Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of Saturday's 47-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Stafford was ruled out of the game at the start of the second half. Chase Daniel and David Blough replaced him for the rest of the contest.Daniel completed 13 of 18 pass attempts for 86 yards in his relief appearance, while Blough threw for 49 yards and one interception.Stafford has been playing through rib and thumb injuries of late, despite Detroit already being eliminated from playoff contention.Stafford has thrown for 3,774 yards and 23 touchdowns against nine interceptions over 14 games this season. He hit on two passes for 17 yards before exiting on Saturday.Daniel appeared in three games this season prior to Week 16. Entering Saturday he had completed 16 of 25 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions this campaign.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Before you make your NFL bets this weekend, it's worth knowing which side other bettors are backing - especially on games drawing sharp action.We talked to Jay Rood, Bet.Works' chief risk officer and theScore Bet's head trader, to see how sharps and public bettors are playing this week's slate.Falcons @ Chiefs (-11, 53.5), 1 p.m. ETA week ago, bettors were all over the Saints in a game New Orleans eventually pushed against the Chiefs. This week, they've flipped their support to Kansas City in a massive chalk spot vs. the Falcons.The Chiefs opened as 10-point favorites early in the week before a couple of limit plays brought the line straight to 11, where it sits as of Saturday afternoon. Kansas City entered the weekend drawing twice as many tickets as Atlanta with 45 times as much money wagered. Bettors are even playing the Chiefs on the moneyline, too, despite the narrow return on investment."It looks like it’s gonna be one of the bigger parlayed games, as well," Rood said.Panthers @ Washington (-1, 42.5), 4:05 p.m.The Panthers are another popular sharp play this week. Carolina opened as a 2.5-point underdog and has seen a barrage of money move that line close to a pick 'em as the game approaches.Washington had actually seen three times as many tickets as Carolina entering the weekend, but an 18-to-1 advantage in money wagered - thanks to at least one limit play at +2.5 - has moved this line all the way to Panthers +1 as of Saturday.That's despite a healthy advantage for Washington in the parlay market, where it was seeing as high as 40 times as much money wagered entering the weekend. That suggests this game could creep closer to its original line as public bettors make wagers ahead of kickoff.Eagles (-3, 49.5) @ Cowboys, 4:25 p.m.The Eagles have rarely rewarded bettors this year, but sharps are betting on Jalen Hurts and this new-look Philly offense in a short chalk spot against the resurgent Cowboys.The Eagles opened this game as 1.5-point favorites and took plenty of money at that spot before at least one big sharp and a few "smaller nibblers" took this line to 2.5 on Friday afternoon, Rood said. Those bets continued to come into the weekend, bringing this game to a key number, and it doesn't look like the buyback is coming anytime soon."This is somewhat of an ugly game, because the sharps are on the Eagles and the bet count is 5-to-1 to the Eagles, too," Rood said. "It looks like the public is going to be coming in with the sharps."Colts @ Steelers (-1, 44), 1 p.m.This game is one of the more interesting offerings on the betting menu.Entering the weekend, the straight-bet money was largely on the Colts, both as 2.5-point underdogs early in the week and 1.5-point favorites later in the week. Since then, an avalanche of parlay money on the Steelers has helped offset the straight-bet handle and flipped this number back in Pittsburgh's favor."Little bit of a bizarre game," Rood said on Friday. "Looks like it's going to probably be the most balanced game from a betting perspective, we're just a little out of balance on the point spread. I think that'll start to neutralize by kickoff."(Odds source: theScore Bet)C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

theScore's users have spoken: Barry Sanders is the GOAT running back.Thirty-two all-time great running backs entered our bracket, and the Detroit Lions legend defeated Walter Payton in the final. Thanks for voting!Editor's note: O.J. Simpson was ruled ineligible to participate.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.It doesn't take much experience with betting to know certain wins just hit different.There are ones you forget about minutes later, and those that stick with you for years - the ones that have you pacing the house and waking up the neighbors. Those are the bets - big or small - that never fully leave you.Here are our most memorable betting moments of 2020.Andrew Thomas, 2nd offensive player drafted (+4000) Handout / Getty Images Sport / GettyRemember April? It was the longest I'd gone without ingesting a live sporting event in my life and I could only fill so much time with old WWE PPVs. I did a hard pivot to the NFL draft and became an information junkie.I was subscribed to tweet alerts for all the plugged-in draft reporters and it was simply a matter of reacting quickly to information.One night I was ripping through the 2000 Royal Rumble and was notified about a Matt Miller tweet that his sources said Thomas could be the first offensive lineman off the board. I don't even really trust Miller all that much, but for some reason, this spoke to me.Riding the adrenaline of the New Age Outlaws retaining their Tag Team Championship, I slapped some cash on Thomas to be the second offensive player drafted at +4000. Then I hit it again. And again.When the Giants took him fourth overall, months of pandemic-fueled misery just disappeared.- Alex MorettoBaltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl (+4000) Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / GettyOK, so the Ravens didn't actually win the Super Bowl, and I didn't actually win this bet. But boy, was it worth the ride.Did I expect Lamar Jackson to go Super Saiyan on the NFL en route to the NFL? Not really. But I took a chance on it anyway, betting him to win MVP at 55-1 and betting on the Ravens to win the Super Bowl at a price that seems ridiculous in retrospect. It took a while for the market to catch up, too, and I gleefully padded my bankroll amid Baltimore's 11-5 ATS run.By the time the Ravens entered the playoffs, I was sitting on a 40-1 title ticket for a team priced at 2-1 to win it all. Yes, that dream crashed and burned at the feet of King Henry, but I'd gladly live it all again at a value like that.- C Jackson CowartCleveland Indians over 33.5 wins (-110) Ron Schwane / Getty Images Sport / GettyIt was late June and I had spent the past four months exclusively betting Belarusian soccer and NFL draft props. MLB had just officially announced a plan to return to play and I was ITCHING to drop the hammer on something meaningful.I loved the Indians' roster and was all-in. But mostly, I just wanted to feel again. A rush of blood to the head led me to place the biggest bet I'd made in years on over 33.5 wins. A day later, I found it available at 32.5. Good start, right?I was so invested in this wager that I'd watched more Indians games in two months than I do Blue Jays ones in a normal season. By early September, Cleveland was 26-15 and I was throwing around fat stacks like Michael Scott at the Burlington Coat Factory.The Indians proceeded to lose eight straight. I was the Ben Affleck darkness GIF.I picked myself off the pavement and, in a last-ditch effort, sold my soul to the gambling gods.Cleveland wound up winning nine of its next 10, including a four-game sweep of the White Sox that included two thrilling walkoff wins. I watched every second of that series. Jose Ramirez's and Jordan Luplow's walkoff home runs will stick with me forever.- Alex MorettoDustin Johnson to win the Northern Trust (+2000) Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / GettyDustin Johnson was the gift that kept on giving during the summer of 2020. After picking him to win the Travelers Championship at +3000, we went back to the well with DJ five starts later at +2000.Typically, when you have an outright ticket on a player who is in contention going into the final round, your stress level is through the roof and you are sweating every shot. But Johnson dismantled the field, winning by 11 shots and cashing the most stress-free golf bet you could hope for.- Eric PattersonHenry Ruggs 40-yard-dash time under 4.32 Joe Robbins / Getty Images Sport / GettyI've bet more questionable markets in my life, but there's nothing quite like sweating a human being running in a straight line. All the buzz leading up to the combine centered around Ruggs, who was ripe to break the all-time 40-yard dash record.I took the under at just about any place that had it, then texted C and asked him if he could bet more for me. We'd been colleagues for, like, six months at that point; he probably had the lowest opinion of me ever.Ruggs came up short of the record, but he clocked in at 4.31 - one fraction of a second under his total of 4.32 seconds.It took longer for me to remember if I had won or lost the bet than it did for the entire wager to occur.- Alex KolodziejLuka Doncic to win MVP (+4000) Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / GettyWhat does it say about me that my two favorite bets of 2020 are both losers? Nonetheless, betting a sophomore Luka Doncic to win MVP is one of the proudest speculative bets I've made.Sure, Doncic was stellar as a rookie, but nobody truly expected the Slovenian star to become the best player on the planet in his second season. The youngest MVP in NBA history was Derrick Rose (22) in 2010-11; Doncic was 20 entering the 2019-20 season, and he posted 11 triple-doubles in his first 19 games and skyrocketed to the top of the MVP leaderboard.Injuries forced the Mavericks star into two midseason absences that ultimately derailed his campaign, but he still finished fourth in MVP voting and entered this year as the award front-runner. Sometimes process trumps results, and my process was never better than with this wager.- C Jackson CowartSuper Bowl national anthem under 2:03 (+140) Rob Tringali / Sports Illustrated / GettyI remember getting a tip from someone I trusted that Demi Lovato sang the national anthem well under the total of 2:03 in her rehearsal. All of a sudden, the Super Bowl - at least in my eyes - was not the Chiefs versus the 49ers; it was Demi versus the clock, and my entire bankroll was riding on it.I didn't even time the national anthem on my phone; all I remember was a string of texts immediately after the word "brave," ranging from dollar signs to eggplant emojis.Nothing but high regard for my queen. She hummed the anthem well under the total of 2:03, and for once in roughly the last five years, I didn't enter the actual game down multiple units from pregame props.- Alex KolodziejCopyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will start Mike Glennon over Gardner Minshew for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.The Jaguars - who are favorites for the No. 1 draft pick in 2021 following the New York Jets' first win of the season last week - started Minshew in Week 15 after sending Glennon to the bench the week prior.Head coach Doug Marrone said Wednesday the two quarterbacks would compete for the starting role.Minshew started the first seven games of the year before being sidelined with a hand injury. Jacksonville opted to keep Glennon in the lineup from Weeks 12 to 14, despite Minshew declaring himself healthy and ready to play.The sophomore signal-caller has outperformed Glennon and Jake Luton this season, throwing for 2,259 yards and 16 touchdowns against five interceptions.The Jaguars and Jets both sit at 1-13 entering Week 16, but the AFC South club holds the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker for the top selection in April's draft.Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence is widely viewed as a lock to be selected first overall.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson will play against the Dallas Cowboys after being activated from injured reserve, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.Jackson has been on IR since October after suffering an ankle injury in Week 7.The veteran appeared in four games this season, catching 13 passes for 155 yards. Jackson also played in just three games in 2019 due to injuries.It will be the speedster's first action with Jalen Hurts, who took over the starting role from Carson Wentz in Week 14.Despite going 2-5 in Jackson's absence, the Eagles still have a shot at winning the NFC East and clinching an unlikely playoff spot. FiveThirtyEight gives Philadelphia a 10% chance of making the postseason.The Eagles need to win out to make the playoffs and play the division-leading Washington Football Team in the regular-season finale. They also need Washington to lose against the Carolina Panthers, and for the New York Giants and Cowboys to drop at least one game each (Dallas and New York face off in Week 17).Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will return after a one-game absence and start Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.Jones missed New York's Week 15 loss to the Cleveland Browns while nursing hamstring and ankle injuries. He was a limited participant in practice all week.The second-year passer has been battling a hamstring ailment since a win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 29. He missed the following game and returned for Week 14 versus the Arizona Cardinals, though Jones didn't appear fully healthy during the contest.Colt McCoy started both games the 23-year-old sat out.New York is tied for second in the NFC East at 5-9, behind the Washington Football Team. Joe Judge's squad needs to win its final two games to earn a realistic chance at taking the division.If the Giants lose to Baltimore on Sunday and Washington defeats the Carolina Panthers, New York would be eliminated from postseason contention.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Baseball had yet to tar Shoeless Joe Jackson as a cheat when the sweet-swinging outfielder, one of eight Chicago White Sox players alleged to have thrown the World Series in 1919, stepped to bat at Manhattan's Polo Grounds the following July 19. Rain clouds that delayed the start of a doubleheader with the New York Yankees were gone by the second game's second inning, when Jackson, his club chasing the home team in the American League pennant hunt, connected on a deep drive that soared over the right-field wall.Characteristic of the sport's dead-ball era, Jackson wasn't much of a slugger: The most home runs he ever hit, 12, came in 1920, his final season in the majors. Across Jackson's 13-year career, the average team stroked a homer once every five games, at most, manufacturing offense instead through light contact, bunts, and basepath speed. Power was subordinate to moxie and guile. That damp summer afternoon, though, signaled change was coming.1920 was Babe Ruth's first season in Yankee pinstripes, the Boston Red Sox having flipped him to their budding archrival that January for cash. The Bambino tagged 29 home runs for Boston his last year there, a big-league record, and in New York, he immediately began to rake like no batter before him. Entering the White Sox twin bill, a mere 86 games into the campaign, Ruth was sitting on 29 homers, rapping once again on history's door."King Ruth." George Rinhart / Corbis Historical / Getty Images More than Ruth's Yankees debut, 1920 was baseball's first full-length season since the end of the Great War, and it coincided with the tail end of a flu pandemic that killed, at minimum, 50 million people worldwide. Americans coveted normalcy, and in New York, they yearned for Ruth to crank moonshots, deeper and more frequently than ever.The breakthrough came shortly after Jackson went yard, in the bottom of the fourth on July 19. Chicago still led 1-0 when southpaw Dickey Kerr, battling Ruth in a 2-2 count, tried to fool the Yankees' cleanup hitter with a curveball."There was a resounding smack as bat met ball and the noise from the stand swelled in volume before the ball had started its descent," The New York Times reported from the park, recounting how the 28,000 fans on hand greeted Ruth's blast with deafening applause. The shot to right field was Ruth's 30th homer, and by season's end, his count totaled 54, a new standard for greatness that he'd surpass twice more before the decade was out.––––––––––In hindsight, the timing was perfect. Sent to New York at the dawn of the 1920s, a human remedy to the Black Sox misdeeds, Ruth came to define the free-swinging spirit of the age. War and contagion were bygone memories in the Roaring Twenties, when pay increases and shortened workweeks unlocked leisure time in the U.S., and people searched for fun diversions to fill the hours.This was the decade, the historian Frederick Lewis Allen once observed, when sports became "an American obsession."As our own pandemic year ends, to think back a century is to remember how baseball - and football, boxing, tennis, and golf - first gripped the United States' collective attention. Highlights aired weekly at movie theaters. Starting in 1921, radio broadcasts connected listeners across the nation to faraway title games and marquee fights. For daily news, the public turned to newspapers, whose sportswriters had leeway to relentlessly hype the athletes they covered. Tim Clayton / Corbis Sport / Getty ImagesRuth was the Sultan of Swat, the Wizard of Wallop, the embodiment of this boom time, and as author Michael K. Bohn has written, almost everybody loved the guy: "He appealed to everyone but opposing pitchers." Bohn made this remark in his 2009 book, "Heroes & Ballyhoo," the latter term synonymous with the buzz that surrounded sports in the '20s. Ballyhoo was a phenomenon that fed itself, Bohn wrote. Journalists promoted the players, which drew spectators to games, and eventually, their interest compelled promoters and teams to shell out to build grand new venues. All the while, fans demanded more coverage of their favorite athletes, whose reputations thrived."And on it went," Bohn wrote.If two symbols defined the decade in sports, they were probably the knockout and the home run, like Ruth's record-breaker against Chicago that inspired the Polo Grounds faithful to fling their hats, wave their arms, and howl "in glee," as the Times noted. The Yankees didn't win the AL pennant in 1920, but their heyday wasn't far off, and throughout that period, they spearheaded an offensive revolution. By the end of the '20s, the average MLB team clubbed a homer every couple of games, and the Yanks and select other contenders were almost twice as dangerous.The fans who flocked to watch Ruth live appreciated his power, but also his fondness for drinking and aversion to team-imposed curfews, Donald L. Miller wrote in The Conversation several years ago: "White-collar workers fearful of flouting authority and telling off their bosses could take secret pleasure in Ruth’s insubordination." Whatever their particular motivation, these diehards helped the Yankees smash spectatorship records in the early '20s, spurring owner Jacob Ruppert to commission a bigger ballpark in the Bronx. The original Yankee Stadium opened for play in April 1923, less than a year after construction started.Jack Dempsey. George Rinhart / Corbis Historical / Getty ImagesAcross town from Ruppert's baseball temple, promoter Tex Rickard soon broke ground on Madison Square Garden, New York's regal new hub for basketball, hockey, and boxing. Rickard understood the power of spectacle, and together with Jack Dempsey, the era's best heavyweight, he organized mammoth title bouts at MSG and stadiums around the U.S. that in some cases drew more than 100,000 spectators.Dempsey was boxing's original moneymaker, the power puncher who legitimized the brutal art for mass consumption. The first sporting event broadcast on radio nationwide was his July 2, 1921 title defense against French war pilot Georges Carpentier, which also generated boxing's first million-dollar gate. A suspected but acquitted draft dodger, Dempsey entered the ring in New Jersey a foil to his distinguished challenger, but he won over the capacity crowd of 91,613 by KO'ing Carpentier in the fourth round. In 1927, 50 million listeners worldwide heard Dempsey fight Gene Tunney, and this time, the gate at Chicago's Soldier Field surpassed $2 million.Around the same time, football's main superstars were Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne and Illinois halfback Red Grange, and Grantland Rice was there to mythologize them.Rice was the 1920s' foremost celebrity sportswriter, an audacious wordsmith whose columns were published nationally and who, Miller notes, was paid better than Ruth and President Calvin Coolidge. With the NFL in its infancy, college football was the biggest game around. Rockne's Fighting Irish squads pioneered the forward pass; Grange, nicknamed the "Galloping Ghost," was a consensus All-American three years running; and Rice's fawning prose related to millions of readers their greatest feats.Red Grange at Illinois. Archive Photos / Getty ImagesConsider the events of Oct. 18, 1924, when Notre Dame beat rival Army 13-7 at the Polo Grounds and Rice invoked scripture to describe Rockne's star backfield quartet: "Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden."That day in Illinois, Grange rushed and passed for 402 yards and scored five touchdowns against mighty Michigan, with whom the Fighting Illini had split the national championship in 1923. Stirred by the display, Rice later turned to poetry to illustrate Grange's evasiveness on the gridiron:

Baseball had yet to tar Shoeless Joe Jackson as a cheat when the sweet-swinging outfielder, one of eight Chicago White Sox players alleged to have thrown the World Series in 1919, stepped to bat at Manhattan's Polo Grounds the following July 19. Rain clouds that delayed the start of a doubleheader with the New York Yankees were gone by the second game's second inning, when Jackson, his club chasing the home team in the American League pennant hunt, connected on a deep drive that soared over the right-field wall.Characteristic of the sport's dead-ball era, Jackson wasn't much of a slugger: The most home runs he ever hit, 12, came in 1920, his final season in the majors. Across Jackson's 13-year career, the average team stroked a homer once every five games, at most, manufacturing offense instead through light contact, bunts, and basepath speed. Power was subordinate to moxie and guile. That damp summer afternoon, though, signaled change was coming.1920 was Babe Ruth's first season in Yankee pinstripes, the Boston Red Sox having flipped him to their budding archrival that January for cash. The Bambino tagged 29 home runs for Boston his last year there, a big-league record, and in New York, he immediately began to rake like no batter before him. Entering the White Sox twin bill, a mere 86 games into the campaign, Ruth was sitting on 29 homers, rapping once again on history's door."King Ruth." George Rinhart / Corbis Historical / Getty Images More than Ruth's Yankees debut, 1920 was baseball's first full-length season since the end of the Great War, and it coincided with the tail end of a flu pandemic that killed, at minimum, 50 million people worldwide. Americans coveted normalcy, and in New York, they yearned for Ruth to crank moonshots, deeper and more frequently than ever.The breakthrough came shortly after Jackson went yard, in the bottom of the fourth on July 19. Chicago still led 1-0 when southpaw Dickey Kerr, battling Ruth in a 2-2 count, tried to fool the Yankees' cleanup hitter with a curveball."There was a resounding smack as bat met ball and the noise from the stand swelled in volume before the ball had started its descent," The New York Times reported from the park, recounting how the 28,000 fans on hand greeted Ruth's blast with deafening applause. The shot to right field was Ruth's 30th homer, and by season's end, his count totaled 54, a new standard for greatness that he'd surpass twice more before the decade was out.––––––––––In hindsight, the timing was perfect. Sent to New York at the dawn of the 1920s, a human remedy to the Black Sox misdeeds, Ruth came to define the free-swinging spirit of the age. War and contagion were bygone memories in the Roaring Twenties, when pay increases and shortened workweeks unlocked leisure time in the U.S., and people searched for fun diversions to fill the hours.This was the decade, the historian Frederick Lewis Allen once observed, when sports became "an American obsession."As our own pandemic year ends, to think back a century is to remember how baseball - and football, boxing, tennis, and golf - first gripped the United States' collective attention. Highlights aired weekly at movie theaters. Starting in 1921, radio broadcasts connected listeners across the nation to faraway title games and marquee fights. For daily news, the public turned to newspapers, whose sportswriters had leeway to relentlessly hype the athletes they covered. Tim Clayton / Corbis Sport / Getty ImagesRuth was the Sultan of Swat, the Wizard of Wallop, the embodiment of this boom time, and as author Michael K. Bohn has written, almost everybody loved the guy: "He appealed to everyone but opposing pitchers." Bohn made this remark in his 2009 book, "Heroes & Ballyhoo," the latter term synonymous with the buzz that surrounded sports in the '20s. Ballyhoo was a phenomenon that fed itself, Bohn wrote. Journalists promoted the players, which drew spectators to games, and eventually, their interest compelled promoters and teams to shell out to build grand new venues. All the while, fans demanded more coverage of their favorite athletes, whose reputations thrived."And on it went," Bohn wrote.If two symbols defined the decade in sports, they were probably the knockout and the home run, like Ruth's record-breaker against Chicago that inspired the Polo Grounds faithful to fling their hats, wave their arms, and howl "in glee," as the Times noted. The Yankees didn't win the AL pennant in 1920, but their heyday wasn't far off, and throughout that period, they spearheaded an offensive revolution. By the end of the '20s, the average MLB team clubbed a homer every couple of games, and the Yanks and select other contenders were almost twice as dangerous.The fans who flocked to watch Ruth live appreciated his power, but also his fondness for drinking and aversion to team-imposed curfews, Donald L. Miller wrote in The Conversation several years ago: "White-collar workers fearful of flouting authority and telling off their bosses could take secret pleasure in Ruth’s insubordination." Whatever their particular motivation, these diehards helped the Yankees smash spectatorship records in the early '20s, spurring owner Jacob Ruppert to commission a bigger ballpark in the Bronx. The original Yankee Stadium opened for play in April 1923, less than a year after construction started.Jack Dempsey. George Rinhart / Corbis Historical / Getty ImagesAcross town from Ruppert's baseball temple, promoter Tex Rickard soon broke ground on Madison Square Garden, New York's regal new hub for basketball, hockey, and boxing. Rickard understood the power of spectacle, and together with Jack Dempsey, the era's best heavyweight, he organized mammoth title bouts at MSG and stadiums around the U.S. that in some cases drew more than 100,000 spectators.Dempsey was boxing's original moneymaker, the power puncher who legitimized the brutal art for mass consumption. The first sporting event broadcast on radio nationwide was his July 2, 1921 title defense against French war pilot Georges Carpentier, which also generated boxing's first million-dollar gate. A suspected but acquitted draft dodger, Dempsey entered the ring in New Jersey a foil to his distinguished challenger, but he won over the capacity crowd of 91,613 by KO'ing Carpentier in the fourth round. In 1927, 50 million listeners worldwide heard Dempsey fight Gene Tunney, and this time, the gate at Chicago's Soldier Field surpassed $2 million.Around the same time, football's main superstars were Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne and Illinois halfback Red Grange, and Grantland Rice was there to mythologize them.Rice was the 1920s' foremost celebrity sportswriter, an audacious wordsmith whose columns were published nationally and who, Miller notes, was paid better than Ruth and President Calvin Coolidge. With the NFL in its infancy, college football was the biggest game around. Rockne's Fighting Irish squads pioneered the forward pass; Grange, nicknamed the "Galloping Ghost," was a consensus All-American three years running; and Rice's fawning prose related to millions of readers their greatest feats.Red Grange at Illinois. Archive Photos / Getty ImagesConsider the events of Oct. 18, 1924, when Notre Dame beat rival Army 13-7 at the Polo Grounds and Rice invoked scripture to describe Rockne's star backfield quartet: "Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden."That day in Illinois, Grange rushed and passed for 402 yards and scored five touchdowns against mighty Michigan, with whom the Fighting Illini had split the national championship in 1923. Stirred by the display, Rice later turned to poetry to illustrate Grange's evasiveness on the gridiron:

New Orleans Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his Achilles during Friday's game versus the Minnesota Vikings, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Alexander was carted off the field after suffering the injury in the third quarter.New Orleans acquired Alexander in a midseason trade with the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round pick.In six games with the Saints prior to Christmas, Alexander posted 24 tackles, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and four pass breakups. He started all six of those contests next to Demario Davis.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.A stretch of four straight days with NFL action really ramps up Saturday with an exciting triple-header filled with playoff implications.The action starts with Buccaneers-Lions from Detroit, continues with 49ers-Cardinals from the desert, and finishes with a Dolphins-Raiders nightcap. Here's how we're betting the slate.Alex KolodziejLions team total under 22 (-110)The Lions have lost four of the last five but somehow the offense has been holding up its end of the bargain. Detroit's quietly gone over its team total in four straight, averaging 27 points per game. This is where the magic runs out.The Buccaneers' defense paces the league in virtually every rushing statistic. Detroit, meanwhile, is No. 26 in yards per attempt and No. 23 in rush DVOA.I know the Lions are 'dogs, in a dome, and should be chucking, but Matthew Stafford is still banged up, and there are issues with the play-calling duties. I'll bet on Tampa's defense in this spot.Dan Arnold under (TBA) receiving yards (-115)The Cardinals' offense has received a nice boost down the stretch from Arnold. He has three touchdowns in as many weeks, including a season-high 61 yards over that span. However, this is a good spot to sell high.The 49ers allow the fewest yards per game (31.7) to opposing tight ends in the entire league. And although Arnold's been lighting up the stat sheet, he hasn't played in more than 40% of offensive snaps in five straight.He's an easy fade Saturday.Alex Moretto49ers/Cardinals over 48.5 (-110)In control of their own playoff destiny, the Cardinals have played arguably their best football of the season in the last two weeks. Kyler Murray and the offense registered 916 yards and 59 points in their last two games against a pair of stout defensive units in the Eagles and Giants.A banged-up 49ers defense that's now without Richard Sherman is a step down, and the Cardinals will score at will.We can safely expect the 49ers to contribute on the scoreboard as well. Despite the miserable play of Nick Mullens - C.J. Beathard starts this week - San Francisco has generated plenty of offense of late thanks to Kyle Shanahan's talent as a play-caller. The 49ers averaged over 400 yards of offense the past three weeks and they will find continued success here against a middling Cardinals defense. The return of George Kittle will help their red-zone woes as well.Nelson Agholor under 46.5 receiving yards (-115)Henry Ruggs has been activated off the COVID-19 list and Hunter Renfrow returned to practice fully, with the assumption being he will clear concussion protocol in time to play. Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs will also command a large share of targets in a Raiders offense that loves spreading the ball around.No matter where Nelson Agholor lines up, he's going to see a healthy dose of Byron Jones and Xavien Howard against a Dolphins team that almost exclusively plays man coverage. With a limited target share and plenty of attention from Miami's top corners, expect a quieter night from Agholor.C Jackson CowartKyler Murray over 41.5 rushing yards (-115)Any time Murray faces the 49ers, I rush to check the number on this prop. Sure enough, this is easily low enough to justify the over on the NFL's 18th-leading rusher (741 yards).The Cardinals quarterback has run for at least 45 yards in eight of 14 starts this year, including when he gashed San Francisco's defense for 91 yards in the season opener. That came after he rushed for 34 yards and 67 yards against the 49ers in two meetings a year ago.This season, San Francisco's defense ranks fourth in rushing yards allowed to opposing QBs and has allowed at least 42 rushing yards to QBs in four games this year. Expect Murray to make it five.Dolphins -3 (-105)I know I'm not the only one here who's enjoyed the Dolphins' 11-3 ATS record this year, but it feels like we're among the few who have seen through these flimsy lines on the Fins.I smell another fishy price this week against the Raiders, whose defense is a trainwreck and whose offense will struggle to withstand the barrage of pressure from Miami's tenacious front.Derek Carr was originally supposed to miss two weeks with a "significant" groin injury; now he's playing nine days later and will be expected to evade the Dolphins' unrelenting pass rush? I'm just not buying it.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Another 2-1 week against the spread brings us to 20-15-1 (+3.5 units) on the season with a 9-3 ATS record over the last four weeks. Here are my best bets for Week 16.Dolphins (-3, 47.5) @ Raiders, Dec. 26 @ 8:15 p.m. ETI don't care if you move the Dolphins game to Saturday night or Wednesday morning - I'm betting it, and I'm making money on it. Miami is now an NFL-best 11-3 ATS after last week's win over the Patriots, which I had as one of my best bets last week despite sharp money suggesting otherwise.I don't quite understand this line, either. Derek Carr will be just nine days removed from a "significant" groin injury that could have kept him out for two weeks. Instead, he'll return against a ferocious Dolphins defense that ranks first in takeaways (26) and third in blitz percentage (42.9%).Tua Tagovailoa has played well against below-average NFL defenses, so he should have little trouble against the Raiders, who rank fifth-worst in yards per play (6.0) and net yards per pass attempt (7.0). I know I sound like a broken record, but I love the Dolphins once again.Pick: Dolphins -3Bengals @ Texans (-7.5, 45), Dec. 27 @ 1 p.m.Can someone explain this line to me? I know one of these teams is led by Deshaun Watson and the other by ... Ryan Finley? Brandon Allen? Perhaps that alone is enough to jack this price up to above a touchdown.If you actually observe how these teams are playing on the field, though, it's hard to justify. The Texans (5-9 ATS) have been one of the NFL's worst bets this year and have just four outright wins - against the Jaguars (twice), Patriots, and Lions. They're two weeks removed from getting blasted by the Bears, and now they're giving 7.5 points to a Bengals team that just beat the Steelers in prime time.Yes, Cincinnati's offense is a train wreck, but its defense has held four of its last five opponents to 20 points or fewer, and its offense finally showed an identity in Monday's strong rushing effort. Houston's run defense is almost as bad as its historically inept rushing offense, and it hardly deserves to be priced as such an aggressive favorite.Pick: Bengals +7.5Bills (-7, 46.5) @ Patriots, Dec. 28 @ 8:15 p.m.If any team does deserve to be giving more than a touchdown this week, it's the Bills, who are playing like one of the best teams in the league. Since its bye week, Buffalo has ripped off four straight wins by double digits - most recently beating the Steelers by 11 in prime time and the Broncos by a whopping 27 points on the road.That stretch helped bump the Bills up to No. 3 in weighted DVOA with the third-highest estimated wins (10.2), suggesting this 11-3 start is for real. The same goes for the Patriots (6.2), who are every bit as vulnerable as their 6-8 record suggests with a bottom-10 offense and defense to show for it.New England has looked apathetic for two weeks now, and that was before it was eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2008. Expect the Bills to take advantage in a statement win under the lights.Pick: Bills -7(Odds source: theScore Bet)C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Smith increased his practice workload Friday to full participation, but he's unlikely to have top receiver Terry McLaurin versus the Carolina Panthers if he returns for Week 16.The Washington Football Team quarterback was listed as questionable on the final injury report after completing his first full practice of the week. Smith is nursing a calf injury that forced him to miss a Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.McLaurin was labeled doubtful after missing three practices with an ankle injury. The NFL's 10th-leading receiver has 1,078 yards and three touchdowns through the air over 14 contests in 2020.Smith was reportedly facing an uphill battle to get back into the lineup by Sunday. Washington gave first-team reps Wednesday and Thursday to Dwayne Haskins and installed a game plan tailored to the sophomore's strengths.Washington is 4-1 in games started by Smith, and 2-7 in games started by Haskins or Kyle Allen. The club sits one game ahead of the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys for first place in the NFC East.Elsewhere on offense, Washington called running back Antonio Gibson questionable. The standout rookie logged three limited practices after missing the last two games with a toe injury.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones will miss his third consecutive game Sunday versus the Kansas City Chiefs due to a hamstring injury, the team announced Friday.Overall, Week 16 will mark the sixth contest of the season that Jones has missed. He's been battling a bad hamstring since before the season and first aggravated it in Week 2's loss to the Dallas Cowboys.In nine appearances this year, Jones has 51 catches for 771 yards and three touchdowns. Despite being in and out of the lineup, he ranks second on the team in receiving, trailing only Calvin Ridley.With the Falcons nowhere near the playoff race, it seems unlikely that Atlanta will push Jones to return for the Jan. 3 season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team considered shutting him down earlier in December, though it never officially declared Jones out for the remainder of the season.Jones, who will turn 32 in February, is guaranteed $15.3 million in base salary next season and will carry a cap hit of $23.05 million.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Each week during the NFL season, we'll focus on one underdog with a chance to pull off the outright upset. There's not much left for us to say after last week's win by the Bears (+155), who became the fifth straight 'dog we've cashed. That win brings our record to 8-6 with +7.7 units won solely on moneyline underdogs.We know that can't last forever, but we'll take our chances on the Titans (+160) in a favorable spot against the Packers.All hail King HenryUnlike last year, when Green Bay's run defense was arguably the worst in the league, the Packers have held their own this year. Yet the team is still allowing 4.5 yards per carry to opposing running backs and will have their hands full against the league's top rusher.Derrick Henry enters this week as the NFL's leading rusher (119.9 yards per game) and is averaging an absurd 139.3 rushing yards over his last six. He's ran for a combined 362 yards in the past two weeks to fuel the Titans in blowout wins. That's been the recipe for Tennessee this year: pound the rock with Henry, and set up Ryan Tannehill to exploit overaggressive defenses.The best way to flummox the Titans' offense is to build an early lead and pressure Tannehill, but the Packers' once-vaunted pass rush has taken a dramatic step back this year. If Green Bay can't build a sizable lead early on, its defense will struggle to stay ahead of the chains.Bad matchup for unproven PackersNeither of these teams have played particularly daunting schedules, but the Packers have fewer signature wins and could have their weaknesses exposed once again in a heavyweight spot.After beating the Saints without Michael Thomas in Week 3, Green Bay has played just two teams (Buccaneers, Colts) entering Week 16 with a winning record. It lost both games in a similar fashion - the Packers' defense struggled to contain the run, while their offense fell victim to turnovers.The Titans' defense has had its issues against the pass, but it's still tied for fifth in takeaways (21), while the team overall is tied for the NFL lead in turnover differential (+12). If Tennessee plays to its strengths, it'll present a difficult matchup for the Packers once again.Why the Titans will winThe Packers and Titans are two of the three best teams in the NFL, per PFF, and they've both ridden stellar offenses to double-digit wins. Green Bay's run defense still looms as the most exploitable aspect of this matchup, and Tennessee's rush offense is arguably the most potent unit in the league behind the Chiefs' passing attack.That alone is reason enough to like the Titans' chances on Sunday, and Tennessee's propensity for forcing turnovers is icing on the cake for a plus-money value.(Odds source: theScore Bet)C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden wasn't ready to divulge who will play quarterback in Saturday's must-win game against the Miami Dolphins.Derek Carr practiced all week after suffering a groin injury in last Thursday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Marcus Mariota stepped in for Carr and nearly led the Raiders to victory."We'll see what happens here tomorrow in terms of which way we go, but we'll have two quarterbacks prepared to play," Gruden said in Thursday's press conference.Gruden was careful to state only that he's "optimistic" Carr will be ready to play, keeping in mind how difficult it can be to recover from a groin injury."I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag here, I'm going to make sure he is OK," he said. "I'm going to make sure that physically he has the chance to wake up in the morning and go through his rehab one more day and do all the things that he needs to do against one of the top defenses that blitzes almost every play."Gruden added that defensive end Clelin Ferrell, linebackers Nick Kwiatkoski and Nicholas Morrow, safety Erik Harris, and corner Daryl Worley all will miss Saturday's game.Receiver Henry Ruggs III returned to practice Thursday and the team is hopeful he'll be available versus the Dolphins. There also remains a chance offensive coordinator Greg Olson will return after an absence due to COVID-19 protocols.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

George Kittle is back in the fold for the San Francisco 49ers.The All-Pro tight end, who's been sidelined for the past six games with a fractured bone in his foot, will play in Saturday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Thursday.Kittle will be on a snap count, but Shanahan said he "looked great" at practice this week and joked that Kittle is now one of the healthiest players available to the team.Upon his return, Kittle will be catching passes from C.J. Beathard. Jimmy Garoppolo has yet to be activated from injured reserve with his ankle injury and Nick Mullens has an elbow injury Shanahan believes will require Tommy John surgery, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic.Beathard has appeared in only spot duty this season.The 49ers have been eliminated from playoff contention. The Cardinals currently sit in the NFC's final wild-card spot and can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a loss or tie by the Chicago Bears.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was the winner of FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019, marking the seventh time he's placed in the top 10. Follow the links below to see his rankings for Week 16.Updated rankings (including Standard and PPR) will be released Friday and Saturday, with the final version coming down Sunday morning.Half PPR

The Los Angeles Chargers placed tight end Hunter Henry on the COVID-19 list Thursday, head coach Anthony Lynn told reporters, according to The Athletic's Daniel Popper.Additionally, Lynn said wide receiver Keenan Allen would likely be a game-time decision Sunday versus the Denver Broncos due to a hamstring injury.Lynn didn't say whether Henry tested positive for COVID-19 or was a close contact of someone who did, but the team expects him to miss Week 16. The 26-year-old has played in all 14 contests this year after missing time the last two seasons with injuries.Allen played Dec. 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but the bad hamstring noticeably slowed him and the veteran wideout ended up finishing with only one catch for 17 yards. The 28-year-old, who was selected to the Pro Bowl this season for the fourth time in his career, has 992 yards with eight touchdowns across 14 outings.The Chargers will take a 5-9 record into their meeting with the Broncos, who own an identical mark.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Smith showed progress in his recovery from a calf injury Thursday but Dwayne Haskins handled first-team quarterback reps at practice and is on track to start against the Carolina Panthers in Week 16, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.Smith missed the team's loss to the Seattle Seahawks after suffering the calf ailment the previous week. Haskins started in his place, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions.After spending Wednesday working with trainers, Smith threw to receivers Thursday during individual drills, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. However, it will reportedly be challenging for him to return Sunday when Washington faces Carolina."He did have a good day today," head coach Ron Rivera said, according to Garafolo. "It was promising. We'll see how it is in the morning."Washington has won four of five games started by Smith, who returned in 2020 after missing the entire 2019 season while recovering from surgeries stemming from a broken leg and post-operation infection.The team is 1-4 in games started by Haskins, who was stripped of his captaincy Wednesday after acknowledging he violated COVID-19 protocol by partying without a mask after Washington lost to Seattle.Washington holds a one-game lead over the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys for the top spot in the NFC East. It would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Giants if the two teams finish with the same record but would win the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Cowboys.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.The NFL is offering up a Christmas special this year, giving us the chance to try and double that envelope of cash from grandma.Here's how we're betting Vikings-Saints on Friday night.Alex KolodziejUnder 50.5Both the Vikings and Saints went over the total last week, but this has under written all over it.I don't trust Minnesota's Kirk Cousins against New Orleans' defense, which currently ranks No. 2 in DVOA rush defense and No. 3 in DVOA pass. The Saints just had their toughest matchup of the year against the Chiefs but now face a unit outside the top 10 of DVOA offense. The Vikings have given defenses fits this year, but this is a serious drop-off in speed and scheme from the Chiefs.I'd expect New Orleans to lean on the ground game, as it has all year. The Vikings have had problems stopping the run, ranking No. 20 in DVOA rush.Keep the clock running and give the scoreboard operator an easy day, please.Alex MorettoAlvin Kamara over 45.5 receiving yards (-115)We stayed hot on MNF, hitting with the Bengals +14.5 and Chase Claypool over 39.5 receiving yards. Let's turn that into more money on Christmas.The Vikings remain incredibly thin on defense with Eric Kendricks sidelined, joining a long list of stars already on injured reserve. Kendricks is such an integral part of everything Mike Zimmer does on defense, and his athleticism is crucial; without him, they have no one to match up against the ever-dangerous Alvin Kamara out of the backfield.Expect Kamara to be the security blanket here with Michael Thomas injured. Drew Brees really struggled last week, so I'd anticipate the Saints will scheme the ball into the hands of their most effective playmaker, looking to get Kamara into space to do some damage.And without Kendricks on the field, the Vikings won't have much success stopping him.C Jackson CowartAdam Thielen to score a touchdown (+150)Lost in the brilliance of Justin Jefferson's stellar rookie season is the quietly stout play of Adam Thielen, who has already set a career high in receiving touchdowns (13) and ranks third in the NFL in that department. He's only been shut out in four of 13 games this year and has scored seven times in the last five games, including at least once in four of those five.As strong as the Saints' run defense has been, it's been leaky to receivers, allowing the sixth-most touchdowns to opposing receivers (16) through 14 games. If the Vikings want to keep Friday's game close, they'll need Thielen to have that same nose for the end zone against a vulnerable defense, making this an easy bet to target. The plus-money is merely a bonus.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will again be without starting running back Ronald Jones when they face the Detroit Lions on Saturday.Head coach Bruce Arians said Jones won't make it through the COVID-19 protocol in time for Saturday's game.Jones missed last week's contest after the team placed him on the COVID-19 list on Wednesday.The Bucs struggled to run the ball without their leading rusher in Sunday's comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Leonard Fournette and Ke'Shawn Vaughn combined for 53 yards on 16 carries, though the former found the end zone twice.Jones is nearing his first 1,000-yard season. He has 900 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games.Cornerback Carlton Davis will be a game-time decision as he deals with a groin injury.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder says he is the victim of an extortion attempt by one of the team's minority owners, according to court documents filed in Maryland on Wednesday and accessed by ESPN's John Keim.The court filing comes a day after it was reported the franchise paid a woman who used to work for the team $1.6 million in 2009 as part of a confidential settlement in a sexual misconduct claim against Snyder.It was also reported this week that Snyder is blocking the club's three minority owners - Fred Smith, Dwight Schar, and Robert Rothman - from selling a 40% stake in the team for $900 million. Snyder identified Schar as the owner attempting to extort him."I firmly believe that plaintiff's motion and supplemental filing and the news articles that they have generated are the latest in the effort to extort me," read Snyder's recent court filing.He also alleges that the negative articles are an attempt "to smear me in an effort to gain leverage in this business dispute."The three minority owners reportedly pressured Snyder to sell the franchise in August, though tensions existed prior to the offseason.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Cleveland Browns placed rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. on the COVID-19 list, the team announced Thursday.The Brows have deemed Wills a close contact of someone outside of the building who has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram. The 21-year-old may still be available for Sunday's game against the New York Jets if he continues to test negative, head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed.Kendall Lamm would step into the starting lineup if Wills is unable to play.Additionally, the team has placed receiver Ryan Switzer on the practice squad COVID-19 list.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell won't coach Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being deemed a high-risk close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Thursday.Wide receivers coach Robert Prince will act as the head coach on game day, quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan will call offensive plays, and head coach assistant Evan Rothstein will handle defensive play calls.Along with Bevell, defensive coordinator Cory Undlin, defensive line coach Bo Davis, defensive backs coach Steve Gregory, and linebackers coach Ty McKenzie will miss the Week 16 game.Bevell will be the first head coach to miss a game because of COVID-19 protocol. The 50-year-old is 1-2 since taking over for Matt Patricia. He began the season as the Lions' offensive coordinator.The Lions recorded multiple positive tests after returning home from Tennessee, where they faced the Titans in Week 15. They placed linebacker Anthony Pittman on COVID-19 reserve.Detroit has already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. The team will close out the season against the Minnesota Vikings after battling the Buccaneers.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis interviewed with the Houston Texans for their vacant head coaching job, the team announced Wednesday.Lewis, who is currently part of the staff at Arizona State, will likely draw interest from other NFL clubs as well, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The former Cincinnati sideline boss comes with 16 years of experience as a head coach but has been out of the NFL since the conclusion of the 2018 season after he was fired.Lewis spent his entire head coaching career with the Bengals, roaming the sideline from 2003-18 while compiling a 131-122-3 record. Cincinnati made the postseason on seven occasions during his tenure but was unable to win a playoff game under Lewis.Cincinnati terminated Lewis after recording three consecutive seasons with a losing record. The 62-year-old then headed to the collegiate ranks, serving as a special advisor for Arizona State in 2019 before being a co-defensive coordinator in 2020.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and Anchor.In this episode, Jared Smola of Draft Sharks joins Boone to discuss the most important fantasy questions heading into Week 16.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins took a page out of Allen Iverson's book and reminded critics that practice isn't the same as the game.Hopkins has been scrutinized over the course of the season due to his limited practice habits and taking days off.The 28-year-old receiver didn't hold back when addressing the concerns Wednesday.

The New York Giants aren't sure whether Daniel Jones will be available to play Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, but head coach Joe Judge already knows he wants the quarterback to be under center next season."Daniel Jones is our quarterback," Judge said Wednesday when asked if the second-year signal-caller will be the starter next year, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN."To me it's a string of moments watching Daniel work," Judge added. "Watching the respect he has in the locker room. Watching him lead throughout this season. I think he's demonstrated a level of toughness and leadership and knowledge on the field that gives us confidence to put him out there and build with Daniel."The Giants selected Jones sixth overall in 2019 but the Duke product has failed to match the high investment so far in his young career.Jones has fumbled 28 times since entering the NFL, including a league-high 18 in his rookie campaign.Additionally, the 23-year-old has completed 62.6% of his pass attempts for 2,462 yards and eight touchdowns against nine interceptions through 12 games this season.Jones' status for Week 16 is uncertain as he's dealing with hamstring and ankle injuries. He missed last week's loss to the Cleveland Browns but returned to practice Wednesday.Veteran Colt McCoy is expected to draw his third start of the year if Jones remains sidelined.The 5-9 Giants need a win against the Ravens if they want to keep their chances of winning the NFC East alive.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster said Wednesday he'll stop dancing on opponents' midfield logo before road games, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.The 24-year-old added he's halting the pregame ritual for "the betterment of the team."“For me, honestly, I was dancing when we were undefeated," Smith-Schuster said. "I was dancing when we lost our three games. I’m not going to change the person who I am."The Pittsburgh wideout said the dancing became a concern when teammates and coaches started getting questions about it. Smith-Schuster often posts a video of his midfield dance on his TikTok channel and boasts 2.7 million followers on the social media platform."I’m big on social media," he said. "Doing something like that, you get the positive and negative."The Steelers are in the midst of a three-game losing streak after winning their first 11 contests of the season. With the NFL playoffs nearing, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger called a players-only meeting for the offense this week to emphasize the focus needed ahead of a postseason run.Smith-Schuster has recorded 82 receptions for 670 yards and seven touchdowns with two regular-season games remaining.The USC alum is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2020 season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hears the criticism of his recent play down the regular season's home stretch and agrees with the assessments.The critics got louder following a 27-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football, extending the Steelers losing streak to three games."I don't blame them," Roethlisberger said Wednesday when asked about his detractors, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "When you play like poo, you should get talked about like that. I need to play better. If I'm not giving them a reason to talk good, then I'm giving them a reason to talk bad. That's all on me. I need to play better."The Steelers signal-caller struggled Monday, completing 20 of 38 pass attempts for 170 yards, with one touchdown and an interception."Truthfully, at the end of the day, that's my determining factor if I play well or not, is are we winning the football game?" he said. "That's all that matters to me. Am I not completing enough passes? Am I getting us in the right play call? There's a myriad of issues, in my opinion, that aren't helping us win the game, and it can be something different all the time."The running game for the Steelers has also struggled this season. Pittsburgh ranks 31st in the NFL with an average of 88.9 rushing yards per game.The 38-year-old veteran called a players-only meeting for the offense to get everyone focused ahead of a postseason run."Just wanted guys to understand and reiterate how important this time of year is and the playoffs aren't guaranteed to anybody," Roethlisberger said. "It wasn't a players-only panic meeting. ... This was a meeting that we felt was necessary moving forward going into the postseason."Pittsburgh sits third behind the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills for the AFC's top spot.The 11-3 Steelers will look to curb their misfortune Sunday when they take on the Indianapolis Colts at Heinz Field.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Football Team stripped quarterback Dwayne Haskins of his captaincy following his COVID-19 protocol violation earlier this week, head coach Ron Rivera told Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN.Haskins' teammates voted him as a team captain during training camp. He was photographed at a strip club without a mask last Sunday and apologized for the incident Tuesday."One thing I appreciated was his honesty in the conversation. He and I probably have talked five or six times in the past two days," Rivera said of Haskins.Additionally, Washington fined Haskins $40,000, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.The 23-year-old has started five games for Washington this season, including last week's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 2019 15th overall pick was filling in for veteran quarterback Alex Smith, who's dealing with a calf injury.Rivera said Haskins is still the immediate backup plan if Smith is sidelined for another game.Haskins has completed 62.9% of his pass attempts for 1,285 yards and five touchdowns against five interceptions this season. He's posted a 1-4 record in that span.Washington - which currently leads the NFC East with a 6-8 record - will face the Carolina Panthers in Week 16.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Lamar Jackson's last two seasons have been drastically different.The Baltimore Ravens quarterback went from unanimously being named the MVP a year ago to not even making the Pro Bowl this season.After that drop-off, Jackson is fine with not being named to the AFC's Pro Bowl squad this year, and he thinks the other signal-callers selected deserve the honor."I feel those guys who made it to the Pro Bowl, deserve it," Jackson said Wednesday. "That's a lot of great quarterbacks, and a lot of great players who are going to be in it. I'm cool with it."Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, and Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans were the AFC passers selected to the Pro Bowl.Jackson has completed 64.8% of his pass attempts this season while throwing for 21 touchdowns against eight interceptions through 13 games. He's also rushed for 828 yards and seven scores.Seven other Ravens earned Pro Bowl nods, including six who also went last year: Offensive tackle Orlando Brown, long snapper Morgan Cox, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, linebacker Matthew Judon, fullback Patrick Ricard, and kicker Justin Tucker.The Ravens are fighting for a playoff spot, but Baltimore doesn't control its own destiny. Though the team needs at least one of its opponents currently in the playoff picture to lose a game, Jackson is focused on the club winning its last two contests."We're just going to let it take care of itself," he added. "We're not focused on the outside, other teams, and stuff like that. We're focused on ourselves."The 9-5 Ravens host the New York Giants in Week 16 before traveling to Cincinnati to face the Bengals in their regular-season finale.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Each week, we highlight the best NFL betting trends and angles to consider as you prepare for the weekend's action. Here are some notable trends ahead of Week 16.Browns (-9, 46.5) at Jets, 1 p.m. ETFor weeks, we've been wondering if the Jets could win a game. Now that they have, will New York suffer during a letdown spot here? The trends suggest that's not likely. Since 2007, teams that don't record a win until the second half of the season are 11-3-1 against the spread the following week, even winning six games outright.Pick: Jets +9Bengals at Texans (-8, 46), 1 p.m.A week after beating the Steelers on Monday night, the Bengals are in a favorable spot as massive underdogs. Cincinnati has gone 11-5-1 ATS in its last 16 as road 'dogs, while the Texans are 1-5 ATS in their last six games when giving eight-plus points.Pick: Bengals +8Broncos at Chargers (-3, 48.5), 4:05 p.m.Bettors might be buying back in after the Chargers' Week 15 win, but is it worth laying the points? Los Angeles is 4-11-2 ATS in its last 17 games as a favorite, and the Chargers are a miserable 10-24-1 ATS as a home favorite dating back to 2014. Teams coming off an overtime Thursday night win are also 3-6 ATS over the last nine such contests.Pick: Chargers -3Panthers at Washington (-2.5, 44), 4:05 p.m.When Teddy Bridgewater is an underdog, bettors ought to take notice. The Panthers quarterback is a career 23-7 ATS as an underdog, including 7-1 ATS over his last eight games. The Panthers are also a red-hot 6-1 ATS on the road with six straight covers.Pick: Panthers +2.5(Odds source: theScore Bet)C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona has hired New England Patriots quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch as its new head coach, the school announced Wednesday."We are tremendously excited to have Jedd Fisch come to Tucson to reinvigorate our football program and lead us to championships," said athletic director Heeke. "Jedd has a unique ability to teach the game of football effectively to his players and to inspire them with his passion."We conducted a comprehensive national search with an impressive array of candidates but in the end, Jedd is exactly what our program needs right now and I cannot wait to partner with him to move us forward."Fisch interviewed with the Wildcats on Monday. He'll take over for Kevin Sumlin, whom the team fired after finishing the campaign 0-5, including a 70-7 season-finale loss against rival Arizona State.The 44-year-old Fisch joined New England for the 2020 season after two years with the Los Angeles Rams. He's never worked as a head coach but has wide-ranging experience at both the NFL and collegiate levels.Fisch spent time with UCLA, Michigan, Miami, Minnesota, and Florida, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans.Cam Newton has produced a disappointing first year with the Patriots under Fisch's guidance. He's thrown for 2,381 yards and five touchdowns against 10 interceptions, adding 489 yards and 11 scores on the ground.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill agrees with Randy Moss placing himself at the top of the list as the best wide receiver in NFL history.Hill weighed in on the debate in an interview with TMZ Sports, saying he considers Moss the greatest of all time over Jerry Rice."Everybody know I'm going to say Randy Moss," Hill said. "Randy Moss was my favorite player growing up. Randy Moss is my favorite player of all time. Randy Moss, Randy Moss, Randy Moss, man."Randy Moss is the GOAT of all wide receivers ... like, he just changed the game. (He's) 6-foot-4, run a 4.2, can create separation, can run routes, can catch the ball. Like, come on."Like, I understand Jerry got the stats and he got the touchdowns, he got all this, he can run routes. But if I'm picking a receiver who's gonna make me some plays in crunch times when I need them, Randy Moss, definitely."Moss declared himself the NFL's best receiver ever on a recent episode of Terrell Owens' podcast "Getcha Popcorn Ready" and ranked Rice third or fourth behind Owens.Rice brushed off Moss' comments Monday during an appearance on 95.7 The Game, saying he cares more about Super Bowl wins than the GOAT title."If Randy wants to be No. 1, that's fine," Rice said. "There are so many GOATs. If T.O. wants to be No. 2, that's fine. But my main thing is it was all about the rings, the championships. That's why we play the game."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell and almost all of the defensive staff are in danger of missing Saturday's game after being considered close contacts to the team's recent positive COVID-19 tests, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.Tuesday's positive results stem from the club's travel, and the Lions are working with the NFL on high-risk close contacts to determine if some coaches can participate in the Week 16 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, added Rapoport.Detroit closed its facility Tuesday after a pair of positive COVID-19 results and later placed linebacker Anthony Pittman on the reserve list.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Josh Gordon will not be allowed to play or practice indefinitely after suffering a setback in his battle with substance abuse, sources told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.Gordon was activated to Seahawks' main roster Monday, but Tuesday's NFL transaction list showed the receiver returned to the exempt list, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.The wideout can still attend team meetings and individual workouts.Gordon had been serving an indefinite ban for violating the league's policy on substance abuse and performance-enhancing drugs. He has missed two full seasons and portions of others due to suspensions.David Moore will likely continue to serve as the team's third receiving option behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.The 29-year-old put up 426 yards last season while splitting time between the Seahawks and New England Patriots.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Teams in need of a head coach may request and conduct virtual interviews with candidates employed by other clubs starting Wednesday, according to an NFL memo obtained by Albert Breer of the MMQB.Opposing teams will be able to deny the request until the conclusion of the regular season.

Tom Brady's social media game remains on point. The quarterback's tweets are almost as legendary as his Hall of Fame career.On Tuesday, Brady took aim at former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy.Dungy appeared on Shannon Sharpe's FOX Sports podcast and labeled Brady the sixth-toughest quarterback to coach against.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was the winner of FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019, marking the seventh time he's placed in the top 10. Follow the links below to see his rankings for Week 16.Updated rankings (including Standard and PPR) will be released Thursday, with the final version coming down Sunday morning.Half PPR

The San Francisco 49ers are signing quarterback Josh Rosen off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad and he'll be available for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.Rosen was released by the Miami Dolphins in September and then signed with the Buccaneers prior to the start of the regular season.The move comes hours after head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that quarterback Nick Mullens' elbow injury may require surgery. Veteran signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo, who started for the 49ers in Week 1, has battled injuries all season long and hasn't played since Week 8.San Francisco's depth chart at quarterback also features C.J. Beathard, who's likely to start against the Cardinals. The team has Josh Johnson on its practice squad, but he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday.Rosen's last NFL start dates back to October 2019 with the Miami Dolphins.Overall, the 2018 10th overall pick has made 20 appearances in the league (16 starts) for the Arizona Cardinals and Dolphins. He's completed 54.8% of his pass attempts for 2,845 yards and 12 touchdowns against 19 interceptions while posting a 3-13 record.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Houston Texans fined multiple players, including Deshaun Watson, for attending the grand opening of the quarterback's restaurant, sources told ESPN's Sarah Barshop.Watson was fined $7,500 for his role in the event, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.Six or more players were in attendance for the opening. The league's COVID-19 protocols prohibit more than three players from gathering outside the team facility.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Somehow, this wacky NFL season is almost over - and unlike in the NBA and NHL last year, your win totals bets will most likely come to a conclusion, too. Which ones have already been decided? And which do you need to sweat out over the final two weeks?A year ago, the final two weeks determined the fate of 10 team win totals. In 2020, only seven bets are still in flux heading into Week 16. However, five could still go either way, making for an intriguing end to the campaign.We've tracked all 32 preseason win totals so you know which ones to cash, watch, or sweat heading into Week 16, with some notes on a few interesting teams:Cash itOverTEAMWIN TOTALRECORDKansas City Chiefs11.513-1Seattle Seahawks9.510-4Green Bay Packers911-3Pittsburgh Steelers911-3Indianapolis Colts910-4Buffalo Bills8.511-3Cleveland Browns8.510-4Tennessee Titans8.510-4Los Angeles Rams8.59-5Arizona Cardinals78-6Miami Dolphins6.59-5Washington Football Team56-8Kansas City Chiefs (11.5)The Chiefs began the season tied for the highest win total and didn't disappoint, winning 12-plus games for the third straight year and reaching 13 victories for the first time since 2003. All of us probably should have seen this coming.Buffalo Bills (8.5)I entered the year shouting from the mountaintops about the Bills, who still hold an outside shot at the AFC's No. 1 seed after a four-game winning streak. That probably won't happen, but we're happy to settle for an over that cashes in the first week of December.Miami Dolphins (6.5)The biggest surprise of the year is easily the Dolphins, who are tied with the Bills for the largest gap between win total and current wins. Miami is the only team with a winning record that began the year with a win total below eight, which speaks volumes about the job Brian Flores has done over his first two years as head coach.UnderTeamWin TotalRecordBaltimore Ravens11.59-5San Francisco 49ers10.55-9Dallas Cowboys9.55-9Philadelphia Eagles9.54-9-1New England Patriots96-8Minnesota Vikings8.56-8Denver Broncos7.55-9Los Angeles Chargers7.55-9Atlanta Falcons7.54-10Houston Texans7.54-10New York Jets6.51-13Cincinnati Bengals5.53-10-1Jacksonville Jaguars51-13Baltimore Ravens (11.5)One team was bound to experience the season from hell amid the pandemic, and that team is the Ravens, whose schedule was uprooted halfway through the year due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Even so, they'd lost three of their last four games before that point, so this total was always doomed to go under.Dallas Cowboys (9.5)Three other teams have undershot a win total more than the Cowboys, but none of those outcomes feel as disappointing relative to what we expected from Dallas this year. Dak Prescott's injury was a devastating blow, but the 'Boys were already 1-3 at that point with one of the worst defenses in recent memory. Do we owe Jason Garrett an apology?New York Jets (6.5)Debating whether this would go over or under feels a little silly in retrospect, doesn't it? I went back and forth prior to the year before settling on the over, and the Jets then became one of the worst teams we've ever seen. Even Jets fans can't enjoy their misery after New York squandered its tank job with last week's win. Classic Jets.Watch itTeamWin TotalRecordNew Orleans Saints10.510-4Tampa Bay Buccaneers99-5Las Vegas Raiders77-7Detroit Lions6.55-9Carolina Panthers5.54-10New Orleans Saints (10.5)The Saints will be big favorites in each of their final two games, and they need to win both to maintain a chance at securing the No. 1 seed. But if they lose this week to the Vikings, there's a possibility New Orleans will have clinched the division with no shot at the top seed, leading to a chance the team could rest its starters. Don't count on it, though.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9)If you bet the Buccaneers' over, you've already got a push in your back pocket, with easily winnable games remaining against the Lions and Falcons. This is as good as it gets without being graded.Las Vegas Raiders (7)The overtime loss last week to the Chargers could loom large for those who bet this Raiders total. Las Vegas is an underdog this week against the Dolphins and could be playing for nothing in Week 17.Detroit Lions (6.5)This bet isn't final, but it may as well be with the Lions catching more than a touchdown this week against the Buccaneers. If they survive that, a date with the Vikings awaits in the season finale.Carolina Panthers (5.5)The Panthers looked well on their way to hitting this over after a 3-2 start, but a subsequent five-game losing streak has put Carolina bettors in a tough position entering Week 16. This team could upset Washington and catch the Saints in a favorable Week 17 spot, but that's still a long shot.Sweat itTeamWin TotalRecordChicago Bears87-7New York Giants65-9Chicago Bears (8)This is incredibly tight down the stretch. The Bears are massive favorites this week over the Jaguars - who now hold the tiebreaker for the No. 1 pick in April - but they face the Packers in Week 17. Will Green Bay be playing for anything? And will something be motivating Chicago? Buckle up.New York Giants (6)It feels like the Giants have lived through three different seasons this year - the 1-7 start, the four-game win streak, and now a two-game skid that has left over bettors hoping for a miracle this week against the Ravens. If the Giants win, though, a juicy matchup against the Cowboys awaits.(Odds source: theScore Bet)C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay confirmed Tuesday that his team would interview interim head coach Raheem Morris for the Falcons' head coaching job next season."He will definitely, in the process, be interviewed," McKay said Tuesday, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He's earned that right. I've known Raheem (for) a long time. I remember when we hired him in Tampa as an assistant secondary coach."Morris was named interim head coach in mid-October after Atlanta fired Dan Quinn, who started the 2020 campaign 0-5.Morris, 44, has posted a 4-5 record this season. He won three of his first four games as the interim head coach but has lost four of the past five."He is really a good football coach," McKay said. "He inherited a situation. We were 0-5. When you're an interim coach with 11 weeks to go, that’s more than challenging. He's earned that right to be interviewed, and he will."Morris has head coaching experience as he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-11. He owned a 17-31 record with the Bucs.Atlanta also parted ways with longtime general manager Thomas Dimitroff in October. The club's potential candidates for its next GM reportedly include Anthony Robinson, Rick Smith, and Louis Riddick.The 4-10 Falcons are already eliminated from the playoff race with two games left in the regular season. Atlanta has now missed the postseason in each of the last three campaigns.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Francisco 49ers will be down two more offensive players to end their 2020 campaign.Starting running back Raheem Mostert will be placed on injured reserve after suffering his second high-ankle sprain this year, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.Quarterback Nick Mullens sustained a significant ligament injury to his throwing elbow during Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys that requires surgery, according to NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco.Mullens' injury means C.J. Beathard will likely start in Week 16. The 49ers opened the 21-day practice window for Jimmy Garoppolo on Tuesday, though he won't see game action to end the season, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury.San Francisco has been one of the league's most injury-riddled squads in 2020. Key players who missed extended time, in addition to Garoppolo and Mostert, include Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Richard Sherman, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle.Mullens started eight games for the 49ers this year and saw action in two others. He completed 64.7% of his passes for 2,437 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.The reigning conference champions currently sit last in the NFC West at 5-9 with remaining games against the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Louis Riddick continues to be a hot general manager candidate.The ESPN analyst will interview Wednesday for the Jacksonville Jaguars' general manager job, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.Riddick has already interviewed for the same position with the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions. The former pro scout is reportedly a candidate for the Atlanta Falcons' opening, too.The 51-year-old, who previously worked as director of pro personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team, is currently in his first year in the Monday Night Football booth.Jacksonville is seeking a new general manager after firing Dave Caldwell at the end of November. Caldwell held the role since 2013.If the Jaguars hire him, Riddick could lead the team holding the No. 1 pick in April's draft.The AFC South club is now the favorite for the top spot - and to potentially use it on Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence - after the New York Jets stunned the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, earning their first win.Both teams sit at 1-13, but Jacksonville owns the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins apologized Tuesday for partying without wearing a mask in a strip club Sunday."I want to publicly apologize for my actions this past Sunday," Haskins tweeted. "I spoke with coach (Ron) Rivera yesterday and took full accountability for putting the team at risk. It was irresponsible and immature of me and I accept responsibility for my action."He added: "I also want to apologize for creating a distraction for my team during our playoff push. I will learn and grow from this and do what's best for the team moving forward."Washington has been in contact with the league after becoming aware of social media posts showing Haskins partying, and it's handling the matter internally, according to John Keim of ESPN.Haskins started Sunday during a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in place of the injured Alex Smith. He threw for one touchdown against two interceptions and completed 38 of 55 passes for 295 yards.

The Washington Football Team paid a former female employee $1.6 million in 2009 as part of a settlement stemming from an incident that year, according to the agreement obtained by The Washington Post's Will Hobson, Beth Reinhard, and Liz Clarke.Washington agreed to a confidential settlement with the former employee after she accused team owner Dan Snyder of sexual misconduct, sources told The Post.The former employee said the incident occurred on Snyder's private plane during a flight from Las Vegas in April 2009.She made "certain allegations" and was fired shortly thereafter, according to a copy of the agreement - which didn't detail the nature of her claims. However, the two sides agreed that her personnel file would show she resigned, according to The Post.Both Snyder and the former employee declined to comment on the settlement. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy also denied a request to discuss whether the league is aware of the allegations.News of the 2009 settlement comes after 15 women said in July they were sexually harassed while working for Washington. A month later, more former employees came forward and accused Snyder and others of harassment in the workplace.The franchise's minority partners pressured Snyder to sell the club this offseason. In court records filed Monday as part of the ongoing legal battle, Snyder's business partners called the 2009 incident "a serious accusation of sexual misconduct."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner won't play against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football due to a quad injury, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Conner was deemed questionable Saturday on the final injury report in the lead-up to the Week 15 capper. He logged limited practices Friday and Saturday, but Pittsburgh downgraded his status roughly four-and-a-half hours before kickoff.Conner has played once since Week 11, missing time after testing positive for COVID-19. The fourth-year rusher has been in and out of the lineup throughout the season because of various ailments.With Conner out, the Steelers figure to rely more on Benny Snell, who's likely to draw the start versus Cincinnati, according to Schefter.In 11 appearances this season, Conner has rushed for 663 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 4.3 yards per carry.The Steelers are looking to get back on track against the Bengals, as they've dropped two straight following their 11-0 start to the season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.