Let’s take a look at some of the biggest news stories in the NFL leading up to week 13 of the regular season.
Jaguars Running Back Suspended by NFL
The NFL announced that they suspended Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette for his role in a fight against the Buffalo Bills. Fournette will be forced to miss the Jaguars week 13 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts as a result of his suspension. The running back is expected to appeal, and the league should decide on his appeal by Wednesday. Fournette was fighting with Bills linebacker Shaq Lawson in the third quarter of the week 12 game, and both players were ejected from the game. Lawson and Fournette had to be restrained and separated from each other in the tunnel before eventually going to their respective locker rooms. Fournette will be allowed to return to the team on December 3, the day after the game against the Colts.
Jacksonville Making Changes on Offense
The Jacksonville Jaguars have announced a few changes to their struggling offense. The team announced on Monday that they have fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett was hired by the Jaguars in 2015 as a quarterbacks coach and was named offensive coordinator in 2016. The firing comes after the Jaguars have lost seven straight games to fall to 3-8 on the season. Along with firing Hackett, the team also announced that quarterback Blake Bortles is being replaced as the starter. Head coach Doug Marrone announced that Cody Kessler will be the starting quarterback in Jacksonville for the remainder of the season. Bortles has struggled mightily in recent weeks and has thrown for fewer than 150 yards in four of the last six Jaguars game. He has a 24-48 record as a starting quarterback in the NFL, but it appears that his time in Jacksonville could be coming to an end.
Philip Rivers Sets NFL Record
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers set a pair of NFL passing records in the victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Rivers completed his first 25 passing attempts of the game to break the previous mark that was set by Mark Brunell in 2006. The 25 straight completions also set a new record for consecutive completed passes in one single game. The Miami Dolphins quarterback had 25 straight completions over a two-game span in 2015. Rivers finished the game by completing 28 of his 29 passing attempts and throwing for 259 yards and three touchdowns. He did not play in the fourth quarter of the blowout win.
Burkhead Returning To Patriots
The New England Patriots have activated running back Rex Burkhead from injured reserve and have placed him on the 53-player roster. To make room on the roster, the Patriots waived guard Matt Tobin. Burkhead was placed on injured reserve after suffering a neck injury during week three of the regular season. In his absence, Sony Michel has taken over as the starting running back for the Patriots, racking up 586 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Burkhead is expected to contribute in the passing game for the Patriots, and will also see time on special teams.
Colts Tight End Heading to IR
The Indianapolis Colts will be without tight end Jack Doyle for the remaining of the 2018 season after he was placed on injured reserve. Doyle suffered a kidney injury after taking a big hit late in the game on Sunday and had to be hospitalized because of the injury. The Colts announced that they do not think that the injury is serious, and Doyle should be released from the hospital soon. Doyle caught 26 passes for 245 yards this season, and also scored a pair of touchdowns. Eric Ebron is now the top tight end for the Colts, who have gone 1-4 without Doyle in the lineup this season.
Bengals Lose Dalton To Thumb Injury
The Cincinnati Bengals placed quarterback Andy Dalton on injured reserve with a thumb injury that occurred during a loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Jeff Driskel will take over the role as starting quarterback for the Bengals, who also claimed Tom Savage off waivers to serve as the backup. The team expects Dalton to make a full recovery and be ready at the start of the 2019 season. Cincinnati has slipped to 5-6 on the season after getting off to a 4-1 start.
