NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Dez Bryant wants to play in 2019: 'I can't end like this'...

Dez Bryant never saw the playing field this season, but that isn't frustrating his aspirations to return to football next year.

Speaking on KRLD-FM in Dallas on Thursday, Bryant said he intends to continue his NFL career in 2019.
"I have to (play again). I got business and I got ball," Bryant said, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I can't end like this. I have to throw the X up."

Bryant's season ended in devastating fashion when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his second practice with the New Orleans Saints in November. The injury came two days after he broke his seven-month stint in free agency by signing a one-year deal with the Saints.

Bryant's season-ending injury was a significant blow to the 30-year-old wide receiver's hopes of resurrecting his career. It immediately raised questions as to whether the injury would wipe out any chance he had of playing in the NFL again following two disappointing seasons with the Cowboys in 2016 and 2017.

As NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported in November, the Saints are open to potentially bringing back Bryant in 2019. Barring a setback in his ongoing recovery, it looks like Bryant will be doing all he can to be on the field. Whether he'll get another chance with the Saints remains to be seen. (NFL.com)

 

Larry Fitzgerald: I'll let you know if I decide to retire...

The Arizona Cardinals play their final game at home Sunday when they host the Los Angeles Rams.

Whether the occasion marks the last stand of wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's remarkable 15-year career in front of the home crowd is unclear, but the 11-time Pro Bowler isn't ready to reveal his plans.

"If I decide to retire, I'll let you guys know," Fitzgerald told reporters Thursday, via the Cardinals' official website. "Man, seriously. So, I don't understand why we keep asking these questions.

"You know me; I've been answering for the last three years. Nothing's going to change ... I'm never going to tell you, 'This is my last day. I'm excited. Honor me.' Those words would never come out of my mouth, ever."

Nevertheless, the questions surrounding Fitzgerald's future are sure to increase with two games remaining in the regular season, one that has seen a decline in the standout wide receiver's production on a team in clear transition with first-year head coach Steve Wilks. Fitzgerald's current deal with the Cardinals expires this offseason, but general manager Steve Keim said the team will give Fitzgerald time to determine his future before engaging in potential contract talks with him.

"We don't get into that with Larry at this point and time," Keim said on KMVP-FM on Friday. "It's no different than the last couple of years. We will give him that grace period to sort of reflect and see how his body feels like a lot of the vets do. Those are the conversations that will come after the season."

Arizona started the season with quarterback Sam Bradford before turning to rookie Josh Rosen, and the Cardinals are in the throes of a 3-11 campaign. With a rookie signal-caller learning the ropes, Fitzgerald's numbers have suffered after entering the 2018 season with three straight 1,000-yard receiving campaigns.

Through 14 games, Fitzgerald has topped 100 yards receiving just once and enters Sunday's game with 59 catches for 645 yards and five touchdowns on a career-low 92 targets.

Still, the 35-year-old Fitzgerald remained a consummate professional while the Cardinals struggled in 2018, helping his younger teammates and contributing whenever his number was called.

Perhaps the way he goes about his business contributes to his response on what the future holds for a player sure to be in the Hall of Fame one day. But for now, Fitzgerald doesn't want to view Sunday's home finale any differently than he has with any game throughout his career.

"No thoughts on it, really," he said. "It's just another game for me. If anything changes, I'll let you guys know, though." (NFL.com)

 

Le’Veon Bell “has his eyes on” the Indianapolis Colts...

In March, Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell will become available to the highest bidder. And he apparently hopes the highest bidder, or close to it, will be the Indianapolis Colts.

“He has his eyes on the Colts, no doubt about that,” an unnamed source told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. “He sees [quarterback Andrew] Luck and that offense and all that cap room and they’re much closer than the Jets. He wants to go someplace he can win right away.”


Bell hasn’t ruled out signing with the Jets, a team that could be willing to pay much more than the Colts. G.M. Chris Ballard won’t be inclined to overpay in the early days of free agency, and that’s likely what it will take to get Bell.

Also, the Colts have Marlon Mack, a much cheaper option who had a career day against the Cowboys. Mack is signed through 2020, at salaries of $645,000 and $735,000 over the next two years.

Of course, Ballard may have only so much influence over the final decision. If owner Jim Irsay decides to make the move, Ballard may have no choice but to make it, or at least to make a competitive offer.

If the Colts do indeed make it — and if Bell takes a little less to play for a better team — the Colts will become a short-list favorite to contend for a Super Bowl berth next season. (PFT)
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That's crazy shit right there...

 

Ravens announce John Harbaugh will be back as head coach in 2019...



John Harbaugh is not on the hot seat.

Amid talk that Harbaugh could be on the way out if the Ravens don’t make the playoffs this year, the Ravens released a statement this afternoon saying that Harbaugh will be the Ravens’ head coach for the 2019 season.


“John Harbaugh will continue as our head coach for the 2019 season, and he and we are working on an extension to his existing contract, which expires after the 2019 season,” the team said in a statement.

Although the Ravens were struggling early in the season, they’ve gone 4-1 in the five games since installing first-round rookie Lamar Jackson as their starting quarterback. Jackson is a near-lock to be the Ravens’ starting quarterback in 2019, and the Ravens surely want to maintain some consistency for Jackson heading into the offseason.

The Ravens still have some work to do to make the playoffs, and they’re underdogs in tomorrow’s big game against the Chargers. But even if they come up short this year, the team is committed to Harbaugh next year. (PFT)

 

Wow. John owes Lamar a nice Christmas gift. He may have also rekindled John's passion for the Ravens.

 

Todays NFL Action...

 

What to watch for in Ravens-Chargers, Redskins-Titans...

Saturday's tandem of games to kick off the penultimate week of the 2018 regular season are chock-full of playoff implications. Here's what to watch for in the Washington Redskins at Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers matchups, both of which will be shown exclusively on NFL Network:

Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers, 8 p.m. ET

Ravens (8-6): Will Lamar Jackson carry the Ravens into the playoffs? Since taking over for the injured Joe Flacco at quarterback and hanging onto the job in the wake of Flacco's return, Baltimore has surged into the AFC playoff picture. With the rookie signal-caller under center, Baltimore is 4-1. Those four wins, however, came against sub-.500 competition (Bengals, Raiders, Falcons, Buccaneers). His one loss was in a nail-biter against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chargers figure to offer a very difficult test, but one that's passable if Jackson and the Ravens play to their strengths. Since Jackson took over as QB, Baltimore ranks first in the NFL in rushing yards per game (230.4), rushing first downs (66) and carries over 10 yards (28), per NFL Research. They've rushed for more than 190 yards in five straight games -- the third-longest streak of the Super Bowl era. Rookie Gus Edwards (486) and Jackson (427) rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in NFL rushing since Week 11. Against the Chargers, they'll face a defense that has only allowed two 100-yard rushers this season (Joe Mixon and Todd Gurley). If the Ravens can continue to find success in the run game and their league-best defense shuts down the Philip Rivers-Melvin Gordon one-two offensive punch, they could continue to hold onto the AFC's No. 6 playoff seed. A Ravens win won't clinch them a playoff berth, but a loss would hand a playoff berth to the Houston Texans on Saturday night and help the Pittsburgh Steelers' efforts to claim the AFC North crown.

Chargers (11-3): Los Angeles is already heading to the postseason for the first time since 2013, but it's still in the race for the AFC West title. Helping the Chargers' cause will be the anticipated return of Melvin Gordon, who missed the last three games because of a knee injury. Due to its current divisional record (3-2 vs. the Chiefs' 4-1), Los Angeles holds the AFC's No. 5 playoff seed. The Chargers need to win their final games against the Ravens and Denver Broncos and hope the Chiefs drop a game in order to claim the AFC's top seed, where the conference's last five Super Bowl teams have sprouted from. The key for the Chargers will be finding a way to break the Ravens' top-ranked defense that ranks third against the rush and pass. While Gordon might be back on the field, there's no guarantee he'll be playing at his normal level. Rivers, however, is putting up an MVP-caliber season with age-bedeviling performances. His comeback effort against the Chiefs last week in the Mike Williams breakout game was one of the most memorable games of his career. Rivers, per NFL Research, is posting career-highs in passing yards per attempt (8.8), TD-INT ratio (31-8), passer rating (112.4) and giveaways (9) amid throwing for 3,951 yards and 31 touchdowns. Getting to Rivers likely will be critical for the Ravens. Rivers has the third-largest decrease is passer rating (-21.8) when blitzed against, per Next Gen Stats. Baltimore's defense blitzes at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL (36.7).

Washington Redskins at Tennessee Titans, 4:30 p.m. ET

Redskins (7-7): Josh Johnson was a winning QB for the first time in his 31-game career last week, but the Titans aren't the Jacksonville Jaguars. Washington's win kept them in the NFC playoff chase, but they'll need to win both of their remaining games and get some help from the teams ahead of them to land a postseason berth. The Redskins sit eighth in the NFC playoff picture behind the Philadelphia Eagles, who own the tiebreaker. Against Tennessee's seventh-ranked defense, Washington will need more offensive production than they had against the Jaguars. Adrian Peterson has struggled to replicate the success he had in September and October. In the first two months of the season, he averaged 105.4 scrimmage yards per game in comparison to the 55.0 he's averaged since the start of November. His yards per touch also has dropped from 5.4 to 3.7, according to NFL Research. Much of his statistical dropoff has to do with the injuries the team has suffered on the offensive line in addition to the season-ending broken leg Alex Smith suffered. With Peterson the biggest star of the offense, teams have zeroed in on shutting him down. That means Washington's defense almost certainly will have to keep Marcus Mariota and Derrick Henry from picking them apart in order to have a chance. Injuries also have dulled the effectiveness of Washington's defense in recent games -- last week's win over Jacksonville marked the first time it managed to hold a team under 20 points since Week 10 when it still gave up 501 total yards in a win over the Bucs. Asking for the Johnson-Peterson combo to spearhead a 20-point scoring effort likely would be too much for the veteran duo.

Titans (8-6): Derrick Henry might be chasing some history on Saturday, but the Titans are pursuing a playoff berth. Tennessee enters the game sitting eighth in the AFC playoff race amid a three-game winning streak. Wins over the Redskins and the Colts would greatly enhance their chances of returning to the postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time 2008. Henry's performances over the last two games has played a vital part in the Titans' recent resurgence. The former Heisman Trophy winner has rushed for 408 yards and six touchdowns over the last two games, becoming the first player to rush for 170-plus yards and two or more TDs since Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson achieved the feat in 2006. He also has an amazing 372 yards after contact and 18 forced missed tackles over the last two games. If he tallies 240 yards against the Redskins -- a huge if -- Henry would break O.J. Simpson's mark for most rushing yards over a three-game span (647). His freight train-like runs have helped bolster a Tennessee offense that's been underwhelming most of the season. Tennessee ranks 27th in total offense (317.8 YPG) and Mariota has struggled to ignite a 30th-ranked passing offense (187 YPG). Defensively, first-year head coach Mike Vrabel is running things right. Tennessee ranks first in red-zone percentage allowed (42.1), points per game allowed (18.1) and fifth in third-down percentage allowed (34.8). While the Titans are the favorites in this one, they can't afford to stumble -- a loss would decimate their playoff chances and secure a postseason berth for the Texans. (NFL.com)

 

Very impressive drive by the Redskins... their up, 10-6 on the Titans.

 

Bosa is getting the James Harrison treatment against the Ravens: being held every other play and no flags. Would've had 2 sacks but was absolutely mugged.

 

Tennessee comes back late, keeps playoff hopes alive by beating Washington...

It wasn’t easy for the Tennessee Titans, but they earned a big win today.

Despite an injury to starting quarterback Marcus Mariota, Tennessee beat Washington 25-16 to improve to 9-6 with one game left in the season. Mariota suffered a stinger just before halftime, left the game and did not return. Backup Blaine Gabbert came in and acquitted himself nicely, actually playing better overall in the second half than Mariota played in the first half.


The other backup quarterback in the game, Washington’s Josh Johnson, played reasonably well for a guy who arrived off the street after Alex Smith and Colt McCoy both suffered injuries. Johnson is certainly better than the quarterback he supplanted, Mark Sanchez, but Johnson also threw a very costly and ill-advised interception late in the fourth quarter. Johnson also threw a pick-six on the last play of the game, although that was no worse than an incompletion.

Washington running back Adrian Peterson was a bright spot for the offense. He topped 100 rushing yards for the game and 1,000 yards for the season, making him just the fifth player in NFL history to have a 1,000-yard season after turning 33 years old.

Although Washington isn’t out of it, at 7-8 the playoffs are very unlikely. Tennessee, meanwhile, is in very good position to earn a playoff berth. It’s quite likely that Tennessee and Indianapolis, which meet in Week 17, will be playing for the AFC’s final wild card spot. The only question is whether it will be Mariota or Gabbert leading the Titans. (PFT)

 

Same 'ol sorry ass Chargers. How many times have we seen Rivers and company throw away an otherwise great season??

 

Defense forces three turnovers to carry Ravens to 22-10 win over Chargers...

Two turnovers forced by the Baltimore defense proved pivotal in carrying the Ravens to a 22-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday night.

With the Chargers driving for a potential go-ahead touchdown near midfield with three minutes remaining, Patrick Onwuasor forced a fumble of Chargers tight end Antonio Gates which was returned 62 yards for a clinching touchdown by Ravens safety Tavon Young. Marlon Humphrey intercepted Philip Rivers on the final drive for the Chargers to put the final icing on the victory for Baltimore.

A Brandon Carr interception of Rivers on the first offensive snap of the game set up a 24-yard field goal and set the tone for the night for the Ravens defense.

Los Angeles was held to just 198 yards of total offense. Even with Melvin Gordon returning to the lineup and Keenan Allen playing despite a hip injury, the Chargers offense couldn’t move the ball against the Ravens. Los Angeles was held to just 198 yards of total offense on the night. Rivers completed 23 of 37 passes for 181 yards and two interceptions. He was sacked four times by the Baltimore defense and hit eight times in total.

Lamar Jackson passed for 204 yards and a touchdown and Tucker converted three field goals on the night to add to the Baltimore scoring effort, but the dominance of the defense carried the day.

The Chargers will be eliminated in the AFC West chase if Kansas City defeats Seattle on Sunday night.

After Rivers first interception by Carr, Gus Edwards immediately broke off a 43-yard run on Baltimore’s first offensive snap to move inside the Chargers red zone. However, the Chargers defense would stiffen up with a third down pass from Jackson to Michael Crabtree falling incomplete to set up a 24-yard Justin Tucker field goal to give the Ravens a quick 3-0 lead.

After missing a 53-yard field goal attempt wide left on Baltimore’s second drive, Tucker would convert a 35-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 6-0 lead. A league-record 65-yard field goal try to end the half came up just short.

The Chargers put together their only meaningful drive of the half right before the break, gaining 56 yards on nine plays with the help of a defensive pass interference call. Michael Badgley converted a 38-yard field goal for L.A.’s only points.

Gordon scored on a 1-yard touchdown run after a Kenneth Dixon fumble set the Chargers up with stellar field position deep in Baltimore territory. After training at the break, Gordon’s touchdown gave the Chargers their first lead of the night at 10-6.

Two plays after getting the ball back, Lamar Jackson threw a perfect pass to tight end Mark Andrews, who stiff-armed safety Jahleel Addae on the way to a 68-yard touchdown to put the Ravens back on top.

Both touchdowns came inside the first three minutes of the third quarter.

Tucker would add a 52-yard field goal to extend the lead to 16-10.

After being pinned against their own goal line, a Desmond King punt return set the Chargers up with great field position with just over three minutes remaining to attempt to steal the victory. A holding penalty on Russell Okung moved the Chargers back to midfield before Gates fumble and Young’s return sealed the deal for the Ravens. (PFT)

 

How does losing that game throw away a season? Ravens and their defense won it, but that doesn't take away from a great season by the Chargers. If your saying they ckoked, wait till it happens come playoff time.

Cant win them all and the Ravens deserve credit here. Chargers season is a loooooong way from over. Rivers is a real good QB in my opinion also.

 

Rivers and the Chargers likely get another shot at the Ravens in 2 weeks. Only this time it will be in Baltimore.

Also if the Colts win and Steelers lose today then Titans vs Colts is win and in, lose and out, not including ties. So it will surely be flexed to primetime.