NFL Player News

Ihedigbo was brought to the Patriots to contribute on special teams, and with Josh Barrett going on I.R. he is now thrust into a starting role. Practice squad call-up Ross Ventrone replaced him, and both are well-below average players trying to put their finger in the dike. Valued practice squad signee Sergio Brown has fallen behind Ventrone.

The Lions’ backup linebacker is expected to miss some time. The Lions will also be without WR Tom Kennedy, who serves as the team’s top returner, for a while. Kennedy suffered a “sprain,” seemingly in his knee, during a return.

This is an extremely unfortunate occurrence for the 33-year-old pro. Hargrave has one year remaining on his contract. He faces a tough recovery, and Rapoport notes that this is the second Achilles tendon rupture for the Packers’ defense in as many weeks, with LB Edgerrin Cooper suffering the same injury in Week 4 against the Buccaneers. Hargrave will ultimately require surgery and be placed on injured reserve.

Allgeier was a non-factor, even with the Cardinals pulling Jeremiyah Love in the fourth quarter. Allgeier did not log a carry in the first quarter. He is nothing more than a bench stash moving forward. The Cardinals face the Rams in Week 6.

Love played extensively early in the game. He was the only Cardinals running back to record a carry in the first quarter. The Lions began running up the score in the second quarter, and Love was seemingly simply phased out as Jacoby Brissett repeatedly fired passes downfield. Later, in the fourth quarter, the camera suddenly showed Love standing on the sideline without his helmet. A reporter chimed in to say that Love had not received attention from the training staff, but noted that Love told her he is still managing the ankle injury he suffered in training camp. Reports also indicated that he tweaked his other ankle last week. Love’s weekly floor is sinking as his production becomes increasingly touchdown-dependent. That said, he should be in fantasy lineups as an RB2/3 against the Rams next week.

McBride looked like his normal, dominant self, carving up defenders on out routes and in-breakers. Unfortunately, hearts were also broken when Jacoby Brissett fired a touchdown pass right past McBride, running wide open inside the Lions’ five-yard line, to backup TE Teagan Quitoriano, also running wide open in the back of the end zone. Fortunately, McBride was able to haul in a juggling, falling and contested touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter to boost his final stat line. McBride is an elite TE1 against the Rams next week.

Bourne looks like a viable FLEX starter for those in need. His 70 receiving yards were a team high, and his eight targets trailed only Trey McBride (10). The journeyman receiver delivered two 20-plus-yard gains via post routes, the first coming on the Cardinals’ first drive and the second on the seventh. Jacoby Brissett tried to force another downfield shot to Bourne on the latter drive, but it didn’t work out. Bourne is running high-value routes in the center of the field, playing for a garbage-time team with a cannon-armed quarterback. The results could be volatile at times, but he is worth starting in the FLEX against the Rams next week.

Wilson almost scored a passing touchdown via an end-around trick play on the Cardinals’ opening drive, but his receiver, Jacoby Brissett, was stopped two yards shy of the end zone. Heartbreak struck again two drives later, when Wilson only got one foot in bounds along the sideline on a would-be 19-yard catch. Brissett went right back to him on the following play, but the contested pass edged past Wilson’s outstretched hands. Wilson tacked on a couple of short gains before snagging a 17-yard pass on the Cardinals’ ninth drive, and he nearly bagged a 47-yard touchdown down the left sideline on the 10th drive, but his coverage defender effectively contested it, resulting in an incompletion. Wilson should handle a WR2-level workload against the Rams in Week 6.

Brissett also rushed twice for 19 yards and nearly scored on a trick play via a seven-yard reception. He was stopped at the Lions’ two-yard line. Brissett guided the Cardinals to a 14-play scoring drive on their first possession, which he capped off with a two-yard touchdown strike to backup TE Teagan Quitoriano. The bottom dropped out after that. The Cardinals racked up five straight drives ending a punt, with Brissett only managing to break the dreary streak by throwing an interception. Brissett managed to salvage his box score with another Quitoriano score, and a juggling touchdown catch secured by Trey McBride. Brissett also coaxed a few big plays out of fellow backup TE Elijah Higgins. Apparently, the veteran quarterback is ready to target more towering pass catchers with Marvin Harrison Jr. now a Texan. Brissett is borderline QB1/2 with a shaky floor in Week 6 against the Rams. Coach Mike LaFleur said post-game that he is not considering a quarterback change.

According to Raanan, Eluemunor “felt his calf pop” and left today’s game against the Commanders. That sounds unpleasant. Fortunately, he was able to walk around on his own, which is a good sign. Regardless, this is worth following. Giants LT Andrew Thomas has been playing through a groin injury. Stay tuned.

Gibbs scored twice today, bringing his career touchdown total up to 57, breaking the NFL record set by former Lions RB Barry Sanders for the most touchdowns scored by a player under 25 years old. The exceptionally talented player gets a boost from his sharp coaching staff, who continue to maximize Gibbs’ strengths. OC Drew Petzing dialed up a trick-play screen pass for Gibbs after the two-minute warning, in which Gibbs took the handoff, pitched it to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who pitched it back to Jared Goff, who then chucked it back to Gibbs with three offensive linemen in front of him on the left side of the field. An 18-yard gain ensued. Gibbs later produced a season-long 22-yard run. Although he scored two touchdowns today, he could have had a third. On the Lions’ ninth drive, Gibbs got two chances from the one-yard line on the ninth drive before the coaching staff greenlit a successful QB sneak for Goff. The Lions are on bye in Week 6, but he returns to the top of the running back ranks against the Packers in Week 7.