Giants Collins facing shoulder surgery, out Sunday
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. >> New York Giants safety and leading tackler Landon Collins is going to miss Sunday’s game against Washington with a shoulder injury that may require surgery.
Coach Pat Shurmur confirmed Wednesday that Collins will be out Sunday and that his injury probably will require surgery.
Collins was not in the locker room before practice to comment.
An All-Pro in 2106 and a two-time Pro Bowler, Collins was hurt in Sunday’s overtime win against the Chicago Bears. He left the game late in the first half after assisting on a tackle against halfback Tarik Cohen. He returned at least twice in the second half and finished with five tackles, giving him 95 for the season.
“Landon displays what he is, he’s a very tough guy, very good tackler, he’s made a lot of plays for us, especially close to the line of scrimmage,” Shurmur said of Collins’ season. “I’ve said it numerous times, in a sport where toughness is required, he’s got a lot of it, so that’s what I appreciate about him.”
Collins has led the Giants in tackles in each of his first three seasons. His contract expires after this season.
Veteran Michael Thomas and rookie Sean Chandler probably will share Collins’ workload on Sunday.
“Obviously we’re going to miss him, but it’s an opportunity for young guys to step up, our new guys to step up,” said Thomas, who had five tackles Sunday. “You don’t just replace a guy like LC, two-time Pro Bowl player, All-Pro safety. You don’t just replace that, so that’s my brother, we’re going to ride for him.”
Chandler, who had one tackle against the Bears, said he would be ready.
Chandler was an undrafted free agent out of Temple. He played in the NFLPA bowl game in January and was coached by Thomas, who signed with the Giants as a free agent in the offseason.
“He has always tried to give me the inside scoop and way I can do things better,” Chandler said of Thomas. “He has always told me to work hard and he still does that.”
Redskins add 3 more to IR, sign QB Josh Johnson
ASHBURN, VA. (AP) >> The injuries keep mounting for the Washington Redskins, who put three more players on injured reserve Wednesday to raise their season total to 17: starting cornerback Quinton Dunbar, receiver Trey Quinn and guard Jonathan Cooper.
In other moves, the Redskins (6-6) signed Josh Johnson to be their backup quarterback against the visiting New York Giants (4-8) on Sunday and added guard Zac Kerin, center Demetrius Rhaney and defensive end Marcus Smith as free agents.
“We had a lot of conversations in the offseason about it. We added the recovery room, we are trying to get the right treatment, we’ve got massage tables in there, we’ve got sleep centers, we’ve got all kinds of stuff in there for guys to take care of their bodies,” coach Jay Gruden said about the injury issues.
“But you look at the type of injuries that we’ve had and it’s the same as last year: They are all kinds of different ones. There’s ankles, there’s knees, there’s pecs, there’s thumbs,” Gruden continued. “I just can’t put a finger on it. And if anybody has an answer, I’d love to hear it.”
Johnson has not attempted a pass in a regular-season NFL game since 2011.
Broncos WR Sanders tears left Achilles
ENGLEWOOD, COLO. >> Although the schedule gets easier for the Denver Broncos this month, the degree of difficulty in reaching the playoffs keeps going up.
The Broncos (6-6) lost leading wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to a torn left Achilles tendon on Wednesday. He was hurt in a non-contact drill at the beginning of practice.
The Broncos quickly claimed wide receiver Andre Holmes off waivers from Buffalo, giving them a seventh-year veteran to go with their four remaining receivers, all of whom made their NFL debuts this season.
Sanders, who led the team with 71 catches for 868 yards and four touchdowns in a bounce-back year, was injured on a routine route. He sensed the gravity of the injury as he crumbled to the ground, tearing off his helmet and rolling it away as teammates and trainers rushed toward him.
“It didn’t look good,” coach Vance Joseph said, adding Sanders “was sore last week in his heel area and he felt great today.”
Sanders’ injury was the latest blow to a team that’s lost seven starters from its opening-day lineup, including six on offense.
“It hurt, especially with an Achilles injury, that’s a major injury,” rookie receiver DaeSean Hamilton said. “He was our leader and he was a coach, too, so it was hard to watch.”
Sanders’ injury came three days after the Broncos lost star cornerback Chris Harris Jr . to a broken right lower leg, an injury that could sideline him for the rest of the regular season.
Sanders crumbled to the grass in an area of the field that has several brown patches and has led to several slips over the last few weeks, notably by rookie receiver Courtland Sutton.
Normally, the Broncos flip their two main practice fields from a northsouth configuration to eastwest at midseason, but they didn’t do that this year. Nor did they rotate individual drills, leaving bare patches in several areas.
Asked if he thought field conditions played any role in Sanders’ injury, Joseph said, “I don’t, no. The fields are fine.”
Sanders’ injury amplifies odds the Broncos face in their quest to reach the playoffs for the first time in the post-Peyton Manning era. After surviving the league’s most arduous schedule through November, the Broncos’ next three opponents — 49ers, Browns and Raiders — are a combined 9-26-1. They finish the season in Denver against the Chargers, a team they beat last month.
“We can’t cry about it,” Joseph said. “We have to move on and go play a football game on Sunday.”
Winners of three straight, the Broncos (6-6) visit San Francisco (2-10) this weekend.
The Broncos traded top receiver Demaryius Thomas to the Texans on Oct. 30 for financial reasons and to accelerate Sutton’s growth by getting him into the starting lineup opposite Sanders. After flashing in training camp, Sutton has taken his lumps as a rookie. He has 28 receptions — but it’s taken 59 targets — for 558 yards and three touchdowns.
Now, he’ll face No. 1 cornerbacks beginning with Richard Sherman in San Francisco.
“I love it,” Sutton said. “I look forward to it. It’s going to be good.”
Sanders developed a rapport with his new quarterback as soon as Case Keenum arrived in March, and the speedy receiver’s leadership only grew in value when Thomas was traded.
Sanders helped bring along the young receivers simply by grabbing attention away from them, Keenum said, pointing to a 30yard TD catch by Sutton in the Broncos’ 24-10 win over the Bengals last weekend.
“Sometimes you run routes to get open and sometimes you run routes to get other guys open,” Keenum said. “The touchdown pass, the route may have been designed this past week for (Sanders), but just the way they covered him up allowed Courtland to be 1 on 1 on the outside.”
Aside from Holmes, who has 15 touchdowns in 91 career games for the Bills, Cowboys and Raiders, the Broncos’ remaining receivers — Sutton, Hamilton, River Cracraft and Tim Patrick — boast a combined eight NFL starts with 37 catches for 692 yards and four touchdowns.
“I have all the trust in the world in those other guys,” Keenum insisted.
The Broncos’ best player on offense has been undrafted rookie running back Phillip Lindsay , who was the AFC’s offensive player of the week for his 157-yard, two-TD performance at Cincinnati.
To prevent defenses from stacking the box to stop Lindsay, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave may have to relent and use Lindsay, along with running back Devontae Booker, more in the passing game.
Keenum would be all for that.
“We all know what Phillip can do with the ball in his hands in space,” Keenum said. “So, I think all of those backs — Royce (Freeman), too — they’re doing a great job of continuing to build their craft and not just being guys that run the ball between the tackles.”
Newton says he’ll be ready for Browns; coach unsure
CHARLOTTE, N.C. >> Cam Newton insists he’ll be ready to play against the Browns despite lingering pain in his throwing shoulder.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera wasn’t quite as certain Wednesday saying, “We’ll see. We’re not even to Friday.”
More than 20 months after having surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, Newton is still experiencing discomfort. Coordinator Norv Turner has limited Newton’s downfield throws this season and twice has replaced Newton with backup Taylor Heinicke when lining up for Hail Mary passes.
Newton reps were limited in practice — as they have been for several weeks — as part of Rivera calls “the new normal.”
The Panthers (6-6) are a half-game behind the Vikings in the race for the second NFC wild card spot.
Bears’ Trubisky expects to return vs. Rams
LAKE FOREST, ILL. >> Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky expects to return against the Los Angeles Rams after missing the past two games because of a right shoulder injury.
Trubisky says he feels “really close to 100 percent” and he’s “just gotta show” coach Matt Nagy he will be ready for the primetime matchup against Aaron Donald and the NFC West champions at Soldier Field on Sunday.
Nagy says he feels “strong that he will play,” though he wouldn’t quite commit to it.
Trubisky was hurt sliding late in a win over Minnesota on Nov. 18. He was hit by the Vikings’ Harrison Smith on the left side, resulting in his throwing shoulder getting driven into the ground.
Chase Daniel has started the past two games.
Bengals’ Green out for season
CINCINNATI >> Bengals receiver A.J. Green will be sidelined for the rest of the season with an injured toe on his right foot.
The Bengals placed him on injured reserve Wednesday. Green got hurt on Oct. 28, missed three games with the injury, and returned last Sunday against Denver. He aggravated it while running a route, and he’s getting medical opinions on whether he should have surgery.
Green finishes with 46 catches for 694 yards — both career lows — and six touchdowns.
The Bengals also activated cornerback Davontae Harris from the injured reserve list on Wednesday. Harris suffered a knee injury in September.
Cincinnati (5-7) has lost four straight and six of seven. The Bengals play the Chargers (9-3) in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Panthers place Olsen on injured reserve
CHARLOTTE, N.C. >> The Panthers have officially placed three-time Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen on injured reserve.
The move was expected after Olsen told reporters on Sunday that he ruptured his right plantar fascia in Carolina’s 24-17 loss to the Buccaneers.
The Panthers have signed wide receiver Mose Frazier from the practice squad to take Olsen’s roster spot.
Rookie Ian Thomas and Chris Manhertz are expected to split duty at tight end. Thomas is the better receiver of the two with 16 receptions for 133 yards this season.
It is Olsen’s third foot injury in the last two seasons. He previously broke the same foot in 2017 and again earlier this season.
Olsen is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and the only tight end in NFL history with three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Jets’ Darnold practices fully
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. >> Sam Darnold was a full participant at practice, putting him on track to start for the New York Jets at Buffalo against the Bills on Sunday.
The rookie quarterback has missed the past three games with a strained right foot. Coach Todd Bowles says Wednesday that it’s too early in the week to say for sure if Darnold will start.
Darnold was injured against Miami on Nov. 4 and hasn’t played since. He returned to practice on a limited basis last week, but was not active as Josh McCown started in his place for the third time. Bowles said the No. 3 overall pick was working on shaking off the rust by getting his timing right.
McCown had one touchdown pass and four interceptions filling in for Darnold, and the Jets went 0-3 in those games.
Darnold still leads the NFL with 14 interceptions despite missing three games. He will try to jumpstart an offense that has struggled during New York’s six-game losing streak.
Dolphins’ Howard’s status uncertain with knee injury
DAVIE, FLA. >> NFL interception leader Xavien Howard is nursing a knee injury, leaving his availability uncertain for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday against New England.
Miami coach Adam Gase described Howard’s status as week to week. Teammate Bobby McCain said he was confident Howard will play this week.
Shortly after being chosen AFC defensive player of the week, Howard missed Wednesday’s practice, the first since he was hurt in a win Sunday over the Buffalo Bills.
Howard had two interceptions for the second game in a row to increase his season total to seven. He missed only one play when he hurt his knee, but the injury worsened after the game.
Gase declined to say whether Howard was looking at possible surgery, but said he expects him back this season.