The NFL is serious about cracking down hard on faked injuries.
According to numerous reports Saturday, the league dished out a total of $550,000 in fines on Friday to pass rusher Cam Jordan and the New Orleans Saints, as punishment for Jordan allegedly being directed by sideline leaders to go down with a made-up injury, late in Monday night’s loss at Tampa Bay.
Per the reports, Jordan was fined $50,000, his position coach Ryan Nielsen $50,000, head coach Dennis Allen $100,000 and the Saints as a club $350,000.
Video showed Jordan suddenly flopping to the turf and pointing to a leg, prior to a Bucs 4th-and-17 play
Jordan on Saturday called his fine “ridiculous” on Twitter.
Cincinnati safety Jessie Bates also was fined $50,000 on Friday for allegedly faking an injury last Sunday against Kansas City.
The league had warned all clubs on Dec. 2 to discontinue the practice of faking injuries, or fines precisely along the lines of those in the Saints/Jordan case would be handed down the following Friday.
Nearly 70 years ago the issue of faking injuries rocked U.S. college football, after the Notre Dame ‘Fainting Irish,’ in a then-rare televised game, twice used the tactic to beat a strong Iowa team.
“Feigned injuries,” Fighting Irish coach Frank Leahy protested, after later being reprimanded by the NCAA, “have been part of football since Walter Camp invented the first down.”
RAVENS, STEELERS REINFORCED
Both the Baltimore Ravens and host Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing up star reinforcements for their first of two annual head-knockers.
The Ravens, according to ESPN, will activate running back J.K. Dobbins off injured reserve, some six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic clean-up on his left knee.
The Steelers, per NFL Network, are upgrading both linebacker T.J. Watt (ribs) and wide receiver Diontae Johnson (hip), with both expected now to play against Baltimore.
WELCOME BACK, WASHINGTON
The Dallas Cowboys will activate wide receiver James Washington off injured reserve, and he’s expected to play Sunday vs. Houston, according to NFL Network.
Washington broke a foot in training camp and has yet to play this season.
MIKE BROWN vs. MIKE BROWN
It looks like Mike Brown will play against Mike Brown’s team.
Mike Brown, the active safety, was elevated Saturday by his team, the Cleveland Browns, for Sunday’s road game against the host Cincinnati Bengals, who happen to be owned by a man named Mike Brown.
Cleveland also elevated linebacker Tae Davis.
RAIDERS CAN’T HOLD A LEAD
According to ProFootballTalk.com, the Las Vegas Raiders are 0-4 when leading by double digits this season. That’s bad enough on its own, but the news-aggregating website added that all other NFL clubs are 59-6 when leading by double digits this season.
FIVE BIG QUESTIONS
- Will the Bills avoid being swept by the Jets? They should, but it appears they’ll have to do it in an ugly mix of rain, snow and wind on a dismal afternoon south of Buffalo.
- Will the Bengals similarly avoid being swept by the Browns? At least no rain is forecast on a pleasant late-autumn afternoon along the Ohio River. That should aid Joe Burrow and the hot Cincinnati offence.
- Will Ravens, Steelers score 30 points combined? I wouldn’t bet on it. Both defences are stout, whereas neither offence is.
- Can the Lions this time finish against the Vikes? They’ve narrowly lost four straight against Minnesota, and are actually favoured to beat the 10-1 Vikings. Win, and it would be the biggest of the young decade for Detroit, and for a few years before that, at least.
- Will Dolphins end their west-coast swing with a win? They got thumped hard at San Francisco. After staying out in California all week they face a Chargers team with a rollercoaster offence, and a ghost defence.
THE BIG NUMBER
95.8
Field-goal success rate of Seattle’s Jason Myers, which mark leads the league among placekickers who haven’t missed a game. His only miss on 24 attempts was from the 30-39 yard range. Myers is 4-for-4 from 40-49 yards, and 5-for-5 from 50-plus.
FUNKIEST FACTOID
On Monday night, Tom Brady led a late Buccaneers comeback from 13-3 down to beat the visiting Saints, 17-16 — with the first TD scored with 3:00 left, the second with 0:03 remaining. Three nights later, Baker Mayfield led a late Rams comeback from 13-3 down to beat the visiting Raiders, 17-16 — with the first TD scored with 3:19 left, the second with 0:10 remaining.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“It couldn’t be more fun. It couldn’t be more storybook. What an amazing finish.”
— Pete Carroll, Seahawks head coach, on how the arch-rival Rams somehow rallied late to defeat the Raiders with just-added Baker Mayfield.
STRAIGHT-UP PICKS
Either I’ve finally figured this $&!) out, or I just got lucky.
Whatever the reasons, I’ll take it. This past week I correctly picked NFL winners straight up, not against the spread, at a 90% clip — going 13-1-1 in Week 13.
The 20-20 Giants/Commanders tie was a wash, so the only outcome I did not correctly predict was Las Vegas over the Los Angeles Chargers, 27-20; I had the Chargers.
Three consecutive strong weeks — 78.6% in Week 11, 62.5% in Week 12 and 90.0% in Week 13 — have raised my season win percentage from 56.3% to 61.0%.
Is there still a chance I can hit my usual 65% season goal? Probably not, but at this rate, hey, ya never know — especially because from Week 14 onward last season I picked winners at a 75.6% clip. Fingers crossed.
Let’s get right to it, then. To Week 14:
Las Vegas at L.A. Rams, Thursday
KRYK PICK: Las Vegas
Baker Mayfield. What a performance. What a game. What a memory. At least no one else saw it coming, either.
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
(CTV nationally except Montreal; RDS; via CBS)
KRYK PICK: Buffalo
Do you really think the Bills are going to go 0-2 against the Jets this season? Right. Of course they aren’t. The Bills’ loss at New York last month was fluky, and they’re getting healthy.
Cleveland at Cincinnati, Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
(CTV2 Ottawa; via CBS)
KRYK PICK: Cincinnati
When these teams met early last month in Cleveland on Halloween night, the Browns romped to a 32-13 win. Since then, the Bengals are 4-0, the Browns an unconvincing 2-2.
Houston at Dallas, Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
KRYK PICK: Dallas
The Cowboys shouldn’t have to sweat too much to beat the Texans. That means, of course, that they probably will struggle most of the way. It’s what Jerry’s teams do.
Minnesota at Detroit, Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
(TSN; via FOX)
KRYK PICK: Detroit
The Lions are favoured against a 10-2 team. How about that. Only one team in the NFC North has battled the Vikings down to the end every time over the past two years: Detroit.
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
(CTV Montreal; CTV2 Toronto, London/Windsor, BC, Alberta, Atlantic; via FOX)
KRYK PICK: Philadelphia
It really does seem as though 20 points, or thereabouts, is the scoring ceiling for the latest Daniel Jones-led offence. And that’s only 2-3 quarters of work for Jalen Hurts and crew.
Baltimore at Pittsburgh, Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
KRYK PICK: Pittsburgh
With Lamar Jackson unlikely to play (sprained knee ligament), and Tyler Huntley struggling so much aerially last week in a 10-9 defeat of Jacksonville, gotta take the home team here.
Jacksonville at Tennessee, Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
KRYK PICK: Tennessee
Who saw this week’s firing of Titans GM Jon Robinson coming? Anyone? Strange, strange timing. On the field, the Titans ought to bounce back from gut-punch loss to Bengals.
Kansas City at Denver, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST
(TSN; via CBS)
KRYK PICK: Kansas City
Game flexed out of Sunday night (thank goodness) because it would be cruel punishment to force North Americans to watch that reeking Broncos offence one more time in prime time.
Tampa Bay at San Francisco, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST
(CTV nationally except BC, Alberta; CTV2 Atlantic; RDS; via FOX)
KRYK PICK: San Francisco
Tom Brady returns home, perhaps for the last time as a pro? He grew up a huge 49ers fan just up the bay, dreaming of being the next Joe Montana. Um, not against this defence.
Carolina at Seattle, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST
(CTV BC, Alberta; via FOX)
KRYK PICK: Seattle
Panthers have not won on the road for 13 months now. Start there, and the rest is piling on. Geno Smith ought to outperform Sam Darnold, in the latter’s first road start in eons.
Miami at L.A Chargers, Sunday, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST
(TSN; CTV2; via NBC)
KRYK PICK: Miami
Tua Tagavailoa against Justin Herbert, in a delicious matchup of Top 10 2020 draft picks. Thing is, while both defences are a disappointment, L.A.’s is truly bad. Tua ought to shine.
New England at Arizona, Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST
(TSN; RDS2; via ESPN)
(TSN via ESPN; TSN 3 MNF w/ Peyton & Eli via ESPN 2)
KRYK PICK: Arizona
The dysfunctional mess that is the 2022 Cardinals ought to have a strong outing at some point, especially offensively. This is the week, as the Patriots offence is even more dysfunctional.
BYES THIS WEEK: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Washington. These are the last of the byes.
SEASON RECORD: 118-75-2 (.610), through Week 13.
Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds.
Post a Comment