INSIDER
Browns short-handed as they face Jets
Read full article: Browns short-handed as they face Jets(AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)The Cleveland Browns are short-handed as they try to clinch the franchiseās first playoff berth since 2002, the longest active drought in the NFL. They learned Sunday morning they will be without starting rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills against the New York Jets because of an illness. Wills had been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday and activated Saturday, but was then downgraded Sunday. The Browns will be missing receivers Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge and linebacker Jacob Phillips. The Indianapolis Colts will be without both starting offensive tackles when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Colts recover another late fumble, beat Texans 27-20
Read full article: Colts recover another late fumble, beat Texans 27-20Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Zach Pascal (14) makes a catch under pressure from Houston Texans free safety Eric Murray (23) in the first half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)INDIANAPOLIS ā Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard made his final punch count Sunday. Bobby Okereke recovered the skittering ball in the end zone for the Colts' second win in three weeks over the Texans ā in almost the exact same way. Watson answered by marching the Texans to the Colts 21. Sanchez punted in that week's game, a loss to Tennessee.
Cowboys' Elliott inactive; Stafford will start for Lions
Read full article: Cowboys' Elliott inactive; Stafford will start for Lions(AP Photo/Aaron Doster)Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott is inactive against San Francisco with a calf injury the two-time rushing championship has been battling for several weeks. Safety Deon Bush (foot) is also out after being listed questionable with Johnson. Cowboys: RB Ezekiel Elliott, QB Ben DiNucci, WR Malik Turner, CB Rashard Robinson, DE Bradlee Anae, LB Luke Gifford, DE RonāDell Carter. ___JACKSONVILLE AT BALTIMOREJaguars: CB Sidney Jones, CB Luq Barcoo, LB Quincy Williams, DT Daniel Ross, QB Jake Luton. Ravens: DE Calais Campbell, CB Jimmy Smith, CB Marcus Peters, RB Mark Ingram, LB Kristian Welch, DE Jihad Ward, C Trystan Colon-Castillo.
Trubisky outplays Watson, Bears stop skid, beat Texans 36-7
Read full article: Trubisky outplays Watson, Bears stop skid, beat Texans 36-7CHICAGO ā All Mitchell Trubisky cared about was helping the Chicago Bears get back to winning. Trubisky threw three touchdown passes to outplay Deshaun Watson in their first meeting since they entered the NFL, and the Bears snapped a six-game losing streak with a 36-7 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Chicago (6-7) sacked Watson seven times, including a safety by Khalil Mack, to tie a career high for the Texans quarterback. 2 overall pick in 2017 when he could have gone with Watson or Patrick Mahomes drew even more buzz than usual during the week. āI was just so focused on what I needed to do for my team that it really allowed me to block everything out,ā Trubisky said.
Houston Texans struggle offensively in loss at Cleveland
Read full article: Houston Texans struggle offensively in loss at ClevelandThe Houston Texans have struggled to run the ball all season long. The Texans finished with season lows of 153 yards passing and 243 total yards in their 10-7 loss to the Browns. Deshaun Watson, who entered Sunday averaging 280.8 yards passing, acknowledged that the weather conditions made things difficult on him. The Texans entered the game ranked 31st in the NFL with an average of 87.6 yards rushing per game. As bad as the Texans played offensively, they were in the game at the very end.
Steelers' Roethlisberger active after virus-related absence
Read full article: Steelers' Roethlisberger active after virus-related absenceThe unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers wound up relatively healthy for their game against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals following a brush with the novel coronavirus. Defensive tackle Tyson Alualu is also back after missing a game with a knee injury. Cincinnati is without running back Joe Mixon, whose lingering foot injury is forcing him to miss a third game in a row. Receiver Cooper Kupp, left tackle Andrew Whitworth and running back Darrell Henderson all were active after missing practices with injuries. Raiders: T Kolton Miller (ankle), DT Maurice Hurst (ankle), QB Marcus Mariota, RB Theo Riddick, G John Simpson, DT Daniel Ross.
Lions WR Golladay makes 2020 debut; Bucs' Godwin also active
Read full article: Lions WR Golladay makes 2020 debut; Bucs' Godwin also activeJeudy is active for the Bucs game as Denver quarterback Jeff Driskel makes his first start while Drew Lock recovers from a shoulder injury. Cardinals: QB Brett Hundley, WR Christian Kirk, RB Eno Benjamin, OL Mason Cole, OL Josh Miles, DL Leki Fotu. ___CHICAGO AT ATLANTABears: CB Duke Shelley, OG Arlington Hambright, NT Daniel McCullers, WR RIley Ridley, OLB Trevis GipsonFalcons: WR Julio Jones, CB A.J. Browns: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, CB Greedy Williams, LB Jacob Phillips, Olivier Vernon, Evan Brown and WR Rashard Higgins. Brown, CB Chris Jackson OLB Derick Roberson, C Aaron Brewer, TE Geoff Swaim, DT Matt DickersonVikings: WR TajaƩ Sharpe, WR K.J.
Terrible run defense has Houston Texans in 0-2 hole
Read full article: Terrible run defense has Houston Texans in 0-2 holeHOUSTON ā The Houston Texans have been terrible against the run to start this season and it has left them in an 0-2 hole with a trip to Pittsburgh looming on Sunday. David Johnson, in his first season with the Texans after being traded from Arizona for DeAndre Hopkins, managed 34 yards rushing on Sunday. Houston finished with 51 yards rushing in a game in which they played without backup running back Duke Johnson, who sat out with an ankle injury. āItās a massive, massive key to the game,ā defensive end J.J. Watt said. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year also hit Jackson three other times and batted down one of his passes in the fourth quarter.
Chiefs begin title defense with 34-20 victory over Texans
Read full article: Chiefs begin title defense with 34-20 victory over TexansThat run includes a come-from-behind 51-31 victory over the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Texans' Deshaun Watson threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, but he also was under relentless pressure and was intercepted once. The elusive Johnson finished it off by scampering 19 yards to the end zone for a 7-0 lead. Watson threw a touchdown pass and ran for a TD later in the quarter to make the final score a bit more respectable. The teams then stood together in a line that stretched from one end zone to the other for a moment of silence before the coin toss.
Watson agrees to 4-year, $160 million extension with Texans
Read full article: Watson agrees to 4-year, $160 million extension with TexansHouston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) laughs with running back Duke Johnson (25) on the sidelines during NFL football training camp Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, Pool)HOUSTON Deshaun Watson has agreed to a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Houston Texans. As a child growing up in Georgia, it was always my dream to play in the NFL, Watson wrote in the post. In his post Watson thanked Texans coach and general manager Bill O'Brien and many members of the team's staff as well as his mother and other family members before sending a message to Texans fans. Now back to the work ..."Houston traded up to select Watson with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 draft.