ELLIOTT BAN LOOMS OVER PLAYOFF RACE
Cowboys facing rough stretch without star RB
After a topsy-turvy first half of the season, the NFL is gearing up for the stretch run, which promises to feature just as much intrigue. Here are five of the biggest stories to follow in this second half.
The Ezekiel Elliott fallout
The Dallas Cowboys were dealt a blow Thursday as Ezekiel Elliott was denied an injunction, putting his six-game suspension back in place. Now the Cowboys have to try to keep pace without their of-
In the six games Elliott is on track to miss, the Cowboys face a rough stretch with three NFC East foes, as well as the Falcons, Chargers and Raiders.
fensive centerpiece.
In the six games Elliott is on track to miss, Dallas faces a rough stretch with three NFC East foes, as well as the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders. Can Alfred Morris and Rod Smith ensure they don’t skip a beat?
Dallas will likely struggle, which could shake up the entire NFC playoff picture. If the season ended now, the Cowboys and Carolina Panthers would make the postseason as wild-card teams. Now the door opens for Seattle (5-3 entering Thursday’s game vs. Arizona) and Atlanta, the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins (all at 4-4). The way things stand now, Seattle seems best poised to make up that ground over the next eight weeks.
Tight division races
The Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings appear poised to run away with their divisions, but there’s thick competition elsewhere. The AFC South features a tight race between the 5-3 Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Deshaun Watson could have livened up this race, but the Houston Texans rookie quarterback’s torn anterior cruciate ligament likely leaves this division to the ho-hum Titans and Jaguars (thriving because of a great defense and not Blake Bortles).
The New Orleans Saints (6-2) are trying to defend a narrow NFC South lead over the Panthers (6-3). Sean Payton’s crew has won six in a row but must fend off the Panthers, who one week appear to have things figured out, only to regress the next.
The Rams (6-2) hold a surprising edge over the Seahawks (5-3) in the NFC West. Can first-year coach Sean McVay keep his young team in the driver’s seat?
Coaching hot seats
At this point, it looks as if this offseason could feature as many as five or six coaching changes, barring late turnarounds.
The Cleveland Browns’ Hue Jackson
(0-8) and New York Giants’ Ben McAdoo
(1-7) lead the way. The Browns have been nothing short of a disaster, and the Giants have ranked among the biggest disappointments. Dysfunction and poor effort reign supreme for both franchises.
Meanwhile, Dirk Koetter hasn’t managed to get his Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(2-6) to live up to expectations. And having Andrew Luck sidelined for the season isn’t the only problem with Chuck Pagano’s 3-6 Indianapolis Colts.
John Fox doesn’t seem to have the touch needed for the 3-5 Chicago Bears, but he should be thankful Vic Fangio is leading the defense. That unit doesn’t feature a single Pro Bowl player, yet the Bears have made game-changing plays to compensate for an anemic offense. Would Chicago consider pulling the plug on Fox, promoting the highly sought-after Fangio and bringing in another offensive coordinator to develop rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky?
Potential second-half difference-makers
Some of these guys already find themselves in prominent roles but need to play better for their teams to succeed. Others have entered new situations and could provide much-needed impacts.
Cam Newton established his talent in his 2015 MVP campaign, but he has lacked consistency this season. When he has had and uses his legs to keep defenses off-balance, the Panthers are 6-0, beating formidable foes including New England, Detroit and Atlanta. But Carolina is 0-3 in his multi-turnover contests, dropping winnable games to Chicago, New Orleans and Philadelphia. Newton must put his team on his back and carry them to the postseason where they belong.
Jameis Winston also should be playing better and leading the Buccaneers to better outcomes. Yes, a shoulder injury has limited him on deep passes. But Winston hasn’t displayed the consistency and growth you would expect based on his offseason work.
Among the other faces to watch: San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo: If given the green light by coach Kyle Shanahan this season, the former Patriots backup should be able to unseat C.J. Beathard and give the 49ers some positives to build on for next season — assuming the team re-signs him. Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater: Minnesota already leads the NFC North despite having Case Keenum fill in for Sam Bradford, who is now on injured reserve. Before his August 2016 knee injury, Bridgewater was one of the league’s ascending young quarterbacks. If he can knock off the rust and find comfort, he could make the Vikings (already dangerous because of their defense) that much more potent. Buffalo Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin: Tyrod Taylor has needed more help from his receiving corps, and the Bills (5-3) got him a big target in 6-6 Benjamin. The Panthers’ former No. 1 receiver has averaged 14.4 yards per catch while scoring 18 touchdowns in 21⁄ seasons. 2 Buffalo’s 30th-ranked passing attack can certainly use that kind of production.
Fight for social justice
This remains an ongoing battle. The leaders of the players coalition and owners remain in contact about ways to make a change for the better. The Miami Dolphins and their players already have formed partnerships designed to help better their communities. Others have done ride-alongs with police officers to help serve as a bridge. But frictions remain between the two sides. Players have asked for a meeting that includes a mediator as they continue to discuss activism and player protests during the anthem. But the NFL has said it doesn’t want a third party involved in the discussions.
Meanwhile, the Colin Kaepernick collusion grievance remains in the discovery phase, and the quarterback remains unsigned.