The NFL decided to move forward with the start of the game anyway — a decision that puzzled many observers, given his close proximity with teammates. “Contact tracing was conducted from yesterday and today using the contact tracing device and the standard interviews,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said, via Pro Football Talk. “There were no high-risk contacts identified.” “This is a scenario that had been contemplated during the development of the protocols and one the league, clubs and NFLPA planned for,” McCarty added....

As the two of them laid out on the field together, Miller got up and then offered his help to Taylor. But he then quickly pulled his hand back in a joking gesture. The two of them laughed it off, but the ref didn’t find it so funny as he penalized Miller 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. MORE: Week 3 NFL scores, highlights and updates The penalty actually played a huge role in the game....

For a two-week period, teams will have the chance to apply either the franchise tag or the transition tag to a designated player, who will then have until July to agree a long-term extension with the team. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about one of the crucial parts of the moving machine that is the NFL free agency. What is the franchise tag? The franchise tag allow teams to restrict a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent movement in exchange for a predetermined one-year salary, giving both parties another 12 months to agree on a contract extension....

The Bills made a smart business decision to not pick up the option, considering Watkins is coming off another foot surgery. Watkins has dealt with a number of ailments in his three-year Bills career, including broken ribs, a broken foot and injuries to his groin, hip and calf. MORE: Bills owner explains decision to fire GM Whaley after Draft The Bills are taking a wait-and-see approach to protect themselves in case Watkins’ injury history bites them again....

There are several splashy targets at wide receiver and plenty of depth for defense, especially at edge rusher and safety. Quarterbacks have one big headliner for now and not much else. For teams looking to spend their available money under the upcoming salary cap, there are plenty of worthy signings to upgrade rosters, from high-priced commodities to bargain talents. Here’s an overall ranking of the best overall options and the best by position....

After the Oklahoma quarterback’s behavior Saturday before and during his team’s win over Kansas, one NFL general manager thinks more pro teams might fall into the hate category come draft season. As a result of his antics, Mayfield won’t start this week in Oklahoma’s home finale against West Virginia. The 22-year-old senior against Kansas was seen taunting opposing fans and making obscene gestures toward the Jayhawks’ bench. BENDER: Mayfield’s antics are harmless, but he should practice discretion...

Sporting News already announced its NFL awards for the 2019 season, as voted on by players and coaches. Among the winners were Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for Offensive Player of the Year, Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore for Defensive Player of the Year and 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as Comeback Player of the Year. Many Sporting News winners earned honors in The Associated Press’ voting announced Saturday, with Jackson winning MVP, Gilmore taking DPOY and 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa claiming Defensive Rookie of the Year....

Some sports books held off on posting a Browns-Ravens line until it became clear Cleveland quarterback Brian Hoyer wasn’t going to recover in time from his shoulder injury. That made Shaw, an undrafted rookie from South Carolina, the presumed starter. Most books opened at Baltimore -9 – the Ravens must win and get help to reach the playoffs – and then took immediate action on the Ravens. It was up to 10....

Figuring out one piece of the offseason puzzle is helpful to know what direction each team might be going vs. another when they’re on the clock. That’s definitely caused more shakeup in Sporting News’ latest mock draft, with some big pro days (see Alabama, Ohio State) ahead. For now, how SN sees the picks playing out from No. 1 through No. 32 on April 29: MORE: NFL Draft big board of top 50 prospects...

The draft order now being set through No. 28 changes what teams will consider what prospects at what spots. Knowing that, here are the latest early projections for what will happen on the night of April 28: BIG BOARD: Ranking the top 100 prospects for 2022 NFL Draft NFL Mock Draft 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars (3-14) Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan (6-6, 265 pounds) The Jaguars should think about offensive line, especially if left tackle Cam Robinson leaves as a free agent, but with wholesale changes looming, it’s hard to pass on a cornerstone defensive disruptor....

The picks, before trades, are still set from No. 1-30 after the conference championship round of the playoffs, just waiting on the result between the Bengals and Rams (whose first-rounder belongs to the Lions). Keeping in mind the fluctuating player stock and knowing nine teams now have new head coaches, here are Sporting News’ latest projections: MORE 2022 NFL Draft: Updated Big Board of top 100 prospect rankings NFL Mock Draft 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars (3-14) Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon (6-5, 258 pounds)...

Coupled with the college football season turning the corner into its final month, that makes it an ideal time for a new Sporting News’ first-round mock draft. The order continues to be reshuffled with teams changing positions. The trade deadline also brought the Broncos back into the top 31 picks, while the Dolphins — who forfeited their original selection — are now off the clock. Here’s projecting for now how the night of next April 27 in Kansas City might play out, with the draft order courtesy of Tankathon:...

Not surprisingly, the NFC No. 6 Rams and AFC No. 6 Browns, who pulled off upsets against the third-seeded Seahawks and Steelers last week, are bigger road underdogs in facing the Packers and Chiefs, the rested respective top seeds. Because of that, a couple of red-hot No. 5 seeds, the Ravens and Buccaneers, get more manageable matchups against the Bills and Saints, who also played last week. Throughout this week, the NFC matchups have seen the lines move a little away from the favorites, while the AFC expected winners have maintained their points edge....

The Chiefs — who lost last season’s AFC championship game to the Patriots after New England won the coin toss, drove down the field on its first OT possession and scored the game-winning touchdown with Kansas City’s offense never seeing the field — proposed to “(1) allow both teams the opportunity to possess the ball at least one time in overtime, even if the first team to possess the ball in overtime scores a touchdown; (2) eliminate overtime for preseason; and (3) eliminate overtime coin toss so that winner of initial coin toss to begin game may choose whether to kick or receive, or which goal to defend....

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Picks that are being underrated by the public can yield weekly gains that make the difference between winning and losing a season-long NFL pool, while smart upset picks can drive success in weekly pools. TeamRankings is the only site that provides customized picks that maximize your edge in NFL pick ’em pools. Check out TeamRankings’ Football Pick ’em Picks, NFL Survivor Picks, and NFL Betting Picks. TeamRankings also have Bowl Pick ’em picks if you are in a college football bowl pool....

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MORE: Get the latest NFL Week 16 odds, lines & more here That means the only response is to dive right back into another tough slate of 16 games in Week 16, the penultimate slate of the 2020 NFL regular season. This week is peppered with more close calls, with 10 teams favored by a touchdown or less along with two more considerable double-digit spreads to navigate. Here’s our latest fearless forecast of professional football prognostications, for infotainment purposes only:...

In Week 11, only two games opened with double-digit point spreads. So in terms of feeling comfortable with our picks, we like the Vikings over the Broncos, the 49ers over the Cardinals and the Raiders over the Bengals. Predicting the other 11 games with accuracy this week will require some luck. MORE NFL WEEK 11:Updated playoff picture | Power rankings Even teams like the Saints (5 1/2 road favorites over the Bucs) and Chiefs (3 1/2-point favorites over the Chargers) can’t be considered easy picks, as both of those teams proved last week....