THURSDAY NIGHT PREVIEW:
DALLAS COWBOYS (11-4) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (7-8)
Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season gets underway on Thursday, December 29 (8:15 PM ET, Prime Video) as the Dallas Cowboys (11-4) visit the Tennessee Titans (7-8). The Cowboys enter the week in the top Wild Card spot in the NFC, having clinched a playoff berth for the second-consecutive season. The Titans are tied with Jacksonville (7-8) atop the AFC South and, over the final two weeks, look to secure their third-consecutive AFC South division title. Dallas holds the all-time regular-season advantage, 8-7, with the road team winning each of the past four meetings. In the last meeting between the two clubs on November 5, 2018, the Titans scored two second-half touchdowns to defeat the Cowboys, 28-14.
Last week, Dallas overcame a 10-point deficit to defeat Philadelphia, 40-34, as quarterback DAK PRESCOTT totaled 388 yards (347 passing, 41 rushing) and had three touchdown passes in the win. Since Prescott returned from injury in Week 7, the Cowboys lead the NFL with 36.0 points per game over the past 10 weeks and have scored at least 24 points in each of their past nine games. Prescott has five games with a completion percentage of 75-or-higher (minimum 25 attempts) this season, tied with JOE BURROW for the most such games in the NFL this season.
Running back EZEKIEL ELLIOTT has recorded a rushing touchdown in eight consecutive games, the longest active streak in the league, and can become the fifth player since 2000 with a rushing touchdown in nine consecutive games within a single season. He needs 79 scrimmage yards to become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns in each of his first seven seasons. Running back TONY POLLARD aims for his fourth in a row on the road with at least 100 scrimmage yards and has career highs in scrimmage yards (1,359) and scrimmage touchdowns (12) this season. Wide receiver CEEDEE LAMB had 10 receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns last week, his ninth-career game with at least 100 receiving yards. He is the first Cowboys player with at least 90 receptions (91), 1,200 receiving yards (1,207) and eight touchdown receptions (eight) in a single season since DEZ BRYANT in 2013.
Linebacker MICAH PARSONS has four sacks over his past three Thursday games and has at least one tackle for loss in each of his seven road games this season. He aims for his third in a row on the road with a sack. Cornerback DARON BLAND registered his fifth interception of the season last week, second-most among rookies and tied for third-most in the NFL this season. Safety JAYRON KEARSE had his first interception and second fumble recovery of the season last week. He aims for his third in a row on the road with a tackle for loss and fifth in a row overall with a pass defense.
Tennessee rookie quarterback MALIK WILLIS made his third-career start last week and completed 14 of 23 pass attempts (60.9 percent), while rushing for a career-high 43 yards and his first-career touchdown. Running back DERRICK HENRY has recorded at least 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in each of the past three games and can become the first player in the league to do so in four consecutive games since he accomplished the feat in 2019. Henry ranks second in the NFL with 1,429 rushing yards and tied for second with 13 rushing touchdowns in 2022. With 71 rushing yards and two more rushing touchdowns this season, he would become the first player in league history to record at least 1,500 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in three career seasons, also reaching the marks in 2019 and 2020.
Defensive lineman DENICO AUTRY recorded a season-high seven tackles with two tackles for loss, two passes defensed, a sack and a forced fumble last week. He leads the Titans this season with eight sacks, his third-career season with at least eight sacks. Linebacker BUD DUPREE has recorded a sack in two of his past three games on Thursday Night Football, while rookie linebacker JACK GIBBENS had seven tackles and his first-career interception in Week 16. Gibbens has at least six tackles in two of his first three career games. Safety KEVIN BYARD aims for his third game in a row with at least five tackles and recorded an interception in the last meeting against Dallas. Since 2017, Byard ranks tied for second among all players with 25 interceptions.
Prime Video will stream 15 Thursday Night Football games this season (Weeks 2-17, excluding Thanksgiving). The game will feature Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung on the call.
