Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers stayed in the game on Sunday despite some hard hits that left him in obvious pain, but on Monday morning he appears to be OK.
Head coach Robert Saleh said this morning that Rodgers’ ankle is hurting but the Jets do not anticipate he’ll have any long-term issues.
“He’s dealing with a low ankle, but all the preliminary stuff says he’ll be fine,” Saleh said of Rodgers.
Rodgers said after the game that he sprained his ankle, and the fact that Saleh referred to it as a low ankle sprain instead of a high ankle sprain would qualify as good news. Rodgers acknowledged after Sunday’s loss to the Vikings that he didn’t play up to his standards, but his health shouldn’t be an issue going forward.
Rodgers and the Jets will have an extra day of rest before facing the Bills on Monday night, October 14.
In Houston on Sunday, Bills quarterback Josh Allen hit the ground hard in the fourth quarter, striking his head on the turf. After the game, Allen told reporters he rolled his ankle and that, while being evaluated in the medical tent, he was informed that he also needed to be evaluated for a concussion.
He was. And he was cleared to return.
He missed a punt, four offensive plays by the Texans, and one offensive play by the Bills.
The injury happened with 6:06 remaining in the fourth quarter. Allen returned with 3:36 to play. That’s two and a half minutes of game time missed. And, as we measured on the CBS broadcast, he missed six minutes and six seconds of actual time from the moment his head struck the ground to the moment he returned to the field.
It’s unclear when the concussion evaluation was initiated, if Allen’s version of the chain of events is accurate. The NFL nevertheless activated the evaluation process and cleared him.
The NFL’s doctors, both team-employed and unaffiliated, make the decision. The protocol has been developed and honed in the 15 years (to the month) since Congress called NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith to Capitol Hill for testimony on their collective handling (and/or mishandling) of brain trauma.
Whether it takes two-and-half minutes of game time (or six minutes and six seconds of real time) to clear a player is irrelevant. Whether it takes one total play or five total plays or fifty total plays is irrelevant. The process, as developed and utilized by the NFL, controls the process of clearing players to return to play.
On Sunday for Allen, it took two-and-a-half minutes of game time, six minutes and six seconds of real time, a punt, four defensive plays, and one offensive play to be cleared to return.
The Bills faced a number of decisions after they forced a third-down incompletion with 41 seconds left in a 20-20 game against the Texans.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was penalized for intentional grounding on the play, but the Bills declined to take a 10-second runoff before the Texans, who had all three timeouts, punted. The punt was downed at the 3-yard-line and the Bills threw three straight incompletions before punting the ball back to Houston with 16 seconds left on the clock. The Texans got the ball in Buffalo territory and Ka’imi Fairbairn won the game with a 59-yard field goal after a five-yard gain.
After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said at his press conference the Bills considered taking the runoff but declined because of the chance that the punt would have gone into the end zone. McDermott said he loves having the ball in quarterback Josh Allen’s hands, but added that “I probably should have run it on the first play” and said it was on his shoulders when asked if he was onboard with the play calls.
“That’s on me, the end-of-game situation on offense,” McDermott said. “We’re in a tough situation, three timeouts, they were holding three timeouts. They got a good field goal kicker. We needed to run the clock and move the chains, and that’s on me. We didn’t do that there, and that’s my fault.”
The Bills have now lost two straight after a 3-0 start to the season and they’ll try to end their losing streak against the Jets next Monday night.
The Texans were able to come away with a narrow 23-20 victory over the Bills on Sunday.
After the game receiver Stefon Diggs admitted this wasn’t just a typical week, going against the team that traded him this offseason after four seasons.
“We got a dub this week. We 1-0. Obviously, playing my old team, I’m not going to sit here and act like it was just regular,” Diggs said, via DJ Bien-Amie of ESPN. “It meant a lot to me, and it was reassuring that the guys around me knew that it meant a lot to me, even if I didn’t say it. I try to just keep it poised and treat every week like it’s the same. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t mean a lot to me.”
Diggs led the Texans on Sunday with six catches for 82 yards.
“It was huge. I know today Diggs was a little emotional. He just wanted to play well against his former team,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “He did a good job by just letting his emotions affect his play and he played great. Just happy that he’s happy with this dub.”
Through five games, Diggs is second on the team with 31 receptions, 315 yards, and two touchdowns.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen left Sunday’s loss to the Texans after his head slammed the turf, but only missed one play while being checked out in the sideline medical tent.
After the game, Allen said that he was getting his ankle checked out when he was flagged for a concussion check. Allen was cleared to return and the Bills would go on to tie the game before losing 23-20 on a last-second field goal.
“Big shot to the chest and I rolled my ankle there,” Allen said. “They flagged me for hitting my head, but felt good enough to go back in the game.”
Unless Allen’s condition takes a turn for the worse, it seems like he’ll be on track to play against the Jets on Monday night in Week Six.
Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 59-yard field goal on the final play to give the Texans a hard-fought 23-20 win over the Bills.
Houston moves to 4-1, while the Bills fall to 3-2 with a second consecutive loss.
The Texans tried to give it away, blowing a 20-3, third quarter lead with seven penalties for 65 yards in the second half, a C.J. Stroud interception and a C.J. Stroud fumble deep in his own territory after Robert Woods fielded a punt at his own 2 and questionable play calling and clock management in the final two minutes.
Fairbairn, though, saved them by making his eighth of nine field goal attempts of 50 yards or longer this season. It was a two-play, 5-yard drive after the Bills punted out of their own end zone following a Tommy Townsend punt that was downed at the Buffalo 3 with 32 seconds left.
Josh Allen, missing leading receiver Khalil Shakir, was off all day and left for one play after a hard hit in the fourth quarter that injured his ankle and prompted a concussion check. He had the worst start of his career, going 1-for-11 for 24 yards, and finished the day 9-of-30 for 131 yards and a touchdown, a 49-yarder to rookie Keon Coleman.
Seattle’s Stan Gelbaugh was the last quarterback to throw at least 30 passes and complete fewer than 10 of them, when he went 9-of-31 against the Eagles.
The Texans outgained the Bills 425 to 276.
Stroud was 28-of-38 for 331 yards with a touchdown and the two turnovers. He was not the same after Nico Collins went out with a hamstring injury in the first quarter after a 67-yard touchdown reception.
Stefon Diggs caught six passes for 82 yards against his former team.
Cam Akers ran for 42 yards and a touchdown on nine carries with Joe Mixon out for a third consecutive game.
Josh Allen stayed down on a third down incompletion after being hit hard, with his chest, ankle and head taking the brunt. He was cleared of a concussion but was still in the tent when the Bills unexpectedly got the ball back.
Dawuane Smoot hit C.J. Stroud’s arm as the quarterback tried to escape the pocket, and Dorian Williams recovered the fumble at the Houston 15.
Mitchell Trubisky entered for one play, a handoff, before Allen raced out of the tent and back into the game.
He threw two incompletions before Tyler Bass tied the game 20-20 with a 33-yard field goal with 3:18 left. The Bills have scored 17 unanswered points.
Allen now is 9-of-27 for 131 yards and a touchdown with four carries for 54 yards.
The Bills entered the game without their leading receiver, Khalil Shakir, and the Texans lost theirs in the first half.
Nico Collins, who entered the day leading the league by more 100 yards, came up gimpy on his 67-yard touchdown catch with 1:34 left in the first quarter. He was examined in the sideline medical tent before departing for the X-ray room.
The Texans initially listed Collins as questionable to return, but they announced at the start of the second half that Collins will not return.
He finishes with 78 yards on two catches.
The Texans also are without their leading rusher, Joe Mixon for a third consecutive game, as well as his backup, Dameon Pierce. Both are inactive.
Houston lost starting safety Jimmie Ward (groin) and running back British Brooks (knee) as both are ruled out.
Ward went out and returned before leaving for good.
The Texans opened the second half with a field goal drive to take a 20-3 lead.
It was obvious in the first half how much Josh Allen misses Khalil Shakir, who is inactive with an ankle injury. Allen got off to the worst start of his career, completing 1 of 9 passes for 24 yards.
He ended the first half 6-of-18 for 56 yards.
The Bills have only 103 yards, with 44 coming on their field goal drive. James Cook has 11 carries for 43 yards and two catches for 17 yards. Mack Hollins has led the wideouts with two catches for 27 yards.
The Texans could lead by even more if not for a fourth down stop by the Bills. On fourth-and-one at the Buffalo 16, Dare Ogunbowale was stopped for no gain by Terrel Bernard and Cam Lewis.
The Texans, playing without their top two running backs in Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce, lost Nico Collins with a hamstring injury after he caught a 67-yard touchdown. The league’s leading receiver has two catches for 78 yards and will not return.
C.J. Stroud completed his first 10 passes and ended the half 12-of-15 for 187 yards and a touchdown. Cam Akers had the Texans’ other touchdown on a 15-yard run.
Former Bills receiver Stefon Diggs has two receptions for 27 yards.
Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 50-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
Nico Collins entered Sunday leading the NFL with 489 receiving yards. His average of 122.3 receiving yards per game has him on record pace.
The Texans receiver has done what he has done all season against the Bills, catching two passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. But he came up gimpy after his 67-yard touchdown, which gave the Texans a 14-3 lead.
Collins went into the sideline medical tent before heading up the tunnel for the X-ray room.
The Texans list him as questionable to return with a hamstring injury.
Houston is fortunate to be deep at receiver with Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs picking up the slack.