• Titans address secondary need,
ESPN, citing sources it didn’t identify, reported Monday the NFL competition committee expects to present a proposal to owners that includes a 16-team playoff scenario in the event games are lost because of the coronavirus.
The contingency plan, which might become more likely as bye weeks disappear, would feature eight playoff teams from each conference — the four division champions and four wild-card teams — with no team getting a bye.
The NFL in March already had approved a plan to expand the playoffs to 14 teams this season, increasing the number of wildcard teams per conference from two to three.
Bucs hold off Giants on ‘MNF’
Tom Brady threw a go-ahead, eight-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans with 9:02 left, and the visiting Buccaneers forced an incompletion on a two-point conversion with 28 seconds left to hold off the Giants 25-23 on ‘‘Monday Night Football.’’
Daniel Jones threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate to pull the Giants (1-7) to two points down in the last half-minute, but cornerback Antoine Winfield Jr. broke up the conversion pass to preserve the Bucs’ victory.
Brady passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns for the Bucs (6-2), who overcame a 14-3 deficit. Brady’s two touchdown passes seesawed him back ahead of the Saints’ Drew Brees for the most in NFL history at 561.
Titans get CB; another next?
The Titans acquired cornerback Desmond King in a trade with the Chargers for a sixthround pick in the 2021 draft. It isn’t immediately known whether King will be able to play Sunday against the Bears because he has to clear coronavirus protocols.
Coach Mike Vrabel said he and general manager Jon Robinson thought King, who has 7oe sacks despite starting only 23 games in
his 3oe seasons with the Chargers, could help the Titans because he has been an effective blitzer. They have only seven sacks this season.
The Titans also continue to be linked to Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who is expected to be traded before the deadline Tuesday.
Injury report
ESPN reported the 49ers will be without quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for at least six weeks because of a high ankle sprain and tight end George Kittle for eight weeks because of a broken foot. Both were hurt Sunday against the Seahawks.
† Raiders offensive tackle Trent Brown remained hospitalized in Cleveland after an IV mishap before the team’s game Sunday against the Browns. NFL Network reported the IV caused air to enter Brown’s bloodstream.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said an MRI exam revealed defensive end Myles Garrett suffered no structural damage to his knee when he was blocked low Sunday against the Raiders and is not expected to miss any games.
† Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said quarterback Gardner Minshew will miss the game Sunday against the Texans with an injury to the thumb of his right (throwing) hand and will be replaced by rookie Jake Luton.