The Philadelphia Eagles will likely be without quarterback Jalen Hurts for a second straight week after listing the NFL MVP candidate as doubtful for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.
Gardner Minshew is set to make a second consecutive start in place of Hurts, who sprained his right shoulder in Philadelphia’s 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears on December 18, as the 13-2 Eagles try to secure the NFC's number one seed and home-field advantage for the conference playoffs.
Hurts did return to practice Thursday and took part in Friday's session on a limited basis as well. However, ESPN reported that the Eagles decided to give the 2022 Pro Bowler an additional week of rest to ensure he can be healthy for the upcoming playoffs.
"Obviously the first and foremost thing that’s most important for Jalen is that his health is always taken into consideration first and if it’s safe for him to be out there," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on Friday.
"Then from there, then you do what’s best for the team, but you first do what’s best for the individual."
Minshew also filled in for Hurts last week against the Dallas Cowboys, throwing for 355 yards and two touchdowns, including a fourth-quarter strike to Devonta Smith that briefly gave the Eagles a 34-27 lead.
The former Jacksonville Jaguars starter was intercepted twice as well, with the last leading to a tie-breaking field goal by Dallas in a game the rival Cowboys ultimately won 40-34.
"Gardner has been in this position where he has to do everything he has to do to prepare, on limited reps, on a lot of reps – all those different things," Sirianni said. "That’s why Gardner is a great pro.
"We have a lot of confidence in him that he’s going to be ready no matter what the scenario is."
The Eagles enter Week 17 with a one-game lead on the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC’s best record and are one-and-half games ahead of second-place Dallas in the NFC East. Philadelphia will clinch the conference’s top seed with a win in one of their two remaining regular-season games.
NFL suspends Houston Texans linebacker Al-Shaair three games
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been suspended three games without pay for his latest violations of NFL rules following his illegal hit to the head of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Jon Runyan, the NFL vice president of football operations, issued the suspension on Tuesday, notifying Al-Shaair of the punishment in a letter, noting "repeated violations of rules intended to protect the health and safety of players and promote sportsmanship."
Al-Shaair is reportedly appealing the suspension.
Al-Shaair's latest offence occurred with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter of Sunday's 23-20 win at Jacksonville, when Lawrence scrambled on a second-and-7 play. Lawrence began to slide, but Al-Shaair delivered a forearm shot to Lawrence's head, which led to a concussion.
"Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars' quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly goes down in a feet-first slide," Runyan wrote. "You led with your forearm and helmet and delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of your opponent when you had time and space to avoid such contact."
Following the egregious hit, Lawrence's team-mates came to his defence, which escalated into a brawl.
Al-Shaair's actions during the ensuing fight also factored into the suspension.
"After the illegal hit, you proceeded to engage in a brawl, which you escalated when you pulled an opponent down to the ground by his facemask," Runyan wrote. "After the referee announced that you were disqualified for the hit and your unsportsmanlike acts, you removed your helmet and reengaged with your opponent while walking down and across the field, which started another physical confrontation near the end zone."
This is the third time this season Al-Shaair has been punished by the NFL.
Last week, he was flagged and fined for a late hit on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard, and back in Week 2, he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson during a scuffle that was began after Al-Shaair's hard hit on quarterback Caleb Williams.
"Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL," Runyan wrote. "Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated."
If Al-Shaair's suspension is upheld, he will miss games against the Miami Dolphins (5-7), Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) and Baltimore Ravens (8-5), and won't be eligible to return until the season finale at Tennessee.
At 8-5, the Texans are atop the AFC South, two games ahead of the second-place Indianapolis Colts.
NFL: Broncos stay hot with win over Browns
Ja'Quan McMillian's 44-yard interception return touchdown, the second of two pick-sixes against Jameis Winston, locked up a wild 41-32 victory for the red-hot Denver Broncos over the Cleveland Browns on Monday.
Denver (8-5) was able to earn a third consecutive win despite Winston throwing for a Browns franchise-record 497 yards and four touchdowns and a huge night as well for former Bronco Jerry Jeudy, who racked up 235 yards and a touchdown on nine catches in his first meeting with his ex-team since being traded to Cleveland in the off-season.
Winston also threw three interceptions, however, with two coming back for touchdowns. McMillian's score came with 1:48 remaining and the Browns (3-9) threatening while trailing by just two points, 34-32.
Bo Nix was picked off twice for Denver while completing just 18 of 35 passes for 294 yards, though the rookie did connect with Marvin Mims for a 93-yard touchdown that gave the Broncos a 28-17 lead early in the third quarter.
Cleveland answered with a long touchdown pass of its own a mere 11 seconds later, as Winston hit a wide-open Jeudy in stride on a deep ball for a 70-yard score. The duo then teamed up for a successful 2-point conversion that brought the Browns within 28-25.
After Wil Lutz gave Denver some breathing room with a 36-yard field goal, Winston led the Browns on a nine-play, 72-yard drive culminating with his 5-yard touchdown pass to Nick Chubb that put Cleveland up 32-31 with 8:57 left.
The Broncos responded with an 11-play series that Lutz finished with a go-ahead 27-yard field goal with 2:54 remaining. McMillian then sealed the outcome by taking Winston's ill-advised pass the other way on the following possession.
WInston's first interception of the night was returned 71 yards for a touchdown by Nik Bonitto to stake Denver to a 21-10 advantage late in the second quarter. The veteran quarterback quickly rebounded, though, by engineering an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with his 4-yard touchdown pass to David Njoku with 13 seconds left until half-time.
Njoku also had a touchdown catch in the first quarter and finished with nine receptions for 52 yards. Elijah Moore added 111 yards on eight catches for Cleveland.
Mims and Courtland Sutton both eclipsed 100 receiving yards for Denver, with Mims totalling 105 on three catches and Sutton accumulating 102 on six receptions.
San Francisco 49ers star running back McCaffrey headed to IR
Christian McCaffrey's 2024 season looks to be over less than a month after it started.
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that McCaffrey will be placed on injured reserve after the star running back suffered an injury to his posterior cruciate ligament in Sunday night's 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
McCaffrey won't need surgery, but will miss at least six weeks.
The 49ers only have five games remaining and with a 5-7 record, the defending NFC champions are in danger of missing the play-offs, as they sit two games behind the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks.
San Francisco will also be without Jordan Mason for the rest of the season after the team's backup running back sustained a high-ankle sprain against the Bills.
This marks the second time this season McCaffrey will be on injured reserve after he missed the first eight games with Achilles tendinitis.
He made his season debut in Week 10, and totalled 202 rushing yards with 146 receiving yards without a touchdown in the four games he played.
This came after McCaffrey was named the 2023 AP Offensive Player of the Year with an NFL-best 2,023 yards from scrimmage. He also tied with Raheem Mostert for the league lead at 21 touchdowns.
Mason stepped up in place of McCaffrey this season, rushing for 789 yards with an average of 5.2 yards per carry, but the 49ers will now rely on rookie Isaac Guerendo in the backfield.
In limited work, Guerendo has a solid average of 5.9 yards per rush, totalling 246 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
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