NFL News

[Futureshock]

A cursory tale. Dude was straight bullying the OL and the QB and then... He should have been out of the game in the fourth

Travis Jones is expected to miss three-to-five weeks with knee injury

Posted by Myles Simmons on August 23, 2022, 5:40 PM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

Ravens third-round pick Travis Jones suffered a knee injury during Baltimore’s Sunday preseason game and head coach John Harbaugh previously said it wouldn’t keep him out for a “really extended period of time.”

Now there is a more specific timetable for the young defensive tackle’s return.

Harbaugh said on Tuesday that Jones will be out somewhere in the range of three-to-five weeks.

“With that kind of an injury, it’s pretty normal,” Harbaugh said in his press conference. “It happens a lot, that injury — kind of a sprain kind of a deal. So, it just depends on how fast he recovers and how good he looks when he comes back.”

Jones got hurt in the fourth quarter of the game, with Harbaugh originally noting Jones had hyperextended his knee.

Baltimore selected Jones at No. 76 overall out of UConn.

[Futureshock]

Worth a lookie look?

Raiders release Kenyan Drake

Posted by Myles Simmons on August 23, 2022, 4:44 PM EDT

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On Monday, the Raiders let it be known they intended to release running back Kenyan Drake in a likely effort to drum up some last-minute interest before Tuesday’s roster cut deadline.

But no trade materialized over the last 24 hours. Now the Raiders have made it official, announcing Drake has been released as part of the roster reduction to 80 players.

Drake is still reportedly owed $2.5 million from Las Vegas. He signed a two-year deal last offseason with the club with $11 million guaranteed. But that was with the old regime, with the new one deciding to move on.

Before breaking his ankle last December, Drake recorded 545 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in 2021.

The Raiders also announced that they’ve released cornerback Chris Jones, waived receiver Chris Lacy, and waived cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc with an injury designation.

Las Vegas will continue the practice week with a second joint practice with New England on Wednesday.

[Futureshock]

Report: Kayvon Thibodeaux getting second opinion from Dr. James Andrews

Posted by Charean Williams on August 23, 2022, 4:38 PM EDT

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The Giants received good news from edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s MRI results Monday. His sprained MCL is expected to keep him out only about 3-4 weeks, giving him a chance to return in time for the season opener.

But Thibodeaux will get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.

Fowler adds that “no major surprises are expected — second opinions are common practice for many players” with Andrews simply double-checking the injury.

The No. 5 overall pick injured his knee with 11:16 remaining until halftime Sunday night on a cut block by Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss. The cart came out to take him to the training room, but Thibodeaux waved it off and limped off the field and into the blue medical tent before heading into the training room.

He played 17 snaps against the Bengals and made one tackle.

[jaadam4]

So was Jamarcus Russell

Pickett has a shot

Willis might as well. He’s electric with his feet. If he can get tutored like LJax did you never know. Blough looked like a better thrower than Jackson did.

[Futureshock]

Meh. In the "Ok, we moved the ball" sense? Sure. But he still isn't seeing the field and that gets old with your better WRs. That's why Hollywood Brown wanted to get away from BAL. Along with not wanting to block.

Pass.

I want a passer, that can run as needed. I don't want a runner that can pass to a wide open guy right in front of him.

[Futureshock]

In their last pre-c game they just spied him and nailed his little az most of the time he tried to run out of there.

[jaadam4]

I don't disagree about wanting a passer but you can't deny what those guys can do with their legs. They can give defenses complete fits.

[Futureshock]

Unbelievable that "Air" isn't a HOF Coach. An Architect


Don Coryell named Hall of Fame finalist

Posted by Michael David Smith on August 24, 2022, 9:53 AM EDT

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Don Coryell, one of the best offensive innovators in NFL history, has been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Coryell was chosen among 12 semifinalists in the coach/contributor category. The full Hall of Fame Selection Committee will give him an up-or-down vote at its meeting in January, when the entire Class of 2023 will be selected. If at least 80 percent of the voters vote for him, Coryell gets a bust in Canton.

In five seasons as head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals and nine seasons as head coach of the San Diego Chargers, Coryell compiled a record of 111-83-1 in the regular season and 3-6 in the postseason. He never led a team to a Super Bowl, which may count against him with the voters.

Coryell’s “Air Coryell” offenses with the Chargers were particularly noteworthy, with Dan Fouts leading the NFL in passing yards for four consecutive seasons while playing for Coryell. Fouts was on the coach/contributor committee that chose Coryell as a Hall of Fame finalist, which may have helped Coryell’s chances — and may be viewed as a conflict of interests.

The 11 other candidates considered by the coach/contributor committee were Roone Arledge, Mike Holmgren, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Modell, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Art Rooney Jr., Mike Shanahan, Clark Shaughnessy and John Wooten.

[Futureshock]

I don't disagree about wanting a passer but you can't deny what those guys can do with their legs. They can give defenses complete fits.

True. But once they are figured out...

[ghandi]

I think the Lions dodged a bullet by not drafting Thibadeux.....Something about him just didnt feel right.

[CGVT]

I think the Lions dodged a bullet by not drafting Thibadeux.....Something about him just didnt feel right.

Not sure about that, but I am glad they got the home-town boy

[jaadam4]

I think we got the the player we needed for sure. Hutch definitely looks the part. We’ll see when the bright lights come on but I’ve already got Jacksonville on my Christmas card mailing list. They’re dumb

[Cody_Russell]

Ouch, that’s a big loss for the Cowboys.
Potentially won’t be available for the Lions vs Cowboys game if the timetable is accurate. Also there’s a logjam of elite OTs in the NFC… maybe Sewell has better shot at making the Pro Bowl this season.

[Futureshock]

Week 1 opponent...

Nick Sirianni praises Jalen Hurts for his best practice ever

Posted by Mike Florio on August 25, 2022, 10:37 AM EDT

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On Wednesday, a couple of former Alabama quarterbacks who are in somewhat similar career postures got together, when their teams engaged in a joint practice. And Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was benched by Nick Saban for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, put on a show.

Via Reuben Franks of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni praised on Thursday the Wednesday session from Hurts as his best practice since Sirianni arrived as head coach in 2021.

“What he was doing with the football and being able to go through reads and progressions that fast and getting the ball where it needed to go was unbelievable,” Sirianni said.

That’s very good news for an offense that shifted its focus toward the run last year — and that presumably would like to throw it some more, given the arrival of receiver A.J. Brown. It’s also good news for Hurts. The Eagles have had a low-key wandering eye at quarterback, as they wait to see whether Hurts becomes a franchise quarterback.

If he does, great. If he doesn’t, their eye will keep low-key wandering.

#birdsaren'treal

[Futureshock]

NFL makes its official Amazon Prime debut tonight

Posted by Mike Florio on August 25, 2022, 9:39 AM EDT

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For the past few years, the Fox Thursday night games have been simulcast by Amazon Prime. As of 2022, Amazon Prime is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, in addition to over-the-air channels in the two markets involved in a given game.

And while it doesn’t really begin until three weeks from tonight, when the Chiefs host the Chargers, the NFL officially debuts on Amazon Prime tonight, with the Texans hosting the 49ers in a Week Three preseason game.

The action kicks off from Houston at 8:15 p.m. ET, following the start of a Packers-Chiefs game on NFL Network at 8:00 p.m. ET.

With another game available on traditional TV, the numbers for the Amazon contest likely will be low — far lower than they will be for a regular-season game. Even then, it’s unknown how many will tune in to watch. It’s still not clear whether the average football fan knows about the looming shift to streaming.

Amazon reportedly has told potential sponsors it expects 12.5 million viewers per game. Industry insiders believe the real number will be much lower. And the real numbers will be tracked by Nielsen. Presumably, the NFL and Amazon understand that it will take time to change habits.

That’s surely why the NFL has done it. Yes, the money is nice. (When isn’t it?) But the league is trying to get ahead of the technological curve. Traditional TV may not die, but it will diminish. That already is happening. The NFL knows this. The question becomes pegging the real ceiling for simultaneous viewing through a streaming service, over the long haul.

In the days of three TV channels, NFL games drew monstrous audiences. Pre-Internet, games like Bears-Dolphins in 1985 (39 million) and Giants-49er in 1990 (41 million) drew massive audiences. Now, the three-letter networks that televise prime-time games are happy to get 20 million average viewers.

What will be a victory for a streaming-only game? The experiment begins, as a practical matter, in three weeks. Tonight, the NFL and Amazon get their first glimpse of the coming post-TV reality.