Larry Fitzgerald (concussion) is ‘going to be OK,’ according to his dad
Larry Fitzgerald (right) suffered a concussion in the Cardinals’ win over the Titans. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals kept their playoff hopes alive Sunday with an OT win at Tennessee, and then attention shifted almost immediately to the health of wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. According to his father, Larry Fitzgerald Sr., Cardinals fans can breathe easily.
Fitzgerald was evaluated for a concussion after Arizona’s victory; the injury appeared to occur late in the fourth quarter, when Fitzgerald was on the field attempting to recover an onside kick. Adding insult to injury, the Titans jumped on the loose ball and then drove for a game-tying touchdown.
Thanks to an interception and quick drive, the Cardinals managed to survive in overtime minus their superstar. But with must-wins games upcoming against Seattle and San Francisco, Arizona badly needs Fitzgerald in the lineup.
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First Down/Fourth Down: Debating Coach and Offensive Rookie of the Year
Bruce Arians has the Cardinals sitting 9-5 a season after they finished 5-11. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Chip Kelly could have a case in Philadelphia and there may be an argument out there for Miami’s Joe Philbin, but with two weeks (and one game, Monday night’s tilt between Detroit and Baltimore) left in the NFL regular season, the Coach of the Year race appears to be down to three names: Ron Rivera, Andy Reid and Bruce Arians.
Picking between them will be a near impossible task.
All three were victorious Sunday — Rivera’s Panthers against the Jets, Reid’s Chiefs against the Raiders and Arians’ Cardinals at Tennessee. Arians’ win may have been the most impressive, with the Cardinals bouncing back after blowing a 14-point lead very late to win in overtime and keep their playoff hopes alive.
His Arizona team is now 9-5 after finishing 5-11 last season. The problem both for Arians’ COY chances and the Cardinals’ playoff hopes is that they could finish 11-5, replete with wins over Seattle and San Francisco to close the season, and still miss the playoffs.
That will not be the case for Kansas City or, most likely, Carolina. The Chiefs clinched a playoff berth Sunday with their 11th win, already a nine-win turnaround from 2012. Though their defense has slipped a bit in recent weeks, Reid’s squad still ranks in the top five in points scored and fewest points allowed. Last season, under Romeo Crennel, Kansas City finished dead last on offense.
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Dez Bryant: It was ‘wrong’ of me to leave Cowboys’ loss to Packers early
Apparently, Dez Bryant had seen enough. (FOX Sports)
Update (1:30 p.m. ET): Dez Bryant apologized Monday morning and attempted to contextualize his early exit.
“I was wrong,” Bryant told reporters during a visit to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, via ESPNDallas. “It didn’t have anything to do with my teammates. I just … I couldn’t watch Green Bay kneel the ball down on the field after a tough loss like that.
“I was very emotional. I cried when I got into the locker room. I didn’t want to show that stuff on the sideline.”
Seattle-area car dealership on the hook for $420k after Seahawks’ shutout win
For some Seahawks fans, Sunday’s shutout win was especially profitable. (Elsa/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks’ 23-0 win over the New York Giants made just about everybody in Washington state happy, but one car dealership in the state will have to fork over almost half a million dollars as a result of the game’s unlikely outcome. The road shutout was the fifth the Seahawks have put up in the last 30 years, and the first regular-season goose egg at home for the Giants since 1995. Given the odds, it seemed reasonable for Jet Chevrolet, located south of Seattle in Federal Way, to put together a promotion that would net $35,000 for 12 different people.
“This is crazy,” said Jim Johnson, one of the dealership’s owners, via ESPN. “We never expected that we’d actually be giving away the money.” Continue Reading
Bengals can’t overcome special teams mistakes in frustrating loss to Steelers
The Bengals had no answers for Steelers receiver Antonio Brown. (Don Wright/AP)
A funny thing happened on the way to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ demise, and the Cincinnati Bengals’ AFC North coronation. The Bengals, who came into Sunday night’s game at Heinz Field with a shot at the AFC’s No. 2 seed, lost 30-20 to a Steelers team all but eliminated from the 2013 playoff push. Cincinnati fell due to a baffling series of special teams miscues, and quarterback Andy Dalton’s inability to get things going on offense until the result was already basically decided.
“Good AFC North win for us at home,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “Really kind of a team victory. I thought we rode the wave that our special teams provided early on in the first half of the game. It was a really good effort by a lot of people on all three phases — what was required tonight against a good team. We appreciate the opportunity, and it’s good to get a win.”
The 6-8 Steelers can only wonder what might have been had they not started the season so poorly — they lost their first four games, but have taken four of their last six, and have to hope for a number of strange things to happen if they’re to sneak into the postseason. Most likely, it will mark the first time in Tomlin’s tenure — and the first time since 1999-2000 — that the franchise misses the playoffs for a second straight season.
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“I wouldn’t say that everything worked,” the coach concluded. “It was far from perfect. We’ve yet to play a perfect game, and tonight would be included in that. But tonight, obviously, we did do enough to win, and we had some splash plays.” Continue Reading
