Posted by Mike Florio on November 14, 2011, 3:42 PM EST
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Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel left Arrowhead Stadium with a cast on his right hand. It may have been the last time he plays football there, or anywhere else, this season.
Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star passes along word from coach Todd Haley that Cassel has a “significant” hand injury, and that it “could” end his season.
And so the Tyler Palko era will begin. Palko, who entered the NFL in 2007 but has appeared in only two games, played college football at Pitt. His ascension to the starting job prompted another Pitt quarterback to transfer. To Delaware.
It’s worked out well since then for Joe Flacco. Unfortunately, the Ravens and Chiefs don’t play this year.
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on November 14, 2011, 3:27 PM EST
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The Broncos believed Knowshon Moreno suffered a mild sprain of his knee on Sunday. It turned out to be much worse.
The team announced Monday that Moreno will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
This will go down as a lost season for the 2009 first round pick. He only had 37 rushes and 11 catches on the year. That’s seven rushes more than Lance Ball had on Sunday.
John Fox and the Broncos coaching staff view Moreno as a third down back and nothing more. After this setback, Moreno may have work to do just to remain in the team’s 2012 plans.
Denver announced that Jeremiah Johnson was activated from the practice squad to help replace Moreno. Willis McGahee’s status for Thursday’s game is uncertain.
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on November 14, 2011, 2:14 PM EST
AP
I was forwarded the YouTube clip of Rex Ryan swearing at a fan Sunday night, just like many of you.
It cracked me up and seemed harmless enough. With this being a family blog and all, it didn’t necessarily seem worth a post.
Now that the NFL is getting involved, it’s time to mention it. Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledgerreports that the NFL “will take a look” at the video.
In the clip, an off-screen fan (presumably of the Patriots) tells Ryan that Bill Belichick is “better than” Rex.
Ryan, on his way back to the locker room, tells the fan to go shut the front door. Or something like that.
Apparently, Ryan wasn’t the only coach overheard using salty language. The New York Postsnooped a conversation between Belichick and his son Stephen after the game that included this gem:
“Thirty-seven points on the best defense in the league, suck my d—,” Belichick said.
The league won’t investigate that comment (of course) because it was just a private comment that a tabloid overheard.
Posted by Michael David Smith on November 14, 2011, 12:46 PM EST
AP
Dolphins linebacker Karlos Dansby had a big game in Sunday’s win over the Redskins. And then he had some big words after the game.
Dansby told Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald that he sees himself as the best linebacker in the NFL.
“I feel like I’m the best, and now I just have to prove it,” Dansby said. “I’ve been saying it for the last couple of years, and I’m just now getting my opportunity to be on the stage to show it.”
Salguero pushed Dansby on that point, asking if he’s really sure he’s better thanRay Lewis. Dansby didn’t budge.
“I’m better than everybody,” he said. “Everybody. Period. Point blank. I just haven’t had the recognition, man. I’m more versatile than everybody. Period. Pont blank. I’m more versatile than everybody. Hands down. I can do it all.”
Salguero asked Dansby if he’s better than Brian Urlacher, and Dansby again insisted that he is.
“Aging,” Dansby said. “He’s aging fast, man. He’s a great linebacker, but he’s aging fast. I respect all the linebackers. But I’m better. That’s just how I feel.”
I don’t think there are too many people who feel the same way as Dansby does about Dansby’s own abilities, but after intercepting one pass, knocking down two more, getting a sack and registering 10 tackles on Sunday, it’s easy to see why Dansby is feeling confident.
The reeling Philadelphia Eagles could be without Michael Vick this week against the New York Giants as thequarterback suffered two ribs in Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field.
Yes, when it rains, it pours on the Dream Team. Coach Andy Reid announced the news at his press conference today, according to the Philadelphia Daily News, and it raises the possibility Mike Kafka or Vince Young will start against the Giants.
“We’ll see,” Reid said when asked if Vick will be able to play this week. “I’ll see in the next little bit. He’s a tough nut." “It probably had something to do with (his inaccuracy). He did some good things and I didn’t think it came down to him right there. He said he just kinda blanked it out and played. He didn’t think twice about it.”
Posted by Mike Florio on November 14, 2011, 9:45 AM EST
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Through 10 Sundays, the two conferences couldn’t be any more different. The best teams in the NFC are obvious; in the AFC, the proposition changes on a weekly basis.
So let’s take the current temperature of the entire league by looking at the 10 story lines that caught our attention on Sunday.
Or at least the ones that caught my attention.
1. Jim Harbaugh needs to teach John a thing or two.
It’s impossible to know whether the 49ers would have won their third through ninth games if they hadn’t lost to the Cowboys in Week Two. Safety Donte Whitner recently pointed to the blown lead against Dallas as the biggest moment of the year for the Niners, propelling them to their string of seven straight wins, and counting.
Along the way, the 49ers have had plenty of chances to lay something other than a golden egg. But stubbornly obsessive head coach Jim Harbaugh won’t let his team have a letdown.
And John Harbaugh would be smart to ask his brother how in the heck he does it.
John’s Ravens follow big wins with flat performances, losing winnable games after signature victories. Beat the Steelers? Lose in Nashville. Beat the Texans? Lose in Jacksonville. Beat the Steelers again? Lose in Seattle, um, ville.
Though I’ve previously blamed the inability to avoid playing down to the level of the competition on linebacker Ray Lewis, given that he’s the guy who has assumed the responsibility for ensuring that the dogs are indeed in the house, the head coach is responsible for finding ways to get grown men to take care of their business.
Yes, the Seahawks are hard to beat at home. But when Jim Harbaugh goes there on Christmas Eve, a week after facing (and perhaps beating) the Steelers, he’ll likely make the locals feel like the unsuspecting residents of Whoville.
It was a big divisional game against the rival Bears, and only one team showed up. The first two Lions' possessions ended with a wide receiver fumbling the ball after a completion. Both of those turnovers resulted in Chicago quickly putting points on the board. The Lions did manage to claw their way back into the game with a score of 6-20 at halftime, but after the first two drives you could see the inconsistency in Stafford's accuracy.
Ultimately it was Stafford's inability to place the ball that lead to the route in the third quarter. Stafford threw a ball clearly behind Sheffler on an out route to the left sideline. It was a terrible throw, one that was off by at least 5 yards. Stafford followed that pick six with another on the next possession as he tried to force a slant to Calvin Johnson that just wasn't there.
Throughout the remainder of the game he was then forced to continue throwing the ball to try to get them back into the game, but it was just not their night. When he was actually able to get the ball to the right location, no one could make the catch. Calvin Johnson had a similarly terrible night as he dropped a pass at the one yard line and another that would have been a beautiful diving catch in the endzone. Those were some of the brilliant throws Matt did make, in the midst of an array of errant throws.
However as Lions fans proceed to dog cuss Stafford and say the same old Lions, there is good news. Stafford has a broken finger. Wait, what?! Yes, your quarterback having a broken index finger on his throwing hand is a good thing. That means that there is a reason he wore those gloves all game, and there is a legitimate reason for his inaccuracy that handed Chicago the blowout. Stafford tried to down play the injury, but apparently he broke the finger during the Week 8 game against the Broncos. There is no excuse for the Lions to just lay down and let the Bears dominate them, but at least there is a tangible reason for Stafford's wildly inaccurate game.
Posted by Mike Florio on November 13, 2011, 8:28 PM EST
With cornerback Jonathan Joseph gone via free agency, Leon Hall became the top defensive player in Cincinnati.
And now he’s gone, too.
Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported, and PFT has confirmed, that Hall suffered a ruptured Achilles’ tendon against the Steelers on Sunday. Hall will miss the balance of the season.
And so the best cornerback on the team becomes Pacman Jones, if/when he’s able to play after suffering a hamstring injury in the only game he has played since injuring his neck during the 2010 season.
Hall has played in every game of his five-year career. He signed a five-year, $39 million contract in September, as he prepared to enter the final year of his rookie deal.
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on November 13, 2011, 11:03 PM EST
AP
We try to handle the biggest injuries in the rumor mill throughout Sunday. We round up the rest right here:
1. Seahawks receiver Sidney Rice left in the third quarter with a head injury. Mike Florio reports via a league source that Rice suffered a “mild concussion.”
2. Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin and safety Kam Chancellor also left the game with apparent head injuries.
3. Bengals receiver A.J. Green said he suffered a hyperextended knee against the Steelers. A league source said he “should be fine.” He expressed confidence after the game he’d play next week. (Although players always express confidence after the game.)
4. Frank Gore said after the game that the knee injury that sidelined him for much of Sunday wasn’t serious. Florio said that Jim Harbaugh expressed confidence after the game that Gore would be fine for next week.
5. Giants linebacker Michael Boley left with a hamstring injury and did not return.
6. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said that both cornerback Al Harris and tight endMichael Hoomanawanui could be done for the season with knee injuries.
Mark Sanchez and the Jets offense could not take advantage of a poor Patriots secondary that lost two starters (again) Sunday night. The Jets defense played well for a while, but could not get a stop when they needed to in the second half. Even the vaunted Jets special teams made a big miscue.
New York led 9-6 with just over one minute left in the first half. The “stupidest play in football history” turned the tide. What happened after that was a full system meltdown:
1. Tom Brady led the Patriots 80 yards in 71 seconds to score before halftime.
2. Donald Strickland fumbled a punt early in the second half to set up a Patriots field goal.
3. Mark Sanchez was picked off on a tipped pass by Rob Ninkovich. The Jets defense didn’t get a stop again until the game was decided.
4. Tom Brady put the Patriots in a hurry up for the rest of the half. The Jets couldn’t substitute and Brady kept finding the open receiver. After a shaky first half with missed throws, Brady wound up with 329 yards on 39 attempts with three scores.
5. Rob Gronkowski scored two touchdowns and gained 113 yards. He’s the best all-around tight end in football right now.
Even when Sanchez finished off a touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots drove right back on them with ease. Ninkovich’s pick six finished off the scoring.
The Jets now trail the Patriots in the AFC East by one game, but the Patriots have the tiebreaker following their two-game sweep. The Patriots should win the division.
After a very challenging schedule to start the year, New England faces six straight losing teams. No game is guaranteed considering the Patriots’ wildly thin defense, but Bill Belichick is nothing if not resourceful. They should get the job done.
The Jets find themselves in a familiar position, fighting uphill once again. They will likely have to go on the road to win the playoffs.
They must wonder if Mark Sanchez will ever be ready to make a bad defense pay.
He wasn’t ready Sunday night, which means the changing of the guard in the AFC East will have to wait another year.
Posted by Mike Florio on November 14, 2011, 12:38 AM EST
I said in the last post that I would be heading to bed.
But then I decided that, for those of you looking for something/anything in the early morning/late evening hours, it made sense to post this week’s video with Rodney Harrison of Football Night in America.
It’s the One-on-One presented by Nissan. And we talk about the whether the 49ers can beat the Packers in the playoffs, whether the Bears can beat the Packers in the playoffs, whether coach Andy Reid should get whacked if the Eagles don’t make the playoffs, and whether the Falcons’ decision to put their playoff chances in peril by going for it on fourth down in overtime from their own 29 was a good decision or a bad decision.
