NFL - NEWS & NOTES

WTF it's dangerous to tailgate that's a real shame

 

Michael Pittman Jr. is expected to play Sunday

The Colts are expected to have their top wide receiver in the lineup as they try to avoid an 0-3 start to the 2024 season.

Michael Pittman Jr. was a late addition to the injury report this week, but multiple reports say that he will be in the lineup against the Bears. Pittman was listed as questionable after he missed practice on Friday with back and calf injuries.

Pittman has seven catches for 52 yards through the first two weeks of the regular season.

The Colts are also set to have Josh Downs in the lineup for the first time this season as he avoided an injury designation on the final injury report. Downs missed the first two games of the season with an ankle injury.

PFT

 

Bucs downgrade Vita Vea to out for Sunday

Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea won’t be helping the team try for a third straight win on Sunday.

Vea was ruled out for their home game against the Broncos because of a knee injury. He returned to practice Friday after missing the first two days of the week and was initially listed as doubtful.

The Buccaneers also ruled out wide receiver Kameron Johnson due to an ankle injury.

Defensive lineman Mike Greene and wide receiver Sterling Shepard were elevated from the practice squad. Greene joins C.J. Brewer as new additions to a defensive line that’s also missing Calijah Kancey and Shepard is set to make his Bucs debut.

PFT

 

According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Fautanu is expected to miss most, if not the rest of the 2024 season due to his "significant" knee injury. Dulac did not reveal the exact injury Fautanu is dealing with.

The 2024 first-round pick was slated to get the start at right tackle this week after he initially rotated with Broderick Jones in Week 2 before the 2023 first-round pick got himself benched following a penalty-plagued drive.

This obviously puts Jones back in the starting spot. Head coach Mike Tomlin said earlier this week he was all for giving the 23-year-old another opportunity.

“I’m going to give Broderick an opportunity to rebound,” Tomlin said, per Dale Lolley of Steelers.com. “He’s a talented young player. I am sure he suffered some disappointment in terms of Troy starting. It’s a natural thing. But he has to move past it and I have to give him an opportunity to move past it as a leader. We’ll get into this week. We’ll let participation be our guide and the quality of participation for both guys be our guide in terms of how we divvy up this week. It’s a new week.”

"S---, I played bad," Jones said of his Week 2 showing, per Chris Adamski of TribLive.com. "That's all it is at the end of the day. You f--- up, you get pulled. That’s all it is. I’ve just got to be better. Continue to grow as a player and as a man, and take the good with the bad."

SPORTING NEWS

 

Mercury Morris dies at 77

Running back Mercury Morris, a member of the undefeated Dolphins team of 1972 and staunch defender of the 17-0 team’s accomplishments, has died. He was 77.

The team has confirmed that Morris passed on Saturday.

A Pittsburgh native, Morris was a third-round pick in 1969 from West Texas State. He led the league in rushing touchdowns in 1972, with 12. He rushed for 1,000 yards exactly that season, a career high. The next year, Morris led the league in yards per attempt, with 6.4.

A three-time Pro Bowler, Morris played for the Dolphins from 1969 through 1975. He finished his career in 1976, with the Chargers.

In 2007, Morris became outspoken in his agitation of the Patriots, as they tried to one-up Miami’s feat with a 19-0 finish.

“If 17 trees fell in the forest 35 years ago, did it make a sound?” Morris said at the time. “Yes, you just maybe weren’t there to hear it.”

He summed up New England’s pursuit like this: “You can’t craft the conversation around 19 wins. You have to craft the conversation around zero at the end. Because if they complete a season without having lost a game, then they will be equal with the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They will not be behind us, they will not be in front of us. . . . Then again, if they lose, they will be like the [1985] Bears: 18-1.”

We extend our condolences to Morris’s family, friends, and teammates.
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One of the coolest names from that era and one hell of a back on a great football team.

 

Per; PFT, the NFL and 'yours truly'.

EARLY INACTIVES

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

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s status was the biggest question mark heading into Sunday’s matchup of 2-0 teams in Pittsburgh and the answer came 90 minutes ahead of kickoff. Herbert, who was listed as questionable due to the ankle injury he suffered last week, is active against the Steelers.

Herbert’s mobility will likely be tested by Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt and the Chargers would love to have another big game from running back J.K. Dobbins in order to keep Herbert from feeling too much pressure on Sunday afternoon.

Chargers at Steelers

Chargers: LB Junior Colson, WR Joshua Palmer LB Junior Colson, CB Tarheeb Still, RB Kimani Vidal, OL Jordan McFadden, DL Justin Eboigbe

Steelers: G Isaac Seumalo, TE Mycole Pruitt, QB Russell Wilson, WR Roman Wilson, CB Darius Rush, S Terrell Edmunds

Texans at Vikings

Texans: RB Joe Mixon, RB Dameon Pierce, WR John Metchie, CB Myles Bryant, C Jarrett Patterson, LB Jamal Hill, DE Rashad Weaver

Vikings: WR Jordan Addison, LB Ivan Pace, LB Dallas Turner, T Walter Rouse, DL Levi Drake Rodriguez, CB Dwight McGlothern

Eagles at Saints

Eagles: WR A.J. Brown, LB Devin White, CB Eli Ricks, DT Byron Young, OL Trevor Keegan, OL Darian Kinnard, QB Tanner McKee

Saints: TE Taysom Hill, DT Khalen Saunders, LB D’Marco Jackson, WR A.T. Perry, QB Spencer Rattler, WR Bub Means

Broncos at Buccaneers

Broncos: LB Baron Browning, DB JL Skinner, WR Devaughn Vele, QB Zach Wilson, RB Blake Watson, DL Eyimoa Uwazurike, CB Kris Abrams-Draine, TE Lucas Krull

Buccaneers: DT Vita Vea, T Luke Goedeke, DL Calijah Kancey, WR Kameron Johnson, S Antoine Winfield, TE Devin Culp, LB Jose Ramirez

Packers at Titans

Packers: OL Jordan Morgan, QB Jordan Love, CB Carrington Valentine, S Kitan Oladapo, DL Brenton Cox Jr., T Travis Glover; DL Colby Wooden

Titans: DB Julius Wood, RB Jabari Small, LB Caleb Murphy, LB James Williams, OL John Ojukwu, TE David Martin-Robinson, TE Thomas Odukoya

Giants at Browns

Giants: DB Nick McCloud, S Anthony Johnson, LB Darius Muasau, LB Boogie Basham, G Jake Kubas, QB Tommy DeVito

Browns: T Jack Conklin, RB Pierre Strong, TE David Njoku, QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, CB Kahlef Hailassie, G Javion Cohen, WR Jamari Thrash

Bears at Colts

Bears: WR Keenan Allen, FB Khari Blasingame, DL Zacch Pickens, RB/WR Velus Jones, LB Noah Sewell, DE Dominique Robinson

Colts: DE Genard Avery, G Tanor Bortolini, QB Sam Ehlinger, T Blake Freeland, TE Will Mallory

 

Browns defense forces a huge turnover and one play on offense is a TD by Cooper... thats a good start.

 

Vikings defense picks a deflected pass by Stroud. I can dig that.

 

Darnold scares me at times, but redeemed himself with a toss to Jefferson, TD. 7-0

 

Packers up, 7-0 on the Titans... Im not too happy about that.

 

Justin Jefferson Vikings TD they survived a Sam Darnold bone headed play Vikings 7 Texans 0

 

Bo Nix runs one in, 7-0 Denver over the Bucco's.

 

Wow the Texans just can't hold on the ball under review looked good to me

 

REALLY

 

Terrible call by the zebras, but it happens.

 

Titans tied up the Packers at 7.

 

SACKKK!!!! luv it

 

Herbert has the Chargers up, 7-0 in Pittsburgh.

 

0-2 Broncos up, 14-0 vs 2-0 Buccaneers in Tampa.

 

Aaron Jones TD sweet Vikings 14 Texans 0