Oakland Raiders @ Philadelphia Eagles headlines Chistmas Day NFL action
Written by News on 25/12/2017
Merry Christmas!
To celebrate, we’ve given you the gift of another festive NFL double-header, live on Sky Sports, with the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) travelling to take on the Houston Texans (4-10), and Oakland Raiders (6-8) on the road facing the Philadelphia Eagles (12-2).
Tune in on Sky Sports Action from 9pm…
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans, Sky Sports Action (407), 9pm
In a tweet…
The Steelers look for a win in Houston to help them keep pace with the Patriots and take the race for the No 1 seed in the AFC down to the final week.
What’s the latest?
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown will miss their Christmas Day date with Houston after suffering a calf injury in the Week 15 defeat to the Patriots.
Brown has been ruled out until at least the playoffs but it is not yet known if he’ll miss even more playing time.
Meanwhile, five-time Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison’s long tenure with the Steelers is over, after the 39-year-old was released this week. Harrison is the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks, with 80.5 during his 14 seasons in Pittsburgh but his playing time dipped significantly this season – active in just five of their 14 games.
As for Houston, offensive guard and cancer survivor David Quessenberry has been added to the Texans’ roster and could make his regular-season debut with the team on Christmas Day. A sixth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, Quessenberry was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin T-lymphoblastic lymphoma three years ago and has never yet appeared in a regular-season game.
Stat attack
With 101 scrimmage yards on Monday, Le’Veon Bell would reach 8,000 career scrimmage yards in the fewest games (62) in NFL history, beating the mark of Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (64).
Key battle
DeAndre Hopkins versus Steelers defense. While the Texans as a whole have had a disappointing season, that’s certainly not been the case for their premier receiver. Hopkins has a staggering 1,313 yards and 12 TDs on the season, and that’s despite a revolving door at quarterback following rookie starter Deshaun Watson’s season-ending injury earlier in the year. Pittsburgh’s defense is arguably one of the better units in the NFL but has struggled in recent weeks, failing to concede fewer than 20 points in four straight games.
Game-changer
Le’Veon Bell. With Brown out injured, the Steelers running back is set to see even more of the ball than usual. Bell currently leads the NFL with 387 offensive touches this season, 76 ahead of the next-closest players.
Oakland Raiders @ Philadelphia Eagles, Sky Sports Action (407), 1.30am
In a tweet…
The Eagles look to wrap up the No 1 seed in the NFC win a win at home against Oakland, who are now out of the AFC playoff mix after results went against them on Christmas Eve.
What’s the latest?
Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio says there’s a “good chance” the team will have receiver Amari Cooper back after he missed last week’s game with a sprained ankle. Cornerback David Amerson is listed as doubtful and will likely miss his eighth straight game with a foot injury, while defensive linemen Mario Edwards Jr. and Treyvon Hester have also been ruled out with ankle injuries.
As for the Eagles, cornerback Jalen Mills, linebacker Mychal Kendricks, and left guard Stefen Wisniewski have all been listed as questionable going into Monday night’s meeting.
Stat attack
Oakland’s destructive defensive end Khalil Mack aims for his sixth consecutive game with a sack. Once again, he has recorded 10+ sacks (10.5), for the third season in a row. Mack’s 36.5 sacks since the start of the 2015 season are the second-most in the NFL, behind only Chandler Jones (38.5).
Nick Foles threw his first TD pass with the Eagles in 1,141 days when starting in place of the injured Carson Wentz last week. His last TD pass with Philadelphia was in Week 9 of the 2014 season.
Key battle
The key battle will be how Foles fares versus Mack and that Raiders pass rush. He had a good first outing, but against a poor Giants team, and this one is set to be a somewhat tougher test. Not only does he have Mack to worry about, but Bruce Irvin also has 8.5 QB takedowns on the year, a career-high.
Game-changer
Jay Ajayi. The British-born running back hasn’t exactly set the world alight since his blockbuster trade from the Dolphins earlier in the season, topping 10 carries only twice. But, those have come in the last two games, suggesting he could now be set to breakout ahead of the playoffs. It has been a running back by committee approach adopted in Philadelphia so far, with LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement also getting the touches, but having lost their starting QB for the season, the Eagles will likely lean on the run game even more now down the stretch and into January.
Week 16 continues on Monday with a double-header live on Sky Sports Action, starting with Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Texans, from 9.30pm
Follow the 2017-18 NFL season with us on Sky Sports and through our website skysports.com/NFL also our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL
(c) Sky News 2017: Oakland Raiders @ Philadelphia Eagles headlines Chistmas Day NFL action
