MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

If Tribisky plays or not the Bears are going to need a big time game from their defense. 3-4 turnovers with 1-2 of them returned for TDs.

 

I agree.

 

Cam Newton: I’m not going to let shoulder pain hold me back...

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was a limited participant in practice again on Wednesday as he and the team continue to work to manage his right shoulder in a way that allows Newton to remain in the lineup.

Whether that’s the best thing will be up for debate if Newton has any more games like he had against the Buccaneers last week. Newton threw four interceptions and was on the receiving end of four sacks in the 24-17 loss, but said on Wednesday that he isn’t going to be taking a step back as a result of the shoulder problem.

“I’m healthy enough to play and I’m not going to let nothing hold me back. … You have to learn how to manage pain,” Newton said, via Max Henson of the team’s website.

Head coach Ron Rivera said the team will “just do the best we can” with Newton’s situation over the final four weeks, but it’s not an ideal state of affairs for a team trying to snap a four-game losing streak. (PFT)

 

Eli Manning one loss away from tying Brett Favre for second-most ever...

Eli Manning is moving up on a list he’d prefer not to.

The Giants have lost 111 games that Manning has started, putting him third in NFL history for the most career losses by a starting quarterback. If the Giants lose on Sunday, Manning will move into a tie with Brett Favre for the second-most losses. Favre had a career record of 186-112, while Manning’s record is 115-111.

In another year, Manning could easily break Vinny Testaverde’s record for the most career losses for any starting quarterback. Testaverde went 90-123-1 in his career, which spanned 21 years and included stops with seven teams.

The only active quarterback who has close to as many losses as Manning is Drew Brees, who has a career record of 152-108 as a starter. Given how much better the Saints are than the Giants, and the fact that Manning is two years younger than Brees, it seems unlikely that Brees will lose enough games to pass Manning for the most losses ever. (PFT)
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That's one record you don't want, but he'll get it.

 

Team statement says Alex Smith has “serious injury,” requests privacy...

Usually when a player has had surgery after an injury, the team or the player puts out a statement saying the surgery was “successful.” The statement Washington released today about quarterback Alex Smith sounds much more ominous than that.

Shortly after reports surfaced that Smith is battling an infection, the team put out a statement that did nothing to assuage any concerns about his health.

“On behalf of Alex Smith, we appreciate all of the concerns and prayers over the injury he incurred on November 18th against the Houston Texans,” the statement said. “Although this is a serious injury, Alex and his family remain strong. We would ask that everyone please honor the Smith family’s request for privacy at this time.”

Neither Smith nor the team has offered any update about his condition since he suffered the injury. Questions have been raised about whether he’ll be able to play in 2019, but at the moment the bigger concern is just getting him healthy and out of the hospital. (PFT)

 

I actually wonder if he'll get it. Assuming the Giants draft a QB this coming April, if the Giants start the 2019 season 2-6, are they going to keep rolling with Eli?

 

If they draft a QB there is chance Eli is moved to a team who thinks he still has it. I know you wonder if there are any suckers out there I assure you there is at least 1.

 

I hate to say it but there is a world in which the plan is for Eli Manning to play all of next year. And that world is taking shape in the brains of John Mara / Dave Gettleman. "Look how much better he has played with a decent RG! Imagine what he can do if we have a RT also and our "starting" center didn't get hurt week 3!" Eli should get that #2 spot before the end of the season but it's a long way from 112 or 113 losses to 123. He would probably need 2 more seasons as a starter to get there -- say 2019 with the Giants and then a one year deal somewhere else? Even if they pass on a QB in the draft and ride with Lauletta and Eli in 2019 -- they won't let him get to 10 losses as a starter in 2019... Someone else will have to hand him the ball to make that happen. It's tough to imagine but not impossible.

 

I really do wonder if Tom Coughlin is sitting in Jacksonville waiting to see what happens with the Giants... Eli has a no trade clause and has been pretty open about not wanting to move his kids around / wanting to stay in NJ. There is some speculation that he may just call it a career whenever it ends with the Giants. It's pretty hard to pass up on 15 - 20 million if someone is offering it but it's not like Eli needs it at this point.

 

Ben Roethlisberger (ribs) expects to play Week 15...

Ben Roethlisberger missed four drives in Sunday's loss at Oakland after suffering a rib injury.

The Steelers quarterback said Tuesday on 93.7 The Fan fully expects to play Sunday against the New England Patriots.

"No, no, I don't think so," responded when asked if there's any reason he wouldn't play versus the Patriots, per NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala.

After suffering the rib injury to end the first half, Big Ben said he got X-rays, but the results were inconclusive.

Coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Roethlisberger's timeline, taking a shot at the equipment in Oakland in the process.

"Ben sustained an injury at the end of the first half, we went in at halftime; he needed to be evaluated," Tomlin said Tuesday. "An X-ray was a part of that. Getting the X-ray executed was not a fluid thing and often times it's not a fluid thing to be honest with you. New and unfamiliar venues and things of that nature. Ben was accompanied by our medical staff and Kevin Colbert, our general manager. They went through their procedures. Even after getting the X-ray, we didn't have great clarity, to be honest with you. We weren't able to read the X-ray to our satisfaction. ... So we never really, fully had a complete understanding of specifically what the injury was at the stadium site."

Roethlisberger noted that he told coaches, "I'll give you everything I've got" at the time, but Tomlin decided to ride with Josh Dobbs the first four series of the second half.

After the Steelers got down 17-14, Big Ben returned to lead a go-ahead touchdown drive. After Oakland re-took the lead, Pittsburgh got in field-goal range to try and tie the game, but kicker Chris Boswell slipped and had the boot blocked.

Tomlin said Tuesday that part of the reason for holding Roethlisberger out until late in the fourth quarter was concern about whether the situation could worsen if the quarterback was hit again.

"Obviously he's got to be a willing participant in that and doctors have to get to a level of comfort, but acknowledging that level of comfort is including a lack of clarity ... because the X-ray was not clearly readable," Tomlin said. "Ben has been with us a long time, he does a great job of communicating. We all do, we have continuity in that regard. We did a great job communicating throughout. Once they came back out onto the field, I continued to communicate with Ben to see the effectiveness of the medication, to see how he felt he would be able to perform in terms of function and be able to do the things that he needed to do. ... We said that because of lack of information and the situation not being a comfortable or ideal one, we would only reinsert him into the game if we felt it was necessary. As the game unfolded, obviously it became necessary, we did [reinsert him]. We really appreciate what he was able to do and the effort that he was able to provide for those around him to give us a chance. Obviously it didn't end in the way we would like, but that's just kind of an outline of what transpired."

The Steelers third straight loss makes Sunday's tilt against the Patriots massive for Pittsburgh. Having Big Ben in the lineup is important, but if Tomlin's defense gets diced up again the season will continue to slip away. (NFL.com)

 

Report: Carson Wentz not expected to play Sunday...

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that quarterback Carson Wentz will not take part in the day’s practice because he’s having back spasms.

Pederson added that the team would evaluate Wentz’s injury over the course of the week when asked if there was any risk that Wentz will not play against the Rams on Sunday night. That may be a more optimistic outlook than the one actually in place, however.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Wentz is not expected to play against the Rams. He adds that the team is still gathering information about the issue and that he may not play again this season depending on what comes up during that process.

Pederson said on Wednesday that the team was resting Wentz on Wednesday and he’d been limited for other practices earlier this season because of a back issue. There will likely be further questions about the impact the back problem may have had on his play in recent weeks.

If that’s the case, Nick Foles would get the start for the final three regular season games for the second year in a row. Foles went on to start three more games in the postseason as the Eagles won the Super Bowl and the team’s best chance of getting back to the postseason would be for Foles to author another three-game winning streak. (PFT)

 

John Harbaugh confirms Lamar Jackson will start, Joe Flacco No. 2...

Joe Flacco has been benched.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh made it official today that Lamar Jackson will remain Baltimore’s starter, as he has been the last four games. The difference for this week’s game against the Buccaneers is that Flacco is healthy enough to play and will be active, but Jackson will start ahead of him anyway.


“Joe is fully healthy, ready to go, he’ll be a full participant in practice, he’ll be up for the game,” Harbaugh said. “The starting quarterback will be Lamar. Joe will be the No. 2 quarterback and Robert Griffin will be the backup to those two.”

That’s a major change and the beginning of the end for Flacco, who won a Super Bowl MVP award in Baltimore but has been mostly a disappointment since signing an enormous contract after that. Jackson hasn’t been great in his four starts, but the Ravens have gone 3-1 with Jackson at the helm, and with a playoff race ahead, they’re sticking with the first-round rookie. (PFT)

 

Carson Wentz has fracture in back, will not need surgery...



Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has a fracture in his back.

The Eagles’ medical staff discovered the fracture after Wentz went through a battery of tests, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Wentz had been having CT scans on his back throughout the season, but the fracture was just revealed.

The injury will reportedly not require surgery, but it is unclear whether Wentz will be able to return this year. He is not expected to play on Sunday against the Rams.

A fracture in the back is certainly not a good thing, although quarterbacks have suffered such injuries without missing much time in the past. Derek Carr missed just one game after suffering a fracture in his back last year, and Tony Romo and Cam Newton have suffered fractures in their back and missed only one game as well.

But if the Eagles lose on Sunday they’re likely out of the playoffs, and it probably wouldn’t make much sense to risk further injury to Wentz, the franchise quarterback whose durability is becoming a concern. (PFT)

 

Ben Roethlisberger back to full practice...

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t take part in practice on Wednesday, which isn’t unusual at this point in the season but was notable after he sat out most of the second half of last Sunday’s game with injured ribs.

Roethlisberger eventually returned to the game, but the Steelers still lost to the Raiders. He made another return on Thursday.

Roethlisberger is listed as a full participant for the Steelers as they continued preparations for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

Running back James Conner did not join Roethlisberger in returning to action. Head coach Mike Tomlin said earlier this week that it was possible Conner would play after missing last week with an ankle injury, but it seems less likely now that he’s missed the first two practices of the week.

Safety Sean Davis and center Maurkice Pouncey were full participants on Thursday after sitting out on Wednesday, but right tackle Marcus Gilbert remained out with a knee injury. (PFT)

 

Drew Brees gifts footballs in honor of passing record...



METAIRIE, La. -- After absorbing the significance of becoming the NFL's all-time career passing leader two months ago, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees knew he wanted to do something special for those who helped him achieve the record.

Brees, who established the milestone in Week 5 against the Washington Redskins, just needed time, and the Week 6 bye afforded a perfect opportunity for the signal-caller to devise a thoughtful plan to commemorate the journey.

"I wanted to do something for everybody," Brees said Friday. "Obviously, the emotions that came after that and just the reflections. It was good that we were going into a bye week because it gave me a chance just to take a deep breath and just start thinking about all the guys that had a hand in that."

With the assistance of general manager Mickey Loomis, executive director of football communications Doug Miller and members of the Saints' PR staff, Brees came up with a list of 174 names that played a role in the record over his 18-year career.

The compilation proved a task, as Brees said a lot of effort was spent tracking down each individual and confirming mailing addresses.

With the mission accomplished, a total of 15 current receivers, 84 former ones, seven current offensive linemen, 49 former blockers, 11 coaches and eight contributors, including Saints owner Gayle Benson, will receive a customized football with their name and contributions in time for the holidays. Also included with the football is a letter personally signed by Brees thanking each individual for their assistance.

"What's been actually really cool is we just -- it took a while to get the balls made and, obviously, get everything ready to send them out -- but we wanted to get it done before Christmas," Brees said with a smile. "So, we just sent them out earlier this week. It's awesome to see now the videos that I'm getting, guys send of them receiving it."

The packages containing the custom football have been arriving in recent days, and former Saints fullback Mike Karney on Thursday used Twitter to post a photo of his football. Brees said he also heard from Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who spent three seasons in New Orleans, and former San Diego Chargers fullback Fred McCrary.

Saints tight end Josh Hill said he received his unexpected gift Thursday.

"It's one of those balls that will go in the cave," Hill told NFL.com. "It doesn't surprise me that he did it because he's always thinking about the guys around him. It was a cool gesture that he did for everybody."

Saints rookie wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith, whose 62-yard touchdown catch in Week 5 helped Brees break the record, said Friday he was surprised when his package arrived in the mail earlier in the week.

"That just shows you the kind of person he is," Smith told NFL.com. "Everything you do to help this organization or to help him, it doesn't go unnoticed by him. That means a lot coming from a new teammate, a rookie, looking up to a veteran."

Smith added the play, which also produced his first career touchdown, produced a highlight he won't ever forget. Smith also knows he'll forever be the answer to a sports trivia question.

"I'm going to forever cherish that moment," Smith said. "And I figure I'm really going to be thought about in that moment because when somebody thinks of Drew Brees' passing record, it will automatically come to where Tre'Quan Smith caught the pass. It wasn't just a first down or a 3-yard pass, it was a 62-yard touchdown."

Meanwhile, Brees might not be finished coming up with a commemorate gift to highlight an accomplishment on his Hall of Fame career.

While he already owns numerous NFL passing records, including the all-time completions mark, the career touchdown passes milestone is within reach. Brees currently sits on 519 passing scores, placing him 20 behind Peyton Manning's 539 on the all-time list. (NFL.com)

 

Didn't Brady just pass Peyton?

 

Yes. Passing yards and TD's.

 

Brees did it a few weeks ago.

 

Alex Smith out of hospital...

The most recent report about Washington quarterback Alex Smith‘s health is a lot more encouraging than the previous ones.

A little more than a week ago, word broke that Smith was dealing with a post-operative infection in his leg after surgery to repair the broken tibia and fibula he suffered on November 18. The infection required further surgical intervention as doctors tried to get everything under control.

It appears they were able to do that. ESPN reports that Smith has been released from the hospital and will continue to recover from the leg injuries on an outpatient basis.

Smith’s health remains the issue of immediate concern, but thoughts about his playing future are always going to be part of the picture. The report indicates optimism that Smith will be able to play again, although there isn’t certainty and it will be some time before there’s clarity about where things stand on that front. (PFT)
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Certainly good news... best wishes to him.

 

Flacco unlikely to return to Ravens
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...cco-not-expected-to-be-back-with-ravens-in-19

Not exactly a revelation, it was only a matter of time before this was announced. Highly doubt anyone trades for him, but he will be a highly coveted FA. Don't think a team will want to lose draft picks and take that price tag.