Big loss: Barkley out up to 8 weeks
Giants running back Saquon Barkley has a high sprain to his right ankle and there is no immediate timetable for his return.
Other than confirming it was a high ankle sprain, Giants coach Pat Shurmur didn’t have much additional information to offer Monday, a day after rookie quarterback Daniel Jones rallied the Giants (1-2) from an 18-point deficit to a 32-31 win over the Buccaneers.
ESPN reported that the injury likely would sideline Barkley for four to eight weeks.
Barkley, the 2018 offensive rookie of the year, was hurt with less than four minutes left in the first half. He caught a swing pass from Jones and was chopped down near the sideline by safety Mike Edwards. He had to be helped to the locker room before halftime and was on crutches and with a boot on the ankle in the second half.
Wayne Gallman will take over for Barkley, who had 10 rushes for career-low 8 yards before being hurt.
“It’s like any injury, it’s very unfortunate to have Saquon out of the lineup,” Shurmur said. “We all know what he brings, but it’s going to fall on all of us to move forward and do what we can to win games.”
Bears get offense going Mitch Trubisky threw his first three TDs of the season, all to Taylor Gabriel in the second quarter, to finally get the Bears offense going and build a big lead that held up to beat the Redskins 31-15 in Landover, Md.
Trubisky lit up a porous Redskins defense on 25 of 31 passing for 231 yards in the offensive explosion he said would come this week. The Bears (2-1) had just a 1-yard TDrun to show for its first two games before Trubisky and the passing attack broke out against Redskins (0-3).
Newton still out: Kyle Allen will make his second straight start Sunday when the Panthers visit the Texans.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera wasted no time ruling out quarterback Cam Newton for a second straight game due to a lingering mid-foot sprain. Rivera said there is “no timetable” for Newton’s return and that the 2015 league MVP will continue to receive treatment.
Newton originally hurt his foot in the Panthers’ third preseason game and then aggravated the injury in a Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers. He hasn’t practiced since.
Rivera gave no indication Newton would need surgery, instead saying that what the QB needs the most right now is rest.
Allen threw four touchdown passes in the Panthers’ 38-20 win over the Cardinals on Sunday, improving to 2-0 as an NFL starter.
Brown back to school: Antonio Brown is going back to school.
Central Michigan spokeswoman Heather Smith said that Brown began taking online courses last week, adding he isn’t attending classes on campus.
Brown played for the Chippewas from 2007-09 before the Steelers drafted him. In March, they traded the four-time Pro Bowl receiver to the Raiders, who released him before he played in a game. The Patriots gave Brown another chance, but they cut him last week after one game.
Days after the Patriots signed him, a former trainer filed a civil lawsuit in Florida accusing Brown of rape. The team also learned he tried to intimidate a second woman who accused him of sexual misconduct. He denies the allegations.
The exiled Brown took to Twitter on Sunday, saying he will not be playing in the NFL anymore.
Extra points: The Patriots placed former Pro Bowl FB James Develin was placed on IR with a neck injury. ... The Cardinals released veteran WR Michael Crabtree. ... Bills DT Harrison Phillips will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.