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NFL

NFL invited Kaepernick to meet with Goodell

The NFL has invited Colin Kaepernick to attend a one-on-one meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell and is waiting on a response from the embattled quarterback, a league spokesman told ESPN’s Jim Trotter.

Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, texted Kaepernick on Oct. 31 to update him on the ongoing talks about social issues between players and owners, league spokesman Joe Lockhart told Trotter on Tuesday.

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At the end of the text message, Vincent extended the invitation for Kaepernick to meet with Goodell, according to Lockhart, who said the league has not heard back from the former San Francisco 49ers star.

Lockhart said earlier Tuesday during a conference call that the NFL would welcome Kaepernick’s participation in its larger meetings involving league executives, players and owners.

A league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter last week that Goodell, Vincent and NFL senior vice president of player engagement Arthur McAfee will be deposed and asked to turn over all cellphone records and emails in relation to Kaepernick’s collusion case against the NFL.

Kaepernick’s attorney said in October that the free-agent quarterback had filed a grievance under the collective bargaining agreement, alleging collusion against signing him to an NFL contract.

The filing, which demands an arbitration hearing on the matter, says the NFL and its owners “have colluded to deprive Mr. Kaepernick of employment rights in retaliation for Mr. Kaepernick’s leadership and advocacy for equality and social justice and his bringing awareness to peculiar institutions still undermining racial equality in the United States.”

After filing the grievance, Kaepernick tweeted that he did so “only after pursuing every possible avenue with all NFL teams and their executives.”

Kaepernick drew national attention last season when he knelt during the national anthem before games to protest social injustice. His kneeling led to a movement that has spread throughout the league while also being vilified by others, including President Donald Trump.

Kaepernick has not been with an NFL team since severing his contract with the 49ers in March. Sources told ESPN at the time that Kaepernick would stand during the anthem in 2017.

NFL

Broncos to start Osweiler after blowout loss

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — After Denver Broncos coach Vance Joseph had sifted through the football wreckage of Sunday’s 28-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he has decided to give Brock Osweiler another start at quarterback.

Osweiler will be behind center when the 3-5 Broncos face the New England Patriots. And while Joseph didn’t like much of what he saw in the 51-23 loss to the Eagles, he said he believed Osweiler’s work in the days leading up to the game had earned the sixth-year quarterback another start.

“I thought Brock had an excellent week of preparation,” Joseph said Monday afternoon. “It felt good to our team, it was a confident week, the energy was there, it was detailed. … Brock’s experience Brock’s personality really helped our team bounce back and gave us confidence going into this week. I think Brock’s earned it from that standpoint.”

Vance Joseph thinks Brock Osweiler’s preparation going into the loss to the Eagles has earned him another start. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Broncos benched Trevor Siemian after seven games and put Osweiler in the lineup against the Eagles. Last week Joseph said he would look at how things went in Philadelphia and then decide who the quarterback would be against the Patriots this Sunday night.

And once again Joseph would only commit to Osweiler starting against the Patriots and said that he would re-evaluate things a week from now. Osweiler finished 19-of-38 passing for 208 yards to go with a touchdown and two interceptions in the loss to the Eagles.

“In the football game … he had two interceptions, which he can’t have, he understands that,” Joseph said. “He had a couple ill-advised throws. Brock had some good things, the red-zone audible for the (Demaryius Thomas) touchdown, that was one of Brock’s audibles. I think Brock deserves one more week to prove he’s the guy for us.”

For his part, Osweiler expressed his hope, following the loss, that he would get another chance.

“Absolutely, I think every player in the National Football League plays this game to be the starter, to contribute to his team, to help their football team win games,” Osweiler said. “So, I would love to be the starter of this football team. I can promise you that this game is not going to discourage me. I’m going to work harder than ever to clean up these problems and get us back in the win column.”

The Broncos have scored 14 touchdowns on offense in eight games and are 22nd in the league in scoring (18.8 points per game), 17th in total offense (327.3 yards per game), 21st in yards per play (4.9) to go with 18th in third down conversions.

The biggest issue, however, and the one that was likely the biggest factor in Siemian’s benching, has been turnovers. The Broncos are 31st in the league in turnovers, with 19 — only the winless Cleveland Browns have more.

That total includes 12 interceptions, second-highest total in the league behind the Browns’ 17. At the moment the Patriots are last in the league in total defense (417 yards allowed per game), last in the league in pass defense (295.5 yards allowed per game) and 24th in the run defense (121.5 yards allowed per game).

NFL

Saints deliver knockout blow to Bucs, earn sixth straight win

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints’ sixth straight victory was so thorough and dominating that the only time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers really put up a fight was during a sideline skirmish in the third quarter.

Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans was flagged 15 yards for drilling Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the back after Tampa QB Jameis Winston and Lattimore exchanged shoves when Winston wasn’t even in the game.

Other than that, it was All Saints Day in this first week of November, with Lattimore and the Saints’ defense continuing their stellar season, holding Tampa Bay to 200 yards in a 30-10 rout.

Justin Hardee’s blocked punt return for a touchdown set the tone early for the Saints. AP Photo/Butch Dill

Saints running backs Alvin Kamara (two touchdowns) and Mark Ingram both thrived as they overcame recent fumbling issues. And New Orleans’ special teams kicked it off in the first quarter with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown by undrafted rookie CB Justin Hardee.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, New Orleans is now just the third team in the Super Bowl era to go from 0-2 to 6-2. The others (1993 Cowboys and 2007 Giants) went on to win the Super Bowl.

It’s a little early to predict the Saints will make it 3-for-3, but this was probably their most complete victory yet, and they remained in control of the NFC South by climbing to 2-0 in the division.

Up next is a trip to Buffalo that should tell us even more about what the Saints are made of in a matchup of two of the league’s surprise teams of 2017.


• Statistics
• Scoreboard
• 2017 schedule, results
• Standings

Dominant defense: One of the most unlikely stories of this NFL season continues to get better, as New Orleans’ defense had another stifling performance. Lattimore continued his lockdown play, which has him as a leading candidate for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, while matching up against both the sizable Evans and speedy receiver DeSean Jackson. Defensive ends Cameron Jordan (1.5 sacks) and Alex Okafor (0.5 sacks) were both excellent, among many others.

What I liked: A little bit of everything, but especially Kamara, who continued his stellar rookie season with 10 rushes for 68 yards, six catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns. His 33-yard TD catch on a screen pass in the second quarter was his highlight moment of the season to date. He appeared to be down around the 12-yard line, but braced himself with his hand, escaped the tackle and made another defender miss on his way into the end zone. He had four catches for 67 yards on that TD drive, which immediately followed his first career lost fumble on the previous drive.

Ingram also bounced back nicely from his two fourth-quarter fumbles last week. He had 16 carries for 77 yards. Kamara got the start, but the Saints proved that both backs will continue to play key roles.

What I didn’t like: The Saints had some ugly special-teams gaffes after that early TD. Receiver Willie Snead fumbled away a punt during a fair-catch attempt in the fourth quarter that set up Tampa Bay’s only touchdown. Ted Ginn Jr. muffed one earlier that he recovered. And kicker Wil Lutz missed one field goal attempt and had an extra point try blocked.

Fantasy fallout: Ginn continues to be a big part of New Orleans’ offense, especially as a home run threat. He and Drew Brees failed to connect on what would have been an easy 87-yard TD pass early in the game when Ginn broke wide open. It’s unclear if Brees made a bad throw or expected Ginn to run a different direction. Either way, it was a miss that Brees clearly regretted. Later in the game, they made up for it with a 36-yard TD connection. And Ginn finished with four catches for 59 yards.

Brees finished 22-of-27 for 263 yards.

Injury update: The Saints didn’t escape clean. LT Terron Armstead (chest) and S Kenny Vaccaro (groin) both left the game early. But Fox reported that Vaccaro’s absence was precautionary.

NFL

Hali activated by Chiefs, may play vs. Cowboys

ARLINGTON, Texas. — Tamba Hali is available to play for the Kansas City Chiefs for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys after the veteran linebacker was activated from the physically unable to perform list and added to the active roster.

He had been on the PUP list all season because of sore knees.

Hali, who turned 34 on Friday, has 89.5 sacks, tying him for 44th on the NFL’s all-time list.

He hasn’t played since last season, and his only practice sessions of the year came on Thursday and Friday. But he could play a significant role against the Cowboys. The Chiefs will be without starting outside linebacker Dee Ford, who has a back injury.

The Chiefs released backup cornerback D.J. White to clear roster room for Hali.

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