Niners stick with Mullens
The San Francisco 49ers are staying with Nick Mullens as their starting quarterback after his spectacular debut performance.
Mullens said coach Kyle Shanahan told him yesterday that he will remain the starter for the upcoming gameagainsttheNewYork Giants.
“We discussed it. Obviously the situation is what it is,” Mullens said. “The team is ready to get to work and treat it like any other week. My preparation doesn’t change and this team’s preparation doesn’t
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change. We’re excited to keep things going.”
Mullensworkedwiththe starters during a limited practice as the 49ers (2-7) prepare for the Monday night game against New York. C.J. Beathard remains in the backup role after losing the starting job because of an injured wrist.
Mullens was sharp in his debut, after spending his first year-plus in the NFL on the practice squad as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Mississippi.
Mullens completed 16-of22 passes for 262 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 151.9 passer rating in a 34-3 victory against Oakland. That’s the highest since the merger for a player in his debut with at least 20 attempts.
Mullens also joined Hall of Famers Jim Kelly (1986) and Fran Tarkenton (1961) as the only QBs to throw for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception in their NFL debuts.
Lauletta apologizes
Giants rookie quarterback Kyle Lauletta apologized a week after he was arrested for motor vehicle violations near his home in Weehawken, N.J.
“First things first, I want to apologize to the New York Giants organization, my teammates, the fans and my family,” Lauletta said. “The incident that happened last week is a terrible representation of who I am and what I stand for. Right is right and wrong is wrong. My parents raised me better than that.”
According to Weehawken police accounts, Lauletta, the Giants’ fourthround pick from Richmond, was driving his 2017 Jaguar on Oct. 30, when he was stopped for failing to obey a police officer’s order to continue driving straight.
The report says Lauletta almost hit a police officer while making an illegal turn. He was stopped by a second police officer and refused to produce a driver’s license or exit the car.
Big Ben sits
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sat out practice to give his broken left index finger a rest but he is expected to play tomorrow night when Carolina visits Heinz Field.
Roethlisberger said the finger was “fine” after he threw the ball 47 times in Sunday’s victory over Baltimore.
He did leave the game briefly in the third quarter after getting the wind knocked out of him, but he returned after missing just one snap.
GB cuts Whitehead
The Green Bay Packers placed receiver Geronimo Allison on injured reserve and continued to reshuffle their secondary by releasing safety Jermaine Whitehead and signing cornerback Will Redmond from the practice squad.
Whitehead was ejected from Sunday night’s loss at Gillette Stadium after being whistled for unnecessary roughness for slapping Patriots center David Andrews in the face during a shoving match. ...
The Detroit Lions released running back Ameer Abdullah , and also signed running back Zach Zenner and receiver Bruce Ellington.