NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Cowboys sign T.Y. Hilton



The Cowboys have signed a veteran free agent wide receiver, but it isn’t Odell Beckham Jr.

The team announced the signing of longtime Colts star T.Y. Hilton on Monday. Hilton’s deal will run through the end of this season.


Hilton spent the last 10 years with the Colts, but has been out of football since the end of last season. He had 631 catches, 9,691 yards, and 53 touchdowns in 143 regular season games with Indianapolis and added 47 catches for 781 yards and three touchdowns in nine postseason appearances.

The Cowboys are on track to make the playoffs, so Hilton may have a chance to add to that total next month.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after Sunday’s game that the Cowboys have not moved on from Beckham, but there’s no indication that a deal is imminent and his ability to help any team on the field before the season is over remains in some doubt.

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NFC South is a train wreck of a division, but the chase for the division title is going to be wild.

Tampa is ahead of both Carolina and Atlanta by one game and will face both of them in head-to-head matchups in the final four weeks. With New Orleans two games down, it's still anyone's division.

 

Monday Night Football: Patriots defense shines in 27-13 romp over Cardinals



The Patriots defense had six sacks, two takeaways, a touchdown and four fourth-down stops on Monday night. They gave up only one touchdown.

It amounted to a 27-13 victory for the Patriots over the Cardinals.


New England improved to 7-6 and currently sit seventh in the AFC playoff seeding, while Arizona fell to 4-9.

The Cardinals have a bigger concern as they look forward to 2023: Kyler Murray injured his knee on the third play from scrimmage, and it appeared a significant injury. Murray was in tears as he was carted off the field.

He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to confirm the extent of the injury, but it could affect Murray’s availability for the start of next season.

It was a non-contact injury for Murray, who was replaced by Colt McCoy.

The Cardinals backup quarterback then was pummeled. Josh Uche had three sacks, giving him 10 for the season, and Matthew Judon made 1.5 for 14.5 this season.

Linebacker Raekwon McMillan had the play of the game with 5:32 remaining in the third quarter. He scooped a DeAndre Hopkins fumble and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, giving the Patriots a 20-13 lead.

McCoy was 27-of-40 for 246 yards and an interception.

With Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson out, the Patriots leaned on their rookie running backs. Kevin Harris had played only 13 offensive snaps before Monday night and Pierre Strong 10.

Strong had five carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Harris added eight carries for 26 yards and a touchdown.

Mac Jones was 24-of-35 for 235 yards and an interception.

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WEEK 14; Its In The Books!

 

Matt Eberflus on Chase Claypool: I wouldn’t say he has full grasp of offense yet



The Bears weren’t seen as buyers heading into the trade deadline so it came as a surprise that they sent a second-round pick to the Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool last month.

Claypool’s arrival bolstered an undermanned receiving corps that got even thinner when Darnell Mooney was lost for the season, but Claypool hasn’t been a major contributor. He has 12 catches for 111 yards in five games with the team.


Justin Fields missed one of those games with a left shoulder injury and the Bears have remained a run-first offense, but the low production still led to a question for head coach Matt Eberflus about whether Claypool is up to speed with the scheme.

“I wouldn’t say he’s there yet,” Eberflus said, via Alex Shapiro of NBCSportsChicago.com. “I would say he’s getting there. He’s getting there and working there just like everybody else. But again, it’s all new to him and there’s a lot of volume of offense that he has to learn and he’s getting there. He needs alignment, assignment and get all the things down, the route depths and the routes, the discipline of running the routes. He’s in a good spot. He’s in a good spot. We’re looking forward for him to get better every single week.”

With four weeks left in the Bears season, they’ll likely have to wait until next year before Claypool has a full grasp of the team’s offense and a chance to offer full return on the price they paid to bring him to Chicago.

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Cole Beasley is back in Buffalo.

NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday morning that the Bills are signing the veteran receiver to the practice squad and expected to elevate him to the game-day roster in short order, per sources informed of the situation.

The team later announced the news, along with the signing of Brandin Bryant to the active roster. Receiver Marquez Stevenson and defensive tackle C.J. Brewer were cut in corresponding moves.

After seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys to start his career, Beasley spent three years with the Bills from 2019-2021, offering Josh Allen a reliable, chain-moving target. In his last season with the Bills, the 33-year-old posted 82 catches for 693 yards and one TD in 16 games.

The previous two seasons, the veteran receiver was enmeshed in controversy over his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and took issue with many of the NFL's protocols at the time.

In the offseason, Beasley was granted permission to seek a trade and eventually released in March.

Beasley signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad in September but played in just two games, catching four passes for 17 yards, before his release.


In October he announced his retirement, saying "it's time to be a full-time dad and husband."

Now, the possession receiver is headed back to Buffalo for the postseason run.

The Bills have been searching for veteran depth behind Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Isaiah McKenzie. With Jamison Crowder still on IR, Beasley could step in immediately to fill the slot role and provide Allen with a trusty receiver who already knows the offense.

Buffalo hosted star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for a recent visit -- one of three teams to do so (New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys). But with questions about OBJ's availability for the regular season, the Bills will bring in Beasley, who is ready to play now. The signing marks the second time in two days that a club in the Beckham sweepstakes has signed a veteran receiver, with the Cowboys adding T.Y. Hilton on Monday. Clearly, the concerns about OBJ's readiness to return from the ACL have clubs looking elsewhere for immediate help.

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lol, I guess that "full-time dad and husband" thing didnt work out or was just a line of BS.

 

Andrew Thomas, Giants preparing for pivotal game vs. Commanders: 'We know what's on the line'

Two weeks ago, the New York Giants and Washington Commanders battled to a 20-20 tie at MetLife Stadium. With the NFC East rivals each sporting a 7-5-1 record, Sunday night's rematch at FedExField will have a playoff atmosphere.

"We know what's on the line," Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas said Monday. "So we already know the mentality that comes with that. Washington is a great team and our division is great this year. So we know what this game means and we're doing our best to prepare for that."

Washington currently sits as the No. 6 seed. After a blowout loss to Philadelphia, the Giants fell to the No. 7 spot. Sunday's victor will own the tiebreaker, giving it a significant advantage with three games remaining.

Big Blue got off to a hot start this season, sprinting to a 6-1 record. But Brian Daboll's team has cooled considerably, going 1-4-1 in its last six games. Of the four losses, only one has been within eight points.

The Giants know that Sunday's rematch against the Commanders is a chance to stop the slide and keep the playoff dreams alive. So the message from defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence is to do a little more this week in advance of Sunday's massive matchup.

"Challenge guys to watch a little bit more, study their matchups a little bit more," Lawrence said, via The Associated Press. "Doing what we already do, just a little bit more type of thing."

Both teams will approach Sunday's game like a playoff matchup. The winner will get a leg up. The loser won't be eliminated but must contend with Seattle, Detroit or even Green Bay making a run at the final playoff spot in the last three weeks.

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Very pivotal game, I'll be tuned in for sure. Its in the late slot, Sunday.

 

Oooh, yeah, that will be one to watch. Weird quirk in the schedule = Washington had their bye last week, so they have two consecutive regular season games against the same opponent.

What would really, REALLY make the wild card picture crazy would be if they tied again this weekend.

 

Something else to look forward to in the NFC... Dallas is closing in on the top wild card spot, or the #5 seed overall. They'd end up playing the "winner" of the NFC South dumpster fire. At the moment, that's Tampa - who beat the 'boys in the season opener, in Texas. Dallas was just all around sloppy coming out of preseason and laid an egg.

The Cowboys would be salivating for a chance to return the favor and stomp the Bucs in Tampa.

 

Steelers’ Chris Wormley has torn ACL



We knew Steelers defensive end Chris Wormley was set for knee surgery, but now we know the injury is a severe one.

Wormley suffered a torn ACL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.


That’s a big blow for Wormley, who becomes an unrestricted free agent in March. A torn ACL in December likely means he won’t be ready for the start of next season, and will significantly limit his interest in free agency.

The 29-year-old Wormley has played in every game for the Steelers this season.

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There is zero excuse for him not to be able to execute within the offense as of yet. This was an awful trade before he got here, and has only gotten worse since.

 

Sean McVay: You won’t see Cooper Kupp again this year



Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, who nearly set the single-season reception and receiving yardage records in 2021, won’t be back in 2022.

Coach Sean McVay made it clear that Kupp, who suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 10 against the Cardinals, won’t return in 2022.



“Yeah, you won’t see Cooper this year,” McVay told reporters on Tuesday. “I would be hard pressed to see any scenario that he would play again this year.”

Cooper Kupp will finish the year with 75 catches for for 812 yards and six touchdowns in nine games. In 2021, he finished with 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 scores.

The addition of Baker Mayfield and the unlikely come-from-way-behind win over the Raiders have made the Rams an interesting team in the final four weeks of the season. They’ll have to stay interesting without Kupp.

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Chiefs, Bills, Vikings, 49ers, Cowboys can all clinch playoff berths in Week 15



The Eagles are currently the only team that has clinched a playoff berth. By Sunday evening, as many as five more teams may have joined Philadelphia in the postseason.

The Chiefs, Bills, Vikings, 49ers and Cowboys can all clinch playoff berths in Week 15. Here’s how each team can clinch:


The Chiefs clinch the AFC West if they win on Sunday, or if the Chargers lose on Sunday.

The Bills clinch a playoff berth if they win on Saturday.

The 49ers clinch the NFC West if they win on Thursday.

The Cowboys clinch a playoff berth if they win on Sunday, or if the Seahawks and either the Commanders or Lions lose.

The Vikings clinch the NFC North if they win on Saturday, or if the Lions lose on Sunday.

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Good divisional game tonight... Seahawks need a good showing so I can see if they are for real. 49ers coming off a game where they look like world-beaters.

Hell of a busy day for me... glad to have a decent match-up to tune into tonight.

 

Thursday Night Football: 49ers win NFC West with 21-13 romp over Seahawks



The 49ers clinched the NFC West with a 21-13 victory over the Seahawks. It’s their first division title since 2019.

The 49ers have won six in a row and are 10-4. The Seahawks have lost four of five to fall to 7-7, putting their playoff hopes in peril.


San Francisco was too much for Seattle, though the Seahawks made it interesting with Noah Fant‘s 10-yard touchdown catch with 3:35 left. The 49ers ran out the final 3:35 with a 1-yard Brock Purdy run on third down and a Jordan Mason 55-yard run to the Seattle 2-yard line.

The rookie quarterback, 2-0 as a starter since replacing Jimmy Garoppolo, handled himself admirably in one of the toughest venues in the NFL. He went 17-of-26 for 217 yards and two touchdowns, both to George Kittle, who had four catches for 93 yards.

Purdy has six touchdowns and an interception the past three games.

Christian McCaffrey had 26 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown and six catches for 30 yards.

The 49ers never trailed in outgaining the Seahawks 381 yards to 277.

Geno Smith was sacked three times, including once by Nick Bosa. Bosa has 15.5 sacks, matching his total from last season. He had a questionable roughing the passer penalty that negated Deommodore Lenoir‘s 37-yard interception return for a touchdown and kept the game closer than it should have been.

Smith finished 31-of-44 for 238 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Lockett caught seven passes for 68 yards and DK Metcalf had seven receptions for 55 yards.

Metcalf also had a 15-yard taunting penalty while jawing with Dre Greenlaw and a 10-yard offensive pass interference penalty that negated his 27-yard catch.

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Boss’s roughing the passer penalty was just a few rungs down from Grady Jarrets roughing call of Brady

 

Is it possible for the Colts to blow a 33-0 lead???? This is crazy!