Bills-Titans, Patriots-Broncos have dates changed
The Bills-Titans game has been moved from Sunday to Tuesday night at 4 p.m. PT as long as Tennessee has no more positive tests for COVID-19 in the interim.
CBS will televise the game.
The NFL also is rescheduling Sunday’s Broncos-Patriots game from Sunday to Monday at 2 p.m. PT as part of an ESPN doubleheader. New England had a smaller outbreak of COVID-19.
The Chiefs at Bills game scheduled for Oct. 15 is moving to next weekend if the Buffalo-Tennessee game actually is played on Tuesday. No specific day or time has been determined.
“These scheduling decisions were made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts,” the NFL said in a statement Thursday night.
Three games now have been postponed due to the pandemic: Pittsburgh at Tennessee in Week 3 was moved to Oct. 25.
The Titans’ outbreak increased to 23 Thursday with tight end MyCole Pruitt and a defensive back from the practice squad put on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday afternoon. The Titans’ facility remains closed with the team still prohibited from any in-person activities.
Tennessee (3-0) has had 21 positive tests returned since Sept. 29, though now 13 players are on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including four starters and a long snapper.
The NFL is discussing possibly shifting the standard for playoff teams to include winning percentage as the primary factor to determine the expanded playoff field — over total wins — if teams wind up playing less than the scheduled 16game regular season schedule, ESPN reported.
HERBERT NAMED PERMANENT STARTER FOR CHARGERS >> Anthony Lynn has taken the temporary starter tag off quarterback Justin Herbert.
The Los Angeles Chargers coach on Thursday named Herbert as the starter for the rest of the season, beginning with Monday night’s game at New Orleans.
Tyrod Taylor was the starter going into the season and directed the Chargers to a Week 1 win over Cincinnati. But the 10-year veteran suffered a rib injury during the game and then suffered a punctured lung while receiving a painkilling injection before LA’s Sept. 20 game against Kansas City. Taylor was taken to the hospital, which cleared the way for Herbert.
The rookie, who was the sixth pick in April’s draft, has thrown for over 290 yards in all three starts, which have been losses. His 931 yards are second in NFL history for QBs through the first three games of their career. He has five touchdowns and three interceptions.
RAVENS QB JACKSON SITS OUT SECOND STRAIGHT PRACTICE >> Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson did not participate in practice Thursday, apparently nursing a sore knee and with an illness. Jackson missed practice on Wednesday, reportedly for precautionary reasons. But illness was added to Thursday’s report released by the team.
CBS Sports reported that the reigning NFL MVP is expected to play for the Ravens (3-1) in Sunday’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals (1-2-1).