AROUND THE NFL
Daily Briefing
If The Season Ended Today in the NFC:
W-L Conf
New Orleans South 9-2 7-1
Seattle West 8-3 6-2
Green Bay North 8-3 6-2
NY Giants East 4-7 3-6
LA Rams WC1 7-4 7-2
Tampa Bay WC2 7-5 4-4
Arizona WC3 6-5 4-3
Minnesota 5-6 4-4
Chicago 5-6 5-4
San Francisco 5-6 3-5
With wins in Week 12, the Vikings and 49ers have pulled to within a game of the playoff line. San Francisco at Arizona, in a game between two teams sharing a stadium, in Week 16, will be big.
How about the NFC East?
W-L Div
NY Giants 4-7 3-2
Washington 4-7 3-2
Philadelphia 3-7-1 2-2
Dallas 3-8 1-3
The Giants have a sweep over the Redskins – with four games left vs. playoff contenders plus the Cowboys in Week 17.
The WFT has three playoff contenders, the Panthers and the Eagles in Week 17.
The Eagles have three playoff contenders, the Cowboys and Washington.
The Cowboys have two playoff contenders, the Bengals, the Eagles and the Giants.
– – –
As of this morning, the Ravens will play the Steelers in Pittsburgh on NBC on Wednesday afternoon. Then the Steelers and Ravens will play their next games on Monday. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com:
The COVID-19 outbreak in Baltimore has led to the Ravens-Steelers game being postponed to Wednesday.
The game is scheduled to kick off at 3:40 p.m. ET. It becomes the first game of the NFL season to get postponed three times. The game is kicking off at 3:40 p.m. because NBC, which is broadcasting the game, wanted to honor its commitment to broadcast the 88th Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday night, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With the latest postponement, the Steelers’ Week 13 game on Sunday against the Washington Football Team will now be played Monday at 5 p.m. ET, and the Ravens’ Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys, which had already been moved once to Dec. 7, will now be played Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 8:05 p.m. ET.
While the Steelers-Washington game was pushed to Monday, the Ravens’ game against the Cowboys was pushed to Tuesday because of scheduling, a league source told ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
“These decisions were made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts,” the NFL said in a statement.
The Steelers preferred to play the Ravens this week, rather than postponing to later in the season, like a Week 18 game, because of the “can of worms” that could open, sources told Pryor. The Steelers were also in favor of pushing the Sunday game against the Washington Football Team to Monday for an added day of rest, sources said.
The Week 12 game between the Ravens and Steelers that was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night — and was moved to Sunday and then Tuesday night — was shifted for the third time. This will mark the NFL’s first game on Wednesday since the 2012 season opener between the Cowboys and New York Giants, which was scheduled for that day to avoid a conflict with President Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.
The latest postponement came after the Ravens players said Monday in a teleconference meeting that they did not want to play Tuesday because of concerns over safety. Baltimore had another positive test on Monday, making it nine straight days with at least one player testing positive. The source added that one suggestion from the players was to move the game to Thursday, but the NFL compromised by shifting it to Wednesday.
The Ravens will hold a walkthrough Monday night and will hold another one before departing for Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Baltimore hasn’t had a full practice since Nov. 20, a span of 10 days.
“This evening, we hosted a safely distanced walk-through/conditioning session at the Under Armour Performance Center,” the Ravens said in a statement Monday. “Players arrived already prepared to work out on the field, and they did not enter the locker room or training room. “We intend to hold another walk-through session on Tuesday, in preparation for traveling to Pittsburgh Tuesday evening.”
For the Ravens, Monday was perhaps the strangest day in what has been one of the most challenging weeks in franchise history. Players had reported to the team facility about a half hour before the scheduled 9:30 a.m. practice when the NFL canceled it to wait for the latest test results, a source said. The Ravens waited most of the day not knowing whether they would practice again that afternoon and board a plane to play the NFL’s only undefeated team. The day ended with the game between AFC North rivals getting moved for the third time in six days.
Baltimore is in the midst of one of the largest outbreaks in professional sports. The Ravens have had 22 players test positive or get identified as a high-risk close contact over the past nine days.
At least a dozen Ravens players have tested positive, including reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, along with five Pro Bowl players: defensive end Calais Campbell, tight end Mark Andrews, outside linebacker Matthew Judon, running back Mark Ingram and fullback Patrick Ricard.
The Ravens still have 20 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Baltimore added four players (Andrews, Judon, wide receiver Willie Snead IV and cornerback Terrell Bonds) and removed four players (outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson, offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, cornerback Iman Marshall and defensive tackle Broderick Washington). Marshall will revert to injured reserve.
Running backs JK Dobbins and Ingram will be eligible to play Wednesday but 13 Ravens players, including Jackson, will remain on the reserve/COVID-19 list, a source told Schefter.
As of Monday evening, the Ravens have 38 players on their 53-man roster after guard Tyre Phillips (shoulder) was activated off injured reserve and cornerback Davontae Harris was officially signed.
Al Galdi seems to wonder about the juice the Ravens have with the NFL compared to the Broncos:
@Al Galdi
So the Ravens by their own admission messed up & yet:
1) got their game at Steelers postponed a third time
2) got an extra day of rest for a now twice-postponed game vs. Cowboys
3) screwed #WashingtonFootball by creating for it a short week prior to facing 49ers in Arizona
– – –
For whatever reason, Dr. Anthony Fauci seems more sanguine about our future than he was, say, a month ago. It translates to good news for the NFL (as well as in-person schooling). Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
The clouds eventually will part. The pandemic eventually will end. Normalcy, in more ways than one, eventually will return.
For the NFL, that could happen by next season.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases, told Yahoo Sports on Monday that pro football could see crowded houses by the start of the 2021 campaign.
“Oh, that’s possible,” Dr. Fauci said regarding the possibility of full NFL stadiums by September. “I think that’s possible.”
Given the wildly varying rules applicable to different states and different localities in 2020, it’s also possible that stadiums will be full for some teams in some places (Florida and Texas) and that other stadiums will remain empty, or at least closer to empty than full.
The first (and hopefully only) anniversary of the pandemic is only three months away, and things are getting worse, not better. The best news come from the impending arrival of vaccines, even if it’s still unclear how anyone will convince those who refuse to put a mask onto their faces to put a needle into their arms.
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NFC EAST
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NEW YORK GIANTS
Giants QB DANIEL JONES will not have the endurance record of his predecessor. Jordan Raanan of EPSN.com:
The MRI on New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones showed a hamstring strain that is likely to force him to miss some time, according to a source.
The first-place Giants (4-7) should know more later in the week when they get Jones moving around. Right now, coach Joe Judge said there are more questions than answers and they are in “wait-and-see mode” because it’s natural for there to be swelling and tightness the day after an injury.
But there is at least optimism that Jones’ absence won’t be long term. Tests on Monday ruled out a significant tear.
New York plays on Sunday in Seattle. It seems highly unlikely that Jones would be ready for that contest. The following weeks against Arizona or Cleveland are more realistic.
“I couldn’t give you an answer on if it’s one week or more than one week right now,” Judge said Monday afternoon on a Zoom call. “I’m not qualified and, to be honest, the doctors I talked with today, they don’t have that crystal ball either.”
Veteran Colt McCoy would start in Jones’ absence. Clayton Thorson is the only other quarterback on the Giants’ roster. He is currently on the practice squad.
McCoy did just enough in the final quarter and a half to allow the Giants to escape with a 19-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. He completed 6 of 10 passes for 31 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
The saving grace with Jones may be — and every coach seems to say it about him — that he’s really tough. At Duke he had surgery on a broken clavicle, was back at practice nine days later and played three weeks after the injury.
“I’ll say this, this is a tough dude. Like, he’s a tough guy. A very competitive guy,” Judge said. “He wants to be out there, and if we gave him the option today he’d jump out there with duct tape on his leg and try to go at it.”
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PHILADELPHIA
Clay Travis looks at the bright side of Philly’s Covid Lockdown:
@ClayTravis
Carson Wentz is the biggest beneficiary of there being no fans in Philly. The boos would be unbelievable. Can you imagine if this was a full stadium of Eagles fans?
– – –
T JASON PETERS is now G JASON PETERS.
Jason Peters has a broken, dislocated toe that will require surgery after this season, but played in Monday night’s game against the Seahawks at guard. He moved there to help make up for the lack of mobility caused by the injury. Peters battled through the injury last week, but playing guard will help better compensate for it.
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NFC WEST
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SAN FRANCISCO
The citizens of Santa Clara County can rest easy – their government has boldly protected them from the scourge of having the 49ers moving in and out amongst them. CBSSports.com:
The San Francisco 49ers have concluded their search for a new home venue after Santa Clara Country, where Levi’s Stadium is located, issued new COVID-19 regulations that include the temporary ban on all high school, collegiate, and professional sports. The team announced on Monday that its Week 13 and 14 home games against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Football Team will be played at the Cardinals’ home stadium, State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
The move comes in the aftermath of California experiencing its worst surge of COVID-19 yet. San Francisco and San Mateo counties rolled out similar restrictions to that of Santa Clara, which limited the nearby options for the 49ers as they searched for a new temporary home. Under Santa Clara County’s new restrictions, a 14-day quarantine is required for all those traveling to and from the country from more than 150 miles away, which Buffalo and Washington certainly fall under, which meant the Niners had to look elsewhere.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan expressed his disappointment on Sunday with the county’s decision and the lack of communication between the county and the team, given the cooperation between the sides previously.
“We’ve been working with them as a partner, just trying to figure it out,” Shanahan said. “For us to be heading out here yesterday and the relationship we have with them, for all of our players and coaches and everyone on that plane and our wives to find that out while we’re getting on a plane and no one to tell us. It was just extremely disappointing.”
As the rest of the country deals with the COVID-19 surge, the NFL has not been able to hide from the pandemic either. A number of teams, including the Steelers, Ravens, and Colts, have recently battled with positive COVID-19 tests popping up all over their respective organization and, in the case of Steelers-Ravens, their game needed to be rescheduled twice. The league also sent out a memo to all 32 clubs informing them that all in-person activities will be halted on Monday, Nov. 30 and Tuesday, Dec. 1 to try and limit the number of positive tests that could come out of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Dr. Jeff Smith, the courageous bureaucrat at the front lines of the fight, is actually aghast that the 49ers would continue to play, much less express frustration at his rules. Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News:
Santa Clara County executive Dr. Jeff Smith fired back Monday at 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s “extreme disappointment” over how the franchise learned of a county contact sports ban forcing the team to play at least its next two home games in Arizona.
In his postgame comments Sunday, Shanahan did not challenge Santa Clara County’s health orders or the reasoning behind it, which is to stem a severe surge in COVID-19 cases. But the 49ers coach lashed out at the vast uncertainty that accompanied Saturday’s directives. Shanahan and his team only learned of their December eviction as they headed to Los Angeles for Sunday’s game.
Smith’s response Monday:
“We have been in contact with the 49ers for months on a regular basis, including discussions about their recent outbreak. The 49ers clearly have been aware of the rising case rates here and around the country, the fact that hospitals are filling, and the challenges they and other teams have had in controlling transmission between players, staff, and families.
“The situation has been the subject of discussion throughout the NFL. The decision by the NFL to stop activities in the last few days is evidence of the fact that even the NFL recognizes the seriousness of the pandemic. It is hard for me to believe that the 49ers were surprised by the new orders given how serious the situation is both locally and across the country.
“They received a notice of the new orders as soon as the orders were finalized, at the same time we notified the thousands of businesses impacted in the community. It is impossible to notify anyone of the final decisions before they are made.”
The 49ers announced Monday morning they will move their upcoming two home games from Levi’s Stadium to the Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. After that, the 49ers play at the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 20 before returning to State Farm Stadium to face the Cardinals in a road game on Dec. 26.
The 49ers have not announced where they will host their Jan. 3 regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks. Santa Clara County’s 14-day quarantine directive for out-of-state travelers could be lifted in time to allow that game at Levi’s Stadium, as unlikely as that may be.
Smith seemed baffled that the 49ers and other sports teams are even playing amid a pandemic.
“Historically, sportsmanship has been about building a team and protecting that team,” Smith said. “Coaches, managers and owners used to want to protect their players from harm. Those values seem to have been placed on hold during the COVID pandemic.
“If leaders want to protect their teams and communities, they should not play anywhere until it is safe. One might envision a reemergence of team-building if the teams spent their time building a COVID relief fund for the community rather than trying to put the community at more risk.”
We wondered about the sanctity of 150 miles as a distance of safety from the dread virus – but we do note that Governor Gavin Newsom and other state officials can go the 119 miles from Sacramento to visit their subjects without quarantine issues.
Napa and Carmel where Silicon Valley executives might want to hunker down on weekends are also inside 150 miles. Fresno, Yosemite and Chico are spots from which one cannot return per Dr. Smith’s carefully-considered decree.
The DB had this in his in-box over the weekend: 49ers Announce Roster Moves.
Now it is announcing the entire roster is being compelled to move.
And don’t be fooled into thinking Dr. Smith will allow the 49ers back to celebrate New Years with the big finale against the Seahawks on January 3.
Santa Clara County Executive Jeff Smith said he expects the ban on recreational activities that involve physical contact with persons outside of their household to be extended into 2021, potentially forcing the San Jose Sharks out of the area to hold practices and play games.
Smith told this news organization he believed the ban, which went into effect Monday and lasts until Dec. 21, would be extended into January when the Sharks’ season could be well underway.
The directive also stated that individuals traveling more than 150 miles to Santa Clara County would need to quarantine for 14 days — an impossibility for other NHL teams that come to San Jose to play the Sharks at SAP Center.
Can this be correct? Is Jeff Smith, the County Executive, also Dr. Jeff Smith, Santa Clara County Health Expert? We found this from BizJournals.com in 2014. He can also use his medical expertise to sue you personally in court?
Jeff Smith likes collecting degrees. In addition to heading Santa Clara County, he is also a doctor and a lawyer.
That gives the Santa Clara County executive unique insight on leading an organization with 17,000 employees, a $4.9 billion budget and myriad challenges. Smith, who was hired in 2009, still lives in Martinez, but you can often find him at the Sainte Claire hotel, where he likes to stay on days when he has a late county board meeting.
We caught up with Smith to ask about his take –
What’s harder: Being a medical student, a law student or being county executive? I think being a medical student. For the first two years, they give you piles of books and tell you to memorize them and regurgitate them at tests. The second two years, you’re thrown into clinical world, and that’s pretty scary taking care of patients as a third- or fourth-year student.
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LOS ANGELES RAMS
How bad was QB JARED GOFF on Sunday? Bad enough that the name John Wolford popped into his head.
Who is Wolford? Well, he barely beat out Broncos QB/WR KENDALL HINTON at Wake Forest. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
The 7-4 Rams went 2-2 in November. In the two losses, quarterback Jared Goff hasn’t played well.
A day after coach Sean McVay said that Goff must take better care of the ball, McVay was asked whether he considered yanking Goff in either of those two losses, to the Dolphins and the 49ers.
“If I thought it was going to be the best thing to just take a deep breath and step away, then I’d say, maybe,” McVay said. “But not in either of those situations, because both of those reflected kind of having an opportunity where there was enough plays made to get back in it. The Dolphins game, maybe a little bit different, but I thought it was important to be able to play through some of those things, learn from it, especially just based on some of the things that they were activating defensively.
“Yesterday, each of those situations that occurred that that ended up hurting us, were kind of different in their own right. All of them happened to be versus a man-coverage type of situation, the three turnovers that he had. Really for us, we got back in that game where we had a good little bit of momentum on that drive, that you get the big play to [receiver] Cooper [Kupp], then you end up hitting [receiver] Josh Reynolds and then we just kind of missed hitting a touchdown to [running back] Darrell Henderson which ended up getting it to 17-6. Then Aaron [Donald] does an unbelievable job of forcing the fumble [which resulted in a touchdown] and then the next thing you know, the next drive you get, that’s where you see [running back] Cam [Akers] break a 61-yarder and he has a tough, hard red-zone run that two plays later, you punch it in and then you’re looking up and you’re winning the game.
“Yesterday that was never part of the consideration nor was it really for Miami, to answer your question.”
What’s stunning about McVay’s answer is that it was so long. When a team has a true franchise quarterback and a reporter asks the coach whether he considered benching the franchise quarterback, the coach doesn’t engage in an extended monologue explain when asked why it didn’t happen. He simply says, “Because that’s our quarterback,” or possibly something far less tactful.
This doesn’t mean Goff is in danger of being benched (his backup is John Wolford of the “Who The Hell Is That?” Wolfords), but McVay’s failure to dismiss the question in knee-jerk style is telling.
The NFL is funny. CARSON WENTZ was on his way to MVP in 2017 before a late injury curtailed his hopes and made way for the Cinderella story of NICK FOLES. In 2018, Goff led the Rams to the Super Bowl.
In 2020, Goff is shaky and Wentz is totally shaken.
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SEATTLE
This after beating the Eagles.
Best Primetime W-L
Since 1950 (20+ starts)
Win Pct
SEA Russell Wilson 29-8-1 .776
HOF Steve Young 23-7 .767
HOF Ken Stabler 15-5-1 .738
HOF Joe Montana 22-8 .733
NFL Peyton Manning 47-18 .723
That includes 10-2 on Monday Night Football
– – –
Eagles DC Jim Schwartz used his superior intellect to mess with the mind of Seahawks WR DK METCALF. Instead, Metcalf messed with Schwartz’s defense. Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report:
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf had a point to prove heading into Monday’s 23-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Metcalf had a monster game matched up against three-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay for much of the night, catching 10 passes for 177 yards. Slay might have his defensive coordinator partially to blame for his miserable night.
Metcalf told reporters after the game he wanted “to make them pay” after the Eagles passed on him in the 2019 draft. He also recounted a comment he heard from Jim Schwartz:
@JClarkNBCS
DK Metcalf says he had a chip on his shoulder and was fired up
He says Jim Schwartz said to him that he was with Megatron in Detroit, and that he is not there yet 😳
There was apparently something lost in translation. Schwartz said after the game that he meant to compliment Metcalf and say he was on his way to becoming a wideout on par with the legendary Calvin Johnson.
@JClarkNBCS
Jim Schwartz says he complimented DK before game, told him he’s got ton of respect for him & he was with Calvin in Detroit & he’s closest thing to Megatron he’s seen. Jim told him after game, “you may not be Calvin yet but you’re on your way.” Was complimenting @dkm14 both times
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AFC WEST
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DENVER
The Broncos Covid QB nightmare is over for now. Michael David Smith atProFootballTalk.com:
The Broncos had to play a game without a quarterback on Sunday because one quarterback, Jeff Driskel, tested positive for COVID-19 and the other three quarterbacks on their roster all had to quarantine because of close contact with Driskel. But none of the three quarterbacks caught the virus from Driskel.
Mike Klis of 9 News in Denver reports that Broncos quarterbacks Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles all tested negative in the latest round of testing, as they have every day, and are now cleared to return.
That means if the NFL had delayed the Broncos’ game until tonight, rather than forcing the Broncos to play with practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton at quarterback, the Broncos would have their quarterbacks on the field.
The Broncos are not happy with the NFL for forcing them to play under those circumstances, but the quarterbacks themselves bear plenty of blame, as they were together in a meeting room without masks, in violation of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols.
Lock is expected to start at quarterback for the Broncos on Sunday night against the Chiefs.
Did the NFL do the Broncos a wrong, compared to the way they have bent over backwards for the Ravens? Yardbreaker tries to explain:
Many fans have been wondering why the Denver Broncos were forced to play without a quarterback in their Week 12 game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, while the Baltimore Ravens continued to have their game postponed. It’s a very good question, and it has a reasonable explanation.
The short answer is that the NFL believed the Broncos’ COVID situation was contained, while the Ravens’ was not.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter offered an explanation during “Monday Night Countdown.”
“It’s all about identification, isolation, and then containment of the virus. As long as the NFL feels like it has identified, isolated and contained the virus, it believes it can play the games,” Schefter said. “If it can’t identify, if it can’t isolate, and it can’t contain — as was the case in Baltimore — they’re going to continue to postpone the game. That’s why the Broncos-Saints game on Sunday was played. Because the league believed the virus was identified, isolated and contained in Denver, whereas it wasn’t in Baltimore. And that’s why that game keeps shifting.”
The decision to postpone or cancel a game is not based on competitive reasons. It’s simply about containment of the virus.
The Broncos had one positive COVID-19 test, and that was for quarterback Jeff Driskel on Thursday. The league on Saturday ruled the team’s other three quarterbacks ineligible to play, as they were deemed high-risk contacts as a result. There were no other players deemed at high risk, nor other positive tests. Contrarily, the Ravens continued to have new positive COVID-19 tests trickle in each day, suggesting the virus had not been contained.
As far as the league is concerned, as long as they believe the virus is contained, then it becomes the team’s responsibility to field a roster. In that sense, losing a player to COVID is not too dissimilar to losing one to injury.
Remember, even though Baltimore’s game against Pittsburgh has been postponed from Thursday to Wednesday, they will still be playing without Lamar Jackson, though they may get some other key weapons back.
So the Broncos are “contained” after one player was unknowingly infected so they get to suffer what was essentially a forfeit. But the Ravens are “uncontained” in an outbreak traced to a rogue coach and they get a competitive game (maybe with their quarterback back).
QB DREW LOCK’s mother speaks up:
Drew Lock’s mother issued a lengthy defense of her son after he was unable to play in Sunday’s game due to a breach in COVID-19 protocols.
In a statement on Twitter, Laura Lock criticized those who were attacking her son Drew for perceived carelessness. In particular, she defended him over his attendance at a Tuesday film session with Jeff Driskel. Driskel ultimately tested positive, leading the other three quarterbacks to be ruled high-risk contacts.
Laura Lock said Drew’s leadership led the quarterbacks to meet at the team facility instead of an unauthorized site off-campus. She also notes that all four quarterbacks had tested negative up to that point. She admitted that it was “unfortunate” but “not damning” that Lock had briefly been careless in not wearing a mask, but defended his handling of the virus, noting that he has asked his girlfriend not to travel to away games for safety purposes.
Laura also noted that her son “wasn’t the one with Covid” and asked why those who actually had tested positive weren’t receiving the same amount of scrutiny as her son, who never did.
“As a parent, an educator, a friend, a co-worker, a boss – using people to make an example of a situation is wrong,” Laura Lock concluded. “The NFL used one of their own as an example – this is where the shame is.”
The biggest problem with the Broncos’ situation — and why it has received so much attention — is that it wiped out the team’s entire slate of quarterbacks. While other teams have had more severe outbreaks, the Broncos became the first team to deal with a situation in which all active roster quarterbacks were deemed ineligible to play prior to a game. The Broncos elevated wide receiver Kendall Hinton from the practice squad ahead of Sunday’s game. Hinton completed one pass for 13 yards in the team’s 31-3 loss to the Saints over the weekend.
– – –
OC Pat Schurmur signs his son to play for the Broncos. Does he have the same Covid protocols as others on the street to be able to practice with the team? Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:
The quarterback-needy Broncos are bringing in a familiar face at the position.
Kyle Shurmur, a quarterback who spent last year with the Chiefs but has been out of the NFL this year, is signing with the Broncos, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Shurmur is the son of Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.
The Broncos currently have one quarterback, Jeff Driskel, on the COVID-19 reserve list because he tested positive, and all their other quarterbacks are being held out because of close contact with Driskel. The Broncos have indicated they expect starter Drew Lock to be cleared to return this week, but Shurmur gives them an insurance policy who has a little more experience at the position than Kendall Hinton, the practice squad receiver who tried to play quarterback for the Broncos on Sunday.
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AFC SOUTH
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HOUSTON
WR WILL FULLER shredded the Lions on Thanksgiving, but we now find out his physique may have been by performance enhancing drugs and his season is over (we should note he goes with the mistaken medication reason). Nick Shook of NFL.com:
A suspension has ended Will Fuller’s 2020 season.
The Texans receiver has been suspended six games by the NFL for a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Fuller announced his suspension via Instagram, explaining he’d taken a medication he believed was permitted by the league’s policy, but later learned it was not.
Fuller will miss the Texans’ remaining five games this season, plus one more in 2021.
“As a result of this mistake, I have been suspended for six games for taking this prohibited medication,” Fuller wrote in his post. “I want to sincerely apologize to the Texans organization and all of my fans for this mistake. I am looking forward to putting this all behind me and returning better than ever in 2021.”
Fuller was in the midst of a career year, catching 53 passes for 879 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns through 11 games as part of a Texans offense that was increasingly reliant upon the passing game. He’d taken advantage of such a shift, as evidenced by his production, but it’ll end there with this suspension.
It might also conclude his time in Houston. Fuller is in the last year of his rookie deal, and while he was finally nearing the expectation a team has of a first-round pick, his recurring injury issues and this suspension might spell an end to his Texans career.
The good news for Fuller: this suspension won’t keep him from attracting offers elsewhere. The pace to break 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns should earn him a nice payday elsewhere, if necessary — even if he’ll only be able to play 15 of the first 16 games.
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THIS AND THAT
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CAP CONTRACTION
Writing at NFL.com, Scott Pioli looks at the upcoming tightening of the salary cap:
Complying with the NFL’s salary cap from year to year is always a balancing act, and it’s a job general managers and decision-makers don’t take lightly, nor should they.
Right now, along with navigating a pandemic-impacted regular season, all 32 NFL organizations are preparing for perhaps the biggest challenge the salary cap has ever presented. Clubs are aware there will be a decrease in the cap number next year due to COVID-19 repercussions, but to what degree? That’s still unknown, as there are estimates out there, but no official number from the league. All 32 teams must be below the cap number at the start of the new league year.
Introduced for the 1994 NFL season, the salary cap traditionally increases on a year-to-year basis and has only decreased one time: 2011, the year of the NFL lockout. In fact, over the past seven seasons, the league has seen its salary cap per club increase by no less than $10 million per year; since 2012, the cap for each club has risen from $120.6 million to $198.2 million in 2020. Over the Cap estimates the 2021 salary cap will be $176 million, a decrease of $22.2 million or 11.2 percent from 2020.
In past seasons, complying with the cap has been relatively manageable — and somewhat easy for fiscally thoughtful clubs — because of the percentage increase year over year. With the margin between the cap number and player commitments about to get squeezed exponentially, though, cap management will be a much greater challenge for all teams — but especially those that are already short on cap space. When looking at Over the Cap’s 2021 projections, 10 teams are already in precarious positions, with expected player payrolls in the red. The New Orleans Saints have one of the most challenging cap situations heading into offseason, as they are $93.7 million over the cap before making any contract adjustments, new signings, etc.
Before diving into the potential ripple effects of a decreased cap, I want to state that I believe the need for cash spending by clubs will increase in 2021. Generally speaking, the way most club’s lower cap numbers is by spending more cash in the present to spread the cap hit out over future years. However, as we all know, it has been a very difficult year for teams and owners to generate revenue, so the availability of cash might be a real issue for some organizations. In addition, this type of cash now/credit card borrowing will likely increase to push spending forward, but past credit card borrowing may exacerbate problems for teams this year because the bill might come due.
With all that in mind, here are three prominent challenges that could arise from a salary cap decrease in 2021.
1) Using the franchise tag will become more difficult. Each team can only use one franchise tag per season. Over the past 10 years, there have been three instances where at least 10 players received the tag (14 in 2020; 21 in 2012; 14 in 2011), while the lowest number of tags was four in 2014. Each year, franchise tag figures are based upon the top five salaries at each respective position, while transition tag figures are based on the top 10. Simple math tells us that an increased cost of franchise tags for each position will have a more egregious net impact on an overall cap number that is going to be reduced. Therefore, franchise tags will account for a larger percentage of cap space than in previous years.
For instance, quarterbacks playing under the franchise tag this season (see: Dak Prescott) accounted for 13.5 percent of the team’s salary cap. Looking ahead to next year, even if the franchise tag number remains the same (which it won’t), it will take up a larger percent of the cap due to the decreased cap number, making it more difficult for teams to justify tagging players. One of the possible outcomes of this could be that several top NFL players hit the open free agent market because teams don’t have the cap space to tag them or offer a long-term deal.
2) Teams with less draft capital may be in for longer periods of hardship. One way teams can control spending is by having strong drafts with good, young players under their very manageable, four-year draft contracts. Consider the Seattle Seahawks, who struck gold in the 2012 NFL Draft with a haul that included DE Bruce Irvin, LB Bobby Wagner, QB Russell Wilson, RB Robert Turbin, CB Jeremy Lane and OG J.R. Sweezy. This ultimately helped the ‘Hawks win a bunch of playoff games in the ensuing three seasons (lost in the Divisional Round in 2012, won the Super Bowl in 2013, lost the Super Bowl in 2014).
On the contrary, some teams have given away a lot of draft capital of late in exchange for veteran talents who are often given top-of-the-market contracts. An example of this is the Laremy Tunsil trade between the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins in August of 2019: Houston traded two first-round picks, a second-rounder, CB Johnson Bademosi and OT Julie’n Davenport in exchange for the left tackle, wide receiver Kenny Stills, a fourth-round pick and a sixth-rounder. The Texans then gave Tunsil a three-year, $66 million extension last offseason. The trade left Houston without a 2020 first-round pick and a first- and second-rounder in 2021, all slots where they could’ve landed talented players for relatively cheap. Meanwhile, Tunsil’s massive contract will end up accounting for 10.8 percent of Houston’s cap next year, per Over The Cap.
It’s a risk to invest in veteran talent because the player may not fit well into your scheme or could get injured, among other things. That’s not to say decisions like this don’t pay off, but it’s certainly worth weighing the options before pulling the trigger on such moves, especially in this cap climate.
3) A major threat to veteran roster spots. Veteran contracts could be the biggest challenge for decision-makers. Although the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NFL and NFLPA agreed upon veteran salary benefit (VSB) contracts, which provide some cap relief for veteran players, it is still somewhat restrictive. The VSB in 2021 will count as $750,000 (amount of a two-year minimum salary credit), plus any additional compensation up to a max of $137,500. Though it may not seem like much, VSB contracts have saved jobs for veteran players by allowing teams to keep them for cheaper base salaries on one-year deals.
All other minimum salaries agreed to in the new CBA, including tenders for exclusive rights and restricted free agents, are going to increase and will eat up a larger percentage of cap space. Almost every player under contract in the NFL has a base salary that is scheduled to increase in 2021 from his 2020 salary, which will be reflected in each player’s ratio of salary cap hit for his team. If the cap number is lower, it will only exacerbate the problem and reduce the margin. As a result, a larger number of veteran players could be forced to take minimum contracts.
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BROADCAST NEWS
So no game in this calendar week for FOX’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
Their expected Dallas at Baltimore Week 13 game has moved from Thursday, all the way to Tuesday as the NFL accommodates the Ravens.
Then, they will start Week 14 in Los Angeles next Thursday for Patriots at Rams.
And work somewhere on Sunday, December 13 – perhaps as far east as Tampa.
Three games in six days.
At least, that would seem to be the plan.
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2021 DRAFT
Dane Brugler of The Athletic offers a Mock Draft, his first of the year:
We are five months away from the NFL Draft, but with the draft order shaping up and prospects declaring, it is time to start examining different first-round scenarios.
While there isn’t much intrigue at No. 1 right now, there are plenty of interesting dominoes after it, several involving the quarterback position. Who will be the second quarterback drafted? Could four quarterbacks come off the board in the top 10? How many quarterbacks will be drafted in the first round?
This mock also includes a few intriguing prospects who have turbo boosters on their backs, putting themselves in the first-round discussion based on their outstanding play. It is still early, but if the draft happened tomorrow, this is a realistic look at how it could play out. You can also view The Athletic’s NFL draft projections page, where you will find each team’s projected draft order and chance at a top pick, here.
Notes: The draft order is current as of Monday, Nov. 30; An asterisk signals draft-eligible underclassmen who haven’t declared for the draft.
1. New York Jets: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson*
Of all the unknowns the Jets face this offseason, Lawrence at No. 1 doesn’t feel like one of them, assuming New York (0-11) finishes with the top pick. The Clemson star is incredibly impressive as a passer due to his athleticism and arm talent while also boasting the intangibles and toughness required to play at a high level in the NFL. This would mark the first time the organization drafted a quarterback No. 1 since 1965, when it drafted Joe Namath.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU*
The first curveball of this mock draft. In October, I wrote how Wilson had put himself in the conversation to be the second quarterback drafted and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him selected this high. With his natural accuracy and ability to execute off-platform, Wilson’s play translates very well to the next level.
3. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
The Bengals’ offensive line woes have been a consistent theme this season and must be addressed. Luckily for Cincinnati, this draft is shaping up to have a deep offensive line class with a stud at the top. Sewell is far from a perfect prospect, but his big-man balance, mobility and instincts make him worthy of top-five consideration.
4. Dallas Cowboys: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
If the Cowboys have a chance at Sewell, I don’t think they pass on him. But if he is off the board (like in this scenario), that leaves two options: trade down or take the top defensive player available. This draft class lacks a no-brainer top defender like Chase Young a year ago, but Farley is an ascending cornerback with size, speed and ball skills.
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama*
Similar to the Cowboys, the Chargers would be wise to invest in the offensive line to protect their quarterback, but it might not be an option this early in the draft if Sewell is off the board. Instead, their focus moves to defense, where cornerback has been a consistent issue for them this season. Surtain isn’t going to run a blazing 40-yard dash time, but he can pattern match from press and find the football downfield.
6. Carolina Panthers: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State*
Teddy Bridgewater is a tough, talented quarterback, but I don’t think anybody expects him to be the long-term answer for Carolina. However, he does give the organization an ideal “bridge” scenario if it drafts a quarterback in the top 10. Fields still requires development with his passing vision and reads, but his size, mobility and accuracy are attractive selling points.
7. Philadelphia Eagles: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
While much of the blame for Philadelphia’s struggles belong to the quarterback, Carson Wentz has received very little help from his receiving weapons this season. And a talent like Chase, who can create his own separation and boasts elite ball skills, is the jolt of energy the Eagles’ offense needs.
8. Washington Football Team: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Lance is an unprecedented evaluation. His production is remarkable (46 touchdowns, three turnovers), but he has only 17 starts on his resume with all 17 against FCS competition. While his evaluation is mostly projection-based, he is well-built with the arm talent and athleticism worth drafting and developing. It doesn’t hurt that Lance’s coaches and teammates call him the hardest worker on the team.
9. Detroit Lions: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
With a new regime arriving soon, the Lions are an organization in flux. Their wide receivers will be wiped out after this season so a playmaker like Jaylen Waddle is an option. But they also need more impact players on defense and Parsons offers the athletic traits to develop into a cornerstone defender in Detroit.
10. Atlanta Falcons: Gregory Rousseau, edge, Miami (Fla.)
It feels like the Falcons have been searching for an impact pass rusher for about a decade now — and that hunt continues into this offseason. Rousseau put himself on the NFL radar last season after leading the ACC with 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. And even though he is still learning how to be impactful from snap to snap, NFL teams will be ready to bet on his length, athleticism and upside.
11. Miami Dolphins (from Houston): Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama*
Miami invested in the offensive line in last year’s draft and now is the time to add more playmakers for their young quarterback. With his explosive speed, Waddle is dangerous before and after the catch, showing the creativity to stress the defense in different ways. One thing is for sure — you know Tua Tagovailoa will approve of this pick.
12. Denver Broncos: Derion Kendrick, CB, Clemson*
In a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr, the Broncos need to get more athletic at cornerback. Kendrick, who moved to defense from wide receiver prior to the 2019 season, is one of the best athletes in the class and continues to get better.
13. Minnesota Vikings: Kwity Paye, edge, Michigan
Mike Zimmer prides his defenses on being able to disrupt the pocket and affect the quarterback — something the Vikings haven’t done enough this season. Paye has the athleticism to launch out of his stance and work around roadblocks and plays with the power and energy to go through blockers.
14. Chicago Bears: Rashawn Slater, OT/G, Northwestern
After watching him handle Young last year, I was sold on Slater as a next-level stud. He will be dinged throughout the process for his short arms, but the left tackle offers the smart, technically sound approach to engage quickly and stay connected. It also helps that Slater has the skill set to play all five offensive line positions.
15. New England Patriots: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida*
The Patriots desperately need pass-catching weapons who can get open and create mismatches downfield. Pitts consistently gets open versus SEC linebackers and safeties and he has the athletic ball skills to beat cornerbacks one-on-one.
16. San Francisco 49ers: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
San Francisco has several cornerbacks in the final year of their deals, pushing the position to the top of the offseason needs list. Horn, who is the son of former NFL pro Joe Horn, needs to refine his discipline, but his instincts and competitive mentality are why he is NFL-ready.
17. Las Vegas Raiders: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame*
The Raiders need more playmakers on defense and with his explosion and versatility, that is what Owusu-Koramoah can provide. A three-down player, he has the play speed to blitz, string out runs or drop in coverage.
18. Baltimore Ravens: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC*
The Ravens could use a boost at wide receiver, edge rusher and a few other positions, but the offensive line needs help, too. Vera-Tucker is an alert, agile mover with physical hands and the position versatility that will boost his draft grade.
19. New York Giants: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
On paper, Smith doesn’t belong in the top-20 conversation due to poor size (175 pounds) and average speed (4.5 seconds in the 40). But on tape, he is one of the more explosive wide receivers in this class with elite ball skills and the feel for the position that leads to production. Smith will make Daniel Jones a better quarterback.
20. Arizona Cardinals: Azeez Ojulari, edge, Georgia*
Aside from flashes by Haason Reddick, the Cardinals have been desperate for pass-rush help since Chandler Jones went down with an injury. Ojulari is still young and developing, but his talent is outstanding and he ranks second in the SEC with 5.5 sacks and 26 pressures.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Joseph Ossai, edge, Texas*
With Shaquil Barrett a pending free agent and Jason Pierre-Paul about to enter the final year of his deal, the Buccaneers might be looking to add pass-rush depth very soon. Ossai, who ranks in the top five nationally with 14 tackles for loss so far this season, competes with the fiery motor that makes him an easy pass rusher to like.
22. Miami Dolphins: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa*
Few prospects have experienced the type of substantial rise as Collins this season. At 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, he is a versatile athlete with fluidity, speed and impact production (48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions in six games this season). And he would be a perfect fit in Brian Flores’ defense.
23. Indianapolis Colts: Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
Anthony Castonzo, who left Sunday’s game with an MCL sprain, is still playing at a high level, but the future of the position is a question. Cosmi has starting experience at left and right tackle and does a great job using knee bend and foot quickness to sit in his stance, attacking rushers with leverage.
24. Cleveland Browns: Jayson Oweh, edge, Penn State*
Myles Garrett has proven himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL, but he needs help to take attention away from his side of the formation. A basketball player in high school, Oweh is a freaky athlete at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds with his best days ahead of him.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LA Rams): Christian Darrisaw, OT/G, Virginia Tech*
The Jaguars have plenty of needs, but investing in offensive line depth always makes sense — especially after drafting a quarterback earlier in the first round. Darrisaw is a bulldozer of a blocker with the power and balanced athleticism to overwhelm defenders, either at tackle or guard.
26. New York Jets (from Seattle): Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan*
It appears the Jets hit a home run with left tackle Mekhi Becton in last year’s first round and adding a talent like Mayfield would give the organization one of the better young tackle tandems in the NFL. Mayfield moves well for his size and has shown better power and discipline.
27. Tennessee Titans: Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri*
With Jayon Brown on injured reserve and in the final year of his rookie deal, this projection is if he doesn’t return to Tennessee next season. Bolton is a hammer looking for a nail, showing the instincts, toughness and range that will appeal to Mike Vrabel, Jon Robinson and the Titans’ decision-makers.
28. Buffalo Bills: Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State*
The future of the Bills’ interior offensive line is unsettled so it wouldn’t be a shock to see Buffalo address the position early on draft weekend. Davis might not have any elite traits, but he doesn’t have many weaknesses either, checking boxes for athleticism, power and awareness.
29. Green Bay Packers: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
The Packers haven’t drafted a wide receiver in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002, but they have to break that streak at some point, right? Aaron Rodgers can hope. Although not a burner, Bateman is a savvy route-runner who does a great job leveraging coverage and creating separation at various depths of the field.
30. Kansas City Chiefs: Landon Dickerson, OG/C, Alabama
The Chiefs surprised many when they drafted Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the late first round last year, but they believed in the fit — and that is the thinking with this pick. One of the more underrated interior blockers in the country, Dickerson boasts the toughness, smarts and guard/center flexibility to make an immediate impact in Kansas City. While this might seem high for him, many around the league think the late first round is possible if his medicals check out.
31. New Orleans Saints: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
With above-average receivers, running backs, blockers and play calling at Alabama, Jones is a tough quarterback to separate from the situation. But he makes smart decisions, moves well in the pocket and is very accurate. Jones won’t be an ideal fit for everyone, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him sneak into Round 1 in the right situation.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
Could we see back-to-back years where the first running back is drafted at No. 32? With James Conner in the final year of his deal, I don’t think Benny Snell or Anthony McFarland would stop the Steelers from drafting a talent like Etienne, who would add another dynamic element to Pittsburgh’s offense.
Three NFL teams currently do not have a 2021 first-round pick: the Seahawks, Rams and Texans.
Second round
Seattle Seahawks: Rashad Weaver, edge, Pittsburgh
The Seahawks have struggled to get backfield production from their edge rushers (safety Jamal Adams leads them in sacks and pressures) and newly acquired Carlos Dunlap might be a short-term rental. Although not a dynamic athlete by NFL standards, Weaver is stout and long with efficient stack-and-shed skills to be reliable versus the pass and the run.
Los Angeles Rams: Tyler Linderbaum, OC, Iowa
The Rams will be looking to address several questions on the offensive line this offseason, including possibly at center if Austin Blythe departs in free agency. Only a redshirt sophomore, Linderbaum has put himself in the top-50 conversation as an NFL prospect due to his quickness and smarts. He will have a tough decision to make after this season.
Third round
Houston Texans: Nico Collins, WR, Michigan
Will Fuller is a pending free agent. Kenny Stills is gone. Brandin Cooks has no guaranteed money left on his deal. Randall Cobb and Keke Coutee are complementary weapons. The Texans will be in the market for receivers this offseason and would be wise to add size to help out Deshaun Watson. Collins is in the N’Keal Harry mold — a good-sized athlete with smooth routes and reliable hands.
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