The List: Coaching changes, game changes, and a devastating injury in Dallas
Week 5 in terms of game-results made for some compelling finishes. The Sunday and Monday night contests, as well as Sunday’s late afternoon tilt between the Giants and Cowboys, were all filled with late-game drama. However, that third game was dominated by the ankle injury suffered by Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott that resulted in him being carted off the field and getting surgery later that night.
As always, here is the best and worst of this week in the NFL.
THE GOOD
Wilson keeps cooking against Vikings on Sunday night:
The phrase “Let Russ cook” was sparked by an internet meme and has led to continued support for Russell Wilson’s MVP candidacy this season. Wilson threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns, and he also led Seattle with 58 yards rushing in a 27-26 win over Minnesota on Sunday night. The Vikings were up 13-0 at halftime, thanks to a touchdown run by the league’s leading rusher, Dalvin Cook, as well as two Dan Bailey field goals. Wilson tossed two third-quarter touchdown passes and Chris Carson added a rushing score as Seattle stormed back for a 21-13 advantage. Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins responded, throwing touchdown passes on consecutive possessions to put his team up by five points with 7:08 to play.
Wilson threw an interception, but the Seattle defense bailed him out by stopping Cook’s backup, Alexander Mattison on a 4th-and-1 just after the two-minute warning. The Seahawks took over on their own six, but Wilson ran for 17 yards on the first play of the drive and threw a 39-yard strike to DK Metcalf on fourth down later in the drive. Wilson connected with Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on passes to keep the drive going, but it took a fourth-down scoring strike to Metcalf with 15 seconds left to secure the victory and give Wilson his 30th career game-winning drive, which is the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2012.
Cousins had 249 yards and two touchdowns and Adam Thielen was Minnesota’s leading receiver with nine catches for 80 yards. Mattison had 112 yards rushing after taking over for Cook, who suffered a groin injury early in the second half and may miss the Week 6 game against Atlanta.
Juan Guarin-Camargo has more on this game here.
Herbert hangs with Brees, but Saints prevail in overtime:
Justin Herbert has had quite a rookie campaign so far. The Oregon product got a surprise first start in Week 2 and has kept his spot on the depth chart while Tyrod Taylor deals with a cracked rib that was made worse when a doctor accidentally pierced his lung while giving him a shot of painkillers. Herbert has made the most of his chance, despite three of his first four starts being against former NFL MVPs. After falling to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in overtime and pushing Tom Brady to the limit in Tampa Bay, Herbert and the Chargers came to New Orleans on Monday night.
Herbert threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns, but Drew Brees and the Saints prevailed, 30-27 in overtime. Herbert tossed three of those scoring passes early and Los Angeles grabbed a 20-3 lead in the second quarter, but a Brees sneak for a score cut the lead to 10 at halftime. After a Will Lutz field goal, Brees threw a 41-yard pass to tight end Jared Cook that tied the score early in the fourth. Herbert responded with a 64-yard bomb to Mike Williams that put the Chargers back in front with 3:40 left. Brees led New Orleans down the field, but the drive ended with him on the sidelines and Taysom Hill tying the game again with a nine-yard run with 52 seconds remaining. Herbert’s 39-yard pass to Williams got the Chargers in position to win, but Michael Badgley’s 50-yard field goal attempt clanked off the upright and fell short.
In overtime, Brees led the Saints on a nine-play drive that culminated in a Lutz field goal. Herbert found Williams on 4th-and-6, but Marshon Lattimore stopped him a yard short of the first-down marker and New Orleans held on for the victory. Brees had 325 yards passing, Emmanuel Sanders caught 12 passes for 122 yards and Alvin Kamara had 74 yards receiving and 45 rushing to lead the Saints. Williams had 109 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort.
For more on this Monday night slugfest, read Juan Guarin-Camargo’s story.
Foles beat Brady again:
Tom Brady and Nick Foles faced one another in Super Bowl LII, with Foles’ Eagles coming out victorious over Brady’s Patriots. A little more than two years after that game, the two squared off again in Week 5, although quite a bit has changed. This offseason, Brady signed a free-agent contract with the Buccaneers, and Foles is now a member of the Bears, where he has supplanted Mitchell Trubisky as the starting quarterback.
The teams played a back-and-forth game on Thursday night, with Foles and Chicago pulling out a 20-19 win. Tampa Bay jumped out to a 13-0 lead thanks to a Brady touchdown pass to Mike Evans and two Ryan Succop field goals. However, Foles led his team on a 10-play drive that culminated with David Montgomery’s three-yard scoring run with 1:48 left in the second quarter. The Buccaneers tried to get some points before the half, but after two Brady incomplete passes, Ke’Shawn Vaughn fumbled, giving Chicago another chance at the Tampa Bay 27. Four plays later, Foles hit tight end, Jimmy Graham, with a 12-yard touchdown and a 14-13 Bears lead at halftime.
Succop’s 46-yard field goal was the only scoring in the third quarter and put the Buccaneers back in front. Chicago regained the lead early in the fourth, with a Cairo Santos 47-yard field goal giving the Bears a 17-16 advantage. Brady led Tampa Bay on a 10-play drive that included a 10-yard run by Ronald Jones II and two clutch passes to tight end, Rob Gronkowski. Succop finished the possession with a 25-yard field goal for a 19-17 lead with 4:49 left. After the teams traded punts, Chicago took over near midfield. Foles found Montgomery and Anthony Miller with completions to set up Santos’ 38-yard field goal with 1:13 remaining. Brady hooked up with Evans for one first down, but he failed to get another and the Bears held on for the victory.
For more on this game, read Richie Dordas’ story.
Raiders knock the Chiefs from the ranks of the unbeaten:
While Russell Wilson and the Seahawks stayed undefeated, the same could not be said for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who fell to the Raiders, 40-32, on Sunday afternoon. Las Vegas figured out the winning formula to keep the 2018 NFL MVP off-balance: Play man-to-man coverage on his receiving options and keep the pocket closing around him as much as possible. Although Mahomes threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, he also had an interception and was sacked three times.
On offense, the Raiders deftly mixed a high-flying pass game led by quarterback Derek Carr and a smash-mouth running attack featuring Josh Jacobs and Devontae Booker. Carr threw for 347 yards and three touchdown passes, including a 59-yarder to Nelson Agholor and a 72-yard strike to rookie Henry Ruggs III. The high-scoring affair was knotted at halftime, 24-24. Jacobs took over in the second half, rushing for two scores. He finished the game with 77 yards, with Booker adding 62 yards on just seven carries. Mahomes tried to lead a comeback, hitting tight end Travis Kelce with a scoring pass with 3:57 remaining, but Las Vegas turned to the run game once again, with Jacobs churning out yards and Carr’s one-yard sneak on fourth down just after the two-minute warning sealing the victory.
Ruggs finished with 118 yards on just two catches, Agholor added 67 and tight end Darren Waller had a touchdown among his five receptions. Kelce led the Chiefs with eight catches for 108 yards, and rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire had 80 all-purpose yards (40 each rushing and receiving) in a losing effort.
The Battle of Pennsylvania has surprising stars:
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 239 yards and three touchdowns, but a rookie was the real star of the 38-29 Steelers victory over the cross-state rival Eagles on Sunday. Chase Claypool, a former Notre Dame wide receiver who grew up in British Columbia, Canada, had seven catches for 110 yards and three touchdowns, and also added a rushing score for Pittsburgh. Although he is not the first rookie to record four touchdowns in a game (among the 18 are Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Earl Campbell, and Emmitt Smith), Claypool is the first to have one rushing score and three receiving scores.
Claypool overshadowed another fantastic performance by a young player on Sunday. Travis Fulgham, who was promoted off the Eagles’ practice squad last week, had 10 receptions for 152 yards and a touchdown. A sixth-round pick of the Lions out of Old Dominion in 2019, Fulgham was claimed by the Eagles off waivers in August. Philadelphia was led by running back Miles Sanders, who had 80 yards and two touchdowns.
Best of the Rest:
Jared Goff had 309 yards and two touchdowns passing and another score rushing to lead the Rams to a 30-10 win over the Team to be Named Later. Darrell Henderson Jr. had one touchdown each rushing and receiving, and Robert Woods added 71 yards and a score for Los Angeles. Aaron Donald is making a case for his third NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in four seasons after posting four sacks in the game. He now has 7½ on the year and is on pace for 24 this season, which would be an NFL record. Washington had just 108 yards in total offense, but there was one bright spot.
Sunday’s game saw the return of Alex Smith, who suffered a spiral and compound fracture to the tibia and fibula in his right leg in November 2018. The injury kept him out of action for nearly two full years, required 17 surgeries, and nearly cost Smith his life and his leg after it became infected. With his wife and children in the stands, Smith completed just 9 of 17 passes for 37 yards, but the moment itself was more important in this case. No matter how Smith plays on the field, he is almost certain to win the Comeback Player of the Year Award for his determination and dedication alone.
Deshaun Watson threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Texans to their first win of the season, 30-14 over the Jaguars. Watson threw scoring passes to starting receivers Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller, as well as a 44-yard strike to tight end Darren Fells. Cooks led the way with eight receptions for 161 yards and David Johnson was the game’s leading rusher with 96 yards on 17 carries. Gardner Minshew II had 301 yards and two touchdowns, and Laviska Shenault Jr. was Jacksonville’s leading receiver with seven catches for 79 yards.
Ryan Tannehill threw three touchdown passes, Derrick Henry ran for two scores and the Titans pulled away from the Bills, 42-16, in Tuesday night’s battle of unbeaten teams. Josh Allen had the Bills within 14-10 midway through the second quarter, but Tannehill threw two touchdowns to tight end Jonnu Smith and ran for another score, and Henry added his second scoring run with four minutes left. Allen finished with 263 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs was the game’s leading receiver with 10 catches for 106 yards.
Darren Braxton breaks down Tuesday night’s battle of unbeaten teams.
Baker Mayfield had 247 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Browns to their fourth straight win, 32-23, over the Colts on Sunday. Despite not being able to feel his fingers, Mayfield has Cleveland at 4-1 for the first time since 1994, when Bill Belichick was coaching the team. Kareem Hunt, starting in place of the injured Nick Chubb (sprained MCL), ran for a game-high 72 yards for the Browns. Philip Rivers had 243 yards passing but threw two interceptions for Indianapolis.
Stat Leaders:
Kyler Murray was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for good reason. He threw for a league-high 380 yards, and he had one touchdown passing and another rushing in a win over the Jets. Deshaun Watson threw for 359 yards in helping the Texans beat the Jaguars for their first win of the season. Joining them in the 300-yard club this week are Miami’s Ryan Fitzpatrick (350), Las Vegas’ Derek Carr (343), Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes (340), New Orleans’ Drew Brees (325), Carolina’s Teddy Bridgewater (313) and Jacksonville’s Gardner Minshew (301). Rounding out the list is Jared Goff, who threw for 309 yards in a Rams win over Washington.
Week 5 was light in terms of rushing, with just three backs reaching 100 yards. Leading the charge was Atlanta’s Todd Gurley, who ran for 121 yards against Carolina. He was joined by Minnesota’s Alexander Mattison, who ran for 112 yards against Seattle in relief of an injured Dalvin Cook, and Ronald Jones II, who had 106 yards for Tampa Bay in a loss to Chicago on Thursday night. Philadelphia’s Miles Sanders, Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott, Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs, and Tennessee’s Derrick Henry did not reach the 100-yard mark but all of them had two rushing touchdowns.
Although he was not a receiving leader, Steelers rookie Chase Claypool was the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week after posting 110 yards and four total touchdowns in a win over the Eagles. Houston’s Brandin Cooks led all receivers with 161 yards in a win against the Jaguars and Travis Fulgham was a close second with 152 yards on 10 catches for Philadelphia. Saints star Emmanuel Sanders led the league with 12 receptions against the Chargers on Monday night.
THE BAD
Quinn became the second coach fired this season:
Teddy Bridgewater threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Panthers to a 23-16 win over the Falcons. Robbie Anderson caught eight passes for 112 yards and DJ Moore had four catches for 93 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Matt Ryan had 226 yards passing and an interception, and Todd Gurley ran for 121 yards and a score. However, neither performance was enough to prevent Atlanta from dropping to 0-5 or to save the job of head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, both of whom were fired after the game.
Quinn came to the Falcons after a stint as defensive coordinator of the Seahawks. With Seattle, Quinn turned the “Legion of Boom” defense into a powerhouse, and the team led the NFL in most takeaways and fewest points allowed in 2013, with the Seahawks stifling the Broncos during their Super Bowl XLVIII win. He became Atlanta’s head coach in 2015 and amassed a 43-42 regular-season record. The Falcons’ best year was 2016, when they went 11-5 and reached Super Bowl LI. However, the team under Quinn was known for huge letdowns and coughing up big leads, including a 28-3 advantage over the Patriots in that Super Bowl.
Dimitroff was a scout and later the Director of College Scouting with New England before becoming Atlanta’s general manager in 2008. Despite amassing a 109-88 record and six postseason appearances during Dimitroff’s tenure, the Falcons only have a 4-6 playoff record and a disappointing Super Bowl collapse, despite having offensive talent such as quarterback Matt Ryan, running backs Michael Turner, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones, and tight end Tony Gonzalez on the roster.
Worst of the Rest:
Kyler Murray threw for 380 yards and a touchdown, and he also ran for a score in a 30-10 Cardinals win over the hapless Jets. DeAndre Hopkins had six catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, and Kenyan Drake had 60 yards and a score rushing for Arizona. Joe Flacco, making his first start as a Jet in place of an injured Sam Darnold (shoulder) threw for 195 yards and a touchdown. Jamison Crowder caught eight passes for 116 yards and a score, and Le’Veon Bell, who was returning after missing the past three weeks with a hamstring injury, ran for 60 yards.
The Jets, along with the Giants and Falcons, are the three remaining winless teams in the NFL, and now Bell is showing the same attitude and behavior that caused the Steelers to trade him. Bell was upset at his lack of usage in Sunday’s game, so rather than go to the coach, he instead took to Twitter and started liking posts that criticized the Jets. As someone who could be referred to as “old school,” I see Gase’s point in this matter. While Gase is a stunningly inept head coach who should have been gone after last season, this practice of players taking to social media to air their grievances is just petty and childish. Bell might find someone to stroke his ego online, but what he won’t find is someone who can actually change his situation. That request can only be fulfilled by the Jets, either by Gase using him more in the offense (depending on what defense the other team employs, like Gase said to reporters on Monday), or by general manager Joe Douglas trading him.
The situation was resolved on Tuesday, with the Jets releasing Bell after they could not find anyone willing to trade for him. The situation seems to be a win-win-win for the player, team, and fans. Bell gets away from this dumpster fire and can go create another one someplace else, all while the Jets have to pay him the $6 million they still owe him this season. Gase can actually focus on coaching, but he will no longer have Bell as his scapegoat to hide behind if the Jets keep losing, and the team will eventually come to their senses and let him go. In closing, Bell played 18 games with the Jets and made $27 million (or $1.5 million per contest). So that’s $1.5 million times 164 stories for a grand total of $246 million. Not Patrick Mahomes money, but not bad. How about we split the difference and you give me $100 million, thoughts?
Lamar Jackson threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Ravens past the Bengals, 27-3. Marquise Brown (77 yards) and Mark Andrews (57) both caught scoring passes from the 2019 NFL MVP, and Mark Ingram had 57 yards rushing for Baltimore. Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow had 183 yards passing, but the Ravens returned a fumble for a touchdown, forced an interception, and registered seven sacks before the 2020 top pick led Cincinnati to their lone score, a 38-yard Randy Bullock field goal with 32 seconds left.
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns, and Jason Sanders kicked five field goals as the Dolphins routed the 49ers, 43-17. Miami just kept scoring, amassing a 30-7 lead at halftime. San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo returned from an ankle injury that caused him to miss the past two games. He threw for 77 yards and two interceptions, and was pulled at halftime. Preston Williams had 106 yards and a touchdown receiving while Myles Gaskin added 57 yards and a score on the ground. After a 15-catch, 183-yard performance last week against the Eagles, All-Pro tight end George Kittle registered just four receptions for 44 yards.
The Dolphins are on the list of Richie Dordas’ biggest winners and losers in Week 5.
Coronavirus causes schedule changes:
Although there were much fewer new cases of COVID-19 in the NFL than in weeks past, the pandemic still affected the league and caused several games to be moved throughout the schedule. The Patriots vs. Broncos game in Week 5 will now take place in Week 6, joining the Titans vs. Steelers contest that was moved from Week 4 to Week 7. Pittsburgh’s Week 7 game against Baltimore was pushed back a week.
Other changes that the NFL made after moving the New England-Denver contest include:
Bills vs. Chiefs game stays in Week 6, but moves from Thursday night to Monday at 5 p.m.
Jets vs. Dolphins from Week 10 to Week 6
Jets vs. Chargers from Week 6 to Week 11
Jaguars vs. Chargers from Week 8 to Week 7
Chargers vs. Broncos from Week 11 to Week 8
Chargers vs. Dolphins from Week 7 to Week 10
Dolphins vs. Broncos from Week 6 to Week 11
Overall, the league has moved 10 games so far, while also changing the bye weeks of the Broncos, Patriots, Chargers, Dolphins, Jaguars, and Jets. I don’t think COVID-19 is done messing with the NFL schedule, either.
The Panthers and Falcons are both in COVID-19 protocol after Atlanta placed rookie defensive tackle, Marlon Davidson, on the reserve/COVID list on Wednesday. Atlanta closed its facilities on Thursday after another positive test, but things could return to normal if the result turns out to be a false positive.
Changes to the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl:
The NFL announced on Wednesday that the 2021 Pro Bowl will be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Las Vegas was set to host the game, but instead, the 2022 game will be held in Sin City. The Raiders were also going to be the host team for the 2020 NFL Draft before the league changed the format to a virtual event. Although the game will not be held, Pro Bowl teams will be named and fans can start voting on players starting November 17.
New Orleans was slated to host Super Bowl LVIII in 2024, but there were potential conflicts with the Mardi Gras celebration, so the NFL announced the city would instead host the game in 2025. The league will be using a 17-game regular season beginning next year, pushing the Super Bowl into mid-February. Mardi Gras will be held on Feb. 13th in 2024, but isn’t until early March the following year. Tampa Bay, San Francisco, and Arizona will host the next three Super Bowls, and Las Vegas is the favorite to host the 2024 game.
League suspends network insider:
If I had a “The Weird” category, this would be a classic example. The NFL removed insider Ian Rappaport from appearing on the NFL network for two weeks after posting an ad for Manscaped on his social media channels without clearance from the league or the network.
I understand not wanting your employees to promote things on social media against your wishes, but there are two issues. First, Manscaped has a partnership with the 49ers, and second, this is a company that produces male grooming products, including one called the “lawnmower.” I’m not sure whether to laugh over the absurdity of this issue or get upset because one of the league’s most respected voices has his name associated with this nonsense suspension.
THE UGLY
Cowboys beat the Giants, but lose their quarterback:
The NFC East is a mess, and it could have been even more jumbled if things had gone a little different on Sunday afternoon between the Cowboys and Giants. Dallas started with a field goal, but New York rattled off 17 straight points, including a surprise run by tight end Evan Engram and a Kyler Fackrell interception return for a score, 1:05 apart late in the first quarter. Dallas responded with 14 points in 1:31 of game action, thanks to an Ezekiel Elliott scoring run and an Anthony Brown return of yet another Daniel Jones fumble.
The Giants used a little trickery in an attempt to go back on top. With less than a minute remaining in the half, Giants head coach Joe Judge, who used to be the special teams coach in New England, called for a fake field goal that worked, with punter Riley Dixon finding Engram with a 37-yard touchdown pass. However, left tackle Cam Fleming failed to get set before the play. New York also had a second score taken off the board early in the third quarter, with a 31-yard pass from Jones to Slayton being negated by a questionable pass interference call against Damion Ratley for an illegal screen (Ratley was cut by the team on Tuesday). Instead of touchdowns, both drives ended with long field goals by Graham Gano, who became the first player in Giants history to have three converted kicks of longer than 50 yards in a game.
Trailing 24-23 just past the midway point of the third, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took off for a nine-yard run before he was taken down by Giants cornerback Logan Ryan. However, Prescott’s ankle was turned the wrong way on the tackle and he knew even before the cart came out that his season was over. He was taken to a local hospital, where he had successful surgery to repair his ankle, which sustained both a compound fracture and a dislocation. Former Bengal Andy Dalton came in and led a drive that ended with an Elliott touchdown and a nine-point Dallas advantage.
New York cut into the lead on a fourth Gano field goal and went back in front, 34-31, with 8:46 left on a Devonte Freeman touchdown run and a two-point pass from Jones to rookie Andrew Thomas in a tackle-eligible play. Dalton led the Cowboys on an 11-play drive that ended with a 40-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal that tied the score. Jones completed a first-down pass to Darius Slayton, but the Giants punted soon after, giving Dalton the ball back at his own 12 with 52 seconds left. He threw a first-down pass to Amari Cooper and two catches by Michael Gallup that were upheld after review (although Gallup’s knee was possibly out on the second completion). Zuerlein finished off the contest with a 34-yard field goal as time expired for a 37-34 Cowboys win that put them in first place with a 2-3 record.
Prescott threw for 166 yards and caught a touchdown pass from wide receiver Cedrick Wilson before his injury, and Dalton threw for 111 yards in relief. Elliott had 91 yards and two scores rushing, and rookie CeeDee Lamb added eight catches for 124 yards. Jones threw for 222 yards, with Slayton accounting for 129 on eight receptions. Freeman had 60 yards and a score for the Giants.
The most surprising thing to me is how quickly the two most notorious “talking heads” in sports, Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith changed their tunes about Prescott after the injury. Bayless went from saying Prescott was not a good leader because he spoke out about mental health issues (after his brother committed suicide earlier in the year) to posting “God bless you young man. You are the face of this franchise, the heartbeat of this team” on Twitter just a few minutes after the injury. Meanwhile, Smith went from pleading that the Seahawks beat the Cowboys in Week 3 to saying “My heart goes out to him. I’m wishing him nothing but the best, obviously a speedy recovery, the whole bit.”
Bayless and Smith hopefully don’t fool anyone with their fake sentiments concerning this situation. You don’t like the Cowboys, I get it. As a Giants fan, I don’t like the Cowboys, either. However, I am a Prescott fan because he is one of the most real players in the NFL. He speaks out about a cause that is important to him and gets labeled a poor leader who can’t handle adversity. All that anyone needs to know about Prescott’s leadership and character is how much the Dallas fans cheered after he gave them a thumbs-up while in tears as he was being carted off the field on Sunday. They truly recognize what he does for the Cowboys and the city of Dallas. He will be back next season, probably stronger than he is now. The Cowboys better pay him this time rather than try to use the franchise tag on him again.
Injury issues (besides Prescott):
Other than Prescott, there were several players hurt in and around the Week 5 games. Among the inactive players before the contests include Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (hamstring), Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack (ankle), Texans linebacker Benardrick McKinney (shoulder), and Jets rookie offensive tackle Mekhi Becton (shoulder).
In addition to Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, several other players left Sunday’s games, including Cardinals edge rusher Chandler Jones, who will miss the rest of the 2020 season with a biceps injury, and Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short, who will have season-ending surgery on his shoulder. Among the other hurt players: Chiefs guard Kelechi Osemele (torn tendons in both knees), Falcons defensive end Takkarist McKinley (groin), Steelers guard David DeCastro (abdomen) and wide receiver Diontae Johnson (back), Bengals receiver A. J. Green (hamstring) and Eagles tackle Lane Johnson (ankle). Dolphins defensive tackle Davon Godchaux could miss the rest of the season with a biceps injury and Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan left Tuesday night’s game with a shoulder injury.
Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea suffered a broken leg during Thursday’s loss to the Bears and he will miss the rest of the season. Prescott’s situation overshadowed another major injury from late afternoon Sunday. Giants linebacker Lorenzo Carter will be out for the remainder of the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon.
Saints’ Thomas fined and missed a game due to practice fight:
The Saints are 2-2 this season, although they have gotten almost no production from Michael Thomas, who set the NFL record for catches last season. Thomas had just three catches for 17 yards in Week 1, but left the game and missed the next three weeks due to an ankle injury. He could have played against the Chargers on Monday night, but instead, he was benched after punching safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson during practice. New Orleans didn’t technically suspend Thomas, since taking that action might have led to the receiver filing a grievance against the team, but they did fine him nearly $59,000.
The 2020 season has really opened up the debate on just who is the best receiver in the NFL. Thomas has spent most of the young season injured (and apparently unable to get along with at least one teammate), and Atlanta’s Julio Jones and Green Bay’s Davante Adams have faced injuries as well. New Cardinal DeAndre Hopkins tops the NFL with 528 yards, and he is followed closely by the Bills’ Stefon Diggs (509) yards and the Seahawks’ DK Metcalf, who is third in the NFL with 496 yards and tied for third with five touchdowns.
Gordon charged with DUI:
Broncos running back Melvin Gordon was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and speeding after he was pulled over for going 71 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone in Denver late Tuesday. He is expected to be arraigned in Denver County Court on Nov. 13, one day before the team leaves for a game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
Gordon signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the Broncos in March after spending his first five seasons with the Chargers. He has 281 yards and three touchdowns rushing and another score receiving.
Upcoming games: The Texans look to keep their winning ways going, but they are facing the 4-0 Titans. The 4-1 Browns and 4-0 Steelers play in an AFC North showdown. Rodgers and Brady square off in the Battle of the Bays and the Chiefs-Bills matchup features a pair of 4-1 teams.
Writer
-By: Kevin Rakas