NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman has had a presence on the team’s practice report every week since Week 5. He has missed practices since injuring his foot in Week 4 and has played only 49 snaps over two games since.

He won’t play anymore in 2022.


Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced Thursday that Bateman will undergo season-ending foot surgery.

“Rashod Bateman has decided to go ahead and get his surgery for his foot. He’s going to get the Lisfranc surgery,” Harbaugh said, via video from the team. “It was one of those ones where it was up to him. He and his agent and his family talked it over, and he felt it’d be in his best interest to do that.

“We support him on that. We understand what he’s doing.”

Harbaugh had announced Monday that Bateman would miss multiple weeks with his injury.

Bateman finishes his second season with 15 catches for 285 yards and two touchdowns. He caught 46 passes for 515 yards and a touchdown last season after the Ravens made him a first-round choice.

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Think Thomas will be going away from New Orleans next season?

 

Another WR that has problems suiting up. Ravens need to watch what WRs the Steelers look at and then trade up in front of us to improve their chances

 

Liam Coen: Everybody on board with Cam Akers decision



The Rams and running back Cam Akers have been able to put aside the differences that led to Akers missing the team’s last two games and he returned to practice with the club on Thursday.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald said it “was good to see him” and offensive coordinator Liam Coen said that everyone in the organization is on board with the call to move forward with a player who looked like he might be traded earlier this week.


“I think players believe and I believe, and our staff does, that everybody deserves a second chance,” Coen said, via Gilbert Manzano of the Orange County Register. “Whatever the issues are or things that have occurred, if we make the decision to bring somebody back, and Cam is all onboard, the players, the staff, everybody is onboard to make that decision. It doesn’t just come overnight and just decide. It’s something that we’ve been talking about and everybody is on board, so see where it goes.”

The hope around the Rams is that Akers’ return will help spark something that gets a downtrodden running game moving in the right direction. If that happens, it will likely make any bad feelings from the last couple of weeks fade away.

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Thursday Night Football: Eagles stay unbeaten with 29-17 win over Texans



The Eagles did what the Eagles needed to do Thursday night to stay unbeaten. They outscored the Texans 15-3 in the second half, intercepting Davis Mills twice, to get out of Houston with a 29-17 victory.

Philadelphia moved to 8-0 for the first time in team history, while Houston fell to 1-6-1.


The Eagles weren’t overwhelming in gaining 360 yards to the Texans’ 303, but Javon Hargrave sacked Mills three times and James Bradberry and C.J. Gardner-Johnson each had an interception of Mills. It was Gardner-Johnson’s fifth interception of the season, with all of them coming in the past four games.

Houston reached the Philadelphia 21 with 2:17 remaining and a chance to cut the lead to a one-score game, while still holding all three timeouts. But Mills was picked by Bradberry at the Philadelphia 3.

Jalen Hurts, who grew up in the Houston area, returned home to complete 21 of 27 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 23 yards on nine carries but was sacked four times, including twice by Jerry Hughes, and lost a fumble. It was the Eagles’ first lost fumble of the season.

Dallas Goedert and A.J. Brown each caught a touchdown pass, with Goedert catching eight passes for 100 yards and Brown four for 59. Miles Sanders rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Mills went 13-of-22 for 154 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Dameon Pierce ran 27 times for 139 yards. The Texans were playing without No. 1 receiver Brandin Cooks, who was inactive after being upset at not being traded before the deadline.

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2022 NFL season, Week 9: What We Learned from Eagles' win over Texans on Thursday night

1. Dallas Goedert might not be elite, but he’s not far off. Ever since Rob Gronkowski walked away from football (the second time), the nearly universal tight end power rankings have looked something like this: 1. Travis Kelce. 2. Mark Andrews. 3. Everyone else. But there’s a case to be made for considering Goedert just below the Kelce-Andrews Line, but above most (if not all) others at the position. Thursday’s eight-catch, 100-yard, one-touchdown effort was not his finest statistical game in the NFL, but it was crucial to the Eagles’ closer-than-expected victory. Goedert has been a screen machine this season, and that most certainly was the case in Week 9, as it felt like the Eagles called for that play to that man in many high-leverage situations in this game. And he kept delivering. On a relatively quiet night for both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, it was the running of Miles Sanders and the screen game to Goedert that thrust the Eagles offensively.
2. Dameon Pierce is an Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite. With no quarterbacks lighting it up in their first NFL season, and with OROY favorite Breece Hall out for the season, Pierce absolutely should be at or near the top of your list. Pierce had a rough game Sunday against the Titans, but he was back on track in a big way, registering career bests in rushing yards (139) and carries (27). Without wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins playing, the Eagles tried to gang up on Pierce, but he still found ways to outrun and bounce off Eagles would-be tacklers for extra yards after contact. He might not be the most dynamic back in the league, and he’s still growing as a receiver. But there absolutely is a bell-cow in Pierce, who has a bright future with the team. The Texans got a steal in Round 4, but maybe Pierce would have gone higher had he been given more than 100 carries in 13 games at Florida last season. (It might also have kept Dan Mullen his job.)
3. C.J. Gardner-Johnson was the sleeper offseason addition. Gardner-Johnson didn’t report to the Eagles after his shocking trade from the Saints until Aug. 31, and it was a fair question to ask how long it might take for him to adjust to the scheme and his new teammates. The answer: about six weeks. He was fine early for the Eagles, starting and playing nearly every defensive snap the first month of the season. But it’s been lately that his value to this defense has exploded. Gardner-Johnson now leads the NFL in interceptions with five following his diving pick of Davis Mills on Thursday. In his first 47 NFL games, he had five INTs; over his past four games, he’s added five more. Throw in a sack last week against the Steelers, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest he’s been one of the best Eagles defenders the past four games.
4. Javon Hargrave is on a sack bender of late. On his first sack, Hargrave had to run a long way to chase down Mills -- even if it was Mills, not the fleetest of foot -- for a big third-down stop. No. 2 also came on third down, as he destroyed Texans rookie guard Kenyon Green to take down Mills for a loss after the Texans were driving at midfield. The third was a 9-yard loss that knocked the Texans out of the red zone and stalled their momentum when the game technically was still in doubt. Hargrave did get flagged for a roughing-the-passer call, but it felt borderline at best. The bottom line is that he’s been on a tear of late, getting his revenge game out of the way last week against the Steelers (who didn’t re-sign him) and smashing Kenny Pickett for good measure. That’s now six sacks this season for Hargrave, with five coming in the past two games. He’s making a strong midseason push for the Pro Bowl as one of the better interior penetrators in the game.
5. The Eagles missed Jordan Davis. If there was a major gripe with the Eagles’ performance Thursday night, it was that the interior run defense was pretty leaky. There was a pretty good reason why the team used a first-round pick on Davis, a mass of humanity whose impact can’t be measured by stats such as tackles (14), tackles for loss (one) or sacks (zero), but by taking up two gaps with his size and strength. They got a pretty good idea how much Davis means -- especially for a guy who was averaging 22 snaps a game -- on Thursday. The Texans were extremely shorthanded at receiver, so the Eagles knew they had to run the ball extensively, and yet Houston had success time and time again running inside. Davis’ ankle injury landed him on injured reserve, and the soonest he could return would be Week 13 against the Titans. The Eagles face some pretty good backs between now and then, so they had better come up with some alternative solutions during the mini-bye.

Next Gen stat of the game: When Davis Mills and Chris Moore hooked up on a 13-yard touchdown for the Texans, Mills was traveling 16.04 mph when he released the ball -- the third-fastest speed by a QB on a TD pass this season.

NFL Research: The Eagles are 8-0 for the first time in franchise history with a win over the Texans. Jalen Hurts has now won 11 consecutive regular-season starts.

NFL.com

 

Think fans will notice or care? Enough is enough.

 

Longtime Washington defensive lineman Dave Butz dies at 72



Dave Butz, a massive defensive tackle who played 16 seasons in the NFL, has died at the age of 72.

The 6-foot-7, 291-pound Butz was the heaviest player in the NFL when he arrived as the fifth overall pick in the 1973 NFL draft, and he would make an enormous impact throughout his NFL career.

Originally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, Butz and his agent staged a holdout throughout training camp and the preseason before finally signing a highly unusual rookie contract that was structured as a series of one-year contracts. That decision would loom large over his NFL future.


After playing well as a rookie in 1973, Butz suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game of 1974. Then in 1975, as a result of that highly unusual rookie contract, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle ruled that Butz was a free agent, but that any team signing him would have to send fair compensation to the Cardinals.

Butz ended up signing a contract with Washington, and Rozelle ruled that fair compensation for a player of Butz’s talents was two first-round picks and a second-round pick, so that’s what Washington had to send to St. Louis.

It was worth it: Butz became the centerpiece of Washington’s defensive line for years to come. He won two Super Bowl rings in Washington, was a first-team All-Pro, and was named to the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team.

Wrote the legendary sportswriter Jim Murray, “It’s either Butz or the Washington Monument, the two most prominent edifices in the nation’s capital.”

One of the most famous moments of Butz’s career came on a Sunday in 1987 when he was so sick that he had been hospitalized, but he checked himself out of the hospital to play in Washington’s game, sealed the win with a sack of Jets quarterback Ken O’Brien, and then went back to the hospital.

“When I think of Dave, I think of all the great plays he’s made for us over the years,” longtime Washington coach Joe Gibbs said upon Butz’s retirement. “I think of him coming out of the hospital two years ago to play against the New York Jets. He made one of the biggest plays in the game, and then he checked back into the hospital afterward.”

Butz’s helmet was often scratched and pockmarked with the scars of combat in the trenches. Millions of football fans will remember him that way, as the huge man with the scuffed helmet that caused nightmares for opposing quarterbacks.

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Colts rule Jonathan Taylor out for Sunday



When news came down on Friday that Colts running back Jonathan Taylor wasn’t at practice, it seemed like he wouldn’t be available for Indianapolis’ Sunday matchup against New England.

Now, that is officially the case.


According to multiple reporters, head coach Frank Reich ruled out Taylor in his Friday press conference.

Taylor is dealing with an ankle injury and did not practice all week.

That means quarterback Sam Ehlinger will have to go into his second career start without the star running back, who led the league with 1,811 yards last season. But Taylor has not rushed for 100 yards since putting up 161 in Week One against the Texans. He missed a pair of games before coming back in Week Seven.

Taylor has 462 yards with one touchdown and 16 receptions for 71 yards in 2022.

Via Zak Keefer of TheAthletic.com, Reich noted the team does not have plans to put Taylor on injured reserve at this point.

With running back Nyheim Hines traded to Buffalo earlier this week, Deon Jackson is in line to start. Reich said Phillip Lindsay is likely to get elevated from the practice squad to play.

The Colts also acquired Zack Moss from the Bills in the Hines deal.

Reich also ruled out quarterback Matt Ryan, cornerback Tony Brown, and linebacker Grant Stuard for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

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Sean McVay: Cooper Kupp will play Sunday, possibility Cam Akers plays



It appears Cooper Kupp did, in fact, avoid a significant injury.

According to multiple reporters, Rams head coach Sean McVay said in his Friday press conference that Kupp will play in Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.


Kupp suffered an ankle injury at the end of last week’s loss to the 49ers. He didn’t practice on Wednesday but was limited on Thursday.

Kupp is the most critical piece of Los Angeles’ offense, as he leads the team with 64 receptions, 686 yards, and five touchdowns.

McVay noted receiver Van Jefferson (knee) and center Brian Allen (knee) are going to be listed as questionable but are likely to play on Sunday.

McVay also said there’s a possibility running back Cam Akers plays on Sunday. He had been away from the team, missing the last two games over philosophical differences with the coaching staff. But he’s been back in the building this week and practiced in full on Thursday.

“We’re a better team when he ends up being the guy that we know,” McVay said of Akers, via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times. “Sometimes, you got to be able to work through things and have good conversations. … The most important thing for us is he’s back.”

The Rams could also activate rookie running back Kyren Williams to the 53-man roster after he was designated to return. But McVay said L.A. hasn’t determined whether or not that will happen yet.

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Eddie Jackson miffed by Bears' defensive trades after 3-5 start: 'What are we playing for?'

The Chicago Bears sold off two veteran defensive stars ahead of the NFL trade deadline, shipping Robert Quinn to Philadelphia last week and sending Roquan Smith to Baltimore on Monday.

Stripping the defense of captains, leaders and playmakers left questions in the Bears' locker room.

"Your thoughts start to go through your head like, 'What are we playing for?'" safety Eddie Jackson said Wednesday. "Is their vision (in the front office) still the same as the players? We're trying to make it to a Super Bowl, get to the playoffs, things like that. Like I said, I'm not upstairs. I get it. I understand it. But it just hits different."

The Bears acquired Chase Claypool to aid the offense, but removing two critical pieces from the defense guts a Chicago D that, outside of Week 9's loss to Dallas, had played well for most of the season. The Bears defense has allowed 188.0 pass YPG in 2022 (fifth-fewest in NFL), 7 pass TDs (T-third-fewest in NFL) and an 80.3 passer rating (eighth-lowest).

"Especially to the young guys, they're looking at us like, 'Yo, is this normal? (Does) this happen?'" said Jackson, who was named a defensive captain after Quinn and Smith's trades. "But this is the type of stuff that goes on. So we just got to rally around each other, and the older guys got to step up."

The deadline deals by general manager Ryan Poles acknowledged the offense needed aid, and getting assets for defensive players who weren't likely part of the long-term plans made sense.

With a defensive-minded head coach in Matt Eberflus, the Bears will lean on scheme to account for the losses of Smith and Quinn.


"It's just transparency," Eberflus said Wednesday of the trades. "I think that's important. You just communicate. Look each other in the eye and tell the truth and communicate. I think that's what we do with all the guys. I think they appreciate that. It's right there on the table. Just set it up there and talk about it."

Eberflus' defense has a stiff test Sunday against a high-flying Miami Dolphins offense led by Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

NFL.com

 

Cmon Eddie. They got Claypool now. CLAYPOOL!

 

They didn't get enough for Robert Quinn. I said before I would have kept Quinn, and I like that trade even less now. I still like the Roquan Smith trade and I love the Claypool trade - especially knowing they still have a second rounder next year from the Smith trade.

So now I can't help but thinking... now that they have added Claypool for their own passing attack, if they still had Robert Quinn for their defense the Bears would be STRONG contenders for the postseason. No, that's not a joke.

We're talking about the NFC here, and it's the new postseason with three wild cards per conference. Right now Washington is tied with the 49ers for that #7 seed at 4-4. Da Bears are 3-5. It's a stunner but it's true - if the coaches had let Justin Fields be Justin Fields more in that dreadful Thursday Night game against the Generals, they'd already be in the driver's seat for the last wild card spot.

Instead they've got some work to do to get there. But they don't actually have to be a GOOD team to do it - they just have to be better than San Francisco, the guys formerly known as the Football Team, and a bunch of teams that have losing records just like Chicago. So they're still contenders even now, but they're suddenly without two stars on defense. That's a much taller order.

 

Michael Thomas' latest trip to injured reserve will likely end his season, marking another disappointing finish to a once promising campaign.

For Thomas, the news stings more than usual. After an exciting start that included three touchdown catches, Thomas is facing a familiar conclusion with another recovery and rehabilitation process ahead of him.

Saints teammate Alvin Kamara shares Thomas' pain.

"It just sucks to have a player of that caliber, an elite player that obviously works hard, and is passionate about the game, that just kinda got hit with some unlucky things," Kamara said Friday, via ESPN's Katherine Terrell.

The downside of Thomas' placement on IR -- beyond the fact he's again out of commission -- is how it affects public perception of him. Three years ago, Thomas was the unquestioned top receiver in the NFL. He'd set the single-season receptions record (149), and he'd recorded at least 1,100 receiving yards in each of his first four seasons.

Then, the wheels fell off, almost literally. Thomas has dealt with multiple lower-leg issues since 2019, costing him 26 games between 2020 and 2021. By the time the 2022 regular season comes to a close, that total will reach 40.

"Nobody's in here like 'Let me get injured and not play and just get paid,'" Kamara said. "We get paid to play obviously and we want to be available but when you can't do it, there's certain things you've got to be smart about. He's not going to ruin the rest of his career for right now."


When the injury bug bit Thomas a second time last season, New Orleans wised up, spending a first-round pick on fellow Ohio State product Chris Olave, and signing veteran wideout Jarvis Landry. The Saints are in a better place at the position now than they were a year ago, but Thomas' departure still stings.

"You know Mike, out of anybody in this locker room, he's one of them dudes who's fighting to be on the field," Kamara said. "He even wanted to play still knowing that he had to do that and fix his foot and be out for the season."

Thomas attempted to aggressively rehabilitate his ankle injury in order to avoid surgery before the 2021 season, and that plan ended up backfiring. He's since learned from that experience, and despite his desire to be on the field with his teammates, he's making the wise decision with his toe injury.

The start of the 2023 season will undoubtedly be circled on his calendar.

NFL.com
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His teammates care or at least one has spoken up.

Its a fact and its certain, injuries are going to occur... Thomas got bit again. I personally cant hold that against him, but i do understand the frustration.

 

My problem is not with the fact that he got injured. That can happen to anyone. The problem is that when he messed up his ankle the first time, he didn't get the surgery immediately. He waited until the following June. And it didn't help. So do it again. He lost the whole season. I'm a bit surprised that Sean Payton didn't go
"Ape shit" over that. We have Olave and that helps a lot! And now we need a QB. Gonna be a long, cold winter.

 

Mark Andrews, Gus Edwards doubtful to play Monday night



The Ravens are set to be shorthanded on offense Monday night.

Wide receiver Rashod Bateman is definitely out after suffering a season-ending foot injury and two other players are set to miss the game as well. Tight end Mark Andrews (knee, shoulder) and running back Gus Edwards (hamstring) are listed as doubtful to play against the Saints.



Andrews and Edwards were both injured in the Ravens’ Week Eight win over the Buccaneers. Isaiah Likely will see more time at tight end while Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill will be up for backfield duties.

Linebacker Malik Harrison (foot), tackle Patrick Mekari (back), cornerback Marcus Peters (quad, knee), and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (groin) are listed as questionable.

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Jarvis Landry questionable, Marshon Lattimore out for Saints vs. Ravens

Saints wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who hasn’t played since Week Four, may be ready to return on Monday night against the Ravens.

The Saints listed Landry as questionable with an ankle injury. Getting Landry back would be a big boost for a Saints offense that has been ravaged by wide receiver injuries.



New Orleans also ruled three players out: cornerback Marshon Lattimore (abdomen), running back Mark Ingram (knee) and linebacker Chase Hansen (knee).

The Saints are 2.5-point underdogs at home against the Ravens.

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Wild stat posted in an article on the Falcons team web site this week: Cordarrelle Patterson has 340 rushing yards. Tyler Allgeier has 324. Practice squad call-up Caleb Huntley already has 265 yards. And quarterback Marcus Mariota has 280 yards on the ground.


Atlanta is the first team in NFL history to have four players with 250+ rushing yards in the first eight games of a season.

 

Hi,, everybody, enjoy the games and your day!

 

Dont sleep on the Falcons... they are up early vs Chargers, 10-0.