Month: September 2022
Patriots rule out QB Mac Jones; Brian Hoyer to start
The New England Patriots will turn to Brian Hoyer to quarterback Sunday’s game against the host Green Bay Packers after starter Mac Jones was ruled out Friday due to an ankle injury.
Reporters in Foxborough, Mass. spotted Jones at Friday’s practice walking gingerly, but he was officially listed as a non-participant for the third straight day.
Jones hurt his left ankle on the Patriots’ final offensive play of Sunday’s 37-26 loss to the visiting Baltimore Ravens. He hopped off the field on one foot after he was brought to the ground by Calais Campbell and got his ankle caught under Campbell’s leg.
The second-year quarterback suffered a “pretty severe” high ankle sprain, according to an NFL Network report Monday. Jones visited the New York Hospital for Special Surgery for a second opinion during the week.
Sunday will mark the first start Jones misses in his NFL career after taking the reins as a first-round rookie in 2021. In 20 career starts, he has thrown for 4,587 yards, 24 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, including a league-high five picks this year.
Hoyer, who turns 37 next month, is playing his third stint with New England, having backed up Tom Brady during 2009-11 and 2017-18. He returned to the team in 2020 and started a game for the Patriots for the first time. Hoyer has lost his last 11 starts dating back to 2016.
In 29 appearances for the Patriots, he has gone 56 for 86 (65.1 percent) for 692 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. His 14-year career also includes stops with the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts, who have helped him amass 10,631 passing yards and 53 touchdowns with 35 picks.
The Patriots also ruled out offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste (thumb) and defensive lineman Lawrence Guy (shoulder). Safeties Joshuah Bledsoe (groin), Kyle Dugger (knee) and Adrian Phillips (ribs) were questionable, along with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (knee), cornerback Jalen Mills (hamstring), defensive lineman Davon Godchaux (back) and linebacker Raekwon McMillan (thumb).
For the Packers, tackle Caleb Jones was ruled out due to an illness. Cornerback Jaire Alexander (groin) is questionable.
–Field Level Media
Chargers WR Keenan Allen ruled out, CB J.C. Jackson to play
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the host Houston Texans.
Allen injured his hamstring during the Chargers’ Week 1 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and hasn’t played since. After practicing in a limited fashion on Wednesday and Thursday, he did not participate on Friday.
The 30-year-old made each of the past five Pro Bowls and has spent his entire career with the franchise since he was drafted by the then-San Diego Chargers in 2013. He has caught 734 receptions for 8,601 yards and 48 touchdowns over 117 games.
Two other important Chargers starters returned to full practice and are expected to play: quarterback Justin Herbert (ribs) and cornerback J.C. Jackson (ankle). While Herbert started practicing in full on Thursday, Jackson’s status was less certain until he was a full participant on Friday.
Center Corey Linsley (knee) did not practice Friday and was listed as questionable, along with tight end Donald Parham Jr. (hamstring).
The Texans ruled out tight end Brevin Jordan (ankle) and offensive lineman Austin Deculus (ankle).
–Field Level Media
Bears RB David Montgomery ruled out vs. Giants
Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the host New York Giants due to knee and ankle injuries.
Montgomery did not practice all week on the heels of being injured in the first quarter of last Sunday’s 23-20 win against the Houston Texans.
Khalil Herbert replaced Montgomery and finished with 157 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
Montgomery, 25, has rushed for 159 yards and has five catches for 38 yards in three games for the Bears (2-1).
Defensive backs Jaylon Johnson (quadriceps) and Dane Cruikshank (hamstring) did not practice all week and have been ruled out versus the Giants (2-1).
Linebacker Matt Adams (hamstring) was limited in practice Friday and is doubtful to face New York. Tight end Ryan Griffin (Achilles) also is doubtful despite failing to practice for the second straight day.
Wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (hamstring) and linebacker Sterling Weatherford (ankle) participated fully in practice on Friday and are questionable to play versus the Giants. Defensive lineman Robert Quinn (illness) and kicker Cairo Santos (personal) also are questionable for Sunday’s game.
–Field Level Media
Falcons’ Cordarrelle Patterson questionable vs. Browns
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns after being limited in practice on Friday.
Patterson sat out practice on Wednesday as part of a veteran rest day while also nursing an ailing knee. He missed Thursday’s practice as well.
“I feel like I’m going to play every Sunday, no matter what the situation is,” Patterson told ESPN. “I plan on playing Sunday and we all know that’s the plan.”
Coach Arthur Smith said a final decision will be made Saturday on the availability of Patterson.
The versatile Patterson received NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after rushing for a career-high 141 yards in Atlanta’s 27-23 victory against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Patterson, 31, ranks third in the NFL with 302 rushing yards and has two touchdowns in three games this season. He also has four catches for 28 yards.
Rookie Tyler Allgeier likely would see additional playing time should Patterson be unable to compete versus the Browns. Allgeier has 16 carries for 55 yards this season.
–Field Level Media
Bucs’ Chris Godwin, Julio Jones game-time decisions vs. Chiefs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers Chris Godwin and Julio Jones and left tackle Donovan Smith are considered game-time decisions to play on Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, coach Todd Bowles said Friday.
Godwin (hamstring), Jones (knee) and Smith (elbow) have sat out the team’s past two games due to their respective injuries. Godwin was limited in practice on Wednesday before sitting out Thursday for rest purposes, while Jones and Smith were listed as limited in both sessions.
“With Julio, it’s all about how he feels the next two days as to whether he’s going to play on Sunday,” Bowles said. “Sometimes he has setbacks and sometimes he doesn’t. So, we’ll wait until Sunday to make that decision to be sure.”
Wide receiver Breshad Perriman (knee, hamstring) is considered doubtful by Bowles, who noted that “unless he has a miraculous recovery by Sunday it will be possible that he doesn’t play.”
Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks (foot) has been ruled out for the second consecutive week.
–Field Level Media
UFC-SMU game in Orlando moved to Wednesday after Hurricane Ian
Sunday’s rescheduled game between UCF and SMU in Orlando has been moved again, this time to Wednesday, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
The game will begin at 7 p.m.
Originally set for Saturday, the game was moved to Sunday three days ago as Hurricane Ian made a track toward Florida. The storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Wednesday, left destruction in its wake across the state.
The game is the American Athletic Conference opener for both the Knights (3-1) and Mustangs (2-2).
The switch was less complicated than it could have been since both teams had a bye the weekend of Oct. 6.
UCF next will play Temple on Oct. 13 in Orlando. SMU is scheduled to host Navy in Dallas on Oct. 14.
“We’re just taking it day by day,” UCF head coach Gus Malzahn said earlier this week. “We’re going about our business like we’re going to play the game and everything that goes with it. Day by day as we get more updates, we’ll be able to make the best decision.”
–Field Level Media
Browns’ Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney questionable vs. Falcons
Cleveland Browns defensive ends Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney are considered questionable to play in Sunday’s game against the Falcons in Atlanta, coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday.
Garrett, 26, sustained a shoulder injury among other bumps and bruises following a car accident on Monday.
“The latest is (he is) here today and continuing to rehab,” Stefanski said of Garrett’s availability for the game. “We’re going to list him as questionable. We’re going to use the next 24, 48 hours to see how he continues to respond to treatment and those types of things and make an appropriate decision on him and the rest of the guys.”
Garrett has three sacks, seven tackles and a forced fumble in three games this season for the Browns (2-1).
A two-time All-Pro, Garrett has recorded 210 tackles, 61.5 sacks and 12 forced fumbles in 71 games (69 starts) since being selected by the Browns with the top overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Clowney, 29, is nursing an ankle injury that forced him to miss Cleveland’s 29-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 22.
He has totaled 297 tackles, 42.5 sacks and 13 forced fumbles in 99 career games (90 starts) with the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Browns. Clowney was selected by the Texans with the top overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.
–Field Level Media
Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey questionable vs. Cardinals
Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey returned to practice on Friday and is listed as questionable to play in this weekend’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
McCaffrey was a limited participant in practice on Friday after missing the previous two days with a thigh injury.
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said he was “very hopeful” that McCaffrey would be able to play on Sunday.
McCaffrey, 26, is coming off his second consecutive 100-yard performance last Sunday after he finished with 108 in Carolina’s 22-14 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
McCaffrey is fifth in the NFL in rushing yards with 243. He also has 10 catches for 57 yards through three games.
Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman likely would split carries should McCaffrey sit out Sunday’s game against the visiting Cardinals (1-2). Hubbard has rushed four times for 28 yards this season for the Panthers (1-2), while Foreman has four carries for 14 yards.
Wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (hamstring), defensive end Marquis Haynes Sr. (knee) and cornerback Stantley Thomas-Oliver III (Achilles) are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. The three players were limited participants in Friday’s practice.
–Field Level Media
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown out vs. Seahawks
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has been ruled out for the Detroit Lions’ game against the visiting Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell on Friday announced the playing status on St. Brown, who has been held out of practice this week after sustaining an ankle injury in last Sunday’s 28-24 setback to the Minnesota Vikings.
Wideouts Josh Reynolds and DJ Chark will look to pick up the slack in place of the 22-year-old St. Brown, who leads the team in catches (23), receiving yards (253) and receiving touchdowns (three).
Running back D’Andre Swift, 23, likely will miss Sunday’s game against the Seahawks with a shoulder injury, Campbell said.
Jamaal Williams stepped into the lead role last season after Swift sustained a shoulder sprain in December.
Williams had 20 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns versus the Vikings. He leads the team with four rushing TDs.
Swift is averaging 8.6 yards per carry in three starts this season, totaling 231 yards, good for eighth in the NFL.
Williams has a team-leading 43 carries for 168 yards.
–Field Level Media