NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Ah, so you just wanted to bitch passive aggressively. So out of character for you.

 

Wrong.

I decided that my stance (as you called it) and your stance were simply too far apart to waste our time debating it.

 

I wasn't looking for a debate. You came in here asking me to "tell you when I was finished" (the aforementioned passive aggressive bitching). I asked you how long a period you think that should be. You declined to answer.

You might call it something different, rather than passive aggressive bitching. We might be too far off to waste our time debating that term, of course. It is very "Meyer-esque" behavior of you, though.

 

I didn't decline to answer. I simply gave you an answer you chose not to accept.

 

I asked you how long you think it should go on. Where was your answer? I didn't think you were stupid, too, Lyman. Whiny and passive aggressive, sure.

 

Report: Buccaneers are signing Le’Veon Bell



Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette injured his hamstring in Sunday’s loss to the Saints. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Tuesday afternoon that the injury is bad enough that the team “likely” places Fournette on injured reserve.

Fournette was on crutches Sunday night.

A stint on injured reserve would keep Fournette out the rest of the regular season.

Now, comes word from Tom Pelissero of NFL Media that the Bucs are signing Le’Veon Bell to help replace Fournette.

Bell has remained a free agent since Nov. 16 when the Ravens released him. He totaled 31 rushes for 83 yards and two touchdowns in five games with Baltimore.

Bell and Bucs receiver Antonio Brown played together in Pittsburgh for five seasons.

Bell has not had 1,000 yards in a season, averaged more than 4.0 yards per carry or had more than three touchdowns in a season since his contract holdout in 2018. He has played for the Jets, Chiefs and Ravens over the past three seasons.

PFT

 

The Eagles stayed alive in the postseason chase, putting a serious dent in Washington’s hopes in the process, with a 27-17 victory. Philadelphia improved to 7-7, while Washington fell to 6-8 with its second consecutive loss.

The Eagles have the Giants, Washington and Dallas left on their schedule.


Washington has 13 players still on the COVID-19 list, including quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen. That forced the team to sign Garrett Gilbert off the Patriots’ practice squad last week. Four days after arriving, Gilbert started his second career game.

He didn’t have a turnover and went 20-of-31 for 194 yards, keeping undermanned Washington in the game.

Greg Ward caught his third touchdown pass of the season, scoring on a 19-yard pass from Jalen Hurts with 7:46 remaining to give the Eagles a 27-17 lead. Washington got as close as the Philadelphia 37 before a pressure by Derek Barnett forced a 2-yard loss on a throw to Dax Milne on third down and Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave sacked Gilbert on fourth down.

Washington never saw the ball again.

The Eagles had their fifth 200-yard rushing game this season, with 238 of their 519 yards coming on the ground. Miles Sanders set a career-high with 131 yards on 18 carries, and Jordan Howard added 69 yards on 15 carries.

Hurts had an interception and lost a fumble early, leading to 10 Washington points, but he finished strong. He went 20-of-26 for 296 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while running for 38 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries with a fumble.

Dallas Goedert, whose dropped pass bounced off his heel and into the hands of Landon Collins for an early interception, set a career high with 135 yards on seven catches.

PFT

 

After the Cardinals lost to the Lions on Sunday, the Rams needed a win to move into a tie for first place in the NFC West.

They got it on a Tuesday evening in Los Angeles, defeating the Seahawks 20-10.


The Rams controlled the game throughout, stifling Seattle’s offense and limiting the club to just 214 total yards. Though the score was 3-3 at halftime, the Rams led in time of possession 21:00 to 9:00. The Seahawks had just 27 yards of offense before a two-minute drill led to Jason Myers‘ 39-yard field goal at the end of the half.

The Seahawks took a brief lead with running back DeeJay Dallas’ 4-yard touchdown to start the second half.

But it was all Rams from there.

Cooper Kupp scored Los Angeles’ first touchdown with a 6-yard reception with 6:31 left in the third quarter. With that catch, Kupp set a franchise record with 120 catches in a single season.

Kupp then gave the Rams a 17-10 lead with 10:48 left in the contest, capping an eight-play, 88-yard drive with a 29-yard touchdown.

On his way to a receiving triple crown, Kupp finished with nine catches for 136 yards and those two TDs.

However, the game was not without an officiating controversy. On fourth-and-6 from the 50 with 3:27 left in the fourth quarter, quarterback Russell Wilson fired an incomplete pass to Dallas that went off Rams linebacker Ernest Jones. Dallas wanted a defensive pass interference call, and replay showed that he had a good argument for it.

But the only flag thrown on the play was against Dallas for unsportsmanlike conduct.

That gave the Rams good enough field position to set up Matt Gay for a 35-yard field goal, giving L.A. a 20-10 lead.

Wilson tossed an interception in the end zone to safety Taylor Rapp on the ensuing drive that officially ended things. The quarterback finished the game 17-of-31 passing for 156 yards for a 55.3 passer rating.

Without Tyler Lockett — who is on the COVID-19 list — D.K. Metcalf caught six of his 12 targets for 52 yards. Tight end Gerald Everett had four receptions for 60 yards.

Seahawks linebacker Carlos Dunlap had 3.0 sacks, but it wasn’t enough to limit Los Angeles’ offense.

On the other side, edge rusher Von Miller recorded his first sack as a Ram, also recording a pair of tackles for loss. And defensive tackle Aaron Donald recorded his 11th sack of the season and had a pair of TFLs.

At 10-4, the No. 5 Rams will head to Minnesota on Sunday for a significant matchup against the NFC’s current No. 7 seed.

Now sporting a 5-9 record, the Seahawks officially have their first losing season since 2011 — the year before Wilson was drafted. They will host the 4-10 Bears next week.

PFT

 

Record 27 teams remain in playoff hunt with 3 weeks to go

While no team has clinched a postseason spot in the jam-packed AFC, there never have been more teams alive in the playoff hunt this late in a season.

Only Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville, Houston and the New York Jets have been eliminated so far, with 27 teams still with at least a sliver of a postseason chance, tied for the most ever with three weeks left in the season.

The only other times that has happened came in 2004, 1995 and in 1982, when 16 teams made the playoffs in a strike-shortened, nine-game season.

The only team that has clinched a spot is the Green Bay Packers, who have won the NFC North after beating Baltimore on Sunday.

No team has clinched in the AFC, marking just the sixth time since the eight-division format started in 2002 that no team in a conference had clinched a playoff berth with three weeks left in the season.

It last happened in the AFC in 2016. It also happened in the AFC in 2002, the NFC in 2010 and both conferences in 2014.

AP

 

Week 16 NFL playoff picture: Getting tight in the NFC West

When the Rams lost to the Packers in Week 12, it looked like the Cardinals might cruise to an NFC West title but things have changed quickly in the NFC West.

The Cardinals have dropped two straight games, including a Week 14 matchup with the Rams, and Los Angeles has a three-game winning streak after toppling the Seahawks on Tuesday night. That leaves both teams at 10-4 and sets up a three-game sprint for the divisional crown. The 49ers could still figure into it by winning out, although it would take them winning out while the other clubs lose multiple times.


The only change among the teams in the mix this week is at the No. 7 seed where the Vikings have supplanted Washington after Washington’s loss to the Eagles. With the Rams and Packers on deck, however, the Vikings seem vulnerable to the teams right below them.

Here’s how the entire playoff picture shapes up:

CLINCHED

1. Packers (11-3) The first team officially in the dance has the NFC North in hand and will now try to sew up the top seed.

IN THE HUNT

2. Cowboys (10-4) The offense continues to underwhelm, but the defense has bumped them up the standings.

3. Buccaneers (10-4) A stumble against the Saints is likely to be forgotten after closing out the year with the Panthers twice and the Jets.

4. Cardinals (10-4) They insist this isn’t another second half collapse, but need to win to show that’s the case.

5. Rams (10-4) Winning on Tuesday makes a division title a realistic possibility for the Rams.

6. 49ers (8-6) A quick turnaround for the Titans this week may not be a bad thing for a team playing its best football of the season.

7. Vikings (7-7) As noted above, the next two weeks are challenging and they’ll likely need at least a split to get to the postseason.

8. Eagles (7-7) The Eagles are in the unlikely position of rooting for the Cowboys to win the next two weeks and rest in a Week 18 that may determine Philly’s fate.

9. Saints (7-7) Back-to-back wins have righted the ship and now they have a hot Dolphins team coming to town on Monday night.

10. Washington (6-8) Missing their top two quarterbacks put them in a tough spot Tuesday and they need to bounce back in Dallas on Sunday night to harbor any real hopes of advancing.

11. Falcons (6-8) Atlanta hasn’t won consecutive games all year and that leaves little reason to think they’ll be able to put together the winning streak they need to have a chance at the playoffs.

12. Panthers (5-9) Offseason questions abound in Carolina.

13. Seahawks (5-9) A run of nine straight winning seasons comes to an end and the Russell Wilson watch will be back on soon.

14. Giants (4-10) With Daniel Jones shut down, attention will shift to how sweeping the offseason changes will be for the Giants.

ELIMINATED

15. Bears (4-10) They should have won on Monday night, but shot themselves in the foot as they have so many times in recent years.

16. Lions (2-11-1) Authoring the most surprising result of Week 15 puts a feather in their cap.

PFT

 

Week 16 NFL playoff picture: Bengals rise to the top of the AFC North

The Bengals moved to the top of the AFC North by beating the Broncos on Sunday, but their stay at the top of the division was almost a short one.

If the Browns had won against the Raiders on Monday, they would have swapped spots with the Bengals and that would have meant Cincinnati was on the outside looking in with three games left to play. After a Nick Mullens touchdown pass and a Derek Carr interception late in the fourth quarter, it looked like the Browns would pull out a win but the Raiders were able to drive for a game-winning field goal.


That helps Las Vegas stay in the playoff hunt and it means the Bengals will remain in first place for at least a little while longer. They face the Ravens in Week 16 and a loss will put Baltimore back in the driver’s seat.

Here’s how the whole AFC playoff picture shapes up with Week 15 in the books:

1. Chiefs (10-4) Last Thursday’s win over the Chargers provided them with breathing room in the AFC West and Sunday’s results have them on a path to the top seed.

2. Patriots (9-5) Saturday’s stumble against the Colts leaves them without much of a cushion heading into this week’s matchup with the Bills.

3. Titans (9-5) Given the way things are trending, they’ve got to be happy to have two wins against the Colts in the bank.

4. Bengals (8-6) They’ve already swept the Steelers and sweeping the Ravens will put them on the edge of winning the division.

5. Colts (8-6) After watching the Lions roll over the Cardinals on Sunday, the Colts should like their chances of staying hot when they get to Arizona on Christmas weekend.

6. Chargers (8-6) They are dealing with some COVID issues to start the week, so having Houston on the schedule eases some anxiety.

7. Bills (8-6) The final two games of the season look winnable, but a loss to the Patriots would leave them needing help from others.

8. Ravens (8-6) Three straight losses by a combined four points have dropped them out of the mix and four in a row would leave them fighting an uphill battle.

9. Steelers (7-6-1) Beating the Titans keeps the lights on and beating the Chiefs this weekend would throw another wrench into the conference.

10. Raiders (7-7) Monday’s win leaves them in the race and this week’s game against the Broncos will likely be a playoff eliminator for the loser.

11. Dolphins (7-7) The winning streak is now at six games and they can’t afford to stop now.

12. Browns (7-7) Winning with a depleted roster on Monday would have been quite a feat and there won’t be much hope if they can’t get the job done at Lambeau Field on Christmas.

13. Broncos (7-7) Teddy Bridgewater is considered highly unlikely to play this week and Denver’s playoff chances don’t look much better with AFC West games the next three weeks.

ELIMINATED

14. Jets (3-10) The two teams at the top of the 2020 draft will play for positioning at the top of the 2021 draft when the Jaguars visit this weekend.

15. Texans (3-10) If only they could play Jacksonville every week.

16. Jaguars (2-12) Urban Meyer’s departure didn’t inspire a win in Week 15.

PFT

 

Chargers put Austin Ekeler on COVID-19 reserve



On Monday, a report indicated Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, running back Austin Ekeler, and center Corey Linsley were headed to the COVID-19 reserve list but neither Monday’s nor Tuesday’s transaction report included word of a move involving Ekeler.

That word came on Wednesday. Ekeler and wide receiver Jalen Guyton have joined Bosa, Linsley, and five other members of the active roster on the list.


Bosa has been ruled out because he’s unvaccinated and cannot return before 10 days away from the team, but any vaccinated players can test out of the protocol in a shorter period of time. That makes it possible that Ekeler and others will be in the lineup against Houston.

Ekeler leads the Chargers with 789 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, and 17 overall touchdowns on the year. Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley, and Larry Rountree would be backfield options in his absence.

PFT

 

The NFL released the following playoff clinching scenarios for Week 16 of the 2021 season:


AFC

CLINCHED: None

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-4) (vs. Pittsburgh (7-6-1), Sunday, 4:25 PM ET, CBS)

Kansas City clinches AFC West division title with:

KC win + LAC loss or tie OR
KC tie + LAC loss

Kansas City clinches playoff berth with:

KC win OR
KC tie + BUF loss OR
KC tie + IND loss OR
KC tie + CIN-BAL does not end in a tie

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-5) (vs. Buffalo (8-6), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS)

New England clinches AFC East division title with:

NE win + MIA loss or tie

New England clinches playoff berth with:

NE win + LV loss or tie + LAC loss OR
NE win + IND loss or tie + CIN loss OR
NE win + IND loss or tie + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie OR
NE win + IND loss or tie + LAC loss OR
NE win + BAL loss + CLE loss or tie + PIT loss or tie

TENNESSEE TITANS (9-5) (vs. San Francisco (8-6), Thursday night, 8:20 PM ET, NFLN)

Tennessee clinches AFC South division title with:

TEN win + IND loss

Tennessee clinches playoff berth with:

TEN win + MIA loss or tie + BUF loss + DEN loss or tie + CLE loss or tie + PIT loss OR
TEN win + MIA loss or tie + BUF loss + DEN loss or tie + CLE loss or tie + BAL loss or tie

NOTE: There are other scenarios in which Tennessee can clinch a playoff berth that involve a Titans win, a Dolphins loss or tie, a Bills loss and a combination of other teams losing and various strength-of-victory clinchings.

NFC

CLINCHED: Green Bay Packers – NFC North division title

ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-4) (vs. Indianapolis (8-6), Saturday night, 8:15 PM ET, NFLN)

Arizona clinches playoff berth with:

ARI win or tie OR
PHI loss or tie + SF loss OR
PHI loss or tie + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI loss or tie + NO loss or tie OR
MIN loss or tie + SF loss OR
MIN loss or tie + NO loss or tie OR
NO loss or tie + SF loss

DALLAS COWBOYS (10-4) (vs. Washington (6-8), Sunday night, 8:20 PM, NBC)

Dallas clinches NFC East division title with:

DAL win or tie OR
PHI loss or tie OR
DAL clinches at least a tie in strength-of-victory tiebreaker over PHI

Dallas clinches playoff berth with:

NO loss or tie OR
SF loss OR
TB win or tie

LOS ANGELES RAMS (10-4) (at Minnesota (7-7), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)

Los Angeles Rams clinch playoff berth with:

LAR win or tie OR
PHI loss or tie + NO loss or tie

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-4) (at Carolina (5-9), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)

Tampa Bay clinches NFC South division title with:

TB win or tie OR
NO loss or tie

Tampa Bay clinches playoff berth with:

MIN loss or tie + PHI loss or tie OR
MIN loss or tie + DAL win or tie OR
MIN loss or tie + DAL clinches at least a tie in strength-of-victory tiebreaker over PHI

 

Thursday Night Football: Randy Bullock 44-yard FG lifts Titans over 49ers



The Tennessee Titans overcome a 10-0 halftime deficit that saw them out-gained by a 191-55 margin to beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 on a 44-yard field goal from Randy Bullock with four seconds left to play.

A.J. Brown had six catches for 121 yards in the second half alone as part of a 145-yard night for the Titans to spark their second half rally.


The Titans gained as many yards on the first drive of the third quarter as they had in the first 30 minutes of the game. The drive led to a 38-yard Bullock field goal to give Tennessee their first points of the night and cut the lead to 10-3.

After Jimmy Garoppolo‘s second interception of the night, D'Onta Foreman scored on a 3-yard run to tie the game at 10-10 midway through the third quarter.

The 49ers moved into Tennessee territory and were set to go for a fourth-and-1 from the Titans’ 35-yard line only for Trent Williams to false start and make it fourth-and-6. The 49ers still went for the conversion with Garoppolo and Brandon Aiyuk missing a connection to turn the ball over on downs.

Brown bailed the Titans out with a jump ball catch of a Tannehill prayer throw on third-and-23 to keep the Tennessee drive marching forward. Brown added a 12-yard catch as well before an 18-yard strike from Tannehill got Tennessee back in the end zone to give them their first lead of the night at 17-10 with 13:02 left to play.

After a Brett Kern punt pinned the 49ers back at their own 5-yard line, their offense finally put together a big drive. A 15-yard catch from Kyle Juszczyk got the 49ers off their own goal line and a 56-yard catch-and-run through the Titans defense moved San Francisco into scoring territory. Two plays later, Garoppolo found Aiyuk wide open on a 2-yard touchdown to bring the game level again with 2:20 remaining.

Tannehill cut through the 49ers defense on a critical 23-yard scramble to move into field goal range with just over a minute left to play. San Francisco would force the field goal attempt but Bullock delivered the dagger to give Tennessee the victory.

Tannehill finished the night completing 22-of-29 passes for 209 yards with a touchdown for Tennessee.

The 49ers should have had a much larger lead in the first half. They marched 75 yards on their opening drive with Jeff Wilson Jr. scoring on a 1-yard touchdown to take the early 7-0 lead. They were rolling again on their second drive as well with a 72-yard drive down to the Tennessee 8-yard line. However, Jackrabbit Jenkins picked off Garoppolo in the end zone on a pass intended for George Kittle to turn the 49ers away without points.

Robbie Gould added a 48-yard field goal to give the 49ers a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

Deebo Samuel had 159 yards on nine receptions for San Francisco. Garoppolo finished 26-of-35 for 322 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

The Titans will win the AFC South if the Indianapolis Colts lose on the road at the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.

PFT

 

Good game last night, but dont be fooled by his stats, Garoppolo lost them this game almost single handedly. The 9ers cant move on from him fast enough.

 

Both Christmas games have major playoff implications



The NFL got lucky with the scheduling of its two Christmas games, as both games (Browns-Packers at 4:30 p.m. ET and Colts-Cardinals at 7:15) have major playoff implications.

The 11-3 Packers are currently in the lead to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which comes with a bye week and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. If the Packers win all three of their remaining games they’ll be the No. 1 seed, but a loss to the Browns today would significantly hinder their chances and make the race for the top spot wide open over the final three weeks of the season.


The 7-7 Browns are currently on the outside looking in to the AFC playoff picture, but with an upset today in Green Bay, they would suddenly have a clear path to the playoffs, with games remaining against the division rival Steelers and Bengals. A loss today doesn’t eliminate the Browns from playoff contention, but it does make them extreme long shots.

The 10-4 Cardinals are locked in a tough battle with the Rams for the NFC West title. A win today would keep the Cardinals as the favorites in their division, as they own the division record tiebreaker over the Rams. But a loss today would drop the Cardinals behind the Rams in the division and make Arizona more likely to have to start the playoffs on the road as a wild card.

The 8-6 Colts need a win in Arizona today to stay alive in the AFC South race; if the Colts lose the Titans clinch the division. And with a win today the Colts would stay in first place in the wild card race and make Indianapolis almost certain to make the playoffs.

PFT

 

Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill will be back for Sunday’s game against the Steelers.

Hill, who missed practice this week after going on COVID-19 reserve, has been cleared to play, according to multiple reports.


The Chiefs had several players go on COVID-19 reserve this week, the most notable of whom were Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. Kelce has not yet been cleared, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be by tomorrow.

Hill is the Chiefs’ No. 1 receiver and has caught a career-high 102 passes this year, gaining 1,178 receiving yards.

PFT

 

Its a 2-point game with 4 minutes to go in Green Bay... Go Browns!

 

Considering the turnovers thats a bit shocking

 

Packers are stupid run run run use the clock