The List: Washington upsets Pittsburgh as the focus returns to the field in Week 13
After nearly one-third of the Ravens roster went on the reserve/COVID-19 list in Week 12, the NFL needed things to return to normal this week. Although there were a few notable positive tests (three Panthers and Dez Bryant, especially), most of the other Ravens were able to play. Fans were also treated to some dynamic plays, fantastic finishes, and shocking upsets. Here are all the Week 13 happenings in this week’s edition of The List.
THE GOOD
Smith’s gutsy performance helps take down undefeated Steelers
Washington quarterback Alex Smith came back from a fractured right tibia and fibula in 2018 that required 17 surgeries and nearly resulted in the loss of his leg due to infection. He returned earlier this season and has started four games so far. During the second quarter of the Monday evening game, Smith was caught by a spiked cleat, creating a gash on his left shin that left him able to “see the blood pumping out.” In a performance reminiscent of Curt Schilling in the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Yankees, Smith (with his bloody sock) threw for 296 yards and a touchdown as the Washington Big Gold “W” came from 14-0 down to knock the Steelers from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 23-17 victory.
Ben Roethlisberger put Pittsburgh in front with two early touchdown passes, including a 50-yard strike to James Washington. Dustin Hopkins kicked a 49-yard field goal to get Washington on the board before halftime, and Peyton Barber cut the deficit to four points with a third-quarter scoring run. Chris Boswell missed the game with a hip injury, and his replacement, Matthew Wright, kicked his first career field goal on the first play of the fourth. Washington tied the score on a 15-yard scoring pass to tight end Logan Thomas with 9:09 left.
On the next possession, Roethlisberger got the Steelers well into field goal range. However, rather than trying a go-ahead kick, Big Ben decided to pass on 4th-and-1, turning the ball over after he missed Anthony McFarland Jr. Washington did not make the same mistake, instead of letting Hopkins kick a 45-yard field goal to put his team in front for the first time. Roethlisberger’s next pass was tipped and intercepted by Jon Bostic and Hopkins tacked on an insurance kick with 17 seconds remaining. On the final chance, Eric Ebron was tackled in bounds and the clock ran out on the Steelers’ undefeated season.
Thomas caught nine passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, Cam Sims had 92 yards receiving and J.D. McKissic added 10 catches for 70 yards to lead Washington (5-7). Roethlisberger had 305 yards, and the leading receivers for Pittsburgh (11-1) included Washington (80 yards and a touchdown), Diontae Johnson (71 yards and a score), and Ebron (68 yards).
Giants score stunning road win over the Seahawks
Alfred Morris scored two touchdowns, and the Giants defense used its bend-but-don’t-break philosophy to upend the Seahawks, 17-12, to maintain their hold on first place in the NFC East. Seattle was up 5-0 at halftime after a Jason Myers field goal and a Ryan Neal blocked punt that rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety. New York responded midway through the third quarter, when a Wayne Gallman 60-yard run set up a Morris rushing touchdown. The Seahawks turned the ball over on downs near midfield on the next possession, and the Giants capitalized with two more big Gallman runs leading to Morris’s second score, this one on a pass from Colt McCoy.
New York (5-7) extended its lead early in the fourth. Russell Wilson’s pass went off the hands of running back Chris Carson and into the arms of Darnay Holmes for an interception. Four plays later, Graham Gano kicked a 48-yard field goal for a 17-5 advantage. Wilson responded with an 82-yard drive that included a 21-yard pass to Tyler Lockett. Carson held onto the reception this time and finished off the possession with a 29-yard scamper. However, a sack by Leonard Williams (who had 2½ on the game) pushed the Seahawks back to midfield, and Wilson’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete with 48 seconds left.
Gallman had an NFL week-high 135 yards and Morris added 39 for the Giants. McCoy had 105 yards and a score while filling in for an injured Daniel Jones to earn his first win since 2014. Wilson had 263 yards passing and a touchdown, but he also threw an interception, lost a fumble, and was sacked five times. Carson had 65 yards rushing and 45 receiving, DK Metcalf added a game-high 80 yards receiving for Seattle (8-4).
Raiders score late to keep Jets winless
David Carr hit rookie receiver Henry Ruggs III with a 46-yard touchdown pass with five seconds left as the Raiders came from behind to win, 31-28. Carr threw for 381 yards and three touchdowns overall and also added a rushing score midway through the third quarter.
Carr and New York’s Sam Darnold each threw a pair of touchdowns, and Daniel Carlson’s field goal was the difference as Las Vegas held a 17-13 lead at halftime. Carr’s run was the lone score in the third, but Darnold responded with a run of his own and a two-point pass to Denzel Mims early in the fourth to cut the deficit to 24-21. The Jets got the ball back after a Ruggs fumble, with Darnold’s 18-yard pass to Ryan Griffin setting up Ty Johnson’s go-ahead score with 5:34 left. The next Raiders drive stalled deep in Jets territory, but New York only took one minute off the clock before punting, leaving Carr 30 seconds.
Darren Waller had an incredible game, catching 13 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns, but his most important catch was arguably the 15-yarder he corralled from Carr that moved his team into Jets territory. On the final play, New York decided to play man coverage and send a blitz, but Ruggs beat his defender to catch the winning score. Waller became just the third Raider with 200 yards receiving in a game (Art Powell and Amari Cooper) and the second tight end with at least 10 receptions, 200 yards, and two touchdowns in a game (Shannon Sharpe in 2002).
Ruggs finished with 84 yards receiving and Devontae Booker had 50 yards rushing in place of the injured Josh Jacobs for Las Vegas (7-5). Darnold had 186 yards passing, Jamison Crowder caught two touchdowns and Johnson ran for 104 yards and a score for New York (0-12).
Restocked Ravens run over Cowboys
Lamar Jackson, who returned after missing last week’s game with coronavirus, threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score to lead the Ravens past the Cowboys, 34-17, on Tuesday night. Baltimore exploited Dallas’ league-worst run defense for 294 yards overall, led by Gus Edwards with 101, Jackson with 94, and rookie J.K. Dobbins, who added 71 yards and a score.
Jackson showed a little rust after a week off, but he gave the Ravens a lead late in the first quarter after running 37 yards untouched to the end zone on 4th-and-2. Tony Pollard returned the ensuing kickoff 66 yards, and Dallas grabbed the advantage back on a 13-yard scoring pass from Andy Dalton to Michael Gallup. Justin Tucker, the NFL’s all-time most accurate field goal kicker, missed a 36-yard attempt, but Baltimore (7-5) turned a Dalton interception into a 38-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Miles Boykin for a 14-10 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Ravens kept the pressure on, scoring on a Jackson pass to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown late in the third quarter and a Dobbins run with 2:08 left in the fourth. Dalton threw a late touchdown pass to Amari Cooper, but Greg Zuerlein missed three field goals for Dallas (3-9). In addition to Jackson’s rushing performance, he also had 107 passing for the Ravens. Dalton had 285 yards and two touchdowns passing, and Ezekiel Elliott added 77 rushing yards for the Cowboys.
Texans fumble away a winning chance against the Colts
Philip Rivers threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns, but it took a miscue on the 2-yard-line to secure a 26-20 victory over the Texans. Nyheim Hines added a rushing score and Indianapolis (8-4) took a 21-10 lead midway through the second quarter. David Johnson, who returned after missing three games with a concussion, scored for Houston, and the teams traded field goals before halftime.
The 24-20 Colts lead remained in place for most of the second half, with Deshaun Watson throwing an interception late in the third quarter and an Indianapolis drive stalling at the Houston 5-yard-line midway through the fourth. The Colts turned their offensive misfortune into points when Justin Houston sacked Watson in the end zone for a safety. Playing without the suspended Will Fuller, Watson led Houston on a 78-yard drive that included a 23-yard strike to Brandin Cooks and two first-down passes to Kiki Coutee. However, Watson was unable to control an awful snap by Nick Martin and Anthony Walker Jr. recovered to seal his team’s win.
Jonathan Taylor posted a game-high 91 rushing yards, and T.Y. Hilton added eight receptions for 110 yards and a score for Indianapolis. Watson had 341 yards, Coutee registered a game-high 141 and Chad Hansen added 101 for Houston (4-8).
Philip Rivers leads Sunny Choudhury’s list of fantasy football streamers for Week 14.
Best of the Rest
Patrick Mahomes threw for 318 yards, Travis Kelce had 136 yards and a touchdown, and Harrison Butker kicked five field goals as the Chiefs defeated the Broncos, 22-16, on Sunday night. Kansas City (11-1) led 12-10 early in the third quarter after Butker’s fourth field goal, but Drew Lock responded with his second touchdown to Tim Patrick, putting Denver back in front. On the next possession, Mahomes completed a 30-yard pass to Tyreek Hill, setting up a 20-yard strike to Kelce. Hill could have had a score of his own in the second quarter, but he thought he dropped this pass that would have become a crazy catch if Kansas City had decided to review the play.
The teams traded punts in the fourth until Butker kicked his fifth field goal with 1:04 left. Lock’s pass to rookie Jerry Jeudy was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu to seal the Chiefs’ victory. Lock had 151 yards passing and Melvin Gordon III added a game-high 131 rushing for Denver (4-8). Kelce became the first tight end in NFL history to amass five 1,000-yard seasons, and he has come consecutively. He needs 264 yards over the final four games to break George Kittle’s position record with 1,377 yards.
Juan Guarin-Camargo has more on the Sunday night game here.
Aaron Rodgers threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Packers past the Eagles, 30-16. Davante Adams had game-highs with 10 receptions, 121 yards, and two touchdowns, and Aaron Jones ran for 130 yards and a score for Green Bay (9-3). Carson Wentz was sacked four times and was replaced in the third quarter by rookie Jalen Hurts, who threw a touchdown pass to Greg Ward. Jalen Reagor also returned a fourth-quarter punt 73 yards for a score for Philadelphia (3-8-1).
Josh Allen threw for 375 yards and four touchdowns to lead the AFC East-leading Bills to a 34-24 win over the 49ers in the late game on Monday night. Devin Singletary ran for a game-high 61 yards, and Allen helped coax big receiving games out of Cole Beasley (nine catches, 130 yards, and a touchdown), Stefon Diggs (10-92), and Gabriel Davis (68 yards and a score) to lead Buffalo (9-3). Nick Mullens had 316 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, Brandon Aiyuk had 95 yards and a score receiving, and Deebo Samuel added 73 yards for San Francisco (5-7).
Taysom Hill threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns, and he also added 83 rushing yards to lead the Saints past the Falcons, 21-16. Michael Thomas caught nine passes for 105 yards, and he caught his 500th pass in just his 69th career game, making him the quickest to that mark in NFL history (Julio Jones and Anquan Boldin both got to 500 in 80 games). Alvin Kamara added a game-high 88 yards rushing and a score for top-seeded New Orleans (10-2). Matt Ryan had 273 yards passing and a touchdown, Calvin Ridley posted a game-high 108 receiving yards and Jones added 94 for Atlanta (4-8).
Matthew Stafford threw for 402 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions squeaked out a 34-30 win over the Bears. Adrian Peterson ran for 57 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 1:37 remaining. Mitchell Trubisky had 267 yards and a touchdown, but his late fumble after a Romeo Okwara sack led to Peterson’s winning score. The Bears had one final drive, but David Montgomery was stopped by Reggie Ragland on 4th-and-1 in the red zone. Marvin Jones Jr. (116 yards and a touchdown) and tight end T.J. Hockenson (84 yards) were the top receivers for Detroit (5-7). Montgomery had 72 yards and two touchdowns rushing, and Allen Robinson added 75 receiving yards to lead Chicago (5-7).
Baker Mayfield threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns as the Browns jumped out to a 38-7 halftime lead and then held off the Titans for a 41-35 victory. Mayfield’s scoring passes came in an eight-minute span, and Nick Chubb’s touchdown run opened up a huge gap for Cleveland (9-3). Ryan Tannehill had 389 yards and three touchdowns to lead a second-half charge, but Tennessee (8-4) could not recover an onside kick with less than 30 seconds left, allowing Cleveland to run out the clock. In addition to the touchdown, Chubb was the game’s top rusher, outgaining Derrick Henry, 80-60. Rashard Higgins (95 yards), Donovan People-Jones (92), and Jarvis Landry (62) each had a receiving touchdown for the Browns. Corey Davis had 11 catches for 182 yards and a score for the Titans. Mayfield joined Browns legend Otto Graham, who also threw four touchdowns in a 1951 game (just make sure you don’t show up to Baker’s place unannounced).
Kirk Cousins threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, and Dan Bailey kicked a game-winning field goal as the Vikings defeated the Jaguars, 27-24, in overtime. Justin Jefferson (nine catches for 121 yards) and the returning Adam Thielen (8-75) each caught a scoring pass from Cousins, as did fullback C.J. Ham. Dalvin Cook ran for 120 yards, and Bailey’s winner made up for him missing two extra points earlier in the game for Minnesota (6-6). James Robinson had 78 yards on the ground, including a one-yard touchdown with 1:08 left. Jacksonville (1-11) tied the score on a two-point pass from Mike Glennon to Collin Johnson. Glennon passed for 280 yards and a touchdown, but he threw two interceptions, including one in overtime that led to Bailey’s kick. Johnson led the Jaguars with 66 receiving yards.
Jared Goff had 351 yards and a touchdown passing, and he also added a rushing score in a 38-28 Rams win over the Cardinals. Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr. also had a touchdown on the ground, and Henderson scored after he returned from a second-quarter knee injury. Kyler Murray tossed three touchdowns, but Troy Hill returned an interception 35 yards for an insurance score with 4:33 left. Murray threw his second touchdown to tight end, Dan Arnold, just before the two-minute warning, but an Akers first-down run allowed the Rams to finish the game and take over first place in the NFC West. Akers had a game-high 72 rushing yards, Robert Woods topped all receivers with 10 catches and 75 yards, and Cooper Kupp added 73 yards for Los Angeles (8-4). Kenyan Drake ran for 49 yards and a touchdown, and DeAndre Hopkins had 52 yards and a score for Arizona (6-6).
Stat leaders
Matthew Stafford’s 402 yards led to an impressive list of 11 NFL passers who threw for at least 300 yards in Week 13. Joining him were Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill (389), Las Vegas’ Derek Carr (381), Buffalo’s Josh Allen (375), Los Angeles Rams star Jared Goff (351), Houston’s Deshaun Watson (341), Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield (334), Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes (318) San Francisco’s Nick Mullens (316). Rounding out the group are Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, who each had 305 yards. Mahomes leads the NFL with 3,815 yards and Watson is in second with 3,542. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers has a league-high 36 touchdowns, followed by Seattle’s Russell Wilson with 32 and Mahomes with 31.
Saqaun Barkley’s replacement with the Giants, Wayne Gallman, led the NFL with 135 yards this week, followed by Denver’s Melvin Gordon (131), Green Bay’s Aaron Jones (130), Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook (120), Jets newcomer Ty Johnson (104) and Baltimore’s Gus Edwards (101). Titans star Derrick Henry still leads the league in rushing, 1,317-1,250, while Cook holds the touchdown edge over Henry, 13-12.
Las Vegas tight end Darren Waller posted NFL highs with 13 catches and 200 yards this week, and he was followed in both categories by Tennessee wide receiver Corey Davis (11-182). Houston’s Keke Coutee (8-141), Kansas City’s Travis Kelce (8-136), and Buffalo’s Cole Beasley (9-130) round out the top five in the league. Beasley’s teammate with the Bills, Stefon Diggs, is tied with Chargers star Keenan Allen for the top spot in the NFL with 90 receptions. Seahawks star DK Metcalf leads the league with 1,119 yards, followed closely by Kelce (1,114) and his Chiefs teammate Tyreek Hill (1,079). Hill and Green Bay’s Davante Adams each have an NFL-best 13 touchdowns, and they are followed closely by Minnesota’s Adam Thielen with 12 and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans with 11.
Kaepernick’s jersey fetches record price at auction
Although Colin Kaepernick has not played in an NFL game in more than four years, he is still one of the most popular players in terms of jersey sales. This point was reiterated at a Julien’s Auction event on Friday, when the jersey he wore during his first game in 2011 was purchased for $128,000, making it the most expensive NFL jersey according to the auction house.
The jersey remains in near perfect condition, since Kaepernick’s debut consisted of only one handoff to running back Frank Gore at the end of a 49ers victory over the Buccaneers in Week 4. He signed on the red number “7” on the back and added the message “2011 game-worn rookie jersey” before giving it to the wife of a family friend as a Christmas gift.
Broncos bring back safety Parks
Will Parks, a 2016 sixth-round pick who spent his first four years with the Broncos, returned to the team after he was waived by the Eagles on Tuesday. A former University of Arizona safety, Parks had one interception in each of his seasons with Denver, and he also totaled 149 tackles and 13 passes defensed in 62 games in the Mile High City. He had just 13 tackles in six games with Philadelphia in 2020 after missing the first five games with a hamstring injury.
THE BAD
Newton leads the Patriots to a shutout win over the Chargers
Cam Newton threw for one touchdown and ran for two more, helping the Patriots score a 45-0 victory over the Chargers. Special teams allowed for New England’s two other scores. Gunner Olszewski returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter and Devin McCourty recovered a blocked field goal and ran it back 44 yards for another score on the final play of the first half.
Damien Harris ran for a game-high 80 yards and Jarrett Stidham found Olszewski for a 38-yard touchdown as the final score for New England (6-6). Justin Herbert had 209 yards passing for Los Angeles (3-9), but the Patriots defense sacked him three times and forced two interceptions.
In other Chargers news, the man Herbert replaced as a starter, Tyrod Taylor, has decided not to file a grievance against the team and one of its doctors. Before Los Angeles’ Week 2 game against the Chiefs, Taylor was given an injection of painkillers for rib discomfort. However, the shot missed its mark and accidentally punctured Taylor’s lung, leading to him going to the hospital during the game and missing a month before being cleared to return. By then, Herbert had shown enough to maintain his starting role despite an 0-4 record.
Blount and Hauschka retire
Two Super Bowl-winning players announced their retirements this past week. Stephen Hauschka, who was a part of Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks, retired on Friday and LeGarrette Blount, a three-time champion, said his goodbye via Instagram the following day, which was his 34th birthday.
Blount was a running back from Oregon who went undrafted in 2010. He was released by the Titans but latched on with the Buccaneers and made the All-Rookie team after rushing for 1,007 yards. Blount was traded to the Patriots in 2013, but he was not brought back despite running for 166 yards and four touchdowns in a Division Round victory against Indianapolis. He returned to New England after Pittsburgh waived him during the 2014 season, and he was a member of the team that won Super Bowl XLIX against the Seahawks (his playoff season also including a 148-yard, three-score performance against the Colts in the AFC Championship Game). Blount set career-highs in 2016 with 1,161 rushing yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns, and his season once again ended with a title after the Patriots defeated the Saints in Super Bowl LI. He signed with the Eagles the following year, and although it was a down year in terms of statistics, he ended the campaign with 90 yards and a touchdown against his old team in a Super Bowl LII victory. In the process, Blount became just the fifth player to win titles in consecutive years with different teams (joining Ken Norton Jr., Deion Sanders, Brandon Browner, and teammate Chris Long). Blount spent 2018 with the Lions but had not appeared in a game since that point. He finished his nine-year NFL career with 6,306 yards and 56 touchdowns.
Hauschka, like Blount, was an undrafted free agent. After a failed tryout with the Vikings in 2008, he was used sparingly by the Ravens and Broncos over the next three seasons. In 2010, Hauschka went to the United Football League, where he kicked three extra points for the Las Vegas Locomotives in their 23-20 victory over the Florida Tuskers in the league championship game. He signed with Seattle the following year and recorded at least 100 points in each of his six seasons in the Pacific Northwest. Not only did Hauschka move into second place on the Seahawks’ all-time scoring list with 759 points, but he kicked two field goals and four extra points during the team’s 43-8 thrashing of the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. The following year, he had three extra points and a field goal, but Seattle fell to New England, 28-24. Hauschka signed with the Bills in 2017 and spent the next three seasons kicking in frigid conditions in Buffalo. He signed with the Jaguars in 2020, but he was released after missing both of his field-goal attempts in the opening game. In 13 seasons, Hauschka totaled 1,149 points. He made 95.7 percent of his extra point and 85.2 percent of his field-goal attempts (16th on the all-time list).
NFL injuries continue to pile up
Although the impact of the coronavirus lessened in the NFL in Week 13, the injury club continued to welcome new members. Even before the games began, several players found out they would have to miss this week’s games, including Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (ankle), Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (hamstring), Titans tight end Jonnu Smith (knee), and Lions running back D’Andre Swift, who missed his third straight game, this one with an illness after being out the prior two with a concussion. The Steelers also confirmed that pass rusher Bud Dupree suffered a torn ACL during Wednesday’s game against the Ravens and will miss the rest of the season.
The attrition continued on Sunday with several players leaving games with injuries. This list includes Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks (calf), Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Raiders cornerback (concussion), Bengals quarterback Brandon Allen (chest) and tackle Jonah Williams (knee), Dolphins linebacker Elandon Roberts (chest) and guard Ereck Flowers (ankle), Jets running back Frank Gore (concussion) and guard Greg Van Roten (foot), Saints cornerback Patrick Robinson (leg), Lions offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby (ankle), Texans tight end Pharaoh Brown (concussion), Jaguars offensive lineman Brandon Linder (ankle), Rams running back Darrell Henderson (knee), Cardinals cornerback Johnathan Joseph (stinger), Chargers running back Joshua Kelley (ankle) and Giants linebacker Blake Martinez (lower back).
On Monday, Bengals receiver Auden Tate underwent successful shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. His recovery time is expected to be in the four- to six-month range. Several players from the early evening game also suffered injuries including Pittsburgh cornerback Joe Haden (concussion) and linebacker Robert Spillane (knee), as well as Washington running back Antonio Gibson (turf toe). Later that night, Indianapolis tackle Le’Raven Clark was officially diagnosed with a torn Achilles, ending his year and possibly his Colts career. Clark, who played 47 games in five seasons, will be a free agent after the season.
Lions release wide receiver Hall
The Detroit Lions are barely clinging to the ledge of playoff contention in the NFC, but the team announced the release of speedy wide receiver Marvin Hall on Saturday. Hall set career-highs with 17 receptions, 290 yards, and two touchdowns this season while also starting five games for the Lions. However, his playing time was due to be drastically released since Detroit signed Mohamed Sanu last month, and both Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola are returning from hip injuries. Hall has 36 catches, 760 yards, and five scores in four seasons with the Falcons and Lions.
THE UGLY
Dolphins-Bengals game ends with altercation and ejections
Tua Tagovailoa threw for 296 yards and a touchdown, and Jason Sanders kicked four field goals in a 19-7 Dolphins win over the Bengals that was marred by a confrontation between the teams in the fourth quarter. Myles Gaskin ran for a game-high 90 yards and tight end Mike Gesicki had nine catches for 88 yards to lead Miami (8-4). Brandon Allen had 153 yards passing, with 72 coming on a first-quarter touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd for Cincinnati (2-9-1).
The late melee was sparked by Cincinnati’s Mike Thomas, who rammed a shoulder into Jakeem Grant on back-to-back punt return plays after he called for a fair catch. The entire Miami team went to the Cincinnati sideline, leading to pushing, shoving, and punches being thrown by Dolphins receivers DeVante Parker and Mack Hollins. Miami cornerback Xavien Howard, as well as Boyd and Cincinnati safety Shawn Williams, were also ejected. The league announced on Monday that there could be fines, but no suspensions, for any participants.
Here is another example of the hypocrisy of the NFL. Grant was in a near-defenseless position awaiting a punt after calling for a fair catch and Thomas rammed a shoulder into him on back-to-back plays. Thomas was penalized for the hit, but somehow wasn’t ejected when he was the reason for the situation in the first place. The worst part is that the officials were talking to their counterparts in the league office in New York in order to correctly identify who should be ejected. You mean to tell me that among the seven officials on the field, several on hand at the stadium, and who knows how many others in the league office watching the play, NONE of them could find enough fault with Thomas to have him thrown out of the game?
Jets fire defensive coordinator Williams
Things were all set up for the Jets to win their first game of the season on Sunday. New York was up 28-24 and, although they had just punted, Las Vegas had to go 61 yards in just 35 seconds. A Derek Carr pass to tight end Darren Waller moved the Raiders into Jets territory, but with five ticks left on the clock, all New York had to do was send eight defenders back as far as possible and knock down any passes thrown their way.
However, that is NOT what happened. In what can only be seen as a “Tank for Trevor (Lawrence)” moment, the Jets instead sent eight defenders at Carr while playing man-coverage on the three wide receivers. Henry Ruggs beat his defender Lamar Jackson (not the Ravens’ quarterback) and Carr had enough of an opening to find his rookie receiver with a game-winning 46-yard touchdown pass with five seconds to spare.
After the debacle, fans and media personnel called for the firing of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, and the team did just that late Monday morning. The question most are asking is “What took so long?” but really, it should be “Why is Williams still getting work at all?” The sad thing is, more than a few people probably think he could have called the blitz to lose on purpose so the Jets could stay in the driver’s seat for the top overall pick. After all, he crippled three franchises with bounty scandals and has not had very much success, in most of his coaching jobs, especially recently.
Williams started his pro career in 1990 as a defensive assistant in charge of linebackers before moving up to defensive coordinator with the Titans franchise. His teams consistently finished in the top 10 in yards and points allowed, but they either lost early in the playoffs or failed to reach postseason play altogether. The defense was in the middle of the pack in 1999, but Tennessee had a top 10 offense led by Steve McNair, resulting in a trip to Super Bowl XXXIV. He returned to the Titans as a senior defensive assistant in 2013, but the defense was in the middle of the NFL rankings and the team missed the playoffs.
After Tennessee, Williams was named head coach in Buffalo in 2001. He took a defensive unit that was ranked in the top 10 before he arrived, dropped it into the lower third of the league, then brought it into the top five for his final season in 2003 (although the team went 6-10). He moved onto Washington as defensive coordinator from 2004-07. Although the Redskins had a top 10 defense in three of his four seasons, they failed to deliver in the postseason. However, the NFL later discovered that Williams instituted a bounty system with both Buffalo and Washington, in which players were awarded financially for hits that seriously injured opponents.
After spending 2008 with the Jaguars (a bottom third defense that missed the playoffs), Williams had his greatest success as defensive coordinator with the Saints. New Orleans ranked third in points allowed in 2009 and ended the season with a 31-17 win over Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints made the playoffs the next two seasons as well before he was found to be the mastermind behind the scandal that came to be known as “Bountygate.” In the end, Williams was suspended indefinitely, head coach Sean Payton had to miss the entire season, general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended eight games and assistant coach Joe Vitt received an eight-game ban. Four players also were suspended for their parts in the scandal, including linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who missed all of the 2012 season.
After his seasons with the Titans, Williams became defensive coordinator of the Rams and oversaw a unit that was nothing special as part of a team that combined to win 17 games in three years. Williams took on a similar role with the Browns in 2017, although his time in Cleveland is known for the 0-16 record the team posted in his first year. He went 5-3 as interim head coach after the Browns fired Hugh Jackson midway through the 2018 season, but he was let go when Freddie Kitchens was named coach the following year. Williams then latched on with the Jets in 2019, but New York has been bad defensively this season after trading All-Pro safety Jamal Adams to the Seahawks. Honestly, this should be it for Williams as a coach in the NFL, but sadly, there will probably be one team out there so desperate that he will be given another undeserved chance.
Jacob Keppen predicts the Jets will hold onto the top spot in his end of November Mock Draft.
NFL conditionally reinstates Josh Gordon
On the topic of people who get too many chances, the NFL conditionally reinstated Seahawks wide receiver Josh Gordon on December 3. Pending the results of COVID-19 testing, he can attend meetings this week and will be eligible to practice beginning Dec. 21, which would make him eligible to play in Seattle’s final two games.
A second-round pick of the Browns in the 2012 Supplemental Draft out of Baylor, Gordon was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro after leading the league with 1,646 yards in 2013. However, he was suspended for 10 games the following year, and he also missed the 2015-16 seasons after violating the league’s substance-abuse policy on three separate occasions. Gordon returned to Cleveland in 2017, but he was released one game into the following season. He signed with the Patriots and earned a championship ring for the Super Bowl LIII win over the Rams, although he did not play in the game after being suspended yet again, this time indefinitely. Gordon was allowed to return again in 2019, and he signed with Seattle in November. However, he lasted just five games before being hit with this current suspension, the FIFTH in his nine-year career.
No one likes to hear the phrase “give up,” but it obviously hasn’t sunk in that Gordon has ruined his career and his life with his drug and alcohol issues. The NFL isn’t helping him, either. They should not keep reinstating him, since it’s obvious that he’s only able to behave long enough to get back on the field before falling back into old habits. If Gordon is serious about defeating his demons, he needs to STAY AWAY from the people who cause him to drink. Honestly, at this point, he needs a babysitter, someone to keep him on the straight and narrow and control his money, so he doesn’t use it to get into trouble. Unless someone is willing to save Gordon from himself, the never-ending cycle will continue.
Burfict arrested for battery in Nevada
Here is yet another prime example of someone who has talent but keeps making the same mistakes. Vontaze Burfict, a Pro Bowl linebacker who has not played in the NFL in more than a year, was arrested early Saturday on a misdemeanor assault charge in Clark County, Nevada. He was released on a $1,000 bond. According to TMZ Sports, Burfict, and another person were in The Cosmopolitan casino looking for a hidden pizzeria within the facility called “Secret Pizza.” The linebacker thought security was following them and got into a physical incident with them. Security detained Burfict until police arrived, and he was charged with misdemeanor battery.
Burfict was an All-American both in high school and at Arizona State, but he went undrafted despite earning 2010 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors. He spent his first seven seasons with the Bengals, making the Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with 171 tackles in 2013, but also earning a reputation as a dirty player. In 2014, Burfict was fined $25,000 for twisting the ankles of Panthers stars Greg Olsen and Cam Newton after they scored touchdowns. The following year, he received three fines totaling more than $69,000 from the NFL, one for a hit to the ankle of Ben Roethlisberger and two others for unnecessary roughness penalties. He also missed the first three games of the 2016 season when the league suspended him for repeated violations of player safety rules. In 2017, Burfict was given a five-game suspension for a blindside block of Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman during a preseason game (the ban was later reduced to three games), and he was ejected in Week 10 for committing two personal foul penalties. He also missed two games after suffering a concussion from a JuJu Smith-Schuster blindside block.
During the 2018 season, Burfict received a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He was also fined $112,000 for hits on Antonio Brown and James Conner during a Week 6 game against Pittsburgh. Another intended hit on Brown resulted in Burfict injuring his teammate, Jessie Bates. He was released at the end of the season and signed a one-year deal with the Raiders in March 2019. During a Week 4 contest against the Colts, Burfict clobbered tight end Jack Doyle with a helmet-to-helmet hit, a move that earned him an ejection and a suspension for the remainder of the season without pay.
Four separate COVID-19 strains found in Ravens’ facility
The Baltimore Ravens went through a flurry of activity in Week 12, as their game against the Steelers was postponed three times and the team had more than 20 players either test positive for the coronavirus or get placed on the reserve list as a close contact. While Lamar Jackson is the final major player to come back following the outbreak, Ravens team president Dick Cass addressed the situation on Saturday, saying there were four unique strains of COVID-19 found at the team’s facilities, but only one was responsible for spreading the virus to players and staff members. Cass also admitted that “not everyone at the Ravens followed the protocol thoroughly,” but that the team will “be vigilant moving forward to ensure that it does not happen again.”
The apology and pledge to do better is great, but it’s a lot easier to make considering quarterback Lamar Jackson was able to play in Week 13. As a Giants fan, I love the fact that Jackson played against the Cowboys and hurt their chances to get a win. However, Baltimore should have had to play without the 2019 NFL MVP for TWO games. The league manipulated the schedule so that, rather than playing on back-to-back Thursdays, with Jackson having to miss both contests after testing positive on Thanksgiving, the Ravens would still play games nearly a week apart, but the games were pushed so far that Jackson could be available. Remember, this all happened because of the negligence of a staff member, something Cass alluded to in his statement. The NFL is obviously better if Jackson gets national exposure during the playoffs, but Baltimore is 6-5 and has lost to several potential playoff opponents already (Kansas City, Tennessee, New England, and Pittsburgh twice). Jackson and the Ravens may need the help, but they should not be getting any.
Thankfully, most of the other NFL news concerning COVID-19 was the announcement that players were being activated from the reserve list and returning to action. Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, Eagles tight end Zach Ertz and wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Broncos defensive end Shelby Harris, 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, along with Raiders tackle Trent Brown, defensive back Lamarcus Joyner, and running back Theo Riddick were all taken off the list on Dec. 2, and Colts defensive lineman Denico Autry, Cardinals safety Deionte Thompson and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett returned to practice the following day.
Several Ravens players were taken off the reserve list at the end of the week, with running back J.K. Dobbins, centers Matt Skura and Patrick Mekari, and linebacker Pernell McPhee coming back to the team on Friday, and running back Mark Ingram, as well as defensive ends Calais Campbell and Jihad Ward being removed the next day. Other players allowed back with their teams over the weekend included Raiders defensive end Clelin Ferrell, along with Colts activated defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt. Baltimore got its biggest star back on Monday afternoon when 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson was removed from the reserve list.
The news was not all good on the coronavirus front, however. On Friday, the Dolphins placed running back Matt Breida on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Giants running back Devonta Freeman, who was already on injured reserve due to his ankle, was placed on the list the following day.
The Carolina Panthers put eight players on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday following their bye week. Wide receiver D.J. Moore tested positive for the coronavirus and fellow wideout Curtis Samuel is considered a close contact. Carolina also placed defensive tackles Derrick Brown and Zach Kerr, linebacker Shaq Thompson, offensive tackle Greg Little, punter Michael Palardy, and practice squad receiver Ishmael Hyman on the reserve list. Palardy has been on injured reserve all season after suffering a torn ACL in July. Two other players besides Moore tested positive and the rest are all close contacts, but the team has not specified who had the other positive tests.
The outbreak leaves only Robby Anderson as the best receiving option, although Christian McCaffrey is expected to return to the Panthers after missing nine games with a high ankle sprain and a shoulder injury. Carolina will play Denver early Sunday afternoon.
One of the most compelling storylines from the Week 13 schedule was supposed to be Dez Bryant facing his old team for the first time. Instead, Bryant was called in from pre-game warm-ups to retake a COVID-19 test after his first one came back inconclusive. The second test came back positive, and the receiver was understandably upset after he was scratched. Less than 15 minutes before kickoff, Bryant tweeted that he was “going to go ahead and call it a quit for the rest of the season … I can’t deal with this.” However, he later backed off that stance.
Bryant spent his first eight seasons in Dallas before the Cowboys released him in 2018. He is the team’s all-time leader with 73 touchdowns, and he also ranks third with 531 receptions and fifth with 7,459 yards. Bryant has just four catches in three games with the Ravens this season.
What’s on tap for Week 14: The schedule opens with a Super Bowl LIII rematch between the Rams and Patriots on Thursday night. Sunday’s slate features several games between teams fighting for playoff spots. Afternoon games include Chiefs vs. Dolphins, Cardinals vs. Giants, Vikings vs. Buccaneers, and Colts vs. Raiders. The Steelers go on the road to face the Bills on Sunday night and the Weekends with an AFC North showdown between the Ravens and Browns on Monday night.
Writer
-By: Kevin Rakas