Rams eager to extend road dominance vs. Cardinals

The Los Angeles Rams will stay on the road in Week 2 on Sunday, although a visit to the Arizona Cardinals will feel extremely comfortable.

The Rams will carry a nine-game road winning streak against the Cardinals into the game at Glendale, Ariz., where both teams will try to rebound from season-opening defeats.

The Rams (0-1) played a bruising yet competitive season opener on the road against the Detroit Lions on Sunday night and rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to take the game into overtime. The Lions won 26-20 when they scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the extra period.

The Rams not only lost wide receiver Puka Nacua to a knee injury, but the already thin offensive line saw both Joe Noteboom (ankle) and Steve Avila (knee) depart. All three were placed on injured reserve this week.

Behind a makeshift line, quarterback Matthew Stafford rallied the Rams in the second half to a 20-20 tie.

Los Angeles even had the ball with just over four minutes remaining and a chance to pad a 20-17 lead, but Stafford and star receiver Cooper Kupp had a miscommunication on fourth down. Detroit sent the game into OT with a field goal in the closing seconds.

“I had a chance to win it,” Stafford said.

Plenty of questions surrounded the Rams after the retirement of defensive tackle Aaron Donald in the offseason.

“We’re a really young team, and we had a lot of things that went our way and didn’t go our way tonight,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “When you come up short, this is a real learning opportunity, growth op for us. I know that this group is going to respond the right way.”

Los Angeles labeled tight end Davis Allen (back) as doubtful on Friday, while guard Kevin Dotson (foot), safety Quentin Lake (hip) and cornerback Cobie Durant (toe) are questionable.

Though the Cardinals have not defeated the Rams at home since 2014, when their opponent called St. Louis home, they have won in Los Angeles twice in the past four seasons. The Rams are still 13-2 against their division rival, counting playoffs, since 2017.

The Cardinals (0-1) also feel optimistic about the road ahead after a competitive 34-28 defeat to open the season in Buffalo. Arizona led 17-3 late in the first half and were within 31-28 with 8:31 remaining but gained just 26 total yards over their final two possessions.

The Cardinals offense was anything but lackluster in the early going as quarterback Kyler Murray made his return from knee surgery. Murray guided the Cardinals to points on each of their first three drives.

Murray was 21-of-31 passing for 162 yards, with a team-high 57 rushing yards, but he also fumbled deep in his own territory in the third quarter with the score tied 17-all. Five plays later, the Bills scored a touchdown and never trailed again.

“You watch it (against the Bills), probably be frustrated, but the season’s not over,” Murray said. “Been doing this a while now. (Sunday) we have a divisional opponent. The next one is the most important.”

Murray (knee) appeared on the injury report Wednesday but was a full practice participant all week and is good to go. Cornerback Max Melton (concussion) and wide receiver Xavier Weaver (oblique) are questionable. Starting right tackle Jonah Williams (knee) was placed on IR.

The Cardinals intend to make rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. a bigger part of the offense moving forward. The No. 4 overall selection in this year’s draft was targeted just three times and had one catch for 4 yards.

“We’ll find a way to get him involved,” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said.

Arizona’s DeeJay Dallas made the NFL’s new “dynamic kickoff” look the part with a 96-yard touchdown return in the fourth quarter Sunday.

–Field Level Media

After miserable start, Giants QB Daniel Jones faces Commanders

If New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones faced Washington every week, he’d be on his way to the Hall of Fame.

In seven starts against the NFC East rival, Jones has a 5-1-1 record with 10 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 98.0 passer rating.

When the Giants (0-1) face the Commanders (0-1) on Sunday in Landover, Md., they will try to continue their Jones-led mastery of Washington.

A trip to the D.C. area might be the elixir for Jones, who was booed Sunday in the Meadowlands as the Giants lost 28-6 to the Minnesota Vikings.

Playing for the first time since undergoing surgery in November to repair a torn ACL, Jones threw two interceptions, including a pick-six.

He also was sacked five times on his way to completing 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards without a touchdown. Jones’ passer rating of 44.3 was the second worst among NFL starters last week.

This week as he has been peppered with questions about Jones, Giants coach Brian Daboll has largely addressed them from a team standpoint.

“I’d just say for all of us, we can all do a better job,” Daboll said.

Jones’ record against Washington is noteworthy, considering he has no more than two wins against any other NFL team. He has compiled a 17-36 mark against the rest of the league.

“Everybody here is rallying around Daniel,” Giants guard Jon Runyan Jr. said. “We’ve been seeing him this whole offseason. He’s been here the whole time. He’s been working really hard.”

There is considerably less pressure on Washington’s rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was one of the few bright spots in the Commanders’ 37-20 loss Sunday at Tampa Bay.

Daniels, the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, completed 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards. He also rushed 16 times for a team-high 88 yards and two touchdowns.

Though the rushing numbers were impressive, Commanders coach Dan Quinn pointed out that most of Daniels’ carries were not designed runs.

“We’d love to see him remain a passer first, and I think it’s going to come with experience,” Quinn said.

In his first year with Washington, Quinn said that he wants the slightly built Daniels to be less eager to take off when he feels heat.

“Sometimes, getting outside the pocket you also remain a passer,” Quinn said. “He’s going to be an exceptional player. There are choices when to go, when to not. You do have to grow and learn into those.”

Quinn also wants to see Daniels take more downfield shots, especially to standout receiver Terry McLaurin, who had just two receptions for 17 yards on four targets.

Another area Washington needs to improve is its defense, which was riddled by Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, who threw four touchdown passes and had the league’s highest passer rating in Week 1 at 146.4.

The Commanders and Giants got through Week 1 relatively healthy.

Washington cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., who injured his right thumb against the Bucs, had surgery on Friday to repair the ulnar collateral ligament and will not play on Sunday. Quinn said Forbes was not going on injured reserve, which would require he miss at least four games.

Rookie defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, who was selected in the second round of the draft and is recovering from offseason foot surgeries, did not practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday and Friday. He is questionable for Sunday, as are defensive end Clelin Ferrell (knee), who missed practice Friday, and safety Quan Martin (hamstring), who was limited.

For New York, rookie linebacker Darius Muasau (knee), who had six tackles and an interception coming off the bench last Sunday, is out after not practicing all week. Punt returner Gunner Olszewski (groin) will miss several weeks but has not yet been put on the injured reserve list. He is out for Sunday’s game, as is cornerback Nick McCloud (knee) after missing practice this week.

Wideout Darius Slayton (concussion protocol, non-contact) was a full participant on Friday after sitting out on Wednesday and limited practice on Thursday. Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) was limited in practice on Thursday but a full participant on Friday.

–Field Level Media

After Week 1 win, Patriots aim to remain focused vs. Seahawks

There’s no more time for celebration for New England Patriots first-year coach Jerod Mayo.

Mayo came away with a victory in his debut, but he is far from content as New England prepares to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.

The Patriots (1-0) stunned the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, holding them to 13 first downs and 224 yards of total offense in a 16-10 win. Rhamondre Stevenson shined for New England, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

Although the Patriots made few mistakes against Cincinnati, Mayo believes there is plenty of room for improvement.

“From an individual perspective, the biggest jump you should see out of your players is from Year 1 to Year 2, or Week 1 to Week 2,” Mayo said. “I would say this week, not to look back at Cincinnati, but there are a lot of plays that we left out there. I think the players recognize that.

“Once you go to Week 2, we expect everyone to be better. … And I did let them know, ‘What got us the win in Week 1 won’t get us the win in Week 2 if we don’t continue to improve.'”

Taking things one step at a time is something that Seattle coach Mike Macdonald has also been emphasizing.

“It’s about each practice,” Macdonald said. “You can’t have a great Thursday if you don’t have a good Wednesday.”

Macdonald, also in his first season at the helm, coached the Seahawks (1-0) to a 26-20 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 1. Like New England, Seattle leaned on its rushing attack, getting 103 yards and a TD on 20 carries from Kenneth Walker III. Quarterback Geno Smith also ran for a score.

Walker might struggle to get going against the Patriots, though, as New England allowed the third-fewest rushing yards in the league last week (70). That is of course if Walker plays, as the 23-year-old was listed as doubtful on Friday due to an oblique injury.

“Very well-coached, obviously, but they play tough, they have good players, they play hard,” Macdonald said of the Patriots. “All the fundamentals, just go right down the list — check, check, check. Play square, get off blocks, what it takes to play really good run defense. Numbers back it up, tape backs it up.

“So we got a great challenge ahead of us.”

With Sunday marking the home opener for New England, the Seahawks will also have to contend with a Patriots fan base that is starting to feel a renewed sense of optimism after sitting through a 4-13 season in 2023.

Still, Seattle enters the meeting with New England as the favorite.

“They don’t really talk about that,” Mayo said of his players discussing the Patriots’ underdog status. “This goes back to the whole motivation conversation. It’s about discipline.”

New England guard Sidy Sow is dealing with an ankle injury, and he won’t play on Sunday. Defensive end Deatrich Wise (shoulder), safety Kyle Dugger (ankle), guard Layden Robinson (shoulder) and running back JaMycal Hasty (knee) were all listed as questionable as of Friday.

Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (knee) and tight end Pharaoh Brown (foot) will miss the game. Walker and offensive tackle George Fant (knee) were considered doubtful, while linebacker Tyrel Dodson (shoulder) and linebacker Jerome Baker (hamstring) were listed as questionable.

–Field Level Media

Deshaun Watson will start vs. Jags as Browns keep issues off field

NFL head coaches loathe distractions, but Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is dealing with a major one in Week 2.

Several days after Deshaun Watson was accused of a vicious sexual assault four years ago, he will start at quarterback when the Browns visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon.

Stefanski said the organization never considered having Watson sit out against Jacksonville.

“We’ll let due process play out and follow the NFL guidelines,” Stefanski said Wednesday. “We are 100 percent focused on Jacksonville, 100 percent focused on going on the road against a good football team and trying to find a way to get a ‘W.'”

The latest incident involving Watson overshadows a contest between two teams that lost their opening game of the season.

The Jaguars dropped a 20-17 decision to the host Miami Dolphins for their sixth setback in the past seven regular-season games. The Browns were beaten 33-17 by the visiting Dallas Cowboys as Watson was intercepted twice and sacked six times while passing for 169 yards and one touchdown.

One day after Cleveland’s dismal loss, a civil suit was filed Monday in Houston, alleging that Watson exposed himself and sexually assaulted a woman in her home.

During Watson’s time with the Houston Texas, he faced 24 claims of sexual misconduct from women, stemming from massage sessions. All but one of the cases were settled out of court, with the last one still pending. The NFL suspended him for the first 11 games of the 2022 season and fined him $5 million.

Just as he did in the previous cases, Watson denied the latest accusation. He said he is focused on the upcoming game.

“I focus on keeping the main thing the main thing,” Watson said of football. “That’s when I walk into this building, focusing on being the best quarterback that I can be, on the game plan and trying to be better than we were last week so we can get a ‘W.'”

Browns star defensive Myles Garrett said Friday that the teams is rallying around Watson.

“We’ll continue to have his back completely and help him get through everything he’s dealing with,” Garrett said. “He’s had a lot of different personal hardships currently and we’re going to be there for him as much as we can and be that shoulder to lean on and we’ll take care of him as brothers on Sunday.”

Jacksonville also will be seeking improvement after letting a 17-7 halftime lead get away against the Dolphins.

The Jaguars failed on all five of their third-down conversion attempts in the second half and had just one first down in the fourth quarter.

“We’re better than how we finished,” Jaguars tight end Evan Engram said. “We feel like we’re a great team and we’re going to work to be a great team. But great teams finish.”

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 162 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-21 passing.

Lawrence said he has put the Miami loss in the rearview mirror and doesn’t want to see the Jags fall into a 0-2 hole.

“Don’t get too high or too low,” Lawrence said Wednesday. “You can’t be down in the dumps too much and beat yourself up and let it affect your confidence.”

The big challenge for the Jaguars is rebounding quickly. They open the season by playing four consecutive 2023 playoff teams. The following two games are both on the road, against the Buffalo Bills on a Monday night and the Houston Texans.

Garrett is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year after racking up 14 sacks and four fumble recoveries last season. He missed Thursday’s practice with a foot injury but was back on the field Friday and is set to play.

The Browns will be without tight end David Njoku, who injured an ankle in a loss to the Cowboys. Stefanski said the club is hopeful Njoku can avoid being placed on injured reserve.

Cleveland did put five defensive players on IR this week — defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II (ankle), linebackers Tony Fields II (ankle) and Mohamoud Diabate (hip), safety Juan Thornhill (calf) and cornerback Myles Harden (shin).

Browns offensive tackle Jack Conklin is listed as questionable after practicing on a limited basis in all three practices this week. He hasn’t played since sustaining a serious injury to his right knee in the 2023 season opener. Another starting offensive tackle, Jedrick Wills (knee), was ruled out.

Jacksonville cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve on Thursday. Cornerback Darnell Savage (quadricep) will sit out, while defensive end Tyler Lacy (toe) and linebacker Caleb Johnson (back) are questionable.

The Jaguars lead the series 12-7, but the Browns have won the past two. Last season, Cleveland never trailed while notching a 31-27 home victory in Week 14.

–Field Level Media