NFL - NEWS & NOTES

I can’t find it on nfl.com, steelerdepot, behind the steel curtain, Steelers.com, cbssports, yahoo sports etc

 

Seems whoever announced it deleted it because it's not officially announced yet. This is what they'll do if the Vikings don't show any positives.

 

Melvin Gordon scores two touchdowns as Broncos earn 37-28 win over Jets



Melvin Gordon rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns, including a 43-yard score with 1:48 remaining, to help life the Denver Broncos to a 37-28 victory over the New York Jets on Thursday night.

In a battle of two teams battered by injuries, the Broncos managed to emerge victorious despite third-string quarterback Brett Rypien throwing three interceptions that helped keep the Jets in the game. Rypien was making his first career start in place of Drew Lock and Jeff Driskel and actually played well except for the passes he threw to the wrong team.

Rypien completed 19 of 31 passes for 242 yards with two touchdowns and the three interceptions for Denver.

Sam Darnold‘s legs gave the Jets their first lead of the entire season on their opening drive of the game. Darnold evaded a sack in the backfield, dodged a tackle in open space and somehow scampered for a 46-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

That lead lasted just shy of a quarter as Brandon McManus converted a 40-yard field and Jerry Jeudy stole a pass from Rypien away from Pierre Desir for a 48-yard touchdown that put Denver out in front, 10-7, early in the second quarter.

Gordon scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown in between a pair of Sam Ficken field goal as the Broncos took a 17-13 lead into halftime. Ficken would add his third field goal of the night on a 32-yard attempt to pull the Jets within a point at 17-16.

The Broncos appeared to grab control of the contest as McManus converted a 54-yard field goal and Rypien tossed his second touchdown pass of the night, a 7-yard strike to Tim Patrick, as Denver’s lead ballooned to 27-16 with just over 14 minutes remaining. However, Ficken would convert his fourth field goal of the night from 54 yards out and the Jets would pick off Rypien twice to help them re-take the lead.

Desir intercepted Rypien and returned it for a 35-yard touchdown that made it a 27-25 game after a failed two-point conversion. Brian Poole then picked off Rypien on the next drive, which led to a 35-yard Ficken field goal as the Jets took a 28-27 lead. Desir also had the first interception of Rypien on a bad attempted throwaway.

A nine-play, 40-yard drive by Denver led to a 53-yard McManus field goal to re-take the lead, 30-28, with 3:08 left to play. The Jets had a chance to answer but the effort sputtered when Bradley Chubb sacked Darnold on fourth down at the two-minute warning. Gordon then iced the game with his 43-yard romp on the very next snap as he bounced the play outside and picked up a block from Rypien on the way to the end zone.

The Jets Defense also was responsible for six personal foul penalties on the night: three roughing the passers, two unnecessary roughness and a facemask (also against Rypien). The penalties were on Terrell Basham, Steve McLendon, Alec Ogletree, Bradley McDougald and two on Quinnen Williams.

NBC

 

Hard game to watch that one. 19penalties for over 220yards. Bad football left and right.

Bears fans(and prob 9ers fans too) have never seen Fangio blitz so much. That Denver pass rush had nothing.

 

Vikings have zero positive tests, game with Texans officially on



The NFL is satisfied that the Titans’ COVID-19 outbreak did not spread to the Vikings when the two teams played on Sunday.

As a result, the Titans have been informed that their regularly scheduled game on Sunday at Houston is officially on, NFL Network is reporting.

Like all NFL players, the Vikings have been tested every day this week. They have had zero positive tests.

The Vikings’ facility was shut down when the Titans’ positive tests started coming in, but the team returned to practice on Thursday. The Vikings have adopted enhanced safety procedures, including masks for all players at all times.

As bad as the situation in Tennessee is, it could have been worse. Fortunately, the Vikings dodged a bullet, and they can play as scheduled.

NBC

 

Tyler Lockett on D.K. Metcalf: Stopping both of us isn’t going to work



Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson‘s scorching start to the 2020 season landed him NFC offensive player of the month honors this week and it has landed two of the team’s wideouts in the top 10 in receiving yards to this point in the season.

D.K. Metcalf is third with 297 yards on just 12 catches while Tyler Lockett is 10th with 259 yards on 24 catches. The duo has combined to catch seven of Wilson’s 14 touchdown passes and Lockett shared his view of why he doesn’t see things slowing down anytime soon.

“I think a lot of teams [last year] were going to see what he could do first,” Lockett said, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “Now that everybody was able to see what he could do, I think the second season he’s already showing, like, ‘Y’all better pick your poison. Like do whatever you want to do — if you’re going to try to stop both of us it’s still not going to work. If you’re going to try to stop one of us the other is going to ball out.'”

The Dolphins will get their chance to prove Lockett wrong this Sunday and their effort will get a boost if cornerback Byron Jones is able to get back into the lineup. Jones was limited in Thursday’s practice after missing Wednesday’s session with groin and Achilles injuries.

NBC

 

Injuries and outages...

Jimmy Garoppolo Out Again For 49ers

Report: Danielle Hunter Has Cervical Spine Disc Herniation 6-8 weeks

Adam Humphries, Cameron Batson Placed On Titans COVID-19 List

Bengals Rule Out Geno Atkins

Raiders List Henry Ruggs As Doubtful For Sunday

DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery Ruled Out For Sunday

Kliff Kingsbury Calls DeAndre Hopkins A Gametime Decision

 

Danielle Hunter chimes in on report he may miss the season

The “tweak” ended up being a lot more than that, and it could be enough to wipe out the entire season for Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter.

Throughout camp, the Vikings downplayed Hunter’s health condition before abruptly placing him on injured reserve just before the start of the regular season. With the window for his return now open, Hunter hasn’t.

On Friday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that Hunter’s “second opinion” entailed a recommendation that he not play again this year due to a herniated disc in his neck. Last night, Hunter tweeted a one-word response: “Interesting.”

Interesting indeed. The news comes at a time when some have wondered whether Hunter has avoided playing because of dissatisfaction with his contract. While he may be unhappy with a deal that pays him $14.4 million per year given that Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa has shoved the bar to $27 million annually, the second opinion shows that Hunter isn’t holding in.

It also shows (yet again) that teams can and will disseminate information that isn’t entirely true for strategic reasons. If, for example, the Vikings had been completely candid about Hunter’s “tweak,” defensive end Yannick Ngakoue may have wanted a lot more than $12 million on the one-year deal he accepted to get out of Jacksonville. Likewise, the Jaguars may have wanted more than the second- and fifth-round picks they secured from the Vikings for Ngakoue.

Regardless, an unexpectedly bad season for the Vikings is getting worse, with trips to Houston and Seattle looming. A Week Six game against Atlanta could be Minnesota’s best chance of avoiding entering the bye at something other than 0-6.

NBC

 

Larry Fitzgerald: “Home-field advantage is definitely not the same”



Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is in his 17th NFL season, but he has never experienced a season like this one.

This season, with stadiums either empty or at significantly reduced capacity, Fitzgerald says the lack of crowd noise makes it easy to hear quarterback Kyler Murray in the middle of the field when Fitzgerald is lined up on the sideline, something that usually isn’t the same.

“I would say the home-field advantage is definitely not the same,” Fitzgerald said, via SI.com. “We went to San Francisco. That place is usually really tough. They have a loyal fan base, they’re used to winning, they’ve had a lot of success and not having that added element makes it easy, especially as an offensive player in terms of the communication. The way we play with a lot of tempo, Kyler can look out literally and just tell you what you have. You can check something and communicate very easily to your teammates. ‘I got this guy, you got this guy,’ or you can hear the defense communicating when they’re talking, in and out or a bracket coverage. You can actually hear them talking to each other. OK, they’re playing zone or playing man. You have a better understanding of what’s going on just because you can hear everything and not hear the crowd distracting you. So it’s a lot easier to play on the road thus far. We’ve only had one road game, but it definitely wasn’t nearly as challenging as it has been the last 16 years.”

Home teams are barely above .500 so far this season, with a cumulative record of just 25-23-1. Home-field advantage is not what it used to be.

NBC

 

Niners WR Deebo Samuel (foot) set to return with QB Nick Mullens starting Week 4

San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Nick Mullens is set to make his second consecutive start on Sunday night with Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) ruled out, but he will have the benefit of having the Niners' top playmakers at his disposal.

In addition to tight end George Kittle making his return to the lineup, second-year wideout Deebo Samuel will make his season debut in Sunday night's home game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.

Samuel has fully recovered from offseason foot surgery and will be activated from injured reserve while Kittle is set to return from a Week 1 knee injury that forced him out of the past two games. Both players have been taken off the 49ers' injury report after being full participants in practice all week.

Samuel's addition has been long-awaited for the 49ers, who have been decimated with injuries this season, let alone at the receiver position. Samuel emerged as the Niners' best receiver in his rookie campaign, catching 57 balls for 802 yards and three TDs while rushing for another three scores.

Mullens maintained order in Kyle Shanahan's offense last week, throwing for 343 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers' blowout win over the Giants. His mistake-free play and undeniable command of the offense could give the 49ers peace of mind in regards to bringing back Garropolo, who exited midway through Week 2's game with an ankle injury.

The addition of Kittle and Samuel come at an ideal time for San Francisco with several other key players still on the shelf.

Running back Raheem Mostert (knee) remains out while tight end Jordan Reed (knee) joined RB Tevin Coleman on injured reserve. In regards to a defense that has already lost Nick Bosa for the season and Richard Sherman for an extended period of time, starters Dee Ford (back), Dre Greenlaw (quad), Emmanuel Moseley (concussion), and Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring) have all been ruled out vs. the Eagles.

NFL.com

 

Cam and the Chiefs PS QB have the Rona...Chiefs-Pats postponed

 

NFL is willing to put teams in hotels for the rest of the season; will the NFLPA agree?

Events of recent days make it more and more clear that the best way (perhaps the only way) to get all 256 regular-season and 13 postseason games played this year will be to put all teams in hotels, immediately.

Per multiple sources, the NFL gladly would do that. The question is whether the NFL Players Association would agree to it.

As one source explained it to PFT, the NFLPA balked during July negotiations at a Thursday-to-Sunday team-by-team bubble. The union likely would balk at a continuous bubble for the balance of the season.

The players may feel differently. Faced with game checks that will be lost for good if games are cancelled, staying in a hotel for the next three months seems to be an acceptable sacrifice. The NBA is doing it. The NHL has done it. If the NFL wants to have a full and complete season, the NFL needs to do it, too.

As another source noted earlier today, putting all players, coaches, and essential personnel in a hotel for the rest of the season should re-open the window on opting out, with some sort of financial benefit if they choose not to embrace staying in a hotel for the rest of the year. But even if another cluster of players decides to tap out as 32 bubbles form, that’s better than eventually having to cancel games or entire weeks or, as a worst-case scenario, to end the season prematurely.

NBC

 

NFL: Patriots-Chiefs will move to Monday or Tuesday

The Patriots and Chiefs will not be playing at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The NFL announced in a statement on Saturday that the game will be postponed to Monday or Tuesday due to “positive COVID-19 tests on both teams.” Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has tested positive and NFL Media reports that Chiefs practice squad quarterback Jordan Ta’amu has as well.

“In consultation with infectious disease experts, both clubs are working closely with the NFL and the NFLPA to evaluate multiple close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments. All decisions will be made with the health and safety of players, team and gameday personnel as our primary consideration,” the statement said.

As we’ve seen with the Titans this week, the incubation period for the virus means that players could test positive days after their teammates. That means further testing for the Patriots will determine when the game is played this week or, should several more positive tests pop up, if the teams will need to find another date to play the game.

NBC

 

Trysten Hill fined for twisting Chris Carson’s leg



The Seahawks were upset with Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill for twisting Seahawks running back Chris Carson‘s leg after a tackle during last Sunday’s game and the league has fined Hill in response to the move.

Hill’s move left Carson with a knee injury and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that he’s been fined $6,522 for his actions last weekend. There were calls for a suspension from some corners during the week and those who felt that way will likely believe Hill’s getting off easy for a play that clearly crossed the line.

Carson was able to practice this week and has been listed as questionable to face the Dolphins, although Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll suggested he’d be available.

That wasn’t the only play that led to a fine for Hill. Pelissero reports that he was fined the same amount for roughing Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson during the game.

NBC

 

Colts-Bears Week 4 game rescheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET

The ongoing situation surrounding the postponed New England Patriots-Kansas City Chiefs game has affected the NFL's Week 4 schedule.

Sunday's game between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears has been moved to 4:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network's Mike Garofolo reports. The game was originally set to be played at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The afternoon slot was previously occupied by Patriots-Chiefs, which has been postponed to either Monday or Tuesday in the wake of multiple positive COVID-19 tests.

NFL.com

 

This is really interesting @Willie thanks for posting it!

 

Saints’ Michael Burton’s COVID-19 re-test comes back negative



The Saints, and the rest of the NFL, got some good news on Sunday morning.

Saints fullback Michael Burton, who tested positive for COVID-19 on a test that was taken before the team flew to Detroit on Saturday but didn’t come back until the team had already arrived in Detroit, was re-tested and that test came up negative.

All other Saints players have tested negative as well, so it appears the game against the Lions will go on today as scheduled.

Although false positives on COVID-19 tests are rare, they do happen, and that seems to be what happened with Burton’s test.

It’s unclear whether the NFL would have postponed today’s Saints-Lions game if Burton had been confirmed positive, but two other games have already been postponed this week. The league was very pleased with the lack of positive COVID-19 tests in the first three weeks of the season, but Week Four has provided a stark reminder that pulling off a football season in a pandemic is going to be difficult.

NBC
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These test's are not 'exact science', so in my opinion, they need to be highly scrutinized. Good news for the Saints and Lions.... so far.