Raiders' season hits new low as Cowboys take knee before two-minute warning By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer The Associated Press HENDERSON, Nev.
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Monday night's ending wasn't a fantastic finish for the Raiders, but how the 33-16 loss to the Cowboys ended was notable.
Dallas became the second Las Vegas opponent this season to go into victory formation before the two-minute warning. Kansas City did the same on Oct. 19 in its 31-0 victory . Tampa Bay in 2015 was the last team to have that happen twice in one season.
The problem for the Raiders is this season isn't an outlier.
This is their seventh 2-8 start in the past 20 years. They are being outscored by an average of 9.8 points through 10 games for the second season in a row.
From an even more big-picture standpoint, the Raiders are heading toward yet another postseason as spectators. They have made just two playoff appearances — both one-and-dones — since reaching the Super Bowl in the 2002 season.
Owner Mark Davis certainly has tried to change the franchise's direction. Pete Carroll is the fourth full-time coach just since the Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020.
And unless the season makes a noticeable shift in the other direction, more change is likely coming this offseason.
Two opponents taking pity on a franchise that once carried an outlaw image, trampled over opponents and regularly fought with the league office is startling. Or at least it should be.
It was such a statement of domination for the Cowboys to take a knee that early, and even more remarkable when considering how the ending proceeded to play out. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took five 1-yard losses — the Raiders were penalized for too many men on one play — before handing the ball back with 36 seconds left.
The Raiders completely accepted the outcome, refusing to call any of their three timeouts. What's more is when they got the ball back, quarterback Geno Smith also took a knee and ran out the clock.
They had tried their best when the outcome wasn't certain. Before the Cowboys took the fight out of them.
“We just got to stay together and keep fighting,” Raiders tight end Brock Bowers said after the game. “We have dudes here that play good football, and feel like sometimes it’s not reflected on the field.”
Carroll echoed those thoughts Tuesday morning.
“We played hard in this football game, and guys played tough in the game,” Carroll said. “We didn’t play well enough.”
It's a familiar sentiment.
What’s working
The kicking game did well under interim coordinator Derius Swinton II . Daniel Carlson, whose struggles prompted the Raiders to sign Greg Joseph to the practice squad last week, made all three field goals. AJ Cole averaged 53.3 yards per punt, with a net average of 42 yards. Special teams wasn't perfect — Tre Tucker misplayed a punt return that set up a safety — but this was definitely a step in the right direction.
What needs help
The injury-battered offensive line has had its issues all season, and the coaches made adjustments by switching Jordan Meredith from center to right guard and starting Will Putnam at center. Didn't matter. The Cowboys sacked Smith four times and hit him on 11 plays. The ground game totaled just 27 yards with a 2.3 average per play, though the Raiders didn't give the running game much of a chance.
Stock up
Las Vegas' chances of landing a high draft pick keep increasing. The Raiders are one of six teams with one or two victories, so there is plenty to sort out before the draft order is set.
Stock down
Settling for fields goals. The Raiders actually moved the ball against Dallas, especially in the first half. Five of their six drives over the first 30 minutes ended on the Cowboys' side of the 50-yard line. The results: punt, field goal, field goal, interception, field goal. That's a lot of points left on the field that could have made the game considerably tighter.
Injuries
The Raiders will have a decision to make Wednesday regarding backup QB Aidan O'Connell, who has been on injured reserve with a broken wrist . He has been practicing against the starting defense, and the deadline is upon the Raiders on whether to activate AOC or keep him on IR for the remainder of the season.
Key number
18 — The number of consecutive drives without a touchdown until Tucker reached the end zone midway through the fourth quarter.
Next steps
The Raiders host Cleveland on Sunday.
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Ja'Marr Chase's one-game suspension upheld, will miss Patriots game The Associated Press
Ja’Marr Chase’s one-game suspension for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey has been upheld by a hearing officer, which rules him out of Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.
The suspension, without pay, was upheld Tuesday by hearing officer Jordy Nelson, jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA.
The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver spat on Ramsey during a confrontation in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's game. Ramsey grabbed Chase by the face mask and punched him, which resulted in Ramsey’s ejection.
In announcing the suspension, the NFL said Chase was disciplined under a rule that applies to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”
Chase denied having spat after the Bengals' 34-12 loss , but a Cincinnati television station had video of the incident.
According to the NFL Players Association database, Chase will be docked at least $448,333,33 in base salary as a result of the suspension.
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Chiefs went from 17-game winning streak to 0-5 in close games. What happened? By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
The Kansas City Chiefs are scoring more points than at this point last season, allowing fewer, and have improved their turnover margin.
Those are usually ingredients for success, but that's not the case for the three-time defending AFC champions, who have four fewer wins compared with this point last season and currently are outside of playoff position.
How has that happened?
It's as simple as looking at how they've fared in close games. Kansas City is 0-5 in games decided by eight points or fewer after coming into the season on an NFL-record 17-game winning streak in those situations.
Nothing illustrates the difference more than comparing the first game against Denver in each of the last two seasons. The Chiefs escaped at home with a 16-14 win in Week 10 last season when Wil Lutz's last-second 35-yard field goal was blocked. Lutz hit a kick from the same distance at home on Sunday for a 22-19 win and a 4 1/2-game advantage in the AFC West over Kansas City.
The Chiefs went 11-0 in one-possession games on the way to a 15-2 record last season, also winning nail-biters thanks to a botched snap by the Raiders, walk-off field goals to beat Carolina and the Chargers, an overtime win over Tampa Bay, a key pass interference call against Cincinnati and a toe on the end line that prevented a possible tying touchdown by Baltimore.
The Broncos have been on the opposite side of the equation, going 7-2 in games decided by eight points or fewer this season, with six of those close wins coming during their current eight-game winning streak that has them at the top of the AFC standings with a 9-2 record. Denver made the playoffs last season despite a 1-6 record in one-possession games.
The Broncos aren't alone in having success in close games, with two other surprising first-place teams also doing it. AFC East-leading New England (9-2) is 5-2 in one-possession games, while the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears (7-3) are 5-1.
Chicago has been outscored by six points and is the fifth team in the Super Bowl era to start a season 7-3 or better while being outscored, with the others being Minnesota in 2022, Cleveland in 2020 and Denver in 1979 and 1992. Only the Browns won a playoff game, beating Pittsburgh in the wild-card round.
Special teams plays big impact
From the record-tying five walk-off field goals, several missed kicks and the most long kick returns in any week in a decade, special teams played a major role in Week 11.
Carolina, Chicago, Denver, Houston and Miami all won on field goals on the final play on Sunday, marking just the second time in NFL history there were five walk-off field goals on a single day, with it also happening on Nov. 12, 2023.
It wasn't all positive, as Jason Myers missed a potential game-winning 61-yard field goal on the final play of Seattle's 21-19 loss to the Rams, and there were eight missed extra points for the most in any week since there were nine in Week 10 of the 2022 season.
Both San Francisco's Eddy Pineiro and Green Bay's Lucas Havrisik missed two PATs, although both of those teams ended up winning.
Kickoff returns also played a big part in the results Sunday, with the new kickoff rule contributing to seven returns of at least 40 yards, tied for the most in any week since there were nine in Week 13 of the 2015 season.
Some of those returns played big roles, with perhaps none as big as Devin Duvernay's 56-yard return for Chicago after Minnesota had taken the lead with 50 seconds left. The Bears ran the ball three times and beat the Vikings 19-17 on Cairo Santos' 48-yard kick on the final play.
Skyy Moore had the longest return of the day, with his 98-yarder on the opening kick setting up a 1-yard TD drive that set the tone for San Francisco in a 41-22 win over Arizona .
Buffalo had four returns of at least 40 yards — including three by Ray Davis — setting up two scores in a 44-32 win against Tampa Bay .
Fourth-down follies
Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions kept trying fourth downs and failing .
The Lions went 0 for 5 on fourth downs in a 16-9 loss to Philadelphia , with all of the attempts coming before the start of the fourth quarter. No other team had been stopped on five fourth-down tries before the start of the fourth quarter in any game as far as records at Sportradar go back to 1991.
Detroit didn't attempt a fourth down in the fourth quarter and became the third team since 1991 to go 0 for 5 or worse on fourth-down tries in a game. New England did it on Oct. 8, 1995, against Denver, and Campbell's Lions went 0 for 6 against New England on Oct. 9, 2022.
The aggressiveness cost the Lions a chance at two possible field goals, as well as field position. But Detroit has had great success on fourth downs overall under Campbell, with a league-high 97 conversions since he was hired in 2021 and a 55.7% conversion rate even after the 0-fer on Sunday.
The most debated fourth-down decision might have come in Miami's 16-13 win over Washington in Madrid. With the game tied with 1:44 to play, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel opted to go for it on fourth down from the 1 when a field goal would have given his team the lead.
Only one other team since 2000 had attempted a fourth down from the 1 in the final 2 minutes of a tied game, with Cincinnati doing it in Week 17 of the 2021 season against Kansas City. The Chiefs committed a penalty on the play and the Bengals ran out the clock before kicking a winning field goal.
The situation didn't work out as well for Miami as Ollie Gordon was hit for a 2-yard loss, giving Washington the opportunity to drive for a winning field goal.
But part of the strategy behind the decision was knowing that the Commanders would have to start the drive near their own goal line with no timeouts. That proved important as Washington drove only as far as the Miami 38 and Matt Gay missed a 56-yard field goal that might very well have been a shorter attempt if the Dolphins had kicked their own field goal and given the Commanders the ball on a kickoff.
Miami ended up winning in overtime.
Superstars shine
Two of the game's biggest stars delivered some signature performances on Sunday.
Buffalo's Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes and ran for three more TDs, duplicating a feat he had done just last season in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams.
But it's a truly rare accomplishment, with only other player in NFL history pulling it off more than 70 years ago. Hall of Famer Otto Graham has the only other game with three TD passes and three TD runs, doing it in Cleveland's 1954 NFL title game win over Detroit.
Myles Garrett pulled off an impressive feat of his own that was only slightly less rare. Garrett had four sacks in Cleveland's loss to Baltimore , after getting five in a game last month against New England. Garrett also had a 4 1/2-sack game against Chicago in 2021, becoming the fifth player with at least three four-sack games since sacks became official in 1982.
Derrick Thomas and Leslie O'Neal each did it four times, while Reggie White and Chandler Jones did it three apiece.
Garrett's 15 sacks are tied for the second most through 10 games, trailing Mark Gastineau's 17 1/2 in 1984. He needs eight in the final seven games to break the single-season record of 22 1/2 held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
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Inside the Numbers dives into NFL statistics, streaks and trends each week. For more Inside the Numbers, head here .
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Rookie QB Shedeur Sanders will make his first NFL start for the Browns on Sunday in Las Vegas By TOM WITHERS Associated Press The Associated Press BEREA, Ohio
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Las Vegas seems like the perfect place for Shedeur Sanders' first NFL start.
The Browns' flashy rookie quarterback with the Hall of Fame father, bright smile and huge fan base will start Sunday in arguably America's glitziest city against the Raiders as the Browns turn to him while fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel recovers from a concussion.
Sanders replaced an injured Gabriel for the second half of last week's 23-16 loss to Baltimore. It was a shaky debut as Sanders, who was drafted by Cleveland in the fifth round, completed just 4 of 16 passes with an interception. He also was sacked twice and fumbled once.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Gabriel remains in the concussion protocol but is improving.
Sanders was fourth on Cleveland's depth chart during training camp, behind Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Gabriel. But the Browns, who have spent decades in search of a franchise QB, traded both Pickett and Flacco before starting Gabriel in six games.
Sanders will be the 42nd quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999, and the 18th rookie. They've gone 0-17 in their debuts.
Sanders, the son of Hall of Fame cornerback and current Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, had been projected as a first-round pick in April's draft. However, all 32 teams passed on the Colorado standout before the Browns selected him with the No. 144 overall pick, two rounds after they took Gabriel.
While Sanders was playing his first regular-season game on Sunday, his home was burglarized. The Medina County Sheriff's Office said three suspects wearing masks and gloves stole approximately $200,000 in property from the QB's residence.
Sanders was forced into action against the Ravens after Gabriel was ruled out at halftime. Cleveland's crowd roared when he took the field and there were loud cheers for his completion. Sanders did not take any snaps with the Browns' starting offense since being drafted and it showed.
He held onto the ball too long — a problem when he was in college — as the Ravens forced him out of the pocket. Sanders did make a couple of nice throws while trying to rally the Browns (2-8) in the closing moments and nearly threw a game-tying TD pass.
Afterward, Sanders was tough while grading his own performance.
“I don’t think I played good. I don’t think I played good — at all,” Sanders said. “I think it’s a lot of things we need to look at during the week and go and just get comfortable.”
On Wednesday, Stefanski complimented Sanders' resolve.
“Obviously he battled to the end,” he said. “We’re right there on that final drive. I think there’s so many things that all of us can do better in those moments so we can finish with a win but, man, all of our guys and then definitely Shedeur, they battled to the end.”
Stefanski said Sanders will get all the first-team reps in practice this week. The Browns had been criticized in some circles for not having the backup QB better prepared for his debut.
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Falcons quarterback Penix will have season-ending knee surgery, leaving Cousins as starter By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer The Associated Press FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will have season-ending surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The Falcons announced Penix's surgery plans on Wednesday, two days after saying the 25-year-old would be placed on injured reserve and miss at least four games while awaiting a second opinion on the severity of the injury. The team said the second opinion confirmed that Penix has a partially torn ligament in the knee.
The loss of Penix leaves veteran Kirk Cousins as the starter for the remainder of the season as the Falcons (3-7) prepare to play at New Orleans on Sunday.
Penix suffered the injury in last week's 30-27 overtime loss to Carolina, extending the Falcons’ losing streak to five games.
Coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday that Easton Stick would be signed to the active roster from the practice squad to serve as Cousins' backup. Former Tampa Bay backup Kyle Trask will be signed to the practice squad.
Morris acknowledged that he could not say Penix would be recovered in time for the start of the 2026 season. He also said Penix's season-ending surgery would impact the team's offseason plan “100%” at quarterback.
“To answer that in the shortest possible way, yes,” Morris said.
If there is uncertainty about Penix's recovery schedule, the team is likely to look for help in free agency or the draft.
Penix had two ACL surgeries on his right knee during his college career. His last ACL surgery came in 2020 at Indiana. He transferred to Washington in 2021.
“It gives me great ease because of Michael, first of all knowing he’s been through it,” Morris said.
The Falcons also are expected to be without top wide receiver Drake London on Sunday. Morris said Wednesday that London, who also has a knee injury, won't play against the Saints and his status was “week to week.”
Penix missed the Falcons’ 34-10 loss to Miami on Oct. 26 with a bone bruise on his left knee. He suffered the more significant injury on Sunday when he was hit by Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig after throwing an incomplete pass.
Penix, the team’s 2024 first-round pick, was 13 of 16 for 175 yards against Carolina after completing only 12 of 28 passes in a 31-25 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin on Nov. 9.
The Falcons’ offense struggled in Cousins’ first start of the season in the loss to Miami. Morris noted there was uncertainty at quarterback in practice leading up to the game against the Dolphins, but this week Cousins will have the advantage of taking all the first-team snaps.
“We've got to find a way to get a win because he’s capable of doing it and he’s done it in the past,” Morris said, noting the Falcons started the 2024 season 6-3 with Cousins as the starter.
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Allen, Bills visit Houston Texans in Thursday night clash where Stroud will sit out again By The Associated Press The Associated Press
Buffalo (7-3) at Houston (5-5)
Thursday 8:15 p.m. EST, Amazon Prime.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Bills by 5 1/2.
Against the spread: Bills 5-5; Texans 4-6.
Series record: Texans lead 7-5.
Last meeting: Texans beat Bills 23-20 in Houston on Oct. 6, 2024.
Last week: Bills beat Buccaneers 44-32 at home; Texans beat Titans 16-13 in Nashville.
Bills offense: overall (2), rush (1), pass (8), scoring (4t).
Bills defense: overall (12), rush (31), pass (2), scoring (14).
Texans offense: overall (19), rush (23), pass (16), scoring (21).
Texans defense: overall (1), rush (3), pass (3), scoring (1).
Turnover differential: Bills-plus 1; Texans-plus 7.
Bills player to watch
WR Gabe Davis. The expectation is Davis being promoted off the practice squad for a second straight outing after showing an immediate rapport with quarterback Josh Allen. Davis caught three of four attempts thrown his way for 40 yards in his season debut. The sixth-year player spent his first four NFL seasons in Buffalo before playing for Jacksonville last season. His time with the Jaguars was cut short by a knee injury.
Texans player to watch
QB Davis Mills will get his third straight start with C.J. Stroud still recovering from a concussion he sustained Nov. 2. Mills has had his ups and downs in his first two starts since 2022, but he’s managed to make plays down the stretch to lead Houston to consecutive wins. He threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score in the fourth quarter to help the Texans rally from a 19-point deficit for a 36-29 victory over the Jaguars. Last week he threw for 274 yards and a touchdown and led a drive that ended with a game-winning field goal in a 16-13 win over the Titans.
Key matchup
Bills QB Josh Allen vs. Houston’s top-rated defense. Allen is coming off a win over Tampa Bay where he threw three touchdown passes and ran for three more scores. Now he’ll face a defense that is allowing the fewest yards (258.1) and points (16.3) in the NFL. He struggled in a loss to the Texans last season when he threw for just 131 yards, which was his lowest output of the season aside from the regular-season finale where he played just one snap. The game was tied late when Allen threw three straight incompletions to force the Bills to punt and the Texans won it on a last-second field goal.
Key injuries
Bills: TE Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) has been ruled out and will miss a second game. ... Also ruled out are WR Curtis Samuel (elbow/neck) and WR/returner Mecole Hardman because of a calf injury sustained in his Bills debut on Sunday. ... LB Shaq Thompson (hamstring) doesn’t carry an injury designation and is in line to return after missing three games.
Texans: S Jalen Pitre will also miss a third straight game recovering from a concussion. … K Ka’imi Fairbairn is expected to return Thursday after missing two games with a quadriceps injury.
Series notes
Houston has won three of the past four in the series, including a 22-19 overtime victory in the wild-card round in 2020. … Buffalo’s most recent win in the series was a 40-0 rout in 2021. …These teams first met in Houston’s first season in 2002 when the Bills got a 31-24 win. … The Texans won three in a row from 2009-14 for the longest winning streak in the series.
Stats and stuff
The Bills have split their first four prime-time outings this season. Buffalo is 6-1 playing on Thursday night since 2017, including a 31-21 win over Miami in Week 3. ... Bills coach Sean McDermott won his 100th game (including playoffs), in becoming the NFL’s sixth coach to reach that milestone in his first nine seasons, joining Paul Brown, George Seifert, John Madden, Joe Gibbs and Mike McCarthy. ... With 75 regular-season rushing touchdowns, Allen is tied with Cam Newton for the NFL record for quarterbacks. ... Allen’s 213 regular-season touchdown passes are tied with Brett Favre for fifth-most by a player over his first eight seasons. He trails Patrick Mahomes (245), Peyton Manning (244), Dan Marino (241) and Russell Wilson (227). ... With two interceptions on Sunday, Allen improved to 46-30 in games he commits a turnover (interception or fumble) and 20-19 with two or more giveaways. By comparison, he’s 37-7 when not committing a turnover. ... Buffalo is 6-0 this season when RB James Cook scores a TD this season. ... The Bills have allowed 17 TDs rushing this season, four more than all of last season. … Second-year safety Cole Bishop has three interceptions this season, including one in each of Buffalo’s past two games. The second-round draft pick made his first career start in Buffalo’s loss at Houston last season. … Texans rookie RB Woody Marks has three rushing TDs at home this season. … WR Nico Collins had nine catches for 92 yards and a touchdown last week. He had 78 yards receiving and a score in his previous game against Buffalo. … Rookie WR Jayden Higgins had four catches for 55 yards last week. … TE Dalton Schultz had six receptions for 51 yards last week for his third straight game with at least six catches and 50 yards. … DE Will Anderson Jr. had four tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last week. He’s tied for seventh in the NFL with eight sacks this season. … DE Danielle Hunter had four tackles and 1 1/2 sacks last week. He is tied for fourth in the NFL with nine sacks this season. … LB Azeez Al-Shaair had six tackles last week for his third straight game with at least six tackles. … CB Kamari Lassiter has had a pass defensed in seven straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL. … CB Derek Stingley had four tackles and a pass defensed last week. He has a pass defensed in eight of the past nine games.
Fantasy tip
Collins is a favorite option of Mills and has had 16 receptions for 228 yards combined in the past two games.
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Josh Allen, Bills face challenge against Texans' top-ranked defense on Thursday night By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer The Associated Press HOUSTON
HOUSTON (AP) — Josh Allen had one of the best games of his career last week, throwing three touchdown passes and running for three more scores to lead the Buffalo Bills to a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But as Allen and the Bills (7-3) prepared to visit the Houston Texans (5-5) on Thursday night, the reigning NFL MVP was reminded of a game that was decidedly not among his best.
Last season Allen threw for just 131 yards and had three straight incompletions on Buffalo’s last possession to force the Bills to punt and the Texans got a 23-20 win on a last-second field goal.
“I got beat up that game. Didn’t play well at all,” Allen said. “Watching that film, there’s a lot of good stuff to watch from that film but it’s hard to watch. I played pretty badly. So yeah, hopefully we can go out there and play a little bit better and move the ball a little better.”
It won’t be an easy task against a defense that allows the fewest yards (258.1) and points (16.3) in the NFL.
“We’re gonna have our hands full,” Allen said.
Houston defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who forced and recovered a fumble last week, knows the Texans will have to be at their best to slow down Allen.
“MVP, he’s a playmaker,” Anderson said. “We have a ton of respect for him ... so for us, I think it’s just everybody being on the same page, especially us up front. It’s going to be a great challenge for us. But this is what the league is for. This is what these moments are for, Thursday night game, in front of the whole world, going against a really great team. How else would you want it?
The Texans will continue to lean on their defense this week with quarterback C.J. Stroud out for a third straight game recovering from a concussion. Davis Mills will get another start after leading Houston to wins over Jacksonville and Tennessee with strong fourth-quarter performances.
“Davis is doing his job,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I know it gets heightened with the quarterback position, but it’s no different than any other position. You’ve got to go out, you’ve got to execute the fundamentals, the details of your job the right way. That’s what he’s done. That’s all we’re asking him to do.”
No fond memories
Bills second-year safety Cole Bishop shrugged and said “No,” when asked if Houston held a special place in his mind after making his first career start in last season's loss to the Texans.
It might be good to forget, given he was burned a few times while filling in for injured starter Taylor Rapp. Bishop’s made a great leap in development in winning the starting job out of training camp this season.
He has three interceptions, including one in each of Buffalo’s past two outings, playing alongside veteran Jordan Poyer.
“I don’t know if validation is necessarily the word, but proving myself right feels good,” Bishop said.
Nico’s work
Houston’s Nico Collins has had two of his best games of the season in the past two weeks. He had a season-high 136 yards receiving two weeks ago and added 92 yards receiving with a touchdown in a 16-13 win over the Titans last week. Those performances came after he had just 154 yards receiving combined in the three previous games.
“Nico’s done a great job of executing and making some big plays, he’s a great player,” offensive coordinator Nick Caley said. “We’re always trying to keep him at the focal point of our offense, and we love getting him the ball. He makes plays. He’s got aggressive hands. He’s a dynamic playmaker. So, that doesn’t change from week to week for us.”
Coleman comeback?
Bills coach Sean McDermott said he’s moved on in reference to sitting out Keon Coleman against Tampa Bay after the second-year receiver was late to a meeting last week. It’s the second time Coleman’s missed time this season, and third time of his career, for showing up late for meetings.
What McDermott wouldn’t say is whether Coleman would return to action on Thursday.
“We’ll see how it goes,” McDermott said on Monday.
“It ultimately becomes about developing trust and the trust that your teammates have in you,” he added. “And that trust builds through repetition and consistency. So that’s the direction that we need him to go, and we believe he will go.”
Coming back
The Texans expect to get kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn back Thursday after the veteran missed the past two games with a quadriceps injury. Houston signed Matthew Wright to fill in while Fairbairn was injured and he made four field goals in two games, including the game-winner last week.
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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow contributed to this report.
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Jets' Aaron Glenn confirms that Tyrod Taylor will start at quarterback, Justin Fields is benched By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Glenn thought the New York Jets' offense needed a boost, so he made a switch at quarterback.
The coach confirmed Wednesday that Tyrod Taylor will start over Justin Fields on Sunday at Baltimore when the Jets (2-8) take on Lamar Jackson and the Ravens (5-5).
“I felt like it was the time to do it,” Glenn said. “Had good conversations with both of those guys. And listen, these situations are not always easy. But as a head coach, you have to do what's best for the team. And I feel like this was best for the team.”
The Jets are coming off a 27-14 loss at New England last Thursday night. Fields’ subpar play has been a major reason for the struggles of the passing offense, which ranks last in the NFL with 139.9 yards per game — 20 fewer than 31st-ranked Cleveland.
Fields was 15 of 26 for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots . For the season, he has passed for 1,259 yards — an average of just 140 yards per game — with seven touchdowns and one interception.
When first asked about the reason for the change, Glenn said: “Because I wanted to.”
Glenn had been tight-lipped on who the starter would be the past few weeks, refusing to announce who would be under center while citing not wanting to give opponents a competitive advantage. But reports surfaced Monday that Taylor was getting the nod over Fields, and Glenn spoke openly about his decision.
“I told you guys before that the players already knew — I just didn't tell you guys that,” Glenn said. “So, there's nothing strategic about that. The guys already knew.”
Taylor will make the 60th start of his 15-year NFL career and second this season. He was 26 of 36 for 197 yards and two TDs with one interception in a 29-27 loss at Tampa Bay on Sept. 21 when Fields was sidelined with a concussion.
Taylor most recently played on Oct. 19 against Carolina when Fields was benched at halftime. Taylor finished 10 of 22 for 126 yards with two INTs in the 13-6 loss.
“It was purely my decision, but I always have people that I talk to just to see how they handled situations,” Glenn said. "And it's not even about the quarterback, to be honest. It's just part of what I do during the week with some coaches that I trust that have been successful in this league. And some of those guys have been through the process of changing quarterbacks.
“Some of those guys have been through the process of being 2-8, the situation that we're in, and how they handled that, and just a number of things. But it was purely my decision.”
Glenn said he would keep his conversations with both quarterbacks private, but added that Fields “obviously is not happy with the decision and I don't expect him to be, but he understands."
Fields will serve as Taylor's backup on Sunday, but Glenn wouldn't say whether it was Taylor's job moving forward.
“We're playing the Ravens this week," Glenn said, "so Tyrod's our starting quarterback.”
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Ravens QB Lamar Jackson missing during portion of Baltimore's practice open to reporters By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer The Associated Press OWINGS MILLS, Md.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was absent from the portion of practice open to reporters, marking the second straight week he was missing for Wednesday's session.
Jackson, who already missed three games this season because of a hamstring injury, was listed with a knee issue last week, but he was still able to play in Baltimore's 23-16 win over Cleveland on Sunday. He threw for 193 yards and was sacked five times while also having two deflected passes intercepted.
Jackson ran for only 10 yards on four attempts in that game.
The Ravens host the New York Jets this weekend.
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Jaxson Dart is progressing toward playing for the Giants at Detroit, interim coach Mike Kafka says By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer The Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Jaxson Dart continues to progress through concussion protocol, and New York Giants interim coach Mike Kafka said the rookie quarterback is trending toward playing Sunday at Detroit as long as there are no setbacks in the process.
Kafka said Dart would go through a non-contact practice Wednesday, but would not reveal whether he or veteran Jameis Winston would get the majority of snaps with the first-team offense. Dart missed the game last weekend against the Packers, a 27-20 loss that Winston started, after getting concussed Nov. 9 in a loss to Chicago.
Kafka confirmed the plan is for Winston to serve as the backup against the Lions if Dart is cleared to start, which is the Giants' plan rather than taking a conservative approach and holding the 22-year-old out until Dec. 1 at New England.
“If he’s healthy and cleared to go, then I’d like Jaxson Dart to play,” Kafka said. “Only if he’s healthy and ready to go, and that’s based on what the doctors have to say.”
Practicing without contact is a phase of the NFL's concussion protocol, though QBs are never subject to being hit in these circumstances.
Returning from a concussion after missing a game is another new challenge for Dart, who took over for Russell Wilson after an 0-3 start and is expected to pick up his development as he left off with New York at 2-9 and playing out the string.
“I don’t want to speak for Jaxson, but he’s a pretty smart player and he was dialed in to our game plans last week,” Kafka said. “He’s been preparing like this, even early in the season when he wasn’t the starter, so I wouldn’t expect anything different.”
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