ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will be without their top two receivers in Thursday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders with CeeDee Lamb unavailable due to a concussion suffered Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to multiple sources.
Coach Mike McCarthy expressed optimism earlier this week that Lamb would play against the Raiders before the receiver went through a limited part of Wednesday’s practice. He met with team doctors and an independent neurologist after the workout, and sources said he cleared the protocol. However, Lamb could be susceptible to a second concussion in a short amount of time, which could have knocked him out multiple weeks.
The Cowboys already knew they would be without Amari Cooper, who is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, for a second straight game.
Lamb, who leads the Cowboys in receptions (50), yards (740) and receiving touchdowns (6), was able to go through meetings Monday and picked up his physical activity Tuesday and Wednesday. Quarterback Dak Prescott said Lamb was “great” Wednesday. After going through sessions with Lamb on Tuesday and Wednesday, Prescott did not think there would be any limitations going into the game.
The Cowboys’ top receivers going into the game will be Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson, Noah Brown and Malik Turner.
The Cowboys have erred on the side of caution with their players this season regarding injuries. Left tackle Tyron Smith could have played last week against the Chiefs with an ankle injury, but the team opted to give him more rest with a quick turnaround to the Raiders game. He will start today. Prescott could have played on Halloween against the Minnesota Vikings despite a calf injury, but he was held out an extra week to avoid a potential long-term issue.
The Cowboys will also be without offensive line coach Joe Philbin, who is in the COVID protocol, according to sources. Assistant line coach Jeff Blasko will take over his duties. Philbin is the third position coach to miss time because of COVID, joining defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who missed a preseason game, and running backs coach Skip Peete, who missed the Nov. 7 meeting against the Denver Broncos.
Two of the Cowboys’ three strength and conditioning coaches are also in the COVID protocol. Cedric Smith was placed on the list earlier in the week, and Kendall Smith was added to the list Thursday. No other players appear to be affected.
Lamb being ruled out was first reported by Fox Sports.
An American Airlines flight attendant suffered a concussion after a passenger allegedly struck her in the face during a flight from New York to California, prompting the pilot to divert to Colorado last week, according to court documents released Monday.
The passenger, Brian Hsu, 20, was charged Monday with assault and interference with a flight crew, the U.S. District Attorney’s Office in Colorado said. He was ordered released on a $10,000 bond and is set to appear in federal court in Denver on November 15.
It was not known if Hsu had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
In a federal complaint, authorities said the incident began when Hsu — who was returning to his home in Southern California from New York on Oct. 27 after undergoing brain surgery — got up to use the bathroom and stretch.
The flight attendant, who has not been identified, told investigators that she was struck in the head while talking with another flight attendant. After asking Hsu if he was alright, she told him to obey the seat belt sign and sit down, the documents say.
Hsu then allegedly struck her head with his elbow and punched her in the face with a closed fist, the documents say. One witness told authorities he struck her with a “full swing.”
Another witness recalled Hsu being restrained with duct tape and plastic bonds afterward, according to the documents.
The flight attendant, who described bleeding from her nose and becoming dizzy and nauseous, was taken to a hospital in Colorado after the pilot landed in Denver. Doctors there said she had a concussion, she told authorities.
Hsu told investigators that the flight attendant became “agitated and began swinging” at his head after he accidentally bumped her. He said he feared being struck so soon after his surgery, so he raised his hands defensively.
He denied punching the flight attendant and claimed that when she charged at him, her nose struck the palm of his hand, the documents say.
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, who said Hsu would be banned from future American Airlines flights, again described the incident as part of the “very disturbing downside” of post-pandemic air travel. The number of federal probes into “unruly” airline passenger behavior has spiked this year, with investigators looking into nearly 1,000 cases. In 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration documented just 146.
According to the department, authorities have received nearly 5,000 complaints of such behavior, including more than 3,500 reports of mask-related incidents.
Tim Stelloh is a reporter for NBC News based in California.
Andrew Blankstein is an investigative reporter for NBC News. He covers the Western United States, specializing in crime, courts and homeland security.
The Times reviewed a copy of the agreement that is now under seal pending a review by US District Judge Anita B. Brody, according to the docket.
In the 46-page document, the NFL and other parties said, “No Race Norms or Race Demographic Estimates — whether Black or White — shall be used in the Settlement Program going forward” and no party is allowed to appeal the claims based on the merit of race or the use of race norms.
The Times report also said an expert panel will organize new norms that will be applicable to “all future neuropsychological tests under the program, all claims that have not yet been ruled on, and all claims that are currently on appeal in which race norms or race demographic estimates may be at issue.”
“We look forward to the Court’s prompt approval of the agreement, which provides for a race-neutral evaluation process that will ensure diagnostic accuracy and fairness in the Concussion Settlement,” Brad Karp, a lawyer for the NFL, said in a statement to the Times.
In 2013, the NFL settled a class-action lawsuit brought by thousands of former players and their families that accused the league of concealing what it knew about the dangers of concussions.
The league agreed to pay $765 million, without admitting fault, to fund medical exams and compensate players for concussion-related health issues, among other things.
Then in 2020, two retired players sued the NFL for allegedly discriminating against Black players who submitted claims in that settlement. The players, Najeh Davenport and Kevin Henry, said the NFL race-corrected their neurological exams, which prevented them from being compensated.
According to court documents, former players being evaluated for neurocognitive impairment were assumed to have started with worse cognitive function if they were Black. So if a Black player and a White player received the exact same scores on a battery of thinking and memory tests, the Black player would appear to have suffered less impairment. And therefore, the lawsuit stated, would be less likely to qualify for a payout.
In early March, a judge dismissed the players’ lawsuit and ordered a mediator to address concerns about how race correction was being used.
CNN has reached out to Christopher Seeger, the lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, and the NFL, but has not yet received responses.
Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan was carted off the field on a backboard in the first half of Monday’ night’s game against the Buffalo Bills.
The team soon announced that Lewan has movement in all extremities and is being evaluated for a concussion.
During a Derrick Henry run in the red zone, Lewan’s head collided with a Bills defender and then smacked against the ground. He remained motionless until offering a thumbs up as he exited the field while strapped into a gurney.
The three-time Pro Bowler was replaced by Kendall Lamm.
Earlier in the quarter, rookie cornerback Caleb Farley was ruled out with a knee injury. The first-rounder was also carted to the locker room after being unable to put any weight on his left leg as he was helped off the field in the second quarter.
At halftime of the Denver Broncos’ matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, the team announced that starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was being evaluated for a concussion. He did not come out with the team to start the third quarter, and was then ruled out for the rest of the afternoon. With “Teddy Two Gloves” sidelined, in comes Drew Lock to try to lead a comeback victory.
Bridgewater completed 7 of 16 passes for 65 yards and one touchdown in the first half, as the Ravens secured a 17-7 lead through the first two quarters. Bridgewater was also sacked twice, and the final hit he took likely caused the head injury.
Lock of course was the loser of Denver’s quarterback competition this offseason. The second-round pick out of Missouri in 2019 experienced a sophomore slump last season, as he completed 57.3 percent of his passes for 2,933 yards with 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 13 games played. He went just 4-9 as the starter.
Follow along with the action and check out our takeaways from Ravens-Broncos after it ends right here.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes was with the Kansas City Chiefs as they began Friday’s practice session, their last one before Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium.
His participation on Friday would appear to put Mahomes on a path to play Sunday. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Mahomes took all of the snaps in Wednesday’s practice and a majority of them on Thursday.
Mahomes was knocked out of last week’s divisional-round playoff win over the Browns with symptoms of a concussion after he was tackled hard on a running play. He has been in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Three other key Chiefs players who have been fighting injuries were also present for the start of Friday’s practice: wide receiver Sammy Watkins (calf), running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (hip, ankle) and cornerback Bashaud Breeland (concussion, shoulder).
Coach Sean McDermott said the Bills were preparing for Mahomes to play.
“I guess at the beginning of the week we weren’t quite sure, and we really won’t know, I guess,” McDermott said. “It’s probably trending in that direction, so that’s what we’re anticipating.”
