By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Cam Newton hasn’t been quite himself this season.

Whether it has been his up and down play, his dress code fiasco or his beef with officiating, there’s frequently been something to do with the star quarterback in a season that has been one to forget for Carolina. He had one of his worst games Saturday in a loss to Atlanta, completing just 18 of 43 attempts for 198 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

But we can’t overlook the shoulder injury he’s been battling through, which could have been responsible for his afternoon filled with errant passes and below-average play. Ron Rivera thinks that might be the case, saying the injury — which the Panthers have been reluctant to disclose additional information on — “probably” had a negative effect on Newton’s play.

Cam won’t accept that crutch. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Rams held a one-touchdown lead Saturday in a game that seemed to drag on forever with little cause for excitement.

Then the fourth quarter arrived, the Niners mounted a furious comeback and Jared Goff had a nice little opportunity to boost his Q Score. A game-sealing interception likely isn’t what he had in mind, though. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Every Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum during the 2016 season has felt like one big party — until Week 16.

The Raiders were again rolling to what appeared to be another win when quarterback and rejuvenating sparkplug Derek Carr went down with a leg injury. He knew it immediately, and it didn’t take long for team doctors to also learn the severity of the injury: a broken fibula, surgery on deck and an indefinite amount of time away from the field. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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What began as a scary occurrence that could have produced a serious accident turned into a hassle and nightmarish Friday evening that has roundly summed up 2016 for the Minnesota Vikings.

While taxiing after a safe landing in Appleton, Wisconsin, the Vikings‘ team plane slid off the runway and became stuck, the team announced. The Vikings faced an additional two-hour wait on the plane after the incident, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported, before a firetruck was dispatched to carry the passengers off the plane. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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In the aftermath of Luke Kuechly‘s latest concussion, and his extended time away from the field, the opinions of the linebacker’s next move have run the gamut. Perhaps none, though, carry more weight than that of Kuechly’s superstar teammate.

“Luke is a person that could potentially to be the greatest linebacker that has ever played — straight up,” Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said Thursday. “… I don’t think, for me, I would want to jeopardize that for a long, long-term issue just to bring him back.” Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Buccaneers surprised the football world with a key inactive that no one saw coming.

Tampa Bay listed running back Doug Martin as inactive for Saturday’s game against New Orleans. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Martin was a healthy scratch via a coach’s decision, which is fairly peculiar for a team that has dealt with a bevy of injuries at the position. Continue reading →

By Around the NFL staff
NFL.com
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Baby, it’s cold outside — but the playoff races are heating up!

The moribund AFC South showed signs of life on Sunday with each of its three contenders coming away with victories. Brock Osweiler was finally — mercilessly — benched in favor of Tom Savage, who led a major Texans comeback over the Jaguars to stay tied in the lead in the South with the Titans … whose quarterback, Marcus Mariota overcame early errors to ignite a 10-point comeback in frigid Kansas City … but don’t count out the Colts, who rolled over the hapless Vikings and are just one game back.

Elsewhere, a Lions loss to the Giants and a close Packers victory in the sub-zero Windy City closed the former’s lead in the NFC North to one game; and with their respective wins, Baltimore and Pittsburgh stayed neck-and-neck atop the AFC North with next week’s matchup looming. Here’s what we’ve learned so far from Week 15: Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Minnesota has tried to patch a large hole in its running game with various stopgaps over the course of the regular season.

It might get the permanent fix in time for Week 16.

Adrian Peterson intends to return to practice this week and plans to play against the Packers in Week 16, he said Monday during a 15-minute interview with DJ Skee on dashradio.com, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Continue reading →