NFL - NEWS & NOTES

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Jadeveon Clowney not expecting to return: I need to be around somebody that believes in me



Jadeveon Clowney has played four consecutive seasons on one-year deals. After the Seahawks acquired him in a trade with the Texans in 2019, he went to Tennessee and then Cleveland.

The edge rusher signed another one-year deal with the Browns this offseason.


He expects Sunday to be his final game with the team.

“Ninety-five percent sure I won’t be back,” Clowney told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com on Thursday. “But there’s still that 5 percent. You never know what can happen.”

Clowney, who has 28 tackles and two sacks in 12 games, doesn’t believe the Browns have put him in the best position to succeed.

“I just feel like I need to be around somebody that believes in me and my ability,” Clowney said. “[It can’t] just be me believing in myself. I believe in myself more than anybody.”

Clowney didn’t name defensive coordinator Joe Woods, who is on the hot seat, but conceded that changes to the staff could lead to his return. That’s why he’s keeping the door slightly ajar.

“There’s supposed to be a lot of changes around here next year, so they might not be back — and I might,” Clowney said.

Clowney is upset the defensive game plan all season has featured Myles Garrett, who has 15 sacks and is a candidate for defensive player of the year. Clowney made clear he doesn’t blame Garrett but the coaching staff.

The Browns, he said, have “got their own guys, and I ain’t one of them, so it’s time for me to get my exit slip.”

Things came to a head before the Browns 13-3 victory over the Ravens in Week 15 when Clowney said he learned before the game he was switching sides with Garrett after practicing the other way all week. He opted to play only third downs and saw 22 snaps.

“I’m not doing that shit. I’m old. I’ve done my job,” Clowney said. “I don’t have time for that. I’ve made my money. I’m doing this because I love the game but keep [doing things like that] and making me not love the game.”

Clowney was the No. 1 overall selection in 2014, and despite the hype he has had ever since, the edge rusher has yet to have a double-digit sack season in nine seasons. He has three Pro Bowls.

PFT

 

Derwin James: I’m not a dirty player



Chargers safety Derwin James has not played since being ejected from the team’s Week 16 win over the Colts for a hit to the head of wide receiver Ashton Dulin.

Both James and Dulin were put into the concussion protocol as a result of the hit, which Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said he did not think rose to a level that warranted an ejection while saying the Colts “obviously laid the guy out in a tough position.” Staley also said he knew James’ intent was not to injure Dulin, but Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday disagreed and said a player “can’t launch into a guy’s head” regardless of intent.


James spoke about the hit for the first time on Thursday and said he thought the play merited a flag rather than an ejection. James, who is on track to return this week, also defended himself against any accusation that he crosses the line on the field.

“I’m not a dirty player,” James said, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com. “If you look at how I play every week, I’m not out to hurt nobody. I don’t play the game that way. I wasn’t taught the game that way. I’m trying to play fast and aggressive for my team and make a play.”

The league did not suspend James, but did fine him because of the hit last week and league rules make no exception for intent when it comes to hits to the head. Dulin has also returned to practice this week.

PFT

 

Bills safety Damar Hamlin is continuing to make excellent progress after going into cardiac arrest on the field on Monday night.

The Bills released a statement on Friday morning saying that doctors at University of Cincinnati Medical Center have removed Hamlin’s breathing tube, and he is speaking with no signs of neurological issues.


“Per the physicians at UCMC, Damar’s breathing tube was removed overnight. He continues to progress remarkably in his recovery,” the statement said. “His neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team.”

The Bills also said Hamlin spoke with his teammates this morning over FaceTime. That was undoubtedly the greatest victory in a Bills season that has been marked by the spirit of Hamlin, who wrote on a piece of paper as soon as he regained consciousness: “Did we win?”

Now the Bills will focus on winning their remaining games, with the huge relief of knowing their fallen teammate is getting better.



Bills safety Damar Hamlin‘s condition has improved to the point that he had his breathing tube removed and he was able to speak to his teammates during a team meeting on Friday.

At a press conference later in the day, Bills head coach Sean McDermott relayed some of what went on during that call. McDermott called it “amazing, touching” to see Hamlin after a trying week and the entire team “stood up right away and clapped for him” when Hamlin appeared on screen.


McDermott said that Hamlin flexed his muscles while on the screen and also made a heart gesture with his hands before delivering a message to his teammates.

“I love you boys,” Hamlin said.

McDermott said that Hamlin’s progress over the last couple of days has “been a release on the pressure valve” for the entire team and it has made it easier to put attention on this Sunday’s game against the Patriots. The results of games are small in relation to the news of Hamlin’s progress, but that progress has made it possible for everyone to think about football after a couple of days when it felt like the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.

PFT
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Owners will be able to amend the proposal for AFC playoff seeding

At noon ET on Friday, the NFL’s owners will consider the proposal from the Competition Committee regarding a change to the established rule for dealing with playoff seeding in the event of a canceled game. The proposal has multiple parts; one contemplates a neutral-site AFC Championship under certain circumstances, and the other allows for a possible site change in an eventual wild-card game between the Ravens and Bengals — based on a coin flip (yes, a coin flip).

Per the league, the proposal is tied together. All or nothing. It’s not a situation in which the AFC Championship neutral-site idea will be resolved, and then the Ravens-Bengals issue will be addressed.


That said, the owners can choose to split the proposals into two votes, if they want. Other changes can be made. The suggestions can be amended or debated.

Ultimately, the league can do whatever it wants to do — as long as at least 24 owners agree. It takes only a block of nine to compel the league to retain the current rule on the books that contemplates playoff seeding based on winning percentage, with no allowances for neutral sites or coin flips or anything else.

That’s the biggest point that, before last night, had been glossed over. Through multiple conference calls and, undoubtedly, plenty of other off-the-record and/or background conversations with reporters, there was never an explanation that the NFL already has a rule for dealing with canceled games, and that the league was choosing to flat-out ignore that rule and come up with something else on the fly.

When the owners meet, that should be the first question asked. Why are we changing the rule that was already created for this specific situation?

That’s an explanation, if there is one, that hasn’t been provided to the media. Presumably, it will be provided to the men and women who own the 32 NFL teams.

PFT

 

lol, so the Browns sent him home today!

 

Owners change rule for handling canceled games



Faced with an unprecedented situation, the NFL’s owners have done an unprecedented thing.

The owners have voted to approve changes to the existing rule for handling the aftermath of a canceled game, PFT has confirmed.


Per a source with knowledge of the situation, 25 owners voted in favor of the changes, with three or four voting no and the rest abstaining.

The new rule creates a potential neutral-site AFC Championship based on various factors, given the cancellation of Bills-Bengals. The new rule also determines home-field advantage for a Bengals-Ravens wild-card game by a coin flip, if the Ravens beat the Bengals on Sunday.

The existing rule would have determined all seeding based on winning percentage, with no neutral sites or coin flips or any other twists or tweaks.

The NFL has not explained to the media or the general public why the rule on the books was insufficient. The NFL could have previously crafted a rule that would have given the Commissioner the power to make decisions regarding playoff seeding and game location, but it didn’t.

Today’s development becomes a de facto endorsement of the Commissioner exercising that precise power, by mustering enough votes to get the change to the rule passed.

 

Zac Taylor on proposed playoff changes: Positives for others, negatives for us



Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is not happy about the changes to the AFC playoff procedures that the league has proposed in the wake of cancelling the Bengals’ Week 17 game against the Bills.

Under the proposal, the Bengals and Ravens would flip a coin for home field advantage in the Wild Card round of the playoffs if the Ravens beat the Bengals Sunday and the two teams are set to meet again next week. The rationale is that the Ravens would have two wins over the Bengals and could have moved into first place in the AFC North if the Bengals lost to the Bills before losing to them


The proposal also calls for the AFC title game to potentially be played at a neutral site based on the results this weekend and on which teams advance to that game.

NFL rules account for game cancellations and call for teams to be seeded by winning percentage. Taylor said on Friday that “we just want the rules to be followed” and “doesn’t want to hear about fair and equitable” solutions while rules are being changed at the last minute.

“It’s opportunities lost for us,” Taylor said, via Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We had control and now we don’t. There are positives for a lot of teams and negatives for us.”

Bengals executive V.P. Katie Blackburn wrote a memo to NFL teams saying that the “proper process for making rule change is in the off-season” and that it is “not appropriate” to make changes to the rules on the fly. Taylor called it “awesome” to see that “someone has to fight for you. It’s clearly not coming from the league.”

A Bengals win will make all the Wild Card machinations moot.

“Let us play 7 home games and 9 road games and then try to take a home playoff game away . . . that’s what this team is built for,” Taylor said.

League owners still have to approve any change to playoff procedures. If they do, Sunday’s game in Cincinnati will be a big one in the 1 p.m. ET window.

PFT
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I think Katie Blackburn and Zac Taylor have valid points.

 

Was nothing said about a a Cincy win, Buffalo win and KC loss? Bills would always be above the Chiefs but the Bengals could be above both if they beat Buffalo so shouldn't Cincy get a neutral site vs KC even if the Bills win?
Also odd they don't care about a 2 vs 3 semi host.

 

IMHO they should have pushed playoffs back a week and played the game. It has to much impact on the playoffs.

 

Well hell, Joe, I dont know. Im confused, but it seems someone is getting shafted on Home Field advantage? You play the games to win that and now there is nuetral sites involved, so Ive no idea what to think. Im just letting it all play out and trusting the NFL and others get it right or as close to right as possible.

 

Thats what I said from the very beginning, but they've moved on from that. Seemed to me to be the fairest way to do it at the time, but what do I know.

 

You can't trust the NFL and not on this one. They goofed. There was ONE scenario where the Bengals get the 1 seed. If all that comes to pass except for the cancelled game then the Bengals deserve to get the same treatment with the Bills as the Bills are getting with the Chiefs.

 

If necessary, Roger Goodell would determine neutral site for AFC Championship Game



NFL owners approved a change to the rules for handling a cancelled game on Friday and one of the changes opens the door to the AFC Championship Game being played at a neutral site.

That will happen in the following three scenarios:

1. Buffalo and Kansas City both win or both tie — a Buffalo vs Kansas City championship game would be at a neutral site.
2. Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Baltimore wins or ties — a Buffalo vs Kansas City championship game would be at a neutral site.
3. Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins — a Buffalo or Cincinnati vs Kansas City championship game would be at a neutral site.

The resolution that NFL owners approved on Friday says that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will choose the neutral site under that scenario. There is nothing in the resolution about the criteria for choosing a site and there have been discussions about indoor and outdoor possibilities.

With most of the league done playing by the conference championship, there will be a number of options in both categories in the event the NFL ultimately has to go down that route. If it does and is planning to attend what would be a notable event in NFL history, Goodell will get to choose the building where he’d get booed by fans of at least one team.

PFT

 

That's what I was referring too. The Bengals should have a neutral AFCCG vs the Bills if they both win and the Chiefs lose.

 

DeShon Elliott: Aaron Rodgers doesn’t respect us, and I don’t like none of that shit



In a postgame interview after a win over the Rams two weeks ago, Aaron Rodgers corrected Lisa Salters of ESPN after she noted the Packers’ final three games were against teams above .500.

“Well,” Rodgers corrected her, “one of them is at .500 right now.”


He meant the Lions, who were 7-7 at that time and now are 8-8.

The Lions heard the statement, and they took it personally.

The teams play on Sunday Night Football, and the Packers will clinch a playoff berth with a win. The Lions will know before the game whether they have a chance for the postseason or not based on the Seahawks’ result.

The Lions want to win to prove something to Rodgers and the Packers whatever the stakes.

“This means a lot, because I feel like they don’t respect us,” safety DeShon Elliott said Friday, via Kyle Meinke of mlive.com. “[Rodgers] doesn’t respect us; that team doesn’t respect us. We shouldn’t be an underdog, no matter what the record says. Going out there, I think we’re going to fight our ass off, play smashmouth football, just cause of the respect factor.

“Like, we all got here someway, somehow. Yeah, he’s a Hall-of-Famer, but I just don’t respect the way he’s been talking about my guys all year, and the way that team views us. So we’re going to go out there and prove something.”

Detroit beat the Packers 15-9 at Ford Field on Nov. 6, with Rodgers throwing three picks. His postgame comment that “we can’t lose a game like that against that team, no” stuck in the Lions’ craw. (In Rodgers’ defense, the Lions were 1-6 when the game kicked off.)

Lions players have sounded off this week, most notably Elliott.

Elliott was asked what specifically bothered him about Rodgers, and Elliott didn’t hold back.

“Shoot, whatever,” Elliott said. “The way he carries himself. I don’t like none of that shit. So, we got to go out there and show what we can do, and show who the big dog [is], back up all the talking we do. We’re going to go out there and do that.”

Rodgers is 18-7 against the Lions with 53 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His career passer rating against Detroit is 105.8.

PFT
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This could be a fun game! Go Lions!

 

This just sounds like a bunch of bitching to me. There is literally not a fair way to resolve this. Someone is going to get screwed, and it's probably going to be the Bengals no matter what - if they were to play this game by extending the season a week, every team in the league other than them would get a free bye week. And you bet your ass they would be bitching about that, too.

This is the NFL - people get paid millions of dollars to be hyper competitive, and their careers depend on it. I don't think it's reasonable for anyone to expect that there would be a decision made here without someone complaining. The fact that we might walk away with only one team being upset about it, is probably a win.

I don't know that I agree with the whole neutral site thing, but I do think it's right that they're building in multiple outcomes depending on the scenarios that might have played out. The fact is, if the Bengals win next week, most of this stuff doesn't happen anyway.

 

Was just about to ask if the Bengals win would there be a coin flip. Thank you for clearing that up. Sucks that there is a possibility of losing another home game, but yeah no way to make everyone happy. This is probably the best of a bad situation.

 

The day begins with the Raiders hosting the Chiefs, who have their eyes on locking up the top seed in the conference. NFL owners approved changes to the AFC playoffs on Friday that could directly affect the Chiefs, depending on the results of Week 18's games.

In the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, the Titans and Jaguars will meet in Jacksonville, with the AFC South title hanging in the balance.

This is an incredible moment for the Jaguars, who haven't made the playoffs since reaching the AFC Championship Game in the 2017 season. The Titans, who have won the division two years running and have made the postseason in three straight seasons, have lost six straight games down the stretch, including once at home to the Jaguars in Week 14.

Patrick Mahomes also is only 50 passing yards away from a career-high season total. Mahomes theoretically could break the NFL's all-time single-season mark of 5,477 yards, set by the Broncos' Peyton Manning in 2013, if he threw for 430 yards. He's surpassed that number five times in his career, including once against the Raiders in 2019.

1. Jarrett Stidham in an unexpected spotlight. When the Raiders opted to bench Derek Carr and turn to the little-used fourth-year QB, it was viewed as more of a slap in Carr’s face than it was a chance to see what Stidham could do. After all, Stidham barely got off the bench in New England with Josh McDaniels calling plays in 2020, when the Patriots struggled to throw the ball consistently. But after Stidham’s stunning 365-yard passing game last week against the 49ers, did all of that change? Perhaps the light just went on for Stidham. Or maybe the 49ers just didn’t prepare well for a QB who had all of 61 NFL pass attempts (including 13 with the Raiders) coming in. Whatever the case, Stidham won’t sneak up on the Chiefs, who actually faced him for a half in 2020 and now have seen what he did to a highly respected San Francisco defense. Stidham stung them a few times in man defense but also succumbed to pressure a few times later in the game, so it will be interesting to see how Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo chooses to play it. Having a healthy Trent McDuffie, who missed the first matchup against the Raiders, should help as he could be asked to help cover Davante Adams.
2. Pass protection could be key for Patrick Mahomes. In the Chiefs’ first meeting with the Raiders back in Week 5, they struggled to move the ball consistently and didn’t score in the game’s first 20-plus minutes. The Raiders’ pass rush was a big reason why, as defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones harassed Chiefs tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie consistently and forced Mahomes to operate under heavy stress more often than not. However, Jones is now on injured reserve, and the Chiefs’ tackles have been better of late; Mahomes has only been sacked eight times in his past eight games, spanning 291 pass attempts. Either way, look for the Chiefs to dig deep into their screen game and have several quick-hitting pass concepts at the ready just in case. Keep an eye on Jerick McKinnon, who has been busy as a receiver lately, and Kadarius Toney, who had four catches for 71 yards last week in spite of losing a fumble. Mecole Hardman (pelvis) also has recently been activated and could be given some run in this one as the Chiefs gear up for the playoffs.
3. Josh Jacobs could hold the Raiders’ key to an upset. Jacobs was a major thorn in the Chiefs’ sides back in Week 5, running 21 times for 154 yards and a touchdown and catching five passes for 39 yards. He had six of the Raiders’ nine longest gains in that game, and that was even with nine touches in the second half. But his production has tailed off in recent games, and Jacobs is now dealing with hip and oblique injuries. He’s missed time this week in practice, including in Wednesday’s walkthrough. That’s a fairly concerning sign for his chances to play Saturday. The Raiders have nothing but glowing things to say about Jacobs and reportedly are now open to re-signing him after they declined his fifth-year option prior to the season. That leads us to believe they might not want to tax Jacobs further after he’s already amassed a career-high 374 touches and 2,003 yards from scrimmage this season. If Jacobs can’t go, it could be a Zamir White game. He’s run only 16 times for 66 yards this season, with no more than three carries in any game. But White was a fourth-round pick this spring and was a workhorse at times at Georgia, especially in the 2020 college season.

1. Young Jaguars have a chance to do something special. The Jaguars were a combined 4-29 the previous two seasons. They’ve finished in last place in the AFC South for four straight seasons prior to this one. They were 3-8 with five straight losses at one point this season. They’re one of the youngest rosters in the NFL. Yet here they are, playing at home with a chance to clinch the division against a Titans team that had beaten them nine of the past 10 times coming into this season. But the Jaguars already have shown they can beat the Titans, scoring 29 straight points in their Week 14 victory at Tennessee -- and that was with Ryan Tannehill playing. The Jaguars haven’t lost since Week 13, when Trevor Lawrence was twisted up in a scary looking collision, but he’s managed the toe injury he suffered in that game well. Since then, the offense has been cooking and the defense has allowed six points in the past two games. Look for Lawrence to take some shots early and test a Tennessee secondary that has faded just a bit down the stretch but did get its hands on eight of Lawrence’s 42 pass attempts back in Week 14.
2. Joshua Dobbs is playing in the biggest game of his NFL life. Dobbs was last week’s surprise starter for the shorthanded Titans, and his surprisingly good performance against the Cowboys earned him another start with the team’s playoff lives at stake. He did complete only 20 of 39 passes and turned the ball over twice, but Dobbs showed poise and decisiveness throwing the ball that former replacement starter Malik Willis had not. The Jaguars have not been tested defensively the past two games against the likes of Zach Wilson, Chris Streveler, Jeff Driskel and Davis Mills. They have faced a slew of dual-threat quarterbacks this season, with varying levels of success. But the Jaguars contained Jalen Hurts earlier in the season about as well as any defense has, and this defense has gotten better since then. Even with Tannehill having some early success against them in Week 14, the Jaguars turned him over twice in the first half and sacked him three times and held him to 9 of 22 passing after halftime. They should be able to get some pressure on him, but Dobbs will treat this game as his Super Bowl, not knowing when he might start next.
3. Derrick Henry has a chance to save the Titans’ season. Without Henry in the lineup last week, the Titans’ replacement backs ran 20 times for 65 yards, with a long run of 12. Yet Tennessee was able to keep it a close game into the fourth quarter. Now with Henry -- a longtime Jags tormentor -- back in the lineup Saturday, they should have a chance. In his past two games in Jacksonville, Henry has combined for 345 rushing yards and five TDs on 55 carries. Back in Week 14, Henry also shredded the Jaguars for 121 yards and a TD on only 17 carries, adding three catches for 34 yards. But he also suffered the only two-lost-fumble game of his career, with both turnovers occurring in the Titans’ end of the field. First he coughed up a reception right before halftime that led to a Jacksonville TD, and the second came early in the fourth quarter, leading to a Jaguars field goal. That’s not likely to happen again. The Jaguars must bring population to the ball if they’re going to slow Henry down. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins and linebackers Devin Lloyd and Foyesade Oluokun are among the NFL’s leaders in missed tackles this season, per PFF, so they’ll need to wrap up better in this crucial game.

NFL.com

 

Statistics from Monday night’s Bills-Bengals game will not be counted



No statistics from the nine minutes of the Bills-Bengals game that were played on Monday night will count toward the statistics of either team or any player.

NFL policy on a cancelled game says, “To cancel a game is to nullify it either before or after it begins and to make no provision for rescheduling it or for including its score or other performance statistics in League records.”


That means Joe Burrow‘s touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd will not appear on either player’s stats, nor will any other yards or tackles or field goals or anything else. As far as official league statistics are concerned, a canceled game is treated as if it never happened.

Some fantasy leagues and sports books may choose to make their own policies to handle the situation, but if they’re following the official statistics, it’s as if no part of the game was ever played.

Burrow was poised to break the NFL’s all-time career completion percentage record on Monday night, as he entered the game just 12 pass attempts short of qualifying. Officially, he remains 12 pass attempts short of qualifying and will be the NFL’s new record holder if he throws at least 12 passes on Sunday against the Ravens.

PFT