MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Joe Burrow will be shorthanded on Sunday vs. Titans



Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has played great this year. He’ll likely play great again on Sunday. The problem for the first overall pick in the draft will continue to be the players around him, or lack thereof.

Against Tennessee on Sunday, running back Joe Mixon will miss his second straight game with a foot injury.

Burrow also won’t have three of his five starting linemen. Left tackle Jonah Williams (neck), center Trey Hopkins (concussion), and right tackle Bobby Hart (knee) will all miss Sunday’s game.

The 1-5-1 Bengals have been competitive in most games. It will now be even more difficult to be competitive on Sunday against the 5-1 Titans.

NBC

 

Lamar Jackson prepares for only second career start vs. Steelers



Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has a 24-4 regular-season record as a starter. It’s well known that he has an 0-3 record against the Chiefs. It’s not as well known (or at least not as well realized) that he’s only 1-0 against the Steelers.

His win came in Week Five of the 2019 season, at Pittsburgh. Baltimore, at 2-2, had lost two in a row, to the Chiefs and (surprisingly) at home to the Browns. The Steelers were still reeling from the loss of Ben Roethlisberger for the season with an elbow injury, at 1-3.

It looked like it would be an easy win for Baltimore, which raced out to a 10-0 lead. However, a five-play drive engineered by Mason Rudolph and capped by a 35-yard catch and run by JuJu Smith-Schuster for the score, making it 10-7.

Baltimore responded with a 13-play drive that restored the 10-point lead, thanks ultimately to an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Marquise Brown.

The Ravens forced a punt, but then came the first of three interceptions for Jackson on the day, a ball that caromed off tight end Mark Andrews‘ shoulder pads. The Steelers trimmed the margin to seven with a field goal.

After the teams traded punts (a promising Baltimore drive ended with consecutive sacks of Jackson) came another Jackson interception, a poor throw that was easily picked off by Mike Hilton, setting up another field goal and what was looking like a potential steamrolling went to halftime with Baltimore up by only 17-13.

Jackson’s third interception of the day came on the first drive of the third quarter. It was great play on a deep throw made by linebacker Devin Bush, but still an interception. The ensuing 10-play, 87-yard drive that saw Mason Rudolph concussed and replaced by Duck Hodges gave Pittsburgh its first lead, 20-17.

Jackson responded with a 12-play drive that ended in a field goal, knotting the game at 20. After the Steelers scored another field goal with 2:37 to play, Jackson and the Ravens moved the ball 45 yards in nine plays to tie the game with 10 seconds left in regulation.

In overtime, Baltimore got the ball first and sputtered, with Jackson taking his fifth sack and the Ravens going three and out. Then came a well-timed punch by cornerback Marlon Humphrey on a catch by Smith-Schuster and a very lucky bounce (and non-bounce) and the Ravens had the ball at the Pittsburgh 34. Three plays later, Justin Tucker did what Justin Tucker does and Baltimore won, 26-23.

Jackson did plenty of excellent things in the game, twisting and zipping through the Pittsburgh defense, drawing a 15-yard penalty with a late hit out of bounds (not a flop), and completing more than 67 percent of his passes. The three interceptions are nevertheless glaring; he’s never had another game with that many. The five sacks are the most he’s taken in any regular-season game, too.

Here’s the other reality when it comes to facing the Steelers: Unlike plenty of other defenses when it comes to quarterback who cross the line of scrimmage, the Steelers will treat Jackson like a running back when he dares to run. They told the players to do it three weeks ago against Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, and actions spoke louder than any words could last Sunday, when linebacker Vince Williams blew up (legally) Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

We’ll see what happens on Sunday. The Ravens desperately need to win this one, if they hope to win the division and to avoid their own personal Kryptonite for as long as possible in January. A loss would put them two games behind the Steelers with nine to play and a Thanksgiving night rematch in Pittsburgh then becoming an absolutely must win for the Ravens.

NBC

 

Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew will miss Sunday’s game against the Texans.

Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone said today that Minshew’s thumb injury is going to force him to sit for at least one game.

In a bit of a surprise, Marrone said it will be rookie quarterback Jake Luton, not veteran backup Mike Glennon, who works with the first-string offense this week.

Luton, who threw 28 touchdown passes and only three interceptions at Oregon State last season, was a sixth-round pick of the Jaguars. Marrone said he thinks it’s time to see what the kid can do.

NBC

 

It's plainly obvious that I'm a Minshew fan and I expected and hoped for a bit more from him this year. Still, he is not the only problem on that team. He should sit if he's hurt so that's fine but if they think Luton is coming in there and saving the day, than Marrone is a bigger idiot than I already suspected. They'll bench Minshew or cut him and draft another QB and that one will suck too because he is coming to play for a perpetual loser that can't acquire and develop talent.

I would love to see the Steelers pick up Minshew and groom him behind Ben. I'm curious what he could do with real talent around him and an o-line that isn't a sieve. His efforts from his rookie year intrigue me.

 

49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is back on the shelf with a high-ankle sprain.

Garoppolo was limping on the field before he left Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks after the third quarter and head coach Kyle Shanahan said they’d know more about his condition on Monday. The news was not positive.

According to multiple reports, Garoppolo will miss an indefinite amount of time with the injury. He missed two games earlier this season due to a high-ankle sprain and did not look fully recovered when he first returned to the lineup in Week 5. Things looked better in back-to-back wins, but Garoppolo struggled against Seattle before leaving the game.

Nick Mullens replaced him and threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns during the fourth quarter. He’ll likely start against the Packers Thursday night with C.J. Beathard behind him as the backup.

NBC

 

Is this guy injury prone?

 

Odd that two of the top three have fewer wins combined than any one of the others in the top five.

 

So you can carve up the yardage, but that doesnt necessarily result in wins. Guess you better score TD's and play defense and get coached with a lot of other factors involved... interesting tho.

 

I suppose if you want to nit pick you could say Ryan isnt throwing enough tds but how many games dod he have the falcons in position to win only for the D or special teams (see dallas game) to cough up vicotry.

 

Football is a team sport and right now Dallas sucks at all three phases

 

Drew Brees has no designation, will play



Saints coach Sean Payton wouldn’t say if quarterback Drew Brees is playing Sunday. The team’s practice report did, though.

Brees does not have a designation after being a full participant Friday.

He is playing.

Brees’ injured right shoulder, which limited him Wednesday and Thursday, will bear watching during Sunday Night Football. Will the issue affect his throws down the field? Will a hard hit on the shoulder aggravate the injury?

The Buccaneers, who rank first in total defense, managed to sack Brees only once in the season opener when Brees went 18-for-30 for 160 yards and two touchdowns in the Saints’ 34-23 win.

The Saints could see the return of receiver Michael Thomas, who hasn’t played since that Week 1 game. He is questionable with ankle and hamstring issues that limited him this week.

Thomas is the team’s only player with a designation, with defensive back Justin Hardee (groin) and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (knee) on injured reserve.

Running back Alvin Kamara (foot) was limited Wednesday but is good to go as are receiver Marquez Callaway (ankle) and offensive lineman Nick Easton (concussion).

NBC

 

Cowboys planning to start QB Garrett Gilbert vs. Steelers

The Cowboys' quarterback depth chart is taking shape.

Dallas plans to start Garrett Gilbert on Sunday at home against the Steelers, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

It would be start No. 1 for the seventh-year journeyman. His last month alone has been an adventure.

Gilbert was on the Browns' practice squad when he was surprisingly signed by the Cowboys in the aftermath of Dak Prescott's injury. Gilbert was brought in to be QB3 behind Andy Dalton and rookie Ben DiNucci. After Dalton also went down and DiNucci struggled, Gilbert took the majority of reps in practice this week ahead of Cooper Rush, who's backed up Prescott since 2017.

Gilbert, who's been with seven teams since the Rams selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, has attempted just six passes in the NFL. Now the former Alliance of American Football star is in line to start for America's Team.

NFL.com

 

Patrick Mahomes is fastest to 100 touchdown passes in NFL history



Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes added to his list of accomplishments on Sunday afternoon.

Mahomes’ third touchdown pass of the day was the 100th of his career. He reached that mark in his 40th regular season game, which is faster than any player in NFL history.

Dan Marino was the previous record holder. It took Marino 44 games to set the mark. He threw five touchdowns in Week 8 and, given the pace he’s on, he seems like a good bet to be the fastest to 200 touchdown passes as well.

Mahomes would go on to throw a fourth touchdown pass later in the game and the Chiefs needed all of them to outlast the Panthers for a 33-31 win.

NBC

 

Ben Roethlisberger on knee injury: Part of the game of football



Ben Roethlisberger was hit by Neville Gallimore, who inadvertently slammed the quarterback into DeMarcus Lawrence. It did not look good, especially when the Steelers quarterback immediately grabbed his left knee.

The Steelers called a timeout, so Roethlisberger could stay in the game.

He then threw four consecutive completions, including a 17-yard touchdown to James Washington with 1:10 left in the half.

But Roethlisberger immediately left for the locker room, missing three offensive snaps after the Steelers got the ball back on a CeeDee Lamb fumble and converted with a franchise-record 59-yard field goal by Chris Boswell.

“Someone hit me right on the side of the knee,” Roethlisberger said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “Felt like it kind of bent my knee a little bit. Part of the game of football. Guys get hit all the time. Have some discomfort and so we thought, end of the half, we’ll head in and get it looked at. Doc just wanted me to keep him updated the second half, so I was just keeping it loose and keeping it warm.”

Roethlisberger went 14-of-19 for 111 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He was 15-of-23 for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the second half in bringing the Steelers back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. The Steelers trailed by as many as 13 points.

“I didn’t want to let my guys down,” Roethlisberger said. “I think so many times the line and guys are looking at me on the sideline, they’re like, ‘All right Ben; we believe in you.’ I just don’t want to let them down. I want to give everything I have and fight. I wish that we didn’t have those fourth-quarter comebacks.

“I wish that I played better early in the games and that we were up, and we didn’t have to do it. But that’s the way it is. If we have to have a situation like this where we have to score late or win in the fourth quarter, as long as we win, I’ll take it.”

NBC

 

Report: Kyle Allen set to have season-ending ankle surgery



Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera said at his Monday press conference that it was premature to say that quarterback Kyle Allen would miss the rest of the season after dislocating his ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Giants.

Rivera also said that no decision had been made about surgery, but it appears they have reached decisions on both fronts.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Allen will have surgery and that it will bring an end to his 2020 season. Given the way Allen’s leg looked after colliding with Giants safety Jabrill Peppers, it comes as no surprise that Allen will be out the rest of the way.

Per the report, Allen’s recovery timeline is four months so he’d be ready in plenty of time for the 2021 season. Whether there will be a spot with him on the Football Team is a different question as the offseason could bring changes to a group that also includes Alex Smith and Dwayne Haskins.

NBC

 

Ben Roethlisberger hurt both knees, expects to play this week



Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may have dodged a bullet on Sunday in Dallas.

Roethlisberger hurt both knees against the Cowboys but neither injury was serious and he’s expected to play this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Although Roethlisberger briefly left the game and was replaced by Mason Rudolph, he returned, played well and helped the Steelers to a comeback win.

The Steelers play host to the Bengals on Sunday, and Roethlisberger should be good to go.

NBC

 

Lamar Jackson claims defenses are calling out Ravens’ plays



The Ravens rank only 23rd in total offense, including 31st in passing, and Lamar Jackson does not look like the same quarterback who won the MVP award last season. He has 12 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 95.1 passer rating, while running for 469 yards and three touchdowns on 79 carries.

The quarterback said Wednesday on the Rich Eisen Show that the Ravens are too predictable.

“They’re calling out our plays, stuff like that,” Jackson told Eisen, via ESPN. “They know what we’re doing. Sometimes, stuff won’t go our way, if they’re beating us to the punch.”

Yes, Jackson confirmed, other teams are calling out the Ravens’ plays.

“Yeah, they definitely do,” Jackson said. “Like ‘run’ and stuff like that. ‘Watch out for this; watch out for that.’ Sometimes that’s what’s going on.”

The Ravens finished last season ranked first in points scored at 31.4 per game and second in total yards at 407.6 per game. They are averaging 24.8 points and 347 yards this season.

The Ravens are 6-2 at the halfway mark and headed toward the postseason. But unless they find their way on offense, they don’t look like the contender many expected them to be.

“We had our ups that first week and then we had our downs,” said Jackson, whose 1,513 passing yards ranks 27th in the NFL. “Usually we’re a high level offense. But it’s been all right. It’s not where we want to be. We’re still winning. So, it’s all right, I guess.”

NBC

 

Tua Tagovailoa to Brian Flores: Thanks for taking shot on me



After the Dolphins beat the Cardinals last Sunday, NFL Films captured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa giving a game ball to head coach Brian Flores as they made their way off the field.

Tagovailoa thanked Flores during the exchange and he expounded on his decision to give Flores the ball when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday.

“It was just one of those, ‘Thank you for taking a shot on me.’ Like I said a year ago, who would’ve known? . . . But the Miami Dolphins decided to take a chance on me. That’s awesome,” Tagovailoa said, via Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The uncertainty that Tagovailoa referenced was created by the hip injury he suffered at Alabama last season. It’s been nearly a year since Tagovailoa went down and he said Wednesday that he’s not sure “if I’ll ever be my old self” because of the toll a traumatic injury can take.

While offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is a little surer of how much Tagovailoa has regained, the first-round pick called it a “continuous process” for him as he moves forward with his playing career.

NBC

 

After feeling love from Bills fans, Josh Allen says he never wants to leave Buffalo



Bills quarterback Josh Allen is being embraced like never before in Buffalo this week, and it’s making him realize he wants to stay in Buffalo forever.

Allen led the Bills to a win over the Seahawks on Sunday after the unexpected death of his grandmother on Saturday. Bills fans rallied to show their support by donating to Oishei Children’s Hospital in memory of Patricia Allen, and Josh Allen said that means the world to him.

“My family is forever engraved here, myself included. I don’t ever want to leave,” Allen said, via ESPN. “I want to play for as long as I can and give back to this community and Bills Mafia.”

More than $315,000 has now been donated in memory of Allen’s grandma. Most of the more than 16,000 donations were made in the amount of $17, for Allen’s jersey number. Donations can be made here.

NBC

 

Will, could you do us the service of posting the link to where donations may be made? I’ve heard that fans of other teams have made donations.

This is my second opportunity to make a donation in the name of an active athlete. I donated to Andy Dalton because he lifted our hearts after a remarkable win that put the Bills in the playoffs after a 17 year absence.
I donated in #17’s name with a heavy heart because I know his grandmother meant a lot to him. I believe his MVP-caliber game against Seattle was a great reflection on his character.

Josh, Bills Mafia wants you in Buffalo forever too. You are one of us.