Falcons open 2017 on road, just not in Foxboro
The Atlanta Falcons avoided being placed in Foxboro as the Patriots opponent for the NFL’s annual Thursday night opener, but still must kick off the 2017 season away from home.
The defending NFC champions will visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 10 and then christen their new stadium in an NFC title game rematch with Green Bay in Week 2’s “Sunday Night Football.”
The rest of the opening weekend, announced last night, will feature what seems like a yearly occurrence, with Dallas hosting the New York Giants on Sunday night. They finished 1-2 in the NFC East in 2016.
On Monday night, New Orleans is at Minnesota, followed by the Chargers, in their first game representing Los Angeles since 1960, at Denver.
Thanksgiving’s traditional games will have Minnesota at Detroit and the Chargers at Dallas. In prime time, the Redskins will be home for the Giants.
Christmas weekend will be busy. Two Saturday matches have Indianapolis at Baltimore in late afternoon, Minnesota at Green Bay at night on Dec. 23. Most of the rest of the schedule will be played on Dec. 24, with no night game. On Christmas Day, Pittsburgh will go to Houston in a late-afternoon matchup, followed by Oakland at Philadelphia.
The season ends when 2017 does, on Dec. 31.
Raiders extend Mack
Menacing pass rusher Khalil
Mack had his fifth-year contract option exercised by the Oakland Raiders, presumably keeping him with the team through the 2018 season.
The AP Defensive Player of the Year for 2016, Mack had sacks in eight straight games and finished with 11. . . .
The Indianapolis Colts signed one-time Patriots inside linebacker Jon Bostic. The Colts also agreed to terms with former VCU basketball player Mo Alie-Cox. The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Alie-Cox hasn’t played football since he was a defensive end/tight end as a freshman in high school. He was deemed a free agent because he was five years out of high school.
Eli denies wrongdoing
An angry and emotional Eli Manning has denied providing fake game-used memorabilia to a collector, insisting he will be vindicated.
The two-time Super Bowl MVP refused to discuss the specifics of the civil case, which is scheduled to go to trial in September in state Superior Court in Bergen County,
“I will say I have never done what I have been accused of doing,” Manning said at a Giants offseason availability. “I have no reason nor have I had any reason to do anything of that nature.” . . . Bills offensive lineman Cyrus
Kouandjio was taken to the hospital for observation after police found him without any pants on in a suburban Buffalo field. Erie County Sheriff’s spokesman
Scott Zylka said deputies were responding to a complaint of a suspicious person when they came upon Kouandjio around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Zylka said the player was cooperative in answering deputies’ questions, and added no charges have been filed.