Top Story Lines | Injury News
Fantasy Football | ATS Betting Tips/Picks

[Looking for Redskins coverage? Click here.]

Top Story lines

Tom Brady sets a record, while other QBs struggle

At least for a week, let the whispers about the old guy stop.

While Cam Newton was being examined for an injury following a hit, Blake Bortles was making turnover after turnover after turnover and Mike Glennon was drawing social-media pleas that he be replaced by rookie Mitch Trubisky, Tom Brady was old dependable again.

The New England Patriots’ 40-year-old QB, fresh off a season-opening stinker, looked like the five-time Super Bowl winner against the New Orleans Saints. Just how good was he? How about historically good?

[Tony Romo is really good at predicting plays before they happen on his CBS broadcast]

Well, he passed for three touchdowns in the first quarter for the first time in the 273 games of his career (including the playoffs), according to NFL Research.

Brady’s day did take a turn in the third quarter, however, when Rob Gronkowski was pulled down by two defenders, twisting his surgically repaired back awkwardly. Gronk left the game, but was listed as questionable to return with a groin injury, not a back injury. His status was unknown following the game, but said “I’m good” to ESPN reporter Mike Reiss.

As the Post’s Mark Maske writes, while the Patriots proved reports of their demise were exaggerated, the injuries are starting to pile up for them.

[Predictions of the Patriots’ demise were premature, but the injuries are piling up]

The Panthers’ Newton brought back the dab briefly, but his game resembled the dismal lost season of 2016 more than the triumphant 2015 MVP-winning campaign. Newton had been sacked six times in three quarters and was blasted on two third-quarter plays, the last of which momentarily left him face down and in pain. He popped back up, though, and kept playing.

Bortles had a dismal day for the Jaguars, with two interceptions and a lost fumble. Glennon’s two interceptions are likely to prompt calls for Trubisky, the second overall pick in the NFL draft.

Dak Prescott criticized by Jason Garrett

Very little went right for the Cowboys during their visit to Denver, as Dallas took a 42-17 thrashing. After the game, Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett made specific mention of the struggles of quarterback Dak Prescott, who completed 30 of 50 passes for 238 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Prescott played poorly, and The Post’s Adam Kilgore noted that the second-year quarterback “finally learned how hard it can be to play in the NFL.” However, he had one of the most difficult assignments the league has to offer, traveling to Denver to take on the Broncos’ elite pass defense, and Prescott got no help from the running game, as Ezekiel Elliott managed a minuscule eight yards on nine carries.

Antonio Gates sets touchdown record for tight ends

No NFL tight end has ever visited the end zone as often as Antonio Gates. With his 112th touchdown Sunday, the Chargers veteran moved ahead of a tie with Tony Gonzalez and now sits alone atop the all-time list for his position.

Gates set the record midway through the third quarter of a home game against the Dolphins, when he hauled in a pass from — who else? — quarterback Philip Rivers. That marked the 85th time that Gates and Rivers have connected for a score, the third-most for any NFL quarterback-receiver duo.

Gates, who played basketball while at Kent State, also caught his 900th pass during the game, making him just the 22nd player in NFL history with that many receptions. After Gonzalez, the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski is third on the all-time tight end touchdown list with 69, followed by the Cowboys’ Jason Witten (64).

Chargers fire off victory cannon — after losing game on missed field goal

Chargers kicker Younghoe Koo was wide right on a field goal attempt that, as it came with nine seconds left, essentially gave the visiting Dolphins a 19-17 win. Perhaps the staff at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., where the Chargers played their first regular season game since moving north from San Diego, is still working out the kinks — or perhaps, as some suggested, they were temporarily fooled by the loud cheering from the large amount of Miami fans in attendance — but the victory cannon went off.

Koo had a field goal blocked last week that would have sent a game with the Broncos into overtime, so the rookie’s NFL career has gotten off to a rough start. He is now just one of four on field-goal attempts.

Kareem Hunt stars for Chiefs, fantasy owners

In Kansas City, Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt has emerged as a full-fledged fantasy darling. The rookie, who rushed for 148 yards in the opener against New England, carved up Philadelphia on Sunday, scoring on two touchdown runs and rushing for 81 yards. One went for 53 yards and the other, well, it generated the best TD celebration of the day.

The Chiefs improved to 2-0 with a 27-20 win over the Eagles, after Philadelphia made things interesting with a late touchdown pass and an onside kick recovery, but Carson Wentz’s Hail Mary pass attempt fell incomplete as time expired.

Case Keenum starts for Vikings in place of injured Sam Bradford

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, the Minnesota Vikings took a look at quarterback Sam Bradford on Sunday morning and decided that he will not start against the Steelers because of a sore knee. Bradford was replaced by Case Keenum.

Knee soreness is nothing new for Bradford, of course, and the Vikings had hoped that he would be sidelined only for the first week of the season. However, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Bradford’s “MRI is hard to read because he has so much scar tissue” from previous procedures. However, the team believes that Bradford’s anterior cruciate ligament “is still intact,” according to the report.

Resting Bradford probably is smart, given that the Steelers defense had seven sacks in Week 1. His situation is one worth monitoring, given his history with serious knee injuries.

Uncertainty for Timmons, Dolphins

The long-term status of Miami Dolphins linebacker Lawrence Timmons is uncertain after the veteran defensive player went missing Saturday.

The Dolphins, with their season opener moved to November because of Hurricane Irma, relocated to California ahead of Sunday’s game against the Chargers and, on Saturday, the team was unable to locate him. Although he was accounted for Sunday, he was listed as inactive ahead of the 4:05 p.m. EDT kickoff. Timmons had started 101 consecutive NFL games.

Chargers welcomed by sparse crowd at StubHub Center

The Chargers played their first game in Los Angeles on Sunday, at the 27,000-seat StubHub Center. The early images show that the size of the crowd was less than impressive.

Quick hitters

Greg Olsen suffers broken foot: Panthers tight end Greg Olsen left the team’s game against Buffalo with a foot injury and did not return. He was seen on the sideline on crutches following the injury, and he said after the game that he had broken his foot and that he would miss “a lot of games.”

Ravens guard Marshal Yanda lost for the year to broken leg:Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports that Baltimore guard Yanda, a six-time Pro Bowler, has suffered a broken leg and will miss the rest of the season. That is a crushing loss for the 2-0 Ravens.

Another broken hand for Corey Coleman?: Coleman’s rookie season was marred by a broken hand he suffered in Week 2, and that same scenario may have played out this year. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns fear that the wide receiver, a 2016 first-round pick, may have suffered a broken hand on a collision with Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey. The team also announced that linebacker Jamie Collins suffered a concussion.

Broncos’ Bennie Fowler being evaluated for concussion: The Denver wide receiver hit his head on the turf while attempting to make a spectacular touchdown catch against the Cowboys. After getting up, Fowler twice stumbled to the ground before leaving the field, as Broncos medical personnel came out to attend to him.

Jordan Howard leaves with his arm in a sling: The Bears’ running back, who was listed on the injury report last week with a shoulder, left the team’s loss to the Buccaneers with his arm in a sling, according to Brad Biggs.

Where’s Jimmy? Jimmy Johnson will not join Fox’s “NFL Sunday” crew. He’s cleaning up his home in Tavernier, in the middle Keys, from the devastation of Hurricane Irma. Johnson, 74, teared up as he spoke of the losses in his beloved home with the Sun Sentinel’s Dave Hyde last week, but he knows he’s luckier than most. “Don’t feel sorry for me,” he said. “I can rebuild. I have the money. I feel bad for people who lost their house and don’t know what to do. Those are the ones to feel sorry for, the ones who need help right now.”

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the NFL’s three Florida teams will wear a helmet decal that reads “One Florida.”

Even LeBron is amazed by Joe Thomas: The Cleveland Browns’ offensive lineman got his 10,000th consecutive snap Sunday against the Ravens and got a hat tip from LeBron James for his longevity.

Donald returns: Aaron Donald, the All-Pro defensive lineman who ended his holdout with the Los Angeles Rams last week, was added to the active roster Saturday, meaning he will start against the Washington Redskins.

NFL players could vote this week on the union chief: The Post’s Mark Maske reports that the first vote on the status of DeMaurice Smith “is to be taken among players serving on a 14-member selection committee, under voting procedures established by the NFL Players Association following Smith’s most recent reelection in 2015. It is not known when the process will be completed and Smith’s status will be resolved, given that it could take more than one round of voting to determine that, or what the NFLPA will announce publicly regarding the voting results.”

Is Jerry Jones trying to hold up Roger Goodell’s new contract? That appears to be the case, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, although it appears likely that a deal will still get done to extend the NFL commissioner’s contract. Read more here.

Already, a firing: Someone on the Bengals had to go, given that the team has yet to score a touchdown in two losses. That someone was offensive coordinator Ken Zampese, who was fired Friday and replaced by Bill Lazor.

The little Hurricane Harvey fund that Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt started with modest hopes and $100,000 of his own money was closed Friday afternoon, having raised over $37 million for victims in the Houston area. After the Texans’ win Thursday night, Watt has the weekend off and says he is continuing to work on how to most efficiently spend that money.

Sean McVay knows the Redskins: When Washington plays Los Angeles, it will face a rookie Rams head coach who worked side-by-side with Jay Gruden in designing the Redskins’ offense. (Read more.)

A must-win game in Week 2? Washington has dug out of early holes before, but with two prime time games against contenders on tap, a loss Sunday would be damaging, Jerry Brewer writes. (Read more.)

What’s riding on the Ezekiel Elliott case? Only the balance of power in the NFC. (Read more.)

Injury News

Although Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton turned up on the injury report Thursday as limited with a shoulder injury, Coach Ron Rivera said the team is merely limiting him in practice one day a week.

It is unclear whether New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will play Monday night, but this much is certain: he does not care about your fantasy football team. “This is,” he tweeted Saturday, “my real life.”

Here’s the Sunday injury report for notable players, as of Friday:

Out

Sam Bradford

Dont’a Hightower

Danny Amendola

D.J. Humphries

Mike Iupati

Darius Butler

Andrew Luck

Myles Garrett

Za’Darus Smith

Anthony Hitchens

Orlando Scandrick

Johnathan Cyprien

Calvin Pryor

Fantasy football advice

Is Kareem Hunt the next fantasy superstar or not?

Christopher Harris examines after Hunt’s Week 1 breakout against the Patriots. (Read more.)

Sit/start advice for Week 2

You should sit Dez Bryant against the Broncos’ secondary. (Read more.)

Fantasy scout: Focus on Jay Cutler, Cardinals offense

Here’s what you need to be watching this week. (Read more.)

Week 2 cheat sheet

Everything you need to know before you set your lineup. (Read more.)

The Fantasy Football Beat

The Post’s fantasy football experts get you ready for Week 2. (Listen.)

ATS Betting Tips/Picks

Week 2 NFL ATS picks

The top trends and insights from Las Vegas. (Read more.)

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Source link