Panthers snap five-game losing streak, beat Redskins 21-13

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Most of the name players the Panthers have left are on offense.

But it was their defense that helped them snap a five-game losing streak, impressively shutting down Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III in a 21-13 road win.

The Panthers held the Redskins to a pair of field goals for the first 58 minutes, and played exceptional red zone defense to get their first win in Washington in franchise history. They also recorded four sacks, keeping RG3 in front of them effectively.

Cam Newton led a pair of 90-plus yard touchdown drives, with the big play an 82-yard pass to Armanti Edwards which set up Newton’s touchdown run. He also found Steve Smith for the veteran wideout’s first touchdown of the year, and the Panthers got a 30-yard touchdown run from DeAngelo Williams.

The loss drops the Redskins to 3-6 heading into their bye, and raises serious questions about their ability to help RG3. They were playing without a full deck, and the receivers out there dropped a number of passes.

Their defense also gave up plays downfield to a team that hadn’t made many, leaving a lot of questions to be answered in the next two weeks.

The Redskins talked about this being a must-win, and they didn’t.

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While Roger Goodell was talking about the potential for the Rams to move to Los Angeles, another possible suitor was talking about plans to stay put.

Via David Garrick of U-T San Diego, mayor  Kevin Faulconer announced a nine-member task force to create a proposal for a new Chargers stadium.

The group includes longtime NFL executive Jim Steeg, who worked for the Chargers for five years, but left in 2010. Steeg spent 26 years working for the league prior to that stint.

The group also includes local business leaders, but having Steeg on board will provide the kind of insight into league business they need, if they’re going to find a viable way to keep the Chargers for looking elsewhere.

But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell urged Faulconer to get moving during his press conference Friday.

“I’m glad to hear he’s got a task force going,” Goodell said. “But they’ve been working at this for 12 years, and it’s something we need to see tangible results sooner rather than later.”

That’s a fairly broad swipe at the city, which hasn’t been able to come up with a deal to upgrade one of the worst stadiums in the league.

AP

Among the questions that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fielded at his press conference Friday was one on the possibility that Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch will face a fine from the league as a result of his appearances in front of the media this week.

Lynch has stuck to his routine of answering every question from reporters the same way with Tuesday’s “I’m just here so I don’t get fined” gaining the most attention this week. He’s also worn a hat promoting his own Beast Mode line of clothing, which Adam Schefter of ESPN reported could draw a fine because it isn’t licensed by the NFL.

Goodell said Friday that any decisions about fines will be announced after the Super Bowl and offered no comment about his thoughts on potential penalties.

“It’s part of your job,” Goodell said of speaking to the media. “There are things in your job that you might not necessarily want to do. I think Marshawn understands the importance of the Super Bowl and the importance of his appearance in the Super Bowl.”

Goodell also responded to Lynch’s teammate Richard Sherman’s suggestion that Goodell be forced to meet with the media every week by saying that he’s available to the media almost every day.

AP

It’s been a long time since wide receiver Justin Blackmon has played a game for the Jaguars, but owner Shad Khan thinks that will change in 2015.

During an interview with the Florida Times-Union, Khan was asked whether he would welcome Blackmon back to the team. Khan said that he would and that he feels good about the wideout’s chances of playing for the team next season.

“Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I’m very optimistic. I think he’s paid his dues. I think he’s got his life together. I think he can be a role model for people who have gone through hard times. We’re waiting for him,” Khan said.

Blackmon is free to apply to the league for reinstatement from his substance-abuse suspension. He’s spent time in a treatment program since being suspended and recently pleaded no contest to marijuana possession charges related to an arrest last July. Once Blackmon applies, the league has 60 days to make a decision.

AP

If you had told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a few months ago that when he gave his Annual “State of the League” press conference before the Super Bowl he wouldn’t have been peppered with questions about Ray Rice and domestic violence, he surely would have been shocked — and surely would have breathed a sigh of relief.

But at Goodell’s press conference today, domestic violence was not the primary focus — or even a focus of the questions at all, as questions regarding Deflategate and franchise relocation dominated the discussion.

We’ll have plenty to say here at PFT about Goodell’s answers to various questions, but right now let’s take a look at the questions themselves. Here are the 26 questions Goodell took, grouped into their topics:

Deflategate

Bob Kravitz, WTHR in Indianapolis: Robert Kraft said you owe his team an apology if nothing comes of Deflategate. What are your thoughts?

Howard Eskin, Fox 29 TV: Will you hold Bill Belichick to the same standards in Deflategate as you held Sean Payton to in Bountygate? And why aren’t you available to the media every week, as Richard Sherman suggested?

Mike Reiss, ESPN: Has the NFL ever tested the air pressure of footballs in the middle of a game, and how important is that as a frame of reference in this investigation?

Heather Yako, NBC News 11 in Arizona: Why was Arizona chosen to host the Super Bowl and has Deflategate detracted from the game?

Bart Hubbuch, New York Post: Richard Sherman suggested that you may show favoritism to some owners, including Robert Kraft. How do you react to that?

Jason Cole, Bleacher Report: How is throwing a deflated ball drastically different from throwing a spitball in baseball?

Mark Maske, Washington Post: Will the standards you laid out after Spygate for teams complying with rules continue to apply in Deflategate?

Franchise relocation and ownership issues

Jim Thomas, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: What is the league’s level of commitment to keeping a team in St. Louis and have the Rams’ owners followed the league’s relocation guidelines?

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times: 2015 marks the 20th year without a franchise in the nation’s largest market. Rams owner Stan Kroenke has the resources to move a team to Los Angeles. What criteria will the league use to determine whether a team moves to Los Angeles and what if an owner goes rogue and moves without the NFL’s blessing?

Amber Dixon, NBC Las Vegas: Las Vegas has long expressed interest in having a pro sports team. Could Las Vegas sustain a professional team?

Vic Carucci, Buffalo News: In light of the new ownership in Buffalo, what’s your perspective on the need for a new stadium?

Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune: Can you speak to the fans in San Diego about whether they need a new stadium and has Dean Spanos done enough to demonstrate that he’s tried to work things out locally?

Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune: A lawsuit has been filed in New Orleans questioning Saints owner Tom Benson’s ability to run the team. In your opinion, is Benson mentally and physically capable of running the team?

International expansion

John Sutcliffe, ESPN: It’s been since 2005 since the league has had a regular-season game in Mexico City and the fans don’t understand why. Can you explain why?

Neil Reynolds, Sky Sports: Why have earlier kickoff times been used for London games?

Ian Walker, London Evening Standard: What more does London need to do to grow the game and have a franchise there?

Goodell’s job performance

Barry Wilner, Associated Press: What do you plan to do, specifically, to restore face in the league and in the quote-unquote, Shield?

Darren McKee KKFN, Denver: A lot of people who had a job like yours would probably resign. Can you imagine any circumstances that would lead you to resign?

Rachel Nichols, CNN: A lot of issues have had a conflict of interest. When you hire an outside investigator like Ted Wells, you’re still paying him and Robert Kraft is still paying you. What steps can you take to mitigate some of those conflict of interest issues?

Ron Mott, NBC News: How would you describe your relationship with the players and how will you improve that relationship going forward?

Ken Belson, New York Times: Do you believe you deserve a pay cut for your performance?

Dan Kaplan, Sports Business Journal: Do you think you’ll reach your goal of growing to the point where the NFL will have $25 billion in revenue?

NFL’s youth football and Play 60 initiatives

Jason Winik, Dallas Sports Source: What can you do to get more participation in youth football?

Bobby Sena, NFL Play 60 Super Kid: “Play 60 is an important part of my life, but how do you play 60? I told you it was a tough question.”

Ticket prices

Dave Briggs, CNBC: The average ticket is more than $10,000. Is that a concern that the league has looked into?

Media

Mike Garafolo, FOX Sports 1: Marshawn Lynch’s cooperation or lack thereof with the media has become a big story. What’s your take on how he handled the media this week and will he be fined?

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On Friday’s PFT Live, Denver wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was asked what went wrong for the Broncos, who crashed and burned as big favorites in the divisional round to Indianapolis in January.

While Thomas pointed to injuries as one of the reasons for the club’s exit, he also indicated that the 2014 Broncos were lacking in other areas, too.

“I feel like some guys, you know, didn’t have the fight or whatever it was,” Thomas said Friday. “It was totally a different team than last year.

“I think we had more talent this year, but it was a little more fight in that team last year, I think.”

In a follow-up question, PFT’s Mike Florio asked: “How did it go wrong this year, then, from the fight standpoint?”

And here, Thomas indicated that Denver might have taken its off the ball against Indianapolis.

“I think one thing was, I feel like guys kind of looked over the Colts,” Thomas said. “You had guys always talking the night before the game, you had, ‘Oh, I don’t want to go to New England and play New England.’ And I think that was one of the big things.”

The Broncos fell 43-21 at New England in November, and they likely would have been underdogs in a rematch. But we’ll never know whether these Broncos could have turned the tables with a Super Bowl berth on the line.

AP

Saints owner Tom Benson’s daughter and grandchildren claim that he’s not fit to retain control of his team.

But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell disagrees.

Goodell said he felt Benson was “in complete control” of the Saints, and perfectly confident in his ability to handle his business.

He said he spoke with Benson recently, describing him as “energetic” and engaged about league issues.

It was an expected vote of confidence for Benson, who wants to transfer control of the Saints and Pelicans to his wife Gayle.

AP

When defensive end Jared Allen was looking for a team last offseason, he said he was looking for a team that could at least contend for a spot in the playoffs.

Allen signed with the Bears, who fell well short of that goal during a 5-11 season that cost head coach Marc Trestman and most of his coaching staff their jobs. Allen was a guest with Mike Florio on PFT Live Friday and said he thought what Trestman and the other coaches were selling “didn’t come across.” He’s yet to meet with new coach John Fox or defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, but Allen said he thinks it’s a group that can send a message that will get across.

“What the organization’s done is they’ve really put together a coaching staff that’s a win-now type of staff. I think with the talent we have on our roster this can be a staff that can maximize everything that we do,” Allen said.

For the rest of what Allen had to say about quarterback Jay Cutler, his work to provide homes for wounded veterans and more, check out the video below.

AP

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said early in his press conference that the investigation into the #DeflateGate is continuing, but was careful to not draw comparisons to previous investigations.

Asked specifically about his “ignorance is no defense” ruling on Sean Payton during the Saints bounty scandal, Goddell said it was not fair to compare the two.

“We don’t know enough in this case to know who is responsible, or if there was an infraction,” he said.

While it would be convenient to keep them separate, the issues about the league’s handling of these cases continues to come under question.

He also called the NFL “a game of rules” when asked about the potential of punishment for balls being

“Whether a competitive advantage is gained or not is secondary in my mind to whether a rule is violated,” he said.

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Every team in the NFL except the Saints and Raiders passed on Russell Wilson at least once in the 2012 NFL Draft before the Seahawks selected him in the third round.

If Bret Bielema had been able to convince the Dolphins that Wilson was worth taking earlier on, Sunday’s Super Bowl might be very different. Bielema is now the coach of Arkansas, but he was the coach of Wisconsin during Wilson’s final collegiate season and was interviewing with the Dolphins about their head coaching job in early 2012 when Wilson’s name came up.

Bielema said he told General Manager Jeff Ireland and others that he thought the Dolphins should draft Wilson in the second round, but the team disagreed with his take.

“They all looked at me like, ‘You can’t say that,'” Bielema said, via ESPN.com. “That’s the difference between college and pro. He’s undersized. He can’t throw.’ I was like, ‘OK, all right,’ and I honestly, that day, kind of pulled myself out of it.”

The Dolphins wound up drafting Ryan Tannehill with the eighth overall pick after hiring Joe Philbin to be their head coach and Tannehill’s college coach Mike Sherman as their offensive coordinator, setting up a pretty sizable “What if?” to consider about the trajectory of Miami and Seattle over the last three years.

AP

Even though Rams owner Stan Kroenke has been doing more than just making eyes at Los Angeles, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated a degree of support for St. Louis.

“We want all of our franchises to stay in their current market,” Goodell said, when asked about the league’s stance on the stability of the Rams.

That was followed by the annual question about the league’s interest in the L.A. market, and Goodell largely sidestepped the issue of Kroenke’s plans to build a stadium there.

“There have been no determinations of us going to Los Angeles,” he said, saying that covered any particular team or stadium.

It doesn’t seem like Kroenke got that memo, as he’s made plans that seem to be well-received by the league.

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The Bears have signed one of their defensive reserves and special teams contributors to a new deal.

Chicago has extended linebacker DeDe Lattimore’s contract through 2016, the team said Friday.

Lattimore appeared in 10 games for Chicago in 2014, notching five special teams tackles, per club statistics. A South Florida product, Lattimore signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent last May. Lattimore turned 24 on Friday.

The Bears also made a coaching staff move Friday, retaining wide receivers coach Mike Groh, the team said. He has served as Chicago’s receivers coach the last two  years. He previously was an assistant at the University of Alabama.

AP

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has plenty to talk about today, but he opened his annual state of the league press conference with talk about player safety.

He said the league was about to hire a chief medical officer to oversee medial policies, with an announcement expected soon.

He cited stats from yesterday’s report that concussions were down 25 percent from the previous year, but said there was more to be done.

He added that hits to defenseless players were down 68 percent this season.

AP

The presiding judge in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial will allow jurors to watch the Super Bowl.

According to ESPN’s Michelle Steele, Bristol (Mass.) County Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh said jurors can watch Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Seahawks, but she asked them to step out of the room if Hernandez — the former New England tight end — is mentioned during the telecast of the contest.

The trial is in its second day. Hernandez is accused in the June 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd in Massachusetts.

AP

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning hasn’t made up his mind about his playing future, but said he thinks he’ll have a decision sooner rather than later.

Via Bob Glauber of Newsday, Manning said he’s still thinking about what he wants to do in 2015.

“I’m not interested in making this a lingering thing,” Manning said. “I’d like to make a decision soon.”

He said he didn’t think passing his annual physical in March would be a problem, at least as it pertains to his surgically repaired neck.

Of course, the leg injuries he was dealing with down the stretch were clearly an issue, and how they affected his play likely complicates his decision.

AP

The Patriots gave LeGarrette Blount a clean slate, and now he has a clean record to go with it.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Blount completed his court-ordered 50 hours of community service in Boston, and the marijuana possession charges were dropped by local prosecutors.

Blount and then-Steelers teammate Le’Veon Bell were arrested on their way to the airport for a preseason game in August, and the DUI charges Bell had in addition to the possession could lead to a two-game suspension next year.

But after bailing out on the Steelers in midseason, Blount was released and quickly signed by the Patriots, who will be counting on him Sunday.