Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) is injured on a carry in the fourth quarter against the Broncos at Paycor Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.

Bengals top RB Chase Brown (ankle) out vs. Steelers

Cincinnati Bengals lead running back Chase Brown sat out Saturday night’s crucial game against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to his right ankle injury.

Brown worked out on the field prior to the game to see if he could play, but it was quickly determined that he wasn’t moving well enough to suit up. The Bengals then made Brown one of their inactives.

Brown, a second-year pro, falls 10 yards short of his first 1,000-yard rushing season.

Brown was injured during a 30-24 overtime victory against the Denver Broncos on Dec. 28. He was hurt in the fourth quarter when intentionally sliding at the 1-yard line to keep the clock moving.

The 24-year-old has rushed for seven touchdowns and also has 54 receptions for 360 yards and four scores this season.

Khalil Herbert was serving as Cincinnati’s main running back against Pittsburgh. Herbert had rushed eight times for 45 yards in seven games with the Bengals after being acquired from the Chicago Bears in a midseason deal.

The Bengals (8-8) need to beat the Steelers to keep their AFC playoff hopes alive. They trail the Denver Broncos by one game.

–Field Level Media

Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) runs the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Top 10 Player Props For NFL Week 16

With 12 games on the schedule for Sunday featuring many of the NFL’s best teams, fans will have hundreds of player props to choose from for their betting pleasure in Week 16.

Rather than take hours of your day to research and figure out which are the best, see if any of our top ten picks inspire you. (These will be in no specific order. Odds are from FanDuel unless otherwise indicated.)

Eagles vs. Commanders

–Jalen Hurts, O/U 191.5 Passing Yards at -113/-113
–Hurts to throw for 200+ yards at +108

Hurts is averaging right around 200 yards per game this season. While he had 290 his last time out against a good Steelers defense, he had less than 180 in his previous three. His numbers against the Steelers have to be taken with a grain of salt since Saquon Barkley missed time with an injury.

Washington controlled the game for three quarters a few weeks ago in Philly, only to lose after Barkley and the Eagles dominated the fourth quarter. I don’t see the passing game working as well as it did last time, but I doubt it will struggle as it did vs. Carolina, Baltimore and the Rams.

The Washington pass defense has held teams to less than 190 yards per game this season, but 209 ypg over the last three. Hurts will probably have a day similar to the one he had in the previous game vs. Washington (18-28 for 221 yards).

Take the OVER on his passing yards.

Giants vs. Falcons

–Michael Penix Jr., O/U 228.5 Passing Yards at -115/-115 (via DraftKings)

The Falcons will want to see their young quarterback spread his wings, but they’ll also want to protect him as much as they can. To that end, they’ll lean hard on the run in this game to draw the Giants’ defense in and then pass when his receivers are in single coverage.

They will not need to throw much against this Giants team and will probably let Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier carry most of the load.

Take the UNDER.

–Tyler Allgeier, O/U 36.5 Rushing Yards at -110/-110 (via bet365)
–Allgeier to rush for 50+ yards +165 (via BetMGM)

The Falcons may let Penix air it out in the first quarter but will otherwise have him throw just enough to keep the Giants’ defense honest. Robinson, of course, will carry the bulk of the load. But Allgeier will see the ball more than he usually does.

He had fewer than 10 carries in 10 of 14 games; look for him to get closer to 15 Sunday. With the Giants’ defense allowing 4.9 yards per carry, Allgeier should easily go over this total.

Take the OVER.

Lions vs. Bears

–Sam LaPorta, O/U 41.5 Receiving Yards at -115/-115 (via BetMGM)

Losing David Montgomery for the immediate future stings, but the Lions do still have Jahmyr Gibbs. But they’ll likely try to find other ways to move the ball to keep from overworking Gibbs. LaPorta has had a quiet season but has seen his target share go up in the last two weeks.

Big, pass-catching tight ends like LaPorta are great for moving the chains, and the Lions will probably use LaPorta more in that capacity going forward.

Take the OVER.

Browns vs. Bengals

–Chase Brown, O/U 74.5 Rushing Yards at -110/-110 (via bet365)
–Brown, O/U 17.5 Rushing Attempts at -130/+100 (via DraftKings)

Cincinnati has been all over the place with Brown’s touches this season. He had 25 last week vs. Tennessee but 12 to 14 in three of the previous four games. But teams have averaged 32 rushing attempts and 119.3 yards against the Browns in the last three weeks.

With the Browns starting Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, the Bengals will probably want to run a little more often to keep the clock moving. It will be the Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase show in the first half, but Brown will take over in the second.

Take the OVER for both.

–Jerry Jeudy, O/U 62.5 Receiving Yards at -110/-110 (via bet365)
–Jeudy, O/U 5.5 Receptions at +125/-165

Jeudy has gone over this yardage total in his last seven games, but bettors may want to mute expectations with Thompson-Robinson at quarterback. While DTR is a tremendous athlete, he struggles to connect with his receivers. He has completed just 44.1 percent of his passes this season (15-for-34) and 51.4 percent in his career (75-for-146).

As for his receptions total, Jeudy is one of Cleveland’s better playmakers. They’ll eventually settle for short throws to the flats that DTR can complete just to get the ball in Jeudy’s hands. Since those throws will be relatively easy to complete, Jeudy will see the ball enough to go over this total.

Take the UNDER for his yardage but the OVER for his receptions.

–Field Level Media

Jul 26, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood”  Brown (5) walks down the hill from the locker room to the fields during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Report: Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown to make season debut

Wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown reportedly will make his Kansas City Chiefs debut on Saturday, barring any setbacks.

ESPN reported Thursday that the Chiefs (13-1) are planning to activate Brown ahead of their home game against the Houston Texans (9-5).

Kansas City opened Brown’s 21-day practice window last Friday. He has been on injured reserve since Sept. 13 with a sternoclavicular joint injury sustained in the preseason opener.

Brown, 27, signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Chiefs in March after three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens (2019-21) and two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals (2022-23).

Brown has 313 catches for 3,644 yards and 28 touchdowns in 72 career games (65 starts). He posted a 1,000-yard season with the Ravens in 2021.

The Chiefs opened up a roster spot for Brown earlier this week when they released veteran running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown argues a call during the fourth quarter against the UCF Knights at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

West Virginia fires Neal Brown after six seasons

West Virginia fired coach Neal Brown on Sunday, one day after the Mountaineers were routed 52-15 by Texas Tech.

West Virginia went 6-6 this season, including 5-4 in Big 12 play. Brown was 37-35 in six seasons with the Mountaineers.

“Coach Brown is a great person, and he has served as a tremendous ambassador for West Virginia University,” athletic director Wren Baker said in the announcement. “He led our storied program with class and integrity and always put in the hard work necessary to allow for success. We are grateful to Neal, his wife, Brooke, and their children for their contributions to our University, community and state, and we wish them the very best in their next endeavor.”

The Mountaineers are bowl eligible for the fourth time in Brown’s tenure at the school.

West Virginia allowed 45, 49 and 52 points in losses over the second half of this season.

Brown enjoyed his best season with the Mountaineers in 2023 when the squad went 9-4 and routed North Carolina 30-10 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Before being hired by West Virginia, Brown went 35-16 in four seasons at Troy from 2015-18. He won three straight bowl games before departing for Morgantown.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens paces the sideline in the fourth quarter during an NFL Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Cincinnati Bengals won 33-23.

Cleveland Browns At Cincinnati Bengals Football 12 29 2019

Freddie Kitchens to coach North Carolina in bowl game

Former NFL head coach Freddie Kitchens will serve as interim coach for North Carolina’s expected bowl game after the recent firing of Mack Brown.

Kitchens served as run game coordinator and tight ends coach the past two seasons. Brown’s final day as head coach is Sunday.

“Freddie Kitchens is an incredibly talented coach who is respected by our student-athletes and staff,” North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a news release. “He is dedicated to doing all he can to help lead our program through this transition, and we appreciate his willingness to take on this role.”

North Carolina informed Brown last week that he wouldn’t return as coach in 2025. Saturday’s 35-30 loss to North Carolina State was his final game and concluded a 6-6 regular season, including 3-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Kitchens, 50, went 6-10 in 2019 in his one season as coach of the Browns.

That was part of 16 seasons he spent in the NFL as a coach. He held assistant posts with the Dallas Cowboys (2006), Arizona Cardinals (2007-17), Cleveland (2018) and New York Giants (2020-21).

Brown is the winningest coach in North Carolina history with a record of 113-79-1 over two stints (1988-97, 2019-24).

–Field Level Media

Aug 10, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass in warm ups with head coach Matt Eberflus looking on before a pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Bears coach Matt Eberflus outlines decision to fire OC

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus declined to describe the process he followed before firing Shane Waldron, but said he dismissed the first-year offensive coordinator on Tuesday morning and promoted passing game coordinator Thomas Brown to the position.

“It’s obviously a big decision. It’s not taken lightly. We’re still running the same type of verbiage,” Eberflus said Wednesday. “My decision, I’ve always used council — meeting with (GM) Ryan (Poles) on Wednesday. But my decision.”

When asked about any assurances he received about job security in the meeting with Poles and chairman George McCaskey, Eberflus said, “You know what? We weren’t talking about that. We were talking about solutions going forward.”

With a 14-29 overall record and 0-4 mark against this week’s opponent, the Green Bay Packers, Eberflus clearly felt the urgency of the situation one week after saying no change was coming at offensive coordinator.

Eberflus said players told him they want to “do more” as a group and individually and shared their frustration with him before he shared his decision to fire Waldron on Tuesday morning. Waldron spent the previous three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and was hired to replace Luke Getsy, who was fired by the Bears at the end of the 2023 regular season.

Saying it was because the offense “struggled the last three weeks,” Eberflus said there was no choice but to find a way to get better. He said getting playmakers in the open field was a persistent problem and credited quarterback Caleb Williams for making plays, but called on the rookie to become more consistent.

Williams hasn’t thrown a TD pass during the current three-game losing streak and the Bears have allowed 15 sacks while scoring 12 points in the past two games.

To get there, Eberflus said there is only one path for Williams’ improvement: live reps.

“Caleb has been confident throughout this whole process. You have to have confidence in your abilities,” Eberflus said. “You have to have confidence in what you can do. I think that’s important.”

Brown failed to spark confidence or generate points with his last rookie No. 1 pick at the position, Bryce Young, when he was promoted to the play-caller role in 2023 with the Carolina Panthers.

But Eberflus said Brown was the best option “in the building,” noting the change at coordinator was too significant to look outside Halas Hall.

“We want efficient, effective offense. The run game, the screen game, play-action pass, dropback pass, A to Z,” Eberflus said. “What I’m looking for in the offense is creativity. Getting the guys open, it takes creativity. It takes everybody working together to find answers.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) reacts against the New England Patriots during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Bears fire OC, toss play-calling duties to Thomas Brown

Bears passing game coordinator Thomas Brown was handed the headset and playcalling duties as Chicago searches for answers and an end to a three-game losing streak.

As part of the shakeup, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired on Tuesday. Waldron received a vote of confidence eight days ago after a lopsided 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but head coach Matt Eberflus indicated he was resigned to change on Monday.

“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense,” Eberflus said in a statement released by the team. “This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully. I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.”

Eberflus selected Waldron as offensive coordinator from a pool that included former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Eberflus was retained as head coach by general manager Ryan Poles in January following a 7-10 season.

The present situation isn’t entirely unfamiliar to Brown.

He is being bumped into the primary play-calling role for the second consecutive season. In 2023, the 38-year-old was promoted by the Carolina Panthers with embattled coach Frank Reich giving Brown the call sheet in an effort to spare his own job and pump life into their rookie No. 1 pick at quarterback, Bryce Young.

The Bears are in a bind with the Packers (6-3) up next as confidence and production bottom out on the heels of three consecutive losses and a three-game streak during which rookie No. 1 pick Caleb Williams has zero touchdown passes.

Eberflus said Monday that Williams was safe as the starting quarterback but pointed to imminent changes around the rookie.

Williams and the Bears were dominated by the New England Patriots (3-7) on Sunday. They carry a run of 23 consecutive possessions without a touchdown into Week 11 trying to keep pace with the rest of the NFC North. Eberflus is 0-4 against Green Bay in his first two seasons as Bears head coach and will see the Packers, Lions (8-1) and Vikings (7-2) twice in the final two months of the season.

The Bears have 27 total points during a three-game slide that began with rookie Jayden Daniels’ 52-yard, game-winning Hail Mary on Oct. 27.

Chicago produced three points against the Patriots, putting up fewer than 17 points for the fifth time this season. New England sacked Williams nine times one week after the Cardinals posted six sacks against Chicago.

Brown, a former NFL running back who broke into coaching under Sean McVay with the Rams, spent nine seasons on college football staffs including three years as Miami (Fla.) running backs coach and offensive coordinator.

–Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer works with lineman Tylan Grable before the start of the Buffalo Bills training camp.

Bills place OL Tylan Grable on injured reserve

The Buffalo Bills placed rookie Tylan Grable on injured reserve Thursday and signed fellow offensive lineman Will Clapp off the practice squad.

Grable, 24, sustained an abdominal injury in Buffalo’s 47-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.

He has come off the bench in all three games this season since the Bills selected him in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Clapp, 28, appeared in 14 games (11 starts) for the Los Angeles Chargers last season.

He has competed in 65 career games (21 starts) with the Saints and Chargers since being selected by New Orleans in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Also on Thursday, the Bills signed wide receiver Ahmarean Brown to the practice squad.

–Field Level Media

Jan 7, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) misses a pass in the end zone against the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson among stars of Netflix’s ‘Receiver’

Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson and three other big-name pass catchers are starring in Netflix’s docuseries called “Receiver,” the streaming service announced Tuesday.

The star wideouts of the Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings, respectively, will be joined by the San Francisco 49ers duo of Deebo Samuel and George Kittle as well as Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The eight-episode series is scheduled to start in the summer.

“Receiver” is a continuation of Netflix’s relationship with the NFL that first began with “Quarterback” in 2023. The production is a joint endeavor with NFL Films, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and Patrick Mahomes’ 2PM Productions.

“The natural progression is from a pass to a catch, so we’re excited to dive into the ‘Receiver’ world after the success of our ‘Quarterback’ series,” Netflix executive Gabe Spitzer said. “NFL Films, Omaha Productions and 2PM Productions have delivered again in finding unique and dynamic athletes who will further highlight the drama of this sport on and off the field.”

Manning said he was “excited” to give fans a closer look at some of the best receivers in the NFL.

“As we did with ‘Quarterback,’ we look forward to telling the stories of five incredible receivers, each with their unique personality, skillset and motivation for what drives them to be the best.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 7, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) reacts after an injury against the New York Giants during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles WR A.J. Brown ruled out with knee injury

No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown is a no-go for the Eagles in their wild-card playoff game at Tampa Bay on Monday, according to multiple reports.

Brown caught 106 passes for 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns this season but left the Week 18 loss to the Giants with a right knee injury and didn’t practice all week.

ESPN reported Brown could be available for the divisional playoffs if the Eagles advance to play the top seed in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers, next weekend.

DeVonta Smith, who had 81 receptions for 1,066 yards and seven TDs in the regular season, will fill the role of Jalen Hurts’ top target against the Buccaneers.

Brown had nine receptions for 131 yards in the Eagles’ Week 3 win at Tampa Bay.

Last week, Brown caught a pass near the right hashmarks and was tackled by Giants linebacker Micah McFadden. Brown fumbled the ball and grabbed the back of his knee and calf before rolling to his back with both hands gripping his facemask.

–Field Level Media