NFL
CBA Proposal Sent to NFL Players for Ratification
The NFLPA has distributed official ballots to NFL players to cast their votes on the new proposed collective bargaining agreement.
Our statement on the CBA voting process: pic.twitter.com/YdYnBQxqWy
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) March 5, 2020
Players have one week to cast their ballot, with the voting period officially closing on Thursday, March 12th at 11:59 PM.
While players will be able to cast a vote throughout 7-day window (which means, in theory, all votes could be done before window closes), I’m told the NFLPA currently plans to wait full allotted time before formalizing the results. So ratification unlikely until later next week.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) March 5, 2020
Players’ votes will be kept confidential. An independent auditor will receive the ballots to ensure the integrity of the decision.
Many prominent players have voiced their displeasure with the proposed CBA, including Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey who voiced his displeasure with an expletive-filled rant on Twitter last Wednesday.
Whereas Richard Sherman was one of the loudest voices against the proposed CBA last week, Aaron Rodgers was one of the biggest objectors last night, per sources. Rodgers wanted even more dramatic changes to the off-season program that included more free time for the players.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 26, 2020
Aaron Rodgers, J.J. Watt and Richard Sherman have also expressed their opposition to the proposal.
The NFL and NFLPA have announced their latest COVID-19 results from their most recent testing period.
The league had 19 new positive cases between Oct. 18 to 24. There were eight new positive tests among players and eleven among staff members.
In total, 42,687 total tests were administered to 7,817 players and personnel over the seven-day period.
The NFL has had 55 positives from players and 82 among personnel dating back to Aug. 1. Over 500,000 total tests have been administered.
Tier 1 and 2 individuals continue to be tested daily, white Tier 3 personnel are being tested on a weekly basis.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have not had any coronavirus-related issues since running back Jaylen Samuels was removed from the Reserve/COVID-19 list back on Aug. 13.
The Cleveland Browns may have improved to 5-2 with their comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but they suffered a significant loss.
Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2020 season with a torn ACL, the organization announced Monday morning.
Odell Beckham Jr. tears ACL, expected to miss rest of 2020 season
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 26, 2020
Details » https://t.co/vOFn3OoJle pic.twitter.com/daHRDp67e5
Beckham suffered the injury in the first quarter of Cleveland’s win over Cincinnati on Sunday, attempting to make a tackle on an interception thrown by quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The star wideout was off to a strong star in his second season with the Browns, catching 23 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns. He also had rushed for a score.
While the loss of Beckham is significant, the Browns appear to have enough offensive weapons to overcome the injury. Mayfield posted one of the best performances of his career on Sunday, completing 22 of 23 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns after Beckham left the game.
Financially, Cleveland is still likely on the hook for Beckham’s $12.971 injury guarantee, which will convert to a full guarantee if he is rostered on the third day of the next league year, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. This means that Beckham is uncuttable, and a trade is very unlikely considering the injury.
Translation: Odell is uncuttable. He won’t be healthy before the guarantee converts in March, so he’s getting his money in 2021. https://t.co/GPO2BRi6qG
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 26, 2020
Selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, Beckham has caught 487 passes for 6,830 and 51 touchdowns over his career. He has been selected to three Pro Bowls, but not since 2016.
The Steelers and Browns do not face off again until Week 17 in Cleveland.
Welcome to Around the NFL, where Cale Berger of Steelers Now will recap early-week action and take a look ahead at some of the most important matchups from the Pittsburgh Steelers perspective.
AROUND THE NFL THIS WEEKEND
Cleveland Browns 37 Cincinnati Bengals 34
Following their beatdown at the hands of the Steelers last week, the Browns got back on track Sunday with another shootout win over the in-state rival Bengals, sweeping the season series.
After rough 0-5 start that included an interception, Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield rebounded to produce the best game of his career, completing 22 of his final 23 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns. He set a franchise record in the process by completing 21-consecutive passes. Mayfield’s remarkable day was capped off with a game-winning touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones with eleven seconds remaining.
The Throw.
The Catch.@bakermayfield to @dpeoplesjones FOR THE WIN.📺: #CLEvsCIN on CBS pic.twitter.com/cIlcHw99yr
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 25, 2020
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett continued his streak of dominance Sunday, sacking Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow twice and forcing a fumble. Garrett entered Week Seven second in the league with seven sacks and three forced fumbles.
Burrow continues to show exactly why he is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1-overall pick, but his stellar play has repeatedly demonstrated just how far Cincinnati’s roster is from being competitive and the amount of help he needs. With 406 yards, three passing touchdowns and a rushing score Sunday afternoon, Burrow is the first rookie quarterback in NFL history with at least 400 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in a single game.
The Bengals will continue the hunt for their second win when they host the Titans, while the Browns will welcome the Raiders to town.
Washington 25 Dallas Cowboys 3
A former WPIAL standout threw his first NFL passes, but the 2020 season went from bad to worse for the Cowboys on Sunday as they were blown out by Washington, suffering their second-straight loss.
Already without star quarterback Dak Prescott of the remainder of the season, Dallas backup Andy Dalton was knocked out of the game in the third quarter on an illegal hit by linebacker Jon Bostic, who was subsequently ejected. Dalton’s injury thrusted former Pine-Richland and Pitt quarterback Ben DiNucci into his first extended NFL action. DiNucci completed two of three passes for 39 yards, including this 32-yard dime to wide receiver Amari Cooper on his first career throw.
Ben DiNucci’s first pass goes to @AmariCooper9 for 32 yards! #DallasCowboys
📺: #DALvsWAS on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/LXEQNiXMs9 pic.twitter.com/mLDKwxkvO6— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2020
Meanwhile, Washington snapped a five-game losing streak yesterday behind a pair of impressive performances from their dynamic, young duo in running back Antonio Gibson and wide receiver Terr McLaurin. A rookie out of Memphis, Gibson rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown, while McLaurin, the second-year star out of Ohio State, caught seven passes for 90 yards and a score.
DiNucci is expected to make his first career start when Dallas travels to Philadelphia next week. Washington hits their bye week before hosting the Giants on Nov. 8.
San Francisco 49ers 33 New England Patriots 6
While Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo did not play as well as he probably would have liked in his return to Foxborough, San Francisco still thumped the Patriots behind a suffocating performance from their defense.
New England quarterback Cam Newton, who looks lost since returning from the Reserve/COVID-19 list a few weeks ago, was a disaster on Sunday, completing just nine of fifteen passes for 98 yards and three interceptions. Newton was a non-factor on the ground as well, carrying just five times for 19 yards. The 49ers defense recorded four interceptions total, also picking off Jarrett Stidham in relief. Cornerback Jamar Taylor had two of the four.
Garoppolo was better, but just slightly. He completed 80% of his passes for 277 yards, but tossed two interceptions of his own and no touchdowns. The ground game was what truly swung the game in San Francisco’s favor. The Niners rushed for 197 yards and four scores as a team, 112 and three of which came from running back Jeff Wilson Jr. Unfortunately, Wilson’s phenomenal day ended abruptly when he was carted off the field with a leg injury in the third quarter that appeared significant.
San Francisco will aim to win their third-straight when they visit Seattle next Sunday. New England goes back to the drawing board ahead of a key divisional matchup against the 5-2, AFC East-leading Bills.
Kansas City Chiefs 43 Denver Broncos 16
Even though the volcanic Chiefs offense was able to sustain its excellence through blizzard-like conditions Sunday, it was the Kansas City defense and special teams that dominated the Denver Broncos.
The Chiefs sacked quarterback Drew Lock three times and forced four Denver turnovers, including a 50-yard pick six by safety Daniel Sorensen. Safety Tyrann Mathieu picked Lock off a second time, and the Kansas City defense forced running back Melvin Gordon to fumble twice. Not to be out done, Chiefs wideout Byron Pringle returned a kickoff 102 yards to the house at the end of the second quarter, an impressive play put over-the-top by the legendary Kevin Harlan.
PRINGLE TO THE CRIB 🏡
📺: #KCvsDEN on CBS pic.twitter.com/KTTGUVRKZ2
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 25, 2020
Kansas City Patrick Mahomes was uncharacteristically quiet, throwing for 200 yards and connecting with wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a single touchdown. Hill is off to a tremendous start to the year, having now scored a touchdown in six of seven games this season Former Steelers and Jets running back Le’Veon Bell was used sparingly in his Chiefs debut, carrying the ball six times for 39 yards. His compatriot in the backfield Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed eight times for 46 yards and a score.
Kansas City will host the winless New York Jets at Arrowhead next week, and just as a friendly reminder, the largest margin of victory in history is Chicago 73-0 over Washington back in the 1940 NFL Championship Game. Denver welcomes the Chargers to Mile High.
REST OF THE SCHEDULE
Philadelphia Eagles 22 New York Giants 21
Detroit Lions 23 Atlanta Falcons 22
Pittsburgh Steelers 27 Tennessee Titans 24
Carolina Panthers 27 New Orleans Saints 24
Buffalo Bills 18 New York Jets 10
Green Bay Packers 35 Houston Texans 20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 45 Las Vegas Raiders 20
Los Angeles Chargers 39 Jacksonville Jaguars 29
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals, 8:20 p.m., WPXI-TV
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams, Monday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN