Outside of that Hail Mary, however, multiple starting quarterbacks fell to injuries around the league on Sunday. Here's a look at the latest news, injury updates and more across the NFL as Week 8 wraps up.
Texans lose WR Stefon Diggs for season with torn ACL
Diggs went down with a non-contact knee injury in the Texans' tight win over the Colts on Sunday afternoon. His right knee awkwardly bent as he planted his foot during running a route in the second half, which sent him down to the turf in pain before he eventually walked off to the locker room. He didn't return.
Diggs had a team-high five catches for 81 yards when he went down. The Texans have a short week, too, as they'll take on the New York Jets on Thursday night.
Colts bench QB Anthony Richardson
The Indianapolis Colts are making a big change at quarterback. They're reportedly benching their 2023 top-five draft pick Anthony Richardson and making veteran Joe Flacco the starter.
Richardson has not looked good over his six 2024 starts. He was seen as a developmental player when he was drafted fourth overall in 2023, but he has not shown the kind of progress the Colts had hoped for over the season. His 44.4% completion rate speaks for itself, and against the Texans on Sunday he tapped out of the game in the third quarter due to fatigue — a move that has generated a bit of negative feedback for Richardson.
The report cites an MRI Love underwent Monday to evaluate the injury. He'll undergo treatment throughout the week and has a shot to play in next Sunday's NFC North showdown against the Detroit Lions, per the report.
Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood made helmet-to-helmet contact with Maye from behind as Maye slid on a scramble. Sherwood was not called for a penalty, but Maye went to the medical tent and was ruled out of the rest of the game with a head injury. Jacoby Brissett took over, and led the Patriots to a 25-22 win.
Maye is now in concussion protocol, and it’s unclear when he will be able to return for the Patriots. They will take on the Tennessee Titans next week. If Maye has not cleared protocol in time, Brissett will likely start. Brissett was the Patriots’ starting quarterback at the beginning of the season, but Maye took over earlier this month.
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Liz Roscher
Lamar Jackson misses practice for 2nd straight day
Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. progressing in concussion protocol
Tracy rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coach Brian Daboll said Tyrone Tracy Jr. has progressed in the concussion protocol and will be in a red, non-contact uniform at Thursday’s practice. Tracy is “trending in the right direction” for Sunday’s game, according to the head coach.
Andy Dalton is back to full strength in Carolina after he missed last week with a sprained right thumb. The Panthers, however, will stick with Bryce Young as their starting quarterback this weekend in their matchup with the New Orleans Saints.
Even with Andy Dalton healthy, the Panthers will stick with Bryce Young as their starting quarterback Sunday against the Saints. https://t.co/7DLdLS5AfT
The Indianapolis Colts have decided to go back to Joe Flacco as the team's starting quarterback, head coach Shane Steichen confirmed on Wednesday.
“I'm just looking where we’re at as a football team, sitting at .500 with a lot of football left, and feel that Joe gives us the best chance going forward," said Steichen, who added this is not "a one-week change."
Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and the starter heading into this season, will be relegated to backup duty.
◼️ Placed Greg Zuerlein on IR ◼️ Signed Marcelino McCrary-Ball to the active roster ◼️ Released DS Jaylen Key from the practice squad ◼️ Signed K Spencer Shrader & K Riley Patterson to the practice squad
Jets sign new kickers to give Greg Zuerlein's knee a rest
Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein is just 9-for-15 on field goals this year, and was added to the team's injury report on Tuesday after being limited in practice.
New legs in New York: The #Jets are signing kickers Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader to the practice squad, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo.
They'll give Greg Zuerlein time to get his knee right. Patterson or Shrader will kick Thursday night.
The Vikings struck a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to land offensive lineman Cam Robinson on Tuesday afternoon, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Robinson will take over in Minnesota after the Vikings lost Christian Darrisaw to a torn ACL and MCL.
In exchange, the Jaguars will receive future draft picks.
Trade: The #Vikings are adding a new left tackle, completing a trade with the #Jaguars to acquire LT Cam Robinson in exchange for draft pick compensation, per me and @TomPelissero.
Colts reportedly benching Anthony Richardson for Joe Flacco
Anthony Richardson is no longer the starting QB for the Colts. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Colts coaching staff made the decision Tuesday to go with veteran QB Joe Flacco in Week 9 and beyond.
A QB change for the Colts: Indianapolis is benching former first-round pick Anthony Richardson and turning to veteran Joe Flacco, sources tell @FowlerESPN and me. Coaches met this morning and made the seismic organizational decision to change QBs. pic.twitter.com/uqANJwOwr4
The Texans got bad news about their new wide receiver Stefon Diggs on Tuesday. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that Diggs has a torn ACL and is done for the season.
Diggs, Houston's big offseason acquisition, went down with a non-contact injury during the Texans' 23-20 win over the Colts on Sunday afternoon.
T.J. Watt, Steelers hold off Giants to win a Monday night slog
T.J. Watt is going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday, and probably five years after his final NFL game.
No defensive player in the NFL means more to his team. When the Steelers found themselves in a difficult spot Monday night against the Giants, nearing the end of an ugly performance, Watt made the play to get them a win.
Watt had a strip sack of Daniel Jones with 2:59 left and the Giants deep in Steelers territory, needing a touchdown and 2-point conversion to tie the game. That was the big play of the night, and an interception with 34 seconds left and the Giants in Steelers territory sealed it.
The Steelers won 26-18, escaping a game against a bad Giants team in which the offense wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard. Pittsburgh is a surprising 6-2 this season, while the Giants are a predictable 2-6.
For more on Richardson's status with the Colts, read here.
Ryan Young
Christian McCaffrey back soon?
Christian McCaffrey's return may be right around the corner. The San Francisco 49ers plan have McCaffrey practice starting next Monday, as long as he responds well this week while the team is on their bye week.
McCaffrey has yet to play this fall while dealing with Achilles and calf injuries. It's unclear if he'll be able to compete in their matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 10, but this appears to be the closest he's been to taking the field this season.
"It's going to be nice getting him back, hopefully," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
49ers plan to open Christian McCaffrey IR window next Monday, if he responds well to this week's hard work to simulate practice. Said Shanahan: "It’s going to be nice getting him back, hopefully."
Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson was responsible for defending Noah Brown on Hail Mary, per Matt Eberflus
Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has apologized to his teammates after his costly mistake led to a last-second loss on Sunday. Bears coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Monday that Stevenson had apologized during a team meeting earlier that morning.
The Washington Commanders shocked Chicago for a 18-15 win after successfully hitting a Hail Mary with no time left on the clock. Stevenson, who had been taunting Washington fans while the ball had already gone into play, missed his coverage and accidentally tipped the ball into Commander receiver Noah Brown's hands.
Per Eberflus, Stevenson was the player who was supposed to defend Brown, but that he was thrown off by a lapse in concentration. Stevenson took full accountability for his role in the loss when speaking to his teammates, Eberflus said.
Jags WR Brian Thomas Jr. could miss time with chest/rib injury
The Jaguars can't catch a break with injuries.
#Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. could miss 2-4 weeks with a chest/rib injury suffered Sunday, per sources. Scans today will determine full extent and next steps, though. Thomas is also getting a second opinion.
Josh Uche turned down significantly more money elsewhere as a free agent in March to stay with the #Patriots, saying, “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I can’t envision myself playing for another team.” Now headed to the #Chiefs mid-season.
Packers CB Jaire Alexander reportedly getting MRI on knee
Jaire Alexander is getting an MRI on his knee today after he hopped off the field on the Packers final defensive play yesterday. Looked like he had trouble putting weight on his right leg via the Fox replay. pic.twitter.com/WkGvbLfWCp
National Tight Ends Day became a real holiday in Week 8
Every year we hear about National Tight Ends Day, a "holiday" made up by 49ers TE George Kittle to pay tribute to an under-appreciated position. Just like every holiday you read about in email forwards from your elderly relatives, it's not a real thing.
But on the Sunday of Week 8 in the 2024 season, National Tight Ends Day became a real holiday. Tight ends combined for 177 total receptions, the most by tight ends on any single day in NFL history. Those receptions equaled 1,965 receiving yards and included 16 touchdowns.
Was the increase in TE action just a happy accident? Or did every team get a memo from the commissioner's office reminding them about National Tight Ends Day, so there would be an explosion of great TE play on one chosen day?
We don't know. We may never know. Maybe National Tight Ends Day will just be a normal Sunday next year. Maybe this past Sunday was a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of the stars and planets which brought tight ends to the forefront and highlighted their utility and usefulness in a variety of football situations.
Sunday was stuffed to the bursting point with exciting games, incredible plays, and wild finishes, but Week 8 was a tough one for injuries. Here are a few players who left yesterday's games with an injury.
Week 8 has come and gone. Time to set our sights for Week 9. Matt Harmon and Sal Vetri are back for another 'Data Dump Wednesday' by sharing 10 data points you need to know for Week 9 to maximize your fantasy lineups.
Richardson was thrown into the fire as an NFL starter from Day 1 despite being a raw prospect. Would he and the Colts benefit from a QB change that allows him to develop from the bench?
Jason Fitz, Charles Robinson & Frank Schwab break down the Houston Texans and New York Jets game, look at potential trades ahead of the deadline & share insight from C Rob's Week 8 QB Room.
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