The Bengals lost a major playmaker in Monday night’s 37-28 win.
Wide receiver A.J. Green injured his right arm during the tilt against the Broncos.
Green hurt his arm earlier in the contest, but returned for the Bengals. Cincinnati later downgraded the receiver to questionable, but he never returned.
It was a night to forget for the star wideout. Green was held without a catch and was only targeted four times.
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The inaugural Miami Beach Bowl on Monday was memorable. What happened afterward was, too, just not in a good way.
A brawl broke out, complete with sucker punches and swinging helmets, after Memphis beat BYU, 55-48, in two overtimes.
ESPN cameras captured BYU starting safety Kai Nucua throwing a sucker punch at Memphis tight end Alan Cross, who wasn’t wearing a helmet. Nucua, a sophomore, already was bloodied as fights between players had broken out all over the field.
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As the regular season wanes, each week brings with it a fresh opportunity for some teams to clinch playoff spots. Check out every possible scenario for each conference below, and predict the playoffs here:
CLINCHED: Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks
ELIMINATED: New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles
The Cowboys clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with: a win plus a Cardinals loss or tie and a Lions-Packers tie.
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TEMPE, Ariz. — The last time the Super Bowl was in Arizona, Ray Anderson was the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the NFL.
Seven years later, the Super Bowl is heading to Arizona but Anderson won’t have to make the long haul again from NFL headquarters in New York.
Anderson is in his first year as Vice President for University Athletics and Athletic Director at Arizona State University and is relishing the reunion in his new backyard.
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It was a wave that would have made Queen Elizabeth proud: There was Atlanta Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora, the football in his right hand and 50 yards of unfettered green in his field of vision, turning back toward the north end zone of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday and using his left hand to say goodbye to the New Orleans Saints, figuratively and literally.
A few hours after completing the 86-yard fumble return that closed out the Falcons‘ 30-14 victory — setting up a winner-take-all showdown with the Carolina Panthers at the Georgia Dome next Sunday for the NFC South title — Umenyiora put his team’s surprising revival in perspective, recalling a late-October collapse that would have made London Bridge seem historically sturdy by comparison.
Eight weeks earlier at Wembley Stadium, after blowing a 21-0 halftime lead and making a series of unconscionable late-game mistakes in a 22-21 defeat to the Detroit Lions, the Falcons flew home from London carrying a looming sense of doom. With a 2-6 record, a five-game losing streak and an embattled head coach in Mike Smith, Atlanta — just two seasons removed from a heartbreaking NFC championship game defeat — looked headed for oblivion.
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TAMPA, Fla. — Officials with Tampa Fire Rescue say seven people have been taken to the hospital with minor injuries after a lightning strike in a parking lot near the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ stadium.
Spokesman Jason Penny says it doesn’t appear that anyone was directly struck by the lightning Sunday afternoon. He says the lightning did, however, kick up rocks and gravel and knock a few people down. It struck shortly after 4 p.m.
The injuries do not appear to be serious.
Green Bay beat the Bucs, 20-3.
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NFL Media analysts had been told that Ohio State sophomore Joey Bosa is the nation’s best "combo" defensive end. Now comes news from former Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage, the executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, that one NFL team is judging offensive tackle prospects off their work against Bosa.
OSU’s Joey Bosa might be best DE in country. One NFL org told me they judged every OT in the 2014 #NFLDraft on his performance vs. Bosa.
Earlier this month, NFL Media analysts reported that the opinion of three NFL scouts who attended the Big Ten Championship Game was that Bosa does everything required of a defensive end equally well — plays the run and rushes the passer — and that there appear to be no concerns about his motor.
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Notre Dame senior tackle Christian Lombard, seen as a probable third-day draft pick, has a career-ending back injury.
Irishillustrated.com, a Notre Dame-centric website, reported the news Saturday.
A source tells Irish Illustrated that Christian Lombard will miss the Music City Bowl with a career-ending back injury (bulging disc).
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For the first time this season we’ll have a slate of Saturday games. Fortunately, both will be televised nationally on NFL Network. But if you’re not by your TV, you can still catch the games.
Verizon customers on The MORE Everything plan or with a Premium Subscription have access to both games via the NFL Mobile app.
The Philadelphia Eagles takes on the Washington Redskins at 4:30 p.m. ET and the San Diego Chargers faces the San Francisco 49ers at 8:25 p.m. ET in a game that carries playoff implications.
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College bowl season officially kicks off Saturday, and College Football 24/7 is providing a daily glimpse at the best players in each game and predictions from writers Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah, Bryan Fischer, Chase Goodbread and Mike Huguenin.
Site: New Orleans
Date: Dec. 20
Time/TV: 11 a.m. ET, ESPN
Matchup: Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) vs. Nevada (7-5)
NFL teams attending: Buffalo Bills
Top players to watch: Nevada (QB Cody Fajardo, DE Brock Hekking, WR Hasaan Henderson, DE/LB Ian Seau); Louisiana-Lafayette (RB Alonzo Harris, WR Jamal Robinson).
Why NFL fans should tune in: Why not get your bowl season started out right with an intriguing matchup between an up-and-down Wolf Pack team taking on one of the most impressive Sun Belt teams over the years in ULL? Fajardo has put up comparable numbers to Colin Kaepernick during his time in Reno and is among the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. The team’s pistol offense gets a lot of the press, but it’s the defense you’ll really want to keep an eye out for with Ian Seau (Junior’s nephew) and wild man Brock Hekking, who might have the best hair in college football and is an equally fearsome pass rusher. As for the Ragin Cajuns, they feature a number of playmakers on the offensive side that could wind up being late Day Three selections.
Game predictions:
Brandt: UL-Lafayette, 24-21
Brooks: UL-Lafayette, 33-30
Jeremiah: Nevada, 28-24
Fischer: UL-Lafayette, 33-23
Goodbread: Nevada, 30-21
Huguenin: UL-Lafayette, 27-24
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A crucial factor to any intense workout is recovery. Many routines include a recovery period, some up to a week long that stick with exercises that are low impact. This late in the season, players tend to focus more on maintaining their current condition rather than building strength and possibly increasing wear and tear. NFL Up! has put together a workout of low impact exercises to maintain your strength level without too much stress on the body.
Instructions:
Remember to stretch before and after your workout to prepare muscles and limit risk of injury. For more tips on stretching, check out these exercises and drills.
1. Foam Roller
Prep your muscles and help reduce soreness from the previous workout with this foam roller drill.
Reps: Start low and work your way up
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One last chance to do it
Dude, too little, too late
Who will he face at ‘Mania?
Adam Rank is disappointed that he won’t get to see Lizzy Caplan shine in a starring role in "The Interview" on account of current events. Sort of the same way that Alshon Jeffery might not shine with Jimmy Clausen under center in Chicago. But he thinks both Caplan and Jeffery will have the chance to rebound.
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Wisconsin made Paul Chryst’s homecoming official on Wednesday, announcing he is the Badgers’ new head coach.
Reports in the past week indicated Chryst, who had served as head coach at Pitt, would return to Madison. Wednesday was the earliest Wisconsin could hire Chryst because of university policies.
Welcome home, Coach Chryst. Welcome home. #Badgers pic.twitter.com/yZOpLkX2ak
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CFB 24/7 experts Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah, Bryan Fischer, Chase Goodbread and Mike Huguenin have provided their predictions for all 38 major college football bowl games.
Season records entering bowl season:
Brooks: 104-46
Huguenin: 104-46
Goodbread: 102-48
Jeremiah: 101-49
Fischer: 100-50
Brandt: 98-52
» For more, go to NFL.com/CFB 24/7
Follow College Football 24/7 on Twitter @NFL_CFB.
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Northern California authorities are investigating San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald on suspicion of sexual assault.
San Jose Police Department Sgt. Heather Randol said Wednesday that detectives searched McDonald’s San Jose home.
Randol said an area hospital notified police Tuesday night that a woman was seeking treatment.
According to police, the woman told police she was "possibly" sexually assaulted by McDonald. No arrests have been made or charges filed.
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Fate owes the Cleveland Browns a few breaks.
Since rebooting in 1999, the franchise has been on a long slog of disappointment. The Browns could write a thesis on first-round mistakes in the draft (Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, William Green, Braylon Edwards, Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden). They’ve been plagued by internal problems since returning, from staph infections in the locker room to bickering in the front office. They have gone from one coach to another, and from one quarterback to another. The only thing that has stayed the same are those classic uniforms (which are changing next year, thanks to Nike). They’ve made one playoff appearance since version 2.0 began, an exciting loss to the rival Steelers in the 2002 Wild Card Round.
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GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler are rivals on the field, but they are also friends who happen to be members of a relatively small fraternity. And as a franchise quarterback who credits a supportive and open environment for helping him thrive with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers was appalled by what Cutler, his beleaguered Chicago Bears counterpart, had to endure last week.
Reacting to reports that Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer admitted last Monday to his players that he’d been an anonymous source in a report by NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport in which Cutler’s game-management skills were criticized, Rodgers strongly denounced Kromer’s behavior, saying he was "baffled" by the situation.
"I would have a major problem if somebody said something like that," Rodgers said Tuesday during an interview at Lambeau Field. "I think anybody that plays the position, you can’t help but empathize with Jay for that situation. You talk all the time about being connected, being a unit, believing in each other. But if you have unnamed sources, people out there cutting you down, and then you find out it’s the person calling the plays — that would be really hard to deal with, to look at him the same way."
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The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks are out to prove that stellar defense can win championships in today’s NFL. While the ‘Hawks are aiming for their second Lombardi Trophy in as many seasons, the Cards are poised to make a deep postseason run despite a spate of injuries at the quarterback position (and elsewhere).
Arizona can actually clinch the NFC West — and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs — with a win in front of the home crowd on Sunday night. Of course, the naysayers doubt the Cardinals can beat the Seahawks with third-string QB Ryan Lindley under center. Seattle did beat Arizona 19-3 last month in the madhouse that is CenturyLink Field. But with the game shifting to University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Cardinals are a perfect 7-0, I believe Bruce Arians‘ squad can win behind a monster defensive effort.
After watching the All-22 Coaches Film of the Week 12 battle, I’ve come up with a game plan. Here’s how Arizona needs to approach Seattle in order to pull off the victory:
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Fifteen weeks into the 2014 NFL campaign, eight teams boast double-digit win totals:
» Arizona Cardinals (11-3)
» Denver Broncos (11-3)
» New England Patriots (11-3)
» Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
» Detroit Lions (10-4)
» Green Bay Packers (10-4)
» Indianapolis Colts (10-4)
» Seattle Seahawks (10-4)
But of course, not all double-digit winners are created equal. Which is the least-convincing team with 10-plus wins?
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This is the backstory to one of the great moments of Week 15, the Dallas Cowboys‘ refusal to crumble on the road in a pivotal NFC East showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys‘ rebound after blowing a 21-point lead, as well as the Arizona Cardinals clinching a playoff spot with a win over the St. Louis Rams despite numerous key injuries and the Buffalo Bills‘ upset of the Green Bay Packers are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Moments of Week 15.
Just two weeks ago, the Cowboys suffered a humiliating 33-10 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in front of a turkey-stuffed national-television audience on Thanksgiving Day. Facing the daunting task of collecting an essential road win against the Eagles, the Cowboys stormed out to a 21-0 lead, allowed 24 unaswered points, managed to recapture momentum for a 38-27 win. That was huge, pushing the Cowboys from "In the hunt" status in the NFC playoff picture to in the driver’s seat for the NFC East title and a potential candidate to attain home-field advantage in the playoffs.
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Bo Pelini, fired as Nebraska’s coach at the end of November, will be the new coach at FCS school Youngstown State, a report says.
The Youngstown Vindicator reported the news Tuesday morning. Pelini is a Youngstown native.
The Vindicator said a school spokesman could neither confirm nor deny the report, but also that the spokesman said the school "hopefully" would have an official statement later Tuesday.
Youngstown State’s president is former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who enjoyed great success as Youngstown’s coach in the 1990s.
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As the regular season wanes, each week brings with it a fresh opportunity for some teams to clinch playoff spots. Check out every possible scenario for each conference below, and predict the playoffs here:
CLINCHED: Arizona Cardinals
ELIMINATED: New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers
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DETROIT — It was the type of kick that always seems to go through the uprights against the Detroit Lions.
Nobody has ever made a field goal from 68 yards in an NFL game, but when Minnesota’s Blair Walsh lined up at that distance on the final play Sunday, there were some nervous folks at Ford Field.
"Stranger things have happened to us," Detroit offensive lineman Rob Sims said. "But maybe this is our time. Maybe things are changing."
Walsh’s kick came up short and wide to the left, and Detroit held on for a 16-14 victory over Minnesota.
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An Auburn freshman football player was shot and killed early Sunday morning at an apartment complex near the Auburn campus, according to AL.com.
Jakell Mitchell, who was expected to compete for a starting job in 2015, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to the East Alabama Medical Center in Auburn, where he was pronounced dead. Police are treating the death as a homocide. No suspects or motives have been identified.
Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs acknowledged the death on his Twitter account.
The Auburn Family is grieving the loss of a teammate & friend Jakell Mitchell. We are praying for his family. pic.twitter.com/ZC5PP2nJ6u
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Will Muschamp, who was fired as Florida’s coach last month, will remain in the SEC as Auburn’s new defensive coordinator.
"He’s one of the best in the business, if not the best in the business," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said of Muschamp at Saturday’s introductory news conference.
Muschamp’s last official day at Florida was Nov. 29, when he coached the Gators in their loss to Florida State, which means he spent less than two weeks out of work. Numerous reports indicate his salary will be $1.6 million, meaning he will be the highest-paid assistant in college football. He reportedly also was a candidate for the Houston head-coaching job.
"We’ve been pretty good where we’ve been, but we’ve also had a bunch of good players," Muschamp said Saturday of the defenses he has coordinated.
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Will Muschamp, who was fired as Florida’s coach last month, will remain in the SEC as Auburn’s new defensive coordinator.
BOOM! Welcome back @CoachWMuschamp to the Auburn Family! #WarEagle
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Thirdparty arbitrator Harold Henderson has denied the appeal of Adrian Peterson’s suspension.
Henderson reasoned that Peterson failed to show the procedure and processes encompassing his discipline were unjust and inconsistent.
"He was afforded all of the protections and rights to which he’s entitled," Henderson said, "and that i find no basis to vacate or decrease the discipline."
Henderson additionally noted that Peterson’s public remarks "don’t represent compunction or understanding for the earnestness of his activities."
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Everybody at NFL Media has to
He rode a swan in a pool once
ICYMI: he’ll begin this week!
I kind of enjoyed how the Packers supporters began the MVP chants through the last minutes of the Monday Night Football game. After all, Rodgers might be my private MVP right now, and he is not even on my fantasy football team. (You will want to take a look at the Monday Nightmare for more on that.)
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Virginia junior defensive end Eli Harold, an athletic advantage rusher who had seven sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss this season, announced via Twitter on Wednesday morning that he’s entering the NFL draft.
To all UVA Enthusiasts, my family, and my close friends and teammates it is been a great ride. I decided to enter the NFL Draft.
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Michigan is seeking for a fresh trainer after firing Brady Hoke last week, also it seems Wolverines officials already have missed on a single nominee.
Was told tonight #Michigan officials offered David Cutcliffe their job but the #Duke trainer turned it down. Times sure have changed.
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