The Minnesota Vikings are expecting starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy to return to action Sunday vs. Washington after a one-week absence, coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters Monday.

McCarthy missed Sunday’s 26-0 loss at Seattle after sustaining a concussion in the prior game against Green Bay. It was his second injury absence of the season, previously missing five games due to a high ankle sprain.

O’Connell said that McCarthy is symptom free and is expected to clear concussion protocol Wednesday when he completes a full practice.

“Expecting (him to return), barring any unforeseen changes to where he’s at today,” O’Connell said. “Hopefully having that Wednesday will allow him to have a normal, full week and likely be able to go in as our starter on Sunday.”

McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has struggled this season after missing his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus. In six games, he has completed 54.1% of his passes with six touchdown passes to 10 interceptions and a 2-4 record.

His passer rating of 57.9 ranks him 46 out of 46 eligible quarterbacks this season.

However, things did not get any better in Sunday’s loss with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer leading the offense. Brosmer completed 19 of 30 passes for 126 yards, no scores and four picks.

Minnesota (4-8) has lost four straight games entering Sunday’s home game against the Commanders (3-9), who have lost seven straight.

–Field Level Media

The New York Giants welcome quarterback Jaxson Dart back to the lineup for Monday night’s game in Foxborough, Mass., where the red-hot New England Patriots are facing their biggest injury adversity of the season.

It’s a big game for the 10-2 Patriots to keep distance ahead of the Buffalo Bills (8-4) in the AFC East, while the 2-10 Giants are seeking some positive vibes following another week with a coaching change.

ODDS AND TRENDS
New England is a consensus 7.0-point favorite, although the line was sitting at 7.5 at several major sportsbooks Monday afternoon. BetRivers, where the line has held at 7.0, reported a nearly even split with 51% of the spread-line money backing the Patriots.

The 46.5 total points line has seen 64% of the money back the Under, while 70% of the total bets have supported the Over. The book reported that each of New England’s past four home games against NFC opponents have gone Over the total points line.

INSIDE EDGE
The Patriots have allowed only two rushing touchdowns to running backs this season, tied for the fewest in the NFL, according to Inside Edge’s Remarkable Engine. Meanwhile, New England’s offense leads the league with a 34.2% conversation rate on third downs of 10-plus yards this season.

KEY STAT
The Giants will seek their first road victory since Week 5 of last season, when they beat Seattle 29-20. New York has lost 12 straight road games since then.

PROP PICKS
–Dart Under 26.5 Rushing Yards (-117 at BetRivers): Dart has rushed for 54+ yards in five of his seven starts. He is also coming off a concussion that sidelined him for the past two games, and the Giants want their young star to learn how to avoid the big hits he has absorbed far too often as a rookie.

–Patriots QB Drake Maye 2+ TD Passes (-185 at DraftKings): There are significant concerns about his pass protection this week, but Maye is also facing the league’s 30th-ranked scoring defense. Maye has thrown multiple touchdowns eight times this season, although he has been held to just one in each of his past two games. Through the first 12 weeks of this season, Maye leads the NFL with 3,130 passing yards and a 71.0 completion percentage. His 21 passing touchdowns rank fifth.

INJURY REPORT
New England’s offense will be without starting left tackle Will Campbell and starting left guard Jared Wilson.

Campbell, the fourth pick in the 2025 draft, was placed on injured reserve Wednesday after he reportedly sustained an MCL sprain last Sunday in the 26-20 victory over Cincinnati. He will miss at least the next four games. Wilson (ankle) will not play Sunday, New England coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Wednesday.

New England quarterback Drake Maye has been sacked 37 times this season — third most in the NFL — and Vrabel said New York’s defensive line presents plenty of challenges.

“I think 57 of the 66 quarterback hits come from those guys up front,” he said. “Three edge guys with (Brian) Burns, (Kayvon) Thibodeaux, (Abdul) Carter. Obviously what Big Dex (Dexter Lawrence II) can do inside and (Roy) Robertson-Harris. So, those guys are certainly impactful players that have to be accounted for every play. They rotate them through there pretty good, and so there’s a lot of juice there. There’s a lot of disruption.”

Lawrence (elbow) practiced on a limited basis Saturday and didn’t receive an injury designation. Thibodeaux (shoulder) sat out practice all week and will miss his third straight game.

Four Giants were listed as questionable – linebackers Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (neck/knee), Swayze Bozeman (hip) and Victor Dimukeje (knee) and cornerback Korie Black (bicep).

In addition to Wilson, safety Brenden Schooler (ankle) was ruled out for New England. Linebacker Harold Landry (knee) and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga (chest) are questionable

GIANTS’ D IN NEW HANDS
New York fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen last Monday, 12 games into his second season in that role. Outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen was named as the interim replacement.

“The results just weren’t where we wanted them to be and so Charlie’s going to step up for us and rally the group,” interim head coach Mike Kafka said. “The defensive staff will rally around Charlie and put together a great plan. I got a lot of confidence in the room and a lot of confidence in our staff to do that.”

New York enters the game against the Patriots ranked 32nd among NFL teams in rushing defense, 23rd in passing defense and 30th in scoring defense.

PREDICTION
The spread is big considering the significant injury concerns along a Patriots offensive line that has struggled in pass protection even when healthy. With temperatures expected to be in the low-30s by kickoff, offense could be at a bit of a premium and the Giants have been unable to play four solid quarters on the road all season. –Patriots 23, Giants 20

–Field Level Media

Of the Atlanta Falcons’ many problems this season, special teams play has been chief among the main issues. Still, head coach Raheem Morris maintains there will be no changing of the guard with the unit.

Atlanta (4-8) is on its third kicker after releasing Younghoe Koo and John Parker Romo, while the team ranks last in average kickoff return yards (22.2) and third-worst in yards per punt return (5.9).

The lack of production was on display in the Falcons’ 27-24 loss to the lowly New York Jets on Sunday. Former Pro Bowler Jamal Agnew muffed a punt and the Jets recovered at Atlanta’s 2 in the second quarter, directly leading to their first touchdown. Zane Gonzalez missed a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter, before the Falcons’ kickoff unit allowed Isaiah Williams’ 83-yard return, leading to New York’s game-tying field goal in the fourth.

Despite the hapless play, Morris is sticking with special teams coordinator Marquice Williams, who’s been in the position since 2021.

“No. Not at this time,” Morris told reporters on Monday when asked if he’d make a change. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in what Marquice does. I’ve got a lot of confidence in our coaching techniques. I’ve got a lot of confidence in our guys to go and execute. We just have not done it.

“… We played awful (Sunday) on special teams. I don’t know how to say it any other way. You can’t give up the kickoff return, and you certainly can’t muff it on the 2-yard line. We gave up 10 points on special teams.”

Offensively, veteran Kirk Cousins has assumed the starting quarterback role after Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending partially torn ACL. Cousins passed for 234 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, despite throwing to a much different receiving core than Atlanta envisioned having entering the year.

Leading receiver Drake London has missed two straight weeks with a knee strain. Ray-Ray McCloud, who had a career year with the Falcons last season, was released in October after missing several games and then being sent home as a “healthy scratch.”

The inexperience at the position was highlighted on Sunday, with Dylan Drummond, Deven Thompkins and David Sills V combining for 88 offensive snaps in the loss. The three have just 11 total career starts to their names. Thompkins was elevated in place of Casey Washington on Sunday, as the receiving carousel continues.

“You’ve got to go out there and find out who’s going to give you the best chance to win,” Morris said of the receiving room. “We went with (Thompkins). He kind of outplayed (Washington) in practice so we put D.T. out there. Drummond has been able to play a little for us the last two weeks. It’s always going to be performance-based and trying to see who can give you the best chance to win.”

Ahead of Atlanta’s home meeting with the Seattle Seahawks, Cousins may be getting a massive piece back in London.

“Drake is certainly getting better,” Morris said. “He certainly has a chance to play. We’ll have to see him move around a bit this week and we’ll get more or a feel for that by Wednesday and Thursday.”

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is not ready to return from a hip injury and is primarily scheduled to continue “rehab stuff” this week, coach Zac Taylor said Monday.

Taylor said he would consider Hendrickson doubtful to be ready for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

“We’ll just keep taking it week to week,” Taylor said Monday.

The Bengals (4-8) are still alive in the playoff picture behind the Baltimore Ravens (6-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) in the AFC North. Joe Burrow returned from a turf toe injury Thursday to guide Cincinnati to a 32-14 win over the Ravens that ended a four-game losing streak for the Bengals.

Hendrickson did not play in a game in November. He was sidelined Oct. 26 against the Jets but was not placed on injured reserve. The Bengals reportedly rebuffed trade offers for the pass rusher in October.

Taylor indicated there is also no change in the status of wide receiver Tee Higgins (concussion), who missed the Thanksgiving night win at Baltimore.

Hendrickson, who turns 31 this week, has 4.0 sacks this season but none since he recorded a pair against Jared Goff and the Lions on Oct. 5.

He spent the offseason in a standoff with the Bengals over the lack of a contract extension. Hendrickson officially requested a trade. But the Bengals eventually coaxed Hendrickson out of a holdout posture with a $14 million raise for 2025 that pushed his salary to $30 million.

Hendrickson entered 2025 with an NFL-best 35 total sacks the previous two seasons.

–Field Level Media

New England, Baltimore, Jacksonville and Denver. Those are the first-place teams in the AFC, and we’d like to connect the polygraph machine if you claim these were your preseason division winner picks.

Spoiler alert: this isn’t how it ends.

That’s because as division matchups ramp up in December, a whole lot of chaos is coming down the chimney before the month ends.

Only four teams — New England (3-0), the LA Chargers (4-0), Tampa Bay (2-0) and Green Bay (3-0) — are undefeated in their own division.

The Colts have lost three of four and dropped into second place in the AFC South on Sunday. The Texans (4-1 in the division) are 7-5 overall and just a game back of first-place Jacksonville (8-4). The Colts (8-4) play the Jaguars this week and end the regular season at Houston.

NFC North-leading Chicago is 1-2 in the division and packs for frigid Lambeau Field on Sunday to face the Packers in what sets up as a seismic Week 14 in the playoff picture.

The Bears (9-3) might be flagged as frauds this month with the lowest strength of victory (.347) of any division leader and a net-TD differential of minus-3.

For those who stack weight into the scoring margin column this time of year, the Seahawks (9-3) are tops in the league at plus-133. Indianapolis leads the AFC at plus-108.

Chicago? The Bears check in at plus-6. But credit first-year coach Ben Johnson for thriving in one-score games with a 6-1 record.

Currently outside of the NFC playoff picture, Detroit (7-5) treads on thinning ice despite a win over the Bears head-to-head. That’s because of two losses to the Packers (8-3-1) and a 1-3 division record overall. Now, the Lions are under growing pressure Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1). But Dallas might rue a loss to the Carolina Panthers (7-6) when it’s all said and done.

San Francisco (9-4) finally rolls into a bye week and has the best intradivision record among the NFC West’s three nine-win teams at 4-1.

Here is where the NFL playoff picture stands prior to New England’s Week 13 game Monday night:

AFC
1.
Denver Broncos (10-2)
2.
New England
Patriots (10-2)

3. Jacksonville
Jaguars (8-4)
4.
Baltimore
Ravens (6-6)
5.
Los Angeles Chargers
(8-4)
6.
Indianapolis Colts (8-4)
7. Buffalo Bills (
8-4)
————
8.
Houston Texans (7-5)
9.
Pittsburgh
Steelers (6-6)
10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
11.
Miami
Dolphins (5-7)
12.
Cincinnati
Bengals (4-8)

NFC
1. Chicago Bears (9-3)

2. Los Angeles Rams (9-3)

3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)

5. Seattle Seahawks (9-3)

6. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)

7. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
————

8. Detroit Lions (7-5)

9. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)

10. Carolina Panthers (7-6)

11. Atlanta Falcons (4-8)

12. Minnesota Vikings (4-8)

–Field Level Media