NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Nick Chubb out for Thursday, Baker Mayfield will be limited in Tuesday practice



D'Ernest Johnson, step on up.

After the Browns placed running back Kareem Hunt on injured reserve earlier in the day, head coach Kevin Stefanski said in his Tuesday press conference that Nick Chubb is also out for Thursday’s game against the Broncos. That means Johnson will make his first career start against Denver.


Chubb (calf) missed Cleveland’s Week Six loss to Arizona with the injury. Hunt, arguably the best backup running back in the league, suffered a more serious calf injury during that game that will reportedly keep him out for four-to-six weeks.

Johnson has mainly played special teams in his three seasons with the Browns. But he does have 40 career carries for 198 yards. He’s rushed three times for 11 yards this season and also has a 7-yard reception.

The Browns also have rookie Demetric Felton who could share some of the load at running back.

As for Cleveland’s quarterback, Stefanski said Baker Mayfield will be a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice. Mayfield told reporters earlier on Tuesday that he fully tore the labrum in his left shoulder. He re-aggravated the injury in Sunday’s loss to Arizona.

“I think you guys know Baker,” Stefanski said, via 92.3 The Fan. “He’s a fighter. He’s as tough as they come. I expect him to fight like crazy to get to Thursday.”

Stefanski added that no decision has yet been made on Mayfield’s availability for Thursday. The same applies to the team’s starting offensive tackles, Jedrick Wills (ankle) and Jack Conklin (knee), who both missed last week’s game.

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Ronnie Stanley to have season-ending ankle surgery



The Ravens won’t have tackle Ronnie Stanley for the rest of the year.

Stanley, who suffered a broken ankle after signing a long-term deal in 2020, played in the regular-season opener before exiting, due to lingering issues with the ankle. The team announced on Tuesday that he’ll have another surgery on the ankle, and that he’ll miss the rest of the season.


“This is not what I wanted or expected when coming into the season,” Stanley said. “Throughout the year, I did everything I could to be 100 percent healthy so I could be out there playing for our team and city. As a competitor, I have a mindset of sacrificing my body for my brothers and my team to reach our goals. At this point in time, my ankle isn’t where it should be.”

Stanley added that he hopes to return at full health in 2022.

Signed through 2025, Stanley inked a five-year $98.75 million extension in 2020. Of the amount, more than $64 million is guaranteed.

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Yeah, well if you think you have problems...

In my money league I drafted Logan Thomas as my starter.. IR
I then traded Darrell Henderson and Calvin Ridley for DeAndre Hopkins, Rob Gronkowski OUT and Miles Sanders (I also had Jonathan Taylor and Leonard Fornette)
So, I then picked up Dawson Knox.. OUT

We don't have IR, so I either keep them on my 7 man bench, yes we only have 7 bench players or drop them and risk losing them when they return to someone with a lower waiver ranking based on record... I am currently 8th in line...

So now, I either keep all 3 and hope one comes back soon, while adding a 4th TE or drop one to get a replacement that won't score as many points. Keep in mind, I also have Russell Wilson IR as my starting QB and Kirk Cousins is in his bye week, so I need to replace him or add someone to that small bench to cover for the two of them for one week...

I have Sammy Watkins, so I have a player to drop for one of the positions, but I will have to drop someone if I want to cover my ass this week.

Options, Tua, Teddy and Wentz... None are better than Cousins
Options, Njoku and O.J. Howard... which are not better than any of the 3 I already have

Ugh... problems...

To boot, I had a 29 point lead going into last night and my opponent had Derrick Henry, so I lost despite having the 3rd highest score in the league this week.

I'm bumming

 

I feel ya pretty much if there is an player with a signicant injury he is on one of my teams. I hate the leagues with no IR. Especially with many of now being designated to return. In a redraft leagues it was simple guy goes on ir you cut him but now if can come back and help you I do you chance cutting him and hope you snag him later or hold him.

With the way most of my teams are looking this year the first coach fired would be me if I wasnt also the owner. Heck in two leagues I may fire myself.

 

Btw for fans complaining about injuries to thier favorite nfl team the Raves have placed the most players on IR (16) and sit at 5-1. I think the lions are 2nd with 14.

 

Ravens sign Le’Veon Bell to 53-man roster



The Ravens want to see more of Le’Veon Bell.

After Baltimore used his second of two available standard elevations for Sunday’s win over the Chargers, the team has signed Bell to the 53-man roster.


Bell signed with the Ravens’ practice squad in early September, following the rash of injuries to Baltimore’s running backs room. He’s rushed for 29 yards on 12 carries, scoring his first touchdown as a Raven on Sunday.

While Latavius Murray has been Baltimore’s lead back, he was sidelined by an ankle injury in Sunday’s game. That could give Bell a larger role in the offense.

The Ravens also have Devonta Freeman and Ty’Son Williams at the position.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson leads the team with 392 yards rushing.

Baltimore is No. 4 with 931 yards on the ground.

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Report: Whitney Mercilus is expected to sign with Packers



It didn’t take long for defensive end Whitney Mercilus to find a new place to play.

Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk790 reports that Mercilus is expected to sign with the Packers. There’s no word on when an agreement might be finalized.


Mercilus was released by the Texans on Tuesday in his 10th season with the team. He had 12 tackles and three sacks in six games with the Texans this season.

The Packers have a need on the edges of their defense. Za'Darius Smith had back surgery early this month and is on injured reserve along with Chauncey Rivers. Preston Smith played eight snaps last weekend because of an oblique injury, which left a lot of playing time for Rashan Gary and Jonathan Garvin.

PFT

 

Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury (COVID) remains away from team, building offensive game plan from home

As of Wednesday, the undefeated Arizona Cardinals remain unsure if coach Kliff Kingsbury will be cleared in time to participate in Sunday's game against the 1-5 Houston Texans.

Cards defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Kingsbury, who was among team members who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, remains in protocol, and there is no update on his status.

"Every day, he's getting better and better, and we'll see (if he can coach this week)," Joseph said.

Last week, the team announced Kingsbury tested positive for COVID-19 along with quarterbacks coach Cam Turner, defensive tackle Zach Allen and GM Steve Keim. Earlier in the week, star pass rusher Chandler Jones was placed on the team's COVID-19 list.

Joseph added that Kingsbury has participated in virtual meetings and is helping build the game plan from home.

"He has a lot of time to be a (football) scientist right now," Joseph quipped, per Tyler Drake of AZ Sports.

Last week, the Cardinals didn't miss a beat without their head coach and play-caller, blasting the Cleveland Browns on the road, 37-14, to move to 6-0.

NFL.com

 

The Browns won’t have their starting quarterback and top two running backs for Thursday’s matchup with the Broncos.

But it looks like they will have one of their key offensive weapons.


Cleveland has activated receiver Jarvis Landry off injured reserve and he is expected to play against Denver.

Landry sprained his MCL back in Cleveland’s Week Two victory over Houston. The Browns designated him to return last Friday, allowing him to get in one practice before the team’s Week Six matchup with the Cardinals. Even with the short week, Cleveland has apparently seen enough to feel comfortable with him playing.

Landry has six catches for 80 yards and two carries for 13 yards with a touchdown in two games this season.

Cleveland may not have receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on Thursday, as the receiver is questionable with a shoulder injury.

The Browns also announced that they’ve elevated quarterback Nick Mullens and cornerback Herb Miller off the practice squad for Thursday’s game. Mullens will serve as Case Keenum’s backup. He’s been with the Browns since early September after the Eagles cut him in August.

PFT

 

The Indianapolis Colts will be without safety Julian Blackmon for the remainder of the 2021 season.

The team announced the second-year safety tore his Achilles tendon in practice on Wednesday.

It's a brutal hit to one of the rising young safeties in the NFL. In six games this season, Blackmon, one of the better tackling free safeties in the league, compiled 34 tackles, two for loss, one pass defended, and a forced fumble.

It's the latest injury to a Colts squad that has dealt with blow after blow this season.

Khari Willis, Andrew Sendejo and George Odum are the only other safeties currently on the active roster. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport previously reported that the Colts restructured T.Y. Hilton's one-year contract to create $2.3 million in cap room to help them operate. Part of those operating costs could be finding a new safety to help fill Blackmon's shoes.

NFL.com

 

Jon Gruden to HBO: “The truth will come out”



We haven’t heard much from Jon Gruden since he abruptly resigned as Raiders head coach 10 days ago. HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel has heard a little more.

Andrea Kremer, who recently profiled Raiders owner Mark Davis for the show, explains on the latest episode of the Real Sports Podcast that a producer recently cold-called Gruden.


“Maggie Burbank, who produced the story that we just did on Mark Davis, she actually called Gruden and he picked up the phone, much to I think her surprise,” Kremer said. “And he’s still in Las Vegas. . . . He says he’s letting the dust settle. He said, ‘People who know me know what I stand for for 58 years. I have a resume of 58 years.’ He said, ‘The truth will come out.’ It’s certainly cryptic.”

It remains to be seen where and how the truth will come out. As Myles Simmons and I discussed on Wednesday’s #PFTPM, litigation would be one vehicle for the truth coming out. And not litigation between Gruden and the Raiders, but litigation between Gruden and the NFL, for a legal theory such as tortious interference with business relationships.

In theory, the Raiders could join Gruden in that fight.

“Mark Davis has been severely impacted,” Kremer said. “And I’m not defending Mark Davis. I’m just pointing out a fact here. Dan Snyder continues on. The Washington Football Team continues on.”

Someone decided to pull the pin on the Gruden grenade during football season, leaking documents and forcing action in early October. It could have happened before the season. It could have happened after the season. In either of those cases, the Raiders would have been in a much better position.

PFT

 

D’Ernest Johnson runs for 146 yards and a TD as Browns down Broncos 17-14



D'Ernest Johnson rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown and Case Keenum threw for 199 yards and a score as the depleted Cleveland Browns managed a 17-14 victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night.

Even without quarterback Baker Mayfield and top two running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the Browns managed to do just enough offensively to outlast the Broncos.


Johnson accounted for 34 yards on the opening drive of the game for the Browns with runs of 20 and 10 yards before a 4-yard touchdown run got the Browns out to a quick 7-0 lead.

Chase McLaughlin would add a 52-yard field goal on Cleveland’s second drive to give Cleveland a 10-0 advantage that would carry into halftime.

Teddy Bridgewater was limited due to a foot injury and seemed to struggle to step hard into his throws throughout the night. He underthrew a pass for John Brown in the end zone that was picked off by John Johnson III on the Broncos ensuing possession.

On the first possession of the third quarter, Bridgewater and the Broncos finally put together a scoring drive. A 13-play, 79-yard drive ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to Melvin Gordon to cut the lead to 10-7. The Browns answered right back with a 13-play scoring drive of their own. Keenum hit fullback Johnny Stanton for a 1-yard touchdown to extend the lead back to 10.

Denver would again cut the deficit to three with 5:17 remaining as Bridgewater hit Javonte Williams on a screen pass that went for a 10-yard touchdown to make it a 17-14 game.

However, the Browns never gave the Broncos a chance to go for the tying score. Cleveland didn’t even face a third down on their final drive until just over a minute remained on the clock. Johnson picked up the first on third-and-2 only to have an illegal motion penalty make it a third-and-7. It still didn’t matter as Johnson picked up the first down for a second time and enabled the Browns to run out the clock for the victory.

Bridgewater finished with 187 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception for Denver.

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Way to go, Browns!

Case, dismissed!

 

AJ Brown just burned Mike Hughes for a TD just laughing

 

Man, the Jets are just terrible.

 

And what the hell is wrong with the Chiefs?

 

Nobody is scared of Chiefs anymore the Fear Factor is gone there just another good team in the AFC

 

The Washington Football Team they need to draft a franchise qb! and what's going on with KC Oline?

 

Bengals are making a road map on how to beat the Ravens

 

With that last Bengals TD, the Ravens give up with 7 minutes left in the game.. what?

(edit) I hate the Ravens, but I’d still laugh my ass off if Huntley went down and scored quickly… nope punting down (3) scores

 

Joe Burrow is what a number one overall pick should be.