Brought in for a workout on Tuesday by the Houston Texans was QB Jack Coan (Brahmas). It was the first in-season workout Coan has received, his fourth overall dating back to May. A concussion suffered by starting QB CJ Stroud in week 14 could’ve had the Texans looking for an extra arm for the short-term.
RB John Lovett(Vipers) tried out for the New Orleans Saints, also on Tuesday. This was Lovett’s second workout during the NFL season. He was one of four running backs the Saints brought in to get a look at. None were immediately signed.
Transactions
As expected, the Cleveland Browns re-signed QB PJ Walker (Roughnecks) to the practice squad on Tuesday, after he cleared waivers. Walker will serve as the team’s third quarterback moving forward, behind Joe Flacco and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Two XFL additions to NFL rosters were made on Saturday. LB DeMarquis Gates (Roughnecks) was promoted to the Chicago Bears’ active roster from their practice squad. He had exhausted his practice squad elevations this season having already appeared in three games. Gates was signed to take the roster spot vacated by DE Yannick Ngakoue, who was placed on injured reserve.
Speaking of IR, DT LaCale London (Battlehawks) was activated from IR by the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. He had gotten in two weeks of full participation at practice. London will resume his duties as a backup defensive lineman on the squad.
File this one under “almost” a transaction: The Denver Gazette reported this week that Denver Broncos practice squad QB Ben DiNucci (Sea Dragons) turned down an opportunity to sign to the active roster of the New Orleans Saints in September when Saints third-string QB Jake Haener was suspended. DiNucci would’ve been signed to cover the last three games of Haener’s six-game suspension, and then likely would’ve been released. This also explains a recent mystery, that being DiNucci’s week 13 elevation to the gameday roster when Denver already had two healthy quarterbacks: The Broncos were taking a step to make up those game checks DiNucci would’ve gotten had he signed with the Saints. He would’ve been on their roster for three games, so the Broncos are expected to elevate him three times this season so that he can earn that money he missed out on.
Performances
*After getting in limited practices all week, Los Angeles Chargers TE Donald Parham (Renegades) was inactive due to a shoulder injury suffered in last Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. It was Parham’s first missed game of the season.
*While active, QB AJ McCarron (Battlehawks) did not see the field in Cincinnati’s overtime win over Minnesota on Saturday.
*A splash was made on kick returns by RB Godwin Igwebuike (Dragons) for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of the seven kickoffs that came his way, Igwebuike managed to return two for 65 yards, averaging 32.5 yards per return. This wasn’t a situation where he had one really long return and another average return: Both returns cleared 30 yards. He played 11 snaps (42%) on special teams.
*LS Christian Kuntz (Renegades) snapped on two extra points and four punts for the Steelers.
*As noted above, QB Ben DiNucci (Sea Dragons) is expected to be elevated three times this season by the Denver Broncos. His second elevation was Saturday against the Detroit Lions, where he was once again inactive as the third quarterback.
*Kaleb McGary missed his second consecutive game for the Atlanta Falcons, allowing OT Storm Norton (Wildcats) to draw the start again at right tackle. He played all of the snaps in the game for Atlanta. Though the patchwork line did not allow a sack, the team only averaged 1.7 yards per carry on 31 rushes.
*Like the offensive line, Atlanta’s defensive line has been hit hard by injuries of late. That forced DT LaCale London (Battlehawks), in his first game since returning from injured reserve, into a more prominent role. The backup played 61% of the defensive snaps, one shy of the team lead for that position. He logged three tackles (two solo, one assist) as well as a tackle for loss.
*In a 9-7 loss in which the Carolina Panthers scored their second win of the season, QB Taylor Heinicke (Battlehawks) did not play as the backup to Desmond Ridder for the Atlanta Falcons.
*In playing 95% of the special teams snaps, S Micah Abernathy (Renegades) also committed two false starts while the Falcons were in punt formation.
*LB DeMarquis Gates (Roughnecks) played on 86% of the special teams snaps for the Chicago Bears, which amounted to a whopping 30 snaps, though he didn’t play on defense.
*An injury suffered by starting LG Joel Bitonio midway through the first quarter forced G Michael Dunn (Dragons) into action at that spot for the rest of the game. Dunn ended up playing 86% of the offensive snaps as well as four on special teams. While he was called for a holding penalty during the game, he also ran down Bears S Eddie Jackson, who had picked off Joe Flacco, tackling him at the one-yard line to prevent an interception returned for touchdown.
*As the Green Bay Packers offense has improved throughout the season, P Daniel Whelan (Defenders) has seen his workload decrease. He punted just twice on Sunday, with a 47.0-yard gross average, 40.5 net. He landed one punt inside the 20-yard line. He continued to perform as the holder on field goals and extra points.
*Both starting safeties were inactive due to injury for the Miami Dolphins, leading to S Elijah Campbell (Defenders) making his first start of the season. He played every snap on defense in Miami’s shutout of the New York Jets. Campbell made four tackles (three solo, one assist) and also had a pass defensed on an athletic play where he dove to swat the ball away from a receiver along the sidelines. Campbell also played four snaps on special teams.
*The Baltimore Ravens signed QB Malik Cunningham off the practice squad of the New England Patriots, giving them four quarterbacks on their active roster. For now, it’s likely that QB Josh Johnson (Wildcats) will remain the #3 QB, as he was on Sunday night when he was inactive against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Week 14 Correction
*I missed this last week, but DT Jack Heflin (Roughnecks) was elevated for the first time this season for the New Orleans Saints against the Carolina Panthers. Heflin was in on one assisted tackle and played 21% of the defensive snaps.
