NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Unbelievable stuff going on....

Injuries we're monitoring around the league on this Week 2 Sunday:

• Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers has been ruled out against the Eagles after suffering a rib injury in the first quarter.
• Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones is questionable to return against the Bills with a groin injury.
• Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell was carted off the field with a leg injury and has been ruled out against the Vikings. Safety Malik Hooker (Achilles) and linebacker Matthew Adams (ankle) have also been ruled out.
• San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was carted off the field with a knee injury and has been ruled out against the Jets. Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas was also carted off and ruled out with a knee injury. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been ruled out for the second half after suffering an ankle injury. Running back Raheem Mostert suffered a knee injury and has been ruled out.
• Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock has been ruled out versus the Steelers with a right shoulder injury.
• Atlanta Falcons defensive end Takk McKinley is questionable to return against the Cowboys with a groin injury. Offensive tackle Kaleb McGary is out with a knee injury. Linebacker Foye Oluokun is questionable to return because of cramping. Safety Ricardo Allen is questionable to return with an elbow injury.
• New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has been ruled out against the Bears with a knee injury. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard will not return after suffering a toe injury.
• Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr has been ruled out against the Colts after suffering a shoulder injury in the first half. Running back Mike Boone (concussion) has also been ruled out.

• New York Jets cornerback Quincy Wilson has been ruled out after being evaluated for a concussion. Wide receiver Breshad Perriman (ankle) has also been ruled out.
• Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo (knee) is questionable to return against the Rams.
• Jacksonville Jaguars center Brandon Linder has a knee injury and is questionable to return against the Titans.

 

HEADLINES...

49ers Believe Nick Bosa Tore His ACL
Giants Fear Torn ACL For Saquon Barkley

Josh Allen Throws Four TDs, Bills Hold Off Dolphins
Steelers Move To 2-0 With Win Over Broncos
Rams Get To 2-0 With Win In Philadelphia
Cowboys Pull Out Miraculous, 40-39 Win With 16 Points In Final Five Minutes
Packers Start Slowly, Then Dominate The Lions
Buccaneers Beat The Panthers 31-17
Ryan Tannehill Shines As Titans Beat Jaguars
Colts Dominate Vikings In 28-11 Victory
Bears Hang On To Beat Giants 17-13

 

Herbert and the Chargers looking good.

17-6, Chargers over KC

 

Bah, they better come back, don't need them Chiefs pissed off before rolling up to Baltimore next week.

 

Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson were voted as the league’s Most Valuable Player after their second seasons, which led some to suggest that Kyler Murray could find his way into consideration for the prize this season.

The first two weeks of the season have done little to suggest that’s a crazy idea. Murray followed up a stellar opener against the 49ers with another terrific performance in Sunday’s 30-15 win over the Washington Football Team.

Murray opened the scoring with a four-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins and then ran for two touchdowns as the Cardinals cruised to a win in their home opener. Murray finished the day 26-of-38 for 286 yards through the air and added 66 rushing yards on seven carries.

Murray hooked up with Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella for big gainers through the air. Those wideouts, Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald all had at least 50 receiving yards as Murray is forcing defenses to cover every inch of the field on a weekly basis.

Fellow 2019 first-round quarterback Dwayne Haskins had a rough first half that included four sacks and a lost fumble, but showed signs of life in the second half for the second straight week. He couldn’t mount the kind of comeback that made Washington winners in their first outing, but finished the day 19-of-33 for 223 yards and a touchdown to Terry McLaurin.

Washington will try to get back on track against the Browns in Cleveland next weekend. The Cardinals will remain at home to face an 0-2 Lions team that should have its hands full with Murray.

NBC

 

The Chiefs have not lost a game against an AFC West opponent since Dec. 13, 2018, when the Chargers beat them 29-28 while Philip Rivers was still the quarterback. Justin Herbert was the Chargers’ quarterback Sunday.

Herbert looked nothing like a rookie making his first start, but Patrick Mahomes was Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs trailed 14-6 at halftime and 17-6 in the third quarter. They tied the Chargers 20-20 on a field goal on the last play of regulation and won it 23-20 on an overtime field goal with less than two minutes to go.

The Chargers beat the Bengals on a 31-yard missed field goal by Cincinnati kicker Randy Bullock in the waning seconds in Week One. Those were the Bengals, the worst team in the NFL in 2019, that the Chargers played last week. These were the defending Super Bowl champions.

Harrison Butker, who tied the team record with a 58-yard field goal in the third quarter, was good from 30 yards on the final play of the fourth quarter. The Chiefs, though, were attempting to win the game in regulation.

They overcame two holding penalties on the game-tying drive but ran out of time after reaching the Los Angeles 12.

In overtime, the Chargers elected to punt on fourth-and-one from their own 34. They never saw the ball again. The Chiefs converted a fourth-and-one from the Chargers 46 on a Darwin Thompson run.

They scored four snaps later on a 58-yard Butker field goal after a false start by Nick Allegretti backed them up 5 yards.

It gave the Chiefs their 11th consecutive victory. They had won seven in a row by double digits until Sunday as Herbert and the Chargers gave Mahomes and the Chiefs all they wanted.

Herbert, a surprise starter after Tyrod Taylor injured his chest in pregame warmups, went 22-of-33 for 311 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Six different receivers caught passes.

Mahomes, who was under duress all day, ran for 54 yards on six carries and completed 27 of 47 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns. His 54-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill with 12:48 left in the fourth quarter ended up leading to a tie game.

Officials missed a 15-yard penalty on Hill after his touchdown. He removed his helmet in the end zone, which should have drawn a flag and surely will draw a fine.

It won’t help the Chargers now. They likely would have backed up the Chiefs 15 yards on the extra point, which would have forced the Chiefs to try to kick a long extra point rather than go for two, which they converted on a pass from Mahomes to Mecole Hardman.

NBC

 

Absolutely brutal...

 

One heck of a Sunday night game. That last play was so obvious that Seattle couldn’t have let them score

 

Seahawks hang on for 35-30 win over Patriots



Russell Wilson is certainly cooking.

And no one from the Seahawks is going hungry.

The Seahawks held on for a 35-30 win over the Patriots, thanks to their quarterback putting in a classic performance and a timely defensive stop.

Wilson threw for 288 yards and five touchdowns — to five different receivers — to keep another impressive outing by Cam Newton at bay.

Newton didn’t run as much as he did in the opener, but was still extremely effective, with two touchdown runs to go with his 397 yards passing and another score. He had a crack at a game-winning score from the 1-yard line on the final play, but was upended short of the goal line, in yet another dramatic finish between the teams.

The Seahawks had to overcome quite a bit along the way. Pass-rusher Bruce Irvin left late with an injury, safety Quandre Diggs was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit, and Wilson started the game by throwing an interception which was returned for a touchdown.

But as the game wore on, Wilson got better, responding to the increased responsibility.

Their depleted defense made the final play, but their quarterback made them all night.

NBC

 

Tough blow...



Giants running back Saquon Barkley suffered a torn ACL on Sunday.

The Giants announced today that an MRI confirmed what was feared yesterday. Barkley is almost certainly out for the season.

The injury is a major disappointment for the Giants, who saw Barkley as a huge part of their future when they chose him with the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Now Barkley’s season appears over after he gained just 34 yards on 19 carries in two games.

Barkley led the league in yards from scrimmage as a rookie, but he struggled with an ankle injury in his second season, and his third season is now over when it had barely started.

 

Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said that the team’s defensive performance against the Vikings was just a taste of what’s to come this season.

Future bites are going to be taken without safety Malik Hooker. Per multiple reports, Hooker has been diagnosed with a torn Achilles that will keep him out for the rest of the year.

NBC

 

Broncos fear WR Courtland Sutton suffered serious knee injury

The Denver Broncos could be without another one of their best players for the foreseeable future.

Receiver Courtland Sutton is feared to have suffered a significant knee injury, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's James Palmer reported.

Sutton is set to have an MRI on Monday.

The wideout left Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh after injuring the knee making a tackle on an interception by Steelers corner Joe Haden. Sutton had three catches for 66 yards after missing Week 1 due to an AC joint injury.

The knee injury threatening to wipe out Sutton's season would be devastating for a Broncos team that is already without Von Miller on defense and expects quarterback Drew Lock to miss the next two-to-four weeks.

Sutton busted out last season, earning 1,112 yards on 72 catches with six TDs despite instability at the QB spot. A boundary receiver with the ability to leap over defenders and owns sticky fingers, Sutton is Denver's most dangerous weapon. Losing him for the year could threaten to crater a potentially fun, young offense, even if Lock returns in short order.

Without Sutton, rookie Jerry Jeudy figures to have an increased role, as would K.J. Hamler. Tight end Noah Fant could also see an uptick in targets sans the Pro Bowl wideout.

NFL.com

 

Drew Lock set to miss at least two games with rotator cuff strain



The good news for the Broncos is that quarterback Drew Lock is expected back this season, but the bad news is that theywill have to play without him for a spell.

According to multiple reports, Lock has been diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain. He is set to miss the next two games before the condition of his shoulder is re-evaluated to see if he’s ready to return to action.

Jeff Driskel took over for Lock in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers and is now in line to start against the Buccaneers in Week Three. Assuming he doesn’t get hurt, he’ll also likely start against the Jets in a Thursday night game in Week Four.

Driskel is the only other quarterback on the active roster, but Denver does have Brett Rypien available for promotion from the practice squad.

NBC

 

Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey confirmed today that doctors tell him he’s going to miss four to six weeks with an ankle injury.

McCaffrey himself, however, is optimistic that he can miss less than that.

“They say four to six weeks,” McCaffrey said. “That’s a challenge to me. Hopefully I can get back a lot earlier. I’m going to attack this.”

If the Panthers put McCaffrey on injured reserve, he’d miss at least three weeks but could return after that thanks to the NFL’s special injured reserve rules for this season. It seems unlikely McCaffrey could be back any sooner than that, but he’s hoping that he can beat the 4-6 week projection.

NBC

 

49ers sign Ziggy Ansah



After a long negotiation and multiple visits, Ziggy Ansah is finally signing with the 49ers.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said today that the 49ers and Ansah have agreed to terms, and he’ll officially sign once he passes through the league’s COVID-19 testing protocols.

Although the 49ers and Ansah had been talking for more than a month, the team had more of a sense of urgency about signing the veteran defensive end after their top two players at the position, Nick Bosa and Dee Ford, both suffered injuries. Bosa is expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL suffered on Sunday, and Ford was already dealing with a neck injury.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft, Ansah had a couple of very good years in Detroit, recording 14.5 sacks in 2015 and 12 sacks in 2017. But he has struggled with injuries and been ineffective when he did play the last couple of years. The 49ers hope he can show he has something left and can contribute to a defense that was one of the best in the NFL last year, but is operating at less than 100 percent this year.

 

that was a great game. NE/Sea has always been a great matchup since Wilson came in to the league.

id call the same play again in the same scenario at the end there. no one had stopped it for 2 straight games knowing full well it was coming almost every time. James White wouldve been a nice option there as well. obviously a real tough situation on that front.
Edelman shouldve caught the gw td right before that. Adams/Edelman was a great battle last night.
very happy with the way this Patriots team has come out 2 games in. huge question marks coming in and then the mass Covid exodus made things dicey. was expecting Stidham to win it but Cam looks damn good so far. wish he wouldnt throw seeds on check downs though.
Gilmore torched a little bit last night, not used to seeing that.