The 1 p.m. ET features the renewal of the NFC North rivalry between the Packers and Bears, which will give rookie quarterback Justin Fields his first start in the series. The red-hot Chargers also face the Ravens in a matchup between Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson. The 4 p.m. ET slot also features two exciting games. AFC West surprises Las Vegas and Denver square off in a battle of teams trying to keep pace in the division, and Heisman Trophy winners Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield face off in a game between the Cardinals and Browns....

Four months later, Andrew Luck is the 2018 Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year based on a vote of his peers. Luck had so much to overcome from the 2017 season, it bled into 2018 — and, in fact, carried over from as far back as 2015. The series of events that led to surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder in January 2017, began two seasons earlier. The timelines for his return that year kept shifting....

Not for players around the league. They largely were in awe of Saquon Barkely, the running back the Giants selected No. 2 overall. And thanks to those players’ votes, Barkley is the Sporting News Rookie of the Year for 2018. We’ll get to the numbers, but few rookie running backs can pass the eye test the way Barkely did. The string of eyebrow-raising highlight plays began in Week 1, when Barkley broke a 68-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars....

The No. 7 seed in the NFC, the conference’s final wild-card playoff berth in 2020, changed hands on Sunday of Week 13. The Vikings (6-6) won to take that position from the Cardinals (6-6), who lost their third consecutive game. The 49ers (5-6) play in the tough NFC West, but they have a chance to make the playoffs because they beat the division-leading Rams (8-4) twice. With the Seahawks (8-4) also having that record, it’s a reach to think the 49ers can still repeat as West champs, as at best they will be down two full games with four left to play....

More: Spreads move against 49ers The most significant movement in the other direction has come at the top of the board, with the Colts, Seahawks, Packers, Broncos, Cowboys and Eagles all bet to even bigger favorites to make the playoffs than their opening odds suggested. The exception, not surprisingly, is the Patriots, since the length of Tom Brady’s suspension is still unsettled. Indy is now the biggest favorite to advance to the postseason tournament, with ‘Yes’ listed at -500, up from an original number of -350....

Here is a look at our updated NFL power rankings going into Week 10. MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture NFL power rankings New Orleans Saints 7-1 (last week: 1) The Saints backed up our precognition that they would use the Rams game to prove themselves as the best team in the NFL. Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas are the best QB-RB-WR trio in the league. New England Patriots 7-2 (last week: 3) The Patriots made the Tom Brady-Aaron Rodgers showdown more about their running game and defense, and that’s exactly why they remain the best team in the AFC....

There’s a clear separation between the elite teams vying to get to Super Bowl 55 and those bottom-feeding teams hoping to scratch to get to .500 at some point in December. Then there are some teams in the muddled middle who wear masks, a trick one week and a treat the next week. Rolling into Halloween, here’s how all 32 NFL teams stack up against each other in Sporting News’ latest power rankings:...

For teams that have improved significantly and those that have not, there’s still the 2018 NFL Draft as a tool to help build their new personnel. For now, with less than one month to go before all 32 teams go on the clock, here’s how they stack up against each other in the quest for Super Bowl 53. SIGN UP to stream the NFL Draft LIVE on DAZN in Canada...

The Steelers went 9-6 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2013, with football relegated to an afterthought by events off the field. The Steelers spent the first half of the season locked in tug o’ war with star running back Le’Veon Bell, who sat out the whole campaign after being franchise-tagged for the second consecutive season. Bell left Pittsburgh as a free agent in the offseason to join the New York Jets, and was followed out of the door by Antonio Brown....

While many of the NFL’s biggest stars may play just a few series over the course of four weeks, the preseason serves as our first taste of football and a final chance for fringe players looking to make the 53-man roster for Week 1 of the regular season. With CBA negotiations ongoing and the current version of the agreement set to expire after the 2020 season, this could potentially be one of the final seasons that teams play four preseason games with players and owners reportedly having discussions to reduce the amount of exhibition games in order to lengthen the regular season....

Not just because it is an all-star showcase. It also plays a vital role in allowing the league to experiment with potential rule changes. For the most part, Sunday’s exhibition will operate like a normal game. However, there will be a few key changes during the contest, most notably related to kickoffs. The NFL is going to try something called the “Spot and Choose” rule, which could eventually be used in future overtime games....

First it was video from an Atlantic City casino elevator in the Ray Rice case; now it’s pictures and other documentation from Greg Hardy’s domestic violence trial. PHOTOS: NFL players arrested in 2015 | Vikings stand behind Peterson | Rice’s apology The league last week filed a motion to unseal the evidence from Hardy’s bench trial last summer. But the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Court returned the evidence to the district attorney’s office and Hardy’s attorney before the motion was filed, ESPN reports, and the parties involved don’t seem inclined to share....

The highlight matchup of Week 2 is Seahawks vs. Patriots on Sunday night; not only is it a famous Super Bowl rematch from a few years ago, but it also combines two of the most fun quarterbacks in the league in Russell Wilson and Cam Newton. There are also chances for teams that disappointed last year to prove they’re legitimate this season. The Raiders, for instance, could gain credibility if they improve to 2-0 with an upset of the Saints on Monday night....

MORE: NFL scoreboard | Must-see Week 14 photos | Crazy weather games NFL SCORES — WEEK 14 New Orleans Saints 31, Carolina Panthers 13 Recap | Stats | Video highlights Drew Brees passed for 313 yards and four touchdowns and the New Orleans Saints beat Carolina 31-13 on Sunday night to regain sole possession of first place in the NFC South and snap the Panthers' winning streak at eight games....

The league kept its expanded playoff field, with 14 of its 32 teams (43.8 percent) set to qualify for the latest postseason. That includes 7 each from the AFC and NFC, with only the No. 1 seeds getting byes on top of home-field advantage. Who all got in and who all didn’t? Here’s a comprehensive look: POWER RANKINGS: Every NFL playoff team’s real chances to win Super Bowl 56...

MORE: Most heinous crimes | Disgraced athletes The final amount will be broken up over the course of five years into 27 $50,000 grants, all awarded to nonprofit domestic-violence groups around the country. “What I can’t stress enough is the potential for this progress and how excited we are to be standing behind these organizations because their goals are so lofty and this is such a huge moment in sexual violence," NFL senior vice president of social responsibility Anna Isaacson told USA Today Sports....

The step came during the second half of the Packers’ 30-20 win at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Replays show Suh stepping on Rodgers’ leg twice. Though the first appears to be accidental, the second seems intentional. According to ProFootballTalk, the league’s decision last week to suspend Lions center Dominic Raiola for one game for a similar incident could prompt the NFL to follow a similar disciplinary line with Suh....

The Seahawks have agreed to send their star defensive end to the Chiefs, the team officially announced Thursday. “We’re happy to add Frank to our team,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, via the team’s website. “Competing against him and watching his film, you can see how physical and impressive he is in both the run and the pass game. He’s young and has consistently played at a high level since he entered the league....