Half of the NFC playoff field was decided in the final two weeks of the 2023 regular season.The top three teams in the conference finished with matching 12-5 records and a .706 winning percentage, but not all division champions are created equal.Envisioning Super Bowl bridesmaids and the West champion 49ers return to the top perch isn’t all that challenging, but the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6 last season) know a thing or two about Super Bowl runner-up hangover.In the AFC, four non-playoff teams entered the final two weeks with a more than realistic shot at the postseason and, among them, the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts all have enough to flip 9-8 records to 11- or 12-win campaigns this season.Here’s a look at three playoff teams who are set to take a step back: Follow us for a moment: Deshaun Watson might be the best he’s been since being acquired from the Houston Texans, but he’s four seasons removed from a 4,800-yard, 33-TD campaign and has played 12 total games since that 2020 season ended. In a division built to devour quarterbacks, Watson might be facing a more difficult revival than most understand. The Browns were the No. 5 seed in the 2024 playoffs before being blitzed by C.J. Stroud and the Texans in Houston.If Cleveland is going to compete in the AFC North, it will be on the back on the Jim Schwartz defense that dominated most of the first half of last season. Baltimore (13 wins, No. 1 seed in the AFC last season) and Pittsburgh (wildcard berth last season) made improvements at key positions and have staying power in a tightly packed conference. We should know a lot about the Browns by mid-October following four road trips (Jaguars, Raiders, Commanders, Eagles) and a home date with the Cowboys in the first six games.Los Angeles Rams (10-7, NFC Wildcard in 2023)The Rams had two major subtractions on defense with the retirement of All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald and the Falcons hiring Raheem Morris as head coach. Not all of the pieces are absent from a strong second half of the season when the Rams measured up with the best in the league, including an overtime loss at Baltimore that was the lone blemish on eight post-bye week games.But the Rams fire out of the chute this season with three games against 2024 playoff teams – at Detroit Week 1, vs. 49ers Week 3 and vs. Green Bay Week 5 – with trips to face the improved Cardinals and Chicago Bears intermixed. Depth and discovery were buzzwords for the Rams last season when rookies emerged as linchpins on either side of the ball. Wide receiver Puka Nacua set rookie records with consistent production, linebacker Ernest Jones IV had 145 total tackles in his second season and interior pass rusher Kobie Turner had a team-best 9.0 sacks as Donald’s sidekick.If the Rams find another handful of gems from the 2024 draft class, Los Angeles can stay in the playoff chase. But the Seahawks are improved and Arizona finished the 2023 regular season with confidence. All are chasing the 49ers in a division that should be among the NFL’s best.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8, NFC South champions in 2023) In the rock fight to stand tallest in the South division last season, Tampa Bay outlasted the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, then made a surprisingly strong showing in the playoffs by ousting the Eagles and taking the Lions late into the fourth quarter in the divisional round.By any reasonable measure, the South competition should be improved. The Panthers won two games and plucked QB soothsayer Dave Canales, whose recent hits include Geno Smith’s “Still Standing” effort with the Seahawks and the 2023 double-bird to doubters delivered by Baker Mayfield with the Bucs.Will Tampa be mostly the same without Canales after paying up to keep most of its key free agents? Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and linebacker Lavonte David all reupped to run it back under Todd Bowles in 2024.But David is 34 and Mayfield has been banged up every season he’s been a starter. Thus far, Evans (31 this season) has outrun Father Time and tied for the NFL lead with 13 TD catches last season. The question is whether the Saints and Falcons have done enough to close the gap while Carolina recalibrates under Canales.Atlanta stands as the biggest threat. Relatedbetting payout calculatorparlay calculator oddsmoneyline bet calculationshalf points in nflcalculate kelly criterionhow to hedge a bet calculatorbetting against the spreadexplain over under bettingwhats a parlay in bettinground robin betsplus ev bettinghow hedging works in sports betting
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Manchester City struck twice late on to continue the winning start to their Champions League defence with a hard-fought 3-1 success at RB Leipzig.
Julian Alvarez finally settled City’s nerves in Wednesday’s Group G encounter with a fine strike six minutes from at the Red Bull Arena before fellow substitute Jeremy Doku wrapped up the win.
Phil Foden had opened the scoring midway through a first half the holders dominated but the hosts responded against the run of play through Lois Openda.
Foden hit the woodwork as City pushed for a winner but, with Erling Haaland faltering in front of goal, it looked like being a frustrating night until Alvarez struck.
That City would need such late heroics from the bench seemed unlikely as they controlled the first ha…
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus pre-season training on Monday ahead of the 2021-22 Serie A campaign.
The former Real Madrid forward had been on holiday after Portugal s Euro 2020 last-16 exit against Belgium but has now returned as Juventus prepare to attempt to regain their Serie A title, which Inter won last time out.
Ronaldo, whose five goals and one assist powered him to the Golden Boot at Euro 2020, is set to become a free agent at the end of the following campaign and speculations persists surrounding his future.
The Portugal captain is due to sit down with Massimiliano Allegri, who was in charge when he initially joined from Madrid in 2018, as the pair prepare for the upcoming season.
Allegri, who won five straight Serie A titles and four leagu…
Ousmane Dembele has been diagnosed with a complete hamstring tear in his right leg, Barcelona announced on Tuesday.
Dembele sustained the blow during a training session on Monday, having been stepping up his recovery from a right hamstring issue that has sidelined him since November.
While the club provided no time frame for his recovery, multiple reports in Spain claim Dembele will be forced to sit out the rest of the season.
A Barca statement read: Tests carried out on Tuesday on Ousmane Dembele have shown that the player has a complete proximal hamstring tear in his right thigh.
In the next few hours a decision will be made on the treatment to be followed for his recovery.
INJURY UPDATE | Tests carried out on Ousmane Dembélé today have conf…
Belgium bounced back from their opening defeat at Euro 2024 with a much-needed 2-0 win over Romania, Youri Tielemans and Kevin De Bruyne scoring as they got off the mark in Group E.
Following their surprise 1-0 defeat to Slovakia on matchday one, Domenico Tedesco s men knew another defeat would leave them unable to secure a top-two finish.
They came flying out of the traps and needed just 73 seconds to open the scoring, Tielemans firing home from the edge of the area following good hold-up play from Romelu Lukaku to score the Red Devils fastest ever goal at a major tournament.
They continued to press throughout the first half but were unable to find a second goal, Lukaku going close when he saw his shot on the turn blocked by Nicusor Bancu.
De Bruyne flas…
Prediction: Manchester City to win 2-1
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Manchester City and RB Leipzig will face each other in the Champions League this week. The Group A game will be held at the Etihad Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Wednesday.
Manchester City
Manchester City reached the final of the Champions League last season. It was the first time ever that City had progressed to the final of Europe’s premier club competition, but they lost to Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Premier League champions City will be looking to go again and will be determined to kick off the new Champions League campaign with a win. The Citizens have been drawn in Group A alongside RB Leipzig, Paris Saint-Germain and Club Bruges.
Team News:…
Arsenal moved above Tottenham into third in the Premier League table with a 2-0 defeat of Newcastle United on Monday.
Aaron Ramsey, bound for Juventus after this season, struck his fourth league goal of 2018-19 before Alexandre Lacazette settled a somewhat scrappy encounter at Emirates Stadium.
Unai Emery s side were far from their best, but Ramsey s display while wearing the captain s armband was significant, and his departure with an apparent injury in the second half will come as something of a worry.
Newcastle, who rarely threatened Bernd Leno s goal, remain seven points above the bottom three despite a 12th league defeat in their past 13 meetings with the Gunners, which was confirmed by Lacazette s lobbed finish seven minutes from time.
Arsenal go th…
Italy coach Roberto Mancini promised changes after a difficult few months for the Azzurri was compounded by a crushing defeat to Argentina in Wednesday s Finalissima.
Argentina were comprehensive 3-0 winners at Wembley, as the CONMEBOL/UEFA Cup of Champions was revived for the first time since 1993.
Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria and Paulo Dybala got the goals as Lionel Messi pulled the strings, but in truth Italy were fortunate to only lose 3-0 against a hugely impressive Albiceleste.
It was only Italy s second match since their shock World Cup qualifying defeat to North Macedonia in March, with that loss preventing them from reaching Qatar 2022.
Despite the Azzurri winning Euro 2020 less than a year ago, Mancini is already looking to instigate somethi…
Switzerland have praised Xherdan Shaqiri for his behaviour after an intruder appeared in a television interview and draped the Lyon star in a provocative jacket.
Shaqiri was conducting post-match media duties on the pitch following his side s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland in World Cup qualifying in Geneva.
A man approached the former Liverpool player and put a coat around his shoulders that bore the symbol of the UCK, or Kosovo Liberation Army, a militia that fought for Kosovan independence from Yugoslavia and Serbia.
Shaqiri, who is of Kosovo-Albanian descent, promptly removed the garment and placed it out of sight of the camera before continuing his interview.
The incident caused uproar in Serbia, with newspaper Kurir describing it as a scandalous scene…
Mikel Arteta defended the Kroenke family as passionate about Arsenal on a day the Gunners fans again protested their ownership of the club.
The Gunners claimed a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday in their final Premier League home game of the season thanks to two goals from Nicolas Pepe.
There were 10,000 fans present inside Emirates Stadium to watch the match and a number vented their feelings towards the Kroenke family.
Supporters held up pieces of paper and released balloons on to the pitch that had Kroenke out on them and chanted we hate Kroenke .
Stan Kroenke and his son Josh have been the subject of fan criticism of their ownership of Arsenal, which has heightened in the wake of their part in the failed European Super League project.
Putting in another rugged performance on Monday night, Tottenham found a route back to the top of the Premier League table as they claimed a 2-0 victory against Fulham in north London.
Making their first appearance since returning from October’s international break, Spurs largely didn’t have to get out of third gear as the red-hot Heung Min Son notched his seventh Premier League strike of the season with a sublime effort just nine minutes before the half-time break.
Only continuing to shine under the guidance of new boss Ange Postecoglou, it was eventually summer recruit and new Tottenham poster boy James Maddison who wrapped up all three points with a slick finish on the 54th minute.
Climbing back to the top of the Premier League table and now mustering 23 …