The Bum's NFL Preseason Picks-Results-Etc. !

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NFL preseason roundup: Winston sharp in Bucs' victory
August 17, 2017

Jameis Winston led Tampa Bay to three successive scoring drives in the first half, powering the Buccaneers to a 12-8 victory over the host Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday.

Winston engineered an 83-yard drive in 11 plays on Tampa Bay's first possession. The third-year quarterback hit on 5 of 6 passes for 54 yards before Doug Martin went over from 2 yards out for the touchdown.

Winston then directed a 54-yard march in eight plays and a 50-yard march in 12 plays on Tampa's next two possessions, but both drives stalled inside the 20. Winston played the first half and completed 21 of 29 passes for 196 yards.

Jacksonville starting quarterback Blake Bortles was ineffective in his four series in the first half. Bortles competed 8 of 13 passes for 65 yards and was sacked once. The Jaguars only crossed midfield one time while Bortles was in the game.

Ravens 31, Dolphins 7

Ryan Mallett passed for a touchdown and 113 yards, and Justin Tucker kicked three field goals and recovered a fumble to lead Baltimore past host Miami. Mallett completed 13 of 22 passes and was intercepted twice.

Jay Cutler was 3 of 6 passing for 24 yards in two series in his Dolphins debut. Cutler was signed Aug. 7 to replace Ryan Tannehill, who sustained a season-ending knee injury Aug. 3.

Miami's Jay Ajayi, a Pro Bowl selection last year after rushing for 1,272 yards, ended with two carries for minus-2 yards and one reception for 11 yards. He came off the concussion protocol Tuesday.

Eagles 20, Bills 16

Byron Marshall scored the go-ahead touchdown from 1 yard out with three minutes left as host Philadelphia came from behind to defeat Buffalo.

Undrafted free agent running back Corey Clement also rushed for a score, and Caleb Sturgis connected on two of three field-goal attempts for the Eagles. Philadelphia starting quarterback Carson Wentz led the team for the first four drives, completing 6 of 9 passes for 56 yards.

T.J. Yates threw a late 9-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Reilly, and Stephen Hauschka kicked three field goals for the Bills. Buffalo starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor went 8 of 18 passing for 53 yards with two interceptions while playing most of the first half.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL notebook: NFLPA foresees 2021 work stoppage
August 17, 2017

The NFL's collective bargaining agreement expires in four years, and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith believes there will be a work stoppage in 2021.

"I think that the likelihood of either a strike or a lockout is almost a virtual certainty," Smith said in a video interview posted on the MMBQB/Sports Illustrated website on Thursday.

Owners locked out players for 132 days in 2011 until the current 10-year CBA was signed on July 25, 2011.

Since the agreement was signed, the players association has clashed with the league in notable cases such as Ezekiel Elliott's suspension for alleged domestic violence, Tom Brady's Deflategate suspension and Adrian Peterson's suspension for child abuse.

--The reinstatement of suspended wide receiver Josh Gordon is not on the immediate agenda of Roger Goodell, the commissioner announced.

Goodell offered his stance when asked about Gordon at a fan forum in Cleveland.

The league denied Gordon's reinstatement petition on May 11, two months after the embattled 26-year-old wideout filed papers to have his indefinite suspension lifted.

Goodell reinstated Gordon on a conditional basis last season, but the Pro Bowl receiver checked into the rehab facility in September and put his career on hold. Gordon spent 30 days in a New Hampshire facility.

--Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly will be sidelined indefinitely after he undergoes a medical procedure on his foot.

Kelly was initially sidelined during the Colts' joint practices with Detroit last week and was held out of the Lions' preseason game last week. The injury was not thought to be serious at the time and he had been wearing a walking boot since incurring the injury. There is no timetable for his return although Kelly is expected to miss the start of the regular season.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the surgery is scheduled for Friday and will be to repair a bone defect in his foot.

--Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton didn't take part in the scrimmage situations during the first day of joint workouts with the Tennessee Titans, but he was involved in some 7-on-7 drills when the teams gathered for the second of those workouts Thursday.

So, while there has been progress shown as he comes back following offseason shoulder surgery, there continues to be an incomplete sample.

The Panthers play their second preseason game Saturday when they take on the Titans in Nashville, Tenn.

--Seattle Seahawks center Justin Britt agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, multiple outlets reported.

The deal is worth $27 million with Britt collecting $13.25 million in the first year, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

Britt started 16 games as a rookie at right tackle after being selected with a second-round pick in the 2014 draft. The 26-year-old was later shuffled to guard and then center, where he started 15 games a season ago.

--Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls will sit out Friday's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings with an ankle injury.

Coach Pete Carroll made the announcement on Thursday and named Eddie Lacy as the team's starter for that contest.

Rawls was given the nod ahead of Lacy for last week's preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. He rushed two times for five yards.

--The San Francisco 49ers signed linebacker Shayne Skov to a one-year contract.

Skov recorded two defensive tackles in 24 games over three seasons with the 49ers and 12 more on special teams. The 27-year-old San Francisco native was waived by the club on May 2.

Skov collected 355 tackles, 17 sacks and five forced fumbles during his college career with Stanford.

--Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison told reporters that he has no issue playing in what amounts to a relief role this season.

Harrison's comment came on the heels of outside linebackers coach Joey Porter telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Steelers Nation Radio this week that the team plans to use rookie T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree as primary pass rushers.

"I'll be fine, whatever they want me to do," Harrison said on Wednesday. "Whatever they want, I'm good."

--The holdout of Los Angeles Rams All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald moved into the third week, with reports that he could be so entrenched in this contract dispute into the regular season.

So, what originally seemed a mild distraction is moving in a more serious direction.

"Our approach is exactly the same, we're continuing to try and find a solution," Rams coach Sean McVay said. "He's a very important part of what we want to do. In the meantime, we've got a lot of great guys out here that are working hard and getting ready for this Oakland game, and just approaching every single day with the situations that we're throwing at them."

--Former New England Patriots nose tackle Lester Williams died on Wednesday at his home in Birmingham, Ala., the team announced.

The Patriots did not divulge the cause of death for Williams, who was 58.

Williams started for New England in Super Bowl XX and recorded 99 tackles, five sacks and three fumble recoveries during his four-year stint with the Patriots (1982-85).

--The Cleveland Browns are partnering with the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission to submit a bid to host the NFL Draft in either 2019 or 2020.

The contingent delivered its application to league headquarters in New York last week. The 2019 draft would celebrate the league's 100th season, or its centennial in 2020. The league was formed in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, on Aug. 20, 1920.

Kansas City officially also announced that they are interested in hosting an NFL Draft.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s six-pack

— Maybe they should play the national anthem at NFL games before teams take the field.

— Reds 13, Cubs 10— Jon Lester gave up nine runs in 1.2 IP, then left with a lat injury. Reds blew a 9-0 lead but rallied late for the win.

— Buccaneers 12, Jaguars 8— Looks like QB Blake Bortles is about to lose his starting job.

— Jaguars’ backup QB Chad Henne is the only NFL QB to be active for every game the last two seasons, who never threw a pass— he only took one snap and it was a kneel-down.

— Eagles 20, Bills 16— Recently-traded Philly DB Ronald Darby picked off his old teammate Tyrod Taylor, in his first game against his old team.

— Ravens 31, Dolphins 7– Jay Cutler was 3-6 for 24 yards in his Miami debut. Josh Woodrum was 8-10 for 110 yards for the Ravens- he played college ball at Liberty.

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Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here…….

13) Joey Votto recently reached base 2+ times in 20 consecutive games, one short of Ted Williams’ all-time record of 21; an underrated record. Votto’s on-base %age this year is .448— muy bueno.

12) Then why doesn’t Votto bat leadoff, with a .448 OB%? Isn’t that what leadoff hitters are supposed to do, get on base? Cincinnati bats fleet-footed Billy Hamilton 1st, but his on-base % is a woeful .298.

As my late father liked to say, “You can’t steal first base.”

11) Reds 13, Cubs 10— Jon Lester gave up nine runs in 1.2 IP, then left with a lat injury. Reds blew a 9-0 lead but rallied late for the win.

10) Our thoughts/prayers go out to the people in Barcelona, after the terrorist activity Thursday; basketball teams from Arizona-Clemson-Oregon State-Tulane are all in Spain right now.

Everyone on all four teams is safe and sound. They’ll be glad to get home.

Oregon State’s team was having dinner in the hotel when the terrorist activity happened, right in front of that hotel.

9) Atlanta Falcons’ new domed stadium has Chick-fil-A in it, but Chick-fil-A never opens on Sunday for religious reasons and the Falcons have only one non-Sunday home game this season.

8) Angels had Thursday off, in between series with Nationals/Orioles, so Mike Trout was in Philly last night to see his beloved Eagles play Buffalo.

7) Colorado has yo-yo’d OF Raimel Tapia up and down from AAA a lot this year; he is obviously major-league ready, but the Rockies don’t have a full-time slot for him right now.

Since going back to Albuquerque the last time August 12, Tapia is 12-21 (.571) for the Isotopes. He will be a starter in the major leagues next year, whether in Denver or somewhere else.

6) On July 23, 2013, Nicky Delmonico was traded from Baltimore to the Brewers for Francisco Rodriguez, in a deadline deal; in February 2015 he was released by Brewers.

Now he is hitting .396 in his first 54 plate appearances with the White Sox— he homered twice in LA Wednesday. He is only 25; sometimes it takes a while to become an overnight sensation.

5) Mets had catcher Travis d’Arnaud playing 3B Wednesday night, for the first time in his career; Asdrubal Cabrera and D’Arnaud swapped between 2B and 3B 23 times.

4) Reds 13, Cubs 10— Jon Lester gave up nine runs in 1.2 IP, then left with a lat injury. Reds blew a 9-0 lead but rallied late for the win.

3) Last eight years, Minnesota Vikings are 8-0 vs spread in the game just before their bye; they’re 1-7 vs spread in the first game after their bye.

2) Colorado’s star 3B Nolan Arenado got hit on the hand by a batted ball yesterday and left the game; looked like the ball hit him in the same spot where he was hit by a pitch in Miami last weekend. Rockies need Arenado in the lineup and more importantly, in the field.

1) If you’re a fantasy football owner, what do you do with Ezekiel Elliott? Dallas has an early bye, so for fantasy purposes, Elliott’s 6-game suspension is really seven games, since he isn’t eligible to play until Week 8 against Washington. Most fantasy regular seasons are 13 games, right?

[StarDust Bum]

Vikings rookie Dalvin Cook starts as center of offense

The Minnesota Vikings didn't hide their offensive plans Thursday night: Feed rookie running back Dalvin Cook.

Cook touched the ball on the first three plays of the Vikings' 17-10 win over the Buffalo Bills, earning 17 yards. The rookie got eight touches in the first 13 plays, finishing with 43 yards from scrimmage in limited work.

"I thought it was good," Zimmer said of Cook's debut, via the team's official website. "He did some good things. I thought he ran behind his pads well for the first time out."

Cook exited early in the second quarter of his first NFL appearance after showing pile-pushing ability between the tackles and pass-catching acumen out of the backfield.

The early indications suggest we should see a heavy dose of Cook when the season opens, regardless of how healthy Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon are Week 1. There are still strides to make after Cook averaged just 2.6 yards per carry on five totes behind a struggling offensive line.

"I'm sure he feels like he could have done more," Zimmer said of Cook. "And he will in the future."

Cook flashing pass-catching skills makes him a three-down back, which the coaching staff was searching for to replace Adrian Peterson.

"It's something that I rely on in my game," Cook said. "Just being versatile, going out there catching balls.

"They split me out wide, released me out of the backfield ... whatever it is, I'll [do it to] help my team win games. That's what they brought me in for, I have to utilize my talent."

The key for Cook will be how he holds up in pass protection -- he appeared to whiff on a block of Jerry Hughes, who sacked Sam Bradford.

The Vikings will likely talk as though the starting running back spot remains up for grabs, but barring injury it would be a shock if anyone other than Cook carried the load in Minnesota to open the year.

[StarDust Bum]

Injuries: Thomas Rawls out Friday; Eddie Lacy starting

Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls is dealing with a minor ankle injury and will not play in Friday's preseason contest against the Minnesota Vikings, coach Pete Carroll announced Thursday.

As a result, Eddie Lacy will start at running back for the Seahawks this week, Carroll said.

Lacy saw limited time in the Seahawks' preseason opener, picking up 10 yards on four carries against the Los Angeles Chargers. He'll likely see a very modest increase in carries against the Vikings.

Here are some other injuries we've been tracking on Thursday:

1. Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly will need surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot and likely is heading to the injured reserve/designated to return list, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

2. Tennessee Titans tight end Eric Decker (ankle) won't play against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, coach Mike Mularkey said.

3. San Francisco 49ers rookie linebacker Reuben Foster is dealing with a mild AC joint sprain and was limited in practice. Coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after practice, however, that he expects Foster to play Saturday against the Broncos.

Fellow linebacker NaVorro Bowman left practice Thursday with a mild AC joint sprain also, per Shanahan.

4. Los Angeles Chargers veteran left tackle Russell Okung reportedly has a left leg injury and didn't practice.

5. Denver Broncos coach Vance Joseph said he's not sure if wideouts Emmanuel Sanders (shoulder) or Cody Latimer (knee) will play Saturday against the 49ers.

6. Washington Redskins linebacker Junior Galette (hamstring) will not play Saturday against the Packers, while receiver Josh Doctson (hamstring) will likely be a game-time decision.

7. New York Jets wideout Quincy Enunwa is expected to get neck surgery next week, per the team. Safety Doug Middleton (pectoral) cleared waivers and was placed on injured reserve.

8. Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Danny Shelton (knee) was injured during practice on Wednesday and will not play in Monday's preseason game, the team announced. Shelton will be evaluated week-to-week.

9. The Detroit Lions announced today that they have placed linebacker Brandon Copeland (pectoral) on injured reserve.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon (left) and cornerback Charles Gaines (right eye) exited the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

11. Buccaneers tackle Demar Dotson is out for the remainder of the game after suffering a groin injury. Meanwhile, cornerback Josh Robinson has a hamstring injury and did not return.

12. Buffalo Bills tight end Jason Croom left the game after suffering an ankle injury. Wide receiver Rod Streater was carted off the field with a foot injury in the fourth quarter. Safety Trae Elston left the game with a hamstring injury.

13. Miami Dolphins cornerback Jordan Lucas left Thursday's loss to the Ravens with a groin injury.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIN at SEA 10:00 PM

MIN +4.0

U 40.0

[StarDust Bum]

Fant's injury cast shadow over Seahawks' win over Vikings
August 18, 2017

SEATTLE (AP) Russell Wilson looked just fine throwing for 206 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and the Seattle Seahawks suffered a significant injury loss to left tackle George Fant in their 20-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night.

Wilson picked apart a Vikings secondary that played without starting cornerback Trey Waynes and safety Andrew Sedenjo, completing 13 of 18 passes. He hit Kasen Williams on a 1-yard touchdown pass and found Mike Davis on a 22-yard catch-and-run TD late in the first half.

But the Seahawks may have lost Fant for an extended period to what appeared to be a significant right knee injury, throwing the offensive line into flux with two weeks remaining in the preseason.

Fant was injured midway through the second quarter when he was rolled into by teammate Justin Britt and immediately fell to the turf in pain. The team training staff attended to Fant on the field and placed an air splint around his lower right leg before he was taken away.

The team announced Fant had a knee injury and may have significantly changed Seattle's plans for the offensive line. Fant took over at left tackle midway through last season and spent the offseason reshaping his body to be stronger going into this season. Earlier this week offensive line coach Tom Cable said Seattle was set on the left side of the offensive line with Fant at tackle and Luke Joeckel at guard.

Fant's injury overshadowed what was an otherwise solid performance by the Seahawks. Williams continued to make a bid for a roster spot with an acrobatic 27-yard catch, followed by his 1-yard TD on Seattle's opening drive. He nearly had a second TD but couldn't haul in a deep pass from Wilson near the goal line in the second quarter.

Minnesota's Sam Bradford was 7 of 11 for 95 yards, leading three drives for the Vikings before calling it a night. Taylor Heinicke threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Hodges in the fourth quarter.

BENNETT SITS: Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett sat during the national anthem for the second straight game of the preseason.

Bennett was alone sitting on the Seahawks bench during the ''The Star-Spangled Banner.'' But teammates showed support for Bennett with center Justin Britt standing alongside with his hand on Bennett's shoulder. Defensive back Jeremy Lane also stood next to Bennett.

KICKER REVENGE: Walsh took great joy in having success against his former team that released him last season. Walsh made a pair of 52-yard field goals in the second half and made gestures toward the Minnesota sideline after each kick. Walsh pointed at the sideline after his first make and walked toward the bench and appeared to say something after the second.

Walsh nearly had three made kicks of beyond 50 yards but a 53-yard attempt in the first half hit the crossbar.

START COOKIN': Vikings' rookie Dalvin Cook ran well in the first half against most of Seattle's starting defense. With the Vikings bringing back Latavius Murray slowly from ankle surgery in March, Cook had seven carries for 40 yards in the first half, including a 15-yarder. Cook also had one reception for 10 yards.

KICKIN' IT: Both of Minnesota's kickers converted their opportunities in the first half. Marshall Koehn hit from 29 yards in the first quarter and Kai Forbath was good from 51 yards just before halftime. That was the only opportunities for either kicker as the Vikings had only two drives inside the Seattle 40.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES: Davis' touchdown was his first since signing with the Seahawks in the offseason and he had a unique celebration. Davis ran into the end zone then laid down using the ball as a pillow as his teammates joined him to celebrate. It was the most extensive of any of the touchdown celebrations.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s six-pack

— Last five years, NFL underdogs coming off their bye week are 38-32 vs the spread.

— Last five years, NFL favorites of 7+ points coming off a bye are 9-8-2 vs spread.

— Drew Pomeranz left Friday night’s start with back spasms. Max Scherzer was scratched from his start at San Diego with another neck issue.

— Mets traded Curtis Granderson to the Dodgers after Friday’s loss.

— Angels’ rain delay in Baltimore last night was their first of the season.

— DL happenings:
Cardinals put Adam Wainwright (elbow) on the DL
Cubs put Jon Lester (shoulder) and Justin Grimm (finger) on the DL
Twins put OF Robbie Grossman (thumb) on the DL
Nationals put Max Scherzer (neck) on the DL

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Saturday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind……..

13) Rashard Davis returned punts for the Eagles Thursday night; the free agent from James Madison was signed earlier this week.

Last Saturday, while the chaos in Charlottesville was going on, Davis was working as a waiter in a restaurant in Charlottesville near the park where the mayhem with the statue of Robert E Lee occurred. He was hiding from his boss in the restaurant as he took calls from his agent updating him on the Eagles’ deal.

One day you’re a waiter, the next day you’re playing ball on national TV. Pretty cool.

12) Something to think about when college football kicks off next weekend; only one of the last 19 national champs lost a non-conference game, Ohio State in 2014 (to Virginia Tech).

11) There were 345 replay reviews in the NFL last year, the fewest since 2009, and 70 less than in 2015.

10) 130 free agents changed teams in the NFL this offseason, also the fewest since 2009.

9) Bill Belichick’s coaching record: 263-125
Tom Brady won-loss record: 208-61
Belichick’s record without Brady: 55-64

8) Baltimore Ravens play in London in Week 3, but they don’t have the usual bye the next week- they host their rival, the Steelers. Ravens don’t have their bye until Week 10.

7) Penn State gave coach James Franklin a 6-year contract extension, worth $34.3M. Franklin is 25-15 at PSU, 14-11 in league games, 1-2 in bowl games; Nittany Lions were 11-3 last year.

6) Jacksonville kicker Jason Myers struggled in Thursday night’s loss to Tampa Bay, now they’re bringing in Dan Carpenter to compete with Myers. Maybe it is contagious; Jacksonville lost to the Buccaneers Thursday, who just fired their kicker last weekend.

5) Le’Veon Bell’s agent had an agreement with the Steelers on a contract back in mid-July, but Bell nixed the deal at the last minute. Not sure if that was a great move by him.

4) Arizona football coach Rich Rodriguez is being sued by his old agents for $230,250; he fired them a couple of years ago, but they say he didn’t pay them enough. Rodriguez agreed to pay them 10% of the money he made from CBS Sports Network, 4% of his money from Arizona.

Rodriguez is a good dude; I have no idea about this lawsuit, but when he left CBS to coach at Arizona, the crew at CBS left his chair empty for their first show without him, thats how much they thought of him.

3) During the Blue Jays-Cubs game Friday, the Cubs’ roving reporter interviewed hockey star Patrick Sharp, who was sitting in the stands. Sharp grew up rooting for the Jays, but he tried to be political saying which team he was rooting for.

2) Not the best week to be a statue, eh? Except for the home run sculpture in Miami, which Dade County says can’t be taken out of Marlins Park.

1) Some good news for Marlins’ fans; David Samson is out as team president. This is a guy who was president of a baseball team who went on Survivor during baseball season— he was the first person voted out on Survivor.

At one point, he was Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria’s stepson. Now the Marlins are rid of Loria and Samson, and they’re much better off.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL notebook: Patriots rookie DE Rivers injures knee
August 18, 2017

New England Patriots defensive end Derek Rivers' rookie season may be over due to a knee injury.

The Patriots fear they have lost their top pick (third round, 83rd overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Youngstown State for the entire season, league sources told ESPN on Friday.

Rivers, 23, was injured on a kickoff coverage drill Wednesday in a joint practice in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., with the Houston Texans.

Before the Patriots traveled to Houston for a preseason game Saturday night, the team sent Rivers back to Boston for more tests. Those tests reinforced the team's initial fear of a season-ending knee injury, according to ESPN.

--The Jacksonville Jaguars' starting quarterback job is now open for competition after Blake Bortles' second consecutive mediocre preseason outing.

Head coach Doug Marrone told reporters after the Jaguars' 12-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at EverBank Field on Thursday night that Bortles and Chad Henne will share first-team reps before making a decision for the Sept. 10 season opener against the Houston Texans.

"I'm looking for someone that's going to lead this offense," a frustrated Marrone said after the game. "I'm not happy with the performance today. I'm not going to sit here and B.S. anyone. Everyone saw it out there. Whatever you want to call it, I'm still trying to evaluate who the best person is at that position."

The 25-year-old Bortles, the third overall pick in 2014 and the Jaguars' starter since Week 4 of his rookie season, was ineffective in his four series in the first half against the Bucs, all of which ended in punts. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 65 yards and was sacked once. The Jaguars only crossed midfield one time while Bortles was in the game. He has completed 11 of 18 passes for 81 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in two preseason games.

--The Baltimore Ravens signed center Jeremy Zuttah to a two-year deal after he was released by the San Francisco 49ers.

Zuttah's deal is worth nearly $4 million in base salary, with a maximum of $6 million in incentives, a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Zuttah started three years in Baltimore (2014-16) before being traded to San Francisco in March. The Ravens originally acquired Zuttah in March 2014 from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

To make room, the Ravens waived/injured wide receiver Kenny Bell, who injured a hamstring earlier this month. Bell, a fifth-round draft choice of Tampa Bay in 2015, spent his first season on the injured reserve list and then was released by the Buccaneers just before the 2016 season.

--The Arizona Cardinals signed linebacker Ryan Langford and waived wide receiver Marquis Bundy.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Langford was with the Houston Texans during training camp and the preseason in 2016 after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent out of New Mexico.

Langford, 24, played his final two collegiate seasons at New Mexico (2014-15) after beginning his career at Iowa Western. He played in 13 games as a senior at New Mexico in 2015, recording 53 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three passes defensed and an interception.

Bundy signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent last year and spent most of the season on the practice squad. He was on the active roster for six games but did not play. In two preseason games this year, Bundy made five catches for 73 yards.

--The Indianapolis Colts signed free agent guard Terran Vaughn and waived/injured outside linebacker Deiontrez Mount.

If Mount clears waivers, he will revert to the Colts' injured reserve list. He suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions.

The 6-foot-3, 306-pound Vaughn spent time on the Buffalo Bills' practice squad in 2016. He previously participated in the Oakland Raiders' 2016 offseason program and training after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Stephen F. Austin.

The 6-5, 253-pound Mount spent time on the Colts' active roster and practice squad last season. He played in five career games, recording one interception and one pass defensed with the Colts (2016) and Tennessee Titans (2015).

--The Washington Redskins waived wide receiver Kendal Thompson from injured reserve with an injury settlement, the team announced.

Thompson has been unable to practice due to a leg injury.

Thompson signed with the Redskins as an undrafted free agent out of Utah in May 2016. He was waived prior to the start of last season and was signed to the team's practice squad.

Washington brought him back on a future/reserve contract in January.

[StarDust Bum]

Jacksonville Outlook
August 18, 2017

Maybe You Should Bet On The Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone has put the Jaguars quarterback position up for grabs. That’s right, folks. The Blake Bortles might actually be coming to an end. “It’s right up there for grabs, and either person can take it,” Marone said after their preseason disaster against Tampa Bay.

The other person in this conversation is Chad Henne, the former Michigan standout, all-round great guy and solid backup quarterback option. Henne was a second-round pick back in 2008 and has started in three seasons as the main man under center. But everyone who knows anything about Henne will tell you that he’s a stop-gap to your next quarterback.

Though not a terrible option, the fact that Henne is pushing to regain the starting role he lost to Blake Bortles in 2014 is very telling and this is a huge year for Jacksonville overall. They are laughably distant in an otherwise tight AFC South, with +600 odds to win the division in the NFL futures market at BetOnline.ag.

One of the reasons that the mark on the Jaguars isn’t astronomical is that they’re actually pretty good outside of the quarterback position. Allen Robinson is a Pro-Bowl talent, Leonard Fournette is behind one of the better offensive lines in the league and the defence has some solid parts to it. The time to fix the quarterback has arrived with Tom Coughlin leading the charge as the team’s vice-president.

Before we announce Bortles as dead on arrival, let’s look at some positives. Bortles did champion a solid 2015 campaign where he threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. He notched an 88.2 rating as a quarterback as well, which is all pretty good. Plus he’s pretty much played in every single game over the last three years since being selected third overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. So that’s good! He didn’t get hurt too much!

Unfortunately, it’s hard to think about Bortles without canvassing his 2016 season where he took several, horrifying steps backwards in terms of development. The yards went down, touchdowns decreased and the interceptions basically stayed the same with a 3,905 / 23 / 16 slash line that had Jaguars fans wanting.

Blake Bortles isn’t going to be cracking the long list of MPV candidates at BetOnline.ag anytime soon with numbers like that, especially when you realize that his 78.8 rating was the third-worst of any full time starter.

This is probably the time when Colin Kaepernick’s name comes up yet again and that’s an always-interesting angle, because if you look at the Jaguars, they’re a lot better than you might think. BetOnline.ag has given them a Regular Season Win Totally of 7.0 wins, with the UNDER favored at -130 against an OVER of +110.

Grading the NFL futures is all about value, and if Bortles responds to the pressure by reincarnating his 2015 self, or Kaepernick arrives in northern Florida, then there’s a chance that the Jaguars will have some tertiary worth to the smart bettor.

It’s a developing story that needs a bit of consideration on your part because the Jaguars can be a great spoiler bet in the regular season as well given the parts that they have surrounding the big question mark at quarterback.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday, August 19, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
3:00 PM Carolina Panthers Tennessee Titans
7:00 PM Kansas City Chiefs Cincinnati Bengals
7:00 PM Indianapolis Colts Dallas Cowboys
7:30 PM New York Jets Detroit Lions
7:30 PM Green Bay Packers Washington Redskins
8:00 PM New England Patriots Houston Texans
10:00 PM Chicago Bears Arizona Cardinals
10:00 PM Denver Broncos San Francisco 49ers
10:00 PM Los Angeles Rams Oakland Raiders

Sunday, August 20, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
4:00 PM Atlanta Falcons Pittsburgh Steelers
8:00 PM New Orleans Saints Los Angeles Chargers

Monday, August 21, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home
8:00 PM New York Giants Cleveland Browns

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PRESEASON RECORD:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

08/18/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -50
08/17/2017 2-3-1 40.00% -650
08/13/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +950
08/12/2017 2-4-0 33.33% -1200
08/11/2017 1-5-0 16.67% -2250
08/10/2017 6-8-0 42.86% -1400
08/09/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
08/03/2017 0-1-1 0.00% -550

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Seahawks LT Fant needs ACL surgery
August 19, 2017

Seattle Seahawks starting left tackle George Fant, who was carted off the field during Friday night's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, needs surgery after tearing his ACL.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed after the game that Fant likely will miss the 2017 season because of the right knee injury suffered in the second quarter.

"Really broken-hearted about George Fant getting hurt," Carroll said after Seattle's 20-13 win. "Just unfortunate. He's done so much, come so far and everybody's cheering for him and rooting for him all along. He's going to be in trouble getting back this season. He's got a knee injury that's going to require surgery, unfortunately. Kinda takes a little something out of it for everybody."

Fant, 25, went down at the end of a passing play when center Justin Britt fell and rolled into the back of Fant's leg. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his right leg.

A former college basketball player out of Western Kentucky, the 6-foot-5, 322-pound Fant signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted rookie free agent last year and played in 14 games with 10 starts at left tackle.

Fant worked hard during the offseason, putting on about 25 pounds heading into his second NFL year.

"We talked about the great year that he had this offseason and that it's going to take that same kind of application of his fight and his competitiveness and his spirit to work his way back through this," Carroll told reporters Friday night. "And in that he felt very confident that he would do exactly that. He's going to take the same approach that he took to this offseason and he's going to get back, and when he gets back he's going to be a really good football player."

Fant was injured on a play when quarterback Russell Wilson completed a 9-yard slant pass to tight end Marcus Lucas.

"I talked to George in the training room about him just being upbeat and continuing to learn everything he can learn even though he is going to be out for a bit here," Wilson said. "We don't know exactly what is going on but he wants to continue to learn the game and that is key.

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Friday's Sports In Brief
August 19, 2017

BASEBALL

BOSTON (AP) Nineteen batters. Six pitchers. One hour, 5 minutes. Eight runs. Two lead changes.

And when the seventh inning was over, the Boston Red Sox were back in front and on their way to a 9-6 victory over New York and a five-game lead over the rival Yankees in the AL East.

Addison Reed and fellow Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly retired presumptive AL rookie of the year Aaron Judge with the bases loaded in back-to-back innings, and pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland delivered a two-run single to rally Boston to its 13th victory in 15 games.

The Yankees snapped a four-game winning streak, blowing a 6-3 lead after rallying from a 3-0 deficit.

NEW YORK (AP) - The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired outfielder Curtis Granderson and cash from the New York Mets for a player to be named later or cash.

The teams announced the deal after their games. The 36-year-old Granderson is hitting .228 with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs this year.

Los Angeles is running away with the NL West. The Dodgers are 86-34 after beating Detroit. Granderson gives Los Angeles another option for the outfield along with Cody Bellinger, Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor and Joc Pederson.

This is Granderson's fourth team as he started with Tigers then went to Yankees. He signed a $60 million, four-year contract with the Mets before the 2014 season. He hit 95 home runs - including a grand slam in his final at-bat - for the Mets in 573 games and was part of the team that won the National League pennant in 2015.

BALTIMORE (AP) - Manny Machado capped a three-homer night with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied past the Los Angeles Angels 9-7 in a game that featured 10 home runs.

Machado hit his seventh career slam off Keynan Middleton (4-1), who entered with two on and one out in the ninth. After Tim Beckham singled to load the bases, Machado hit a drive far over the center-field wall to give the Orioles their first lead.

Machado also hit a two-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the fifth to finish with seven RBIs.

NFL

SEATTLE (AP) - Russell Wilson looked just fine throwing for 206 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and the Seattle Seahawks suffered a significant injury to left tackle George Fant in their 20-13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Wilson picked apart a Vikings secondary that played without starting cornerback Trey Waynes and safety Andrew Sedenjo, completing 13 of 18 passes. He hit Kasen Williams on a 1-yard touchdown pass and found Mike Davis on a 22-yard catch-and-run TD late in the first half.

But the Seahawks have lost Fant likely for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee, throwing the offensive line into flux with two weeks remaining in the preseason.

SEATTLE (AP) - Michael Bennett was alone in sitting. He wasn't alone in support from his teammates.

Bennett sat on the Seahawks' bench before their preseason game against Minnesota, the second straight week he remained seated while the ''Star-Spangled Banner'' was played.

Bennett was the only Seattle player on the bench, but he was joined by two teammates standing with him. Center Justin Britt stood alongside with his hand on Bennett's shoulder. Defensive back Jeremy Lane also stood next to Bennett. Lane sat for the national anthem during one preseason game last year.

AUTO RACING

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) - Kyle Busch continued his domination at Bristol Motor Speedway with a victory in the Xfinity Series race.

The win was the 19th national series victory at Bristol for Busch, who also won the Truck Series race Wednesday night. And just like that win, Busch had to overcome a speeding penalty on pit road to get to victory lane.

Busch won the first stage of the race and was then popped for speeding. He drove from 29th in line to the lead in 58 laps after the penalty, and won the second stage. Busch then drove away to an easy 91st career win in the Xfinity Series, and he's said he will stop racing in the series once he hits 100 victories.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The favored Americans found themselves trailing Europe after a sluggish start to the Solheim Cup.

The U.S. then settled down and pulled away with a record-setting fourball performance.

The United States swept the afternoon fourball matches to take a 5 1/2-2 1/2 lead at Des Moines Golf and Country Club.

Lizette Salas and U.S. newcomer Danielle Kang each won two matches, teaming to beat Carlota Ciganda and Caroline Masson 1 up for the Americans' lone full point in the morning foursomes, then leading the U.S. to its first ever fourball sweep in the afternoon.

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Ryan Armour shot a career-best 9-under 61 for a share of the lead with Webb Simpson after two rounds at the Wyndham Championship.

Armour and Simpson were at 13-under 127 halfway through the PGA Tour's final event of the regular season. Simpson shot a 64.

Henrik Stenson was a stroke behind them after a 66. Ollie Schniederjans and Vaughn Taylor and were 11. Schniederjans shot 63, Taylor had a 66.

First-round leader Matt Every followed his 61 with a 72 to slip six strokes off the lead.

TENNIS

MASON, Ohio (AP) - Defending champion Karolina Pliskova pulled off a doubleheader sweep at the Western & Southern Open, reaching the semifinals by winning a pair of matches with little rest in-between. Rafael Nadal got only halfway there.

Pliskova completed a match that was suspended overnight because of rain, beating qualifier Camila Giorgi in three sets. After a quick turnaround, she needed only 1 hour, 7 minutes to beat a rested Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 for a sweep into the semis.

Nadal spent 1:37 on court in the afternoon while beating fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in a match carried over from the previous night. Five hours later, he was back on court against Nick Kyrgios, who had won a three-set match earlier in the day.

Nadal was sloppy at the outset and on the defensive for much of a 6-2, 7-5 loss that lasted 1:20.

Despite the loss, Nadal will move back to No. 1 in the ATP rankings next week for the first time since

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 19

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CAR at TEN 03:00 PM

TEN -3.5

U 40.5

KC at CIN 07:00 PM

CIN +2.5

O 40.0

IND at DAL 07:00 PM

DAL -5.5

O 38.5

GB at WAS 07:30 PM

WAS -3.5

O 39.5

NYJ at DET 07:30 PM

DET -5.5

U 37.5

NE at HOU 08:00 PM

NE +1.5

O 41.0

LAR at OAK 10:00 PM

OAK -3.0

O 40.0

DEN at SF 10:00 PM

SF -3.0

U 39.5

CHI at ARI 10:00 PM

ARI -2.5

O 40.5

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Sunday’s six-pack


— Cardinals-Pirates ESPN game tonite is from Williamsport- they’ve got a NY-Penn League team there. Little League WS is going on now in Williamsport.


— Dodgers are now 52-9 in their last 61 games- they lead the NL West by 20 games, and the 2nd/3rd place teams are the two NL Wild Card teams.


— Going into Sunday, Angels/Twins are tied for the 2nd Wild Card in the AL.


— There were five penalties on the same play in the Broncos-49ers game; four on Denver, one on the 49ers. Somehow, all five penalties offset.


— Blue Jays acquired P Tom Koehler from Miami for a minor leaguer.


— DL moves:
Washington puts P Max Scherzer (neck) back on the DL
Dodgers put P Yu Darvish on the DL.


****************************

Sunday’s List of 13: Random stuff for a summer Sunday……..


13) Lot of major league umpires wore white wristbands Saturday to protest Ian Kinsler not being suspended after he verbally thrashed umpire Angel Hernandez earlier this week.


Earlier this month, umpire Joe West was suspended for three days, simply for saying that Adrian Beltre complained more than any other player.


The statement from MLB is clear; players matter more than umpires.


12) Mets’ game Friday night ended around midnight; Curtis Granderson was traded right after the game, and was in Detroit Saturday afternoon, batting 5th for the Dodgers in a game that started at 4:00. Joc Pederson was sent to AAA to make room for Granderson.


11) Is great to hear 82-year old Dick Enberg calling the Dodgers-Tigers games this weekend. One of the all-time great broadcasters, Mr Enberg called Padre games up until last season. To me, he is best-known for doing college basketball on NBC in the late 70’s/80’s.


10) Umpire Adam Hamari is from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; he had the plate in Detroit Saturday, and had lot of family at the game. Do friends/relatives of umpires cheer loudly for good calls? Do they take grief if a call goes against the home team?


9) Giancarlo Stanton is the 4th big leaguer to hit 23 homers in a 35-game span; the other three were Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa.


8) Brooklyn Nets will play regular season games against the Thunder and Heat in Mexico City in December.


7) Detroit’s Justin Upton hit a homer Friday night; when he was between 2nd and 3rd base, he suddenly backtracked and went back to touch first base again, just to make sure he got it. Never saw that before If you miss first base, you dion’t even get credit for a hit, much less a homer, run scored and an RBI.


6) Tight end Nick O’Leary caught three passes for 50 yards for Buffalo Thursday night; the Florida State alum is the grandson of golfing great Jack Nicklaus.


5) Not only did Joc Pederson get sent to AAA, but San Diego sent RF Hunter Renfroe down to AAA El Paso— he was in an 8-for-64 skid at the time of his demotion.


4) 53-year old Davis Love III is three shots out of the lead after three rounds of the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina. Love’s son is also in the Wyndham field; the last time a golfer won a PGA Tour event when his son was in the field? Craig Stadler, at the 2003 BC Open.


3) Seattle Seahawks lost starting LT George Fant for the year with an ACL injury; Fant was a basketball player at Western Kentucky but had improved enough to become an NFL starter.


2) Dodgers are now 52-9 in their last 61 games— this is a historic run, which won’t mean a thing once the playoffs start. Clayton Kershaw better get healthy.


1) Former Boston Bruins’ coach/TSN hockey announcer Don Cherry sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame at Wrigley Field Saturday, dressed in a suit jacket, with, um……cherries on it. Cherry was a really good coach who is a complete character as a TV analyst.