Sep 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) grimaces while being looked at by medical staff after being injured during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Photo Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo left Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins with a right shoulder injury.
The team later announced Garoppolo will not return. He could miss six weeks, according to multiple reports.
Rookie Jacoby Brissett, drafted in the third round from North Carolina State, replaced Garoppolo late in the second quarter of the Patriots’ 31-24 win.
Garoppolo, starting his second straight game for the suspended Tom Brady, had already thrown three touchdown passes when he was taken to the turf after a scramble by linebacker Kiko Alonso with 4:04 left in the second quarter. Garoppolo was 18 of 27 for 234 yards before leaving.
–Browns center Cameron Erving was transported via ambulance from the team’s Sunday game against the Baltimore Ravens to a Cleveland hospital after experiencing chest discomfort in the fourth quarter.
According to the team, Erving felt cramps in the final minute of the game, and he had chest and rib discomfort. He was taken to University Hospitals for testing, and he was listed in stable condition. The Plain Dealer reported that he was immobilized on a stretcher in the locker room before being hurried into an ambulance.
Erving, 24, is in his second season since he was a 2015 first-round pick (19th overall) out of Florida State. He has started both games this year after appearing in all 16 games and making two starts last year.
–Tight end Rob Gronkowski and linebacker Dont’a Hightower were both missing from the New England lineup when the Patriots hosted the Dolphins.
Gronkowski, battling a hamstring injury that has limited his practice time, was inactive for the second straight game.
Hightower suffered a knee injury in the opening game at Arizona on Monday night and was missing from practice throughout the week and officially listed as doubtful on the injury report.
–Tony Romo underwent a thorough examination on his fractured back before the Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field on Sunday.
But owner Jerry Jones said Romo’s status is unchanged. Perhaps for the first time in Romo’s career, that doesn’t equate to a grim outlook for the Cowboys.
Behind rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys rallied for a fourth-quarter win Sunday at Washington and improved to 1-1. Prescott has thrown 75 passes without an interception in two games. The outlook for Romo is week to week.
–Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III is now expected to miss 10 to 12 weeks, possibly ending his season, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Browns placed Griffin on injured reserve Monday after he suffered a fractured bone in his left shoulder in Cleveland’s season-opening 29-10 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. Griffin, who signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Browns this offseason, completed 12 of 26 passes for 190 yards and one interception in Week 1.
Veteran Josh McCown will start Sunday’s home opener against the Baltimore Ravens. He started eight games for the Browns last season, completing 186 of 292 passes for 2,109 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.
–The Buffalo Bills owners reportedly met with several offensive players — without coach Rex Ryan — before firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman on Friday
Owners Terry and Kim Pegula convened private meetings Friday morning to discuss the offense, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday. The meetings — involving key players such as quarterback Tyrod Taylor and others — were to get a sense of what was wrong with the offense, including play-calling, the report said.
Ryan said the decision to fire Roman two games into the season was all his after the Bills’ 0-2 start.
–The New Orleans Saints, already thin at cornerback, might have lost another member of their secondary in Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
Cornerback P.J. Williams, a second-year player out of Florida State, suffered a neck injury on a first-quarter tackle of Giants tight end Larry Donnell with 6:15 left in the quarter. Williams’ head made contact with Donnell’s right knee. Then teammate Craig Robertson’s leg hit Williams’ head, causing his neck to whiplash a second time. Williams’ head violently snapped to the side, as he fell to a crumpled heap on the turf, the players immediately calling for medical officials.
Williams was placed on a backboard, his neck stabilized as he was carted off the field for further evaluation. The Saints announced he is being evaluated for a concussion but had movement in his extremities.
–The banged-up Indianapolis Colts absorbed more punishment in the first half Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
Cornerback Darius Butler immediately clutched his right hamstring after intercepting Denver quarterback Trevor Siemian in the flat. Butler, who had plenty of open field in front of him, was ruled out for the rest of the game by the team.
Cornerback Antonio Cromartie left in the first quarter with a shoulder injury after lowering the shoulder to tackle Emmanuel Sanders on a crossing route.
Wide receiver Donte Moncrief exited in the first quarter with what the team said was a head and neck injury. Defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway also left the game to be evaluated for a concussion. He was cleared to return after passing the NFL’s concussion protocol and Cromartie was back on the field in the second quarter.
The Colts came into the game without cornerbacks Vontae Davis (ankle) and Patrick Robinson (concussion) as well as safety T.J. Green (knee). Outside linebacker Trent Cole did not make the trip to Denver because of a back injury.
–San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead was helped off the field at Qualcomm Stadium in the first quarter with a right leg injury.
Woodhead caught a pass for a 4-yard gain and was tackled by the Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith. He stayed down for a few minutes until the training staff helped him up. Woodhead wasn’t putting weight on his leg as he came off the field.
The 31-year old Woodhead rushed for 89 yards in last week’s season opener at Kansas City and also ripped off a 23-yard run on San Diego’s first drive, setting up Melvin Gordon’s 3-yard touchdown run.
-Browns rookie defensive end Carl Nassib sustained a hand injury during the second half of Sunday’s game against the Ravens.
Jamie Meder entered in place of Nassib. A third-round selection out of Penn State, Nassib had three tackles and one sack of Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz during a 29-10 loss in the season opener.
–Houston Texans wide receiver Braxton Miller left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.
The Texans announced in the third quarter that Miller would not return to the game with the Texans leading the Kansas City Chiefs 13-3.
Miller had one reception for 3 yards and lost 2 yards on one rushing attempt.
— Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart left Sunday’s game in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and didn’t return.
Stewart had five carries and two receptions for a total of 16 yards before his departure against the visiting San Francisco 49ers.
Carolina running back Fozzy Whittaker went into concussion protocol shortly after Stewart’s injury. Whittaker was cleared and returned to action in the first half.
–Detroit Lions star defensive end Ziggy Ansah and running back Ameer Abdullah sustained injuries in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
Ansah suffered a left ankle injury on the team’s first defensive series and retreated to the locker room after being examined on the sideline. He suffered the injury on the Titans’ second play from scrimmage.
Abdullah sustained a left foot injury on a 24-yard gain late in the first half. Abdullah had six carries for 38 yards at that point. He had 120 combined yards rushing and receiving in the opener at Indianapolis, including a receiving touchdown.
–Washington Redskins nose tackle Kedric Golston suffered a game-ending hamstring injury on the first play from scrimmage against the Dallas Cowboys.
Golston remained on the ground after the play and was helped off the field. He was replaced by Ziggy Hood.
–The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost receiver Cecil Shorts to a hamstring injury toward the end of the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Shortly thereafter, the Cardinals had safety D.J. Swearinger knocked out of the game with a head injury.
Swearinger was taken to the locker room and was being evaluated for a concussion.
The Buccaneers were already short-handed before losing Shorts. Running back Doug Martin exited the game in the second quarter with a pulled hamstring and tight end Luke Stocker left in the first with an ankle issue.
–Wide receiver Markus Wheaton was among the Pittsburgh Steelers’ inactives on Sunday and missed his second consecutive game with a shoulder injury.
Wheaton has been slated to start opposite Antonio Brown with Martavis Bryant suspended for the season. With Wheaton missing the season-opening victory over Washington, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger turned heavily to rookie Eli Rogers, who caught six of the seven passes thrown his way for 59 yards and a touchdown, which came on a deflected pass.
