Bucs-Raiders start changed

The NFL announced the Raiders’ game against Tampa Bay, originally scheduled for Sunday Night Football, has been changed to a Sunday afternoon kickoff because of concerns about the Raiders’ COVID-19 issues.

The league said Thursday the switch is a precautionary measure because of the uncertainty over the possibility that multiple Raiders players were exposed to COVID-19 through offensive lineman Trent Brown, which might put Sunday’s game in jeopardy. Thus, the Raiders’ home game against the Buccaneers at Allegiant Stadium has been changed to a 1:05 p.m. kickoff on FOX.

Brown is on the Raiders’ coronavirus reserve list, reportedly after testing positive for the virus. Las Vegas also placed four more starting offensive linemen and safety Johnathan Abram on the reserve/COVID-19 list after they were determined to be in close contact with Brown. Abram, Kolton Miller, Denzelle Good, Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson were all placed on the list

NBC will now broadcast the Seahawks-Cardinals NFC West showdown in Arizona, which moves into the Sunday night primetime spot.

“These decisions were made out of an abundance of caution to ensure that a game would be available for fans on Sunday Night Football,” the NFL said in its statement.

ELSEWHERE

49ers: Former San Francisco defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Thursday for raping a developmentally disabled woman who prosecutors said he lured to his home with the promise of a babysitting job.

The sentence was issued by a judge in San Jose after denying a defense motion for a new trial, the Mercury

News reported. A jury in July found Stubblefield, 49, guilty of raping the woman with the threat of a gun. He was also convicted of forcible oral copulation and false imprisonment. He has been in jail since the trial.

Stubblefield was an 11year defensive lineman career in the NFL with the 49ers, Washington and Oakland. He was a threetime Pro Bowl selection, a first-team All-Pro, 1993 Defensive Rookie of the Year, 1997 Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the 1994 Super Bowlwinning 49ers.

Ravens: Baltimore traded for Minnesota Vikings pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue, adding a critical component to the NFL's stingiest defense. The Ravens will send a 2021 thirdround pick and a 2022 conditional fifth-round pick to the Vikings for Ngakoue, according to ESPN. Ngakoue had five sacks, two forced fumbles, seven quarterback hits and 12 tackles (five for losses) in six games this season for Minnesota.