NFL - NEWS & NOTES

I believe Kyler Murray is unbeaten in Dallas. He might have their number and that wouldnt bother me.

Congratulations on the Eagles getting in, Joe... good stuff.

 

Tests confirm Michael Gallup tore ACL



If the Cowboys are going to make a deep playoff run, they’ll have to do it without receiver Michael Gallup.

According to multiple reports, an MRI has confirmed Dallas’ initial fear that Gallup tore his ACL during Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals.


Gallup suffered the injury in the second quarter when he caught a touchdown pass but landed awkwardly. He grabbed his left knee and was quickly ruled out of the contest.

While he missed several games due to a calf injury, Gallup was a key member of Dallas’ offense. He caught 35 passes for 445 yards with a pair of touchdowns this season.

A third-round pick of the 2018 draft, Gallup is slated to be a free agent in the spring. Per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Gallup’s injury is a “clean tear,” which will aid in his recovery.

Gallup has 193 career receptions for 2,902 yards and 15 touchdowns in 55 games.

PFT

 

I can't help but wonder if Minshew was involved in the planning

 

I'm glad to see that mental health is becoming less of a stigma in pro sports and that in most cases teams are supporting efforts to get appropriate care for the players.

But I definitely agree with Dungy. If a player has a neck injury or a torn ACL, you avoid him unless you are sure he has recovered. Mental health issues should be considered a red flag just like those other injuries. If the guy has received care and has the appropriate support network in place, great - welcome to the team. If not, avoid him the same way you'd avoid signing a guy who hasn't bothered to do the rehab work for an ACL tear.



It hasn't been a headline at all, but Atlanta's offense was derailed this year when Calvin Ridley (WR #1 and arguably the only "legit" WR on the roster) left the team at Week 5 due to mental health concerns. We've had no updates, so fans can only assume (guess) that he's continuing to receive care. We need him back for 2022.

 

Well said, Torgo.

Great point... and it has been very quiet on that particular front.

Mental health needs to be more openly addressed and dealt with. Its as important if not more important than other quick healing physical injuries and only seems to get swept under the rug.

 

Falcons also added a new page to the book of weird officiating calls this weekend. Apparently diving forward to get into the end zone counts as "giving yourself up".

 

What made that particular call so unusual (and frustrating for Falcons fans) was that Matt Ryan got hit when he was on the ground in the end zone. On the field, the call was that he didn't give himself up, making him fair game to hit. But no flag was thrown even though he was already in the end zone and on the ground.

The ruling that he gave himself up came from instant replay - but the late hit penalty can't be added on by the replay process. So he got hit illegally, it didn't get called, replay changed the definition of the situation to where he OBVIOUSLY got hit illegally (you can't touch the guy AT ALL if he gives himself up, never mind that he's on the ground AND already in the end zone), but by rule the flag can't be thrown even though the refs redefined the situation in the replay process.

 

New rule from last year is the play is dead the moment the QB goes to ground with the ball regardless if he was touched or not. As for tye so called late hit, Poyer was trying to make it to force a fumble before Ryan crossed the goalline and he didn't hit Ryan high or with his helmet. Maybe if Ryan wasn't short the hit would have been harder and late but it surely offended Ryan who taunted at Poyer.


Also I was the favourite of the section when the moment ye scored and got the penalty, before they showed tye replay I was like dont worry boys this is getting reviewd and its gonna really suck for Atlanta. My brother next to me was not amused.

 

That's exactly why it's so weird - the refs were completely oblivious to the rule when they made the initial call and when they failed to throw the flag for the late hit.

The hit should have been flagged regardless, as he was in the end zone (play over, touchdown or not) AND on the ground. But if the ruling is that he was down before reaching the end zone, that makes the hit even later AND on a quarterback who had given himself up.

The official totally effed that up - and then threw the taunting flag on Ryan for saying something to the guy who hit him. It's not as bad as throwing a hip-check on a guy right after you flag him, but it's still a one-two punch of bad officiating.


The Falcons weren't likely to make the #7 seed anyway, so the better draft seeding will help the team in the long run. But why do these bizarre calls happen on the rare occasions that Atlanta plays Buffalo? The last time they met a few years ago, Ryan had an incomplete pass that was somehow magically determined to be a fumble even though all of his fingers were gripping the ball as his arm moved forward and the ball traveled nearly 15 yards through the air with a halfway decent spiral.

 

Guys in the stands were talking about that. Saying we never get calls for us ever unless we are playing the Falcons.

 

Monday Night Football: T.J. Watt’s four sacks carry Steelers to 26-14 win over Browns



If it’s the last game at Heinz Field for Ben Roethlisberger, he’s going out with a victory.

Dionate Johnson caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger, Chris Boswell kicked four field goals, and the Pittsburgh defense sacked Baker Mayfield nine times — four of which came from T.J. Watt — in a 26-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Monday night.


Watt’s four sacks give him 21.5 sacks for the season, which puts him just one sack behind the NFL record of 22.5 by Michael Strahan in the 2001 season with the New York Giants.

Watt is the first Steelers player with four sacks in a game since Joey Porter had four against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001. He is the third player this season to have at least four sacks in a game, joining Myles Garrett of the Browns (4.5 vs. Chicago) and Chandler Jones of the Arizona Cardinals (5.0 against Tennessee).

The victory for Pittsburgh secures their 18th straight season without a losing record. They will finish no worse than 8-8-1 this season. That covers the entirety of Roethlisberger’s tenure in Pittsburgh.

While it was Roethlisberger’s stage, it was Watt, the Steelers defense, and Najee Harris that led the way to victory.

Harris rushed for 188 yards on 28 carries and surpassed Franco Harris’ record for the most rushing yards by a rookie in Steelers team history. Harris had 1,055 rushing yards in 14 games as a rookie in 1972. Harris finished the night at 1,172 for the season. The 188 yards are the eighth-most by a Steelers player in history.

Watt carried the stellar pass rushing effort for Pittsburgh as well. Watt, Alex Highsmith (2.0), Cam Heyward, Henry Mondeaux and Derrek Tuszka combined for the nine-sack night for the Steelers defense.

Roethlisberger finished the night with 123 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception on 46 attempts.

After Johnson’s touchdown give the Steelers on the board, Chris Boswell kicked field goals of 22 and 30 yards to take a 13-0 lead into halftime.

A sack from Jadeveon Clowney of Roethlisberger backed the Steelers up to their own 4-yard line. After a punt, Donovan Peoples-Jones picked up 39 yards on a catch-and-run through the Steelers secondary to get into scoring position. After two runs from Nick Chubb inched the Browns closer, David Njoku‘s 3-yard touchdown got the Browns on the board.

Boswell stretched the lead back out again with field goals from 50 and 48 yards to make it a 19-7 game with just 5:48 left.

Harrison Bryant caught a 1-yard touchdown from Mayfield to trim the lead to 19-14 with 1:10 left. Then Harris broke free for a 37-yard touchdown run after the Steelers recovered an onside kick to put the game away.

Roethlisberger kneeled out the victory after Tre Norwood intercepted Mayfield with 10 seconds left to play.

Mayfield completed 16-of-38 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

PFT

 

Steelers running back Najee Harris had a 30-yard run in the third quarter. That allowed him to pass Franco Harris for the most rushing yards by a rookie in franchise history.

Franco Harris had 1,055 rushing yards in 14 games as a rookie in 1972. Najee Harris had rushed for 1,085 yards after the 30-yard run in what is now his 16th game.


Najee Harris’ run set up a 30-yard field goal by Chris Boswell, giving the Steelers a 13-0 lead with 8:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Harris has 105 yards on 16 carries, his third 100-yard rushing game. He had a career-high 122 against the Broncos in Week 5.

PFT
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Ironic.

 

Week 18 NFL playoff picture: One spot at the table left in the NFC

Sunday night’s win by the Packers clinched the No. 1 seed for Green Bay and it also ensured the Eagles of a ticket to the dance, which means there’s not a whole lot of suspense left for the final week of the season in the NFC.

One spot remains available in the postseason tournament and it will belong to the 49ers if they are able to beat the Rams for the sixth straight time in Week 18. If they don’t, the Saints will be in with a win over the Falcons. Should the 49ers prevail, the Cardinals can leapfrog the Rams for the NFC West title with a win over the Seahawks so that 49ers-Rams game is easily the most consequential matchup in the conference in the final week.


Here’s how everything stacks up in the NFC with one game left to play:

CLINCHED

1. Packers (13-3) Clinching the top seed in the conference by blowing out the Vikings makes for a lot of smiles in Green Bay.

2. Rams (12-4) Their comeback in Baltimore meant more once the Cardinals won in Dallas.

3. Buccaneers (12-4) Antonio Brown made them look foolish, but they have a chance to make sure his absence an afterthought in the postseason.

4. Cowboys (11-5) They may have prevailed on Sunday with better timeout management and they may get another shot at facing the Cardinals.

5. Cardinals (11-5) Snapping their losing streak may not get them the division title, but it was still a welcome development for Arizona.

7. Eagles (9-7) Nick Sirianni got the Eagles in the playoffs in his first season on the job.

IN THE HUNT

6. 49ers (9-7) They rank above the Eagles in the standings, but the vagaries of making the playoffs mean there’s still work to do in Week 18.

8. Saints (8-8) If you’re looking for the biggest Rams fans in the world, check New Orleans.

ELIMINATED

9. Vikings (7-9) Now that the playoffs are off the table, will the Vikings make a coaching change?

10. Falcons (7-9) Matt Ryan got a taunting penalty on a play that turned out not to be a touchdown on Sunday, which feels fitting for this Falcons season.

11. Washington (6-10) A losing record got them in the playoffs last year, but the NFC wasn’t quite so forgiving this time around.

12. Bears (6-10) Beating the Giants means the first-round pick they’re sending to the NFC East laughingstock won’t be quite as good.

13. Seahawks (6-10) If Sunday’s game was Russell Wilson‘s last home contest with the Seahawks, he went out with a bang.

14. Panthers (5-11) Sam Darnold returned to the starting lineup to remind the Panthers that they still need a quarterback.

15. Giants (4-12) Joe Judge is doing his best to convince the world that results don’t matter in the NFL.

16. Lions (2-13-1) They can still get the top pick in the draft if things break their way in Week 18.

PFT

 

Week 18 NFL playoff picture: The AFC is set to go through Nashville

The AFC playoffs have gone through Kansas City the last three seasons, but we’re on track for a new No. 1 seed this time around.

With the Titans beating the Dolphins and the Chiefs losing to the Bengals, Week 18 opens up with the Titans holding the top spot in the conference and they’ll stay there into the postseason as long as they beat the Texans this Sunday. A look at the standings makes it clear that they’ll be heavy favorites, but the Texans did get a win the first time the two teams played this season so the crown won’t be rewarded until they actually play the game.


The other intrigue in the conference comes with the final two Wild Card spots. The Colts have the inside track on one and they’ll need to win in Jacksonville for the first time since 2014 to sew it up. The Chargers and Raiders will be meeting on Sunday night with another playoff spot on the line while the Steelers and Ravens hope for chaos to reign in a way that allows them to sneak into the dance.

Here’s how the entire picture shapes up with one game left to play:

CLINCHED

1. Titans (11-5) Motivation to get the top seed includes extra time to get running back Derrick Henry back in the lineup.

2. Chiefs (11-5) Their winning streak came to an end in Cincinnati, but they still look like they’ll be a handful in the postseason.

3. Bengals (10-6) With their first division title since 2015 in the bag, they’ll move on to trying for their first playoff win since 1990.

4. Bills (10-6) Holding serve against the Jets will give them a second straight division title and a good chance at round three against the Patriots.

5. Patriots (10-6) There’s nothing like playing the Jaguars when it comes to getting right on the scoreboard.

IN THE HUNT

6. Colts (9-7) The Colts stumbled against the Raiders, but, as noted with the Patriots, the Jaguars make it easy to get right.

7. Chargers (9-7) A win in Las Vegas on Sunday night would likely lead to another AFC West matchup in the Wild Card round.

8. Raiders (9-7) Plenty of people counted the Raiders out in early December, but they’ve proven to be a tougher team to eliminate than anyone expected.

9. Steelers (8-7-1) Monday night’s emotional sendoff to Ben Roethlisberger will be the lasting memory of an inconsistent season in Pittsburgh.

11. Ravens (8-8) Another close loss extended their losing streak to five games, but it didn’t quite erase their playoff chances.

ELIMINATED

10. Dolphins (8-8) While they technically rank above the Ravens in the standings, their path to the postseason ended with Sunday’s loss to the Titans.

12. Browns (7-9) A disappointing season will end against the Bengals and questions about their quarterback will be front and center this offseason.

13. Broncos (7-9) With the playoffs off the table, the Broncos can start asking their own quarterback questions while also determining Vic Fangio’s future.

14. Jets (4-12) They had the Buccaneers right where they wanted them, but a botched fourth down call left them lamenting another loss.

15. Texans (4-12) Playing spoiler against the Titans would be a happy way to end a rough season in Houston.

16. Jaguars (2-14) The Jaguars could also play spoiler this weekend, but there aren’t many signs of life in Jacksonville.

PFT

 

Washington Football Team will unveil new name on February 2



This Groundhog Day, the Washington Football Team will be singing I Got You, Babe in reference to a new name for the team.

February 2. That’s when a new label and logo for the franchise will be unveiled. The official rebrand follows two years of being known generically as “The Washington Football Team.” Some (including me) prefer that name and the uniforms that go with it. The organization presumably has selected something else.


Team president Jason Wright writes that the name won’t be “Wolves” or “RedWolves,” due to trademark rights held be other teams.

Before the current season began, the organization that has been rife with dysfunction in recent years couldn’t get its story straight on whether eight finalists had been identified. The names that emerged at the time were Armada, Brigade, Commanders, Defenders, Presidents, RedHogs, RedWolves, and Washington Football Team.

The name change occurs as a result of the decision (under sponsor pressure) to dump the former name, due to the fact that it was (and still is) a dictionary-defined slur. It happens with lingering controversy arising from years of a toxic work environment, the slipshod efforts of the league to document and disclose the findings of a 10-month investigation regarding the workplace, and the most recent embarrassment arising from the collapse of a railing at FedEx Field, sending multiple fans onto the ground — and nearly into the knees of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

But, please, go ahead and get excited about the looming announcement of the new name. Maybe it will distract you from the fact that, in addition to a new name, the franchise needs a new owner.

PFT

 

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, per a source.

Mixon currently is asymptomatic, Pelissero added.

The timing of Mixon's absence comes as the club, which has clinched a playoff berth, is competing for higher playoff seeding. It'll have to pursue that without its top RB in Mixon, who won't get to finish off the best regular season of his career.

Mixon's 1,205 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, and 314 receiving yards are all career-bests. Mixon's backup, Samaje Perine, figures to step in against the Browns; Perine has rushed for 246 yards on 55 carries this season for an impressive average of 4.5 yards that's even better than Mixon's 4.1.

The news comes on the heels of several other key Bengals hitting the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, including safety Vonn Bell, defensive end Trey Hendrickson, guard Quinton Spain and center Trey Hopkins, all of which are starters. Backup linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither was placed on the list, as well. Those players, but not Mixon, could potentially test out of protocols in time to play on Sunday. If two interior offensive linemen in Hopkins and Spain can't play, Perine could find tough sledding in the running game. Other Bengals on the reserve/COVID-19 list include linebacker Jordan Evans, wide receiver Trenton Irwin and cornerback Trae Waynes.

At 10-6, the Bengals are AFC North champions and can do no worse than the No. 4 seed. But they can do better, and still have an outside chance at the No. 1 seed and the first-round bye that comes with it.

NFL.com

 

Buccaneers finally release Antonio Brown



Antonio Brown has finally gotten what he wanted. All over again.

In September 2019, he agitated for his release from the Raiders, and he got it. Today, after spending much of the past 18 hours trying to secure his release from the Buccaneers, he has it.

The Buccaneers have announced that Brown’s contract has been terminated, effective immediately.


The statement from the team includes a contention that Brown was cleared to play in Sunday’s game against the Jets, despite an ankle injury. The team also asserts that “at no point during the game did he indicate to our medical personnel that he could not play.”

The Buccaneers also claim that they have tried, on multiple occasions this week, to “schedule an evaluation by an outside orthopedic specialist, yet Antonio has not complied.”

The Buccaneers are releasing Brown without any special designation, despite a four-day delay that supposedly arose from their efforts to select the proper label to apply.

He’ll now pass through waivers. If unclaimed, he’ll become a free agent. And that’s where things will get interesting. Although he claimed as of Wednesday night that he needs surgery, will he decide to delay it and play through the injury, if another team wants him?

That will require another team to want him. On the same day he finally got his release from the Raiders, the Patriots swooped in and signed him. Even with the ugliness that has emerged in recent hours, talent drives this bus — and Super Bowl rings are far permanent than whatever short-term dysfunction Brown can cause.

PFT

 

Kinda feel bad for him with the crazyness around him he has some REAL MENTAL ISSUES hope AB gets some help ASAP

 

Cordarrelle Patterson wants to remain with Falcons after breakout year



It took until nine years into his career for Cordarrelle Patterson to find a team that best unlocked his offensive versatility.

So now that he’s found that home, why would he want to go anywhere else? If it’s up to Patterson, he won’t be.


“I’ve been around five teams, eight offensive coordinators; being here, I feel like I’m at home. Why not just finish my career here?” Patterson said of his season with the Atlanta Falcons, via the team’s website. “I’m comfortable with all the guys in the locker room, the coaches, you know, and everybody so why not finish my career here?”

Patterson has over 1,000 yards from scrimmage this season for the first time in his career with the Falcons putting him in the backfield as a running back more than he’s ever been previously in his career. His 607 rushing yards and 547 receiving yards lead the team in both categories.

Patterson has long been a star as a kick returner and is one of the most productive returners in league history. His eight kickoff return touchdowns are tied with Joshua Cribbs and Leon Washington for most in NFL history. But it took landing in Atlanta with head coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Raggone for that explosive ability to consistently find its way into an offensive role.

Patterson signed a one-year deal with Atlanta last offseason and he is scheduled to be a free agent in March.

PFT