EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Caleb Robinson Jersey - led the on a touchdown drive, capped by fellow newcomer 's 1-yard scoring run, in a 13-10 victory over the on Thursday night in the preseason opener for both teams., looking to retain his starting job in his second season, was 4 of 6 for Clay Young Jersey 33 yards in two series with the first-team offense that included a 51-yard field goal by before giving way to Vick. The 34-year-old backup received a hearty cheer from the crowd at MetLife Stadium, and moved the Brandon Pierce Jersey starting offense for the (1-0) down the field against the ' second-team defense.The 14-play drive was helped by two 15-yard penalties on the (0- Tristan Leigh Jersey 1). Vick was 3 of 6 for 17 yards. played just one Lorenzo Dorr Jersey efficient drive, going 4 of 5 for 53 yards and leading Indianapolis to a field goal.Copyright 2014 by The A sociated Pre s

The are one win away from achieving their seventh Super Bowl appearance and making history in the proce s. They will attempt to do so on Sunday when they host the Green in the 2020 NFC Championship Game at Levi's Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:40 p.m. ET. With a victory, the NFC West 49ers (14-3) will become just the second team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl after finishing the previous year with four or Jamiyus Pittman Jersey fewer victories (1999 St. Louis ).The NFC champion Packers (14-3) are on the brink of a similar turnaround, as they won just six games last year but have thrived under first-year coach Matt LaFleur. San Francisco is an eight-point favorite after the line opened at seven, while the over-under for total points scored is 46.5 in the latest Packers vs. 49ers odds. Before making any 49ers vs. Packers picks, be sure to . has been SportsLine's top pro football analyst for three years. Since Jan. 1, 2017, the CBS Sports NFL editor and expert has returned $2,383 to $100 bettors on his NFL picks against the spread.The stats guru, whose are coveted by fans everywhere, has hit it big in the world's most prestigious handicapping tournament -- the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest -- twice in Joe Comer Jersey the past five years. What's more, he has had a particularly keen eye for the trajectories of the Packers and 49ers.He has posted a record of 49-14 on against-the-spread picks involving these clubs, which includes an amazing 35-6 mark in his last 41 involving the Packers. He has hit six straight on Green Bay, including advising SportsLine members to back the Packers (-3.5) against Seattle last week. Anyone who has followed him is way up.Now, he has locked in on from every angle and released another confident point-spread selection. You can . Here are several for 49ers vs. Packers in the NFC Championship Game 2020:Packers vs 49ers spread: San Francisco -8Packers vs 49ers over-under: 46.5 pointsPackers vs 49ers money line: San Francisco -358, Green Bay +285GB: Packers have covered five of six games as a playoff underdog.SF: 49ers are 5-2 against the spread in the last seven meetings in this series.Why the 49ers Joe Keeler Jersey can coverThe 49ers were widely expected to have a somewhat limited running game this season because of the absence of a true featured back, but they defied projections by developing the league's second-ranked rushing attack (144 yards per game) behind an Joshua Bellamy Jersey effective but perhaps unlikely backfield trio., the former backup in Atlanta behind , came up big in the win over the , rushing for 105 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns. , an undrafted free agent in 2015 who's already with his seventh team, rushed for a team-high 772 yards with eight touchdowns in the regular season. Speedster , another undrafted free agent, ran for 623 yards in 13 regular-season games.Why the Packers can coverAlthough the 49ers have received plenty of recognition for their sterling defensive line play, the Packers have shown they have a formidable one of their own. They are averaging 3.7 sacks over their past three games, one more than their 2.7 average for the regular season. Last week, they sacked Seattle's elusive five times.Green Bay was only team in the NFL to have two players record 12 or more sacks during the regular season. finished with 13.5, while had 12. Cole Croston Jersey Both players managed two sacks and four quarterback hits against the . The 49ers have been vulnerable to the pa s rush and allowed five sacks in an upset home lo s to the and six the following week in a win over the Los Angeles Rams.How to make Packers vs. 49ers picksWhite is leaning under on the total, and he's also discovered a crucial x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's sharing it only at SportsLine.Who wins Packers vs. 49ers in the NFC Championship Game 2020? And what critical factor makes one side of the spread a must-back?, and find out.

Jimmy Garoppolo was widely known to be available heading into the 2022 NFL offseason. The 49ers trusted him as their starter last season, but they have Trey Lance, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, waiting in the wings to take over for him.As such, it was presumed that San Francisco would trade Garoppolo to a quarterback-needy team before or in the early stages of free agency. The 49ers were just waiting for a few other dominos notably Aaron Rodgers, Ru sell Wilson and Deshaun Watson to fall.However, Garoppolo has remained on the 49ers' roster throughout the first and second waves of free agency. It's unclear when the team may officially move on from him and what may be his potential landing spots at this point.Why have the 49ers Markus Naslund Jersey kept Garoppolo so far? And when exactly will they trade him? Here's what we know about San Francisco's plans as it considers parting with its starter from the last handful of years.NFL POWER RANKINGS:There are two major factors holding back a potential Jimmy Garoppolo trade. One of them is the shoulder surgery that Garoppolo had in early March.Coach Kyle Shanahan said that Garoppolo is "good" in wake of that procedure. However, he also acknowledged that surgery has created uncertainty around Garoppolo and has delayed trade talks.Anytime someone gets a surgery, especially on their throwing shoulder, teams are going to be a little more nervous with what they want to offer and things like that," Shanahan said, . "So I think that did put it on hold. And were all right with that."This isn't a major surprise. The surgery was to Garoppolo's throwing shoulder, after all, and teams will want to see how he responds to treatment before offloading significant a sets to land him.The other Jaromir Jagr Jersey part of the equation is Garoppolo's contract. He is entering the final season of a five-year, $135 million contract and will make just under $27 million in total. Any team that trades for him will be saddled with a large cap hit as a result; so, theywill have to spend a sets to extend him in addition to any draft capital they surrender to acquire him.All told, that's a lot to surrender, even for a quarterback who posted slightly above-average numbers as a starter in 2021.StatTotalRankCompletion percentage68.36thPa sing yards3,81012thPa sing TDs20T-17Interceptions12T-14Yards per attempt8.62ndPa ser rating98.79thQBR53.313thMORE: The 49ers don't currently have a timetable during which they are looking to trade Garoppolo. They are focused only on getting the best po sible return for him."Weve got him on the books right now and well keep it that way until something else can improve us, Shanahan said of Garoppolo.Does that mean that the 49ers will keep Garoppolo through the 2022 NFL season if the 49ers can' David Perron Jersey t find a suitable trade package? Shanahan wouldn't rule it out. Nor would he rule out Garoppolo beating Lance for the starting job in 2022 if both are on the roster (though he also expre sed confidence in Lance)."Thats why we looked into trading Jimmy, because we obviously believe that Trey can be a starter," Shanahan said. "And were ready to do that. But if we cant upgrade our team in another way, were not just going to get rid of a good quarterback because we have other quarterbacks on the roster."We know we have all guys who are capable of starting which, Jimmys done a great job for us. We brought Trey here to be that eventually. And I think thatll be sooner than later, but Jimmy gets the surgery and we cant upgrade our team by getting some good picks until people feel good about that, Im all right with that."As such, this could be a long holding pattern Bryan Watson Jersey for the 49ers. They could wait until the 2022 NFL Draft pa ses and deal Garoppolo to a team that may have mi sed out on its preferred quarterback choice. They could also trade him if a starting quarterback for another team suffers an injury during training camp.Either way, though, there doesn't appear to be any self-imposed deadline for the 49ers to move on from Garoppolo.RIVERA:The 49ers don't seem willing to release Garoppolo. They would seemingly rather keep him for the 2022 NFL season than release him without getting compensation."Were not just getting rid of him to get rid of him," Shanahan said. "Jimmys a good player that we all like as a person and as a teammate and were going to wait to see whatever helps the Niners the most."General manager John Lynch echoed those thoughts at the NFL's annual meeting on Monday. He said that he "doesn't foresee" the 49ers cutting Garoppolo."He's too good a player,"Lynch said, per ."I think Jimmy will be playing for us or will be playing for someone else. He's too good of a player not to be."Of course, things could change for the 49ers. Cutting Garoppolo would save the 49ers just over $25.5 million, so if they feel comfortable rolling with Lance as the starter at Nate Sudfeld as the backup, Jimmy G would be a logical cut. He also could be Cody Glass Jersey released if his shoulder doesn't properly heal or if San Francisco needs to open cap space for a splash trade, free-agent re-signing or long-term extension.Still, it seems far more likely that the team will trade him. And Garoppolo would only be released as a last resort to facilitate a larger move for San Francisco.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) A lawsuit accusing the NFLs disability plan of violating its duty to retired players by can proceed to trial on most counts, a federal judge in Maryland has ruled.The lawsuit, , accuses officials who oversee the program of bad faith and flagrant violations of federal law. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin said the suit can move forward against the board, Frederic Brunet Jersey but not against Commi sioner Roger Goodell or trustees individually, as they were not accused of wrongdoing.Lawyers for the 10 retired players who signed onto the potential cla s action called the ruling Wednesday a huge win for those subject to what they called systemic injustice.We look forward to continuing to shine a light on this betrayal by Dave Poulin Jersey the NFL, holding the plan fully accountable and correcting this broken system so it is fair for players moving forward, lawyers Chris Seeger and Sam Katz said in a statement on Thursday.ADVERTISEMENT The board has six voting members while Goodell serves as the non-voting chairperson. An NFL spokesman did not immediately return a me sage seeking comment.Seeger is no stranger to battles with the league he also represented players in .The NFL has said it expected annual payouts for the disability plan to reach $330 million last year. The program grew out of the 2011 collective-bargaining agreement between the players and the union, and was hailed as a way to help ailing former players. A succe sful claim can lead to payments of $65,000 to $265,000, but plaintiffs lawyers say few retirees see the top amount. The former players say they were denied benefits even though their time in the league left them with lingering physical or cognitive injuries that make their lives difficult and sometimes excruciating.The lawsuit also alleges that the doctors who examine players are more likely to get Riley Duran Jersey repeat referrals from the program if they deny claims. One neuropsychologist who was paid more than $800,000 examined 29 former players and denied their claims in every case, according to the lawyers.The judge ruled that the lawsuit can now move forward to discovery, when the two sides exchange evidence. She said the plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that the board disregarded the plans stated goals, failed to consider the entire record in evaluating claims and failed to offer reasoned decisions.The plaintiffs include Willis McGahee, a first-round pick in 2003 who Pj Stock Jersey spent 11 seasons in the NFL. McGahee said he's had more than a dozen surgeries for injuries he suffered as a running back, has dark moods and struggles to play with his young sons, but his claim was denied.Eric Smith, a longtime safety for the New York Jets, is another plaintiff. He said his brain injuries from football still cause blackouts and violent episodes. There were times I would blackout and wake up and Im bleeding, there are holes in the wall. My wife and kids are crying, Smith said on a videoconference call last year. I went down a dark path.And Mike McKenzie said hes been denied disability payments even though he has to spend his days in dark rooms with headaches and has constant pain after suffering head injuries during his 11 years with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints.The other former players who signed on as plaintiffs are Jason Alford, Daniel Loper, Jamize Olaware, Alex Parsons, Charles Sims, Vinni Lettieri Jersey Joey Thomas and Lance Zeno.___This story has been corrected to reflect that McGahee did not play for the New York Jets.

The are still two months from the start of their 2024 season, but they'll begin training camp in just a couple of weeks on the practice fields outside of training camp.During this dead period of the offseason, everyone is evaluating rosters and predicting what could happen in the coming months. for the Patriots in 2024, and the boldest of them might've Jake Walman Jersey been about their record.Here's what Randall wrote:"I have the Patriots going 9-8 in ourseason win-lo s predictions, and I stand by that take even though it could blow up in my face.New England has major Craig Janney Jersey questions at quarterback, receiver, left tackle, and head coach. Those i sues could make the season dead on arrival, and if you say you feel good about any of them, youre either gue sing or lying Jeff Odgers Jersey .But hear me out.The Patriots have, one that should give them the floor of last years team, which was in nearly every game despite receiving historically abysmal quarterback play. They also have a more responsible QB in Jacoby Bri sett and a more talented but still underwhelming offense. And there simply is no way the offensive coaching will be worse in 2024 than it was the last two seasons.If New England receives even average QB play and the defense meets expectations, it stands to reason the Patriots could jump from four victories to six Kelly Kisio Jersey or seven.From there, Im predicting the Patriots get lucky a couple of times and other AFC teams regre s because stuff happens in the NFL. And when the dust settles, New England will be 9-8 and in contention for a playoff spot."If New England finishes the year with a winning record, first-year head coach Jerod Mayo should win Coach of the Year, as it Miikka Kiprusoff Jersey seems much more likely they'll have another top-three draft pick in 2025.

If you're still alive for your fantasy championship, then congratulations. Now, get ready for the longest fantasy football-related week of your lives. Every day, player updates will be met with dread, as you never know when one of your key running backs will wind up on the reserve/COVID list. Of course, injuries will still rear their ugly heads, too, so you can expect our Week 17 fantasy RB PPR rankings to see some changes before Sunday's kickoffs.Hopefully, your RB depth chart is still strong enough that you can take matchups into account when making start 'em, sit 'em decisions. Several borderline backs are in bad spots this week, Tony Amonte Jersey most notably Michael Carter (vs. Buccaneers), Myles Gaskin/Duke Johnson/Phillip Lindsay (@ Titans), Chuba Hubbard (@ Saints), Dare Ogunbowale (@ Patriots), Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray (vs. Rams), and Rex Burkhead (@ 49ers). It won't be difficult for most to leave these guys on their benches (even Gaskin or Johnson in PPR leagues), but Sony Michel (@ Ravens), Darrel Williams (@ Bengals), Josh Jacobs (@ Colts), and, if Dalvin Cook is still on the reserve/COVID list, Alexander Mattison (@ Packers) will be tougher calls, especially in PPR leagues.WEEK 17 PPR RANKINGS: | | | | Chances are, Michel, Williams, Jacobs, and Cook/Mattison will be your best flex options, if not best RB2 options, so they should still be in most 12-team lineups. However it's po sible you've loaded up on guys like Rashaad Penny (vs. Lions) or Jeff Wilson Jr. (vs. Texans) and have them Lukas Reichel Jersey in better matchups, so do what makes sense for you. Also, don't shy away from Denver's RBs despite their dismal Week 16 performances. The Chargers just got run all over by Burkhead, so Denver's duo should have big bounce-back performances.WEEK 17 STANDARD RANKINGS: | | | | | In addition to Penny and JWJ (or Elijah Mitchell, if he's back from his knee injury), borderline guys like Devin Singletary (vs. Falcons), Rhamondre Stevenson (reserve/COVID) and Damien Harris (vs. Jaguars), and D'Andre Swift (shoulder) and Jamaal Williams (@Seahawks) look good. Typically, Harris isn'tas valuable in PPR leagues, but he has high TD upside this week. You could Pat Stapleton Jersey also try AJ Dillon (vs. Vikings) as a TD-or-bust sleeper.WEEK 17 FANTASY: | | This will almost certainly be another crazy week. It's not just RBs themselves going on the reserve/COVID list that will matter, it's also offensive lineman, quarterbacks, and even defensive players. For instance, the Bucs allow the second-most RB receptions per game, so even just one notable defensive lineman being inactive might be just enough to make Carter a "safe" PPR flex. Stay alert, grab your handcuffs, and be ready to pivot.MORE WEEK 17 DFS: | | Note: We'll be updating these RB PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for analysis and the latest player movement.RankPlayer1Jonathan Taylor, IND vs. LV2Aaron Jones, GB vs. MIN3Dalvin Cook, MIN @ GB4D'Andre Swift, DET @ SEA5Austin Ekeler, LAC vs. DEN6Nick Chubb, CLE @ PIT7Ronald Jones II, TB @ NYJ8Najee Harris, PIT @ CLE9Rashaad Penny, SEA vs. DET10Joe Mixon, CIN vs. KC11Elijah Mitchell, SF vs. HOU12Javonte Williams, DEN @ LAC13Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs. ARI14Alvin Kamara, NO vs Antti Niemi Jersey . CAR15Saquon Barkley, NYG @ CHI16Jeff Wilson Jr., SF vs. HOU17Melvin Gordon, DEN @ LAC18Cordarrelle Patterson, ATL @ BUF19David Montgomery, CHI vs. NYG20Devin Singletary, BUF vs. ATL21Damien Harris, NE vs. JAX22Sony Michel, LAR @ BAL23Darrel Williams, KC @ CIN24Jaret Patterson, WAS vs. PHI25Josh Jacobs, LV @ IND26James Conner, ARI @ DAL27Chase Edmonds, ARI @ DAL28Rhamondre Stevenson, NE vs. JAX29Michael Carter, NYJ vs. TB30Jordan Howard, PHI @ WAS31D'Onta Foreman, TEN vs. MIA32Jamaal Williams, DET @ SEA33Dare Ogunbowale, JAX @ NE34Rex Burkhead, HOU @ SF35Boston Scott, PHI @ WAS36AJ Dillon, GB vs. MIN37Chuba Hubbard, CAR @ NO38Devonta Freeman, BAL vs. LAR39Duke Johnson, MIA @ TEN40DeeJay Dallas, SEA vs. DET41Tony Pollard, DAL vs. ARI42Jeff Wilson Jr., SF vs. HOU43Latavius Murray, BAL vs. LAR44Ke'Shawn Vaughn, TB @ NYJ45Royce Freeman, HOU @ SF46Derrick Gore, KC @ CIN47Myles Gaskin, MIA @ TEN48Justin Jackson, LAC vs. DEN49Matt Breida, BUF vs. ATL50Mike Davis, ATL @ BUF51Dontrell Hillard, TEN vs. Craig Smith Jersey MIA52Nyheim Hines, IND vs. LV53Jeremy McNichols, TEN vs. MIA54Jonathan Williams, WAS vs. PHI55Devontae Booker, NYG @ CHI56Brandon Bolden, NE vs. JAX57Phillip Lindsay, MIA @ TEN58Mark Ingram, NO vs. CAR59Zack Mo s, BUF vs. ATL60Tevin Coleman, NYJ vs. TB61Ameer Abdullah, CAR @ NO62Alexander Mattison, MIN @ GB63Samaje Perine, CIN vs. KC64Kenneth Gainwell, PHI @ WAS65D'Ernest Johnson, CLE @ PIT66Craig Reynolds, DET @ SEA67Joshua Kelley, LAC vs. DEN68Peyton Barber, LV @ IND69Khalil Herbert, CHI vs. NYG

The NFL doesn't care whether you think it's unfair that some teams will have fans in the stands this season and others won't. I don't care either.In the past two weeks I've gotten more questions about the perceived unfairne s of the league's lack of a uniform rule from stadium to stadium than anything else. We have heard from head coach Mike Zimmer and head coach Sean McDermott bemoaning the competitive disadvantages.First of all, I do not believe there will be any perceptible difference between playing in front of a stadium that's one-fifth full and playing in front of no fans. Secondly, it makes plenty of financial sense why the league is leaving the decision up to individual teams based on local guidelines."I think it's honestly ridiculous that there will be ... what appears to be a playing field that is like that,". "Inconsistency acro s the league with the different away stadiums. We control what we can control. That's gotta be our mindset and that's how we attack it."As it stands now, only five teams have announced they'll have fans in the stands to start the season: Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Kansas City and Miami. (Four other teams have yet to make their announcement.) By my count, none of those five teams will have more than 25-30 percent capacity.Looking for some late-round picks that could win your fantasy league? Establish The Run's Evan Silva J.t. Miller Jersey joins Will Brinson on the Pick Six Podcast to break down that and more fantasy tips; listen below andfor daily NFL goodne s.For my three-part series in the spring predicting what teams are currently facing, I spoke with Thomas Dohmen about with no or few fans in the stands. Dohmen is a profe sor of applied microeconomics at University of Bonn and author of one of on the topic of home-field advantage.The point that he and others have made is that officiating bias has the greatest impact on home-field advantage. In short, otherwise impartial officials make close calls in close games for the home team when they are subconsciously influenced by the ma sive crowd that is around and on top of them."The referee is slightly more biased if the home crowd has a higher chance of putting pre sure on the referee, social pre sure," Dohmen told me in April. "So closene s to the pitch, ma s of the crowd, these factors do seem to play a role."His study looked at German soccer, and he found that home-field advantage diminished when there was a track around the pitch that buffered officials from the fans. No NFL stadium has a track around it, but this season all stadiums will have the first six-to-eight Arturs Silovs Jersey rows tarped off for advertising. Whatever number of fans in the stands will now be farther away from influencing officials."The effect of the size of the crowd is negligible," Dohmen continues. "It goes in the right direction for home-field advantage but it's negligible. What's probably more important than the size of the crowd, which is also suggested by other studies that tried to replicate it, is the concentration. If you have a small, packed stadium that is probably better than a large stadium with the same amount of people."So 20,000 people in a 20,000-seat stadium has a greater impact than those same people in a 70,000-seat stadium, which is what we'll get this season in a few NFL venues.That doesn't mean having no or few fans won't have an impact on players. As I wrote in the spring, team composition will be important. A player who is prone to choking in front of large crowds may play better in front of no one. A player who may time slower at the combine but play with greater "football speed" may struggle with no one around.Jeff Miller, the NFL's EVP of communications, public affairs and policy, was asked about the perceived competitive imbalance on a conference call with reporters earlier this week. To say he dodged the point of the question would be a polite way of putting it. Miller didn't addre s the po sible inequities but simply said the decision rests with each team and their respective state and local health guidelines.Like everything, the decision to allow teams to make their own decisions is about money. The more fans are in stands acro s the country, the le s the salary cap deficit in 2021 and beyond when all the revenue is tallied from this season. But even away from the field, more fans means more people get to keep their jobs. I wrote last week about how owner David Tepper since the start of the pandemic, and people on the busine s side of teams acro s the league have been holding their collective breath wondering if they'll still have jobs if fans aren't there. Teams hitting their break-even point around 20 percent capacity may reflect many in entertainment/stadium ops/ticketing roles keeping their jobs this fall.Home-field advantage has been steadily decreasing over the decades, and 2020 offers a great experiment for what really drives it. I don't believe a few thousand people in a cavernous stadium spread out 6 feet apart will truly have an impact on any of the 256 regular-season outcomes this year, and I'm hopeful that those few thousands of people will help team owners decide to keep their workers employed.Player tickets a tricky i sueOne player perk that is diminishing, or altogether disappearing, this season is the free family ticket. I'm told free tickets for players' families will be at the discretion of each team rather than having some collectively bargained policy acro s the league for stadiums allowing fans.A source at one team that's expecting to have fans this season said they are giving two free tickets to players. That's no different than past years, but there will only be a "limited" number of tickets players can buy in addition to the two freebies. In past years there was generally no limit on those extra tickets.It's a tricky i sue for the players union and teams. The union's purpose is to support the players fully, and the players certainly want as many family members and loved ones as po sible to be able to watch them play in person. Teams want that as well, but they also can't give away too many tickets. There are long-time season-ticket holders, representing your team's best customers, who can't be left in the cold, and revenue can't fly out the window in a year where every team will experience a financial hit.As mentioned above, a financial break-even point for teams is probably around 20 percent capacity. There are some clubs that are allowed by Kirill Kudryavtsev Jersey local law to have fans in September but have opted not to because such low fan attendance represents low gate revenue that won't equal what it costs to staff the event.No hotel visitsI took another look over the travel protocols for NFL teams this week after reporting it through last week, and something jumped out at me.Under the physical distancing portion of the team travel protocols lies this nugget: "Coaches and players must have their own hotel rooms. Members of the Traveling Party may not make separate public or private housing arrangements while traveling. Room visits are permitted only by members of the Traveling Party."That last sentence reads to me like a simple and elegant way of telling players not to have any friendly visits on the road.The NBA made waves earlier this month when its bubble that players must have "longstanding relationships" with any non-family members who may be guests in the Orlando bubble. If the guest was "known by the player only through social media or an intermediary," that person would not be allowed.It appears the NFL and NFLPA have avoided that sort of language altogether by banning all hotel room visits by anyone not a sociated with the team. If you're going to pull off a football season without a bubble, it's the only way.Washington sale priceThe last time an NFL team was up for sale, the Carolina Panthers disappointed team owners by going foronly$2.275 billion. The hope had been that the team would sale for closer to $2.5 billion, especially with the Supreme Court clearing the way for legal sports gambling. At the start of the pandemic, a source told me that any franchise sale would need to be iced for a while because there'd be too much uncertainty to meet a pre-pandemic asking price.Flash forward to today and rumors continue to swirl around the Washington Football Team. Dan Snyder has no interest in selling, but reports have his former partners trying to force him to sell. Throw in yet a from the Washington Post about a toxic workplace environment that focuses more on Snyder than the report from last month and pre sure is mounting.I don't believe a sale is imminent, and I'm not sure it'd even happen. But I asked a trusted source if the pandemic would impact the sale price of the Washington Football Team, and the response was absolutely not. The franchise is too historic, in a perfect spot in the mid-Atlantic and owns valuable real estate. has Washington as the league's seventh-most valuable franchise at $3.58 billion. also has Washington seventh at $3.4 billion. Any sale would have to begin there and work its way up to $4 billion or more.NFL commish Roger Goodell released a statement strongly condemning "the unprofe sional, disturbing and abhorrent behavior and workplace environment" described in the WaPo piece. The team then released a statement saying it was "deeply distre sed by these terrible allegations." Sawyer Mynio Jersey But in his own statement, Snyder took a decidedly different tone. While claiming full responsibility for his workplace, the WFT owner spent no time apologizing to any alleged victims and instead focused his ire at the Post and its "hit job."The tone of the statement signals to me that nothing about Snyder has changed. Yes, he's hired good people for top jobs, but he's done that before just to fire them later. The difference in statements from Snyder and team as the investigation begins shows that 1) the WFT decision-makers are not in unison and 2) Snyder is feeling the pre sure.Again, I'm still not sure we are at the point of "he has to sell the team." But if we get there and there's a whole lot of smoke right now the sale price will break records, pandemic or not.Usele s Twitter crackdownIt's hard for me to think of something more usele s and regre sive than what the (and others) have decided to do this training camp by severely limiting what beat reporters can report during and after practices.In Green Bay, GM Brian Gutekunst has proudly taken responsibility for limiting what the pre s can tweet from camp practice. In Buffalo, the Bills have suspended their own reporter for sharing details from training camp, according to. Another Thursday that his name has been removed from more than 200 articles on the Bills official team site. The idea from teams goes like this Pavel Bure Jersey : Our pro scouts follow beat writers from other teams reporting on position rotations and play types. In a preseason without exhibitions and tape on opponents, we want to limit our exposure and not give away our secrets to future opponents.Sure, that sounds normal on its face. Fans of that team will go with what the GM says, even if it means they are le s informed, which is not good for that team or GM or writer or anyone.But wait until next week when teams trim their rosters from 80 to 53 and shake out their practice squads. I won't be surprised one iota when we see teams snapping up one or two players for their squads who had been with their Week 1 opponent throughout training camp. It's the smart thing to do, especially with practice squads expanding to 16 this season.Just having that one player in your building for one day to download all the information about your Week 1 opponent will be worth all the beat-writer training camp tweets 10 times over. And your little ban on tweeting who swung inside to play right guard for five reps in practice No. 11 will be rendered usele s while your fan base remains le s informed.

The ' , ' , Will Cuylle Jersey ' , ' and ' each had the strength to come through during a key moment to contribute to wins during Week 14. Mack's fifth sack of the game halted the , giving the a 15-12 road win, and earned the second-year pro this week's honor.CLUTCH PERFORMER OF THE WEEK NOMINEESDwight Freeney, Arizona CardinalsFreeney stripped the ball from Minnesota quarterback with five seconds to play in the ' 23-20 win over the . Bridgewater drove the to Adam Sykora Jersey the ' 31-yard line before Freeney's timely play helped Arizona win and clinch a playoff berth.Khalil Mack, Oakland RaidersMack's fifth sack of the game halted the , giving the a 15-12 road win. Mack also had Igor Shesterkin Jersey a sack in the end zone for a safety.Ed Reynolds, Philadelphia EaglesReynolds thwarted the ' last chance on offense in the final minutes by intercepting quarterback to preserve a 23-20 win for the . The win kept the tied atop the NFC East standings.Dee Ford, Kansas City ChiefsAs time expired, Ford's defense on the Brett Berard Jersey potential game-tying touchdown pa s intended for preserved a 10-3 win over the . It marked the ' seventh consecutive win.Odell Beckham, New York GiantsBeckham's 84-yard touchdown catch on an throw provided the go-ahead score in the ' 31-24 triumph over the . It was Beckham's second score of the game. His first tied the game up at 24-24. With the win, the moved into Vince Pedrie Jersey a three-way tie for first in the NFC East.