Knee injury shelves Lions RB Johnson
The Lions put second-year running back Kerryon Johnson on injured reserve after he injured his right knee against the Vikings.
Johnson, a second-round pick out of Auburn in 2018, had 308 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the first seven games. He played 10 games in 2018 before a knee injury sidelined him then, too.
“You know how much we value Kerryon and what a great part of our offense and our team he is, and he is still here and he’s still part of all of that, certainly,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “On the field, we’ll push forward as normal and we think that we get good production with Ty Johnson and J.D. McKissic, and we think those guys are ready to step into roles.”
Also, The Lions traded defensie back Quandre Diggs and a 2021 seventh-round draft pick to the Seahawks for a 2020 fifthround pick. Diggs started 40 games in fourplus seasons with the Lions. He was a sixthround pick by Detroit in 2015 and developed into a capable starter. He has started the past 26 games he played in for the Lions and had three interceptions in both 2017 and 2018.
Diggs signed a three-year, $20.4 million extension last season.
More trades
The Falcons traded receiver Mohamed Sanu, an eight-year veteran to the Patriots for a 2020 second-round pick.
Sanu, 30, has 33 receptions for 313 yards, but only one touchdown so far this season.
Sanu won’t provide the deep threat of Josh Gordon or Antonio Brown, but he has proven to be a reliable option as a slot receiver. That will help take the pressure off Edelman, whom Brady has relied on heavily this season in third-down situations.
♦ The Broncos traded receiver Emmanuel Sanders to the 49ers for 2020 third- and fourth-round picks and a 2021 fifth-rounder. Broncos general manager John Elway intimated that he soured on Sanders “with what happened after the Tennessee game” Oct. 13 when Sanders left at halftime with what was described as a knee injury. Asked to elaborate, Elway said, “Nope. I’m not going into that.”
Monday night fallout
After routing the Jets and second-year quarterback Sam Darnold on Monday, the Patriots, who are 7-0 for the first time since 2015, have won 20 consecutive games against a first or second-year quarterback, the longest such streak in NFL history. They can add to that Sunday, when they host the Browns and Baker Mayfield.
For the second time this season the Patriots scored 30 or more points and shut out their opponent. They join the 1991 Redskins as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to have multiple 30-point shutouts in their first seven games.
Darnold (11-for-32, 86 yards, four interceptions), who was coming off being named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, had a passer rating of 3.7, which was the lowest in the NFL since Vince Ferragamo’s 2.8 for the Rams in 1984 — also in a Monday night game — in a 20-13 loss to the Cowboys, according to Pro Football Reference. Ferragamo was 11 of 33 for 84 yards and four interceptions.