By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Malik Hooker‘s promising rookie season is over.
The Colts safety suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his knee in Indianapolis’ loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Hooker tweeted about his injury and recovery process that lies ahead: Continue reading
By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Los Angeles Chargers struck quickly for two first-half touchdowns and rode their ferocious defense to a 21-0 shutout win over the punchless Denver Broncos. Here’s what we learned:
1. When his career is over and he’s no longer making the two-hour trip up I-5 in his decked out Sprinter van, we’re going to miss Philip Rivers. Yes, his throwing motion is awkward and it sometimes produces some wounded ducks, but the quarterback consistently places the ball accurately, and he was as sharp as ever on Sunday. Rivers engineered an incredibly efficient drive in the second quarter, going 65 yards in nine plays and capping it with a touchdown pass to Austin Ekeler in the flats.
Rivers spread the ball among seven receivers, completing 15 of 26 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers iced the game with a methodical, 10-play, 92-yard drive that ended with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to Travis Benjamin, securing redemption for their heartbreaking opening-weekend loss. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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To read the full takeaways from Sunday’s Week 7 games from the Around The NFL crew, click here.
1. The Giants were primed to score another upset victory after a first half in which they were dominated in time of possession yet somehow hit the intermission with a 7-3 lead. Seattle stopped inflicting damage on itself in the second half, and the wheels fell off for New York. The Seahawks scored a quick touchdown in the third quarter to take a 10-7 lead, where the game stood for quite some time as New York’s offense struggled per usual as its defense stymied the opposition. That changed with Russell Wilson‘s heave to Paul Richardson, which resulted in an acrobatic touchdown catch. An indeterminable tie-up between he and Giants safety Landon Collins resulted in a replay review that couldn’t overturn what was definitely not a sure thing. The score flipped momentum permanently in favor of the Seahawks, who won their third straight after a 1-2 start to the season. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Miami was forced to turn to its backup quarterback during Sunday’s 31-28 victory over the New York Jets.
Jay Cutler suffered a chest injury during the third quarter of the Dolphins‘ win and didn’t return to the game. Matt Moore replaced Cutler at quarterback.
Cutler is feared to have suffered a cracked rib and is headed for X-rays, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per sources informed of his condition. Pending test results, Cutler will likely miss Miami’s Thursday night tilt against the Baltimore Ravens, with a chance of a return the following week, Rapoport added. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Kenny Britt‘s first season hasn’t gone as well as expected. Corey Coleman is again on the mend after suffering another broken hand. Neither helped their cases last weekend in Houston.
Both Britt and Coleman were sent home Sunday after missing curfew the night before Cleveland’s eventual loss to Houston, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Saturday on Good Morning Football Weekend. Neither Coleman or Britt were going to play in the game due to injuries. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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He’s been featured in plenty of promotional programming and material, but we still haven’t gotten the full-blown Myles Garrett Experience in the NFL.
That changes Sunday, according to Gregg Williams.
“He played well (versus Houston) and he played dominant in a lot of phases, and you’re going to see him play more this week,” the Browns defensive coordinator said Friday. “It was the next step and I was holding my breath it wasn’t going to set him back, and it hasn’t set him back. He’s had a very good week of practice, so we’re turning him loose.” Continue reading
By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The winless New York Giants traveled to Denver last week to take on the Broncos in what set up to be a blowout in favor of the Broncos. Well, that was at least the prevailing logic entering Sunday, seeing as the Giants were without their top three receivers, all lost to injury. There’s no way New York wins this one, right?
Right??
Wrong. While those who consider themselves clever whispered “trap game,” it was actually more than such a simple concept. This game wouldn’t come down to whether New York could score, but if Denver could keep the Giants‘ pass rush off Trevor Siemian. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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What a comeback! Derek Carr found Michael Crabtree in the end zone after time already expired in the fourth quarter to lead the Raiders to a spectacular 31-30 comeback win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football.
Here’s what we learned from the game:
1. Oakland was one wild final drive away from watching its season officially go up in flames. Thanks to a pair of Jared Cook catches and a great rollout and dart fired from Derek Carr to Michael Crabtree in the end zone after time had already expired in the fourth quarter, Oakland’s faithful can remain excited about this team’s playoff chances. The Raiders‘ final drive wasn’t pretty, but instead matched much of the night for its offense, which still has plenty of issues. Carr needed all four downs near midfield to keep the team alive on a completion to Cook, and then turned to the tight end to make another great catch on third-and-10 to put Oakland inside Kansas City’s 5. Unlike Detroit earlier this season, Oakland survived the 10-second runoff to get one more shot at the end zone, which turned into four thanks to penalties, with the final attempt being the one that tied the game. Giorgio Tavecchio then kicked the extra point to give the Raiders the win.
It was exciting, it made for great television, but it is far from encouraging for an Oakland team that still has plenty of kinks to work out in the coming week. Most important in this moment and time, though, is that it keeps the Raiders out of the wasteland that is 2-5, which keeps them alive. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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There’s a reason they call it home-field advantage.
A week after visiting squads went 10-4, road squads dropped off a bit, going 7-5 in the first 12 games of Week 6. It’s not the best, but is still better than most weeks, and has given us some more standouts to choose from.
Are the Eagles for real? Is disaster looming for Pittsburgh? Will the football gods finally smile upon the Chargers? (Spoiler: They did.)
Here are your greatest players on the road from Week 6. Continue reading
By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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A fireworks-filled first half ground to a second-half slog in Jacksonville, with both teams combining to score just six points in the final two quarters of the Los Angeles Rams‘ 27-17 win over the Jaguars. Find out what we learned from Los Angeles’ emphatic road victory over Jacksonville and its ferocious defense:
1. The Rams are 4-2. The Rams are 4-2!! Who’d have thought, at the end of 2016’s miserable campaign, that we’d be stating this fact after six weeks? Los Angeles has found a way to combine a run-first offense on the back of Todd Gurley, branch out from there in an offense that is much more comfortable for second-year passer Jared Goff, and rely on its defense to do the rest. We got an extra wrinkle that proved to be a huge point in the game when the Rams‘ punt return unit pinched and overloaded a gap, with Cory Littleton breaking through for a textbook punt block recovered by Malcolm Brown, who was surrounded by a mob of Rams and pulled into the end zone for a touchdown. It brought a new meaning to the Mob Squad slogan the Rams have been riding for the last few years. Continue reading
Nick Shook 