NFL - NEWS & NOTES

All about views and likes. Not too many real journalists out there anymore.

 

Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, Charles Woodson & Jared Allen are all first ballot. That doesn’t leave much room for the rest of the list

 

Cowboys allowing 25 percent capacity for home opener



Owner Jerry Jones hasn’t said exactly how many fans the Cowboys plan to have for Sunday’s home opener against the Falcons. He eluded the question again this week on his radio show, using a familiar phrase.

“We’ll just continue to play that by ear and see how that goes,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “We don’t necessarily have to do that, and we’ll announce what the attendance is at the game.”

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was more forthcoming in Wednesday’s news conference, three days after the team’s 20-17 loss to the Rams in a fan-less SoFi Stadium.

“I think it’ll be a lot different in AT&T Sunday because obviously we’ll have 25 percent capacity,” McCarthy said, via Jori Epstein of USA Today. “So we’ll have some live energy in the building. I’m pretty confident the music and the game operations will be a little different than it was this past week.

“I think it’s just part of the newness of this particular season and everybody’s going through it.”

AT&T Stadium lists its capacity at 80,000, but that’s with an asterisk. The stadium can and has seated “up to 100,000” and over 100,000.

The Cowboys led the league with an average home attendance of 90,929 last season.

So the Cowboys likely have a crowd of between 20,000 and 25,000 against the Falcons. Limited tickets are on sale for the game.

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is among the team’s players who don’t want their families in the stands this season in the midst of a pandemic. Elliott said he made a deal with his mother, Dawn, this offseason.

“We had a tradeoff,” Elliott said Wednesday. “I told her that she couldn’t come down this year, so I finished her basement.

“Got her a nice TV and couches so she has somewhere nice to watch the games.”

NBC

 

All stadiums should be at 25% right now. If one can do it, all should be able. Maybe if they took the politics out of the equation, this would get done.

 

It appears the Browns will have a key weapon in their intrastate battle Thursday night.

Wide receiver Jarvis Landry is expected to play against the Cincinnati Bengals, a source tells NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Landry was listed as questionable with a hip injury. He sat out Tuesday's practice and was limited Wednesday as a precaution.

The five-time Pro Bowler had five catches for 61 yards in Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

 

Allen isn't 1st ballot.

 

Chargers’ Mike Pouncey out for season



Chargers center Mike Pouncey will miss the entire 2020 season.

The Chargers announced today that Pouncey needs surgery for a hip injury and will not play this year.

“Mike will undergo surgery on his hip before the end of the month and will miss the 2020 season,” said General Manager Tom Telesco. “On top of being a Pro Bowl talent, he’s the ultimate captain, teammate and competitor. Quite simply, he’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. Mike’s played a major role in establishing the culture and standard we now have in our locker room and sets a tremendous example, especially for the younger members of our team. I’m happy he’ll remain around the team throughout the season, and all of us wish Mike a successful procedure and speedy recovery.”

A four-time Pro Bowler, Pouncey has had bad luck with injuries, missing 11 games last year with a neck injury and 11 games in 2016 with a previous hip injury.

Pouncey is in the last year of his contract and will be a free agent in March.

NBC

 

Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt combine for 210 rushing yards in 35-30 victory over Bengals



Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 210 rushing yards and scored a combined three touchdowns on the ground in a 35-23 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

Just four days after being throttled by the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns put together a much more complete performance against the Bengals.

Despite running 30 fewer offensive plays overall than the Bengals, Mayfield and the Browns were far more efficient and productive with the ball in their hands. The Browns out-gained Cincinnati by a 434-353 margin and finished with 215 total rushing yards in the game. Chubb finished the night with 124 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries for the Browns while Hunt rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Hunt also caught two passes for 15 yards and a touchdown.

Baker Mayfield complete 16 of 23 passes for 219 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

The fourth quarter pick of Mayfield by William Jackson helped the Bengals close the gap to just one-score with just under six minutes left to play. However, the Bengals were unable to stop the rushing attack of Chubb and Kareem Hunt as they sprung for gains of 26 and 33 yards, respectively, on consecutive plays. Hunt’s 1-yard touchdown run to cap the drive would put the game away for Cleveland.

The Browns scored on each of their first two possessions to build an early 14-3 lead. A 10-play, 75-yard opening drive was capped by an 11-yard Chubb touchdown run as the Browns jumped out to a 7-3 lead. On the ensuing possession, Mayfield connected with Odell Beckham Jr. on a 43-yard touchdown to push the lead to two scores.

Joe Burrow would toss his first career touchdown pass to tight end C.J. Uzomah on Cincinnati’s next drive as the team’s traded blows early. Uzomah left the game in the fourth quarter due to an Achilles injury.

Hunt caught a 6-yard touchdown from Mayfield as the Browns increased their lead to 21-10 with 1:31 left in the first half. Randy Bullock converted his second field goal of the game from 43 yards out to end the half and pull the Bengals within eight at halftime.

Chubb’s 1-yard touchdown run would give the Browns a 28-13 lead midway through the third quarter. Bullock would add his third field goal from 27 yards to close the gap to 28-16. After Mayfield’s interception, Burrow connected with Mike Thomas on a 4-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 28-23 with 5:55 left to play.

The Browns quickly marched for another score as they went 75 yards in six plays in just two minutes as Hunt’s 1-yard touchdown run gave Cleveland a 35-23 lead.

Burrow tossed his third touchdown of the night to Tyler Boyd from nine yards out with 43 seconds left to play, but the Browns would recover the ensuing onside kick to ice the ball game.

Burrow finished the game with 37 completions on a whopping 61 attempts for a total of 317 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Chris Weinke’s 63 attempts for the Carolina Panthers against the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 30, 2001 is the only time since 1950, via Pro-Football-Reference, a rookie quarterback has thrown more passes in a game than Burrow’s 61 on Thursday night.

NBC

 

Fantasy delight last night...

 

Burrow looks the real deal, very impressed with him. But the Bengals are still a bad team and Zac Taylor should be very careful or he'll get Burrow killed this season. If the Bengals have a lick of sense they will put maximum resources into OL next offseason.

The Browns....didn't impress me really. When you so overmatch a team and totally own them on both sides of the LOS as they did you should be blowing them out. Baker did fine enough but with all day to throw on every play thats the least you expect tbh. The Bengals had 0sacks and couldn't even manage 1 QB hit all game, even when they blitzed! The DL is ravaged by injuries and it showed.

Crazy that the Bengals owned TOP and put up 350yards with an OL that couldn't block anyone in the run or the pass. Pretty unimpressed with the Browns DC Joe Woods. They couldn't run the ball and they couldn't throw deep on you all game cos the QB had no time so why let them dink and dunk you up and down the field all game? Clamp down on that shit.

Love Chubb tho, really good player.

 

@Vancouver Volcanos

Titans to add fans gradually starting in October



The Titans know that the maximum capacity of Nissan Stadium this year will be around 21 percent.

And they’re going to work gradually to get there.

Via Erik Bacharach of the Nashville Tennessean, the city of Nashville and the Titans announced their plan to start bringing fans back into the mix in October.

Mayor John Cooper said Nissan Stadium could host up to 10 percent of the stadium’s 69,143 capacity for the Oct. 4 game against the Steelers, 12.5 percent for the Oct. 11 game against the Bills, and 15 percent for the Oct. 18 game against the Texans.

They could eventually reach 21 percent in November and December, depending on the state of the COVID-19 outbreak at that point.

Titans team president Burke Nihill said that number (around 14,500) was “the maximum capacity our facility can accommodate under current [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines.”

“Of course, as we go through this process, we understand that we may need to be flexible on these capacities as we learn more information,” Nihill said. “This is a plan that has been in development with key health experts since early spring. We’ve had months to prepare for this day, and feel extremely confident in the safe stadium plan.”

The Titans will play before an empty house Sunday when they host the Jaguars.

NBC

 

Chicago mayor thinks Bears are unlikely to have fans at Soldier Field this year



The Bears say they’re optimistic they’ll have fans at Soldier Field before the season is over. The mayor of Chicago is less optimistic.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said there’s a less than 50 percent chance that Soldier Field will be open to fans in 2020.

“We’ve had challenges there. The Bears have to be better partners in a range of different issues, this as well,” Lightfoot said, via Chris Emma of 670 The Score. “We’re willing to absolutely work with the Bears. But they got to talk with us and be willing to cooperate and not just say things in the media. . . . We’re nowhere near at a place where we can even realistically talk about fans coming back to Soldier Field.”

Soldier Field opens for the season on Sunday, and the stands will be empty. Lightfoot thinks the stadium will be empty for seven more games after that.

NBC
_______
______________

I dont like this. I dont understand why, either. 25% would be nice, but we will see.

 

Lightfoot is light headed

 

NFL won’t move trade deadline from Election Day

The trade deadline lands the Tuesday after Week Eight. This year, the Tuesday after Week Eight lands on Election Day.

Despite the NFL’s unprecedented focus on voting, which includes a decision to close league and team facilities, the NFL won’t be moving its trade deadline from the day set aside for most in-person voting.

Via Sports Business Daily, the NFL sent a memo to all teams “laying out the procedures for closing all the club and league facilities for Election Day.” However, Election Day will continue to be the last day for trades.

Beyond the optics, there’s really no reason to move it. Tuesday is the traditional day off for players, and the league will limit the Election Day work force of teams to “certain essential personnel.” Employees who will be working on the day of the deadline can vote early. Alternatively, they can leave to vote after the window for trades closes at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Yes, in theory, the deadline could be moved by a day. Wednesday, however, is the busiest in-season workday of the week (other than game day). Also, the COVID-19 protocol makes it important to get any new players into and through testing so that they can have a chance to play on Sunday.

NBC

 

Vote early and vote often!

 

Are you Joe Biden?

 

James Conner good to go for Sunday



Steelers running back James Conner hurt his ankle in Monday night’s win over the Giants, but it won’t keep him from being available against the Broncos this weekend.

Conner was a full participant in practice the last two days and he was not given an injury designation for Week Two. That sets him up to play against Denver, although it remains to be seen how the Steelers balance the backfield work after Benny Snell put up 113 yards on 19 carries against the Giants.

Right guard David DeCastro has been ruled out for the second week in a row with a knee injury. His replacement Stefan Wisniewski left early with a pectoral injury and has also been ruled out against Denver.

Fourth-round pick Kevin Dotson is likely to start at guard and Chukwuma Okorafor will take over at right tackle for Zach Banner, who was placed on injured reserve this week with a torn ACL.

NBC

 

George Kittle out for 49ers Sunday



Tight end George Kittle will not be part of the 49ers’ effort to secure their first win of the season.

Kittle’s knee injury will keep him from playing against the Jets this week. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Friday that Kittle will not travel with the team to New Jersey, but will meet them at the Greenbrier in West Virginia as the team will be staying there ahead of their Week Three road game against the Giants.

Kittle had four catches for 44 yards in last Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals.

Cornerback Jason Verrett is out for the second straight week with a hamstring injury. Defensive end Dee Ford is listed as questionable with a neck injury and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is set to make his NFL debut after sitting out last week with a hamstring injury.

NBC

 

Rams sign Robert Woods to four-year extension



The long-awaited contract extension for Rams wide receiver Robert Woods is done.

Woods and the Rams have agreed to a four-year contract extension with $32 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $68 million, according to multiple reports.

The 28-year-old Woods has been with the Rams since 2017, when he signed a four-year contract as a free agent from the Bills.

Last year Woods had a career-high 90 catches, and had 1,134 receiving yards.

The Rams also recently locked up wide receiver Cooper Kupp for the long term, and they hope the two of them are Jared Goff‘s top receivers for years to come.

NBC