NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Josh Jacobs rushes for career-high 144 yards as Raiders beat Broncos, 32-23

 

Final

 

Sunday Night Football: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs dominate Bucs 41-31



The night got off to an inauspicious start for the Buccaneers when Rachaad White fumbled the opening kickoff. It did not get any better.

The Bucs trailed 7-0 only 46 seconds into Sunday Night Football and trailed by as many as 18 in the first half before losing 41-31.


The Chiefs improved to 3-1, while the Bucs fell to 2-2 and into a first-place tie with the Falcons in the NFC South.

Tampa Bay began the night ranked fourth in yards allowed and first in points allowed. Yet, the Bucs were no match for the Chiefs offense. The Chiefs scored more points in the first half (28) than the Bucs gave up their first three games (27).

Kansas City beat up on Tampa Bay from start to finish, scoring on seven of 10 possessions not counting the one play to end the first half. The Chiefs gained 417 yards, 27 first downs and went 12-of-17 on third down.

Patrick Mahomes‘ fourth-down pass to a wide-open Clyde Edwards-Helaire bounced off the running back’s hands in the first half to stop one drive, and Mahomes threw an interception to Sean Murphy-Bunting with 4:42 remaining. The Chiefs’ only punt came with 52 seconds left.

Mahomes went 23-of-37 for 249 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Edwards-Helaire had 19 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for 2 yards and a touchdown. Travis Kelce had nine receptions for 92 yards.

Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed had a team-leading nine tackles and the only sack of Tom Brady, which forced a fumble.

The Bucs gained 376 yards, including only three rushing yards on six attempts, but proved their own worst enemy.

Brady completed 39 of 52 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns, and Mike Evans caught eight passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

PFT

 

Broncos RB Javonte Williams suffered torn ACL vs. Raiders, out for rest of season

The initial fears of Javonte Williams' knee injury have been realized.

The Broncos running back suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's loss to the Raiders and will miss the remainder of the 2022 season, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Monday, per a source.

Williams was carted off on the first play of the third quarter Sunday, going down after a 1-yard loss. He couldn't bear any weight on the knee and spent time in the medical tent before heading to the locker room and being ruled out for the game.

Williams led the Broncos in rushing this season with 204 yards off 47 attempts.

NFL.com

 

Òuch for the Broncos!

 

Monday Night Football: 49ers run away from Rams, 24-9



The 49ers recorded their seventh consecutive regular-season victory over the Rams, winning 24-9 on Monday Night Football.

Both teams are 2-2, as are the Cardinals and the Seahawks in the NFC West.


San Francisco had 327 yards to 257 for the Rams. The 49ers sacked Matthew Stafford seven times, dominating the Rams’ makeshift offensive line hard hit by injuries, and forced him into two turnovers.

Stafford now has taken 16 sacks this season.

He was 30-of-46 for 241 yards and threw an interception that Talanoa Hufanga returned 52 yards for a touchdown. The pick-six gave the 49ers a 24-9 lead with 6:27 left.

It was the 28th pick-six of Stafford’s career, including the four he threw last season in his first season with the Rams.

Stafford’s lost fumble with 1:49 remaining ended the Rams’ final comeback hope.

The Rams went 0-for-3 in the red zone, had a long play of 18 yards and couldn’t find a consistent receiving threat outside of Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee. Kupp had a career-high 14 catches but for only 122 yards, and Higbee had 10 receptions for 73 yards.

Samson Ebukam and Nick Bosa each had two sacks for the 49ers, and Ebukam forced the fumble that Stafford lost.

Deebo Samuel starred on offense, with six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. His score covered 57 yards and was one of the top plays in the league this season.

Jeff Wilson had 18 carries for 74 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown run.

Jimmy Garoppolo went 16-of-27 for 239 yards and the touchdown pass to Samuel.

PFT

 

WEEK 4 is in the books...

 

Early look at WEEK 5...

 

Minkah Fitzpatrick has a knee injury that needs to be managed



Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was included on a list of injured players provided by head coach Mike Tomlin during a Tuesday press conference.

Tomlin said that Fitzpatrick is dealing with a knee injury that will have to be “managed” moving forward. Fitzpatrick was on the injury report last week with a concussion, but was cleared in time to play in Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Jets.


It’s not clear if managing the injury will put Fitzpatrick at risk of missing any game action, but it seems likely his practice participation level will be affected. Defensive end Cam Heyward (elbow, ankle) and cornerback Cam Sutton (groin, hamstring) fall into the same category of players who will be managed this week.

Tomlin also said safety Terrell Edmunds is in the concussion protocol and that cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon is expected to miss another game with a hamstring injury.

PFT

 

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa to speak with reps from NFL-NFLPA joint concussion investigation on Tuesday

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will speak with representatives from the NFL and the NFL Players Association on Tuesday as part of the joint investigation into his Sept. 25 concussion evaluation, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.

Pelissero added that the hope is the joint investigation will conclude within the week. The NFL has said the findings of the investigation will be released publicly.

Tagovailoa briefly exited the Sept. 25 game against Buffalo in the first half with what the team initially announced as a head injury he sustained following a hit from linebacker Matt Milano, who was flagged for roughing the passer on the play. Once getting up on his feet, Tagovailoa shook his head and stumbled as he began to trot forward before getting taken out of the game. Tagovailoa later returned to play following halftime.

Following the Dolphins' 21-19 win, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Tagovailoa suffered a lower-back injury in the first half, which was exacerbated by the hit from Milano, and was the cause of Tagovailoa's stumble.

The NFLPA initiated an investigation into the handling of Tagovailoa's concussion evaluation following the Dolphins' Week 3 win. On Saturday, the NFLPA terminated the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) involved in Tagovailoa's concussion check during the Week 3 game against Buffalo, citing a failure to understand his role as the UNC and hostility during the investigation process among the factors contributing to his dismissal.

Tagovailoa then endured a scary collision during last Thursday's game, in which he was slung to the ground by Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou. Tagovailoa hit his head on the ground and his arms and hands locked in a fencing response. Tagovailoa remained on the turf for several minutes as trainers attended to him before being taken off the field on a stretcher and then by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to be treated for head and neck injuries.

McDaniel ruled out Tagovailoa on Monday for the team's Week 5 game against the New York Jets due to the concussion that Tagovailoa sustained against the Bengals.


NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday that the league and the NFL Players Association had agreed to parameters of an updated concussion protocol that will rule out players who exhibit gross motor instability as Tagovailoa did during the Dolphins' game against the Bills, regardless of any possible contributing factors.

NFL.com

 

Commanders designate RB Brian Robinson to return to practice a month after shooting

Brian Robinson is ready to return to the practice field.

Just over a month after sustaining gunshot wounds in a shooting in Washington, D.C., the Commanders rookie running back was designated to return to practice on Wednesday.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Washington was expected to activate Robinson off the reserve/non-football injury list this week after his mandatory four-week stint.

Washington has 21 days to officially activate the 23-year-old and move him to the active roster.

Robinson suffered two gunshot wounds to his right leg as the victim of an attempted robbery or carjacking in late August. The bullets went through his knee, but did not create massive damage and missed his ligaments, tendons and bones. The wounds have since healed, Rapoport added.

Washington kept Robinson in its initial 53-man roster and moved him to the non-football injury list, signaling he could potentially return earlier than expected.

The third-round rookie out of Alabama has been around the team in recent weeks and did a simulated series last week with Washington's strength and conditioning staff, earning positive reviews, per Rapoport.


Washington coach Ron Rivera sounded confident earlier this week that Robinson could make his NFL debut this week against the Tennessee Titans.

When Robinson returns to the active roster, he'll join a backfield currently paced by Antonio Gibson (66 touches, 274 total yards, two TDs). J.D. McKissic is Washington's second backfield option with 187 yards on 36 touches.

 

Cole Beasley retires from football

Cole Beasley waited for the right opportunity to emerge. It finally did, in Tampa.

Two weeks later, Beasley is deciding to call it a day.


Beasley’s agent, Justin Turner, tells NFL Network that Beasley has retired from the NFL.

“He is ready to be with his family after playing in 11 seasons and it’s time to be a full-time dad and husband,” Turner said. (It’s hard not to wonder whether that message will register with the team’s starting quarterback.)

Beasley has made plenty of money in his career, upwards of $50 million. This year, the money simply wasn’t there, for whatever reason.

One team, we’ve heard, was willing to pay him $2 million and vowed that he’d have 85 receptions. So why offer him only $2 million?

In his second and final game with the Bucs, Beasley was on the field for four plays. He caught one pass for five yards.

PFT

 

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor is out for Thursday night at Broncos



Whatever the real numbers have been for the first three weeks of the streaming-only Thursday night games, this week’s audience could be real small, relative to other primetime games.

The Colts have ruled out star running back Jonathan Taylor for Thursday night in Denver, due to an ankle injury suffered on Sunday against the Titans.

It will be the first game Taylor has ever missed due to injury.


Also out for the Colts are linebacker Shaquille Leonard (concussion, nose, back), safety Julian Blackmon (ankle), and defensive end Tyquan Lewis (concussion).

Defensive tackle DeForest Bucker (elbow) and center Ryan Kelly (knee) have no designation for the game, which means they are good to go.

Running back Nyheim Hines presumably gets the start in place of Taylor.

PFT

 

When a guy retires mid-season, that's when you know he's done. For a lot of players, you dread going back from your offseason, and doing all the training camp stuff. But once you start playing, you're at least in the "fun" part of the job. So when you retire at that point, it's probably for the right reasons / you're done.

 

He found out he couldnt stand Tom Brady either...

 

Indianapolis vs Denver Prediction, Game Preview



Indianapolis vs Denver Game Preview
Why Indianapolis Will Win
Now what will Denver do to run the ball?

Leading rusher Javonte Williams is out for the year for the year with a knee injury, Melvin Gordon is having problems hanging on to the ball, and Latavius Murray isn’t around yet to give it a shot.

The Colts don’t need the help – they’re already great at holding up against the run even after Derrick Henry and the Titans rumbled relatively well last week.

This isn’t an explosive Indianapolis offense – to be nice – but Matt Ryan hasn’t been bad, the defense has carried the weight, and this week the opponent fits.

Denver is 30th in the league in scoring, Russell Wilson and the passing game are struggling to get going, and again, the ground game might not be there.

But on the other side …



Why Denver Will Win
Now what will Indianapolis do to run the ball?

It’s not like fantasy football owners didn’t see this coming – Jonathan Taylor hasn’t been right, and now he’s out with a high ankle sprain.

The Colts haven’t been able to generate enough of a push on the ground – it’s not for a lack of trying – and now it’ll be up to Nyheim Hines and a rotation to get one of the league’s worst ground attacks moving.

Yeah, Denver is spinning its wheels a bit, and yeah, it’s not scoring enough, but it’s the Greatest Show on Turf compared to the Colts and the lowest scoring offense in the NFL.

So it should come down to …

– Week 5 NFL Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews

What’s Going To Happen
Who can make the most out of its chances?

Getting points will be like pulling teeth, and that’s partly because of each offense’s woes in the red zone. Indianapolis is miserable inside the 20, and it gives up touchdowns too easily when teams get their chances.

Denver is the worst red zone team in the NFL – at least when it comes to scoring touchdowns – but it’s No. 1 defensively.

Indianapolis will settle for field goals, Denver will come up with one extra touchdown off a deep drive.

CFN

 

This game is in Denver, Latavius Murray gets it going and Wilson finally gets on track... I like Denver at home, besides, No Taylor for the Colts and they are struggling also. Hell, maybe a 3-3 tie... who know's?

 

Heyyooo! Good stuff, Willie.

 

The dipshit is filing a police complaint against Wagner.