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A16 sports
Tuesday 1 december 2020

On Football: Getting to January a major challenge for NFL

By BARRY WILNER league, the potential for
AP Pro Football Writer more postponements —
In every NFL season, there even cancellations or for-
are losing teams who hit feits, neither of which the
December and just want NFL truly wants to ponder
to get to January, get the — also rises.
schedule done and go One option that seems
home. more logical by the day is
In 2020, it's all about the for the league to create
league itself getting to a Week 18 for the second
January during a pandem- weekend in January. With
ic that daily is becoming outbreaks within teams a
harder to deal with. higher likelihood than ever
If Week 12 is a harbinger, — and having a week to
NFL executives will be doing play with because the bye
more scrambling than La- between the conference
mar Jackson and Kyler Mur- championships and the
ray. They've already twice Super Bowl could be elimi-
postponed the Thanksgiv- nated — instituting a Week
ing night showcase game 18 has its merits.
between Baltimore and Certainly it would lessen
Pittsburgh, and it's still in the chance of mismatches
jeopardy for Tuesday night such as what happened
with more than 20 Ravens In this Sept. 21, 2020 file photo, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, right, speak with Sunday in Denver, a 31-3
on the COVID-19 list. Den- quarterback Drew Brees (9) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Saints romp that never was
Raiders, in Las Vegas.
ver, thanks to protocol vio- Associated Press in doubt; is that the way
lations by its quarterbacks, NFL games should be? And
started an undrafted rookie day as the pandemic rag- about teams later on as we worked in basketball. I think it could help avoid what
wide receiver at the critical es across the country. Pro go through this, that they the time is now. Protect the could be a similar lopsided
position and, unsurprisingly, football tries to soldier on, get out of the playoffs. They integrity of the game. It's contest in Pittsburgh on
barely moved the ball. but for how long? become more reckless and the fairest thing to do. And Tuesday night, should that
There also were hefty fines "I think we have to really careless with their actions it's the safest thing to do." game be played.
to the Saints and Patriots for consider a bubble," says Bill off the field. In some ways it also is the "I don't think weird is the
not being as diligent about Cowher, the Hall of Fame- "I think right now from a most difficult thing to do. right word," said Saints
the coronavirus protocols bound coach and now a competitive and balance Don't think that the NFL coach Sean Payton, whose
as they need to be. CBS Sports analyst. "When standpoint that's out there, hasn't discussed the bub- team was fined $500,000
The NFL deserves praise for you think about the coun- and from a safety stand- ble idea, though it has con- and docked a seventh-
getting this far with minimal try right now, we're going point that's out there, go to centrated on creating one round draft pick for repeat-
disruptions compared to through a second wave. a bubble. Go to a city right or more for the playoffs. edly defying NFL protocols.
what we are seeing in the You have to be flexible in now, identify a hotel, take Doing so for the final six "Look, everything about this
college game. Yet there is your thinking. all the staff members, put weeks of the schedule, it's season's unusual. So, we
a foreboding environment "We're talking about shut- them in there, and make a logistical challenge tan- kind of tune out the things
right now. ting down facilities. We're sure from that point they tamount to scoring on the we can't control. ... And
Teams have been ordered talking about teams that bus to and from practice. 1985 Bears or 2000 Ravens. then what it is we can con-
to steer clear of their facili- may not be able to prac- They fly to and from games. As the number of COV- trol? And let's find a way to
ties on Monday and Tues- tice all week. I start to think It worked in hockey. It ID-19 cases rises across the get our next W."q

Colts punter schedules surgery to remove cancerous tumor

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indi- reaching out," he wrote. league as an undrafted
anapolis Colts punter Rigo- "Unfortunately, there are rookie in 2017. Instead, the
berto Sanchez says he will things you can't control in kickoff duties were per-
have surgery Tuesday to life and this is one of them. formed by rookie kicker
have a cancerous tumor No plans or preparation Rodrigo Blankenship.
removed. would have gotten me Following the game,
ready for this kind of adver- coach Frank Reich ex-
Sanchez made Monday's sity, but like I told my wife, plained the change by
announcement in an In- we can't flinch. Keep striv- saying Sanchez was deal-
stagram post. He did not ing to come back stronger ing with a medical condi-
provide details about the than ever. Makes me sick tion that required further
diagnosis or how much that I'll have to miss some evaluation and he was
time he might miss — only time playing beside my "proud" Sanchez per-
that doctors found the tu- brothers, but I know they formed as well as he did
mor before it spread to the will hold it down." given the circumstances.
rest of his body. Sanchez averaged 50.8 Reich is scheduled to
"I know that it will not be yards on five punts in Sun- speak with reporters later
an easy bump on the day's 45-26 loss to Tennes- Monday.
Indianapolis Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship (3) celebrates
kicking a field goal with Rigoberto Sanchez (8) during the sec- road, but I know I have see, netting 40.8 yards on Sanchez is 11th in the
ond half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Pack- my amazing wife support- those kicks, but he did not league at 47.2 yards per
ers, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, in Indianapolis. ing me along with fam- kick off — something he's punt with a net average of
Associated Press ily, coaches, and friends done since he entered the 41.2 yards.q