As we head into the weekend, it has already been a jammed pack week of news for the NFL. From Thanksgiving Day games to injuries to COVID-19, there is a lot to unwrap ahead of a pivotal Sunday of games.
Cowboys, Lions Get Blown Out At Home On Thanksgiving
The Lions were handed their second-consecutive loss this week as they fell to the Houston Texans, 41-25. Despite a two-touchdown game from the 35-year-old Adrian Peterson, the Lions have now lost four straight Thanksgiving games. Deshaun Watson was electric for the Texans, tossing four touchdown passes on 318 yards with no picks.
The Cowboys held tight with Washington for three quarters until the wheels fell off in the 4th quarter. In a 20-16 game with the Cowboys defense playing well, Head Coach Mike McCarthy elected to fake punt on 4th and ten deep in their own territory. It failed miserably, and they handed the Washington Football Team a short field.
Washington immediately cashed in with a 27-yard touchdown run by rookie sensation Antonio Gibson to make it 27-16. Shortly after that, the Washington lead swelled to 41-16 as the Washington Football Team swept the Cowboys for the first time since 2015 and only the fourth time since Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989.
COVID-19 Ravages Ravens Locker Room
The Baltimore Ravens were supposed to play in Pittsburgh against the Steelers on Thanksgiving night, but COVID-19 hit them hard this week, postponing the game until Sunday. Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson tested positive on Thanksgiving, and the game has since been bumped to Tuesday night.
The Ravens were also scheduled to play in Dallas against the Cowboys next Thursday, but that game has also been moved to Monday, Dec. 7.
There's a possibility that Jackson cannot suit up for either one of those games for the Ravens. If he can't go, Head Coach John Harbaugh would likely turn to veteran Robert Griffin III in the interim.
With rookie running back J.K. Dobbins and veteran running back Mark Ingram III testing positive, it will be the Gus Edwards leading the way in the Baltimore backfield for at least the next two games.
Bengals Turn To Journeyman Allen after Burrow Injury
Veteran journeyman Brandon Allen has been tabbed as this week's starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. In a somewhat surprising move, Head Coach Zac Taylor has chosen to call up Allen from the practice squad to start over Ryan Finley. Finley had been Joe Burrow's back up since Week 1, but with his poor play last week and the Bengals having virtually no shot at the postseason, Taylor will see what the team has in Allen.
Allen was selected by the then St. Louis Rams in the sixth round out of Arkansas in 2016 and started three games for the Denver Broncos last year. He was pretty bad in those three games, so the shot he is getting with the Bengals is a surprise one. At this point, the Bengals are playing for next year and beyond, so we will likely see them hold back injured players like Joe Mixon as well. Mixon was put on IR last week, but may be shut down for the season.
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