NFL - NEWS & NOTES

All the teams yet to be eliminated in the AFC still have a realistic chance but you can expect that list to get slashed this week. The Bengals and Chargers are still realistically alive due to how their schedules finish but they shouldn't hold their breath.

In the NFC the same can be said about the Cardinals, Eagles and Saints. They all hold realistic scenarios to make the playoffs if they win out but the odds are very slim that other results break their way. Actually the Saints are in good shape because they play the Bucs twice and Falcons once. If the Saints win out they will be 9-7 and ahead of the Buccaneers for sure. They would then just need the Falcons to lose one of their next 3 games before a game that could be the Week 17 Sunday Nighter.

 

Kuechly (concussion) back at Panthers practice...

Maclin will return for Chiefs' game against Raiders...

 

Julio Jones expected to play on Sunday. Sanu is not.

 

Browns to start Robert Griffin III at quarterback vs. Bengals...

 

Falcons sign CB Robert Alford to 4-year extension, worth $38M...

 

[video]https://youtu.be/AAaOyCNECeI[/video]

 

Lot of people don't know this but if you go to a Browns game and save your Ticket Stub you can win a raffle to play quarterback for the Browns in their next home game.

 

And you'll be hanging in a meat locker after the game.

 

But they have yet to announce who will start the 2nd half.

 

Two touchdowns by dynamic rookie Tyreek Hill and a dominant defensive effort helped the Chiefs score a 21-13 win over the Raiders Thursday night.

Both teams are now 10-3, and since the Chiefs have swept the season series they have the inside track towards winning the AFC West and also a first-round playoff bye.

 

The loss of Johnson will hurt them though how much remains to be seen.

 

I still can't believe an Atlanta team was willing to fork up that kind of money to a CB.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/l...andy-reid-a-death-stare-after-raiders-chiefs/

What's up with Del Rio and Andy Reid ?

 

Wow! Is there bad blood between them...?

 

They obviously don't like each other for some reason. Maybe it was a play Reid called when they were ahead and had the game won? But I don't remember what the score was?

 

If a little of London is good, more must be better.

The NFL announced Friday the league expanded the 2017 London series to four games.

"We continue to be incredibly excited by the passion and love for the NFL shown by our millions of UK fans," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "London is an amazing city. We have had tremendous support from our fans, from Mayor Khan and other government leaders and business partners, and we are looking forward to taking the next step in the UK by playing four games in London next season."

The NFL has played three games in London in each season since 2014. All games have sold out. The escalation to four -- half of one a team's home slate -- continues to test the saturation level of NFL fandom across the pond.

"London staging a fourth NFL game is fantastic news -- not only for the millions of sports fans who get to enjoy our iconic stadiums -- but also because it confirms our status as the go-to choice for hosting the world's biggest sporting events," Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said. "London is the international home of the NFL and staging the equivalent of what would be half an American football team's home games in the city is a huge step towards my ambition of bringing a franchise to the capital. (NFL.com)

 

Aldon Smith is another step closer to possibly returning to the playing field.

The embattled pass-rusher met with NFL Commissioner and other NFL officials Friday in an effort to state his case for reinstatement from suspension, a source informed of the meeting told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. The Raiders linebacker was suspended by the league for one year in November 2015 for violating its substance abuse policy.

Although nothing has been decided regarding Smith's reinstatement petition, which he filed in October, his meeting with Goodell and league officials is considered the final step before a potential reinstatement can be issued, Rapoport said.

Still, as Rapoport reported Sunday, the Raiders aren't necessarily counting on Smith being available to play. If he were to be available before the end of the season, the team would simply view his return as a bonus. There's also no guarantee he'll be in football shape and ready to be a valuable contributor if he were to return before the playoffs.

Smith signed with the Raiders before the 2015 season and registered 3.5 sacks before his ban. He previously served as a quarterback nightmare for the San Francisco 49ers, registering more sacks over the first two years of his career (33.5) than any other player in NFL history. (NFL.com)

 

RB Chris Ivory (hamstring) is expected to be out today, source said. They promoted RB Bronson Hill to their 53-man roster...

 

Riddick out for Lions; DeAngelo Williams sits...

Redskins' Reed, Saints' Ingram to play...