Last Updated on November 5, 2017 3:45 pm by admin
The Latest on the ninth Sunday of the NFL regular season (all times Eastern):
2:35 p.m.
Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green and Jacksonville cornerback Jalen Ramsey have been ejected for fighting, after Green body-slammed Ramsey and throw punches at him.
Ramsey appeared to be taunting Green most of the first half. On the next-to-last play of the second quarter, Ramsey pushed Green to the ground at the end of a running play.
Green got up, grabbed Ramsey around the neck, slammed him to the ground and delivered numerous punches. Players from both teams rushed onto the field, with several exchanging words and pushing, but coaches and officials kept it from escalating.
Officials ejected Green and Ramsey.
Ramsey’s push started the fight, but Green likely faces more serious discipline because of his violent reaction, particularly throwing punches.
– AP Sports Writer Mark Long reporting from Jacksonville, Florida
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1:50 p.m.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota finally has his first touchdown pass from inside the red zone this season.
Mariota found Rishard Matthews with a 16-yard TD pass with 1:04 left in the first quarter, giving the Titans a 10-3 lead over the Baltimore Ravens . Mariota started the game 6 of 7 for 80 yards with the TD pass.
The Titans led the NFL last season scoring touchdowns inside an opponent’s 20, and nobody had a higher passer rating in that area of the field than Mariota over the past two seasons. Mariota now has 34 TD passes in his career in the red zone, and he has yet to be intercepted.
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1:45 p.m.
In New Orleans, a block party is developing. There were blocked kicks on consecutive snaps in the Saints’ game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
First, Justin Hardee came in clean for a smothering block on Tampa Bay punter Bryan Anger . The block produced the ultimate charity hop. It bounced high and behind Anger, allowing Hardee to run under it practically in stride and glide into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown.
Then the Bucs defensive back Ryan Smith blocked Wil Lutz’ point-after attempt.
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1:20 p.m.
Associated Press journalists counted just five players protesting before or during the national anthem in some way before the early-afternoon games.
Philadelphia Eagles safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod raised their fists during the anthem. Defensive end Chris Long put an arm on Jenkins. Giants injured defensive end Oliver Vernon took a knee.
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews stayed off the field during the anthem.
About a dozen members of the New Orleans Saints took a knee before the anthem, but stood once the public address announcer asked the crowd to rise.
No members of the Houston Texans knelt. One week earlier, all but about 10 Texans took a knee to protest team owner Bob McNair’s comment that ”we can’t have the inmates running the prison” during a meeting of NFL owners about player protests.
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1 p.m.
The Philadelphia Eagles seek their seventh straight victory and the Denver Broncos try to avoid their fourth straight loss in perhaps the most intriguing early game on the NFL’s Sunday schedule.
Denver quarterback Brock Osweiler replaces Trevor Siemian. Osweiler made seven starts for Denver two years ago but struggled with the Houston Texans last season.
In other early-afternoon action, the Colts travel to Houston as the Texans adjust to life without injured quarterback Deshaun Watson
In the NFC South, the Falcons finally play a division foe taking on the Panthers without traded receiver Kelvin Benjamin.
Other early games include Baltimore at Tennessee, Tampa Bay at New Orleans, the Los Angeles Rams at the New York Giants and Cincinnati at Jacksonville.
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