NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Nick Chubb is set to return on Sunday.

The Cleveland Browns running back was activated from injured reserve on Saturday and is set to play vs. the Houston Texans, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The team has since confirmed Chubb's activation.

Chubb was placed on IR after sustaining an MCL sprain in his knee during the Browns' Week 4 victory in Dallas. Chubb was ranked third in the NFL in rushing with 335 yards at the time of his injury. In Chubb's absence, Kareem Hunt gained 254 yards on 65 carries over the course of four games but failed to reach the end zone as the lead back.

With Chubb back in the lineup and guard Wyatt Teller set to return from injury this week, Cleveland's running attack looks to regain form against a porous Texans defense. The Browns are coming off a Week 9 defeat vs. the Raiders where the offense managed to score just six total points off two field goals.

The Browns also announced it elevated offensive guard Michael Dunn from the practice squad to the active roster.

NFL.com

 

Every week we bring you all the inactives from the 1 p.m. ET games in one post, constantly updated with the latest information.

It’s an abbreviated set of early kickoffs on Sunday because CBS will be broadcasting the final round of The Masters before flipping to football in the afternoon. One of those early games will be in New Jersey as the Eagles visit the Giants and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery will be in Philly’s lineup for the first time this season. He’ll try to help the 3-4-1 team stay well ahead of the 2-7 Giants.

Check back to see the full list as it becomes available 90 minutes ahead of kickoff.

Eagles at Giants

Eagles: CB Craig James, QB Nate Sudfeld, WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, RB Jason Huntley, OL Brett Toth, WR Quez Watkins

Giants: WR Dante Pettis, LB T.J. Brunson, OL Kyle Murphy, OL Jackson Barton, DL R.J. McIntosh

Washington Football Team at Lions

WFT: QB Kyle Allen, WR Robert Foster, LB Jared Norris, LB Thomas Davis, T Geron Christian, WR Dontrelle Inman

Lions: WR Kenny Golladay, WR Jamal Agnew, LB Jarrad Davis, OL Halapoulivaati Vaitai, DL Nick Williams, OL Logan Stenberg, QB David Blough

Texans at Browns

Texans: WR Keke Coutee, WR Isaiah Coulter, QB Josh McCown, OL Senio Kelemete, DL Charles Omenihu, CB Cornell Armstrong

Browns: WR Taywan Taylor, RB Dontrell Hilliard, CB Robert Jackson, S Jovante Moffatt, LB Jacob Phillips, DE Joe Jackson

Jaguars at Packers

Jaguars: QB Gardner Minshew, WR Laviska Shenault, RB Devine Ozigbo, CB Luq Barcoo, LB Dakota Allen, DT Doug Costin, C Brandon Linder

Packers: QB Jordan Love, CB Kevin King, CB Jaire Alexander, S Will Redmond, LB Jonathan Garvin, WR Darrius Shepherd, DL Billy Winn

Buccaneers at Panthers

Buccaneers: DL Khalil Davis, QB Ryan Griffin, G Ali Marpet, RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn

Panthers: QB Will Grier, RB Christian McCaffrey, T Russell Okung, OL Michael Schofield, DT Bruce Hector, CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver, DB Sean Chandler

NBC

 

Houston and Cleveland will kickoff in 5 mins... weather delay.

 

Packers hold on to win after tough test from Jaguars



The Packers were expected to blow out the Jaguars. Instead, they barely escaped with a win.

After a tougher-than-expected test, Green Bay managed to hold on for a 24-20 win over Jacksonville.

Aaron Rodgers turned in a strong performance, completing 24 of 34 passes for 325 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling was the Packers’ top receiver, with four catches for 149 yards and a touchdown. Davante Adams exited the game with an ankle injury but then returned to score a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Jaguars rookie quarterback Jake Luton struggled, completing 18 of 35 passes for just 169 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Undrafted rookie running back James Robinson continued his strong season, with 23 carries for 109 yards.

The Packers improve to 7-2 and remain in contention for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Jaguars fall to 1-8 and remain in contention for the first overall pick in the draft.

NBC

 

Detroit blows big lead, beats Washington with last-second field goal



The Lions didn’t make it look easy, but they managed to beat the Washington Football Team today in Detroit.

After jumping out to a 24-3 lead, the Lions nearly collapsed and found themselves in a tie game in the fourth quarter. It was 27-27 in the final moments and Matt Patricia’s coaching obituary was being written, but Matthew Stafford got the Lions down the field and Matt Prater hit a 59-yard field goal as time expired.

Alex Smith, making his first start in two years, exceeded all expectations by completing 38 of 55 passes for 390 yards. Part of Smith’s success was the Lions’ poor defense, but nothing should detract from the plaudits Smith will get for returning from a brutal leg injury and playing well.

The Lions are now 4-5 and on the fringes of playoff contention. The Football Team falls to 2-7.

NBC

 

Buccaneers turn it on in second half, beat Panthers 46-23



The Buccaneers and Panthers went to halftime tied at 17 and it looked like we might be in for a shootout in Carolina.

Only one team kept firing after halftime. The Buccaneers scored the first six times they had the ball in the second half and ran out the clock the seventh time in a 46-23 win that comes a week after their worst performance of the season.

The Bucs are now 7-3 with the Rams and Chiefs coming to Tampa before they hit their bye week.

Ronald Jones had the biggest individual highlight of the game. He broke free for a 98-yard touchdown in the third quarter that put the Bucs up by nine and helped his side start to run away with the game. Teddy Bridgewater was intercepted on the next drive and the Bucs extended their lead to 15 points.

Jones finished with 23 carries for 192 yards and Tom Brady added a rushing touchdown later in the second half. Brady also completed 28-of-39 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns in a big rebound from last week’s loss to the Saints.

Mike Evans caught six passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, which should quiet concerns about his connection with Brady. Antonio Brown caught 7-of-8 passes thrown his way and picked up 69 yards while Chris Godwin paced the team with 92 receiving yards. Rob Gronkowski also caught a touchdown and the whole mix was impossible to stop once it got rolling.

Bridgewater was sharp in the first half, but struggled in the second before being knocked out of the game on a Jason Pierre-Paul sack. He hurt his right knee — not the one he hurt while in Minnesota — and P.J. Walker played out the final minutes in his NFL debut.

The quarterback’s status will be a key factor as the Panthers prepare to face the Lions in Week 11. The 3-7 squad will be trying to snap a five-game losing streak.

NBC

 

Baker Mayfield told Nick Chubb not to score in the huddle



Browns running back Nick Chubb, in his first game since Week Four, delivered the dagger for home team by not scoring a touchdown. When was the decision made that Chubb would pass on a clear and easy touchdown?

“It was made in the huddle, and I got the call from Baker [Mayfield] to if we get a first down or anything, let’s just end the game and not score,” Chubb told PFT by phone after Sunday’s 10-7 win. “There an opportunity for me to do that and that’s what I did.”

So how hard was it for Chubb to see the end zone right there and not carry the ball into it?

“It was tough,” Chubb said, “but I’m a team player, so I decided to just win the game and not worry about stats and get the win and go home.”

If it was tough then, it won’t get any easier when Chubb sees what the haters on social media have to say about losing an easy six points for their fantasy teams. (Not to mention the gamblers who took Cleveland giving anywhere from 3 to 4.5 points.)

“It won’t faze me,” he said. “At the end of the day, we got the win and that’s what matters most.”

Indeed it does. And now the Browns have run their record to 6-3. Based on the schedule, 10 wins can indeed be in the cards for the Browns, which likely would deliver the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2002.

NBC

 

Raiders blow out Broncos



The Raiders continued their march toward the playoffs with a 37-12 beatdown of the Broncos today.

The Las Vegas defense dominated Broncos quarterback Drew Lock, intercepting him four times and keeping him from doing much of anything until a late garbage-time touchdown pass. After struggling for most of this season, the Raiders’ defense looked very good today.

Derek Carr didn’t do much, finishing with 154 passing yards, but all the Raiders needed from him was to avoid mistakes, and he did that, with no interceptions, no fumbles and no sacks. Raiders running back Josh Jacobs had 21 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns, while Devontae Booker added 16 carries for 81 yards and two more touchdowns.

Las Vegas improves to 6-3 on the season, and the Raiders have a great chance of earning one of the three AFC wild card berths. Denver falls to 3-6, and the Broncos are facing some tough questions about whether Lock is the franchise quarterback they need.

NBC

 

((((BooM))))

TD Hopkins! wow.

 

You have to give credit to the Cards (ratfuckinbastards). They deserved the W today.

 

Rams hand Seahawks 23-16 loss



It’s getting tight in the NFC West.

The Rams turned Russell Wilson over three times and kept the Seahawks Offense in check for a 23-16 win on Sunday. The victory lifts their record to 6-3 on the season, which is the same record as the Seahawks.


Arizona joined them at the top of the division by beating the Bills on a Hail Mary catch by DeAndre Hopkins, so the stage is still set for an entertaining stretch run in the division.

Jared Goff completed 27-of-37 passes for 302 yards over the course of the afternoon and the Rams scored three rushing touchdowns as they controlled the ball for more than 33 minutes of action. Efficient as their offense was, the win came thanks to a strong effort from their defense.

Wilson was picked off twice by Darrious Williams and he lost a fumble in the second half of the game. He was held without a touchdown pass for the first time this season and DK Metcalf didn’t have a catch during the first half of the game. He’d catch a couple a draw a pass interference flag on Jalen Ramsey in the second half, but Wilson missed him on a deep shot that could have changed the outlook of the game.

Leonard Floyd had three of the Rams’ six sacks, two tackles for loss, and recovered Wilson’s fumble to help spearhead Los Angeles’ defensive effort. The Seahawks only picked up 333 yards on the day bad outing leaves Wilson with seven turnovers over the last two weeks and the Seahawks with back-to-back losses.

Seattle will face those Cardinals in a pivotal Week 11 matchup. The Rams will be headed to Tampa for a matchup with the Buccaners that will have import for both team’s playoff chances.

They will likely have to play that one without left tackle Andrew Whitworth. He left with a knee injury that looked like it could have been a season-ender for the veteran blocker.

NBC

 

That's a tough pill to swallow. Could've happened to the Steelers the last two weeks.

 

I was watching that game after the Diggs TD I thought that's it as you say Boom 11 seconds left Murray throws a Hail Mary passTD DeAndre Hopkins what a painful loss

 

You have to give credit to the Cards (ratfuckinbastards). They deserved the W today.

Too bad Dan........34 seconds left and Zona pulls off the win......OUCH

And 3 Teams in the NFC West are 6-3.

 

I have a dirty little secret.

I'm rooting for the Patriots and they're winning.

 

Steelers cruise to easy win over Bengals



The Steelers stayed undefeated, and they barely broke a sweat doing it.

Pittsburgh jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, winning 36-10.

The Steelers are now 9-0, the only undefeated team in the NFL.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t practice all week because he had been exposed to a teammate with COVID-19, but he didn’t look like he missed it. Today he completed 27 of 46 passes for 333 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Diontae Johnson led the Steelers with 116 receiving yards, and JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool also had big games. Roethlisberger spread the ball around effectively, and the Bengals’ secondary couldn’t keep up.

Joe Burrow struggled against a tough Steelers Defense, and the lone offensive bright spot for the Bengals was receiver Tee Higgins, who caught seven passes for 115 yards and the Bengals’ only touchdown.

The Bengals fell to 2-6-1, while the 9-0 Steelers have a clear path to home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

NBC

 

Sunday Night Football: Patriots rush for 173 yards in 23-17 win over Ravens



Rex Burkhead, Damien Harris and Cam Newton came up big for the Patriots on Sunday Night Football, leading New England to a 23-17 victory over the Ravens.

The Ravens now are in a second-place tie with the Browns at 6-3, three games behind the undefeated Steelers. They went 14-2 last season. The Patriots aren’t dead yet, remaining in the postseason race with their second consecutive victory in moving to 4-5.

Burkhead caught two first-half touchdown passes, one from Newton and one from receiver Jakobi Meyers on a trick play. Harris had his third career 100-yard game, with 121 yards on 22 carries. Newton threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Burkhead and ran for a 4-yard touchdown.

Newton has become the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era with nine rushing touchdowns in his first eight games of a season, according to NFL Research. He missed one game with COVID-19. (Kyler Murray had eight touchdowns in eight games before rushing for two more in his ninth game Sunday.)

The Patriots rushed for 173 yards, with Newton throwing for only 118 in a heavy rain. Newton ran for 21 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, and Burkhead 31 yards on six carries.

Lamar Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, ran for 55 yards on 11 carries and completed 24 of 34 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns. The interception he threw to J.C. Jackson before the half with the Ravens in field-goal range proved pivotal.

Willie Snead caught five passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns.

NBC

 

Didn't expect this.

 

Good news for Pittsburgh and Cleveland...

 

Monday Night Football: Nick Foles carted off late as Vikings earn 19-13 win over Bears



Chicago Bears quarterback Nick Foles was carted off the field in the final minute of Monday night’s 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Foles was thrown to the ground by Ifeadi Odenigbo on the first play of the Bears’ final possession as they tried to mount a final scoring drive. He remained on the turf and left the field on the back of a cart as Tyler Bray replaced him for the final 40 seconds of the game.

Foles had completed 15 of 26 passes for 106 yards and an interception for the Bears before leaving the game.

Adam Thielen caught a pair of touchdowns and Justin Jefferson had 107 yards as the Vikings picked up the 19-13 victory to hand the Bears a fourth straight loss.

Kirk Cousins completed 25 of 36 passes for 292 yards with the two touchdowns to Thielen and an interception to pick up his first victory in 10 career starts on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the Bears may have changed who is calling plays on offense but the unit’s ineptitude remains. The Bears managed just 149 yards of total offense and managed just six points of their own with Bill Lazor now calling plays instead of head coach Matt Nagy. They had six possessions in total in the second half. Those drives led to just 32 yards with four three-and-outs and just two first downs.

After the teams traded turnovers on each of their opening possessions, Cousins and Thielen connected on a 17-yard touchdown to give Minnesota the 7-0 lead.

The Bears responded with their only substantial drive of the game, marching 70 yards before having to settle for a 23-yard field goal from Cairo Santos. Khalil Mack intercepted Cousins to set up a short field and another Santos field goal to pull the Bears within a point at 7-6.

Poor special teams play from the Vikings helped keep the Bears in the game. After having two punts blocked last week, the Vikings allowed Cordarelle Patterson to return a kickoff for a 104-yard touchdown to open the second half as Chicago grabbed a 13-7 lead. It was Patterson’s eighth career kickoff return touchdown, which ties him with Joshua Cribbs and Leon Washington for the most ever.

Dan Bailey converted field goals from 37 and 43 yards for the Vikings to even the game at 13-13 late in the third quarter.

Cousins and Thielen then connected again on a 6-yard touchdown as Minnesota regained the lead. However, a poor snap from Austin Cutting on the extra point resulted in a failed impromptu two-point conversion attempt and kept the lead at just six points, 19-13.

But the Bears Offense couldn’t do anything to capitalize on the mistake. They failed to convert on fourth down and then Foles was knocked out of the game on the final possession for Chicago.

NBC