," Vogel said. "We've been showing great effort in transition defense, getting back in sprints and trying to make recovery plays. But that wasn't really there for us tonight, and it cost us."

The fast-break margin neutralized a strong game from Davis and LeBron James' fourth triple-double of the season (13 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds, albeit on 5-for-15 shooting). L.A. was 0-for-6 in transition opportunities in the second half, and for the game, Fred VanVleet outscored the Lakers 12-11 in fast-break scenarios, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The loss dropped the Lakers to 7-2, tied with the surging Denver Nuggets for the No. 1 record in the Western Conference.

"Obviously, we hate to lose, but they were the better team, and we just move on to the next one," James said. "There's still ways for us to be better, and we know that. We're a really good team, but we want to get even better."

Workload management and resting from matches has become part of the new norm for Australia's fast bowlers but James Pattinson wants to be able to string back-to-back Test matches together.

Pattinson, 29, was deliberately managed through the Ashes, his first experience of Test cricket in three years after having spinal surgery in late 2017. His bowling loads were carefully plotted as he only played in the first and third Test while being rested for the second and fourth. He was available for the fifth Test but was not selected.

His management has continued on return to Victoria. He played the first two Sheffield Shield games bowling 60 overs on two extremely flat wickets before he was rested from the third game of the season against Tasmania with the Test series against Pakistan in mind.

Pattinson is set to return for Victoria against Queensland at the MCG starting on Tuesday with the Test squad to be announced Thursday and his aim is to be fit enough play consecutive Tests moving forward.

ALSO READ: How Jhye Richardson's career sped up by slowing down

"I think the next process for me if I do get a chance in the Test arena is trying to play more back-to-back cricket now," Pattinson said. "I think [being rested] was more being out of the team and coming back after three years.

"I've been injury-free now for the better part of a year now. The body is feeling good. Hopefully, that's the next progression if I do get a chance in the Test team."

The rest and rotation policy has been a source of consternation for Australia's bowlers. The selectors are keen for "squad mentality" in order to prolong careers but the bowlers are wary of giving up their spot due to the quality of players available. Australia are likely to have Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Pattinson and Jhye Richardson all fit and available for Brisbane.

Pattinson said he looks on with envy at the batsmen who do get the continuity of playing every game.

"I think the more cricket you play the more comfortable you feel in terms of your body and how the ball is coming out. You see the batters around and they're playing all the time and they get into a rhythm. As a bowler, it's hard sometimes when you're stopping and going and stopping and going so hopefully the next step of the process is playing some consistent cricket."

He is aware that his situation is different from his fellow fast bowlers. Pattinson has two screws in his lower back after undergoing the same spinal surgery that prolonged the careers of New Zealanders, Shane Bond, Matt Henry and Corey Anderson. He has to be extra vigilant around how his back feels after big workloads in first-class games.

"When I do have a big load it's just managing how it responds that," Pattinson said. "In the past, if I've had a big load, it gets a bit stiff, I then manage it, have a break, go again sort of thing," he said. "It's mainly keeping that area as mobile as possible. When you've got a couple screws in your back it's about doing as much stretching as possible and not trying to overdo it. I think as you get older you learn how to manage it and a lot of time and effort goes into it.

"I think if I didn't have that surgery I wouldn't know where I'd be now. I could have had another stress [fracture] and retired. It's been a really big tick. It's held me on the park for over a year now so hopefully, I can keep going."

Fellow Australia fast bowler Jason Behrendorff underwent the same surgery in October. Pattinson had been in contact with Behrendorff and said his advice was to be patient in the recovery process.

"I think probably not to rush it in the early stages. For me, I was able to take a bit longer because there wasn't a lot of cricket on. I gave it that initial time to heal. When you have the surgery, they pack it full of new bone. They take a bone graft and pack it around there so you want it to bind together and one thing I tried to do was pretty much try and sit on the couch for 10 weeks.

"I was lucky enough I was speaking to Shane Bond and Corey Anderson from New Zealand who had it done not long before me, so he was really good to ring up and say I'm feeling this and I'm feeling that, is this normal is this not normal, and everything was sort of normal along the way that everyone else had experienced so that was a good feeling for me."

Despite giving India a good run for their money in their three-match T20Is series, the result ultimately went against Bangladesh, and Mahmudullah, leading the side after Shakib Al Hasan was banned for a year, conceded afterwards that his team had "a long way to go" in the format.

On the night, Bangladesh lost their last eight wickets for just 34 runs in the space of 6.2 overs - Deepak Chahar picking up a hat-trick on his way to record-breaking returns of 6 for 7 - to collapse from a commanding 110 for 2 in the 13th over to be bowled out for 144.

ALSO READ:Mohammad Naim provides a glimpse of Bangladesh's future

"We had our chance when we needed 50 runs off 30 balls, but we lost a few wickets rapidly. It cost us the match," Mahmudullah said. "If you analyse these three games, we played good cricket. It is hard to get the momentum back once you lose it in T20 cricket. As I have mentioned, we were very close in this game. We lost three or four wickets in six or seven balls. It was the crucial part of this game. We can't make these mistakes again and again.

"Honestly, we have a long way to go in T20s. We are a team dependent on skilled hitting, not big hitters. If we can be consistent with our game sense and mentality, we can improve in this format."

"I think we are not overdoing in giving opportunities. It is important to back players in T20Is where it is hard to be consistent"

Having arrived in India without two of their best players in Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, and the emerging Mohammad Saifuddin, and on the back of the much-publicised players' strike, there were doubts about the team's ability. But newcomer Mohammad Naim played a sparkling innings in the last game, while Shafiul Islam and Al-Amin Hossain took responsibility with the new and old ball. Legspinner Aminul Islam showed glimpses of his skills, and Mushfiqur Rahim played a match-winning knock in the first game.

But prominent players like Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das and Mustafizur Rahman didn't have a good time at all.

"I think we are not overdoing in giving opportunities," Mahmudullah said. "It is important to back players in T20Is where it is hard to be consistent. As a team and the management, we should back players who are going through a rough time.

"Every cricketer has a time in their career when they go through a patch of five or six games. I think we expect a lot from [Mustafizur, who went wicketless in all the games]. He is a champion bowler. I don't think we should give him a rethink. We should support him. He is working hard. It is a matter of one match."

Where Mustafizur faltered, Al-Amin returned to the T20I side after three years displaying all the guiles that have helped him become a strong performer in the domestic scene. "Al-Amin was brilliant. He is one of our best T20 bowlers, if you look at his track record. I was confident that he would do well here."

It went 2-1 to India, but could well have been 2-1 to the visitors had they batted with more purpose in the last game, where young Naim scored a 48-ball 81 but Mohammad Mithun's 27 was the next best. In fact, the two of them were the only ones to get into double-digits as Nos 5, 6, 7 and 8 scored 17 runs between them.

"It was an attractive innings," Mahmudullah said of Naim's innings. "I felt bad for him that we couldn't finish what he had done with his innings."

DALLAS -- Week 10 afforded a proving ground for the Minnesota Vikings, who entered and exited AT&T Stadium holding on to the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff picture after capturing a 28-24 win against the Dallas Cowboys.

For the Vikings (7-3), it was a huge win at a critical point of the season, and they succeeded at what had stymied them previously. Minnesota beat a good team (Dallas, 5-4, entered Sunday leading the NFC East) on the road and overcame its own pitfalls, particularly on defense.

Sure, the Vikings would have remained the No. 6 seed regardless of the outcome, but Sunday night's victory not only shattered the notion that quarterback Kirk Cousins can't come through in the biggest games, it gave Minnesota a preview of the type of competition it will have to beat if it reaches the postseason.

Minnesota is locked into the current playoff picture, but has issues that need to be ironed out if it wants to remain in that position and make a deep run in January. On Sunday, the Vikings took the first step toward getting there and gained important ground over other NFC hopefuls like the Carolina Panthers (5-4), Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) and Los Angeles Rams (5-4).

Offensive superlatives galore: You could chalk this game up as "The Kyle Rudolph special" or "Dalvin Cook day" and both would accurately define what worked offensively for Minnesota. Rudolph's two 1-yard touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the first quarter allowed the Vikings to jump out to a 14-0 lead and activate the passing attack on a night they'd be without Adam Thielen (hamstring injury). Cook recorded yet another 100-yard rushing day against one of the league's best run defenses, and the statement Minnesota made with its run game played out at a pivotal point. On their final touchdown drive, the Vikings ran the ball 11 times, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run by Cook, followed up by a 2-point conversion catch by Rudolph. The Vikings ripped off five runs of 10 yards or more on Sunday, which ties the second-most such runs Dallas has allowed this season.

Defensive deficiencies: Trae Waynes' absence made for a nightmare outing for Mike Hughes. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott picked apart the second-year cornerback, who was targeted 17 times as the nearest defender in coverage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, which is the most for any player in any game this season. Hughes gave up 10 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown, and allowed several third-and-longs, including two third-and-12s on separate touchdown drives, and a third-and-14 later in the game. As a whole, Minnesota let Dallas convert nine of its 15 third-down attempts, a rate made worse by the lack of pass rush and push up the middle because of Linval Joseph's absence due to injury

But when it mattered most: Eric Kendricks came through, as he has so many times this season. His huge stop on fourth-and-5 allowed the Vikings to hold off Dallas' late-game push. Kendricks entered Week 10 leading all NFL linebackers with 10 passes defended, and added his 11^th during the most critical moment of the game. Ifeadi Odenigbo deserves credit for his tackle for loss on Ezekiel Elliott the play before as well.

Another wild weekend in the Premier League is done and dusted. We get you caught up on the action with the Weekend Review.

JUMP TO: Pep's shallow squad | Liverpool's title to lose | Emery is throwing stuff at a wall | Foxes better than Claudio's heroes | West Ham sweating on Fabianski | Luckiest moment of the weekend | A final word on VAR ... again

City's depth is becoming a problem for them

Instinctively it feels slightly absurd to suggest one of Manchester City's weaknesses is their strength in depth. After all, on Sunday £60 million worth of Riyad Mahrez didn't make it off the bench and Gabriel Jesus would start every game for about 98 percent of other teams on the planet. But in specific areas, City's squad is shallow, it cost them the game against Liverpool and it could cost them the Premier League title.

The most obvious place to start is in goal, where Claudio Bravo wasn't quite the calamity he was in the Champions League against Atalanta (36 minutes, no saves, one goal conceded, one red card) but he was terrible in a more low key way, letting in three goals that, for at least two if not all, you thought "Ederson would've saved that."

Maybe Bravo would be a safer bet with some proper defenders in front of him. The decision not to recruit a centre-back when Vincent Kompany left in the summer seemed odd at the time, but looks even worse now. Perhaps City thought they could muddle through with Aymeric Laporte and someone beside him, but when the Frenchman was struck down with his knee injury, their options looked bleak. Guardiola has always been fond of playing midfielders in defence, but he's learning pretty quickly that it's not always a good idea.

And then there's left-back, a position that Guardiola has never really nailed at City but is proving particularly tricky this season. To illustrate the point Benjamin Mendy wasn't injured for Sunday's game, but Guardiola preferred to give Angelino just his second league start, which turned out to be a pretty thankless task. Asking the Spaniard to deal with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah -- probably the toughest right flank in the world to face -- was ambitious, and went about as well as you'd expect.

All of this was a big reason for Man City's 3-1 defeat at Anfield. Sure, Liverpool got a little lucky, but they also exploited City's weaknesses ruthlessly and as a result are nine points ahead with a third of the season gone.

Liverpool can't throw this away from here ... can they?

Since three points for a win was introduced in 1981, only three teams have been eight points or more ahead after 12 games: Manchester United in 1985-86 and 1993-95, and City in 2017-18. The first United side collapsed pretty soon afterwards and finished fourth, but the latter two strode on and won the title at a canter.

"Other people will 100 percent say that from now on Liverpool can only lose it," said Klopp, who had a similar lead with Borussia Dortmund in 2010-11 when he won his first title there. "That's a very negative approach, but you can see it like this. But we don't care."

The question now is how Liverpool deal with being such emphatic front-runners, given how they stumbled after taking a big lead last season. Klopp, as with most things, seems aware of that.

"It's not important because who wants to be first in November? You want to be first in May. The pressure is not there yet," he said. "It will come, but at the moment it's just opportunity."

Emery is throwing stuff at a wall, but not much is sticking

Unai Emery has now said after three straight games, none of which Arsenal won, that for at least some of the match his team followed the plan and carried out his instructions. After the 2-0 defeat to Leicester on Saturday, you could sort of see what he was getting at, because Arsenal weren't too bad in the first-half. But surely anyone with even a little self-awareness would realise that continually saying that the team were doing what you tell them to, but not winning, will make you look like an idiot.

A charitable interpretation would be that he's trying to take the heat off the players, but there isn't much charity in the Arsenal fanbase at the moment. They have won just two of the last 10 league games, two away games of any description all season, and Emery is showing the telltale sign of a floundering manager by throwing formations and team selections at a wall and seeing what sticks.

But not much is sticking, and it just looks like Emery is guessing at this stage: Brendan Rodgers observed that, as far as he could tell, Emery had only used the 5-2-1-2 system deployed on Saturday once before, in last season's Europa League final. You will probably recall that Arsenal lost that one 4-1.

If Leicester win the title again, it would be better than the first

To give a small illustration of the work Rodgers has done at Leicester, they were a whopping 32 points shy of second place when he took charge of his first game last March. Now they are second, with broadly the same players, a point above City going into the international break and one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Premier League.

Implausibly, they're very much in the title race again, and you could feasibly argue that A: This team is better than the one that won the league in 2015-16, and B: If they managed it again this time, it would be a better achievement due to the higher calibre of opposition they're facing.

West Ham are praying for Fabianski's return

If a player's value is determined by the difference in quality between them and their replacement, then Lukasz Fabianski might be the most important player in the Premier League.

It probably wasn't a great sign when his back-up Roberto played in West Ham's Carabao Cup game against League One Oxford United and conceded four times. The man with the neck tattoos has very much continued that form since replacing the injured Fabianski in the Premier League side.

With Fabianski in goal this season West Ham conceded eight goals in six-and-a-half Premier League games, five coming in one game against Manchester City, which happens. Since Roberto took the gloves they've let in 12 in five-and-a-half games, winning none of them, the latest being the 3-0 defeat at Burnley this weekend where Roberto was responsible for at least two of the goals conceded.

The current third-choice is David Martin, who had a solid enough career in the Football League before joining the Hammers in the summer -- surely he can't be much worse than Roberto. In the meantime, expect Manuel Pellegrini to use the international break to take Fabianski to Lourdes and dip his entire body in holy water.

Luckiest moment of the weekend

On the weekend when his side moved another place higher, to fifth in the Premier League with a draw against Tottenham, it's worth reminding ourselves that when Chris Wilder arrived at Sheffield United in 2016, his team had failed for a fifth season to escape League One, finishing in a limp 11th place.

"I'm tired of talking about VAR," Wilder said, after his midfielder John Lundstram's big toe apparently meant he was offside and ruled out a goal for the Blades.

"The main talking point for me was seeing my team go toe to toe with a team that got to the Champions League final last year."

Damn right, and Tottenham can consider themselves fortunate to have got away with a point.

VAR oscillates between one extreme and another

With apologies to Wilder, a quick word on VAR -- pun intended. It feels like the ways the system is being implemented this season are oscillating wildly from one extreme to the other. A couple of weeks ago we had a few penalties very softly overturned after weeks of none, and now after most people agreed that reviews were taking too long, some came in the Liverpool vs. City game that were so quick it was doubtful they actually watched the incidents properly.

There is a middle ground to all of this, guys. It doesn't have to be one extreme or another. That, or scrap VAR completely. That would work too.

PITTSBURGH -- If Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey was trying to get under JuJu Smith-Schuster's skin before Sunday's game, it didn't work.

Ramsey told reporters on Friday that the Steelers' wide receiver is not the same as one of his former teammates.

"No disrespect to him, he's not Antonio Brown," Ramsey said. "I matched up with Antonio there for two years, and that was a good battle, and I held my own in those battles, and yeah, now I'm going up against a different person, different body type, different receiver a little bit. He can make plays."

After beating the Los Angeles Rams 17-12 on Sunday, Smith-Schuster agreed.

"He's right, though," Smith-Schuster said. "I'm not Antonio Brown. I'll never be Antonio Brown. I am myself. I'm JuJu Smith-Schuster. I'm not as good as him yet. I think I still have time to proceed to get to his level. But we're two totally different persons."

Guarded sometimes by Ramsey and other times doubled, the third-year wide receiver was held to three catches on six targets for 44 yards in the win.

"He talks a lot," Smith-Schuster said of Ramsey. "He talks so much. He said so many cuss words I've never heard of, and I'm 22 years old. He's a good player, man.

"It's a lot different than him being in Jacksonville, where he's able to do whatever he wants. Over here, he has to pretty much do what he's told. He has to listen to [Eric] Weddle. It's different. It's a great experience. I wish we had more balls thrown at us, but it's hard when you're double-teamed."

The attention Smith-Schuster attracted freed up other wide receivers, including James Washington and Diontae Johnson. Washington set a career high with 90 receiving yards on six receptions and a touchdown, and Johnson had four catches for 64 yards.

"He knows that he's going to attract that attention, flies, going into the game," quarterback Mason Rudolph said. "We understand that someone else is going to step up. Diontae's been doing it all year for us. James has been coming along the last couple games and making some big-time conversion catches. I think it just allows us to have more threats at the receiver position and maybe not allow them to double JuJu going forward."

Even with other receivers stepping up, Rudolph acknowledged that getting Smith-Schuster more involved in the offense is a major priority.

"Diontae, James and Vance [McDonald], those guys make a lot of plays for us," Rudolph said. "If you're going to take two and cover someone, you've got to make sure it's tight on the other end. I think that's going to help us get the ball in 19's hands. That's at the top of my to-do list every week."