The Players Field

ESPN-

Miami Dolphins running back Matt Breida, listed as questionable for Sunday's game because of a hamstring injury, is not expected to play against the Los Angeles Chargers, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Breida did not play last week against Arizona but practiced all three days this week in some capacity.

He has a good chance to return next week against the Denver Broncos, the source said.

Breida has rushed for 128 yards on 37 carries in five games this season.

Jenna Laine
ESPN Staff Writer-

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed in Charlotte, North Carolina, late Saturday night after a delay of more than seven hours brought on by mechanical issues with their plane, a team source told ESPN.

According to the original flight plan, the team was scheduled to depart Tampa International Airport at 2:25 p.m. ET Saturday and arrive in Charlotte at 3:55 p.m. ET. The team eventually boarded a new plane that took off just after 10 p.m. ET and landed at 11:27 p.m. ET.

Before switching planes, the Bucs were on the tarmac for more than five hours, the source said. They held team meetings at the airport and ate a meal there, but it was in an area of the airport for chartered planes with restricted access.

The team scattered about the building and went outdoors to accommodate social distancing.

Tampa Bay is set to play the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

NFL Network first reported that the team's flight was delayed.

Adam Schefter
ESPN Senior Writer-

The New Orleans Saints are facing significant discipline for not wearing masks during their postgame celebrations last Sunday night -- as seen in videos they posted to social media, including the team's own Twitter account -- after their victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, league sources told ESPN.

Video of Saints players and head coach Sean Payton dancing and celebrating their 38-3 victory over Tampa Bay trended last Sunday night. Multiple players were clearly not wearing masks during the celebration in the locker room, which is a violation of the NFL's COVID-19 protocols -- and the league noticed, according to sources.
The Saints are facing stiff fines and the loss of a draft pick, similar to the action the NFL took against the Raiders earlier this month, when Las Vegas was fined $500,000, head coach Jon Gruden was fined $150,000 and the franchise was stripped of a sixth-round pick for COVID-19 protocol violations.
Discipline is expected to be handed down this week, according to a source, though the NFL and the Saints' legal team spent previous days discussing the issue.

One issue the league is focused on, according to sources, is that like Gruden and the Raiders, Payton and the Saints are repeat offenders. Payton was fined $100,000 and the Saints $250,000 because Payton was not wearing a mask during New Orleans' Week 2 loss in Las Vegas. NFL discipline almost always is more severe for repeat offenders.

The NFL sent out a memo to all teams on Nov. 3 with updated COVID-19 protocols that stressed: "All players and staff must wear masks or double-layered gaiters in the locker room on gameday -- prior to the game, during halftime, and post-game."

Conversations between the Saints and the NFL will continue, according to sources, but the locker room celebration video was there for everyone to see. Payton, linebacker Demario Davis and quarterback Jameis Winston, who made his season debut in the victory over his former team, were among those seen dancing and celebrating in the video posted to Instagram by receiver Tre'Quan Smith.

Davis and C.J. Gardner-Johnson also posted videos of the postgame dancing and celebrating on social media. The Saints no longer have any videos of the locker room celebration on their official Twitter account.

The Saints, who have won five games in a row, handed Tom Brady the worst loss of his career while delivering one of the most convincing wins in the Payton-Drew Brees era. The victory was so thorough that Winston made his Saints debut as Brees' backup, completing his only pass for 12 yards while running out the clock over the final six minutes.

Winston flashed his trademark "Eating a W" sign multiple times after the game, both during Brees' postgame interview and during the locker room celebration.

ESPN's Mike Triplett contributed to this report.

Jeff CarlisleAustin Lindberg-

The Philadelphia Union could've lifted the Supporters' Shield on Sunday. They needed to beat Columbus, or at least a draw, and some help from Inter Miami -- and elsewhere. Alas, they fell to an 84th-minute defeat to the Crew, and to make matters worse, they didn't get any help from Miami, who lost to Toronto FC. And now, with the league announcing last week that the Shield and playoff places would be determined by points per game, as positive COVID-19 tests cause cancellations and postponements of games across the league, the Union and the Reds sit atop the standings: 22 games played and 2.00 points per game. Only goal differential separates the pair, so as long as Philly can match or better Toronto's Decision Day result, it will be crowned the league's regular-season champion after all.

With a smattering of midweek games and Decision Day on Sunday remaining, here's how the remainder of the league stacks up in the final edition of MLS Power Rankings for the 2020 season.

1. Philadelphia Union
Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: Sunday vs. New England, 3:30 p.m. ET

Sunday's loss to Columbus was just Philadelphia's second in its past eight games, but it cost the club dearly. Now the Union will need to better Toronto's result on Sunday when they host New England if they want to lift the Supporters' Shield that's had their name written on it for the past month. Oh, and they'll need to do it without star goalkeeper Andre Blake, who suffered a fractured hand in Wednesday's win over Chicago.


2. Toronto FC
Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: Sunday at Red Bulls, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

A second Supporters' Shield in four seasons could be Toronto's with a win at Red Bull Arena and some help from New England. Few would've predicted that a week ago when the Reds were coming off the back of a 5-0 hammering at the hands of league-leading Philadelphia.

- Stream FC Daily on ESPN+
- 2020 MLS Playoffs: Who's in, who's out, dates and more
- MLS on ESPN+: Stream LIVE games and replays (U.S. only)



3. Sporting Kansas City
Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: Sunday at Salt Lake, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

While SKC's match with Minnesota was canceled following two members of the Loons' first team testing positive for COVID-19, a midweek win against FC Cincinnati clinched a spot in the postseason with Roger Espinoza the hero. Alan Pulido showed off his playmaking skills as well.



4. Portland Timbers
Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: Wednesday vs. Colorado, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Heading into 2020, the Timbers needed better wing play beyond that provided by Sebastian Blanco, and they've gotten it from Yimmi Chara, who has delivered with four goals and seven assists since mid-September. A pair of wins has Portland top of the West by a whisker.


5. Orlando City
Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: Wednesday vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

This season marked the first time Orlando has qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs. This season also marked Orlando's first win over rivals Atlanta United following three years (nine contests) without a victory. The Lions got their second just two months later with Wednesday's 4-1 demolition of the Five Stripes. Oscar Pareja has instilled a sense of ferociousness and pride in Central Florida not seen in the club's previous five years of MLS existence.



6. Seattle Sounders
Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: Wednesday at LA Galaxy, 11 p.m. ET, ESPN+

With a chance to claim the top spot in the West at stake, Seattle delivered a subpar performance against Colorado on Sunday with almost its entire first-choice lineup. There's time to rescue the situation, but the Sounders will need some help.

7. New York City FC
Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: Sunday at Chicago, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

A pair of wins over Supporters' Shield-chasing Toronto and playoff-contending rivals Red Bulls have given NYCFC some breathing room, ensuring they'll be spared the Eastern Conference's play-in round pitting seeds 7 through 10 against one another for places in the playoffs proper.


8. LAFC
Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: Sunday vs. Portland, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

The momentum LAFC generated by their win over Houston was slowed when their game against San Jose was postponed -- for now -- due to positive COVID-19 tests. Bob Bradley will be hoping that Carlos Vela can continue his return to form during the regular season's final week.



9. Columbus Crew
Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: Wednesday at Orlando, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Sunday's win over league-leading Philadelph...

Jordan Raanan-

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants are looking to do something Thursday they haven't done often in recent years -- beat the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles (8:20 p.m. ET, Fox).

The Eagles (1-4-1) have won seven straight in the series. Injured Eagles tight end Zach Ertz and several teammates' houses might as well have Giants doormats to greet guests. Ertz played and scored a touchdown in six of those seven wins (he missed last year's season finale with an injury) and has been on Eagles teams that have won 11 of the past 12 against New York (1-5).

But the Eagles aren't the only NFC East rival to dominate the Giants in recent years. The Dallas Cowboys have also won seven straight, including two weeks ago when backup quarterback Andy Dalton led a game-winning drive.

That's 14 straight Giants losses to the Cowboys and Eagles dating to 2016, a skid matched only in the 1970s when the Giants had losing streaks of 12 games to Dallas and Philadelphia.

"It doesn't sit well," former Giants offensive lineman Chris Snee told ESPN of the current skid. "But it doesn't matter that it doesn't sit well with me. It has got to irk those players in the locker room."

It would have been enough to make Snee's former teammates Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul sick. Tuck wasn't shy about the "hate" he had for the Cowboys. Pierre-Paul once ended a news conference by saying he still hates the Eagles, after trying throughout the 10-minute session to not say anything of the sort.

It's not the same for the current Giants, who don't know what it's like to win a meaningful division game. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard is the only player on the roster to remember the last win against the Cowboys on Dec. 11, 2016, when Odell Beckham Jr.'s 61-yard catch-and-run on a Sunday night proved to be the difference.

To these Giants, Thursday is just another game, albeit one in the division. Most don't seem to know (or care) about the Giants' struggles against their NFC East rivals. Maybe it's the recent results or, more likely, the changing times with transient players.

"That was my first time hearing it," veteran safety Logan Ryan, in his first season with the Giants, said of the 14 straight losses. "I know we lost 11 of the last 12 or whatever it may be [to the Eagles]. That has no significance to this [game]. Streaks all come to an end.

"I remember when I got to Tennessee, there was not one good streak ever. We lost this many to Indy and never beat [former Colts QB] Andrew Luck and never beat this [team], and then we're in the AFC Championship. I really don't care. It's going to come down to me and [Eagles quarterback] Carson Wentz and the Giants and the Eagles and everyone else out there who's playing in the game. Salute to [former Eagles safety] Brian Dawkins, [former Giants pass-rusher Michael] Strahan and all these guys, but they're not going to help us."

Ryan grew up in South Jersey among Eagles fans and still downplays this game. Giants coach Joe Judge, born and raised an Eagles fan in the Philadelphia suburbs, has downplayed it as well -- even though he starts most weeks with a dissertation to his players about the history of Giants football.

"I don't really think about that at all, actually," Judge said of needing to beat the Eagles or Cowboys. "Our goal right now is to prepare for this year's Eagles team. This is a different team than it was in the past. We're a more improved team than we were in Week 1 and we're [a more] improved team than we were seven days ago."

Special games
The Eagles and Giants have produced some of football's most memorable moments. There has been the Miracle at the Meadowlands (Giants QB Joe Pisarcik's fumble), the DeSean Jackson punt return (2010), the Chuck Bednarik-Frank Gifford hit (1960), the Jason Sehorn interception (2000 playoffs) and Osi Umenyiora's record six sacks in a game (2007).

Bottom line, these were always special games that created memorable moments.
"The Eagles were kind of always the thorn in our side," Snee said. "To me, those were the games that we got up for ... The proximity. The history. There was legitimate dislike amongst the two teams. I don't know if that still exists or not. It stinks, because it takes away from that rivalry."

Whether it was the dislike of former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan and his tactics, or Strahan's rivalry with Eagles offensive tackle Jon Runyan, there always seemed to be a storyline in a series Philadelphia leads 87-85-2.

The Cowboys had a different dynamic, dominating the series 69-46-2. But the same dislike was there, and the Giants had their moments before this recent skid.

The Giants were the ones who spoiled the opening of Jones' house, AT&T Stadium, during the 2009 season.

"First win in new stadium," Giants quarterback Eli Mannin...