With the playoff field expanded by one team each in the AFC and the NFC, that brings more teams into realistic contention for at least a wild-card berth. Based on the current standings, here’s an updated look at what each conference tournament would look like if the playoffs started now: NFL MOCK DRAFT 2021:Jets finish tank for Trevor Lawrence; Patriots, Falcons, Vikings pass on QBs NFL standings for Week 9 AFC playoff picture Who would be in?...

The league had originally planned to play three games but was forced to postpone the matchup between the Baltimore and Pittsburgh after a coronavirus outbreak among the Ravens organization. The day’s two early games, however, will go ahead as planned with traditional Thanksgiving guests Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys playing on the fourth Thursday of November for the 81st and 53rd time respectively. The Lions host the Houston Texans, while the Cowboys welcome the Washington Football Team in a key NFC East matchup....

Andrew Luck is back to his old self, the Jaguars added a quarterback who can throw the ball and the Titans seemed to find an identity in the running game last year. All that leads to speculation that this division is up for grabs, and while there may not be a 13-win team in it in 2019, there may not be a team worse than .500 when all is said and done....

The Raiders claimed the 23-year-old quarterback off of waivers Sunday, the team announced. The Packers cut Kizer one day earlier. The Browns originally selected Kizer out of Notre Dame in the second round of the 2017 draft. He threw 22 interceptions to just 11 touchdowns as a rookie and the team went 0-15 in his starts. Kizer appeared in three games for the Packers last season. The Raiders, meanwhile, now have three quarterbacks behind starter Derek Carr with the addition of Kizer....

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS DIRECTLY ON GOOGLE+ . When the Google+ Hangout begins, a live video window will be placed on this page, so be sure to Like, Favorite or bookmark this page to watch, whether it's live or later, as the broadcast will be archived. MORE SPORTING NEWS NFL COVERAGE ROSS TUCKER: Jonathan Martin needed to stand up for himself vs. Richie Incognito FANTASY FOOTBALL: Meet the breakout rookie stars and sleepers...

Before we get into the Week 10 forecasts, here’s a reminder that if you have any questions about sports weather or how weather could impact play (and, potentially, your fantasy, DFS, and gambling decisions), don’t hesitate to reach out to Rotogrinders’ meteorologist Kevin Roth on Twitter (@KevinRothWx) or check out the hourly NFL weather forecasts on RotoGrinders. To take your game to the next level, subscribe to RotoGrinders’ exclusive WeatherEdge tool and see how different weather conditions have impacted historical scoring....

Here are individual highlights that stood out Sunday. MORE: Must-see Week 2 images | Cowboys lose Tony Romo to broken bone — Arizona rookie running back David Johnson broke out with an opening kickoff touchdown. — Johnny Manziel did it again; ignited the Browns offense with a 60-yard bomb to Travis Benjamin. — The 49ers simply could not guard Antonio Brown on Sunday. — Breaking news: Odell Beckham Jr. is a very good football player....

There have been a few surprises, but generally, results have been close to projected. The majority of teams that AccuScore predicted to reach the NFL playoffs before the season are still on track, but there are a few slipping out of the race already. WEEK 3 NFL PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread | Pick ‘Em pools Each week, AccuScore will update its 2017 NFL postseason forecast by simulating the remainder of the NFL season 10,000 times to predict win totals, division winners and probabilities of reaching the playoffs on the road to Super Bowl 52....

It’s important to remember that rain and wind impact the game in different ways. Rain is always more noticeable, as you can see it falling while watching the game, see the players slip, or see a dropped pass that a WR usually catches, but statistically it isn’t as important as it may appear. It’s also worth mentioning that the defense has to run and cut on that same slick field, so while it may occasionally cost the offense a play or two, it can also give the offense an advantage at times....

The Vikings and the Bears wrap up the schedule Monday night, but here’s your weekly look at the local headlines from Sunday’s slate of games. MORE: Alex Smith cases proves NFL has long way to go with concussions Norman leaps to Hopkins’ defense — Dustin Hopkins became the latest kicker to be successfully iced as he sliced a 34-yard field-goal attempt wide left in the Redskins’ 27-27 tie with the Bengals, the second tie in as many weeks....

Elliott was handcuffed at the festival after shoving an event staffer, a TMZ Sports report stated. According to a report from Yahoo Sports, which cited two unidentified league sources, the league will likely review video of the Las Vegas incident to determine if Elliott violated the terms of previous suspension guidelines. The altercation is “clearly” subject to review by Goodell under the league’s personal conduct policy, the report noted, especially considering Elliott’s previous six-game suspension at the start of the 2017 season for alleged physical abuse against an ex-girlfriend....

Last year saw a few expected names in Connor McDavid (Hart Trophy), Auston Matthews (Rocket Richard Trophy) and Aleksander Barkov (Selke Trophy). There were a bunch of surprises, such as Marc-Andre Fleury winning his first Vezina (and then, um, being traded) and sophomore defenseman Adam Fox winning the Norris. A couple of winners went wire to wire, including Kirill Kaprizov’s Calder Trophy twirl. What the upcoming season will bring is anyone’s guess, but expect those names mentioned above — and a couple more — in the conversations....

The Central produced five playoff teams last season — the Avalanche, Wild, Blues, Predators and Stars. It looks as though those five teams, plus the Jets, should be in contention for postseason spots in the 2022-23 season. But the other divisions are still more wide open because the Avalanche enter the season as the clear-cut favorite to repeat as division champ. After that, the next five mentioned will be squeezed together from second to sixth....

Pressed about the arena issues involving the Islanders, Bettman made it clear that if the club opts out of its lease at Barclays Center in Brooklyn this year, he would not support a move back to the team’s original home, the Nassau Coliseum, on Long Island. “I don’t view the Nassau Coliseum as a viable option,” Bettman answered when asked specifically about the Islanders’ original home from their inception in 1972 until 2015....

Now, the 2021 edition faces many of the same obstacles — and more. Plus, it couldn’t be any more different at the top end. Looking towards the July draft, uncertainty abounds on and off the ice. Once again, the when, where and how appear to be up in the air. This time around, however, there’s also a question of who. Depending on who you ask and where you look, the race for No....

Well, we all know about Las Vegas and locks. MORE: What should a Vegas team be named? Hey, a team in Vegas would be nice because, well, the Seattle Metropolitans are getting ready for their first season in the Western Conference, and Vegas would make 16 teams in the West to balance out the 16 in the East and … Oh, wait, you say there’s no team in Seattle? But, but, but … we thought it was getting a franchise this year, too....

A day after a scary scene in Montreal -- Canadiens puncher George Parros tumbled over Colton Orr after a fight and smacked his face off the ice -- a few general managers and one hockey legend spoke out. They played the game. They are the game. And they're not media grinds or stats nerds. MORE: The disappearance of the NHL enforcer Personally, I'm in both of these last two camps....

Alexander Wennberg, one of Columbus’ two remaining unsigned restricted free agents, agreed to a six-year contract Friday, the team announced. The deal is worth $29.4 million, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, for a $4.9 cap hit annually — fair market value, considering the going rate to re-sign young RFAs this offseason. MORE: Is Artemi Panarin the Blue Jackets’ missing link? Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported Wennberg’s deal does not contain a no-trade or no-movement clause....

New York Rangers at Pittsburgh Penguins (tied 1-1)Best New York line: -115 (Vegas consensus)Best Pittsburgh line: +108 (Westgate)Total: 5 (over -135) Analysis: The Penguins cannot match the Rangers’ team speed, but in Game 2, it didn’t really matter. Pittsburgh turned Saturday night’s contest into a slow-paced slugfest, once again frequenting the penalty box as a result. New York went just 1-of-7 on the power play, though, in a 4-3 Pens win....