Points: 57 Penalty flags drawn: 42 The Saints’ offense looks formidable. In two exhibition wins, New Orleans has racked up seven offensive TDs. However, the penalty issue bears monitoring. The club was assessed 22 penalties for 184 yards in last week’s win vs. Tennessee. Eleven of the 42 penalties called on New Orleans this summer have been illegal contact, defensive pass interference or defensive holding fouls. There’s one other number to ponder when it comes to New Orleans....

The Bears, who began life as the Decatur Staleys, will kick off the century campaign at home Thursday against a Packers team turning over a new leaf after rookie coach Matt LaFleur was hired to revive the 13-time champions after a 6-9-1 campaign in 2018. Chicago’s decision to turn to a first-time offensive-minded head coach paid off last year as Matt Nagy led the team to its first division title since 2010 and Coach of the Year honors for him....

Rather than opening action on Thursday like past championship defenders, the Patriots will kick off their regular season and raise their Super Bowl 53 banner in the league’s first “Sunday Night Football” showdown Sept. 8 against the AFC rival Steelers. As for the opener, the league will kick off its 100th season by pitting the Packers against the Bears on Sept. 5 to honor its oldest rivalry. Chicago and Green Bay first played in 1921 and have faced each other 198 times since, with the Packers holding a 97-95-6 edge....

The highlight of Week 12 was a late Sunday game in Los Angeles, where the Rams, coming off a frustrating loss to the Vikings, cooled down the previously red-hot Saints. New Orleans failed to build a cushion in the NFC South and keep pressure on Philadelphia atop the NFC standings. Sunday’s night cap was a game in Pittsburgh between two teams trending in opposite directions. The Steelers with their win were able to keep pace with the Patriots atop the AFC standings....

Philadelphia had already defeated San Francisco by the time the teams chasing the Eagles in the NFC East, the Cowboys and Redskins, kicked off in Washington. Speaking of division races, the Panthers beat the Buccaneers on Sunday in what felt like must-win situations for both teams in the NFC South. Many eyes Sunday also were on Seattle, where the Texans engaged in protest before their game against the Seahawks in the wake of team owner Bob McNair’s controversial comments, which were revealed Friday by ESPN....

Week 16 features a rare occurrence of three Saturday games in additional to the normal Sunday slate and the final “Monday Night Football” game of the season. MORE: Watch NFL Week 16 games live with fuboTV (7-day free trial) The Bills and Patriots highlight Saturday’s trio of games. Sunday, meanwhile, features an important NFC East battle between the Cowboys and Eagles in Philadelphia. The Packers and Vikings will keep the divisional trend going on Monday night....

Let’s set the scene. There’s about 6:20 remaining in the third quarter and the Texans are leading 20-16. Houston is facing a third and 6 on its own 23 yard line. If the Texans fail to pick up a first down, then they’re likely going to punt the ball back to the Jaguars, who could theoretically take the lead on the next possession. Instead, the Texans scored a touchdown on a 77-yard pass to Will Fuller....

According to Google Maps, the most direct route from LA Memorial Coliseum, where Talib previously played, to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami is 2,722 miles. Talib, who is currently sidelined due to a rib injury, told reporters that he had no problem flying back to Los Angeles to fulfill his commitment to the Watts Rams football team. “I’m on injured reserve, I’m not currently working, so I don’t have any games or anything to get ready for,” Talib said in a video posted to Twitter by ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry....

The deal is worth around $2 billion a year and is thought to be running for seven years with it beginning at the start of the 2023-24 season. DirecTV has had the rights to Sunday Ticket since it began in 1994, and had been paying around $1.5 billion a year for the privilege, since it was last renewed in 2014. What Is NFL Sunday Ticket? The NFL Sunday Ticket is only available in the U....

It wouldn’t be the NFL offseason if there wasn’t a controversial rule change heading into the next season. This year, taunting rules will be a “point of emphasis” for NFL officials — meaning, expect pleasantries among competitors instead of some bad, worse and cool flexes all year long. MORE: Ranking the NFL’s best receivers for 2021 The rule itself hasn’t changed much: It’s still 15 yards for a taunting penalty, and two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties customarily result in an automatic ejection, sometimes resulting in fines....

The new Bucs quarterback has already been kicked out of a public park and, in early April, accidentally trespassed into a house adjacent to the home of Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Regarding the latter incident, ESPN reported that Brady, who was carrying duffel bags with him at the time, was coming to pick up materials from his new coach while following social distancing guidelines. Said David Kramer, whose home was invaded by Brady: “I literally was just sitting here and I watch this tall guy just walk into my house....

The Patriots announced Monday they have traded the tight end to the Seahawks. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though NFL Media reports New England received a seventh-round pick in 2020 from Seattle. The move is somewhat surprising considering the team didn’t select a tight end in last week’s draft in Nashville in the wake of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement in March. Hollister was expected to compete for a larger role in 2019 given the void left by the veteran....

The 27-year-old just signed a five-year, $60 million contract with Miami last offseason. The former Pittsburgh Steelers speedy starter got $30 million guaranteed as a free agent, and is due $14 million in base salary for 2014. Those are not only reasons for the Dolphins to move Wallace, but also for other teams not to be interested in making the deal. He didn't have a terrible season (73 catches, 930 yards, 5 touchdowns) in 2013, but it didn't quite live up to what they paid him....

The New England Patriots booked a postseason spot for the 11th consecutive season, defeating the Bengals 34-13 in Cincinnati to snap a two-game losing streak. The caliber of the opposition means a number of questions over the Patriots remain unanswered, but the win also takes some of the heat off New England after back-to-back losses against Houston and Kansas City. The Patriots can clinch the AFC East title with a home win against Buffalo in Week 16, while the Bills can keep their hopes of a first divisional title in 24 years....

The Raiders have been in the news constantly this offseason, from the cameras following them on Hard Knocks to the sideshow that Antonio Brown brought. After putting up with countless prima donna moves, the Raiders finally cut ties with the controversial wideout. The subtraction of Brown changes the potential outcome of this game drastically. Here is your guide to success for this matchup. Check out more betting numbers and information about the matchup on BetQL!...

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: Rob Gronkowski’s injury ends Patriots Super Bowl pursuit FANTASY FOOTBALL: Who were the studs and duds of Week 14?...

Before we get into the Week 15 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....

There are a couple of good matchups on Fox’s schedule, but the two most prominent ones feature teams that won in Week 1. The 49ers-Eagles game and Rams-Colts games figure to be the marquee matchups, but how readily available will they be for viewers? It’s worth wondering given how regionalized Fox’s broadcasts will be in Week 2. The good news for football fans is that CBS is still airing two sets of games....

MORE: Get the latest NFL odds at Sportsbook Review Not this season, and not this week. For the second time since Week 5 of the 1987 season, there will be two games that close with over 20-point spreads in the same week as the Cowboys host the Dolphins and the Patriots are visited by the Jets. For context, 1987 was a strike year and replacement-level players were on rosters all across the league....

MORE: Get the latest NFL odds & betting advice at Sportsbook Review Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, 8:20 p. m. ET CenturyLink Field, Seattle TV Broadcast: FOX/NFL Opening NFL Odds: Rams -1/ 49 Season Record: Rams (3-1-0) vs Seahawks (3-1-0) That Jameis Winston and the Bucs were able to put up 55 points against the Rams is one of several takeaways from week 4 that have sent the NFL betting market on this much anticipated NFC West showdown for “Thursday Night Football” into a tizzy....