Chiefs lose Charles for rest of 2015: The Kansas City Chiefs will be without their best player for the remainder of the 2015 season after an MRI confirmed that Jamaal Charles tore his ACL during Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.
Charles injured himself while making a cut on a play without contact. He needed to be helped off the field. Without him, the Chiefs blew a 17-3 lead en route to a 18-17 loss.
"I talked to Jamaal yesterday, and he was obviously down, but he is positive about coming back, getting himself back,'' head coach Andy Reid, via ESPN. "That's where his energy will be directed — getting through the surgery and getting back to where he can play.''
This is Charles' second ACL tear in the NFL. The running back missed 14 games in 2011 after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee.
The Chiefs have begun preparing for life without their most explosive play-maker. The team will work out former Saints running back Pierre Thomas and former Texans running back Ben Tate. Current backup Charcandrick West will assume duties as the primary back with Charles sidelined.
Steelers pull off victory despite game clock error: The NFL came very close to having another Monday Night Football controversy on its hands just one week after the missed "illegal bat" call during last week's Lions-Seahawks game.
The Steelers started their final drive with 18-less than they should've had after the Lions' kickoff resulted in a touchback. Instead of getting the ball with 2:56 remaining in regulation, the Steelers' had 2:38 to orchestrate a game-winning drive.
The offense marched down field and scored on a touchdown run by Le'Veon Bell on the game's final play.
If it weren't for the touchdown, the missing 18 seconds would've continued to stir the NFL controversy pot. But the Steelers pulled off a miraculous come-from-behind victory despite having less time than they should have had.
When asked if he noticed the 18 seconds missing from the game-clock, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin simply said it "didn't change the outcome of the game."
Stafford "caught off-guard" by Sunday benching: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford admitted to reporters that he was "caught off-guard" by head coach Jim Caldwell's decision to bench him in the second half of Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals.
"I was a little caught off-guard, to be honest," Stafford told the Detroit Free Pass, via ESPN. "I went out there and tried to play aggressive. We're down 21 points. Try and get us back in the ball game.
Caldwell had informed Stafford at halftime that he would pull the quarterback from the game if he threw another interception. Stafford responded by throwing a pick during the offense's first drive in the second half.
"[I] Tried to make a big play to Calvin Johnson, and obviously Patrick Peterson made a good play, intercepted the football … and I got to watch the rest of the night," Stafford said.
Stafford leads the NFL in interceptions with eight through five games. Despite the benching, Caldwell reiterated that Stafford will remain the team's starting quarterback.
Sean Payton: "I love it [in New Orleans]:" With the Saints sporting a 1-4 record, rumors about where Sean Payton will coach in 2016 have begun to swirl.
It was reported Sunday that several teams, including the Miami Dolphins, would inquire about the coach's availability after the 2015 season.
Payton addressed the issue during a conference call with Saints media members Monday.
"I think that happens when you're in year 10 and not having success," Payton said, via the Saints' official website. "I love it here, I'm close to my children, I just built a brand new place here. So you get tired of answering the questions, and yet I understand you asking.
"That comes up yearly now, not just every three or four years. I mean, that came up, shoot, my second, third, fifth, ninth — I mean, pick a year — and you just gotta make sure that the players, coaches, everyone understands what the focus us."
Payton has two years remaining on his five-year, $400,000,000 contract he signed back in 2013. The Saints are coming off a 7-9 season where they failed to make the playoffs. After Sunday's blow-out loss to the Eagles, the Saints are on track for their second-straight losing season. It would be just the second losing season during Payton's tenure in New Orleans.
Despite the team's recent struggles, Payton sees himself back with the Saints for the 2016 season.
"I'll say what I've said before," Payton said, via NFL.com. "This is where I see myself."
Payton sports an 81-52 record and four postseason appearances over eight seasons as the Saints' head coach.
