Kenny Golladay hopes to “put good stuff on tape” to end frustrating year

Like just about everything else the Giants tried this year, their move to sign wide receiver Kenny Golladay to provide juice to their offense was a major miss. Golladay hurt his hamstring in training camp, missed time during the regular season with a knee injury, and failed to produce at a high level when he [more]

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Colts activate Jahleel Addae and Marlon Mack off of COVID-19 list

The Colts have gotten a couple of depth pieces back in advance of Sunday’s matchup with the Raiders. Indianapolis announced on Friday that safety Jahleel Addae and running back Marlon Mack have been activated off the COVID-19 list. Addae has appeared in  seven games this season, starting last week’s Saturday victory over the Cardinals. He [more]

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Jaguars activate Josh Allen, Myles Jack, Laviska Shenault off COVID-19 list

The Jaguars are getting several key players off the COVID-19 list in advance of their Sunday matchup with the Patriots. Jacksonville announced on Friday that the team has activated edge rusher Josh Allen, linebacker Myles Jack, receiver Laviska Shenault, tight end Luke Farrell, edge rusher Jordan Smith, linebacker Damien Wilson, and running back Travis Etienne [more]

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Nick Caserio resists the temptation to tank

Once a team falls out of contention for the playoffs, winning becomes losing. Specifically, losing ground in the draft order for the following year. It continues to be one of the great disconnects for the NFL, the idea that every time tries to win every game in every week and the reality that the team [more]

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Washington signing Ryan Winslow

Washington has solved its punter conundrum. Per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, the Football Team is signing Ryan Winslow. Washington’s usual punter Tress Way went on the COVID-19 list this week and the team did not have one on the practice squad. Winslow has appeared in three games this year, two for Carolina and [more]

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Baker Mayfield: I have nothing but respect for Ben Roethlisberger

The Browns and Steelers will face each other for a significant matchup on Monday night. And with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger confirming this week that it’s likely his last home game, Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield figures the crowd will be particularly raucous at Heinz Field. “With everything in our division, the situation at hand for both [more]

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Micah Parsons: Setting rookie sack record would be “extraordinary”

Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons took another step toward becoming the defensive rookie of the year this week when he won his second straight defensive rookie of the month award and he has two weeks to add one more feather in his cap before the regular season is over. Parsons recorded his 13th sack of the [more]

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Sean McVay: We’ve always pinpointed Week 18 or playoffs for Cam Akers return

The Rams haven’t officially shut the door on running back Cam Akers getting in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Ravens, but it doesn’t sound as if it is the likeliest spot for him to return to game action after tearing his Achilles in July. Akers was activated from injured reserve last week and [more]

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Mike Evans caught some passes at Bucs facility Thursday

Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has started taking steps back toward the team’s lineup. Evans was out with a hamstring injury last week and then went on the COVID-19 reserve list, but Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that he was at the team’s facility on Thursday. Evans caught some passes from practice [more]

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Ryan Kelly: Being back with Colts is where I need to be right now

Colts center Ryan Kelly returned to the team this week after taking a couple of weeks off to be with his wife following the death of their daughter while in utero and he spoke to the media for the first time since their loss on Thursday. Kelly thanked his teammates, the organization, hospital staff, and [more]

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Brandon Bolden reveals he had cancer in 2018

Patriots running back Brandon Bolden revealed on Thursday that he had cancer in 2018, having a carcinoma removed from his face during the offseason and then playing all 16 games that year. Bolden, who posted pictures from his experience on Instagram, said that when he was first diagnosed, he feared his football career could end, [more]

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On the future of Aaron Rodgers, the ball is likely in Green Bay’s court

On Wednesday, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers made it clear that he’ll make an early decision regarding whether he’ll retire. The decision that precedes his decision likely will have a major influence on the eventual decision. Rodgers has made his feelings clear. He has made his value even more clear. He’s making $33.5 million per year. [more]

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Colts activate Darius Leonard from COVID-19 reserve list

Linebacker Darius Leonard missed the Colts’ Christmas win in Arizona, but he should be back in the lineup to kick off 2022. The Colts announced on Thursday that Leonard has been activated from the COVID-19 reserve list. Leonard went on the list shortly before kickoff last Saturday and he joins left guard Quenton Nelson as [more]

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Thomas Morstead named NFC special teams player of the month

Thomas Morstead began the 2021 season without a team, since the Saints released him in early 2021 after 12 seasons. Then Morstead signed with the Jets to fill in for an injured Braden Mann, averaging 48.2 yards on his 23 punts in seven games. After Mann’s return, New York cut Morstead. So he was available [more]

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Evan McPherson is the AFC special teams player of the month

The Bengals used a fifth-round draft pick on kicker Evan McPherson this season and the decision has paid off well for them. McPherson has shown off an accurate and powerful leg throughout his rookie season and his December work was particularly notable. McPherson went 9-of-11 on field goals and 8-of-9 on extra points while the [more]

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Amon-Ra St. Brown named offensive rookie of the month

All things considered, the Lions had a solid month of December, going 2-2 with victories over the Vikings and Cardinals. But one of their young receivers delivered in all four games, providing a lift for the offense and perhaps a glimpse into the future. Amon-Ra St. Brown has been named the offensive rookie of the [more]

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Micah Parsons named December’s top defensive rookie

There’s no suspense about who will be named the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year for the 2021 season. Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons is one of the favorites to be named the defensive rookie of the year and he has no competition when it comes to the rookie award. That has been clear for some [more]

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Jerome Baker named AFC defensive player of the month

After starting 1-7, the Dolphins have been one of the league’s hottest teams to win seven in a row. After defeating New Orleans on Monday, Miami is 8-7 and enters Week 17 as the AFC’s No. 7 seed. Linebacker Jerome Baker has been a big part of the team’s last couple of wins and now [more]

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Aaron Donald named the NFC defensive player of the month

The Rams went 4-0 during the month of December and took over first place in the NFC West from the Cardinals in the process. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald played a leading role in making that happen. Donald posted 21 tackles, six sacks, eight tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles in the [more]

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Patrick Mahomes named AFC offensive player of the month

The Chiefs went 4-0 in December to win their sixth consecutive AFC West title and they got some strong performances by quarterback Patrick Mahomes along the way. Now the 2018 MVP has been named offensive player of the month. Mahomes completed 68.5 percent of his passes in December for 1,110 yards with eight touchdowns and [more]

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Aaron Rodgers is the NFC offensive player of the month

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers mused about retirement on Wednesday and he has set himself up to go out on top if he does hang up the cleats. Rodgers was the NFL MVP last season and his work in December has made him a leading candidate to take home the prize again this year. Rodgers went [more]

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Harold Goodwin: There are a lot of good coaches that aren’t coordinators

Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich have generated a lot of buzz as head coaching candidates, but neither of them has been tasked with stepping in for Bruce Arians after Arians tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Assistant head coach Harold Goodwin got that nod and he will oversee operations until [more]

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Darrell Bevell interested in permanent run as Jaguars head coach

The last time the Jaguars fired their head coach during the regular season, they wound up hiring interim head coach Doug Marrone on a permanent basis. Jacksonville made another in-season change this year when they pulled the plug on Urban Meyer’s disastrous tenure after 13 games and installed offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell as his replacement. [more]

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Sam Ehlinger feels comfortable in Colts offense, understands what QB has to be

The Colts hope to have Carson Wentz back from the COVID-19 reserve list in time to start against the Raiders on Sunday, but they are preparing rookie Sam Ehlinger to make his first NFL start in the event that Wentz can’t get clearance. Head coach Frank Reich may have given old friend Philip Rivers a [more]

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Joe Burrow sees “big opportunity” for Bengals against Chiefs

A win at home in Week 17 will clinch the AFC North for the Bengals, but getting that victory will not be a walk in the park. The Bengals will welcome the hottest team in football to Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. The Chiefs have won eight straight games and currently rank as the top [more]

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Davante Adams says Aaron Rodgers’ situation could affect his own free agency decision

Packers wide receiver Davante Adams is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in March, and he says his decision on whether to re-sign with Green Bay will be affected by whether Aaron Rodgers returns. Rodgers hasn’t made any decisions about whether he’ll be retiring, remaining in Green Bay or going elsewhere in 2022, and [more]

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Tavierre Thomas is the AFC defensive player of the week

The Texans pulled off the biggest upset of Week 16 and one of their players earned recognition from the NFL for his role in the 41-29 takedown of the Chargers. Cornerback Tavierre Thomas had eight tackles and an interception in Houston’s fourth win of the season. Thomas returned that interception 48 yards for a touchdown [more]

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Joe Burrow is the AFC offensive player of the week

Gold jacket or not, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had a phenomenal performance on Sunday against the Ravens. Now he’s received an honor that was coming from the time he left the field. Burrow has been named AFC offensive player of the week after he threw for 525 yards — fourth-highest all-time in a single game [more]

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Dak Prescott named NFC offensive player of the week

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott might not have called it a slump, but he wasn’t playing to the the level that the team wanted to see as they headed into a Week 16 game against the Washington Football Team. However you termed that stretch of ragged play, it’s now safe to refer to it in the [more]

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Chiefs LB coach Matt House will be LSU’s next defensive coordinator

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said this week that he anticipates getting requests from other teams to speak to offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy or defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo about head coaching vacancies and the team is already set to lose one assistant once their season is over. LSU announced that Chiefs linebackers coach Matt House [more]

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Jonathan Gannon feels Eagles defense starting to hit its stride

After the Eagles fell to 2-5 on October 24, veteran defensive tackle Fletcher Cox aired some grievances with the defensive scheme installed by coordinator Jonathan Gannon. It wasn’t the first time that Cox had spoken out and his dissatisfaction along with the team’s record suggested that the stage might be set for a long season [more]

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Josh McDaniels: No concern that Mac Jones hit a rookie wall

Quarterback Mac Jones played efficient and effective football through most of a seven-game winning streak that lifted the Patriots into first place in the AFC East, but the last two weeks have not been as sharp. Jones has gone 40-of-77 for 444 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions in back-to-back losses that have knocked the [more]

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John Harbaugh “looking forward” to seeing where Lamar Jackson is on Wednesday

Josh Johnson started at quarterback for the Ravens in their Week 16 loss to the Bengals and the team doesn’t know at this point if they are going to have to turn to Johnson against the Rams this week as well. Lamar Jackson has missed the last two games with an ankle injury and Tyler [more]

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Sean McDermott welcomes head coaching opportunities for Brian Daboll, Leslie Frazier

A change in NFL procedures this year allows teams looking for head coaches to interview candidates employed by other teams during the final two weeks of the regular season as long as their current employers agree to let the interviews take place. There’s been no word of formal requests to speak to Bills offensive coordinator [more]

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Taylor Heinicke will start, Kyle Allen will “probably” play

Washington’s playoff hopes are on life support after Sunday’s humiliating 56-14 loss to the Cowboys, but they aren’t going to make a quarterback change as they play out the string on the 2021 season. Head coach Ron Rivera told reporters on Monday that Taylor Heinicke will remain the starter for the team’s Week 17 game [more]

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Week 17 NFL playoff picture: Two spots still up for grabs in the NFC

When Week 16 began, no NFC teams had clinched spots in the postseason. By the time it was over, five of the seven tickets had been punched and three of the divisions were decided. Only the NFC West remains in play and the Rams now have the inside track on a home playoff game in [more]

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Week 17 NFL playoff picture: The AFC says hello to the Dolphins

The Dolphins were 1-7 at one point this season and the discussion around the team had more to do with whether Brian Flores would return for a fourth season as their head coach than anything related to a playoff run. It’s a very different discussion after Monday night’s 20-3 win over the Saints, however. The [more]

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Ian Book: I’ve got a lot to get better at, first start was bad

Saints fourth-string quarterback Ian Book was thrust into the starting lineup on Monday night, and the results were not good, with just 135 passing yards, two interceptions and eight sacks in a 20-3 loss. Book acknowledged that he has a lot to learn. “I’ve got a lot to get better at,” Book said. “It’s bad. [more]

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FMIA Week 16: How Colts Overcame Covid On Christmas. Plus The Most Important Win Of Josh Allen’s Life

NFL 2021, in Omicronland: Last Friday, a robotic NFL Films camera in the Indianapolis Colts quarterback room caught the unvarnished real of this NFL season. NFL Films for the first time is doing an in-season “Hard Knocks” show on HBO every Wednesday night, and this debut series is with the Colts. Last Friday, a few [more]

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Who’s in danger of getting fired by Tuesday morning?

Teams with head-coaching vacancies as of 8:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, along with teams who have told their coaches they won’t be back, can begin interviewing assistant coaches from other teams, 12 days before the conclusion of the regular season. So which other coaches could learn in the next 40 hours or so that they’re [more]

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Report: Miles Sanders broke bone in hand, will see if he can play through it

On Sunday evening, PFT reported that the Eagles feared running back Miles Sanders fractured his hand in the 34-10 win over the Giants and that he could miss time if tests showed that was the case. Monday morning brings a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media that Sanders has broken a bone in his [more]

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Isaiah McKenzie: I just had to step up

The Bills were down two wide receivers for Sunday’s game against the Patriots, which meant that Isaiah McKenzie got a chance to take on a bigger role in the offense. McKenzie made the most of the opportunity. He caught 11 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown to help the Bills to a 33-21 win [more]

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DeMarcus Lawrence: I’ve got to keep up with the young talent on defense

First-round pick Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs have gotten plenty of attention for their work on defense for the Cowboys this season, but defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence doesn’t want to become a forgotten man on that side of the ball. Lawrence missed 10 games after breaking his foot in the season opener, but he’s [more]

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Jalen Hurts on Lane Johnson TD: Happy he’s back with us after what he went through

There were plenty of highlights for the Eagles in the second half of their 34-10 rout of the Giants on Sunday, but the most memorable likely came when quarterback Jalen Hurts found tackle Lane Johnson for a five-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. It was the first catch and first touchdown of Johnson’s nine-year [more]

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Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t know why Steelers keep flopping in the first half

Sunday’s game in Kansas City followed a familiar script for the Steelers. Their offense failed to generate any points and their defense failed to keep the Chiefs from finding the end zone, which added up to a 23-0 halftime deficit and a fifth-straight game without a touchdown in the first half. The last time the [more]

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Matt Rhule: Sometimes you need to be booed

The Panthers opened the 2021 season with a 3-0 record, but things have gone straight downhill from there. Sunday’s 32-6 loss to a shorthanded Buccaneers team was their 10th in the last 12 games and it resulted in unhappy reactions from fans at Bank of America Stadium. There were boos for the team and chants [more]

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Pete Carroll: I have to do more to help players

The Seahawks were up 24-14 going into the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against a Bears team being quarterbacked by Nick Foles, but Chicago scored 11 points in the final 11 minutes to hand Seattle what head coach Pete Carroll called “as disappointing of a loss” as the team has had since he became their [more]

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Vic Fangio: It’s hard to say anything good about Broncos’ offense

The Broncos are poised to miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, including all three seasons of head coach Vic Fangio’s tenure in Denver. And Fangio admits the result haven’t been good enough. Specifically, Fangio said after Sunday’s 17-13 loss to the Raiders that he can’t justify the play of his offense. “You get [more]

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Aaron Rodgers hopes getting his toe stepped on (again) won’t be a “major setback”

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers felt great before Saturday’s game, with his toe not bothering him enough to require numbing. At halftime, it did. After the 24-22 win over the Browns, he addressed the situation, which included a teammate inadvertently stepping on his toe during the second quarter. “This was the best I’ve felt in weeks,” [more]

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Report: T.J. Watt playing with cracked ribs

Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt has made numerous appearances on the team’s injury report this season, but he did not make any appearances this week. According to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, it’s not because he’s without any medical issues heading into Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Rapoport reports that Watt cracked two [more]

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Kevin Stefanski never considered QB change, Baker Mayfield is the starter

The Browns couldn’t overcome four Baker Mayfield interceptions in Green Bay on Sunday and the 24-22 loss to the Packers leaves them at 7-8 and in need of help to advance to the postseason even if they win their two remaining games. After the loss, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that he never considered [more]

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Report: Giants to bring back Joe Judge, Daniel Jones in 2022

The window opens after this weekend to interview candidates from other teams for vacant head-coaching jobs. The Giants reportedly won’t be getting a head start, or any start, on that effort. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the Giants currently plan to bring back coach Joe Judge and quarterback Daniel Jones for the 2022 season. Not [more]

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Jake Fromm will start for Giants vs. Eagles today

Officially, the Giants have declined to say who their starting quarterback is today. But it’s going to be Jake Fromm. Fromm will get the first start of his career today against the Eagles, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Giants have ruled Daniel Jones out for the season, and Mike Glennon has been a [more]

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Kliff Kingsbury: Cardinals have to look in the mirror, right now it’s not good enough

For most of this season, the Cardinals have had the best record in the NFL. Now they’ve lost three straight games and no longer have the best record in the NFC West. Although the Cardinals are still a near-lock to make the playoffs, coach Kliff Kingsbury acknowledged after Saturday night’s loss to the Colts that [more]

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Lamar Jackson officially out Sunday, Josh Johnson set to start

It looks like the Ravens will be starting Josh Johnson at quarterback in Cincinnati on Sunday. The team announced that Lamar Jackson did not travel with the team on Saturday, which leaves Johnson as the only quarterback currently available to play against the Bengals because Tyler Huntley was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on [more]

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Tyreek Hill cleared to play Sunday vs. Steelers

Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill will be back for Sunday’s game against the Steelers. Hill, who missed practice this week after going on COVID-19 reserve, has been cleared to play, according to multiple reports. The Chiefs had several players go on COVID-19 reserve this week, the most notable of whom were Hill and tight end [more]

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Tyler Huntley lands on COVID-19 reserve

A day after Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley missed practice due to illness, that illness has become a COVID-19 diagnosis. According to NFL Media, he has been placed on the COVID reserve list. This means that Josh Johnson will get the start for the Ravens, if Lamar Jackson can’t play due to an ankle injury. He’s [more]

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The Saints tried to lure Drew Brees out of retirement

The Saints have a quarterback problem, with Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian on COVID reserve. It prompted the team to turn on the bat signal this week. Unfortunately, Batman is taking a pass on once again throwing passes. Via Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Saints called Drew Brees about the possibility of [more]

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Rams put Andrew Whitworth on COVID-19 reserve

The Rams will be without their starting left tackle tomorrow in Minnesota. Andrew Whitworth was placed on the team’s COVID-19 reserve list. Whitworth, who at 40 is the second-oldest player in the NFL (second only to Tom Brady), has played 90 percent of the Rams’ offensive snaps this season, and Matthew Stafford will miss Whitworth [more]

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Drew Lock gets a chance to audition for the Broncos, or someone else, on Sunday

In 2019, Broncos quarterback Drew Lock did just enough to create a sense that perhaps he could become a franchise quarterback. Since then, he hasn’t done nearly enough to earn that title or anything close to it. His next chance to get his career on the right track comes on Sunday at Las Vegas, as [more]

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Both Christmas games have major playoff implications

The NFL got lucky with the scheduling of its two Christmas games, as both games (Browns-Packers at 4:30 p.m. ET and Colts-Cardinals at 7:15) have major playoff implications. The 11-3 Packers are currently in the lead to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which comes with a bye week and home-field advantage throughout [more]

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Bills place Gabriel Davis, Cody Ford on COVID-19 list

With Bills receiver Cole Beasley already out for this week after testing positive for COVID-19, Buffalo has now lost another receiver for Sunday’s game due to the virus. Buffalo has placed receiver Gabriel Davis and right guard Cody Ford on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced on Friday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Davis is [more]

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Jared Goff “highly unlikely” to play against Falcons

Quarterback Jared Goff helped pilot the Lions to an improbable, dominant victory over the Cardinals last week. But it’s looking like he won’t be on the field for an encore in Week 16. According to multiple reporters, head coach Dan Campbell said Friday that it’s “highly unlikely” Goff will play against the Falcons this weekend [more]

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Fan voting for Pro Bowl has cratered in recent years

The Pro Bowl survives because it remains profitable, even if it stopped being a competitive game of football many years ago. It shouldn’t be a competitive game of football. Not in the modern NFL, where any player who is healthy enough to play one last game that isn’t the Super Bowl shouldn’t be playing in [more]

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Jaguars Josh Allen tests positive for COVID-19

The Jets have developed several COVID-19 issues this week and now their opponent has at least one, too. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Jacksonville edge rusher Josh Allen has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday’s game against New York. According to multiple reporters on the Jaguars beat, Allen is unvaccinated so he [more]

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Washington’s Deshazor Everett injured in car crash, passenger in his car died

Washington Football Team safety Deshazor Everett was injured in a car crash and a passenger in his car died, the team announced this morning. “We’ve been made aware of an automobile accident last night involving Deshazor Everett,” the team said in a statement. “A passenger in his vehicle lost their life and we extend our [more]

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Anthony Lynn plans to figure out future with Lions “when the time comes”

The Lions were struggling when head coach Dan Campbell took over offensive play-calling duties in mid-November. Since then, Detroit has won a couple of games scoring 29 points against the Vikings and 30 in last week’s victory over the Cardinals. Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn was effectively demoted, as he’d previously called the plays. He has [more]

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Justin Tucker backs John Harbaugh’s decision not to let him kick game-tying extra point

When the Ravens are deciding whether to go for two or kick an extra point, one factor in favor of kicking is that they have the best kicker in NFL history, Justin Tucker, whose 98.5 percent success rate since extra points became more difficult in 2015 is the highest in the league in that time. [more]

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Kyle Shanahan doesn’t blame Jimmy Garoppolo for his two interceptions

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has a complicated relationship with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Even with Garoppolo’s eventual replacement on the roster, Shanahan continues to cling to an unrealistic vision of what Garoppolo could be, but for the periodic mistakes. But the periodic mistakes continue to happen. On Thursday night, Garoppolo’s pair of interceptions contributed significantly to [more]

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Washington to activate Kyle Allen off COVID-19 list

Washington already had gotten starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke back in their building. Now they’ll have their regular backup for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. According to multiple reports, Kyle Allen will be activated off the COVID-19 list on Friday. Allen has appeared in one game this year, completing four of his nine passes for 53 [more]

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Will Browns make a play for Deshaun Watson?

The season hangs in the balance for the 7-7 Brown as they prepare for a Christmas Day date with the Packers in Green Bay. After the season ends, difficult questions regarding the quarterback position will slide to the front burner. Who will the quarterback be in 2022, and beyond? Baker Mayfield‘s status feels tenuous, from [more]

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Zach Wilson: It’s not me against Trevor Lawrence

The top two picks in the 2021 NFL Draft will face off for the first time on Sunday, but the No. 2 pick isn’t looking at as a chance to beat No. 1. Zach Wilson went to the Jets a pick after Trevor Lawrence was selected by the Jaguars, so it is inevitable that the [more]

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J.C. Jackson trying to create his own island

Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson had an unheralded start to his NFL career, but he’s come a long way since signing with New England as an undrafted free agent. Jackson moved his way up the depth chart over his first few seasons to become a fixture in the New England defense and he has made life [more]

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Mike Vrabel: People were planning our funeral, but we’re not dead yet

The Titans came into Thursday night’s game with three losses in their last four games and without the starting left side of their offensive line, which helped explain why the 49ers were favored to win on the road. Anyone who picked the Niners likely felt good about that read at halftime. The Titans were down [more]

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Jimmy Garoppolo: Some good, some bad on Thursday night

The 49ers were able to drive for a game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game against the Titans, but there was time left for the Titans to drive for a game-winning field goal and it was hard to feel like the team should never have been in that position in the first place. [more]

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A.J. Brown missed football while he was injured, and the Titans missed him

Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown had missed three straight games prior to Thursday night. He was glad to be back, and the Titans needed him. Brown caught a career-high 11 passes on Thursday night, gaining 145 yards and for 145 yards and scoring the fourth-quarter touchdown that gave the Titans their first lead of the [more]

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Kyle Shanahan defends not trying to score at end of first half, says he wanted to avoid a turnover

The 49ers did not try to score at the end of the first half on Thursday night, instead just letting the clock run down and going into the locker room with a 10-0 lead. That came back to haunt them in a game they would lose 20-17. But 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan defended the decision [more]

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Taylor Heinicke cleared to return from COVID-19

Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke is back. Heinicke has been cleared to return from COVID-19, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. That means Heinicke will be good to go on Sunday night, when Washington plays at Dallas. Heinicke was part of a COVID-19 outbreak so severe in Washington’s locker room that the NFL moved [more]

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Adam Thielen excited about having a chance to play this week

An ankle injury has limited Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen to six snaps since Week 12, but he is steadily moving closer to returning to the lineup. Thielen worked out on the field before Monday night’s win over the Bears and he took part in practice on Wednesday for the first time since getting hurt. [more]

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Ron Rivera: We’ll be “tremendously disappointed” if Washington misses playoffs

Tuesday’s loss to the Eagles dropped Washington to 6-8 on the season and it came with a depleted roster due to the team missing a slew of players due to COVID-19 or injuries. Players will come off the COVID reserve list, but the injuries won’t all heal by the end of the season and the [more]

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L’Jarius Sneed “in a good place” and ready to go for Chiefs

The Chiefs have played without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed the last couple of weeks, but he’s back with the team and on track to play against the Steelers this week. Sneed was away from the team after his brother was stabbed to death earlier this month. He returned to Kansas City ahead of last Thursday’s win [more]

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Drew Lock: Time to show I’m a better quarterback than I was in the past

Drew Lock was given a chance to show he could the Broncos’ long-term answer at quarterback after being selected in the second-round of the 2018 draft, but he failed to seize the job over 18 starts in his first two seasons. Lock’s run as the starter came to an end when the Broncos chose Teddy [more]

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Chiefs, Packers can be NFL’s first pair of repeat No. 1 seeds since 1982-1983

The Chiefs and Packers were the No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC playoffs last year, and with three weeks left in the season each team has a one-game lead in its conference for the No. 1 seed this year as well. That means they could accomplish a rare feat. If the Chiefs and [more]

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Tremon Smith named AFC special teams player of the week

The Texans got their third victory of the season on Sunday and Tremon Smith was a significant part of it. The defensive back and return specialist took a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter, which gave Houston a 14-3 lead. That key score helped push Smith to earn AFC special [more]

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Riley Patterson is the NFC special teams player of the week

The Lions pulled off the biggest upset win of Week 15 and one of their players’ efforts in making it happen earned him an award from the NFL on Wednesday. Kicker Riley Patterson has been named the NFC special teams player of the week. It was Patterson’s fourth NFL game. Patterson made all three field [more]

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Darius Leonard is the AFC defensive player of the week

It seemed like Colts linebacker Darius Leonard was everywhere on Saturday night as Indianapolis defeated New England 27-17. Apparently, the league took notice. Leonard has been named AFC defensive player of the week after putting up 10 total tackles with one tackle for loss, an interception, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hit in the [more]

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Cameron Jordan is the NFC defensive player of the week

The Saints defense pitched a shutout against the Buccaneers last Sunday night and one of the leaders of their defense was honored for his performance on Wednesday. Defensive end Cameron Jordan missed Week 14 while on the COVID-19 reserve list, but he showed no lingering effects of his absence during the 9-0 New Orleans win. [more]

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Travis Kelce named AFC offensive player of the week

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had one of the best games of his career last Thursday to help lead his team to a victory over the Chargers. Now he’s been honored for the performance. Kelce set a new career-high with 191 receiving yards on 10 receptions with two touchdowns in the 34-28 overtime victory and [more]

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Aaron Rodgers is the NFC offensive player of the week

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has taken over as the favorite in betting for the NFL MVP award and he picked up a smaller prize on Wednesday. The NFL announced that Rodgers has been named the NFC offensive player of the week in recognition of his performance in a 31-30 win over the Ravens. It’s the [more]

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Chase Edmonds: Cardinals need to have more urgency

When quarterback Kyler Murray spoke to reporters after last Sunday’s loss to the Lions, he pushed back at suggestions that the team was in the same kind of skid they were in during the second half of last season by saying the team is “nowhere near where we were last year and we’re not going [more]

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Jonathan Allen: No excuses, we didn’t do our job

The Washington Football Team was missing a lot of pieces after a COVID-19 outbreak on the roster, including their top two quarterbacks, for Tuesday’s game against the Eagles, but there weren’t a lot of pleas for sympathy after their 27-17 loss. Head coach Ron Rivera said in his postgame press conference that the team “missed [more]

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Eagles have run for at least 175 yards in last seven games

After a Week Three loss to the Cowboys that saw the Eagles hand the ball off to running backs three times, head coach Nick Sirianni’s resistance to running the ball led to a lot of criticism. Sirianni isn’t hearing the same complaints now. The Eagles ran for 238 yards in Tuesday night’s win over Washington [more]

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Sean McVay: Big-time win after “emotionally and physically exhausting” week

The Rams put 29 players on the COVID-19 list over the last 10 days, which caused a delay in their Week 15 game against the Seahawks and left them unsure about who would be available on Tuesday night. Once they hit the field, the Rams came back from 10-3 down in the third quarter to [more]

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Week 16 NFL playoff picture: Getting tight in the NFC West

When the Rams lost to the Packers in Week 12, it looked like the Cardinals might cruise to an NFC West title but things have changed quickly in the NFC West. The Cardinals have dropped two straight games, including a Week 14 matchup with the Rams, and Los Angeles has a three-game winning streak after [more]

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Jerry Jones eager to have Cowboys play in Mexico

Jerry Jones wants the Cowboys to be known not just as America’s Team but as Mexico’s Team. As the NFL continues to try to grow its popularity around the world, Jones is eager to develop a large fan base in Mexico, and he said in an interview for the team’s website that he would like [more]

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Tom Brady on the recent COVID protocol changes: “I was absolutely all for it”

The man who declared in the early days of the pandemic that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself continues to have no fear regarding the virus that is currently ripping through the NFL, in a weaker (for now) variant. On the latest episode of his Let’s Go! podcast, Buccaneers quarterback Tom [more]

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Arthur Smith on 0-5 home record: We’ve got to do something to change that narrative

The Falcons have experienced an up-and-down year for their first season under head coach Arthur Smith. Technically the club is still in a position to possibly make the postseason at 6-8, with games against the Lions, Bills, and Saints still on their schedule. But one oddity of the team’s season is that Atlanta hasn’t won [more]

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Zac Taylor: News on Joe Mixon’s ankle encouraging

Bengals running back Joe Mixon hurt his ankle late in Sunday’s win over the Broncos and head coach Zac Taylor gave a positive update on his condition on Monday. Taylor told reporters that Mixon could miss some practice time, but that the early word on his ankle has him feeling optimistic about the back’s availability [more]

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Kliff Kingsbury: Every team faces adversity, it’s how you deal with it

The Cardinals have lost two straight games and those losses have led to a big difference in the strength of their playoff position. They’ve dropped from the No. 1 seed to No. 4 and their lead in the NFC west has been pared down as well. They’ve also lost players like J.J. Watt and DeAndre [more]

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Will new interview rule trigger a wave of firings?

For the first time ever, NFL franchises will be permitted to officially commence interviewing assistant coaches from other teams with time left in the regular season. As of Monday, December 27, the window opens on virtual interviews. There’s an important catch. The teams that will be interviewing assistants from other teams must have a vacancy, [more]

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Andy Reid “wasn’t giddy” about moving to No. 1 seed, wants Chiefs to keep working

The Chiefs have hosted the last three AFC Championship Games and they are now in position to have a chance at making it four straight this season. Putting Kansas City’s win over the Chargers together with losses by the Patriots and Titans means that the Chiefs are alone at the top of the AFC with [more]

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Justin Fields: I love Teven Jenkins sticking up for me, just do it before the whistle

Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins picked up a 15-yard penalty for getting in the face of a Vikings player who hit quarterback Justin Fields on Monday night. Fields appreciated the support. Fields said after the game that he’d like to see more of that from his linemen, although he acknowledged that they need to do [more]

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Nick Chubb: We’ve got to finish, and we weren’t able to

The COVID-depleted Browns had a chance to steal a win over the Raiders on Monday night. After Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr threw an interception late in the fourth quarter with Cleveland up 14-13, the Browns faced third-and-3 from their own 30-yard line. With a couple of key offensive linemen out and a third-string quarterback, [more]

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NFL whiffed on evaluating Tyler Huntley before the 2020 draft

It’s too early to say for sure what kind of career Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley will have. But Huntley has done enough this season that it’s not too early to say that NFL talent evaluators significantly underestimated him in the 2020 draft. The 23-year-old Huntley has started two games for the Ravens this season and [more]

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Mike Vrabel on Julio Jones: We’ll evaluate how he can help us Thursday

Wide receiver Julio Jones‘ first season with the Titans has mostly been notable for what Jones hasn’t done. Jones hasn’t put up big numbers in the passing game and he hasn’t been on the field all that much because of hamstring injuries. The latter knocked him out of Sunday’s loss to the Steelers and the [more]

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Lamar Jackson “getting better,” Ravens hopeful he’ll practice Wednesday

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson did not play in Sunday’s loss to the Packers because of an ankle injury and his status for Week 16 is up in the air as well. Head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday that Jackson’s ankle is “getting better” and that he is “hopeful” that Jackson will be able to [more]

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Dolphins sign Duke Johnson to active roster, don’t expect Will Fuller back this year

Running back Duke Johnson had a big day in Sunday’s win over the Jets and he earned himself a permanent spot on the team’s active roster on Monday. Johnson had been elevated from the practice squad for the game and posted 22 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-24 victory. The Dolphins [more]

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Derek Carr: After late interception, I promised we’d win if we got ball back

A few plays after Browns quarterback Nick Mullens threw a touchdown pass that put the Browns up 14-13 in the fourth quarter, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr tried to put his team back on top. Carr tried a deep shot to wide receiver Zay Jones, but Browns cornerback Greedy Williams picked it off and gave the [more]

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Robert Quinn: Refs seem like they’re controlling the game a little too much

There were plenty of errors for the Bears to lament after Monday’s 17-9 loss to the Vikings, including three turnovers, a blocked field goal, and three failed fourth downs while in scoring position in the second half. Chicago was also penalized nine times for 91 yards during the contest. Five of those penalties were personal [more]

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Bruce Arians: Bringing back Antonio Brown, Mike Edwards is in “the best interests of the team”

In all of sports, excuses are made for the stars and examples are made of the scrubs. That concept will once again play out in Tampa Bay. If receiver Antonio Brown and/or safety Mike Edwards stunk, they’d already be gone. They don’t stink. More importantly, after a rash of injuries on Sunday night, the Buccaneers [more]

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Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum won’t play Monday

Baker Mayfield was praying that he would test out of COVID-19 protocols in time to play against the Raiders on Monday, but those prayers have not been answered. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Mayfield’s test on Monday was neither negative nor showed a low enough viral load for him to return to the [more]

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Tyler Huntley “took a big step” on Sunday

After Sunday’s 31-30 loss to the Packers, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that he anticipates having Lamar Jackson back in the lineup to face the Bengals in Week 16. Harbaugh also made it clear that he’ll have no qualms about going into the game without Jackson. Tyler Huntley threw two touchdowns and ran for [more]

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Tom Brady downplays his in-game holiday greeting for Saints sideline

At one point late in Sunday night’s shutout loss to the Saints, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady lumbered toward the opposing sideline after an interception, got in the face of a members of the Saints’ staff, and delivered a heartwarming holiday greeting. “Go f–k yourself,” Brady yelled (if my lipreading skills are any good). Brady was [more]

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T.J. Watt: Great accomplishment to set Steelers sack record, but so much work left to do

Sunday’s Steelers win was a big one for the team and it also featured a couple of meaningful milestones for members of the team. Ben Roethlisberger passed Philip Rivers to move into fifth place in all-time passing yards and T.J. Watt recorded 1.5 sacks to set a new single-season franchise record in that category. Watt [more]

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Dak Prescott: Offense needs to catch up with defense

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott got a win in Sunday’s game, but he is losing a bet with defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. Prescott said after Sunday’s 21-6 win over the Giants that he and Lawrence have a wager on offensive touchdowns versus defensive takeaways. On Sunday, the defense forced four turnovers and the offense scored two [more]

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FMIA Week 15: Omicron Forces NFL To Change Course As Playoffs Near

It’s crazy to top this column with this #%&@#$ virus again, but I promise it will be brief. Nobody is clicking on this column to read about this pervasive, crazy, very mild variant of Covid-19. “I swear to you I’m not sick, at all,” said one of those players who has tested positive, and who [more]

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Bill Belichick questions why T.Y. Hilton wasn’t ejected for contact with an official

Two players were ejected during Saturday night’s Patriots-Colts game, but Bill Belichick thinks a third player should have been tossed as well. Asked about the scuffle between Patriots defensive back Kyle Dugger and Colts receiver Michael Pittman that resulted in the ejections of both players, Belichick didn’t have much to say about that but then [more]

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Bill Belichick apologizes to media for curt responses after Saturday night’s loss

Patriots coach Bill Belichick often grumbles short answers to reporters’ questions, especially after the Patriots lose. But on reflection, Belichick feels like he took that tendency too far after Saturday night’s loss to the Colts. So on Monday morning, Belichick apologized to reporters, saying that he was frustrated but shouldn’t have been short with the [more]

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Brian Flores: Duke Johnson “definitely gave us a spark” Sunday

Duke Johnson hasn’t been a member of the Dolphins for a long period of time, but he’s right at home in Miami. Johnson grew up in South Florida and he left the University of Miami as the leading rusher in school history, so it was no surprise that the home crowd was ready to cheer [more]

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Nick Bosa sees 49ers defense hitting their stride as season winds down

At this time last year, Nick Bosa was rehabbing a torn ACL and the 49ers were playing out the string of a lost season. Bosa is back on the field now and he recorded his 15th sack of the year in the 49ers’ 31-13 win over the Falcons on Sunday. The victory pushed the 49ers [more]

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Joe Judge: We’ll have a conversation about starting Jake Fromm

Joe Judge slipped to 10-20 as the head coach of the Giants with Sunday’s 21-6 loss to the Cowboys and one topic of conversation after the game concerned whether he will turn to Jake Fromm at quarterback in pursuit of his 11th career victory. Fromm replaced Mike Glennon after Glennon threw three interceptions and went [more]

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Aaron Rodgers savoring “special moments” after Sunday’s win

The Packers moved to 11-3 when the Ravens failed to convert a two-point conversion in the final minute of Sunday’s game and the victory meant that it was time to stick a fork in the race for the NFC North title. Green Bay is the divisional champion for the third straight season and the eighth [more]

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Dennis Allen: I relish that opportunity to be a head coach

The Saints didn’t have Sean Payton on the sideline for Sunday night’s game against the Buccaneers because of a positive COVID-19 test and that meant defensive coordinator Dennis Allen took on a bigger role for the NFC South matchup. Allen had the team ready to go. His defense shut the Buccaneers down in a 9-0 [more]

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Jaguars’ loss, Lions’ win moves Jacksonville into lead for first overall pick in 2022 NFL draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars are closing in on the first pick in the draft for the second consecutive year. Jacksonville lost to Houston on Sunday and Detroit upset Arizona, and that means the Jaguars now have a clear path to the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. The Jaguars are 2-12, the worst record [more]

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Under new protocols, there’s even more incentive to hide symptoms

Now that the dust has begun to settle on the negotiations that dramatically minimized COVID protocols in order to keep everyone’s financial position maximized, there’s a realization that, for the rest of the year, the virus will get inside the facilities and migrate through the building, at will. The testing changes apply not only to [more]

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Browns put Jadeveon Clowney on COVID-19 reserve list

A report on Friday said that Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney tested positive for COVID-19, but the team didn’t put him on the COVID reserve list on Friday or Saturday. The move finally came on Sunday. The Browns announced that Clowney went on the list at the same time that they confirmed right guard Wyatt [more]

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Zane Gonzalez helped off field during Panthers warmups

The Panthers may not have a kicker for Sunday’s game against the Bills. According to multiple reporters in Buffalo, Zane Gonzalez had to be helped off the field by long snapper J.J. Jansen and members of the team’s training staff. The exact nature of the injury is unknown. Gonzalez is 20-of-22 on field goals and [more]

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Wyatt Teller coming off COVID-19 reserve list

With their Week 15 game against the Raiders pushed back to Monday, the Browns have more time for players to test their way off the COVID-19 reserve list and one starting offensive lineman has done that. According to multiple reports, right guard Wyatt Teller will be activated from the COVID-19 reserve list on Sunday. Teller [more]

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NFL Week 15 early inactives: Joe Haden back for Steelers

Every week we bring you all the inactives from the 1 p.m. ET games in one post, constantly updated with the latest information. The Steelers will be getting some help in the secondary as they try for a win against the Titans on Sunday afternoon. Cornerback Joe Haden is back in the lineup after missing [more]

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Report: Jalen Ramsey tests negative, will come off COVID-19 reserve list

The Rams had wide receiver Odell Beckham and five other players come off the COVID-19 reserve list on Saturday and they’re reportedly set to get cornerback Jalen Ramsey back as well. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports reports that Ramsey tested negative on Saturday and, per the revised protocols for vaccinated players, is now able to [more]

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Mac Jones after Patriots lost to Colts: We didn’t practice well this week

The Patriots had their seven-game winning streak come crashing to a halt on Saturday night against the Colts. After the game, rookie quarterback Mac Jones tried to make sense of it. “I just don’t think it was our best effort,” Jones told reporters. “It starts with me just throughout the week. We didn’t have a [more]

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Tony Pollard is set to play for the Cowboys

The Cowboys can clinch a playoff spot this weekend and they’re expected to have running back Tony Pollard on hand as they try to book their passage to the postseason. Pollard did not play last Sunday because of a foot injury and he was listed as questionable after getting in a pair of limited practices [more]

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Jevon Holland off COVID reserve list, but won’t play Sunday

The Dolphins will not have safety Jevon Holland in the lineup as they try to extend their winning streak to six games against the Jets on Sunday. Holland spent most of the week on the COVID-19 reserve list, but he was activated on Sunday. The Dolphins added Holland to the injury report as questionable due [more]

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Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams are expected to play Sunday

The Broncos listed their top two running backs as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bengals, but it looks like they’ll be at full strength in the backfield. According to multiple reports, Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams will both be in the lineup on Sunday afternoon. Gordon is dealing with thumb and hip injuries while [more]

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Players aren’t required to receive boosters to maintain “fully vaccinated” status

Moving forward, the NFL won’t be testing vaccinated players on a regular basis. The NFL also won’t be adjusting the definition of “vaccinated” to include the receipt of a booster shot. The decision not to require vaccinated players to receive a booster in order to remain “fully vaccinated” appears in a memo sent Saturday by [more]

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Frank Reich “not worried” about the passing game after Saturday’s win

The Patriots won in Week 13 while throwing three passes, but Saturday night saw them lose a game while the opponent kept the focus on the ground. Carson Wentz was just 5-of-12 for 57 yards through the air, but the Colts ran for 226 yards on their way to a 27-17 win. That line included [more]

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Report: Antonio Brown “is expected” to rejoin the Buccaneers on Monday

“He screws up one time, he’s gone.” Maybe Bruce Arians meant two times when he made that vow regarding receiver Antonio Brown, who joined the team in October 2020. With Brown due to return from a three-game suspension on Monday after his fake vaccination card scam fell apart when he failed to pay a former [more]

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In discussing his firing, Urban Meyer points to “fragile” players, coaching staffs

In post-truth America, anything can be spun in any direction that the spinner wants it to go. Former Jaguars coach Urban Meyer has become the latest high-profile figure to craft a self-serving word salad in the aftermath of a bad outcome, placing the blame for failure not on his own behavior but on the reaction [more]

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Carson Wentz says Matt Judon attacked his “ability to reproduce”

Colts quarterback Carson Wentz angrily confronted Patriots pass rusher Matt Judon during Saturday night’s game, for reasons that weren’t clear at the time. But Wentz said after the game that he had very good reasons to be upset. Wentz said that Judon took a cheap shot at Wentz in the place where a man least [more]

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Frank Gore loses boxing match to former NBA player Deron Williams

Former NFL running back Frank Gore stepped into the boxing ring on Saturday night but lost his debut fight to former NBA player Deron Williams. The fight wasn’t exactly a great exhibition of boxing skill, and both men were warned by the referee to stop shoving each other, but they did put together a fairly [more]

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Carson Wentz playing time assures Eagles of receiving Colts’ first-round pick

The Philadelphia Eagles own the Indianapolis Colts’ first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. That became assured on Saturday night, when Carson Wentz played all 52 snaps for the Colts’ offense. It is now certain that Wentz will play more than 75 percent of the Colts’ offensive snaps on the season, which is the threshold [more]

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NFL, NFLPA prepare to ditch regular testing of vaccinated players

For months, the NFL Players Association has pressed the league for daily testing of vaccinated players. Now, the league and the union may agree to the exact opposite of that. PFT has confirmed that the NFL and NFLPA are closing in on a deal that would eliminate regular testing of vaccinated, asymptomatic players. The current [more]

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“For cause” firing of Urban Meyer makes effort to downplay Josh Lambo claims more understandable

The Jaguars want everyone to believe that the allegation that former coach Urban Meyer kicked kicker Josh Lambo didn’t spark Meyer’s firing only a few hours later, and that the decision was made last Sunday night. As of Saturday morning, the reason for the “revisionist history” (as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times calls [more]

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Washington activates four defensive linemen from COVID-19 reserve

The Washington Football Team’s defensive line just got a lot healthier. Washington announced today that defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, defensive end James Smith-Williams, defensive end Montez Sweat and defensive end Casey Toohill have all been activated from the COVID-19 reserve list. (Sweat has simultaneously been activated from injured reserve.) The NFL decided to move Washington’s [more]

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Report: Jaguars fired Urban Meyer for cause, don’t plan to pay him for remainder of contract

Urban Meyer is done coaching the Jaguars. He may be done getting paid by the Jaguars as well. The Jaguars fired Meyer for cause with the intention of not having to pay him for the remaining four years of his contract, according to ESPN. As PFT previously noted, a firing for cause will likely result [more]

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Agent says Deshaun Watson is “super confident” in how his legal situation will play out

Neither Deshaun Watson nor his representatives have said very much publicly about the civil and criminal legal proceedings that have put his career on ice (with pay) for the 2020 season. In a recent interview with Ryan Clark of ESPN, Watson’s agent said more than he has at any time since the controversy emerged in [more]

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Brandon Staley: Real football people understand what I’m doing

Chargers coach Brandon Staley took plenty of heat for his fourth-down decisions in Thursday night’s loss to the Chiefs. It’s heat he says he doesn’t mind, because he doesn’t think much of his critics. Staley said Friday that the people who really understand the sport of football know why he’s so aggressive on fourth downs, [more]

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Kyle Shanahan: George Kittle’s sore, but good for Sunday

49ers tight end George Kittle is coming off a big game in last Sunday’s overtime win over the Bengals and a knee injury isn’t going to get in the way of his attempt to have another big one this Sunday. Kittle didn’t practice on Wednesday, but returned for limited work on Thursday and head coach [more]

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Cleveland’s Mack Wilson tests positive for COVID-19

The Browns are bringing in a couple of quarterbacks to help fill out their roster that’s been depleted by the COVID-19 list. And now they’re going to have to put another defensive player on the list. According to Jake Trotter of ESPN, linebacker Mack Wilson has tested positive for COVID-19. Wilson has played a rotational [more]

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Taylor Heinicke tests positive for COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak with the Washington Football Team now includes their starting quarterback. According to multiple reports, Heinicke has tested positive for COVID-19. He will be placed on the COVID-19 reserve list and, under the revised protocols put in place on Thursday, could test back onto the active roster as soon as Saturday. Kyle Allen [more]

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Deshaun Watson grand jury probe is expected to conclude by late January

Last night’s sudden flurry of reporting regarding the lingering Deshaun Watson criminal investigation dusted off a case that largely became forgotten once the window closed on trades for 2021. The news comes from search warrants signed on October 19, targeting Watson’s social-media apps. Per multiple sources, Watson’s representatives had previously indicated that the information would [more]

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Browns signing QBs Kyle Lauletta, Jake Dolegala

With both starter Baker Mayfield and backup Case Keenum on the COVID-19 reserve list, the Browns have reached the “break glass in case of emergency” stage of finding quarterbacks. Zac Jackson of TheAthletic.com reports that the Browns will sign Kyle Lauletta off the Jaguars’ practice squad and are also working to sign free agent Jake [more]

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Giants holding walkthrough then going remote on Friday

The Giants have been one of the NFL teams dealing with positive COVID-19 tests this week and they altered their schedule for Friday as a result. The team was set to hold a midday practice ahead of Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, but announced that they are holding a walkthrough instead of their originally scheduled [more]

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Bradley Chubb thinks it’s “about that time” to step up and make big plays

The Broncos’ playoff hopes would get a big boost if they can beat the Bengals this Sunday and their chances of getting that win would go up if their defense can come up with some disruptive plays. Edge rusher Bradley Chubb would like to provide them with a few of those plays. Chubb missed over [more]

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T.Y. Hilton: Colts have to “expect the unexpected” from the Patriots

Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has faced the Patriots five times over the course of his career and he’s learned some lessons during those games. Hilton said on Thursday that the Patriots are “fundamentally sound” and “do everything” that head coach Bill Belichick asks them to do on a weekly basis. Hilton also said that [more]

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Trevor Lawrence: Coaching change brings clarity, direction moving forward

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said on Wednesday that the constant drama surrounding the team had to change and the Jaguars made a move to do exactly that when they fired head coach and drama generator in chief Urban Meyer a few hours later. That won’t erase a 2-11 record or the series of embarrassing developments [more]

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Anthony Hitchens: They don’t want to kick field goals, you gotta make them pay

After Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit tight end Travis Kelce for a game-winning touchdown in overtime on Thursday night, he gave credit to the way the defense played against the Chargers. Mahomes said “the defense held us in that game” by coming up with a number of big plays. They held on two first half [more]

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Derek Carr: The main thing right now is that we’re too inconsistent

After starting the season 5-2, the Raiders have lost five of their last six games to fall to 6-7. While Las Vegas has dealt with multiple unique circumstances this season, the franchise finds itself in a familiar situation. After a hot start, there’s a collapse. And while the club still has a chance to make [more]

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Unhappy Bills fans donate to local charity for the visually impaired

The real mafia collects envelopes. The Bills Mafia hands them out. Via the Buffalo News, Bills fans unhappy with bad calls in Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers have begun donating money to a local charity for the visually impaired, a slap at the alleged optical impairment of the officials assigned to the game. Visually Impaired [more]

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Jalen Hurts: I’m just trying to be available for the team

Before the Eagles played the Jets in Week 13, quarterback Jalen Hurts expressed confidence that he would play despite injuring his ankle late in Week 12 but Gardner Minshew wound up getting the start and leading the Eagles to a win. The Eagles were off last week, so Hurts has had an extended stretch to [more]

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Case Keenum: We are looking nowhere but forward

With Baker Mayfield testing positive for COVID-19, Case Keenum will in all likelihood start for the Browns when they play the Raiders on Saturday. Keenum provided a steady hand earlier in the season when Mayfield had to miss Cleveland’s Thursday matchup with Denver back in Week Seven. He was 21-of-33 passing for 199 yards with [more]

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Austin Ekeler is expected to play Thursday night

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler aggravated an ankle injury last Sunday, but it doesn’t look like that will keep him from taking part in Thursday night’s clash with the Chiefs. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Ekeler is expected to be in the lineup for a matchup with major implications in the race for [more]

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Dolphins sign Damon Arnette to practice squad

Cornerback Damon Arnette has found a place to continue his NFL career. The Dolphins signed Arnette to their practice squad on Wednesday. It is the 2020 first-round pick’s first job in the NFL since being cut by the Raiders in early November. Arnette was waived after a video was released showing Arnette threatening someone’s life [more]

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If Urban Meyer was fired “for cause,” a fight over his remaining pay could be looming

The issue first emerged in early October, in the days before Jon Gruden’s email scandal yanked the spotlight away from Urban Meyer’s Ohio misadventures. Will the Jaguars fire Urban Meyer “for cause,” cutting off his pay? The fact that Meyer didn’t resign suggests that he didn’t want to waive his chance to get the balance [more]

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Matt Ryan working to extend Falcons’ opportunity to stay relevant

The Falcons haven’t made the playoffs since 2017 and they’ve been well out of the race for postseason berths in the final weeks of the last few years, so it has been a while since quarterback Matt Ryan was part of a team with relevance late in a season. Ryan’s on one now and he’d [more]

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DeAndre Hopkins having knee surgery, out about six weeks

The Cardinals will need to make it deep into the postseason to get wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins back. Hopkins is having knee surgery that will require about six weeks of recovery, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The NFC Championship Game is six weeks and three days from now, so that would seem to [more]

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Aaron Donald listed as DNP with knee injury for Rams

The Los Angeles Rams did not practice on Wednesday due to a rash of COVID-19 cases sending the whole organization into remote operations. But if the team had been able to practice, defensive tackle Aaron Donald still would not have participated. Donald was listed as not practicing with a knee injury on the team’s estimated [more]

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Baker Mayfield tests positive for COVID-19

With 12 players on their COVID-19 lists, the Browns already had a full-blown crisis.Then the team announced on Wednesday morning that head coach Kevin Stefanski had tested positive for the virus.Now Cleveland’s quarterback has, too.According to multiple reports, Baker Mayfield has tested positive for COVID-19. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports Mayfield is a “longshot” [more]

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Daniel Snyder, the King of Petty

Plenty of anecdotes have made the rounds in recent months regarding the habit of Washington owner Daniel Snyder to insist on being called “Mr. Snyder.” (I was once present for one of those; during Super Bowl week in Dallas, a staffer on PFT Live made the mistake of asking “Dan” to move his bottle.)However, as [more]

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Browns announce Kevin Stefanski tested positive for COVID-19

The Browns won a playoff game without head coach Kevin Stefanski last season.If they want to make it to the postseason in 2021, they might have to win another game without him.Cleveland announced on Wednesday morning that Stefanski has tested positive for COVID-19.According to the Browns’ announcement, Stefanski is not only fully vaccinated, but has [more]

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Brandon McManus named AFC special teams player of the week

The Broncos moved to 7-6 on the season with a victory over the Lions and kicker Brandon McManus was a significant reason why.Now McManus has been rewarded for his performance, as he was named the AFC’s special teams player of the week.McManus connected on a 52-yard field goal and all five of his extra points [more]

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Jakeem Grant snags NFC special teams player of the week

The Bears lost another game last Sunday night, but Jakeem Grant had little to hang his head about when the night was over.Grant scored a pair of touchdowns in the 45-30 loss to the Packers. Grant scored on a 46-yard pass in the first quarter as Chicago jumped out to a 10-0 lead and took [more]

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Mike Hughes is the AFC defensive player of the week

Chiefs cornerback Mike Hughes was on from Kansas City’s first defensive snap against the Raiders on Sunday.When defensive lineman Jarran Reed forced running back Josh Jacobs to fumble on the first play from scrimmage, Hughes was there to pick up the loose ball and return it for a 23-yard touchdown.Hughes is not a regular starter [more]

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Aaron Donald named NFC defensive player of the week

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been wrecking the plans of opposing offenses for years and he did it again when the Rams took down the Cardinals on Monday night.Donald sacked Kyler Murray three times as the Rams beat Arizona 30-23 to draw closer to the NFC West leaders with four games left on the [more]

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Justin Herbert named AFC offensive player of the week

Quarterback Justin Herbert has put together some solid performances to help the Chargers get to 8-5 on the season. But he was as good as ever in Sunday’s 37-21 victory over the Giants.Now he’s been named AFC offensive player of the week.Herbert finished Sunday’s game 23-of-31 passing for 275 yards with three touchdowns, good for [more]

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George Kittle is the NFC offensive player of the week

The 49ers needed a win in Cincinnati last Sunday to keep a leg up in the race for an NFC playoff spot and they leaned heavily on one of their best players to get it.Tight end George Kittle caught 13 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers’ 26-23 overtime win, including three [more]

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Tyrann Mathieu sees “big challenge” in playing without Chris Jones

Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu called Thursday’s game against the Chargers “probably the most important game we’ve played up to this point” and the team is likely heading into that matchup without the help of defensive tackle Chris Jones.Jones was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday, which means he’ll be out unless he tests [more]

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Kendrick Bourne: “Funny” to think you can make our offense one-dimensional

When discussing the approach to facing the Patriots this week, Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke said the team is focused on the New England run game.Okereke said that the Colts are “just ready to attack the run and make them one-dimensional” after watching the way the Patriots played against the Bills in Week 13. Patriots wide receiver [more]

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Should asymptomatic players with COVID be allowed to play?

This is an idea that will be as polarizing as everything else has been and will continue to be about the pandemic. Given the NFL’s current protocols — which in many respects make no sense — it’s an idea that will keep more players on the field with minimal risk that the virus will spread.Here [more]

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Patriots designate Josh Uche for return, activate Joshuah Bledsoe

The Patriots played without linebacker Josh Uche in their last three games, but he’s on his way back to the lineup this week. Uche took part in practice on Tuesday, which opens up the window for his return from injured reserve. Uche went on the list due to an ankle injury and can practice for [more]

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Saquon Barkley plans to be “big reason” why Giants turn things around

Among the many disappointments for the Giants this season has been the play of running back Saquon Barkley, who has missed four games with an ankle injury and rushed 100 times for 379 yards when he has been healthy enough to be in the lineup. Barkley missed 14 games after tearing his ACL last year, [more]

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Week 15 NFC playoff picture: Packers move back on top

The NFC playoffs went through Green Bay last season and we may be on our way to a repeat this season. Monday night’s 30-23 Rams win over the Cardinals dropped Arizona out of the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the Packers, who beat the Cardinals in Week Eight, moved into their place. The [more]

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Bobby Okereke: We want to attack run, make Patriots one-dimensional on offense

The Colts joined the rest of the football world in watching how the Patriots beat the Bills on Monday night in Week 13 and they don’t want to have the same thing happen to them this Saturday night. New England ran the ball 46 times and threw it just three times during a 14-10 win [more]

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Matthew Stafford fumbled, and appeared to be the only one who realized it

In the third quarter of Monday Night Football, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford fumbled, and the Cardinals missed a huge opportunity to recover it — because Stafford was the only one in the vicinity who recognized that he fumbled. With the Rams at the Cardinals’ 6-yard line, Stafford was hit by Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones [more]

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