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sports Diamars 6 OctOber 2020

Goodell: Forfeits possible for NFL virus protocol violations

(AP) – NFL Commis- of the protocols have been Titans' outbreak, including:
sioner Roger Goodell disciplined. Several coaches — A longer onboarding pro-
has warned the league's have been fined $100,000 cess for free agent tryouts;
32 teams of penalties in- each and their clubs fined — Bans on gatherings out-
cluding potential forfeits $250,000 for improper use side of the club facility;
of games for violations of of face coverings, the Las Ve- — Limitations on the num-
COVID-19 protocols that gas Raiders were hit with a ber of tryouts permitted per
force changes in the regu- $50,000 fine for allowing an week;
lar-season schedule. unauthorized team employee — Implementation of a
into the locker room follow- league-wide video monitor-
In a memo sent to the teams ing a game and on Monday ing system to ensure compli-
Monday after a conference the Raiders had 10 players ance with the protocols —
call involving NFL and club docked a total of $175,000 for "particularly the mandate that
executives, Goodell reiterat- appearing at a function where all staff and players wear PPE
ed the need to adhere fully to face coverings were not used, while in a club facility and on
all of the league's health and nor was social distancing. travel at all times."
safety guidelines. "Complacency is our shared The league also is consid-
"Protocol violations that re- opponent," he wrote. "We ering holding all meetings
sult in virus spread requiring must reinforce our commit- virtually; requiring masks or
adjustments to the schedule ment to full adherence to our shields during practices and
or otherwise impacting other mandatory safety protocols walk-throughs; decreasing
teams will result in additional and best practices. the size of the traveling party
financial and competitive dis- "The consequences of re- to games; reducing the time
cipline, including the adjust- scheduling or even missing spent in lunchrooms and
ment or loss of draft choices games are obvious. Our fans locker rooms; and daily con-
or even the forfeit of a game," will be deprived of games. sulting of proximity tracking
Goodell wrote in the memo Competitive inequities will device information now in
obtained by The Associated schedule Sunday's game be- impacted the Baltimore Ra- be introduced into our sea- use to identify areas where
Press. tween the Steelers and Ti- vens. son. Players will not be paid teams could eliminate close
"Simply put, compliance is tans when Tennessee had New England's game at Kan- for games not played and contacts.
mandatory. Now is the time the league's first coronavirus sas City was moved from clubs will similarly suffer fi- "As we have said before,"
to recommit ourselves to our outbreak, which has affected Sunday to Monday night af- nancial consequences." Goodell wrote, "act as if every
protocols and best practices 20 organization members, ter Patriots quarterback Cam The league and the players' person you come in contact
for the duration of the sea- including 10 players. That Newton tested positive for association are instituting with has a COVID infection
son." game was moved to Week 7, COVID-19. ramped up health and safety and take appropriate precau-
The NFL was forced to re- causing adjustments that also Goodell noted that violators procedures in the wake of the tions."

Eagles go from winless to 1st place in NFC East in 1 day

(AP) — Earning their first come to work every day no nati last week.
win of the season in Octo- matter what the circumstanc-
ber put the Philadelphia es, no matter what the situa- What needs help
Eagles in first place in the tion. They practice. It's always The defense is struggling in
NFC East. been a next-man-up mental- coverage against tight ends.
ity and they go to work, and George Kittle is the best
They need to improve in that's what I've learned, and in the NFL, but the Eagles
many areas to stay there. that's what's going to carry us couldn't even come close
Despite missing six starters these next four weeks." to stopping him. He had 15
on offense, the Eagles (1-2-1) Carson Wentz shook off his catches on 15 targets for 183
knocked off the also injury- league-worst seventh inter- yards and one TD. In Week 2,
depleted San Francisco 49ers ception, again used his legs to Rams tight end Tyler Higbee
25-20 on Sunday night to make plays and led a group of had three TD receptions in a
move atop the division stand- reserves to a victory the team 37-19 win against the Eagles.
ings at the quarter-point of desperately needed. His per- Stock up "I'm not trying to fill anyone's will play through it.
the season. fect 42-yard touchdown pass boots. I'm trying to make my
"I think the one thing that's to Travis Fulgham, fresh off Third-string left tackle Jor- own boots," Mailata said. "I'm Key number
really stood out this first the practice squad, gave the dan Mailata played well in his not a rugby player anymore. 3 — The defense had not
month is just how resilient Eagles the lead for good. first career start. He didn't al- I'm a footballer." forced one turnover in 17
this football team is," Eagles Then Alex Singleton's 30- low a sack, protected Wentz's quarters dating to last sea-
coach Doug Pederson said yard interception return for a blind side and opened some Stock down son before Rodney McLeod's
Monday. "We have not played score helped seal it. The de- running lanes. Mailata had a Linebacker Nate Gerry interception inside the red
our best football, I don't feel. fense had its first three take- costly false start penalty but struggled again in pass cov- zone in the second quar-
We've kind of shot ourselves aways of the season against bounced back afterward. The erage, missed tackles against ter. Cre'Von LeBlanc had a
in the foot in the first three, the 49ers. Eagles lost 2019 first-round the run and has generally strip-sack that set up the go-
four weeks here. Finally over- pick Andre Dillard to a sea- played poorly all season. ahead TD. Then Singleton
came some of the mistakes What's working son-ending injury in training returned an interception 30
(Sunday) to put ourselves in Wentz has been using his legs camp. They moved nine- Injured yards for a score.
a position to be in first place more the past two games, time Pro Bowl left tackle Ja- Linebacker T.J. Edwards and
in the NFC East. But there's keeping the ball and scram- son Peters back to his position safety Rudy Ford are going to Next steps
a long road ahead. We've got bling at times and buying from right guard, where he "miss some time" with ham- The Eagles visit the Pitts-
to learn from the first four time to throw it other times. was filling for injured starter string injuries, according to burgh Steelers (3-0) next
weeks, but at the same time, He had 37 yards rushing on Brandon Brooks. But Peters Pederson. Right tackle Lane Sunday. The Steelers had an
learn from it and carry it for- seven carries, including an landed on injured reserve Johnson's surgically repaired unexpected bye after their
ward. 11-yard TD run against the with a toe injury. Mailata was ankle forced him to missed game against Tennessee was
"We've just got to keep work- 49ers. That followed a career- a seventh-round pick in 2018 25 snaps against the Nin- postponed because of a CO-
ing and this is what I appre- best 65 yards rushing and one after starring as a rugby player ers. Pederson said Johnson's VID-19 outbreak among the
ciate about our guys is they TD in the tie against Cincin- in Australia. ankle issue will linger but he Titans.