NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Russell Wilson leaves Seattle with 17-16 loss after a missed 64-yard field goal



Russell Wilson had 32 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime during his 10 seasons in Seattle. So Seahawks fans were used to seeing the quarterback lead his team to a dramatic victory.

But it was not to be for Wilson on Monday night, in his first game with the Broncos, as he left Seahawks fans chanting “Geno! Geno!” for Wilson’s replacement, Geno Smith.


Broncos kicker Brandon McManus missed a 64-yard field goal on fourth-and-five with 20 seconds remaining to assure the Seahawks a 17-16 victory.

On third-and-14 from their own 45, the Broncos had 1:11 left on the clock when Wilson hit running back Javonte Williams for a 9-yard gain. The Broncos bled the clock until calling timeout with 20 seconds remaining. McManus, who was 1-of-4 on field goals of 60 yards or longer in his career, per NFL.com, saw his kick go wide left.

The Broncos blew scoring chances all night.

They went 0-for-4 in the red zone, getting two field goals and losing two fumbles. They had 10 total snaps inside the 10 without scoring a touchdown. Melvin Gordon lost a fumble; Williams lost a fumble; and Courtland Sutton had a costly false start.

The Seahawks’ crowd made an impact, with the Broncos committing three false starts and two delay of games among their 12 penalties for 106 yards.

Wilson finished 29-of-42 for 340 yards and a touchdown, with Jerry Jeudy catching four passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Smith, who went from Wilson’s backup to starter after the Seahawks trade of Wilson, stood toe to toe with Wilson. He was 23-of-28 for 195 yards and two touchdowns, completing passes to eight different receivers.

PFT

 

1. Welcome to the thrill of the GenoCoaster. Geno Smith was absolutely dialed in on Monday night, completing 17 of 18 first-half passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback best known for limiting mistakes let it all hang out in the first two quarters, starting with Seattle's first possession. It began with a series in which Smith completed his first four passes and capped the drive by evading the rush to toss a 38-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Will Dissly. Smith stood tall in the pocket and calmly delivered passes to a number of targets, and although he tailed off in the second half, his final line was still a sterling one: 23 for 28, 195 yards, two scores and a 119.5 passer rating. Replacing Russell Wilson is a tall task, but Smith certainly got off to a good start, and earned the adoration of Seahawks fans everywhere with his Monday night showing.
2. Nathaniel Hackett's debut was a mess. Blame it on the crowd noise filling a stadium designed to be loud, or pin it on inexperience and a lack of familiarity. Whatever the cause, the result was clear: Denver was disorganized all night. The Broncos' offense struggled to get set at the line throughout the game, and one hurried snap caused chaos that produced a goal line fumble. Oh, and about those fumbles: Denver found itself in goal-to-go situations on three possessions in the second half. The results: two fumbles lost and a field goal. Missed opportunities cost the Broncos at least six points, if not 14. That's not the worst of it, though. In the final minute, Denver had yet another opportunity to drive down the field and take the lead. Facing fourth-and-5, the Broncos came to the line of scrimmage and let the clock tick down from one minute to 20 seconds before burning a timeout and setting up for a 64-yard field goal. A practice kick was wide left by five yards, yet Hackett decided to give it another go. Predictably, McManus missed the kick. Making matters worse, Hackett inexplicably spent his final two timeouts to stop the clock after consecutive kneel-downs, punctuating a flabbergasting mental meltdown that's seemingly only possible to happen to a rookie coach. To summarize, Hackett froze, and decided his team had a better chance of victory with a kick that once stood as the NFL record for longest made, than it did by putting the ball in the hands of a future Hall of Famer.
3. "Us against the world" thrives in Seattle. The Seahawks had every reason to bring the emotion to the field Monday night, and they didn't ignore the doubt. When the time came to speak with their actions, they responded in resounding fashion, stiffening with their backs against the goal line on three separate possessions to protect their slim lead. Denver had plenty of opportunities to take the lead in the second half, yet each time, it ran into a stingy defense that managed to capitalize on two turnovers on the doorstep of the end zone. And when things got tight late, Seattle again responded, forcing a fourth down on the very edge of modern football's field-goal range. When McManus' kick fell outside of the goal post, the job was officially done. Is this a sign of a prosperous season ahead? No, but what it does confirm is that a Pete Carroll-coached team will rise to the occasion and play above its potential. The Seahawks did that offensively for one half, and thanks to their defense, they'll be savoring the sweet taste of victory for at least the next 24 hours.
4. The Broncos need to clean things up -- and hand the keys to Javonte Williams. Denver committed 12 penalties on Monday night and wasted multiple scoring opportunities in the second half, falling well short of the explosive offense most envisioned when the Broncos acquired Wilson in the offseason. Instead of rolling to a win over the underdog Seahawks, the Broncos struggled to keep pace, and in the end, fell short of matching the feisty Seahawks on the scoreboard. Hackett deserves criticism for his usage of Williams, too, avoiding giving the ball to the hard-running back on almost every down inside the 10, save for one. And because Hackett's offense couldn't get set in a reasonable amount of time, Williams ran into a wall of bodies as soon as he took the handoff from Wilson, leaving him vulnerable to Uchenna Nwosu, who punched the ball out of his grasp. Overall, Denver fed Williams, completing 11 passes to the running back for 65 yards, but he received just seven carries. That's not enough for the back of the future. The Broncos should take notes on how the Colts shifted to Jonathan Taylor in 2021 -- and do it sooner rather than later. You can't afford to lose these types of games in the rugged AFC West.
5. Keep an eye on Bradley Chubb. The former fifth-overall pick of the 2018 draft has fought through numerous injuries in recent years, undercutting ambitions of becoming an edge-rushing force for the Broncos. Now healthy, Chubb showed out on Monday night, registering two sacks and two pressures on 17 pass rushes. All of the pressures and sacks came in the second half, when the Broncos defense pitched a shutout and gave its offense multiple chances to go win the game. The production was lopsided when reviewing all four quarters, but if Chubb can rediscover the ability that made him a standout as a rookie, Denver will have quite a tandem with Chubb and Randy Gregory.

Next Gen stat of the game: Geno Smith posted a completion rate over expected of +11.1%, the second-highest CROE of his career in the Next Gen era (dating back to 2016, minimum 20 attempts).

NFL Research: Russell Wilson became only the second quarterback to win 100-plus games with a franchise and then lose in his first meeting against that franchise in the Super Bowl era. The other quarterback to do so: Peyton Manning with the Broncos (against the Colts) in 2013.

NFL.com

 

Week 1 is in the books...

 

Mike Tomlin on T.J. Watt: We’re in a lot better place than after the game



The latest reports on Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt‘s outlook after tearing his pec in last Sunday’s win over the Bengals indicate optimism that he will be able to avoid surgery and return to action around the middle of the season.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t confirm that during a Tuesday press conference, but he did little to counter the idea that Watt received a favorable diagnosis. Tomlin said the Steelers are “probably in a lot better place than we were after the game” in terms of Watt’s outlook while acknowledging that Watt will not play this weekend.


Tomlin said he would not commit to anything beyond that. He said hecouldn’t definitively rule out surgery because Watt is still getting other opinions and that those conversations will inform a decision to do what’s “appropriate” when it comes to putting Watt on injured reserve.

If Watt goes on the list, he would miss at least four games before becoming eligible to return. The most recent reports pegged six weeks as a hopeful timeline for Watt’s return to action.

PFT

 

Cleveland unveils new 'Brownie the Elf' midfield logo for 2022 home-opener

The Cleveland Browns will have a midfield logo for the first time since 2016, and the image is a nod to the franchise's historic origins.

The 50-yard line will feature a giant image of "Brownie the Elf" for home games this season following a fan vote on one of four field designs. The "running Brownie" image, features him on the move with the football while displaying a textbook stiff arm.

Fans will get a first glimpse of the new logo in action this Sunday during the Browns' home-opener against the Jets.



"We're super excited about the new midfield logo," Browns executive vice president and partner JW Johnson said Tuesday. "We really wanted to engage our fans in the process, and they are — as I've said multiple times --- undefeated. They're the best in the league, best in the NFL and, candidly, some of the best in sports. We really wanted to get their involvement and hear what they have to say. We were able to pull off the new logo with the old school Brownie logo."

"Brownie the Elf" first debuted in 1946 as an original logo of the Browns, per Cleveland.com.

NFL.com

 

Strange coincidence but, after a good bowel movement, I've turned back to the toilet and assigned it that exact same moniker.

 

Does he moonlight for Keebler?

 

Browns favored to start 2-0 for first time since 1993



If the Browns beat the Jets on Sunday, they’ll do something Cleveland hasn’t done since Bill Belichick was the head coach: Start the season 2-0.

The Browns are 1-0 for the first time since 2004, and if they beat the Jets they’ll be 2-0 for the first time since 1993, the season when Belichick made the shocking decision to release quarterback Bernie Kosar in favor of Vinny Testaverde.


Cleveland is a 6-point favorite on Sunday against a Jets team that did not look good in Week One, so there’s every reason to believe the Browns will reach 2-0.

Of course, a 2-0 start is no guarantee of a good season. Those 1993 Browns started 3-0 and were 5-2 when Belichick cut Kosar, but they went into a steep decline for the rest of the season and finished 7-9.

PFT

 

The Los Angeles Chargers likely won't have top wide receiver Keenan Allen on Thursday night in Kansas City due to a hamstring injury.

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported that Allen is unlikely to play on the short week, but there is optimism after tests that his injury isn't a long-term issue, per sources informed of the situation.

Head coach Brandon Staley, speaking to the media later on Tuesday, said Allen was going to take some time with his hamstring and it didn't look good for him in terms of playing against the Chiefs, but wouldn't rule anything out just yet.

Allen missed the second half of the Chargers' Week 1 win over the Las Vegas Raiders after suffering the injury. He caught four passes for 66 yards, including a 42-yarder, before exiting.

As L.A. travels to K.C. on a short week, it's not surprising Allen will miss Thursday's game. With extra time before the Chargers face the Jaguars on Sept. 25, the hope is the star wideout can return swiftly.

With Allen expected to miss Week 2, Josh Palmer projects to see more targets his way alongside Mike Williams for quarterback Justin Herbert.

The Chargers receivers who do suit up Thursday likely will be facing a depleted Chiefs secondary. Kansas City placed first-round rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie (hamstring) on injured reserve.

NFL.com

 

Saquon Barkley Named NFC Offensive Player Of The Week
Patrick Mahomes Named AFC Offensive Player Of The Week
Zech McPhearson Named NFC Special Teams Player Of The Week
Cade York Named AFC Special Teams Player Of The Week
Uchenna Nwosu Is The NFC Defensive Player Of The Week
Minkah Fitzpatrick Is The AFC Defensive Player Of The Week

 

Khalil Mack not satisfied with three-sack performance in season opener: 'It wasn't good enough'

Khalil Mack generated three sacks, four QB hits, one forced fumble and five tackles, including three for loss, in his debut with the Los Angeles Chargers in Sunday's 24-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Mack wasn't satisfied with those numbers.

"It wasn't good enough. I left a lot of stuff out there and I have to get it corrected," he said Tuesday, via the Associated Press.

Sunday was Mack's first game with three-plus sacks since Week 14, 2015, when he played for the Raiders.

Mack became only the fifth non-rookie to have three-plus sacks in a debut with a new team (since individual sacks were first recorded in 1982) Others: the Jaguars' Calais Campbell in 2017 (4.0) and Chiefs' Vonnie Holliday in 2003, Colts' Chad Bratzke in 1999 and Falcons' Gary Burley in 1984 (each 3.0).

The Chargers traded for the 31-year-old former Defensive Player of the Year to pair him with Joey Bosa, hoping the menacing tandem would bamboozle quarterbacks. In the opener, it looked good, with the duo combining for 4.5 sacks and 16 QB pressures (Bosa 9, Mack 7).

"It's great to talk ball on the sideline and just communicate about what we get and what each offensive tackle is giving us," Mack said of playing alongside Bosa. "So to bounce ideas off each other throughout the game is good."


The Chargers were able to take advantage of a Raiders team still figuring out their offensive line. Pivoting to Thursday night's tilt against the Kansas City Chiefs, they'll face a stiffer test as they try to disrupt Patrick Mahomes and an offense that steamrolled the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.

The key to slowing Mahomes is getting pressure without sending extra defenders. It's one of the key reasons the Chargers brought in Mack.

"You need a team to be able to defend an offense like this, and certainly a player like Patrick," coach Brandon Staley said. "Any time you are facing an offense that has weapons -- running backs, receivers, tight ends -- and that has an outstanding offensive line, you're going to need the same thing on defense, that same type of formula. What Khalil does is he gives you that chance up front, both in the run game and the pass rush, to be able to impact the game. You need a lot more people than just your starting 11 to be able to defend a team like this."

A win in Kansas City would give the Chargers their first 2-0 start to a season since 2012.

NFL.com

 

Brian Robinson is back to doing agility drills



Commanders running back Brian Robinson has taken another step toward returning to the playing field after being shot late last month.

Reporters at the team’s facility sent word that Robinson is working on a side field during the team’s practice session. Those reports said that Robinson showed no obvious signs of discomfort while he was doing agility work and riding on a stationary bike.


Robinson was shot in the knee and glute during an attempt to rob him in August, but he avoided any catastrophic injuries and was out of the hospital a couple of days later. Word from the team has been that they believe Robinson has a chance to play this season and a report last weekend indicated that a Week Five return — the earliest possible date Robinson can be activated from the non-football injury list — was a realistic possibility.

The Commanders took Robinson in the third round of this year’s draft and he appeared to be on track to play a big role in the offense before getting shot. It looks like he’ll still get an opportunity to play some role for the team this year and that would be one of the feel-good stories of the year in the NFL.

PFT

 

Keenan Allen ruled out, J.C. Jackson listed as questionable



Wide receiver Keenan Allen‘s chances of playing for the Chargers against the Chiefs on Thursday night never looked good after he hurt his hamstring last Sunday and they were officially extinguished on Wednesday afternoon.

The Chargers ruled Allen out for their matchup with the longtime AFC West frontrunners. Mike Williams, DeAndre Carter, Jalen Guyton, and Josh Palmer will be on hand at receiver for the game.


Allen will now have more than a week to recuperate before the Chargers host the Jaguars in Week Three.

While Allen will be out, cornerback J.C. Jackson could make his first appearance of the season. He’s been listed as questionable with the ankle injury that kept him from playing against the Raiders last Sunday.

Tight end Donald Parham (hamstring) has also been ruled out. Gerald Everett and Tre' McKitty remain available at the position.

PFT

 

Five Buccaneers receivers land on injury report



The Buccaneers loaded up the receiver position this year in the event that, like last year, their receivers get injured. Through only one regular-season game, five Buccaneers receivers are injured in advance of a game against the Saints in New Orleans.

Three didn’t practice at all: Russell Gage (hamstring), Chris Godwin (hamstring), and Julio Jones (knee). Two were limited: Mike Evans (calf) and Breshad Perriman (knee).


That leaves the Bucs with two fully healthy receivers on the roster: Jaelon Darden and Scotty Miller.

Also missing practice were tackle Donovan Smith (elbow) and cornerback Zyon McCollum (hamstring). Quarterback Tom Brady got the day off, for rest purposes.

Running back Leonard Fournette (hamstring) and tackle Tristan Wirfs (abdomen) were limited, too.

PFT

 

Brian Flores will have 'significant impact' in Patriots-Steelers

The New England Patriots' offense struggled in Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins, and it isn't about to get any easier in their Week 2 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh's defense dominated its Week 1 meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals, forcing five turnovers (four interceptions, one fumble) in a 23-20 overtime victory. While the Steelers won't have reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt wreaking havoc this Sunday, they will have another X-factor: former Patriots assistant Brian Flores.

Cassel: Keys to a Pats win vs. Steelers, making sense of Bourne saga and more
Flores was hired as Pittsburgh's senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach during the offseason after being relieved of his duties as Dolphins head coach. Prior to joining Miami, he spent 2008 to 2018 rising up the ranks on New England's coaching staff.

Our Tom E. Curran sees Flores making his presence felt early and often against his former team.

"I think he'll have a significant impact," Curran said Wednesday on "The Gameplan". "I talked to Mark Kaboly from The Athletic down in Pittsburgh, he's been covering the team for a long time, and he said that as a special assistant to Mike Tomlin, Brian Flores has already had a huge impact.

"When you think about it, remember the impact that Flores had in the wake of Matt Patricia being the defensive coordinator. You look at Flores elevated in 2018, the Patriots defense was tremendous. Put an unbelievable amount of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, allowed three points in the Super Bowl. Again, that's with Brian Flores as your defensive coordinator. In 2019, they have the Defensive Player of the Year in Stephon Gilmore. They were at some points at historic levels with that defense.

"He is a talented, talented coach. Probably more talented than the guy that he followed in Matt Patricia. So now he's on the other side, trying to go to work on a team that he's familiar with. It ain't a good recipe."

Moral of the story is the Patriots will have their work cut out for them against the Flores-led Steelers D. They'll need a major bounce-back effort after having three costly turnovers vs. Miami that were largely caused by breakdowns on the offensive line.

Although the 20-7 loss didn't inspire much confidence in New England's offense going forward, Curran still sees the Patriots putting up a fight on Sunday. That's because the Steelers' offense doesn't exactly strike fear in opponents either.

"Gotta be more than seven (points), but you know what? I think the Patriots could have their way with Mitch Trubisky and the Steelers offense," Curran said. "I love the way the Patriots defense played last week. So I'm going with, you've got to get yourself to 13 points. ... I don't think Pittsburgh's getting to double figures."

Kickoff for Pats-Steelers is set for 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.

NBC SPORTS via YAHOO

 

Report: Steelers are expected to put T.J. Watt on IR



Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said earlier this week that the team would make a decision on putting linebacker T.J. Watt on injured reserve at the appropriate time and it appears that time will be in the near future.

Field Yates of ESPN reports that the Steelers are expected to place Watt on injured reserve before facing the Patriots this Sunday. Yates adds that they will also be signing linebacker David Anenih off of the Titans practice squad.


Watt is not having surgery to repair his torn pec and is expected to be able to return in about six weeks after rehabbing the injury. Going on injured reserve would leave him ineligible to play in the next four games.

Anenih signed with the Titans after going undrafted out of Houston this year. He had seven tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles in three preseason appearances.

PFT

 

Ben McAdoo: We’ve got to get ball into Christian McCaffrey’s hands



Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey had 10 carries and four catches in last Sunday’s loss to the Browns and he was asked his thoughts about his workload on Wednesday.

McCaffrey said, via the team’s website, that “whatever it takes to win is all that I want to do.” If the Panthers won, there probably wouldn’t be too many questions about McCaffrey’s role in the offense but they were there for offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo on Thursday.


His answer suggested that he thinks more McCaffrey would be a good way to get wins. McAdoo said, via Steve Reed of the Associated Press, that “we’ve got to get the ball in his hands” when discussing McCaffrey’s workload heading into this weekend’s game against the Giants.

One thing that would help is running more offensive plays altogether. The Panthers had just 50 plays against the Browns and increasing that number should lead to more McCaffrey and more chances to put points on the board.

PFT

 

When you have a workhorse like MaCaffrey, you feed him and work him.

 

Report: Jamal Adams out for season



Seahawks safety Jamal Adams‘ season is over after one game.

Adams will have season-ending surgery to repair his torn quad tendon, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.


During Monday night’s game over the Broncos, Adams went down awkwardly while pressuring Russell Wilson, then limped to the sideline and was carted to the locker room. It was apparent immediately that he had suffered a significant injury.

It’s the latest setback for Adams, who arrived in Seattle in a massive trade that included two first-round draft picks, and who signed a big contract extension with the Seahawks.

Adams’ first two seasons in Seattle were disappointing, and now his third season with the Seahawks is over just as it was getting started.

PFT