Ray Rice Released by Baltimore Ravens and Suspended Indefinitely
On Monday TMZ released the security footage of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then fiancée and knocking her out in an elevator in Revel in Atlantic City. This is the first footage made public of what happened inside the elevator. The Baltimore Ravens released Rice almost immediately followed by the NFL suspending him indefinitely. There will be a lot of fallout from this, probably more than most of us expect. Also, don’t expect any team to touch Rice for the forseeable future.
Jadeveon Clowney Out 4-6 Weeks
The number one overall pick in the draft last year, Jadeveon Clowney, tore his meniscus on Sunday when the Houston Texans played the Washington Redskins. He left the game in the second quarter and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. So far Clowney’s rookie season has been riddled with injuries. The Texans are an improved team from last season and will still have a good defense while Clowney is out (after all, J.J. Watt is still on the field) but Clowney absolutely adds something extra when healthy.
Miami Dolphins Stun New England Patriots
Most people had the New England Patriots going into Miami and taking it to the Dolphins. The Dolphins had other plans. After trailing by 10 points at halftime, the Dolphins came out in the second half and physically dominated the Patriots. Miami outscored the Patriots 23-0 on the second half alone to win by a score of 33-20. However, New England has been a winning team for a long enough time though that they’re not hitting the panic button just yet. However, they will need to make some key adjustments moving forward.
Tony Romo Throws Three Interceptions in Loss to San Francisco 49ers
The Dallas Cowboys’ defense was the worst defense in the league last season. On Sunday Tony Romo did their defense no favors with some of the decisions he made. Romo had three interceptions in a 28-17 loss. Is this what the Cowboys have to look forward to from a 34 year old quarterback coming off back surgery or was Romo simply knocking off the rust? Only time will tell.
Titans Linebacker Zach Brown Out for Season With Torn Pectoral
The Tennessee Titans got their first win on Sunday in impression fashion. However, they lost linebacker Zach Brown in the process with a torn pectoral muscle. Brown hadn’t missed a game in his previous two seasons in the NFL. The titans will now have to find a replacement for a player they were really hoping could make the next step this season.
Robert Mathis Out for Season With Torn Achilles
The Indianapolis Colts had planned on playing without outside linebacker Robert Mathis for the first four weeks of the season due to a suspension. On Monday they found out they’ll be playing the entire season without him. Mathis tore his Achilles on Monday while working out privately. Considering Mathis is 33 years old and plays a position that relies heavily on speed and explosion, this could be it for the veteran pass rusher. The Colts could put him on the non-football injury list so they wouldn’t owe him his salary and most likely part ways with him at the end of the season. Not only would Mathis be a year older, he would also be recovering from a significant injury that could easily affect his speed and explosion even when fully cleared to play.
No Johnny Manziel Yet
At halftime on Sunday the Cleveland Browns were down 27-3 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While quarterback Brian Hoyer had won the starting job during the preseason over rookie Johnny Manziel, this seemed like a good opportunity to make the switch. The Browns ended up sticking with Hoyer who ended up putting together a good game and bringing the Browns back to only lose 27-30. If the Browns keep losing, I expect Manziel to get the nod sooner or later.
LaMichael James Asks For and Receives Release
On Monday San Francisco 49ers running back LaMichael James asked the 49ers to release him and they did. James asked so he could pursue other options. In his short career in the NFL James has been buried on the depth chart behind Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, Carlos Hyde, and even Anthony Dixon would get his number called sometimes before James. Whether his lack of production was because of inability on his part or the coaching staff not using his skill set properly, the move is best for both sides. James is now subject to waivers and if he makes it down to the Philadelphia Eagles, don’t be surprised if that’s where he ends up.
Seattle Seahawks Thin at Cornerback
The Seattle Seahawks have one of the best, if not, the best secondaries in the NFL. They have arguably the best cornerback in the league in Richard Sherman. However, after him at cornerback, they don’t have many options. After Thursday’s game they have even less. Jeremy Lane lef the game with a groin injury and head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that they expect him to miss significant time. Tharold Simon, a young cornerback the coaches really like, was inactive for Week 1 and Seattle doesn’t know exactly when he’ll be back. That leaves Sherman, Byron Maxwell, and Marcus Burley as the only healthy cornerbacks on the roster.
Derek Carr Unimpressive in Rookie Debut
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is the first rookie quarterback to make a start this season. Carr beat out Matt Schaub in the preseason and didn’t even make it a hard choice for his coaches. However, the New York Jets’ Rex Ryan led defense sure made it hard on the youngster on Sunday. Carr went 20-32 with only 151 yards and two touchdowns. Carr rarely had a clean pocket to work with and Ryan’s defense showed him a lot of different looks. This is what was expected from this matchup so it’s not too concerning. Carr is going to improve and he will have an impressive rookie campaign.