Clowney, 26, who was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl last season, finished 2018 with 47 tackles, nine sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also had 16 tackles for loss, which tied for ninth in the NFL last season, and he now has 53 tackles for loss over the past three seasons, which ranks third in the league.
Clowney the first overall pick of the 2014 draft, struggled with knee injuries early in his career, missing 15 games in his first two seasons. In 2016, he played through wrist and elbow injuries, appearing in 14 games and making the Pro Bowl for the first time. Since then, he has missed just one game over two seasons.
Clowney chose not to sign his franchise tender this offseason, which is worth $15.967 million for the 2019 season. Clowney will have to sign the tender in order to complete the trade.
Fox Sports first reported that a deal had been agreed to.
The Texans tagged Clowney as a linebacker ($15.443 million) rather than as a defensive end ($17.128 million). However, because players receive the higher amount between the tag value or 120% of last year's salary, Clowney is poised to get an additional $524,000 this season. He made $13.306 million, including a $1 million bonus, while playing on his fifth-year option in 2018.
Despite being tagged as a linebacker, Clowney played most of his snaps at defensive end in 2018, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He logged 729 at defensive end, 101 at defensive tackle and 33 at linebacker last season.
Information from ESPN's Sarah Barshop was used in this report.
SHENZHEN: Zhang Weili thrilled a Chinese home crowd with an upset knockout of UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade that took just 41 seconds Saturday (Aug 31), making her China's first champion in the world's biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.
The experienced Andrade, who came into the fight tied for the most wins by a woman in UFC history with 11, charged the underdog Zhang from the start.
But the Brazilian ran into a barrage of punches and knee kicks from Zhang that sent her staggering to the canvas as the referee waved the fight over.
"Last year in Beijing I vowed to become the first Chinese champion, and I did it!" Zhang, 30, declared afterwards at the UFC Fight Night event in a sports arena in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Zhang was the first Chinese fighter to even get a title shot from the UFC, which is pushing hard into a Chinese market where interest in MMA is growing rapidly.
The decision had raised some eyebrows as Zhang was only the sixth-ranked strawweight in the world, and given Andrade's reputation for brutally seeing off opponents.
Andrade has six years' experience in the UFC and was coming off a crushing first-round title victory in May over then-champ Rose "Thug" Namajunas of the United States.
But Zhang, who is known for her ferocious buzzsaw attacking style, never allowed Andrade to get going.
"As a Chinese person, I feel so proud," she said.
"Today, I want to dedicate this victory to the 70th anniversary of the motherland," she added, referring to the approaching anniversary on October 1 of the founding of Communist-ruled China.
Zhang has now won all four of her UFC fights, and has a 20-fight winning streak in all competitions.
She moves to 20-1, with that single loss coming in her first MMA bout in 2013.
Zhang trained in martial arts as a child but was inspired to enter MMA by the success of pioneering former women's world champion Ronda Rousey, who dominated the sport for years.
The Zhang-Andrade bout was the third time this year that female fighters had topped the card at an event staged by the UFC, with one more on the horizon before the end of 2019.
Earlier this year, the UFC opened what it bills as the world's largest MMA training and development base in Shanghai.
The center is aimed at building the UFC brand in China and at nurturing the next generation of Chinese mixed martial arts fighters, who can now draw inspiration from Zhang's victory.
In a surprising twist, the Bills cut McCoy while whittling down their roster Saturday, according to multiple reports.
ESPN first reported that McCoy, a six-time Pro Bowl running back, was being released.
Originally a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, McCoy was traded to Buffalo in a blockbuster deal prior to the 2015 season. He started 56 games over the past four seasons with the Bills and amassed more than 3,800 rushing yards and 30 total rushing touchdowns — though his production took a significant dip last year.
McCoy, 31, also reached the Pro Bowl in three of his four seasons in Buffalo.
McCoy was expected to have a significant role in the Bills' offense in 2019, but he a member of an increasingly crowded backfield alongside fellow veterans Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon, as well as rookie Devin Singletary.
NFL teams must trim their rosters from 90 to 53 by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
We are technically two days into Week 1 already, but any real college football fan knows that Saturday is the day where all -- or this week, most of -- the action goes down. With games spanning the entire day, many of the best teams in the nation will be in action with SEC powers No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia and No. 16 Auburn all in noteworthy matchups. No. 25 Stanford vs. Northwestern will also be an interesting affair, and No. 11 Oregon has a chance to make a statement for the Pac-12.
With action starting early in the day and continuing late into the night, let's take a look at the biggest games on the schedule Saturday along with our predictions for what will transpire in those contests. Our CBS Sports college football experts have picked every game both straight up and against the spread, giving you ample opportunity to decide how to make your picks ahead of kickoff.
What will go down Saturday afternoon? Let's take a look. And don't forget to subscribe to our Cover 3 college football podcast. Listen below for locks for the top games in Week 1.
All times Eastern
FAU at No. 5 Ohio State (-27.5) -- Noon on FOX: This game won't be close, but picking which side of the massive 27.5 point spread is a tricky one. The fact this game is in Columbus, Ohio, under a new quarterback and the first game under coach Ryan Day, I'm expecting a motivated Buckeyes team to cover. Pick: Ohio State (-27.5) -- Kyle Boone
No. 2 Alabama (-35.5) vs. Duke in Atlanta -- 3:30 p.m. on ABC: Alabama games with massive spreads are always tough to pick because it really just depends on when Nick Saban wants to take his foot off the gas. After what we saw at Levi's Stadium in January, it'll stay to the floor for a while on Saturday. Tua Tagovailoa will get in a nice rhythm with his wide receivers, and the defense will have no problem slowing down the Blue Devils. Pick: Alabama (-35.5) -- Barrett Sallee
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Northwestern at No. 25 Stanford (-6.5) -- 4 p.m. on FOX: You can bet against Shaw and Stanford, but in this scenario, you'd be foolish to do so. They have the edge at quarterback, home-field advantage and more weapons at their disposal. The Cardinal should cruise here and cover as they kick their season off in style. Pick: Stanford (-6.5) -- Kyle Boone
No. 11 Oregon at No. 16 Auburn (-3.5) in Dallas -- 7:30 p.m. on ABC: It's hard to go against the Heisman Trophy hopeful QB in a matchup against a true freshman, but it's also hard to pick a Pac-12 team against an SEC squad. Since Auburn last beat Oregon, the Pac-12 and SEC have crossed paths 14 times. The SEC is 10-4 ATS in those games, and that includes a record of 6-0 ATS in neutral site games like this one. Until the Pac-12 proves its capable of not only winning but covering these games, I have a hard time picking it to do so. Pick: Auburn (-3.5) -- Tom Fornelli
No. 3 Georgia (-21.5) at Vanderbilt -- 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network: Give me the Bulldogs, and give them to me big. The wide receivers will show that they are a strength, not a liability, against the Commodores secondary. After getting Fromm into rhythm, coach Kirby Smart and coordinator James Coley will work in Zamir White, Brian Herrien and the rest of the reserve running backs in an effort to build depth behind D'AandreSwift. On the other side of the ball, Georgia will bring the heat on the Vanderbilt quarterback (likely Riley Neal), and the secondary will capitalize on multiple mistakes. This one will get sideways in the second half. Pick: Georgia (-21.5) -- Barrett Sallee
Karol Rosa def. Lara Procopio by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
An all-Brazilian affair in the women’s bantamweight division kicked off the night in Shenzhen, as newcomers Rosa and Procopio shared the stage in their joint debuts.
A training partner of strawweight champ and UFC Shenzhen headliner Jessica Andrade, Rosa started this one aggressively, marching forward behind a sharp, steady jab. The clean shots turned into combinations finished with strong leg kicks by Rosa, but despite getting wobbled, Procopio stood tall, returned fire and ended the first round by shifting the momentum in her favor.
The second round began much like the first, with Rosa getting the better of the exchanges in space as Procopio countered, ducking in with tepid takedown attempts that were easily denied. Again like the opening frame, Procopio had her best success in the second half of the round, connecting flush with several clean right hands, keeping things close heading into the third and final round.
Procopio started a little quicker in the third, pressing forward behind her own jab, landing right hands behind it, only to have Rosa counter with a big right of her own, dropping the Nova Uniao product. Procopio got back to her feet and resumed marching forward, but she clearly looked slowed, as Rosa continued to crash home right hands, mixing in knees to the midsection into the final two minutes of the fight.
Down the stretch, Rosa continued to control the action, easily sprawling out on a pair of late takedown attempts, avoiding much of what Procopio had to offer and continuing to distance herself from her countrywoman in the final round.
Carla Suarez Navarro, of Spain, reacts after losing a point to Timea Babos, of Hungary, during the first round of the US Open tennis tournament Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
In the latest example of a player fined thousands of dollars at a Grand Slam tournament for what tennis officials deem a lack of effort, 28th-seeded Carla Suárez Navarro of Spain was docked $40,000 at the U.S. Open on Thursday, two days after retiring from her first-round match with a lower-back injury.
She was due to collect $58,000 as a first-round loser in singles at Flushing Meadows.
But tournament referee Soeren Friemel said Suárez Navarro, who can appeal the decision, "did not perform to the required professional standards" and so was punished for violating the first-round performance rule. She stopped playing after losing the first set of her match against Timea Babos by a 6-2 score.
The Grand Slam Board introduced the rule before the 2018 season to deter players who enter tournaments while injured from retiring during first-round matches.
Suárez Navarro also retired from a match at the hard-court tournament in Toronto earlier this month.
"Not the easiest weeks for me dealing with some back pain," she tweeted Thursday. "We made our best effort to be ready and play our heart out, but it got really worse during my opening match in New York."
In July, American player Anna Tatishvili was awarded her French Open prize money when the Grand Slam Board reversed her fine of about $50,000 for a 6-0, 6-1 loss at the French Open. That was her first tournament since October 2017.
Bernard Tomic was fined his full prize money of about $55,000 at Wimbledon last month after a three-set loss in the first round that lasted only 58 minutes.
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DOUBLE TROUBLE
Naomi Osaka would be happy to play mixed doubles with Kei Nishikori for Japan at the 2020 Toyko Olympics.
Just one problem: The reigning U.S. Open singles champion apparently isn't much of a doubles player.
After Osaka's victory in singles Thursday — with Colin Kaepernick and Kobe Bryant watching from her courtside box — she said that "anyone that knows my doubles track record" knows she's not exactly an expert.
She hasn't played a tour-level women's doubles match since 2017 ... and she went 0-5 that season.
Nishikori said last week he was planning to play singles and men's doubles in Tokyo but wasn't sure about mixed, because it might mean too much tennis in the hot and humid weather. But, he added he would talk to Osaka at some point.
They are friends, and Osaka said their pairing in Tokyo would be "historic."
"I would definitely play with him," Osaka said. "I just would actually need to practice doubles for the first time in my life. Because you cannot play mixed doubles with Kei Nishikori and lose in the first round of the Olympics in Tokyo. That would be the biggest — like, I would cry. I would actually cry for losing a doubles match."
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SET-DOWN SERENA
That Serena Williams came back to beat 17-year-old Caty McNally at the U.S. Open after dropping their opening set shouldn't have come as a surprise: No one in the history of professional tennis has been as good as Williams at that sort of turnaround.
Turns out Williams actually wins more Grand Slam matches than she loses after trailing by a set.
Her 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 victory over McNally in the second round at Flushing Meadows improved Williams' career record at major tournaments to 42-40 after being down a set — the only woman in the 50-year Open era who can boast of a winning record in such situations, according to the WTA.
The only other active player with more than 25 such victories is her older sister, Venus, who has 28.
In all tour-level main-draw matches, Williams is 97-107 after ceding the opening set, a .475 winning percentage that leads active players. Next on the list? Maria Sharapova at .390, 83-130.
Carla Suarez Navarro, of Spain, reacts after losing a point to Timea Babos, of Hungary, during the first round of the US Open tennis tournament Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
In the latest example of a player fined thousands of dollars at a Grand Slam tournament for what tennis officials deem a lack of effort, 28th-seeded Carla Suárez Navarro of Spain was docked $40,000 at the U.S. Open on Thursday, two days after retiring from her first-round match with a lower-back injury.
She was due to collect $58,000 as a first-round loser in singles at Flushing Meadows.
But tournament referee Soeren Friemel said Suárez Navarro, who can appeal the decision, "did not perform to the required professional standards" and so was punished for violating the first-round performance rule. She stopped playing after losing the first set of her match against Timea Babos by a 6-2 score.
The Grand Slam Board introduced the rule before the 2018 season to deter players who enter tournaments while injured from retiring during first-round matches.
Suárez Navarro also retired from a match at the hard-court tournament in Toronto earlier this month.
"Not the easiest weeks for me dealing with some back pain," she tweeted Thursday. "We made our best effort to be ready and play our heart out, but it got really worse during my opening match in New York."
In July, American player Anna Tatishvili was awarded her French Open prize money when the Grand Slam Board reversed her fine of about $50,000 for a 6-0, 6-1 loss at the French Open. That was her first tournament since October 2017.
Bernard Tomic was fined his full prize money of about $55,000 at Wimbledon last month after a three-set loss in the first round that lasted only 58 minutes.
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DOUBLE TROUBLE
Naomi Osaka would be happy to play mixed doubles with Kei Nishikori for Japan at the 2020 Toyko Olympics.
Just one problem: The reigning U.S. Open singles champion apparently isn't much of a doubles player.
After Osaka's victory in singles Thursday — with Colin Kaepernick and Kobe Bryant watching from her courtside box — she said that "anyone that knows my doubles track record" knows she's not exactly an expert.
She hasn't played a tour-level women's doubles match since 2017 ... and she went 0-5 that season.
Nishikori said last week he was planning to play singles and men's doubles in Tokyo but wasn't sure about mixed, because it might mean too much tennis in the hot and humid weather. But, he added he would talk to Osaka at some point.
They are friends, and Osaka said their pairing in Tokyo would be "historic."
"I would definitely play with him," Osaka said. "I just would actually need to practice doubles for the first time in my life. Because you cannot play mixed doubles with Kei Nishikori and lose in the first round of the Olympics in Tokyo. That would be the biggest — like, I would cry. I would actually cry for losing a doubles match."
___
SET-DOWN SERENA
That Serena Williams came back to beat 17-year-old Caty McNally at the U.S. Open after dropping their opening set shouldn't have come as a surprise: No one in the history of professional tennis has been as good as Williams at that sort of turnaround.
Turns out Williams actually wins more Grand Slam matches than she loses after trailing by a set.
Her 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 victory over McNally in the second round at Flushing Meadows improved Williams' career record at major tournaments to 42-40 after being down a set — the only woman in the 50-year Open era who can boast of a winning record in such situations, according to the WTA.
The only other active player with more than 25 such victories is her older sister, Venus, who has 28.
In all tour-level main-draw matches, Williams is 97-107 after ceding the opening set, a .475 winning percentage that leads active players. Next on the list? Maria Sharapova at .390, 83-130.
When Caty McNally took the court on Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, she tried not to overthink who her opponent was across the way, even though it happened to be Serena Williams.
“I just try to take it as another match and not really worry about who’s across the net,” McNally said at the US Open, per ESPN. “I know if I did that, it might affect the way I play. I might become more emotionally attached to the match. That’s not good for me.”
McNally stuck to that mentality as she stunned Williams in the first set, 7-5. The 37-year-old veteran went on to defeat McNally, taking the final two sets 6-3, 6-1 against the rising 17-year-old tennis star in the second round.
Serena Williams and Caty McNallyGetty Images
“I’m really just happy with the way I overall played, the way I carried myself out on that stage,” McNally said. “I walked out there, and I had the chills. That was the most insane atmosphere. I’ve never played on a court nowhere near that big, especially a night match. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was just an unbelievable experience, something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
Ranked No. 111 in the world, the Cincinnati native made her WTA main-draw debut in 2017 at the Western & Southern Open playing doubles with Alexa Glatch. In 2018, McNally won two doubles grand slam girls titles — the French Open with Iga Swiatek and the US Open with Coco Gauff.
McNally is coached by her mother, Lynn Nabors-McNally, who played at Northwestern and is a prominent coach in Ohio. Her brother, John, is also an aspiring tennis player and nervously watched Caty battle Williams on Wednesday night.
“That’d be insane, but you never know,” John told the Desert Sun in 2016, when asked about the possibility of both making it professionally. “We both dream of like playing mixed doubles at the U.S. Open or doing something awesome like that. My parents would love to see that too, obviously.”
On Monday, McNally defeated Swiss tennis player Timea Bacsinszky in the first round. And though her journey this time around has come to an end, McNally is grateful for her experience against Williams.
“I was just really excited, honestly,” she said. “Could you tell from my reaction? I was really pumped up. Super happy just to get a set from her. That’s something that not very many people do. But I knew I needed to stay focused because I knew she was going to pick up her level.”
It has been quite a Grand Slam season for American teenagers on the women’s tennis tour, and though autumn is on the horizon, they continue to make a deep impression.
After the 15-year-old Coco Gauff defeated Venus Williams in her first match at Wimbledon last month, Gauff’s doubles partner, the 17-year-old Caty McNally, made a run at an even bigger upset in her first United States Open.
McNally won the opening set in style against Serena Williams before Williams rallied to prevail, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round on Wednesday night.
“I think the young American girls are inspiring each other,” said Kathy Rinaldi, the United States Fed Cup captain who has known McNally’s mother, Lynn, since they played junior tennis against each other. “When one of the girls has a good result it kind of lifts the other. It’s a healthy competition.”
The Williams sisters have of course provided no shortage of inspiration themselves. The American youngsters emerging now were all born after the Williamses turned professional. They include the 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova, who reached the semifinals of the French Open in June, and the 20-year-old Sofia Kenin, who beat Serena Williams on her way to the quarterfinals of the same tournament and is up to No. 20 in the rankings.
A Williams-infused women’s tennis world is all the new arrivals have ever known.
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Caty McNally was playing in only her second Grand Slam tournament.CreditUli Seit for The New York Times
“I’ve watched her so many times,” McNally said of Serena, whom she had never faced. “I know how well she can play. I was just really impressed with the way she was serving towards the end of the match, how well she was returning. Hats off to her.”
Hats off to McNally, too, for bear-hugging the moment in her first match of this magnitude and pushing the greatest player of the era to three sets.
Williams is a more formidable opponent now than when Kenin toppled her in Paris. She is in better shape and form, and her movement and serving have improved considerably since she resolved the persistent knee pain that spoiled much of her early season.
But after the 37-year-old Williams overwhelmed Maria Sharapova, her longtime punching bag, in the first round on Tuesday, she had to solve a much less familiar tennis riddle on Thursday.
McNally, who comes from the Cincinnati suburb of Madeira, has a taste for old-school tennis. And in only her second US Open singles match she marched onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for the final duel of the night session with a big grin on her face.
She made it clear very quickly that Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, was in for a serious challenge.
“I felt really good out there on the big stage; I wasn’t too nervous,” McNally said. “For me, I just try to take it as another match and not really worry about who’s across the net. I know if I did that it might affect the way I play, and I might become more emotionally attached to the match. That’s not good for me.”
McNally’s tennis role model has long been the most successful men’s player of this era: Roger Federer. Rinaldi teasingly calls her “Mrs. Fed,” and McNally has tried to mimic not only Federer’s cool on-court demeanor but his attacking style and versatility as well.
“I really like the way he plays, mixes in the slice, the drop shot, volleys really well,” McNally said. “There’s so many things I like from his game. Hopefully I can keep working on those and become just like him.”
That is, of course, a tall order, but McNally showed plenty of poise and potential under the closed roof in Ashe Stadium after reaching the semifinals at the WTA event in Washingtonthis summer.
A powerful athlete, McNally likes to serve and volley: a tactic now rare enough to elicit gasps from a savvy tennis crowd. Like Federer, she has a particularly crisp one-handed slice backhand and unlike Federer, she also can drive her backhand with two hands. She used that two-hander to try another rare ploy on Wednesday: attacking Williams’s second serve immediately after the bounce and following the return to net.
The results were mixed but the approach was destabilizing.
“It was definitely something to get used to,” Williams said of McNally’s style. “You don’t play players like her who have such full games. I just think she overall played really well.”
Mixing speeds and spins and coming up with big serves when she needed them, McNally applied and absorbed pressure and was able to convert her only break point of the match to take a 6-5 lead in the first set.
She won it by rallying from 0-40 to hold serve, waving her arms to pump up the crowd as she arrived at her seat with a swagger in her step.
Seemingly rattled by McNally’s shifting tactics and forays to net, Williams was far from her sharpest in the opening set: making 15 unforced errors.
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Williams seemed out of sorts early in the match but gathered herself to defeat a player 20 years her junior.CreditUli Seit for The New York Times
But though she shouted and winced in frustration as her groundstrokes smacked into the net, she did not let the frustration seep into her game for long on a court where she has won six United States Open singles titles but has also experienced meltdowns and demoralizing defeats.
“I just had to stop making errors,” Williams said. “I just made so many errors in the first two sets, and I mean it was just too many. You can’t win tournaments making that many errors, so I knew I had to play better, and I knew I could.”
She broke McNally’s serve for the first time in the sixth game of the second set, hitting a forehand return winner as McNally tried again to serve and volley.
After winning the set on her fifth set point, Williams hit the accelerator pedal in the third, attacking returns with intimidating precision and losing only five points in total: none on her serve.
It was a classic Williams performance. She has turned so many tricky matches her way through the decades: first against her elders and now against new arrivals not even half her age.
“Serena is the best in the world at turning a match around,” her coach Patrick Mouratoglou said.
“I definitely treasure it,” Williams said of that ability. “I’ve won so many Grand Slams because of it. I also won a lot of Grand Slams not having to use it.”
Her next challenge if she wants to win this one again is a third-round match against either the crafty Hsieh Su-wei or Karolina Muchová, another attack-minded newcomer who will face Hsieh on Thursday.
As for the American teenagers, Gauff is into the second round in singles and ready to team up with McNally in the doubles.
Unlike Williams, their Grand Slam days are just beginning, and they are off to a fine start.
At long last, the college football season is here. Sure, we had two big FBS games last week, and while one of them featured Sunshine State rivals Florida and Miami, it was more of an appetizer than a meal. The real first weekend of the season begins on Thursday, and you know why this week is real and last week wasn't? Because last week I didn't write The Six Pack.
This week, your favorite college football picks column is back, and I hope you're ready to #TrustTheProcess because it's time to start making some money. We start the 2019 journey in Jerry World.
Games of the Week
No. 16 Auburn (-3.5) vs. No. 11 Oregon -- Arlington, Texas: We've been a bit spoiled with huge matchups on opening weekend the last few years. This year, this is the only game between ranked teams we're getting, but that's fine. We'll take it. We'll also be taking the favorite. Oregon has received a lot of love this offseason, and I get it. Somebody in the Pac-12 has to win the conference, Mario Cristobal has increased the talent level and Justin Herbert could be the first quarterback taken in the NFL Draft next spring. All of those things could result in a Pac-12 title for the Ducks in 2019, but I don't think it'll result in a cover against Auburn to open the season.
Listen, we can talk narratives all we want, but I'm more interested in facts. And the fact is that, since the 2010 season, the SEC and Pac-12 have played 14 games against one another. The SEC is 10-4 ATS in those 14 games, including 6-0 ATS in games at neutral sites. One of those games happened to be Auburn's win over Oregon in the 2010 national title game. That game has no bearing on this one, but until the Pac-12 shows it's capable of performing better against SEC teams, I'm not going out on a limb for it. Auburn 31, Oregon 23
Louisville (+20.5) vs. No. 9 Notre Dame: The final game of the weekend will take place on Labor Day nigt in Louisville, where Notre Dame finds itself as nearly a three-touchdown favorite against the Cardinals. The Irish are coming off a terrific season that saw them reach the College Football Playoff, but my concern with them here is there are a lot of key pieces to replace on both sides of the ball. Louisville was nowhere near as good, but it's an experienced team with 10 returning starters on the defensive side of the ball.
Now we can debate the merits of 10 returning starters from a defense that allowed 44.1 points per game last season, but there are other factors at play here. One being that, when your coach doesn't seem to give a damn, it tends to affect your team's performance, and there was a lot of that with Louisville. I think a home opener with a new coach in primetime against a major opponent will bring a jolt of energy to the Cardinals on Monday night. Not one big enough to pull off the upset, but enough to keep the Cards from being embarrassed. Notre Dame 34, Louisville 17
Lock of the Week
USC (-13.5) vs. Fresno State: I understand the hesitation about taking USC as a favorite after last season, but I worry we might be overthinking this line. Yes, Fresno State was good last season. In fact, it's been good the last couple years, going 22-6 since Jeff Tedford (a coach who doesn't get nearly enough credit) took over in 2017. But almost everybody from those two teams is gone. Fresno returns nine total starters this season, including only three on offense. Gone is Marcus McMaryion, and he's joined by KeeSean Johnson, most of the offensive line and a considerable portion of the defense's most significant contributors. Then there's USC, a team that vastly underperformed last season but will be the most talented team on the field by far while debuting a brand-new offense. USC will look so good in this game that people will start claiming that it's back come Sunday morning. USC 38, Fresno State 17
Thursday Night Game of the Week
UCLA (+2.5) at Cincinnati: I'll start by saying that if you want to take UCLA on the money line to win straight up, I don't think it's a bad play at all. I'll take the lesser payout and the better odds of the cover, however. Whatever way you want to go, the Bruins are being overlooked. Chip Kelly's first season was terrible, and it included a loss to these same Bearcats, but the Bruins coach was starting over with a program that needed a reboot. This UCLA team is very talented, and while Cincinnati went 11-2 last season, advanced metrics suggest it was a team playing above its head. I think we see things begin to level out on Thursday night. UCLA 31, Cincinnati 27
Over of the Week
Ole Miss at Memphis (Over 67.5): Last year, Ole Miss allowed 36.2 points per game. Memphis checked in at a slightly more respectable 31.9 points per game. Neither played a whole lot of defense nor have they played much the last few years. They've done a whole lot of scoring, however, as the Rebels finished with 33.9 points per game on offense and the Tigers scored 42.9. These are two good offenses combining with two bad defenses on what should be a hot day in Memphis that sees defenders huffing and puffing. I'm surprised this total isn't in the 70s, but since it isn't, let's take advantage. Ole Miss 38, Memphis 35
Under of the Week
Boise State at Florida State (Under 53) -- Jacksonville, Florida: It's always possible I'm misreading the situation, but when I saw the total, I did a bit of a double-take as it just felt too high. I see this game being more of a 24-21 type of slugfest than a capable display of offense. Florida State's defense should improve this year, and while Boise State has most of its offensive line back, it replaces a lot of key skill guys, including its QB. On the other side of the ball, I would hope that FSU's OL improves in 2019, but I'm not ready to rely on it to move the ball consistently. All of which leads me to believe this will be a close, ugly affair. One that's too close to judge on the spread, but not against the total. Florida State 24, Boise State 21
SportsLine Pick of the Week
Houston at No. 4 Oklahoma: Our Sunday night game takes place in Norman, where the defending Big 12 champion Sooners find themselves as 23-point favorites against Dana Holgorsen and Houston. I have a play available for this game, and if you want to find out what it is head over to SportsLine.
Kobe Bryant says he has "no beef" with Shaquille O'Neal after comments came to light that Bryant thought he could have won 12 NBA titles if the dominant big man had Bryant's legendary work ethic.
Bryant tweeted Wednesday that their old feud remains in the past and there's "nothin but love" between him and his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate.
There is no beef with @SHAQ I know most media want to see it but it ain't gonna happen. Ain't nothin but love there and we too old to beef anyway #3peat
The duo that won three consecutive championships together were trending after a quote that Bryant made during an appearance at the PHP Agency convention in Las Vegas surfaced this week. On July 29, Bryant said he could have had "f---ing 12 rings" and that O'Neal would be "the greatest" had he spent more time in the gym.
"He'd be the greatest of all time, for sure," Bryant said. "He'd be the first to tell you that. This guy was a force like I have never seen. It was crazy. A guy at that size, generally guys at that size are a little timid and they don't want to be tall, they don't want to be big.
"Man, this dude was, he did not care. He was mean. He was nasty. He was competitive. He was vindictive. He was ... yeah, I wish he was in the gym. I would have had f---ing 12 rings."
When the video was posted by lakers24ever on Instagram, O'Neal chimed in twice.
"U woulda had twelve if you passed the ball more especially in the finals against the pistons #facts," O'Neal commented.
O'Neal added: "You don't get statues by not working hard"
But Bryant tweeted his clarifying remark and also retweeted a comment noting that he was complimentary of O'Neal throughout his appearance.
Bryant and O'Neal won three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002 and played together from 1996 to 2004 before O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat. Bryant wound up with five titles before retiring after the 2015-16 season.
O'Neal also chimed in on Twitter, though his comment may just stir up trouble with former and newly-signed Lakers center Dwight Howard.
It's all good bro, when I saw the interview, I thought you were talking about Dwite, is that how u spell his name lol
This Hall of Famer is playing defense for the Colts’ former quarterback.
After Andrew Luck, 29, caused a stir by abruptly retiring from the NFL on Saturday over his many injuries, radio host Doug Gottlieb fanned the flames by tweeting, “Retiring cause rehabbing is ‘too hard’ is the most millennial thing ever.” And Gottlieb was immediately told how bad this take was by seemingly every current and former NFL player on social media.
“That’s total bullshit Doug. What qualifies you to decide how someone should live their life? So you’re now the authority on what motivates Andrew Luck? And if his decisions don’t fit into what you think is best for him then you rip him? Guess that keeps you employed on FS1. Nice.”
He was most notably slammed by two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Troy Aikman, who is now a color commentator for Fox’s main NFL broadcast team.
That’s total bullshit Doug. What qualifies you to decide how someone should live their life? So you’re now the authority on what motivates Andrew Luck? And if his decisions don’t fit into what you think is best for him then you rip him? Guess that keeps you employed on FS1. Nice https://t.co/p59DsmPoER
Luck has had a lot of success so far in his football career, but he has also had a string of serious injuries that forced him to miss 26 games since 2015. They include: torn cartilage in two ribs; a partially torn abdomen; a lacerated kidney that left him urinating blood; at least one concussion; a torn labrum; and a calf injury that led to his retirement.
Every time i think about it, Tears start to flow ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜. No one understands you like i do. Our bond is one of a kind. I’ve decided to dedicate my season to my BEST FRIEND. I Love You 12. #Luck2Hiltonpic.twitter.com/9a3JzxNum2
Major Respect for Luck!!! I said this once before. “When you start doing what’s best for you, it brings the evil out of people” Only the players who play in this league will truly understand his decision.
There is some precedent for players retiring early due to injury concerns. NFL stars Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson and Jim Brown also retired at 30, but all three of them had played at positions with a higher injury risk than quarterback. Luck was one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, a position that usually sees star players playing into their mid-late 30s.
A few #NFL luminaries who retired while still relatively young: Andrew Luck, 29 Jim Brown, 30 Barry Sanders, 30 Calvin Johnson, 30
Steve Beuerlein, a former Pro Bowl quarterback, blasted Andrew Luck’s decision to retire from the NFL two weeks before the Indianapolis Colts begin their 2019 season.
Beuerlein, who made it to the Pro Bowl as a member of the Carolina Panthers in 1999 and who won a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Dallas Cowboys in 1992, wrote in a series of tweets that he took issue with Luck's timing.
“I am a HUGE #AndrewLuck fan... always have been,” he wrote. “But this I cannot defend or justify. NO scenario where retirement is defensible. To do this to his teammates, organization, fans, and the NFL 2 weeks before the season is just not right. I love the guy but this will haunt him.
“Point is this is a massive decision he SAID he has pondered for 10 DAYS! #Colts invested in him for 5-10 more YRS! Go on IR, get away for a few weeks and think about it. Get healthy for 2nd half of season and make a run! #Colts are good! If #Jacoby goes 4-4 they have a chance!
“The MILLIONS he walked away from affects only HIM. The DECISION to walk away just prior to the season affects his TEAM, ORGANIZATION, FANBASE, and the ENTIRE NFL... ALL had invested in him for this year at least. Walk away AFTER the season.
“His team needs him to make this run. I know rehab is tough. I had 19 surgeries as a player... 8 over 2 years. It sucks! But he owes it to his team. It is just a lower leg injury and it will heal! Just give it a chance. If it doesn’t walk away after this year.”
Beuerlein wasn’t the only media personality who had a negative take on Luck’s decision, but he is one of very few – if not the only – former player who has questioned it.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck speaks during a news conference following the team's NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, in Indianapolis. The oft-injured star is retiring at age 29. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
“I'm in pain, I'm still in pain. It's been four years of this pain, rehab cycle,” he said. “It's a myriad of issues — calf strain, posterior ankle impingement, high ankle sprain. Part of my journey going forward will be figuring out how to feel better.”
Tom Brady has outlasted another Colts quarterback.
But unlike some, the Patriots quarterback has no problem with Andrew Luck‘s surprising retirement announcement Saturday.
Brady said during an interview on WEEI this morning that he was fine with Luck stepping away.
“It is his life. Everyone has the right to choose what they want to do,” Brady said. “He had a great career and he was a great player. Everybody wishes they could be healthy all the time. It is a contact sport and he’s certainly had his fair share of injuries, so guys retire at different times. Some at the end of the season, and I have seen a lot of guys retire before the season gets going and this is just one of those examples.”
While Luck walked away at 29, the 42-year-old Brady is going into his 20th season, and credited the support system he has in place for his longevity.
“I think it’s everything. There’s definitely a physical element. There’s definitely an emotional element. I think there is a mental element. Everything in my view really has to come together for you to be the best version of yourself as a player, and it takes a lot of support,” Brady said. “It takes a lot of people. You see certainly, you can see me as an individual doing that. I have the support of my teammates, my coaches, my family, my friends, Alex [Guerrero], my training system. All those things really need to come together in order to continue to achieve.
“It feels great when you have that support because a football season is like a marathon. There’s moments where it is very challenging whether it’s physically, emotionally, or mentally — you need somebody to help you push through the hard parts because it’s not all easy. It’s a great challenge, but it is very rewarding when you meet the challenge, too.”
Brady’s commitment to a program to keep himself healthy is well-documented. But he hasn’t had to deal with the concentration of injuries Luck has had to, which proves that lower-case L luck is a big factor as well.
Andrew Luck, the Indianapolis Colts’ franchise quarterback and 2012 first overall pick, abruptly retired from the NFL due to the mental and physical toll that injuries have taken on him in his career. There are no words that can describe the feeling of shock around the NFL world when we saw this news. I’m still in awe that I’m writing this.
When the story moved from a tweet to an impromptu press conference from Luck, we got a much clearer picture of this sudden retirement. And I applaud and respect Luck for making this brave decision.
Luck’s spontaneous presser was powerful. I’d advise watching it if you can. It was emotional, honest, and direct. He spoke out about his career, the love he has for the game, and what led to this shocking development. The ultimate catalyst for the retirement is summed up with these thoughts from Luck:
“I’ve been stuck in this process. I haven’t been able to live the life I want to live. It’s taken the joy out of this game ... and the only way forward for me is to remove myself from football and this cycle that I’ve been in.”
The cycle he’s referring to is rehab, which unfortunately is a process I know all too well.
Luck has an injury history that can wear on the body and mind
Luck’s relatively short career has seen him get beaten to a pulp. Here’s a list of all those injuries (courtesy of Zak Keefer, who covers the Colts for The Athletic):
Physical toll on Andrew Luck through 6 NFL seasons: » Torn cartilage in 2 ribs » partially torn abdomen » a lacerated kidney that left him peeing blood » at least 1 concussion » a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder » and this mysterious calf/ankle issue that led to this
This injury list is enough for a lifetime, let alone six years in the NFL. It’s a combination of poor help around him — specifically the offensive line, which was woefully undermanned for years — playing through the pain, and just plain old bad luck. But there’s no denying it: Luck has been in pain for years and, like most of us who put on the pads, he’s battled through the pain to play on Sundays.
Let’s step back for a second and just quickly detail the NFL calendar. Camp roughly starts in August. The game begins in September and run through the end of December. If you’re in the playoffs, it could last until the beginning of February.
The typical NFL week is:
Monday: Rehab and recovery. Film session. Start to prepare for the following week.
Tuesday: Even though this is an off day, players will come into the facility to either watch film, rehab, lift, recover, or do whatever else is needed.
Wednesday and Thursday: Full days. 7-5 on the schedule but longer for quarterbacks, who often stay late to study the playbook for the upcoming opponent.
Friday and Saturday: One of these is a walkthrough day and the other is a practice. Friday is often 7-1 and Saturday is more like 9-12.
Sunday: Gameday.
Throughout the week, either before the morning meeting or following the afternoon one, players nursing injuries are squeezing in rehab sessions to help them prepare for Sunday.
When we begin the season, all of us are aware of the grind it can take. We are fully prepared for the physical toll the body will need to withstand. We will play in pain. We will have to “fight” through injuries to get on the field, or to help the team win, or to earn some money in the offseason. We are aware of the mental struggle the season can be, too. When you are in pain, you have to wrestle with it in your mind too.
The season is all-consuming. Every ounce of your energy, especially if you’re an elite-level player like Luck, is geared toward football. With that comes stress, anxiety, pain management, and trying to deal with life outside of football.
I know what people will say: “well, the money. Y’all make so much money, how can you have all of those negative emotions?” Yes, we do. And yes, the money helps make it worth going through. But that doesn’t change the pressure. This job is tough. Our careers are short. One injury and it could be over. Doing your job well gives your team a chance to win. Doing it poorly does not. And nowadays, players must deal with social media pointing out every bad play. That just makes it more stressful.
Still, we are all ready for this season. What we aren’t ever ready for is a prolonged rehab stint in the offseason.
Rehab dominates an offseason that’s supposed to be time for players to recharge
The offseason is a time for rest, recovery, family, and training for the upcoming season. We NEED that break from football. I don’t need to explain why we need that physical break — I think that’s understood. What is less understood, and harder to put into words, is the mental break needed from football.
The season means putting your family on the backburner. Just like y’all, we have hobbies outside our jobs and those are ignored during the season. Well, the offseason is a time to become a “regular” person for a few months before training starts up again.
You spend the first couple of months after the season reengaging with your family and friends as your body heals. Most of us return home. You take trips and decompress from the season. It’s precious and cherished time for an athlete. It’s what helps us prepare for the following season. We get reenergized. Being away from the job makes us realize how much we love it, and most of us eventually can’t wait until the following season begins.
But when you end a season with a major injury, or require surgery following a season, the offseason is altered. Instead of a period of relaxation and recovery, we are still in football mode while rehabbing. Most teams require their injured players to stay in the facility for their rehab. That means no going home to see family or sleeping in your own house. No hobbies. No traveling.
When your body should be recovering and the pain of the season fading away, you’re now dealing with more pain, often more intense after surgery. The stress returns as you know there’s a timetable for returning from injury. Also, you’re thinking about the future with your team: Will they redo my deal? Will they draft my replacement if I’m hurt?
There’s no other way to put it: Rehab is a freakin’ bitch. Nothing happens quickly, which is expected, but it’s so difficult for athletes who are often ultra competitive and aren’t used to their bodies failing them. Besides the strides being small and often hard to notice, you’re in pain — constant pain until the injury is healed, which can take months.
Rehab during the season might be even more grueling. You’re supposed to be playing, but you’re rehabbing an injury instead. It’s a lonely feeling. You go to meetings, maybe watch practice, but that’s it. You’re ignored as you fight back from an injury.
Now, with all that being said, we know the NFL has a 100 percent injury rate and you’re going to spend time in the training room. We understand you might have an offseason where rehab is required.
One offseason is manageable. Multiple offseason in a row, that’s where it becomes exhausting.
I can relate to what Luck went through because of own injuries
While I don’t have the injury history of Luck, I do know firsthand about the rehab process. In August 2014, I dislocated my big toe in my first year with the Giants. I rehabbed from the middle of August until late November, when I got to play again. I rehabbed in the morning, went to meetings, then rehabbed again during practice. Some days I even watched practice from the weight room. It sucked.
On Sundays, I’d watch the guys get after it, not feeling any of the glory of the win or the sting of defeat. I repeated this process for nine weeks until I was allowed to practice. I finally got back on the field for 1.5 games, before dislocating my ankle.
So I spent all this time working back from my toe, being questioned about my toughness because “it’s only a toe,” to now having a major lower-leg injury. Every single day of my offseason was spent working through the rehab process of this ankle. There were days I just couldn’t do it. I needed a break. I’d walk into the facility and just tell them I needed a day.
Not only was it taxing to my body and mind, but it took a toll on my family. We had a young son, who my wife was raising alone during the season. Then, during the time I’m supposed to be a part of the family again, I’m on a scooter for six weeks, followed by crutches for another six.
One thing about rehab that is misunderstood is you’re rehabbing the body part to get back, or at least close, to 100 percent. During that time, it’s hard to train the rest of your body at full capacity, especially with a leg injury. So you just feel behind where you’re supposed to be entering the season.
I had about four weeks before training camp when I was able to train close to full capacity as my ankle was close enough to 100 percent. I entered the 2015 season with an ankle around 80 percent, as my doctor told me. I had my usual duties of training camp, plus still spending time on my ankle.
The season started and I was playing OK. But, my ankle still wasn’t responding how I thought it should. I didn’t have the explosion and wasn’t able to play the style of ball I wanted.
It’s hard to explain what I was thinking as I watched film on Mondays and noticed my leg wasn’t moving quite like it felt during the game. It’s a humbling feeling. We played the Niners in Week 5 and my ankle took a beating. It was painful all week and started to burn a bit. We played the Eagles in Week 6 and the burning continued. I stopped being able to feel my foot, which of course, made playing football tough. I told the training staff, but no one believed me.
It continued against Dallas the following week and then again in New Orleans. It got so bad that my lower leg eventually shut down. The muscles stopped working in my shin and calf. I played the worst three-game stretch of my life during those weeks, and it ended with Cam Jordan bull-rushing me to the turf as I hopped backward on one leg before I took myself out.
It was embarrassing having to tell your coach you couldn’t play anymore. You look soft, especially when the pain isn’t something that can be easily diagnosed. After the game, I did get some testing, and the doctor realized I had some floating bodies and an extra muscle in the back of my ankle that was pressing on the nerve and it shut down my foot. An injection made it go away.
I played well the following two weeks — then I broke the same leg again, 364 days apart. My body kept failing me. My wheels kept breaking. So it was back to rehabbing once again, through another offseason. It was soul-crushing.
The Giants cut me, and I signed with the Lions. I was old, beat up, and my ankle didn’t function well anymore. I stuck it out because I just wanted to end my career upright, not on a cart.
It was a bad decision. I had no business playing that season because I wasn’t all-in. I tried to make it work. It didn’t. I was cut and my career ended. I have no regrets, but I was glad it was over.
That was just three years of rehab. Luck practically spent his entire career doing this. He’d fix one body part, and another would be broken. Imagine you’re fixing a car. The engine busts. It’s repaired, but then the belt breaks. Then the brakes go. Over and over.
Thus, it’s no surprise his joy for the game, or more distinctly, his joy of the process of preparing, has faded. It’s human nature. Eventually, you are over it. Luck had enough and he’s courageous for calling it quits when he decided it was time.
Retiring isn’t easy, even if you know it’s time. Most of us LOVE football and we are awesome at it. Some have been playing since they were small kids. We are the best of the best in the world, and it’s an awesome feeling. Crowds are cheering for you, fans love you, you’re noticed around town, you’re making money, and you’re living the dream for a young adult.
It all ends when you retire. It’s why plenty of players try playing past their prime. Guys who aren’t 100 percent attempt to make it work. The game is taxing enough when you’re all the way in. It’s foolish to play when you’re not. But, for the reasons above, players do it.
So I commend Andrew Luck for making this tough decision and wish him the best in retirement.
For many NFL coaches, one of the highest priorities for the preseason often is to emerge relatively unscathed.
And while the exhibition slate is largely a platform for younger players and end-of-roster hopefuls, several teams further minimized risks this season by sitting out swaths of starters or limiting their snaps more than usual. That approach trained the spotlight on some of the league's top rookies, but it didn't fully safeguard teams from injuries. And while several franchises addressed key questions in the last month, others still have several concerns lingering.
With many notable players around the league expected to sit out Thursday's finales, here's our look at the winners and losers of the NFL preseason:
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Winners
Patriots' depth: A receiving corps that once looked to be one of the biggest vulnerabilities for the defending champions might end up being a point of strength. While Bill Belichick has remained expectedly tight-lipped regarding Josh Gordon's future after his reinstatement from an indefinite suspension, the wide receiver's return reshapes the outlook for Tom Brady and the passing game. Not only might Gordon's big-play ability and downfield speed open things up for Julian Edelman and the rest of the targets who typically thrive underneath, his presence also could also allow the offense to be less reliant on promising but inconsistent rookies N'Keal Harry, the first-round pick hampered by injuries, and Jakobi Meyers, the undrafted upstart.
Additionally, several of New England's picks from the past two draft classes have emerged as standouts who should either play significant roles or bolster depth this season. Defensive end Chase Winovich and running back Damien Harris both have made more plays than expected from third-round rookies, and left tackle Isaiah Wynn looks on track to take over as Brady's blindside protector after sitting out all of last year with a torn Achilles.
Giants QB Daniel Jones: The No. 6 overall pick in this year's draft is still a long way from giving general manager Dave Gettleman sufficient reason to declare victory on his much-criticized selection this past April, but "Danny Dimes" at least briefly shifted the prevailing narrative surrounding his own entrance into the league. Through three games, Jones has completed 25 of 30 passes for 369 yards and two touchdowns, including some impressive downfield strikes. And while facing more enigmatic defenses that someday await him in the regular season will be a challenge, the rookie likely can enjoy an extended adjustment period as he waits behind Eli Manning and avoids having to scrape by with an underdeveloped receiving corps.
COMEBACK?: Colts owner Jim Irsay keeps door cracked for Andrew Luck return
ANDREW LUCK RETIRES: Luck's retirement a stunning reminder of the human toll of football
Steelers LB Devin Bush: Pittsburgh finally might have patched the hole in the middle of its defense. Since Ryan Shazier suffered a devastating spinal injury in December 2017, the Steelers have been in need of a linebacker to provide both range and leadership. The undersized (5-11, 234 pounds) but speedy Bush has demonstrated plenty of both and could be an early front-runner for defensive rookie of the year.
Panthers OLB Brian Burns: Recording four sacks in three games should be ample evidence that Carolina's first-round rookie can get after NFL quarterbacks. Burns is still a work in progress against the run, but his speed and bend off the edge are difficult to counteract. With opposing offensive lines also having to account for Kawann Short and Gerald McCoy, Burns shouldn't have trouble finding opportunities as a pass-rush specialist in the Panthers' new 3-4 scheme.
Unheralded rookies: Though the top picks frequently garner much of the attention at this time of year, some of the top performers in the preseason didn't create much of a buzz in April. Chiefs sixth-round running back Darwin Thompson positioned himself as a potential backup to Damien Williams by showing off his elusiveness and savvy in pass protection. At 6-5 and 218 pounds, Dolphins undrafted wide receiver Preston Williams has routinely overwhelmed defensive backs in jump-ball scenarios and could push for significant playing time. And Redskins seventh-round cornerback Jimmy Moreland has shown a knack for tracking down passes thrown in his direction.
Losers
Colts: Near the opening of training camp, owner Jim Irsay said this year's team was "one of the best" in franchise history, likening it to the Peyton Manning-era groups. Less than a month later, the Colts find themselves scrambling to prepare for a new starting quarterback after the abrupt retirement of Andrew Luck.
In the immediate future, the loss is devastating. Indianapolis had one of the AFC's most formidable rosters, and the offense will have to discover different ways to win under Jacoby Brissett, who went 4-11 as a starter in 2017 but could experience a breakthrough with a much-improved supporting cast. Where Luck's retirement takes the biggest toll, however, is in the long term. General manager Chris Ballard and coach Frank Reich had taken a measured and patient approach in building a team that already looked like a contender. Now, however, the pair is saddled with one of the most challenging undertakings in football: identifying, acquiring and developing a quarterback around which to build.
Chargers: If not for Luck's decision, the Bolts would be the runaway choice for the franchise with the roughest summer. Derwin James' foot surgery landed the Pro Bowl safety on injured reserve, ensuring he'll miss at least half the season. His absence places significant stress on a secondary that also has been without second-round safety Nasir Adderley, who has missed all three preseason contests with a hamstring injury.
On offense, left tackle Russell Okung's pulmonary embolism leaves Trent Scott as Philip Rivers' primary blindside protector, and the 2018 undrafted free agent has struggled. Meanwhile, standout running back Melvin Gordon's holdout could extend into the season. In the so-called "fight for Los Angeles," the Chargers already seem to have taken a few haymakers before the bell.
Texans QB Deshaun Watson: One year after Watson was sacked a league-high 62 times, Houston doesn't appear to have afforded him any additional comfort with its left tackle options. Matt Kalil was expected to take on the starting role after signing with the team in March, but he has missed a string of practices and floundered during the preseason. Promoting a backup or swinging a trade shouldn't be out of the question. The loss of running back Lamar Miller to a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament also poses a significant problem for a backfield that has little depth beyond summer trade acquisition Duke Johnson Jr.
Cardinals' defense: Kliff Kingsbury contends Arizona is deliberately withholding much of its offense prior to the regular season, so perhaps it's best to reserve judgment on No. 1 pick Kyler Murray and Co. until then. The other side of the ball, however, should give the first-year coach some pause. Cornerback Robert Alford will miss a "significant" amount of time with a leg injury, Kingsbury said, leaving Arizona with rookie Byron Murphy and Tramaine Brock as its potential early-season starters until Patrick Peterson returns from a six-game suspension. If the likes of Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson take advantage of the Cardinals' depleted secondary in that stretch, Murray might find himself under even more pressure to generate points in a hurry.
International audiences: The league's August trip north of the border went about as well as the previous attempt to the south. Last Thursday's Packers-Raiders game in Winnipeg was shifted to an 80-yard field due to holes from the goal posts in the end zone, an issue that shouldn't have necessitated such a bizarre solution. After field issues prompted the NFL to move last season's Chiefs-Rams record-scoring fest from Mexico City to Los Angeles, the league needs to demonstrate it can take care of basics abroad.
NFL fans: Expectations of the preseason vary, and maybe the mere presence of competitive football is enough to satiate some fans. But anyone who wants to watch star players or an intense atmosphere would likely be better off taking in a joint practice than an exhibition slog.
Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
