CHICAGO

The Bears don’t yet think that the tenderness in WR ROME ODUNZE’s knee will keep him out of Week 2.

Chicago Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze suffered a Grade 1 MCL sprain in Sunday’s win against the Tennessee Titans, which puts his status for Week 2 against the Houston Texans in doubt.

But, all things considered, a minor sprain is best case scenario for Odunze after he was rolled up on while blocking for teammate Velus Jones Jr. late in the fourth quarter. As for how much time the ninth overall pick will miss, that remains to be seen. But things certainly sound optimistic, Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire reports.

According to ESPN Chicago’s “Waddle and Silvy,” Odunze checked out fine after Sunday’s game, but he woke up with tenderness in his knee, which he brought up to the team doctors.

“I was talking to somebody and they said after the game that Rome checked out fine,” Marc Silverman said on ESPN Chicago. “They did all the tests, it was sore, but it was fine. When he woke up on Monday, while he wasn’t overly concerned, he went to the building and he told them that it was tender. And so just to be precautious, they sent him for the MRI. It is a grade 1 MCL sprain.”

While it’s certainly a favorable outcome for Odunze, it sounds like the Bears aren’t necessarily ruling him out for Sunday’s prime-time matchup against the Houston Texans — but it would be a surprise if he plays.

“The person I talked to said, as of now, they’re not totally ruling him out,” Silverman said. “—I would be shocked if he plays—it’s a game on turf, but I think that is a better indicator than what we were wondering yesterday and on pins and needles.”

DALLAS

LB MICAH PARSONS praises new DC Mike Zimmer for helping him make money. Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com:

CeeDee Lamb got paid on Aug. 26. Dak Prescott secured his bag just hours before Dallas’ regular-season opener on Sunday. Next up for the Cowboys: Micah Parsons?

The two-time All-Pro linebacker is in the fourth season of his rookie contract and has one year left on his deal after Dallas picked up his fifth-year option in April, the biggest no-brainer decision in an offseason of tough ones.

Parsons is a sure thing in the Cowboys’ front seven and will likely be paid at or near the top of the defender charts when his time comes; the top-paid defensive player is currently 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa at $34 million per year. Many analysts think Parsons is worthy of a record-setting pact now, but the three-time Pro Bowler said on Tuesday that he still has more to prove before he cashes in.

“For me, I just want to prove to the front office that I’m the best player, and I can do it consistently at an all-time high,” Parsons said on GMFB: Overtime. “I think I’ve been doing that pretty much, but I really want to prove my value. I want to get (Cowboys owner) Jerry (Jones) a couple wins. I kinda just want to maximize my value so that they see we’ve got to keep this guy. This guy is great in the locker room, and he wants to be part of this team, and he cares about winning.”

Through three seasons and one game, Parsons has already staked his claim to a new deal. In 51 regular-season games, the 2021 first-round pick has 217 combined tackles, 94 QB hits, 52 tackles for loss and 41.5 sacks; only three players have more sacks in that span (Bosa, Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, in ascending order).

Parsons, who is owed just $5.4 million this season and $21.3 million in 2025, added that he wants to be seen as the Dak Prescott of Dallas’ defense before he gets paid like him.

“One thing I haven’t done is be the best player on and off the field consistently,” he explained. “I think that’s something that I wanted to prove to the front office and to my teammates, that I could be the best player, that leader that they’re looking for to carry this team to win a championship. I think that’s that mission factor that I want to show these guys that I can be. … Just like how we know Dak can be a leader and we know Dak can do all these great things, I kinda want to do that for us defensively.”

Parsons and the Cowboys defense are off to a good start in that respect.

Dallas was dominant in its 33-17 beatdown of the Browns in Week 1, logging six sacks and two interceptions against Deshaun Watson, just the fourth time in the last quarter-century that a Cowboys defense has produced those numbers. Parsons himself earned a game-high nine QB pressures, five QB hits and a sack in 63 snaps and 46 pass rushers, per Next Gen Stats.

In his first game playing under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, Parsons looked at home all over the front. The pass rusher mostly played from the edge (52 snaps) but also lined up at defensive tackle on nine plays and inside linebacker for two. That multiplicity and freedom under Zimmer is exciting Parsons.

“I really like it because Mike just gave me the free will,” the Cowboys star said. “It’s also the discipline factor of he’s making other people learn different positions too and we practiced it in camp, which allows me to do this. It starts with the simple factor of me wanting to do it and Mike creating ideas for me to do it. He allows me just to range and go over the guard. Sometimes, he don’t even call it. Sometimes, he’s just like, ‘I trust you to do what you want.’ He calls a front, he’s like, ‘You said it. You make it. You get the guys lined up.’ He’s giving me this free will to say, ‘Hey, if they’re coming out in this formation, you do that, you can go into there.’ He’s giving me a lot of free reign that I feel like I haven’t had over the last couple years, and the fact that we’ve got kinda like this trust factor … I really like it a lot.”

Deal or no deal, Parsons and the Cowboys (1-0) will try to keep the good times rolling next Sunday in their home opener against the Saints.

ATLANTA

Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com thinks the immobility of QB KIRK COUSINS hurts Atlanta:

Usually, it’s not good to freak out about anything one game into the NFL season. Especially with many teams not playing starters in the preseason.

But the Atlanta Falcons had a really weird Week 1.

The Falcons ran an offense nobody expected and they didn’t run in the preseason, lining up almost exclusively in pistol or shotgun formation. They say it has nothing to do with the health of their 36-year-old quarterback coming off a torn Achilles, though that’s hard to believe.

Plenty of offenses struggled last week, but in the Falcons’ 18-10 loss the one thing that was clearly obvious was that Kirk Cousins wasn’t moving at all and the Falcons were making sure he didn’t have to.

“I feel like Kirk is healthy,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said on Monday. “He’s been healthy since he’s been here, since he’s been back.”

Perhaps that was the plan for Week 1. Maybe the Falcons will get back to running what would seem to be their normal offense in Week 2, or perhaps the pistol/shotgun is what they want to use and it’ll just look better in Week 2. It’s just hard to believe Cousins’ health had nothing to do with their approach. And if that’s the case it seems unlikely to change in a week, or a month.

Falcons had a predictable offense

The Falcons’ offensive struggles were different than other teams’ struggles, because the offensive game plan was so unexpected.

The Falcons lined up in either pistol or shotgun in 48 of 50 plays, according to ESPN Stats and Info. In the pistol, the quarterback lines up about 4 yards behind the center with the running back behind him. That means the quarterback doesn’t line up under center and doesn’t have to drop back or move to a spot to hand the ball off. And the Falcons were stunningly predictable. The Falcons had no designed runs in 22 shotgun snaps and ran it on 81% of their plays out of pistol. Any NFL team can figure out that pattern.

This was also troubling: The Falcons didn’t run a play-action play. They’re the only NFL team that didn’t, via Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice. It becomes a lot easier to stop the run when there’s no threat of play action.

That offense is not what they showed in the preseason. In the preseason opener, which was Michael Penix Jr.’s only game, the Falcons did use a lot of shotgun in passing situations. But it was a standard under-center offense on early downs, with regular play-action passes. When Taylor Heinicke got in the game the offense was the same. The only snap of pistol came with Penix in the game, by the goal line.

However, it might not have been totally out of the blue. New Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson came from the Los Angeles Rams, who used the pistol last season and continued to use it heavily in Week 1. It could have been the Falcons’ plan all along and they just didn’t want to play their hand in the preseason with a new coaching staff. Cousins didn’t play in the preseason anyway. Morris said it was just a strategical decision against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Everything is going to be situational to the game plan for who you’re playing against,” Morris said, via the team’s site. “When you go out and you put those guys in what we do and how we want to play and try to put those guys in good positions to get those guys blocked, the aliens the Pittsburgh Steelers have, you gotta try to figure those things out.”

Whatever the reason, it didn’t work against the Steelers. And no team’s pre-snap alignment will be studied more in Week 2 than the Falcons.

What will Atlanta look like in Week 2?

It’s not like it’s a big surprise that Atlanta would have to make some concessions to Cousins and his health. He wasn’t the most athletic quarterback in the NFL before tearing his Achilles. But if he can’t move even a little bit, that’s a hard problem to navigate.

Cousins didn’t look sharp, and we’ll see going forward if that’s due to his health or being rusty after not playing in preseason. Either way, the play-calling with zero play-action passes and a predictable split between shotgun passes and pistol runs has to change. If it can’t change because of Cousins’ health, then Atlanta might need to think about changing its quarterback.

If Cousins doesn’t look better, it’s inevitable that there will be calls for Penix Jr., whom the Falcons selected with the eighth overall pick, and they’ll be justified. Right now there has to be worry that the Falcons spent $180 million on a quarterback who doesn’t have any functional mobility and have to modify their entire offense around that.

The Falcons’ second game comes at the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night with everyone watching. Maybe the Falcons will run the same offense, just a little smarter, and Cousins will look better with a game under his belt. But if the Falcons struggle again with a statue at quarterback and go back to Atlanta with an 0-2 record, the panic will crank up a little bit.

ARIZONA

The Cardinals nearly won at Buffalo despite meager contributions from touted rookie WR MARVIN HARRISON, Jr.  Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

Taken at No. 4 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Marvin Harrison Jr. was also selected rather highly in fantasy football drafts aplenty while riding a full-speed hype train this offseason.

His NFL debut on Sunday hardly lived up to expectations, though, as he turned in just one reception for a meager four yards in the Arizona Cardinals’ 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Don’t bang that panic button just yet, as Cards offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is doing his due diligence.

“Certainly, he is on the forefront of our minds in terms of getting him the ball,” Petzing said Tuesday, via the team website. “I think (the Bills) did some things to take him away and certainly I could’ve called some plays to get him more involved early, but I thought it was a good start. We have some work to do.”

Petzing made it known that getting Harrison the ball more was “the plan” and shouldered that responsibility, pointing out it wasn’t quarterback Kyler Murray’s obligation to feed Harrison or anyone else one the offense.

“One of the things I try to stress with Kyler is that it’s not his job to get certain people the ball or worry about how a guy is doing in the flow of the game,” Petzing said. “I’ve got to do that with the way I call the game, and he’s got to make the best decision based on the look, the coverage, how the routes are run.”

Murray targeted tight end Trey McBride a team-high nine times Sunday, which equated to five catches for 30 yards, while receiver Greg Dortch saw eight targets for six receptions and 47 yards.

Harrison finished with three targets — third on the team.

Petzing was surprised at just how much attention the Bills defense was devoting to Harrison, but regardless, the final stat line of one catch for four yards was glaring for a wideout seen by many as a can’t-miss prospect.

The Cardinals have their home opener in front of them on Sunday, as they host the Los Angeles Rams. There is little doubt the home fans — and fantasy owners — will be clamoring for more Marvin than they saw in Week 1. Thus, Harrison being at the forefront of Arizona’s offensive game plan and not just his OC’s mind will most certainly be a storyline to watch in the team’s first NFC West game of the season.

SAN FRANCISCO

Matt Barrows of The Athletic on how the 49ers simplified their running game before RB JORDAN MASON’s big game:

Jordan Mason, Jauan Jennings, Eric Saubert and Jake Moody.

On a roster teeming with marquee players, it was the San Francisco 49ers’ B-listers who powered them to a 32-19 season-opening victory over the New York Jets on Monday.

And we do mean power. Even without Christian McCaffrey, scratched from the lineup due to a calf injury that’s bothered him throughout the summer, the 49ers trampled the Jets and their celebrated defensive line, gaining 180 yards on 38 attempts and dominating the time of possession by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Mason’s 28 carries were the most for a 49ers running back since Frank Gore — inducted into the team Hall of Fame this weekend and honored at halftime — had 31 on Oct. 30, 2011.

“Obviously, we wanted to keep that D-line moving,” tackle Trent Williams said. “We didn’t want them to be able to pin their ears back and pass rush, it’s what they do best. We wanted to get them running side to side, get (Mason) going downhill like he did. I think the game plan worked out perfectly.”

After a slow start, the offense seemed to find its spark on the third drive when Saubert, a blocking specialist, entered the game. Mason gained 4 yards on first down, then 13 more up the middle, then 5 more later in the series. It wasn’t always pretty, but the 49ers seemed to find their Week 1 identity on the drive — a lot of two-tight end formations, plenty of play-action passes and an avalanche of Mason.

“A hundred and forty-seven yards — that’s not bad for your first career start in the NFL,” tight end George Kittle said. “So happy for him and hoping we can keep rolling on that train.”

There were other contributors.

Jennings, gritting his way through an ankle injury, looked like he did in the Super Bowl in catching all five targets, four of them for first downs. Moody, meanwhile, made all six field goal attempts, one from 51 yards out and another from 53. He never attempted more than three in a game during his rookie season last year.

After the game, the 49ers said they knew what was coming after watching Mason close out contests last season and seeing him fill in for injured tailbacks McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell during training camp. That led to plenty of first-team snaps for Mason, an undrafted rookie in 2022, and a lot of snaps in general.

Kyle Shanahan noted there can be a domino effect of injuries at running back. As soon as a couple go down, the rest have to take on a bigger workload, which can lead to them getting hurt. Mason, however, arrived in excellent shape this year and never flinched from the workload.

“It never fazed him at all,” Shanahan said. “Every day in practice he was the same and it carried over into the games. He looked like he always does.”

Over the last year, fans have been clamoring for more Mason, partly because they didn’t like seeing McCaffrey get so many late-game carries and partly because when Mason did get chances, he invariably mowed down his opponents. He proved on Monday that it wasn’t merely a late-game phenomenon as he and the 49ers blockers methodically demoralized a Jets team that jumped in front 7-3 in the first quarter.

“He’s such a downhill runner and he’s a dense dude,” Kittle said. “Sturdy? That’s a good word for it. He just runs downhill very physically.”

Kittle said he teased McCaffrey that the only benefit of him being out was that Shanahan’s vast playbook shrank a little bit. Indeed, the 49ers seemed to get back to basics with Mason in the backfield. Both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel Sr. had modest receiving numbers — they combined for 82 yards — while Brock Purdy finished with 231 passing yards and a ho-hum 89.9 passer rating.

Samuel’s biggest contribution came as a runner. He had eight carries for 23 yards and a touchdown, recalling the pre-McCaffrey 2021 season when Samuel regularly lined up as a tailback.

“Kyle can make all these awesome plays, and the cool thing about Christian is that he can do all these cool things that no one in the world can do,” Kittle said. “But we really just ran the most simple outside zones all day, whether it was a weakside run at Trent or Colton (McKivitz) or you had two tight ends out there and we ran outside zone. It worked really, really well and I was happy for that.”

McCaffrey hasn’t gone through a full practice since Aug. 4 when his calf first started bothering him. Shanahan said the issue has been problematic to some degree every day since but stopped short of declaring McCaffrey out for Sunday’s game in Minnesota. That game is on an artificial surface as is the Week 3 contest against the Los Angeles Rams.

“No, he didn’t have a setback,” Shanahan said. “It was on and off throughout the week. It was always bothering him to a degree. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it comes back. Today it was bothering him too much where we didn’t feel good about it.”

And Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com says don’t be surprised this time if McCaffrey can’t go against the Vikings:

For the second consecutive week, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey’s status is uncertain as he continues to deal with calf and Achilles injuries.

In his day after game conference call, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey would once again be monitored on a day-to-day basis this week as the 49ers prepare to play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. According to Shanahan, the Achilles is holding McCaffrey back more than his calf.

“The Achilles is tendonitis and that stuff comes and goes,” Shanahan said. “And when it is acting up, it’s something you’ve got to be very careful about.”

McCaffrey was a surprise inactive in Monday night’s opener against the New York Jets after he and the Niners expressed optimism for most of the week that he would be ready to play. Third-year veteran Jordan Mason replaced McCaffrey as the starter and more than held his own, posting 147 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

After the game, Mason told ESPN’s Lisa Salters in an on-field interview that he found out “maybe Friday night” that he would get his first NFL start. Shanahan said no such decision was made until Monday, when McCaffrey arrived at Levi’s Stadium with his injury “bothering him a little too much where he didn’t feel good about it.” Shanahan added that he didn’t inform Mason he was starting until Monday and suggested that perhaps running backs coach Bobby Turner or another coach told Mason he was starting as a way to “pump him up” earlier in the week.

Fellow Niners such as receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and fullback Kyle Juszczyk said they also didn’t know for sure Mason would start until Monday, but had plenty of confidence he would succeed.

– – –

An update on the case of the 17-year-old who gunned down WR RICKY PEARSALL in broad daylight on the streets of San Francisco:

The attorney for a 17-year-old high school senior charged in the daytime shooting of San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall said Tuesday that new video evidence supports his theory that the teenager should not be charged with attempted murder.

San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Bob Dunlap said after a pretrial hearing where the teen waived his right to a speedy trial that the evidence he found showed that what happened the afternoon of Aug. 31 at Union Square was an attempted robbery, not attempted murder.

He said the footage he has shared with prosecutors showed “it was a rather extended struggle” between the two, with Pearsall getting the better of the teen.

“It supports what’s always been my belief and theory in this case, that this is an attempted robbery, not an attempted murder,” Dunlap said.

Pearsall, 23, was walking alone to his car after shopping at luxury stores in Union Square on Aug. 31 when the suspect allegedly saw the NFL player was wearing a Rolex watch and other expensive jewelry and tried to rob him at gunpoint, San Francisco police said.

BALTIMORE

LB KYLE VAN NOY gives the evil eye to the Chiefs opthamologist.  Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com:

In the third quarter of the NFL season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy suffered a fractured orbital bone. He was attended to by the Ravens’ staff on the field, but eventually left for examination from the Chiefs’ in-house ophthalmologist — who drew the ire of the two-time Super Bowl champion.

On his “McCoy & Van Noy” podcast, Van Noy said it took Kansas City’s personnel an entire quarter to come down and attend to him.

“Which, to me, is unacceptable, because then you start thinking, ‘What if I was trying to go back in the game? What if I was really, really hurt?'” Van Noy said, via the Baltimore Banner.

Van Noy said he expected “a little bit more urgency” from the Chiefs ophthalmologist, and called the response time “super unprofessional.”

“To me, I just feel like, as a player, people have that expectation of you being professional, handling business,” Van Noy said. “And in a time of need, I wanted that from them, and I felt like I didn’t get it. Because then you get into, like, ‘Did they take their time because I’m a Ravens player? Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah.’ Those are just the thoughts that go into it. I don’t think it was that. But at the same time, I don’t want them to come out and apologize. It is what it is. Like, it’s all good. I don’t need them to come out with a press release and say they apologize, ‘We take care of our players, blah-blah-blah.’ I experienced it.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “an orbital fracture is when you break one or more of the bones that make up your eye socket. … This bony cavity contains your eyeball, eye muscles, blood vessels, nerves and other structures. Blunt force trauma — when something hits your eye very hard — is the most common cause of an orbital fracture.” It’s unclear when Van Noy could potentially return to the field.

CLEVELAND

The Cowboys sent four Browns to the Injured Reserve List, but not TE DAVID NJOKU

The Browns have made several roster moves due to injured players.

Cleveland announced on Wednesday that the team has placed safety Juan Thornhill, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, and linebacker Tony Fields on injured reserve.

Thornhill has a calf injury, Husrst an ankle injury, Diabate a hip injury, and Fields an ankle injury.

It is worth noting that to this point, the Browns did not place tight end David Njoku on injured reserve after he suffered an ankle injury during Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys. Njoku has been characterized as week-to-week. That he was not placed on IR could mean that his recovery timeline is shorter than four weeks.

As corresponding moves, the Browns signed receiver David Bell, cornerback Mike Ford, and defensive tackle Sam Kamara from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. The Browns also signed linebacker Khaleke Hudson to their active roster off of the Saints practice squad.

HOUSTON

Oft-injured CB JEFF OKUDAH seems headed for citizenship in Bustville.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

The talented but oft-injured cornerback Jeff Okudah has once again had a season derailed by an injury.

The Texans placed Okudah on injured reserve today after he suffered a hip injury in Week One.

Originally the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Okudah began his career with the Lions and managed to play in just 25 games over his first three seasons. He was then traded to the Falcons and played 13 games for them last year. He signed with the Texans this offseason and then suffered the hip injury on just his fifth play of the season.

To potentially replace Okudah, the Texans signed two cornerbacks to their practice squad: Desmond King and Troy Pride. King, who was with the team last season and throughout this offseason before he was cut when the Texans chose their 53-player roster, would seem to be a likely candidate to get brought up to the active roster for depth at cornerback.

The Texans also signed linebacker Rashad Weaver to the active roster from the practice squad.

INDIANAPOLIS

CB JUJU BRENTS is headed to IR.  James Boyd of The Athletic:

Indianapolis Colts cornerback JuJu Brents is headed to injured reserve, the team announced Tuesday. Brents suffered an MCL injury in the Colts’ season-opening loss to Houston, a league source told The Athletic.

Brents will miss at least the next four games and possibly the rest of his second NFL campaign. The team will determine if Brents can return this season after he undergoes surgery, per a league source. The hope is that he can come back in December.

Brents’ injury was believed to be minor until he reported discomfort in his knee and underwent an MRI that revealed an issue with his meniscus, per a league source. Brents started at outside cornerback against the Texans on Sunday, played 62 snaps (78 percent of Indianapolis’ defensive plays) and made seven tackles. He spoke to reporters after the game about his performance, which included a near-interception in the third quarter, and gave no indication that he would miss an extended period of time.

Brents’ absence is a huge loss for the Colts, who went into the 2024 season with an extremely young and inexperienced defensive secondary. Backup cornerback Chris Lammons was signed off the practice squad and will join the active 53-man roster in a corresponding roster move, but he plays more in the slot than outside. The Colts also plan to sign outside cornerback Kelvin Joseph to their practice squad, per a league source. Joseph was a second-round pick by the Cowboys in 2021 and has played for Dallas, Miami and Seattle, though he’s started just three games in his career. In theory, Indianapolis’ next man up is Dallis Flowers, who was a healthy scratch in the season opener. Flowers started the first four games last year before he tore his right Achilles.

MIAMI

One Dolphins RB is out of tomorrow’s game with the Bills, another awaits determination. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Dolphins won’t have running back Raheem Mostert on Thursday night.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters at a Wednesday press conference that Mostert will not play against the Bills. He has been listed as a non-participant on both practice reports this week because of a chest injury.

De’Von Achane has also been listed as a non-participant, but McDaniel said the team will wait to make a call about whether he’ll be able to play through an ankle injury.

Jeff Wilson and fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright are the other running backs on Miami’s 53-man roster. Wright was inactive for the season opener, but seems likely to play with Mostert out of action.

– – –

WR TYREEK HILL and his team want the unnamed police officer who handcuffed and berated him Sunday fired.  Mike Florio seems to agree:

On Tuesday, agent Drew Rosenhaus said the police officers involved in the aggressive detainment of Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill should be fired. Rosenhaus was careful to say that was his opinion, and that he wasn’t speaking for Hill.

Hill has since spoken.

Hill’s lawyer, Julius Collins, issued a statement on Tuesday night calling for the firing of the officer who has since been placed on “administrative duties.”

“Each action that a law enforcement official take[s] is governed by standard operating procedures,” the statement read, via Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com. “We are of the opinion that the officer’s use of force was excessive, escalating, and reckless. We are demanding that the officer be terminated effective immediately. . . .

“The events that occurred on Sunday, September 8, 2024, are just a reminder of the realities of the many injustices that people of Black and minority communities face at the hands of law enforcement. While we are in no way accusing the officer of being racist, we are accusing the customs and practices of law enforcement from a historical standpoint of being discriminatory and oppressive to Black and minority communities. We cannot ignore this fact and remain silent on the issue just because it’s a tough conversation.”

The police union has accused Hill of being “uncooperative” during the traffic stop. And while the bodycam video permits a conclusion that Hill wasn’t as cooperative as he could have or should have been, the response was excessive.

It became, in our view, not about securing his compliance and cooperation but about punishing him for not immediately and completely complying and cooperating. Really, it felt like old-school corporal punishment. And it shouldn’t be a pass-fail pop quiz that promises an ass-kicking if the immediate reaction isn’t anything other than, “Hello, sir. Yes, sir. Whatever you want, sir.”

Hill has not ruled out litigation. That’s always one of the best ways to get to the entire truth as to what caused a situation to go sideways.

While the bodycam video provides some answers, there are still plenty of questions. A lawsuit might answer all of them — and it might give police departments throughout the nation a warning as to what will happen if/when someone who was pulled over for a traffic violation gets treated like a kid from the early ‘70s dared to “talk back” to his or her parents.

There is a new bodycam video that does clearly show what precipitated the detention of Hill.  He was not stopped out of racial animus, he was stopped because he was driving at a clearly excessive rate of speed.  Not a 46 in a 35 kind of speed.  The kind of speed that makes you say, “who is that fool?”

That said, he did stop compliantly as the motorcycle officer closed on him.

Thoughts from Stephen A. Smith per FOXNews.com:

“When it comes to Tyreek Hill, we also can’t let him completely off the hook based on the statement that was made by the police department in Florida,” Smith said Tuesday on ESPN’s “First Take.” “They said he was ‘uncooperative.’ We have a responsibility on this show and any kind of platform we can do make sure we’re doing anything we can to save lives, to make sure we’re doing what we can to ensure that somehow, some way, you get to live another day and fight that battle. We know how wrong they were. The police were excessive. No excuses. They should be ashamed of themselves, the way they acted. They just went overboard. Totally true.

“Here’s the problem – we all came on the air seeing the initial footage in complete unadulterated support for Tyreek Hill. You pull over, they tell you to roll down your window. What’s the first thing Shannon (Sharpe) just talked about? The first thing they do when they pull us over. They pull me over, all my windows are down. My hands are on the steering wheel. That is not what Tyreek Hill did.

“Tyreek Hill had his window up. The officer knocks on his window. He didn’t bang on his window, he knocked on his window. You hesitate to pull it down. The first thing you say is, ‘Don’t bang on my window like that.’ He asked you for your driver’s license. You hesitated to give him your driver’s license. You said in the postgame conference, ‘Hey, y’all, what if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ What if you aren’t Tyreek Hill? What would have happened to you if somebody wasn’t Tyreek Hill kept the windows rolled up, hesitated to roll it down, didn’t give the license immediately when asked for it, and then hesitated to get out of the car when they told you to get out of the car?

“See, we gotta be responsible. The point I’m trying to make is this – in no way should the officers be excused for what they did… But I also am saying, ‘Yo, Tyreek, yo, bro, you didn’t deserve that. I’m not implying that you did. But the police officers do have the power. When they pull up on you, and they tell you to roll down that window, and they tell you to give them your driver’s license, and they tell you to get out of that car, that’s what you gotta do.'”

NEW ENGLAND

Patriots owner Robert Kraft has made no secret of his belief that he is eminently deserving of enshrinement in Canton and can’t believe it hasn’t happened yet.  Don Van Natta yet on why it hasn’t happened with a starring guest role for Stacy James:

ROBERT KRAFT HAS an $11 billion empire and six Super Bowl rings — five if you don’t count the one Vladimir Putin stuffed into his pocket during a 2005 meeting in Russia. But the New England Patriots boss has fallen short in his lengthy quest for a bronze bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In the past decade, three owners have slipped on a gold jacket in Canton, Ohio. Each time, Kraft, now 83, was on the outside looking in, even though arguably no owner is more deserving.

“There’s no box that Bob Kraft doesn’t check to get into the Hall of Fame,” says Hall of Famer Bill Polian, the former Colts general manager who has twice stood up to argue for Kraft’s induction. “When he didn’t get in last year, I lost sleep over it. I’m still sick at heart about it.”

No current owner has tried harder to get into the Hall — or been denied longer. Beginning in 2012, Kraft’s supporters have lobbied Hall voters on his behalf. Eddie DeBartolo Jr., the former San Francisco 49ers owner, was inducted in 2016 despite losing his team in 2000 because of his connection to an extortion case. DeBartolo has five Lombardi Trophies; Kraft, at the time, had four. Some Hall of Fame voters assured the disappointed members of Kraft’s inner circle that he would be next.

Jerry Jones was inducted in August 2017. The Dallas Cowboys owner threw himself a glitzy party in Canton, headlined by Justin Timberlake. Back in Foxborough, Kraft and his supporters reacted to Jones’ induction with anger and confusion. They seethed that Hall voters didn’t seem to appreciate Kraft’s work to grow the league through media and labor deals, and the Patriots’ unparalleled dynasty.

Kraft saw the selection of his archrival as an insult, a verdict that Jones is more responsible for the NFL’s astonishing success.

“He hasn’t been to the NFC title game in two decades and he gets in?” Kraft told a confidant. “How does that work?”

An escalating campaign

THIS IS A story about the relentless Hall of Fame campaign on behalf of one of the most powerful and influential owners in NFL history, why it remains unsuccessful and how Kraft set out along the way to secretly burnish his own legacy.

Kraft not only hasn’t gotten into the Hall, but not once has the subcommittee even forwarded his name for consideration by the 50 selectors. To his supporters, the annual shutout is a baffling, aggravating mystery.

A dozen Hall voters, who rarely discuss their deliberations, told ESPN that each time Kraft was snubbed, the campaign on his behalf became more urgent and inventive. The selectors lean on a variety of reasons for denying Kraft while approving coaches and a scout from decades ago — and even a referee. The voters said the case for Kraft has been hurt by multiple Patriots cheating scandals, along with a selection system that until now has pitted coaches against owners. They even mention Kraft’s dismissed charges after two visits to a Jupiter, Florida, massage parlor.

Voters also saw — as did many Patriots fans and some former players — two major media projects as pro-Kraft narratives: a bestselling 2020 book, “The Dynasty,” and the Apple TV+ 10-part docuseries of the same name released last winter. Both projects depicted Kraft deftly managing the egos of two all-time greats, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, to keep the hit-making band together as long as possible.

Some voters told ESPN they believe both projects were intended to juice Kraft’s Hall of Fame candidacy. A Patriots spokesperson adamantly denied the projects were part of any push to get Kraft into Canton. And last winter, Kraft said he had no influence on the docuseries and was “disappointed” with the film.

But Kraft owns the film and television rights to “The Dynasty” book, according to documents obtained by ESPN. That means the book by acclaimed author Jeff Benedict could be turned into a film only with Kraft’s permission. And according to emails, documents and sources, Kraft owns the docuseries, licensed it to Apple and sought editorial control.

Shortly after the book was published, Patriots PR chief Stacey James sent copies to at least five Hall of Fame voters as an argument for Kraft’s induction. The Patriots sent one voter a copy two years in a row.

In a written statement to ESPN, James said it’s “utterly ridiculous” to say the book and docuseries were part of an effort to win Kraft’s induction in the Hall. “It is clear from the inquiries presented in the line of questioning for this story … that there is an agenda being pushed regarding the portrayal of Robert Kraft and the Pro Football Hall of Fame process,” James said.

In early October, a Hall of Fame committee will once again consider Kraft’s candidacy. This time, he will face an easier pathway. In August, the Hall’s board of directors made a monumental change to the voting process by separating coaches and contributors for consideration. Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren, considered by voters to be the coaching favorites, will no longer be competing against Kraft and other nominated contributors.

The moment he’s eligible, Brady will catapult into Canton. So, too, will Belichick, possibly in a year if he doesn’t get another coaching job.

For Kraft, the wait is a dozen years and counting.

Nearly invisible

IT IS SAID that most U.S. senators look in the mirror and see a future president. And when most NFL owners look in the mirror, they see a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Few owners have a better argument for induction than Robert Kraft.

But when you walk through the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, Kraft is nearly invisible.

Where the Patriots dynasty is in the spotlight, there are displays featuring Tom Brady’s game jerseys and Bill Belichick’s hoodie and footballs from famous moments, such as Ellis Hobbs’ 108-yard kickoff return against the Jets in 2007. There’s nothing belonging to the Patriots owner, not even a display of his custom Nike Air Force 1s. Where the Hall lavishes credit on the NFL for helping heal the country after 9/11, there’s no video of Kraft’s famous “We are all Patriots” moment.

There are three photos of Kraft, all on the Hall’s first floor in a confined space that’s easy to miss. He’s in a group photo of NFL team owners. And then his image is on a wall, in a display about stadiums. The Hall uses the same photo, of Kraft holding a Lombardi Trophy, twice within a 4-foot space. One is small; the other is bigger. The bigger one is dwarfed by the photo next to it, of Jerry Jones and his moneyed smirk.

On the Hall’s top floor, in the cavernous, circular room, the bronze busts of the 378 men are displayed. Sixteen of them owned or own NFL franchises. Since 2000, five owners have been enshrined: Dan Rooney of the Steelers, Ralph Wilson of the Bills, Eddie DeBartolo of the 49ers, Jones of the Cowboys and Pat Bowlen of the Broncos.

Of the 16 owners, only Rooney can match Kraft’s six Lombardi Trophies.

This fact continues to confound and aggravate James, the Patriots’ intense public relations man since 1993. As Kraft’s spokesperson and lead Hall of Fame lobbyist, James has called, texted, dined, cajoled and backslapped voters. In recent years, James has emailed voters a six-page dossier that extolls Kraft’s many achievements as an NFL owner. The highlights include buying and reviving the team in the 1990s, winning six championships, cobbling together decades of labor peace with the players’ union, and helping the league land its mammoth TV and streaming rights.

Getting Kraft into Canton first occurred to James after watching his boss play peacemaker during the contentious 2011 lockout of players by the owners. When a collective bargaining agreement was finally struck that saved the season, Kraft famously hugged Colts center and players’ union leader Jeff Saturday, who declared: “This doesn’t get done without Robert Kraft.”

When he began lobbying for his boss in 2012, James assumed Kraft’s induction would be a relatively easy sell. “I feel Robert Kraft has no peer when it comes to his contribution to the National Football League,” James said during one of several interviews since June.

But the Hall climb has been especially steep for owners. Until this fall, a subcommittee of 12 people had to advance a candidate to the full voting membership of 50 selectors each January. Usually, only one or two “coaches or contributors” were moved to the full committee. And then that candidate needed 40 votes for induction. The subcommittee has never approved Kraft for a full vote, multiple voters told ESPN.

Every summer, James obtained a list of subcommittee voters. He phoned them, cornered them at Super Bowls, invited them to lunch or dinner or a visit to the owner’s suite, whatever it took to whip up votes. He also sought voters’ advice, asking: How much lobbying is too much? What would be helpful? When should he back off?

Since James started pressing Kraft’s case, there have been 68 Hall voters. James says he has raised Kraft’s candidacy with many of them, using the same argument: If graded on “three legs of the stool” — contributions to the team, the league and pro football — Kraft ranks first among all NFL owners.

When Kraft, then a 23-year Patriots season-ticket holder, bought the team in January 1994, the franchise was failing. The final home game of the previous season was a rare sellout, filling up because fans feared the team might move to St. Louis.

“I’m a big fan of Jimmy Stewart’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ If Robert Kraft wasn’t born, there would be no NFL team in New England,” James said.

Kraft has done more for the league’s fortunes than even Jones has, James argues. Besides leading the way on owner-friendly labor deals, Kraft is the longtime chairman of the owners’ media committee, which landed 10-year TV and streaming contracts worth $111 billion. And, James contends, Kraft stands alone in helping grow the game internationally.

“Every year,” James said, “I’ve made these same arguments. Every year, voters tell me it’s only a matter of time before Robert gets in.”

Early on, James discovered that influential voters seemed to have “a pecking order” for owners. First, it was DeBartolo’s turn in 2016, then Jones’ in 2017. The back-to-back inductions triggered a lobbying frenzy among other owners looking to get into Canton.

“It was open season, suddenly,” one voter said.

In August 2017, longtime Hall of Fame voter Jason Cole said he sat down for an interview with Kraft and James in Kraft’s wood-paneled office in Foxborough. A few minutes into the conversation, Kraft asked Cole: “How did Jerry Jones manage to get into the Hall of Fame?”

“He’s P.T. Barnum,” Cole said he replied, echoing a sentiment he said he previously had expressed when James called seeking an explanation. “He’s the greatest marketer in the history of the sport.” Cole recalled that Kraft just laughed.

Another longtime voter said Jones’ election “angered all kinds of people because his team doesn’t win.

“The minute he got in, it changed the landscape for some of these owners and made the lobbying even more aggressive,” the voter said. “If Jerry’s in, the owners with egos are thinking, why can’t I be in?”

How selection works

FEW THINGS FIRE up fans more than Hall of Fame debates. But the meetings where candidates are discussed and debated are among the strangest and most secretive deliberations in sports. There’s little transparency, leaving those campaigning for a candidate with no clue on the criteria or how to best champion their guy. They’re flying blind. Votes are confidential, leaks are rare. And a handful of voters, year after year, can block a worthy candidate during lightning-quick Zoom deliberations for reasons left unspoken.

But more than a dozen participants discussed with ESPN how the process works — and why they opposed Kraft or believe he has been denied.

The lobbying, which voters said has gotten more aggressive for all candidates in recent years, starts in the months before a candidate’s first consideration. Then, usually in August or September, committees determine whether players or “coaches and contributors” are worthy of consideration by the full 50 members in January.

At the subcommittee level, a sponsoring voter speaks on the candidate’s behalf for five minutes or so. At times, there is lengthy debate; sometimes there is little said.

Last year, a voter offered an impassioned argument for Kraft. Another voter told ESPN he listened to the argument, kept quiet and then voted for someone else.

“A handful do most of the talking in these meetings,” one veteran Hall of Fame voter says. “Some are silent assassins.”

Part of the problem when it comes to assessing Kraft and the entire Patriots dynasty is factoring in several well-known controversies. A half dozen voters said evolving truths around incidents such as Spygate, Deflategate and Orchids of Asia cloud the team’s greatness.

Kraft’s biggest hurdle among voters seems to be Spygate, Belichick’s 2007 operation to steal opposing coaches’ signals by videotaping them from the sideline, for which Belichick was fined $500,000 and the Patriots fined $250,000. The team also forfeited a first-round draft pick.

A small group of anti-Kraft voters told ESPN they have long harbored concerns that Kraft knew far more about Spygate than he has acknowledged. “Some voters believe he was part of the biggest cheating scandal in NFL history,” a veteran Hall voter said. “That’s a very tough one to overcome.”

Said another voter: “Kraft has distanced himself from Spygate, but it did come up — it has to be considered.”

Several voters also pointed out that Goodell ordered the Spygate tapes destroyed by the NFL general counsel in a Gillette Stadium conference room in September 2007. Goodell, whom Kraft had championed becoming commissioner in 2006, did not order a thorough investigation. “It’s the elephant in the room,” one voter said.

Kraft has denied knowledge of the scheme. In the Apple TV+ docuseries, Kraft says again that he told Belichick he was “a schmuck” for the attempt to steal signs. He also says he fought with the league office to ensure that Belichick was only fined and not suspended.

Polian said he heard these whispered concerns and tried to confront them head-on with fellow voters during his five-minute presentation on Kraft’s behalf last summer. “I told them that Mr. Kraft knew nothing about Spygate in advance,” Polian said, “and [he] took whatever steps he needed to take after it was found out that it did not happen again.”

A few voters said another factor for them is Kraft’s massage parlor charges, which came in February 2019 after he made two visits to the Orchids of Asia. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges. “We probably need to put a little distance between the massage parlor and the Hall of Fame,” a voter recalled telling James not long afterward.

But Peter King, the 67-year-old retired NFL writer and influential Hall voter who has long supported Kraft’s candidacy, said “there’s a pockmark on everyone in the Hall of Fame.”

“Has there ever been a player, a coach, an owner, a commissioner who has a perfect résumé? Who has never done anything wrong?” King said. “Look at Joe Namath. He threw more interceptions than touchdowns — he’s in the Hall of Fame.”

Another hurdle for Kraft has been structural. Until now, owners and coaches have been considered together, and voters gave more weight to the coaches. “It’s apples versus oranges, and it’s not right,” Polian said. “The way it’s set up hurts an owner’s chances.”

In the five years since Bowlen’s induction, Kraft has been edged out among “coaches and contributors” by former commissioner Paul Tagliabue in 2020; Raiders coach Tom Flores and Steelers scout Bill Nunn in 2021; Eagles coach Dick Vermeil and a referee, Art McNally, in 2022; and Chargers coach Don Coryell in 2023.

When McNally got in, James grumbled to voters that a referee who wasn’t even considered the best ever had somehow won induction over the man he believes is the best owner. Last year, Buddy Parker, who coached the Lions to back-to-back NFL titles in the 1950s, boxed out Kraft as a finalist, although the full committee didn’t vote Parker into the Hall.

“One of the hardest phone calls was to call Mr. Kraft and apologize to him for not being able to get the job done,” Polian said. “He was gracious, and he was tremendous. I still feel very badly.”

“I feel sad,” said ESPN NFL reporter Sal Paolantonio, a longtime Hall of Fame voter. “Kraft deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, in my view, and he should have gone in a long time ago.”

A half dozen voters pointed to James as another intangible in Kraft’s annual Hall of Fame campaign. With each passing year, they say, James has become more insistent and impatient.

“I was repelled by the push — this idea, we’ll do anything to win your vote,” a longtime voter said. “It was never articulated, but it felt that way… I don’t need to talk to anyone. And I can make up my own mind.”

One Hall of Fame voter said he urged James and Kraft’s other supporters to “go lightly — and that’s advice they obviously didn’t take.”

“I’ve told Stacey James this before,” another veteran voter said. “I don’t think he should be in the position to overwhelm people with a mountain of information and a lot of pushing. I’ve told him, ‘I have never seen it work.’ …

“Subtlety goes a long way.”

We have skipped the discussion of “the book” and “the documentary” – you can read about it in the full article.  Here is the conclusion:

‘A silly misstep’

THROUGHOUT THE OFFSEASON, Kraft found himself in the strange position of distancing himself from his own documentary. The film was panned by Patriots fans, as well as some Hall voters.

For his part, James has told voters he won’t be doing any more lobbying.

When told about Kraft’s hidden stake in “The Dynasty” book and documentary, a handful of Hall of Fame voters said that it might impact their consideration of Kraft, and that it won’t do him any favors. One anti-Kraft voter said simply, “I’m not surprised.”

Others said that they don’t care and that it shouldn’t matter at all — Kraft is long overdue for his gold jacket. “These are misdemeanors,” one voter said. “Bad judgment misdemeanors.”

Besides, now that the nine members of the Hall’s contributors-only committee will consider owners without competition from coaches, Kraft’s chances appear to have improved, voters say. Two voters briefed on the membership say that “a majority” of the nine members are Kraft supporters.

Cole, the veteran Hall voter, said Kraft’s bid to covertly manage his legacy “just shows how desperate he is, but he’s desperate because no one deserves to get in more than him.”

“It’s a silly misstep,” Cole said. “It just shows the mindset of a man who wants his legacy recognized while he is still alive.”

Polian called the docuseries backlash an outlier in Robert Kraft’s charmed life of winning streaks.

“I just saw it as an interesting documentary,” Polian said. “It has the Kraft point of view, the Patriots point of view, which is understandable.

“Winners write history. Losers go home.”

THIS AND THAT

ADRIAN PETERSON OWES $12 MILLION

ESPN.com:

Former NFL running back Adrian Peterson has been ordered by a Houston judge to turn over numerous assets as a means toward paying a debt that is estimated at more than $12 million.

The court-appointed receiver, Robert Berleth, requested this order in July and said Peterson “is known to have numerous assets” at his home in Missouri City, Texas. The Houston judge on Monday ordered constables in Fort Bend County, Texas, to accompany Berleth to Peterson’s residence to keep the peace.

Peterson’s debt issues began when he took out a loan for $5.2 million from a Pennsylvania lending company in 2016. The sum has grown because of interest and attorney’s fees, leading to an $8.3 million judgment against him in 2021.

Entertainers & Athletes Group, the public relations firm representing Peterson, issued a statement to Field Level Media on Tuesday seeking to clarify his position in the matter. EAG said “every effort to resolve this issue has been rejected” and “attempts at an amicable settlement have been rebuffed.”

“The article that has surfaced contains no new information. Adrian Peterson has been dealing with this lawsuit since 2017, which stems from a business loan arranged by his then-financial advisor, Jeff Wiseman. The loan was for a company co-owned by Peterson, Wiseman, and another partner. As the majority owner, Peterson was made the guarantor of the loan, making him solely responsible for the collateral,” EAG CEO Denise White said in a written statement Tuesday afternoon.

“Wiseman assured Peterson that the company would be able to repay the high-interest loan, as the funds were used to purchase equipment for the business. This was not a personal loan taken out by Peterson but a business loan, and Wiseman guaranteed that it would be repaid from the company’s profits. Unfortunately, the company failed to repay the loan, leaving Peterson financially liable for the debt. Meanwhile, Wiseman, who advised Peterson to take out the loan, has not faced any financial or legal responsibility regarding the matter.”

Peterson, 39, last played in the NFL during the 2021 season.

EAG said Peterson “feels it is important to speak out, hoping that others can avoid similar financial predicaments. Trusting his financial advisor, as many do, Peterson relied on assurances — under now-missing recordings — that no personal funds would be required to settle the loan. Unfortunately, he has been left solely responsible for the financial fallout.”

A 2012 NFL MVP, four-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection, Peterson led the league in rushing three times in his 15-year career. He ranks fifth all time with 14,918 rushing yards to go along with 90 touchdowns accrued over 184 career games (167 starts) with seven teams, most notably the Minnesota Vikings (2007-16).

BROADCAST NEWS

Big, big ratings for the NFL in Week 1.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Week 1 is in the books. And it was one for the record books.

Via Sports Business Daily, the opening weekend of the 2024 season ended with an average of 21 million viewers on the traditional broadcast networks — NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2.

That number doesn’t include the 14 million who watched the Packers-Eagles streaming-only game on Peacock. The number nearly doubled the last streaming-only regular-season game on NBC, from December 2023.

Excluding the Peacock game — which otherwise would have been dumped into the Sunday afternoon cluster of contests — the total average audience would be the best ever for the NFL.

It comes at a time when audiences continue to fracture and few events can draw millions together to watch a live event. It’s basically the NFL, the Olympics, and periodic televised two-person exchanges that might unexpectedly veer into canine and/or feline cuisine.