30 words — fast, fun, feisty, informative — to update you on each of the league’s 30 teams not playing Thursday night
Here’s this week’s instalment of our weekly around-the-horn column, Thirty Thirties on Thursday.
That is, 30 words — fast, fun, feisty, informative — to update you on each of the league’s 30 teams not playing Thursday night.
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Week 14’s then:
AFC
BENGALS: Zac Taylor said the team feeds off QB Joe Burrow’s go-for-the-throat attitude … Burrow and the offence are now more patient, Taylor said, taking what safe defences give them.
BILLS: Wednesday’s awful news understandably rocked the team — Von Miller is done for 2022, after knee surgery revealed an ACL tear … LB Matt Milano’s leg/knee injury is day-to-day.
BRONCOS: Failed to score even 11 points five frickin’ times in the past eight games … Russell Wilson is on pace to take 54 sacks this season, 3.4 per game.
BROWNS: TE David Njoku (knee) expects to play after a one-game absence … With LB Sione Takitaki going on IR (ACL), Reggie Ragland was signed off the Raiders’ practice squad.
CHARGERS: They’re 6-6, chasing 7-5 Jets for last wild-card berth. Last three foes are Colts, Rams, Broncos. Must beat at least one of next two at home vs. Dolphins, Titans.
CHIEFS: Can clinch seventh straight AFC West title with a win and Chargers loss … Andy Reid said “there’s a chance” WR/KR Mecole Hardman can play next week (IR, abdomen).
COLTS: Bye this week … Matt Ryan’s luck summarized — 13 TDs, 13 picks … Last four: At Vikings, vs. Colts, at Giants, vs. Texans. See more than one win?
DOLPHINS: Tua Tagovailoa leads Pro Bowl voting … Tough finish: Sunday night at Chargers, at Bills next Saturday night, home to Packers Christmas, at Patriots New Year’s, then vs. Jets.
JAGUARS: Trevor Lawrence is day-to-day with a toe injury suffered in Detroit, which bent in such a way as to appear more serious. He might miss Sunday’s game at Tennessee.
JETS: QB Mike White is productive. But last year vs. Bills? Zero TDs, four picks, 55% completions. Ouch. He didn’t take one snap after that Nov. 14 game last season.
PATRIOTS: Bill Belichick’s harshest public criticism of OC Matt Patricia? “I’m not saying we can’t improve in every area, because we can, and we’ll continue to try to do that.”
RAIDERS: at the Rams Thursday night.
RAVENS: QB Lamar Jackson’s sprained PCL (knee) likely sidelines him this week … Offensive coordinator Greg Roman reportedly is a top candidate to replace head coach David Shaw at Stanford.
STEELERS: It’s possible PK Chris Boswell (IR, groin) could return this week to play vs. Ravens. But temp Matthew Wright is perfect on all kicks over the past three weeks.
TEXANS: Experiment over. Davis Mills is again QB starter, Kyle Allen backing up, Lovie Smith announced Wednesday. “We don’t give out lifetime jobs,” Smith said. “It’s about performance each week.”
TITANS: Despite numerous indications and reports that head coach Mike Vrabel had issues with fired GM Jon Robinson, Vrabel said he had no prior knowledge Robinson would be fired Tuesday.
NFC
BEARS: Bye this week … Justin Fields leads the NFL in sacks taken (40). But last week vs. Packers he wasn’t sacked for the first time in 21 NFL starts.
BUCCANEERS: Might still have to play without two starting safeties, Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle) and Mike Edwards (hamstring), neither of whom practised Wednesday … Scotty Miller might now return kicks.
CARDINALS: Kyler Murray on criticism — “Something I’ve been dealing with not my whole life, but for the most part of my life … Stuff like (that) doesn’t affect me.”
COMMANDERS: Bye this week … After tying the Giants Sunday, have two weeks to prepare for, yup, the Giants, this time at home. Then Niners, Browns, Cowboys to finish up.
COWBOYS: At 9-3 they likely won’t catch the 11-1 Eagles in NFC East, nor be caught for top wild card. So likely they’ll open playoffs at the NFC South winner.
EAGLES: Jalen Hurts, NFC offensive player of the week for second consecutive week. Since Canadian Thanksgiving he has 14 TD throws, five TD runs vs. one pick, two lost fumbles.
FALCONS: Bye this week … Falcons might have to finish 4-0 to possibly capture NFC South. Nevertheless, NFL Network reports QB Marcus Mariota is being benched for rookie Desmond Ridder.
49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo broke only one foot bone, no ligaments. And no surgery. Kyle Shanahan said there’s a “way outside chance” Garoppolo could return and play “late in the playoffs.”
GIANTS: WR Darius Slayton has five straight games with 60-plus yards, tied for NFL’s longest active such streak … Giants are 4-1 when Daniel Jones throws for under 190 yards.
LIONS: Jared Goff since Halloween has as many TD passes (seven) as interceptions (one) and sacks (six) combined. “I feel like I am playing the best football of my career.”
PACKERS: Bye this week … GM Brian Gutekunst on backup third-year QB Jordan Love: “We’re really pleased with his progression … We’ve seen what we need to see (of him).”
PANTHERS: RB D’Onta Foreman said he’s 95% certain he’ll play at Seattle, despite foot injury … Backup Chuba Hubbard of Edmonton had season-high 17 carries vs. Denver for 65 yards.
RAMS: vs. Raiders Thursday night.
SAINTS: Bye this week … RB Mark Ingram’s week actually got worse after Monday. He slightly tore an MCL in that loss at Bucs and likely is done for 2022.
SEAHAWKS: Top RBs Kenneth Walker (ankle) and DeeJay Dallas (ankle) did not practise Wednesday. Tony Jones Jr., Travis Homer and newly signed Wayne Gallman might have to play vs. Panthers.
VIKINGS: They’re 10-2 and have won 9-of-10. Detroit is 5-7, has won 4-of-5 and favoured by two. Vikes WR Jalen Reagor: “We’re going to win … I have no doubts.”
John Kryk writes a weekly newsletter on NFL matters. That’s where you can first see his straight-up picks each week. You can have the newsletter automatically dropped into your email inbox on Wednesdays simply by signing up — for free — at https://torontosun.com/newsletters/
JoKryk@postmedia.com
@JohnKryk