Saints Place WR Michael Thomas On IR
Michael Thomas is done for the regular season, but it sounds like he could be back in time for the playoffs. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Saints are placing their star wideout on injured reserve, noting that the Saints “expect him close to 100% for the start of the postseason.”
Thomas has been dealing with an ankle injury since the start of the season. The high ankle sprain (along with a coinciding suspension for punching a teammate) sidelined him until Week 9.
Despite only playing alongside Drew Brees in two of the six games upon his return, Thomas has still hauled in 37 receptions for 421 yards over that span. He’s also been held without a touchdown this season. This has certainly been a change for one of the NFL’s most consistent players over the past few years. The former second-round pick had only missed two games coming into this season and entered 2020 coming off a record 149-reception 2019 slate.
The Saints were also able to establish an eight-game win streak during Thomas’ absence. And while they are home underdogs to the Chiefs in Week 15, the team will be favored to beat the Vikings and Panthers without its All-Pro wideout. New Orleans won two games without Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders earlier this season. Sanders, however, is healthy now. The free agent acquisition and Tre’Quan Smith will be Brees’ top available wideouts for the regular season’s remainder.
That said, the Saints have won one road playoff game in franchise history. Thomas’ absence will make it more difficult for New Orleans to earn the NFC’s lone bye, potentially forcing the Saints to play on the road in the conference title game — should they advance that far in the playoffs.
QB Colt McCoy To Start For Giants Tomorrow
Colt McCoy will get a chance to start against his former team tomorrow. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran quarterback will start for the Giants vs. the Browns on Sunday.
Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones tried to overcome his right hamstring strain and a left ankle sprain this week, but the second-year pro will ultimately be sidelined for his second game of the season. It’s a tough blow for a Giants team that’s attempting to remain in the postseason picture.
However, if you’re a fan of narratives, there’s something to be said of the fact that McCoy is playing his former team. The former third-round spent the first three seasons of his career in Cleveland, starting 21 games (all in his first two campaigns). Tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens, who will temporarily be taking over play-calling duties in place of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, will also have a bit of motivation against his former team tomorrow.
Following a six-year stint with Washington, McCoy joined the Giants this past offseason. He got a start during his team’s Week 13 win over the Seahawks, completing 13 of his 22 passes for 105 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In three games, he’s completed 60-percent of his passes for 154 yards.
There is a bit of good injury news for the Giants. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets that Evan Engram is expected to play tomorrow. The tight end had been listed as questionable with a calf injury. The former first-round has appeared in all 13 games for New York this season, hauling in a team-high 50 receptions for 526 yards and one touchdown.
Lions QB Matthew Stafford Preparing To Play Tomorrow
In a sudden turn of events, it sounds like Matthew Stafford will play tomorrow after all. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Lions quarterback is “preparing to play” against the Titans.
Stafford landed on the injury report this week after suffering a hard hit from Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark that knocked him out of last week’s loss. The rib injury forced the veteran to miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday, and he earned the ‘questionable’ designation after putting in limited work on Friday (per ESPN’s Michael Rothstein).
There was initial pessimism surrounding Stafford’s injury, and interim head coach Darrell Bevell said the team would likely wait to make a decision about their quarterback’s status.
“This may or may not be a workout situation,” Bevell said. “Obviously, the conversation of what he’s doing kind of on the side before we even get that far. But if we need to have a workout Sunday morning, then we’ll end up doing that as well.”
The former first-overall pick didn’t miss a single game between the 2011 and 2018 seasons. His 2019 campaign was cut short due to a back injury, limiting him to only eight games. Despite two separate stints on the COVID-19 list, Stafford has managed to play in each of Detroit’s 13 games this season. The 32-year-old has completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 3,522 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
While it sounds like Stafford will be taking the field tomorrow, two key members of the offense will not. Wideout Kenny Golladay will miss his seventh consecutive game with a hip injury, while center Frank Ragnow is out as he recovers from a fractured throat.
John Dorsey Working As Consultant For Eagles
Former Chiefs and Browns general manager John Dorsey has been “quietly” working for the Eagles over the past few months, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (via Twitter). The 60-year-old has been serving as a consultant for general manager Howie Roseman.
According to Garafolo, the Eagles have been focused on strengthening their “talent evaluation,” especially following the departures of Joe Douglas (Jets) and Andrew Berry (Browns). Dorsey is thought of “extremely highly inside that building,” and he could potentially stick around for a full-time role in 2021.
Of course, Dorsey would probably prefer a GM gig, and there have been some rumblings that he could be a candidate for potential openings. Earlier this month, we heard that the Texans were planning to interview the executive for their GM vacancy.
Dorsey has been chased out of both Kansas City and Cleveland, but he’s also a big reason why both of those teams are currently successful. For the Chiefs, Dorsey was responsible for drafting MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, wideout Tyreek Hill, and tight end Travis Kelce. While the Browns struggled during their first two seasons with Baker Mayfield at the helm, the team has taken a step forward this year. Dorsey’s other acquisitions and selections, including cornerback Denzel Ward, running backs Nick Chubb, and defensive notables Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon, have also played major roles this season.
Bret Bielema Leaving Giants, Named Illinois Head Coach
The Giants have lost a key member of their coaching staff. Outside linebackers coach Bret Bielema is heading to the University of Illinois as the school’s next head coach (via an announcement from the school).
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that it’s a six-year contract beginning at $4.2MM per year. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports (via Twitter) that defensive assistant Jody Wright and inside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer “will inherit Bielema’s responsibilities” in New York.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Bielema, as the 50-year-old was born in Prophetstown, Illinois and previously coached in the Big 10.
“Illinois and the Big Ten is home for me, and I can’t be any more excited about the opportunity in front of me with the Fighting Illini,” Bielema said. “We want to build a program that makes Illini Nation proud and regain the passion that I’ve seen when Illinois wins.”
Illinois fired previous head coach Lovie Smith last weekend. The former Bears and Buccaneers head coach spent four-plus seasons with the school, collecting a 17-39 record.
Bielema worked his way up the coaching ladder and eventually landed the head coaching job at Wisconsin in 2006, a role he held for seven years. He was a Big 10 champion for three of those seasons, and he finished his stint with a 68-24 record. He left for Arkansas in 2013, but he was fired after leading his team to a 29-34 record over five seasons.
He joined the Patriots staff in 2018, and he followed Joe Judge to New York this past offseason. Over the past two years, he’s continued to garner interest from college programs, including Michigan State, Colorado, and Southern Miss.
It’s been a busy week for the Giants coaching staff. We learned that offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was going to miss this weekend’s game after testing positive for COVID-19. Former Browns head coach (and current Giants tight ends coach) Freddie Kitchens will take over play-calling duties against his former team. Quality control coach Bobby Blick will be serving as tight ends coach for the game.
Seahawks Expected To Activate RB Rashaad Penny
Rashaad Penny is on track to make his season debut tomorrow against Washington. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks will activate the running back off the PUP list.
Penny, the 27th-overall pick in the 2018 draft, was unable to supplant Chris Carson as the starter during his first two seasons in the NFL, but he still put up solid numbers as a backup. In 24 games, Penny has 150 carries for 789 yards (5.3 yards per attempt) and five touchdowns. He’s also added 17 receptions for 158 yards and one score.
However, Penny suffered a torn ACL at the end of last season, and the 24-year-old landed on the reserve/PUP list to start the 2020 campaign. He started practicing last week, and despite Pete Carroll initially insisting that they wouldn’t rush Penny’s return, the running back quickly drew high praise from the head coach.
“He’s really in good shape. I don’t know what that means for next week, but he looked as healthy as anybody out there,” Carroll said (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “So we’ll take it one shot at a time here, but very, very positive initial return and I know he’s really jacked about it.”
While the Seahawks found themselves with a depleted running back corps down the stretch of last season, they now find themselves with a full depth chart. Carson and Carlos Hyde are both healthy, and the team is also rostering fourth-round rookie DeeJay Dallas. Penny will once again have to battle for carries, but the Seahawks will surely give him a look prior to the postseason.
Colts P Rigoberto Sanchez Will Play In Week 15
Dec. 18: The Colts will indeed have their primary punter and kickoff specialist back in action this weekend, per Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). Sanchez’s could be key for an Indy squad that is neck-and-neck with the Titans in the AFC South.
Dec. 17: After undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor earlier this month, Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez returned to practice this week. In fact, there’s a chance he could end up seeing the field this weekend, as head coach Frank Reich said he’s holding out hope that the 26-year-old can play against the Texans (via ESPN).
Sanchez, a former undrafted free agent out of Hawaii, burst on the scene when he earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors during the 2017 campaign. He didn’t miss a game for the Colts up to Week 12 of this season, when he had a season-high in punts (five) and punting yards (254). That performance came only days after the 26-year-old received his diagnose.
“I wasn’t going to do that to my team,” Sanchez said of potentially missing that Week 12 contest (via ESPN’s Mike Wells). “It’s all about the team. At the end of the day, I don’t think they would have been able to get a punter in in time, and it wasn’t going to be any worse. That was already worst-case scenario. I was going to fight through the pain, whatever it was. No need to make a bigger deal than it is. I was going to get surgery Tuesday already, so I was like, ‘Can it get any worse?’ I asked the doctor if it could get any worse and he said, ‘No.’ So then I’m like, ‘OK, I’m going to play. I’m going to do it for my brothers. They need me.’ That’s what it was.”
Ryan Allen has filled in for Sanchez over the past two weeks, with the veteran compiling a net average of 36.7 yards…10.5 yards behind Sanchez’s 2020 numbers. Before long, whether it’s this weekend or next, Sanchez should resume his punting and kickoff duties.
“I was overwhelmed throughout this crazy process of ups and downs mentally and all of it, but it helped out so much having everybody by my side — family members reaching out, friends, you name it,” Sanchez said.
RBs Spencer Ware, Rod Smith To Work Out For Bears
The Bears will have a pair of veteran running backs in for workouts. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Spencer Ware and Rod Smith are set to audition for the team.
Chicago doesn’t necessarily need any help at running back. Following a slow start to the season, David Montgomery has really picked it up recently; the 23-year-old has 288 rushing yards, 121 receiving yards, and four touchdowns over his past three games. Veteran Cordarrelle Patterson has also been a solid backup, as he’s hauled in 20 receptions through 13 games.
Still, the Bears are presumably looking for a replacement for Lamar Miller, who joined the team’s practice squad in early October. The former Pro Bowler was poached by Washington yesterday, and Chicago clearly doesn’t have an issue giving that practice-squad spot to a veteran.
So, in comes Ware and Smith for workouts. Ware has the most starting experience of the duo, mostly via a 2016 campaign when he rushed for 921 yards and three scores in 14 starts. After missing the entire 2017 season due to injury, Ware returned to (mostly) a backup role in 2018. He had a brief stint with Indy in 2019 before rejoining the Chiefs. After ending the 2019 season on IR, the 29-year-old hasn’t been able to find a new gig in 2020.
Smith spent most of his first four seasons in the NFL as Ezekiel Elliott‘s backup in Dallas. Following a 2018 campaign where he averaged only 2.9 yards per carry, Smith didn’t get any carries in six games last season with the Titans and Raiders. He joined the Giants practice squad earlier this season but was released a few weeks later.
49ers Waive CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
The 49ers moved on from a pair of defenders today. The team announced that they’ve waived cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun and defensive lineman Alex Barrett.
It was less than a week ago that Boddy-Calhoun joined the organization. He signed with the 49ers practice squad last week, and he was subsequently promoted to the active roster. He ended up getting on the field for San Francisco’s loss to Washington, collecting 16 special teams snaps.
The former undrafted free agent out of Minnesota had a solid rookie campaign for the Browns, compiling 43 tackles, 11 passes defended, and three interceptions (including one pick-six). He got into 29 games for Cleveland over the following two seasons before joining the Texans in 2019. His stint in Houston didn’t last long; he was released towards the end of the campaign and had a late-season cameo with the Colts. He remained a free agent for much of the 2020 season.
Barrett, a 2017 undrafted free agent out of San Diego State, has had previous stints with the Lions, Raiders, and the San Diego Fleet of the defunct Alliance of American Football. He saw time in five games for the 49ers this season, and he played a season-high 35 percent of his team’s defensive snaps during San Francisco’s Week 7 win over the Patriots.
Jets Claim K Chase McLaughlin, DL Trevon Coley
The Jets have made a pair of waiver claims. Brian Costello of the New York Post reports (via Twitter) that the team has claimed kicker Chase McLaughlin off waivers from the Jaguars and defensive lineman Trevon Coley off waivers from the Cardinals.
The McLaughlin move probably means incumbent kicker Sergio Castillo has lost his job…which isn’t overly surprising considering he missed three field goals during the Jets’ loss to the Seahawks yesterday. Plus, starting kicker Sam Ficken is set to return to practice this week after missing several weeks due to a groin injury.
McLaughlin will replace Castillo as Ficken’s temporary replacement. This will be the eighth team for McLaughlin since he went undrafted during the 2019 draft. The 24-year-old has appeared in 14 career games, connecting on 22 of his 28 field goals and 29 of his 30 extra point tries. He appeared in three games for Jacksonville this season, making four of his five field goal attempts.
Coley, 26, was waived by the Cardinals last week. The defensive lineman saw time in six games (two starts) for Arizona this season, collecting 14 tackles and one sack. Coley appeared in 31 games for the Browns during his first two seasons in the league, compiling 80 tackles and 2.5 sacks.