Fine for Whitehead
Mayfield hit costs $26.7K
The NFL has fined Tampa Bay safety Jordan Whitehead $26,739 for unnecessary roughness against Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. The league had said Friday that Whitehead should have been penalized for striking Mayfield in the side of the helmet during last Sunday’s 26-23 overtime win for Tampa Bay. Mayfield was sliding at the end of a 35-yard scramble when he got hit by Whitehead, who was initially penalized before the officials conferred and decided to pick up the flag — and one against Mayfield for taunting. First-year referee Shawn Hochuli made the situation worse by incorrectly announcing Mayfield “was still a runner and therefore is allowed to be hit in the head.” Panthers safety Eric Reid was fined $10,026 for unnecessary roughness for his hit on Eagles tight end Zach Ertz in Carolina’s 21-17 win. Bengals safety Shawn Williams was fined $20,054 for unnecessary roughness for a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Chiefs. Williams also fined $10,026 for a Week 1 hit on Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert was fined $10,026 for a chop block and Cowboys guard Connor Williams, $10,026 for a chop block. McCoy questionable Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy is being evaluated for a concussion and is questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Patriots. McCoy has not been cleared to play yet despite practicing on a limited basis the past three days, as he’s allowed under NFL concussion protocol rules. He was hurt when he landed on his head while being tackled along the sideline on Buffalo’s second play from scrimmage in a 37-5 loss at Indianapolis last weekend. Chris Ivory and Marcus Murphy are the only two healthy backups behind McCoy, with Taiwan Jones listed as out due to a neck injury. Ivory carries no injury designation after hurting his hamstring in practice Thursday. Jets promote RB The New York Jets have signed running back De’Angelo Henderson from the practice squad, adding much-needed depth to their backfield. Bilal Powell was lost for the season after injuring his neck last Sunday against Minnesota. That left New York with just Isaiah Crowell and rookie Trenton Cannon as healthy players at the position on the active roster. The Jets also announced they released cornerback Juston Burris. The 5-foot-7 Henderson was a sixth-round draft pick by Denver last year out of Coastal Carolina, where he set the Division 1 record with touchdowns in 35 straight games. He had 13 yards on seven carries and caught two passes for 36 yards and a TD in five games with the Broncos last season. Henderson was among Denver’s final cuts out of training camp and signed with New York’s practice squad last month. Burris was a fourthrounder out of N.C. State in 2016. He had 37 tackles and two interceptions in 34 games but was inactive for three games this season and had no tackles. Prime time fun The last time the Saints and Vikings hooked up, folks in Minnesota were toasting Stefon Diggs with steins of Surly, and people in Louisiana were crying in their gumbo. They get together again in prime time, a nice treat to finish off a Sunday with several intriguing matchups. New Orleans sure hopes there’s no second Minneapolis Miracle. “This is not a revenge game,” Drew Brees insists, referring to the playoff loss in January. “It’s a different season. These are new teams, even though there’s a lot of similar personnel. It’s a new season, new team, new mindset. So listen, it’s a very good opponent that we are playing on ‘Sunday Night Football’ at their place. It is a tough environment (and) a tough place to play. We understand we’re going to need our best game, our best execution to win.” The Saints (5-1) have been doing a lot of winning since they were upset by Tampa Bay in their opener. Last week they won against a playoff-caliber team at Baltimore. Now they get the Vikings (4-2-1), who have been spotty but lead the NFC North and are 14-3 at home vs. New Orleans. The Vikings might feel equipped enough to get into a shootout with Brees, but when you listen to their coach, Mike Zimmer, who has a defensive background, he knows his side will be tested. It’s uncertain if the Vikings will have end Everson Griffen available as he returns from dealing with mental issues that sidelined him for almost six weeks. “I think as the game goes on, Brees gets a much better feel of what the defense is trying to do throughout the course of the ballgame with him,” Zimmer says.