Players ask for league’s support

A group of current and former NFL players asked Commissioner Roger

Goodell for the league’s support for their campaign for racial equality and criminal justice reform.

Yahoo Sports reported the players sent a 10-page memo to Goodell and NFL executive Troy Vincent in August asking for money, political involvement and other commitments from the league. It also asked the NFL to recognize the month of November as activism awareness month.

The website reported Wednesday night that Seahawks defensive end

Michael Bennett, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and receiver Torrey Smith, and former NFL receiver Anquan Boldin co-authored the letter.

The NFL declined comment when asked about the memo by Yahoo Sports. The players behind the letter didn’t return requests for comment. Miller baffled by hit: Broncos linebacker Von Miller said he’s “baffled” by Cowboys wide receiver Noah Brown’s low hit on him Sunday.

Miller pushed through Brown’s block on the game’s second snap and Brown got up and dived at Miller’s knees as the Broncos star chased down Ezekiel Elliott on a handoff from Dak

Prescott. Miller shook off the hit to have a monster game in the Broncos’ 42-17 win, but he has dealt with soreness in his left knee this week.

“I’ve always tried to take care of players on my football team and opponents as well, so when it’s the other way around it’s just baffling,” Miller said. “But you can’t really spend too much time on it. Everybody doesn’t play the game like I play the game.”

Patriots-Texans have a

rarity: The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots won’t be the only winners on the field Sunday when they play the Texans. Houston quarterback

Deshaun Watson is just eight months removed from the College Football Playoff title he won at Clemson. According to the Texans, it’s only the second time in the BCS era that the quarterbacks for the reigning NCAA champion and NFL champion have played against each other.

“He was super-talented, obviously, in college,” said Brady, who got to see Watson when the teams held joint practices in West Virginia during training camp. “(It) was a lot of fun for me to see young, kind of aspiring players that really want to work hard and play the quarterback position at a high level. He looks like he has all the talent.”

Since winning the NCAA title, Watson was the No. 12 overall draft pick by the Texans. He entered the season as the backup to Tom Savage, but came off the bench in the second half and then started in a 13-9 victory over Cincinnati in Week 2.

Extra points: Two-time All-Pro C Ryan Kalil, who missed last week’s Panthers game with neck soreness, hasn’t practiced with the team this week. Tyler

Larsen is taking reps with the first team. QB Cam

Newton was limited to mostly light throwing during practice, a situation Panthers coach Ron Rivera called the “new normal” for the former league MVP until he completely recovers from rotator cuff surgery.