NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Other injury news we are keeping an eye on ahead of Sunday's Week 9 games:

• Denver Broncos backup quarterback Drew Lock was ruled out Sunday for their game against the Dallas Cowboys due to COVID-19 protocols, the team announced. Lock was slated to back up Teddy Bridgewater, as he has done every game this season. Brett Rypien will be Bridgewater's backup QB in place of Lock.
• Dallas Cowboys wide receivers CeeDee Lamb (ankle) and Amari Cooper (hamstring) -- both listed as questionable -- are expected to play against the Denver Broncos, sources tell NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
• Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (rib, finger) won't start against the Texans after being listed as questionable to play, Rapoport reported. Jacoby Brissett will start for Miami.
• Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown, who missed Friday's practice because of a knee issue, should be fine to play against the Los Angeles Rams, per Rapoport.
• Los Angeles Rams pass rusher Von Miller, who recently arrived via trade, may not end up playing his first game. Listed as questionable because of an ankle injury, there is pessimism that he goes, a source said. The team wants him for the stretch run. Meanwhile, wide receiver Robert Woods (foot) is good to go, according to Rapoport.
• Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman, questionable with a groin injury, is expected to play against the Vikings, according to Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Meanwhile, wide receiver Sammy Watkins (thigh) is considered a game-time decision with a good shot to go.
• Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold cleared concussion protocol but is questionable with a shoulder injury, and he will work out pregame. But a source tells Rapoport that at minimum he'll be a backup with hopes that he'll start and play the entire game. He's coming along.
• With wideout Odell Beckham headed for waivers, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (groin) is expected to take his place as a starter despite being questionable. Meanwhile, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (ankle, knee) and cornerback Denzel Ward (hamstring) should be good, Rapoport reports.
• Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson, dealing with a heel injury and listed as questionable, will test his foot this morning to see if he can go. Head coach Urban Meyer described it as a "pain threshold" issue, according to Rapoport.
• San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (ribs) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf), both of whom were limited Thursday and Friday, should be able to play Sunday against the Cardinals barring a pregame setback, according to Rapoport.

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.

The Jaguars won’t have their leading rusher for Sunday’s game against the Bills. James Robinson was listed as questionable because of a heel injury that kept him out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He returned for a limited workout on Friday, but isn’t feeling well enough to play on Sunday.


Carlos Hyde, Dare Ogunbowale, and Divine Ozigbo will be available at running back as the Jaguars try to pull off an upset against the AFC East leaders.

Bills at Jaguars

Bills: RB Matt Breida, TE Dawson Knox, T Spencer Brown, DE Boogie Basham, DE Efe Obada, DT Justin Zimmer

Jaguars: RB James Robinson, WR Tyron Johnson, CB Tre Herndon, TE Jacob Hollister, EDGE Jordan Smith

Patriots at Panthers

Patriots: WR N’Keal Harry, TE Devin Asiasi, RB J.J Taylor, OL Yasir Durant, CB Shaun Wade, DE Ronnie Perkins

Panthers: WR Shi Smith, CB CJ Henderson, CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver. RB Royce Freeman, LB Kamal Martin, OG Pat Elflein, DT Phil Hoskins

Vikings at Ravens

Vikings: QB Kellen Mond, WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette, LB Chazz Surratt, DT Michael Pierce

Ravens: WR Sammy Watkins, RB Latavius Murray, S Ar'Darius Washington, OL Patrick Mekari, DT Brandon Williams

Raiders at Giants

Raiders: T Jackson Barton, RB Peyton Barber, CB Amik Robertson, DE Malcolm Koonce, NT Damion Square

Giants: RB Saquon Barkley, LB Lorenzo Carter, DB Nate Ebner, WR Sterling Shepard, LB Oshane Ximines

Falcons at Saints

Falcons: RB Wayne Gallman, DL John Cominsky, OL Josh Andrews, LB Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, DL Ta'Quon Graham, DL Jonathan Bullard

Saints: DE Carl Granderson, WR Ty Montgomery, TE Juwan Johnson, DT Montravius Adams, DE Jalyn Holmes, DL Malcolm Roach

Broncos at Cowboys

Broncos: LT Garett Bolles, LB Malik Reed, NT Mike Purcell, S Jamar Johnson

Cowboys: QB Will Grier, S Israel Mukuamu, T Tyron Smith, WR Simi Fehoko

Browns at Bengals

Browns: WR Odell Beckham, DB Herb Miller, OL Hjalte Froholdt, TE Miller Forristall, DL Joe Jackson, DL Tommy Togiai, DL Andrew Billings

Bengals: OL Fred Johnson, CB Vernon Hargreaves, WR Auden Tate, WR Trenton Irwin, DE Cam Sample

Texans at Dolphins

Texans: QB Jeff Driskel, LB Hardy Nickerson, DB Cre’Von LeBlanc, LB Eric Wilson, WR Davion Davis, QB Deshaun Watson, TE Pharaoh Brown

Dolphins: CB Trill Williams, WR Preston Williams, S Sheldrick Redwine, LB Darius Hodge, OL Greg Little, TE Hunter Long, DT John Jenkins

 

Ravens pull off overtime win over Vikings



In a wild, back-and-forth game that saw both teams blow leads, the Ravens ended up on top and beat the Vikings 34-31 in overtime.

The game-winning field goal came from Justin Tucker in the final moments of overtime after both offenses opened overtime with drives that couldn’t go anywhere. Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr appeared to make the play of the game when he tipped a Lamar Jackson pass to himself and made a leaping interception in overtime, but the Vikings’ offense couldn’t do anything with it.


Jackson had a double triple, with more than 100 yards both running and passing, and he showed once again that he’s a unique player in NFL history. No one combines the ability to run and the ability to pass like Jackson.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook had a big game, with 17 carries for 110 yards, although he was quiet for long stretches in the middle of the game after the Vikings’ coaches had said leading into the game that they expected to feed the ball to Cook often.

The win improves the Ravens to 6-2 and keeps them atop the AFC North. The Vikings fall to 3-5 and are sinking out of wild card contention in the NFC.

PFT

 

Patriots pick Sam Darnold three times, beat Panthers 24-6




The Patriots didn’t have many offensive fireworks on Sunday, but they didn’t need them to beat the Panthers.

Sam Darnold threw three interceptions in the second half, including two in the red zone, and the Patriots ran for 151 yards in a 24-6 win. The victory bumps them to 5-4 on the season and they will take a three-game winning streak into next Sunday’s game against the Browns.


Cornerback J.C. Jackson had both of the red zone picks. He returned the first 88 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and then got his second on a pass into the end zone. Linebacker Jamie Collins also picked off Darnold, who may have been seeing the same ghosts he saw when he threw four interceptions against the Patriots while playing for the Jets in 2019.

Darnold was 16-of-33 for 172 yards overall and the Panthers only managed 240 yards as a team. Christian McCaffrey ran 14 times for 52 yards and had four catches for 54 yards in his first appearance since Week Three, but his return wasn’t enough to stop a string of poor performances for Darnold.

They’ll be in Arizona next week to try to turn things around offensively.

New England got 62 rushing yards from Rhamondre Stevenson, 54 yards from Brandon Bolden, and 30 yards for Damien Harris. Harris also scored a touchdown, but he and Stevenson, who also had two catches for 44 yards, both left the game with head injuries. Mac Jones turned the ball over twice in the first half, including an interception by former Patriots corner Stephon Gilmore, and finished 12-of-18 for 139 yards and a touchdown.

It’s not a gaudy stat sheet, but the win is what the Patriots were looking for as they head toward a matchup with another aspiring playoff team in the AFC.

PFT

 

WTF!



In one of the biggest upsets of this NFL season, the Jaguars clawed their way to a 9-6 upset of the Bills.

The story of the game was that Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen was great, and Bills quarterback Josh Allen was terrible. The Jaguars’ Allen sacked the Bills’ Allen, intercepted the Bills’ Allen and recovered a fumble by the Bills’ Allen.


All season long the Jaguars have had a terrible pass defense, and Allen has been an MVP candidate. But that wasn’t the case today. The Jaguars’ defense completely shut Allen down.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was far from great, but he managed to avoid making any big mistakes against a good Bills defense, and that was just enough for the Jaguars to win a low-scoring game.

The Jaguars aren’t going anywhere this season, but after improving to 2-6, Urban Meyer can make the case that he has his team moving in the right direction. The 5-3 Bills may still be Super Bowl contenders, but they also may look back at the end of this season and regret what this loss did to their playoff seeding.

PFT

 

Playing first game since Von Miller trade, Broncos beat Cowboys 30-16



By the time the Broncos’ stunning 30-16 victory over the Cowboys had reached the end, chants of “Let’s go Broncos!” was the only sound heard in AT&T Stadium. Cowboys fans either had already exited or were so quiet you could hear their Super Bowl hopes drop.

The Cowboys’ six-game winning streak was gone in a flash of orange jerseys. A week after stealing a game in Minnesota with Cooper Rush starting at quarterback, the Cowboys had one of their worst performances in recent memory.


Dallas did avoid its first shutout since Dec. 16, 2018, against the Colts, with two late touchdowns in garbage time after trailing 30-0 with less than five minutes left.

Prescott, who missed last week’s game with his right calf strain, did not look like the MVP candidate he was over his first six starts. He completed 8 of his first 23 passes for 102 yards and an interception before two meaningless touchdown drives.

Prescott finished 19-of-39 for 232 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and Ezekiel Elliott had 10 carries for 51 yards.

The Broncos, in their first game since the Von Miller trade, were the team that looked like Super Bowl contenders as they moved to 5-4.

Teddy Bridgewater went 19-of-28 for 249 yards and a touchdown. Tim Patrick caught four passes for 85 yards and a touchdown and Jerry Jeudy caught six passes for 69 yards.

Javonte Williams rushed for 111 yards on 17 carries, and Melvin Gordon had 21 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown.

PFT

 

Giants strip Derek Carr to seal 23-16 win



The Raiders had the ball in the red zone with less than a minute left in Sunday’s game and the Giants defense needed a big play in order to ensure a win.

Linebacker Quincy Roche came up with that play. He stripped Derek Carr on a sack and Leonard Williams recovered the ball to put the finishing touches on a 23-16 victory. The victory moves the Giants to 3-6 on the season.


It was the third turnover for Carr on Sunday and all of them were costly. Safety Xavier McKinney returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter and he had another one at midfield to set up the field goal that staked them to a seven-point lead.

Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson also missed a 25-yard field goal, which is the shortest miss in the NFL this year, and the Raiders committed costly penalties on both sides of the ball on their way to the loss. All of the errors meant that outgaining the Giants 403-245 was meaningless.

Daniel Jones turned the ball over on a Yannick Ngakoue strip sack and wasn’t asked to do much through the air during the game. He was 15-of-20 for 110 yards and a touchdown. Devontae Booker had 21 carries for 99 yards and Eljhaa Penny had five carries for 35 yards as the Giants opted to grind things out on the ground.

They’ll have a bye next week and hope to have Saquon Barkley back for a Week 10 Monday night game in Tampa. The Raiders will try to rebound at home against the Chiefs next Sunday night.

PFT

 

Dolphins hold off Texans 17-9 despite five turnovers




In a matchup of teams with one win apiece, the Texans and Dolphins game lived down to expectations.

The teams combined for nine turnovers, nine penalties, nine punts and two touchdowns. The Dolphins held off the Texans 17-9 to move to 2-7 and end their seven-game losing streak. The Texans are 1-8 and on an eight-game losing streak.


The Dolphins, who could not pull off a trade with Houston for Deshuan Watson last week, started Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa was active but did not play because of a finger injury on his throwing hand.

Brissett went 26-of-43 for 244 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Jaylen Waddle caught eight passes for 83 yards.

The Dolphins won despite five turnovers.

Tyrod Taylor threw three interceptions in his return from a hamstring injury that had kept him out since his injury in Week 2. He went 24-of-43 for 240 yards.

The Texans managed only three field goals from kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn, who hit from 31, 40 and 20 yards.

 

The Saints were listless through three quarters. Then after going down 24-6, they woke up.

New Orleans scored 19 straight points in the fourth quarter to take a 25-24 lead with just 1:01 left in the contest.


But instead of folding, the Falcons were resolute.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, quarterback Matt Ryan hit offensive weapon Cordarrelle Patterson down the right sideline for a 64-yard gain to New Orleans’ 11-yard line. And though running back Mike Davis fumbled a handoff, Atlanta recovered it. Ryan took a knee to set up Younghoe Koo for a 29-yard game-winning goal.

Koo came through, sending the ball through the uprights for a 27-25 victory as time expired.

The Falcons built an 18-point lead with a Koo 32-yard field goal in the first quarter. Then receiver Olamide Zaccheaus caught his first of a pair of touchdown passes at the end of the second quarter, giving Atlanta a 10-0 halftime lead.

After New Orleans kicker Brian Johnson hit a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter, Ryan ran in a 1-yard touchdown to go up 17-3. A Johnson 52-yard field goal made it 17-6, but then the Falcons looked like they had the lead for good.

Quarterback Trevor Siemian was strip-sacked and Atlanta’s James Vaughters, with Steven Means returning the loose ball all the way to New Orleans’ 6-yard line. Ryan hit Zaccheaus for a 6-yard touchdown on the next play, giving Atlanta a 24-6 lead.

But that’s when New Orleans finally got going. Going no huddle, Siemian got a quick 5-yard touchdown to Marquez Callaway to make the score 24-13. Atlanta then went three-and-out and New Orleans took only 51 seconds to get 54 yards and a 2-yard touchdown by Alvin Kamara.

Another three-and-out led to the Saints taking the lead, as Siemian hit Kenny Stills for an 8-yard touchdown with 1:01 left. But New Orleans’ two-point conversion failed, giving Atlanta an opportunity to win.

The Falcons got it done.

Ryan finished 23-of-30 passing for 343 yards with two touchdowns. Though Patterson had just 10 yards rushing, he caught all six of his targets for 126 yards.

On the other side, the Saints didn’t play Taysom Hill much at quarterback, instead rolling with Siemian. Siemian finished 25-of-41 passing for 249 yards with two touchdowns. Hill passed just two times, completing both for 33 yards.

Now at 5-3, the Saints are on the road at Tennessee next week.

The 4-4 Falcons are on the road at Dallas.

PFT

 

You... are now caught up.

 

I think its safe to say after the bills jaguars game and the broncos cowboys game that rowdy roddy pipper is in control of the football gods. Because he always said just when you think you know all of the answers i change the questions.

 

Jordan Love falters, Packers fall to Chiefs



The Chiefs’ defense has been a mess all season. Fortunately, today they got to play against Jordan Love.

Love, the Packers quarterback making the first start of his career, could do next to nothing as the Chiefs won an ugly game, 13-7.


If Aaron Rodgers had played, the Packers almost certainly would have won easily. But Rodgers decided not to get vaccinated, and as a result he’s on the COVID-19 reserve list and his teammates just lost a game they should have won.

The Chiefs, who entered the season as Super Bowl favorites, have not played well for much of the year. But they were particularly bad today. Patrick Mahomes was inaccurate, his receivers dropped passes, and the Chiefs’ running game didn’t do much.

The saving grace for the Chiefs was that the Packers’ special teams was a mess, and Love simply wasn’t prepared to run the offense. It’s going to raise serious questions for the Packers that this quarterback they traded up to draft in the first round in 2020 looked so bad in the first start of his career.

But for now, the question for the Packers is whether Rodgers can get back on the field. They need him, because without him they’re a mess.

PFT

 

Sunday Night Football: Titans bully Rams without Derrick Henry, win 28-16



For at least one night, no Derrick Henry, no problem.

In their first game since 2016 without the two-time defending rushing champion, the Titans soundly defeated the Rams 28-9 on Sunday Night Football.


Tennessee’s offense didn’t look particularly in sync for much of the night. But the unit was buoyed by a strong performance from the team’s defense. The Rams didn’t score at least 20 points for the first time this season, as the Titans pressured and hit quarterback Matthew Stafford throughout the night.

Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons led the way with 3.0 sacks, three tackles for loss, plus an additional QB hit that induced an interception. Defensive end Denico Autry was a problem, too, recording 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, and three total quarterback hits.

The Titans took the lead in the second quarter and never looked back, taking control of the game with back-to-back picks off quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford was trying to avoid getting sacked by Simmons for a safety on the first, but poorly chose to toss the ball to the middle of the field after Simmons spun him around. Linebacker David Long picked off the pass and set up the Titans at the L.A. 2-yard line. A play later, the Titans had a 7-3 lead.

Then safety Kevin Byard picked off Stafford’s next pass and returned it to the house, putting Tennessee up 14-3.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill added a 1-yard touchdown of his own late in the second quarter, fooling the Rams’ defense when he kept the ball on a bootleg on fourth-and-goal.

Los Angeles’ defense didn’t allow a point in the third quarter, allowing the club’s offense ample opportunity to cut the deficit. And it looked like the Rams had scored a touchdown when tight end Tyler Higbee reeled in a Stafford pass in the back of the end zone with 8:25 left in the third period. But upon review, the officials ruled Higbee had stepped out of bounds before making the catch. That brought on an illegal touching penalty that negated the TD. L.A. settled for a 22-yard field goal.

Matt Gay added a 54-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter, making the score 21-9.

The Rams’ best chance to make it a game came in the last period on a drive that reached midfield. But on fourth-and-1 from the Tennessee 40, Stafford tripped while moving to his left after a play-action fake. He got a throw off while falling to the ground, but the pass to Van Jefferson fell incomplete.

Aided by a pair of roughing the passer penalties — at least one of which was questionable — the Titans scored a game-sealing touchdown on their next possession. Playing in his first game for Tennessee, running back Adrian Peterson took in a 1-yard carry for a touchdown, giving him 125 in his career.

Los Angeles added a cosmetic touchdown with 24 seconds left, as Stafford connected with running back Sony Michel for a 3-yard score. But that was far too little too late.

Stafford ended the game 31-of-48 passing for 294 yards with a touchdown and two picks. Robert Woods had seven catches for 98 yards while Cooper Kupp caught 11 of his 13 targets for 95 yards.

Tannehill finished 19-of-27 passing for 143 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Peterson had 10 carries for 21 yards.

Now 7-2, the Titans are back home to face the Saints next week.

Also at 7-2, the Rams will head up to the Bay Area to play the 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 10.

PFT

 

Bears-Steelers Preview


PITTSBURGH (AP) Kendrick Green and Dan Moore Jr. were given a nearly impossible task when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected the offensive linemen in last April's draft.

The Steelers grabbed Green in the third round and moved him from guard to center, where all he had to do was replace perennial Pro Bowler Maurkice Pouncey. A round later they grabbed Moore, who by September found himself starting at left tackle.

No pressure or anything. All the Steelers asked Moore to do was protect 39-year-old quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's blindside in hopes of keeping Roethlisberger upright long enough to put together one last playoff push.

As their rookie seasons near the midway point, the early growing pains Green and Moore endured are starting to wear off. Something akin to cohesion has developed. The fact Pittsburgh (4-3) has righted itself following a 1-3 start is no coincidence.

The Steelers have won three straight heading into Monday night's visit by the struggling Chicago Bears (3-5), with a real legitimate chance to get into the thick of an AFC North race that appeared to be ready to go on without them a month ago.

''I think we're understanding each other,'' Roethlisberger said of his almost completely retooled offensive line. ''We're understanding the offense. We've talked about this in the weeks we've been up here. Having the same group of guys in front for a while now and knowing each other, they're taking pride (in what they do).''

While Moore gave up a sack to Cleveland star defensive end Myles Garrett last week and Green's chemistry with Roethlisberger remains a work in progress, the line created enough push in a 15-10 win over the Browns to have the running game top 100 yards for the third consecutive week after hitting that mark just once in the 16 games prior.

The unit has played so well together that right tackle Zach Banner has found himself on the inactive list each of the past two games even though he appears to be fully recovered from a torn ACL in his right knee suffered in the 2020 season opener.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin insists he won't hesitate to put Banner back in the lineup, there also appears to be no indication that he's in a rush to do so.

It's the kind of first-world NFL problem the Bears would love to have. Instead, rookie quarterback Justin Fields has spent his first two months on the job mostly running for his life. Chicago has allowed a league-high 30 sacks, including four in each of its past three games, all double-digit losses.

Fields did find enough time to produce a season-best 278 yards of total offense last week against San Francisco, though much of his 103 yards rushing came after his protection broke down, including a spectacular 22-yard touchdown run that showcased why the Bears were so high on him last spring.

''I thought he played fast and made quick decisions,'' Chicago wide receiver Allen Robinson said. ''You can just tell as far as how he's moving out there and moving around and what he's seeing that he's getting more comfortable and gaining more confidence.''

Fields will need more than confidence against Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who has at least one sack in five of six games while forcing three fumbles and recovering two others.

If Watt and running partner Alex Highsmith get going, the Steelers will have a solid shot at giving coach Mike Tomlin his 149th regular-season victory, one more than his predecessor, Hall of Famer Bill Cowher.

GOING STREAKING

The Steelers have won an astonishing 19 straight home games on Monday nights, a streak that started following a 23-20 loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 14, 1991. How long is that? Only four members of Pittsburgh's current active roster were alive on that day: Roethlisberger, defensive end Cam Heyward, cornerback Joe Haden and kicker Chris Boswell.

The run includes a 21-9 victory at Heinz Field in 2005 that kick-started an eight-game winning streak, culminating in a victory over Seattle in the Super Bowl.

''That was big,'' said Roethlisberger, who was in his second season at the time. ''We needed that one. It got us going.''

DOMINATED `D'

The Bears' defense has gone from dominant to dominated.

Chicago ranks 15th in yards per game and 25th against the run after getting picked apart again last week, this time with star pass rusher Khalil Mack (foot) missing his first game since 2018. The Bears have allowed more than 400 yards and 30 points in back-to-back weeks.

''It's not like we're not good enough,'' cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. ''It's not like we don't have what it takes. It's little keys, just little fixes, that make a big difference. My confidence is still through the roof in the guys and in myself and in the play-calling, just top to bottom, so we've just gotta keep fighting.''

BACKUP PLAN?

Boswell left the win over Cleveland after going into the concussion protocol following a botched fake field-goal attempt. The Steelers are hopeful he can play, though they did sign former Jacksonville kicker Josh Lambo to the practice squad this week just in case.

Pittsburgh didn't attempt a kick in the second half against Cleveland, going for 2 points after both of its touchdowns. Tomlin laughed when asked what the contingency plan is next time the kicker is unavailable.

''I'm not gonna get into the division of labor,'' he said. ''I just want to hold my cards real close to my vest. Hopefully, we're not in those circumstances again, but if we are, I don't want to tip my hand.''

 

Burrow’s pick-6 sets tone in Bengals’ loss to Browns



CINCINNATI (AP) — Just a yard from the end zone, Joe Burrow dropped back, cocked his arm and fired a pass he’s made countless times.

Another touchdown.

This one, Cleveland’s.

Burrow’s pass to rookie Ja’Marr Chase was intercepted by Denzel Ward, who returned it 99 yards for a stunning touchdown that set the tone for the Browns’ 41-16 thumping of the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Burrow threw two picks and was sacked five times. Chase had a rough day with a couple key drops and a fumble as the Bengals (5-4) lost their second straight and were humiliated at home by an AFC North rival.

“I didn’t play very well,” said Burrow, the Ohio native who fell to 0-3 against the state’s other team. “If I play better we’re in that game, we have a chance to win. I just didn’t play well. That’s all there is to it.”

If only it was that simple.

Cincinnati was outplayed in all three phases by Cleveland, which had its most complete game this season after parting ways with receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

The Bengals were just the opposite.

Starting with Ward’s shocking pick-6, they were chasing the Browns and not gaining any ground.

In the final minutes, Burrow, who has thrown 22 interceptions, including five in his last four games, was replaced by backup Brandon Allen — a concession of surrender in a game that got away from the Bengals.

“A lot of growing is going to come from that,” said running back Joe Mixon, who scored two TDs. “A lot of lessons to be learned. It’s a disappointment for us. That isn’t our standard. We have to get better, that’s all it is.”

The day began with promise for Cincinnati as Burrow quickly drove the Bengals into Cleveland territory on their first possession with pinpoint passes to Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon and Chase, his normally reliable wingman.

After being sacked for an 8-yard loss on 3rd-and-goal at Cleveland’s 7, Burrow got a reprieve and another chance to cap the drive with a TD when the Browns were called for a penalty.

From the 3, Burrow looked to hit Chase in the right corner, but Ward jumped the route and made the pick. Cleveland’s cornerback took off down Cincinnati’s sideline, cut back around the 40-yard line to avoid Burrow and drop him awkwardly before scoring a TD that jump-started the Browns.

“He made a good play,” Burrow said of Ward, his teammate for three seasons at Ohio State. “I left it inside a bit. If you do that to Denzel, he’s going to make you pay.”

Ward, who needed oxygen from his 100-yard dash, was asked if he had intercepted Burrow when they practiced as Buckeyes.

“I’m sure I did,” he deadpanned.

The Bengals had been riding high when they thrashed the division-leading Baltimore Ravens 41-17 two weeks ago.

They stumbled badly last week in losing 34-31 to the New York Jets, and now head into their bye week following another flat performance.

Coach Zac Taylor isn’t worried about his team’s confidence despite its loss of momentum.

“People are going to try and paint a picture of overreaction when you lose two games in a row,” Taylor said. “We’re not. We’re going to correct those things that we need to correct and use this bye week to get our bodies back and make sure we’re healthy going into the back half of the season.”

Chase came into the game leading the league with 20.7 yards per catch. He finished with six receptions on 13 targets for 49 yards, but let a TD slip through his hands late in the third quarter and couldn’t haul in a long throw from Burrow in the fourth.

Chase didn’t talk to reporters after the game.

“We have a lot of confidence in him,” Taylor said. “We have a lot of guys who will look back and see plays that were in their grasp that we normally make but didn’t.”
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Somebody got a beat down... and it wasnt the Browns!

 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — There were only so many mistakes the sloppy Saints could overcome.

And a new starting quarterback on the heels of Jameis Winston’s season-ending knee injury was the least of their problems.

New Orleans’ offense had drives stall because of penalties, dropped passes and a costly turnover. Their defense gave up several big passing plays and third down conversions.

The result was an end to their three-game winning streak on Sunday and a missed chance to move into a first-place tie atop the NFC South.

After digging a 24-6 hole with 10:39 left in the fourth quarter, the Saints scored three quick touchdowns to take a brief lead, only to give up a deep completion down the sideline on the next play from scrimmage and lose 27-25 to Atlanta on Younghoe Koo’s 29-yard field goal as time ran out.

“It was self-inflicted wounds, penalties, some mishaps,” offensive tackle Terron Armstead said. “That’s really what it all boiled down to.”

New Orleans (5-3) missed a chance to draw even with the idle Tampa Bay Buccaneers after beating them 36-27 a week ago. The Saints dropped five passes in the first half, committed costly holding penalties and kept giving up huge plays to Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who threw for a season-high 343 yards.

Needing to prevent the Falcons from reaching field-goal range with a minute to go, the Saints allowed Ryan to find Cordarrelle Patterson deep in single coverage against rookie cornerback Paulson Adebo, who then missed the tackle as Patterson narrowly stayed inbounds and raced to the New Orleans 11 before safety Marcus Williams pushed him out of bounds.

The Falcons ran down the clock to 3 seconds before Koo’s game-winner.

The Saints earned their large deficit, failing to score on all four first-half possessions.

Center Eric McCoy was called for holding after the Saints reached the Falcons 26 — the first of three penalties that knocked them out of field-goal range on a first-half drive. Tight end Adam Trautman dropped a fourth-down pass from the Atlanta 36 the next time they had the ball.

New Orleans went three more series in the second half before its first touchdown.

“They played better than us today,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “We didn’t do the things that winning teams do consistently in our league, and we’ve got to get that corrected.”

Atlanta led 10-0 after Ryan went 7 for 8 on a 92-yard drive right before halftime, converted three third downs with a scramble and two completions. He finished 23 of 30, including completions of 49, 39 and 34 before the last one to Patterson.

“Ryan did a good job of being efficient. It was hard to get them to make mistakes or get behind the sticks,” Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said. “They made some great throws and great catches.”

One more offensive mistake led to the Falcons’ final touchdown. Linebacker James Vaughters ran right around Armstead for a strip-sack of Trevor Siemian, and Steven Means returned it 32 yards to the New Orleans 6.

“It was just a really bad set,” Armstead said. “I read it wrong and didn’t put myself in position to win that snap. It was completely on me. Terrible.”

Ryan threw his second touchdown pass on the next play, giving the Falcons their 24-6 lead.

“Realistically as a team our margin for error is smaller obviously dealing with what we’re dealing with, but we were still more than capable of winning this game,” Jenkins said. “We put ourselves in position and didn’t come away with it.”

 

The Arizona Cardinals will have to lean on James Conner out of the backfield for at least the next three weeks.

Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds suffered a high-ankle sprain, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. An MRI confirmed the injury Monday morning. Edmonds is likely to land on injured reserve and miss three to four games, Rapoport added.

Edmonds suffered the injury on the first play on Arizona's 31-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. He was spelled by Conner, who blasted off for 173 total yards and three TDs on 26 touches. Eno Benjamin also got some run in Edmonds' wake, carrying the ball nine times for 39 yards.

It's another offensive loss for Arizona, which entered its Week 9 contest without starting quarterback Kyler Murray and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green. The Cardinals (8-1) should have at least Murray and Hopkins back for their Week 10 game against the Carolina Panthers, but Arizona likely won't have Edmonds back until Week 13 or later.

NFL.com

 

If the Steelers do indeed win this game, got to say this one feels a little dirty…bad calls in every game but a lot of them are going against Chicago on key plays. That taunting? Questionable at best.

 

Monday Night Football: Steelers survive Bears rally in 29-27 victory



Chris Boswell converted a 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining as the Pittsburgh Steelers overcame a sloppy fourth quarter performance to hold off the Chicago Bears in a 29-27 victory on Monday night.

A 65-yard field goal attempt from Cairo Santos as time expired fell way short as the Steelers survived.


The Steelers held a 20-6 lead headed to the fourth quarter. However, Justin Fields and the Bears started finding some success on offense and a fumbled punt return that went for Bears touchdown helped Chicago claw back into the game. Fields led Chicago on a seven-play, 75-yard drive to give the Bears the lead with 1:46 left to play.

Ben Roethlisberger then marched the Steelers 52 yards in seven plays to set up Boswell’s winning kick.

Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for just 205 yards with two interceptions on the night for Pittsburgh.

It was a game that didn’t reasonably seem as though it should be that close in the final seconds.

Najee Harris scored on a 10-yard run on the opening possession of the game for the Steelers to take the early lead. After a Fields interception, Ben Roethlisberger hit tight end Pat Freiermuth for a 4-yard touchdown as the lead became 14-0 early in the second quarter.

Fields was held to just 5 of 11 passing for 63 yards two sacks and an interception in the first half for Chicago.

Cairo Santos’ 30-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the half made it a 14-3 Steelers lead at the break.

The Bears went 89 yards on 10 plays on their first possession of the third quarter before settling for a 22-yard Santos field goal to make it a 14-6 game. Chicago gained a total of 104 yards on the drive and Fields threw a would-be touchdown to Jimmy Graham only to have it negated by a 15-yard low block penalty on James Daniels. The field goal followed instead for the Bears.

Freiermuth’s second touchdown of the night, a 10-yard score, made it a 20-6 Steelers lead after Chris Boswell missed the extra point try wide left.

The Bears answered as Darnell Mooney scored on a 15-yard run taking a hand-off from wildcat quarterback David Montgomery to close the gap to 20-13.

Boswell connected on a 54-yard field goal to push the Steelers lead to 23-13.

Jakeem Grant fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and Pittsburgh recovered at the Bears’ 42-yard line. However, they were unable to do anything with the field possession as a sack of Roethlisberger by Roquan Smith pushed Pittsburgh out of field goal range.

The Bears then got a special teams takeaway of their own to help get them back in the game. Ray-Ray McCloud fumbled on a Chicago punt as Joel Iyiegbuniwe knocked the ball loose. DeAndre Houston-Carson picked up the loose ball and ran it in for a 25-yard touchdown to close the Steelers lead to 23-20 with 6:31 left to play.

Chicago’s defense appeared to hold the Steelers near midfield as Cassius Marsh sacked Roethlisberger for a 7-yard loss to force fourth-and-15. However, Marsh got slapped with a very thin taunting call to give Pittsburgh a fresh set of downs. The Steelers turned the extra chance into a 52-yard Boswell field goal to go up 26-20 with 2:52 left to play.

Despite the flimsy taunting call on Marsh, the Bears were penalized 12 times on the night for 115 yards.

Fields converted a third-and-1 with his legs before hitting Allen Robinson for 39 yards on third-and-2 to move the Bears inside the red zone. On the next play, Fields broke the pocket and found Mooney for a 16-yard touchdown as Chicago took their first lead of the night, 27-26, after Santos’ extra point with 1:46 remaining.

Fields ultimately completed 17 of 29 passes for 291 yards with a touchdown and an interception on the night for Chicago despite the slow first half.

The victory is the 150th win of Mike Tomlin’s head coaching career with the Steelers.

PFT

 

Referee Tony Corrente offers unsatisfying explanation of flag that negated Bears touchdown



The Bears had a touchdown taken off the board on Monday Night Football when Chicago’s James Daniels was flagged for an illegal low block on Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt. Referee Tony Corrente’s explanation won’t satisfy the Bears.

Although Watt appeared to be inside the tight end box when Daniels went low to block him, Corrente said he was outside the tight end box.


“The new rule this year is there should be no contact below the waist to any player outside of the tight end box. And this player initiated low contact to a player outside the tight end box,” Corrente said.

It also wasn’t even clear if Daniels ever touched Watt. Replay angles were inconclusive, but Watt appeared to avoid Daniels. If there was any contact, it was incidental. But Corrente didn’t see it that way.

“I have to judge that there was contact, and that’s what I judged,” Corrente said.

The call was incredibly costly for the Bears, as they had to settle for a field goal after the 15-yard penalty wiped their touchdown off the board. That essentially means the call cost the Bears four points in a game they lost 29-27.

PFT