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Tag: Chris Jones

  • Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, Chiefs’ Chris Jones trade barbs at end of game

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    Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones were heard trading barbs toward the end of their game on Sunday evening.

    Hurts was getting the offense set to kneel out the clock when Jones was heard talking smack.

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    Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) pauses on the field following an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

    “You didn’t even have 100 yards,” Jones said over the Eagles’ offensive line, possibly directed at Saquon Barkley.

    Hurts replied, “We won the f—ing game. Shut your a– up.” 

    WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

    Philadelphia escaped with a 20-17 victory over Kansas City in a rematch of Super Bowl LIX. The Eagles’ offense wasn’t as explosive as it was during the Super Bowl back in February but it did enough to get the win.

    STEELERS RETURNER SUFFERS MAJOR KICKOFF BLUNDER IN LOSS VS SEAHAWKS

    Chris Jones runs on the field

    Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium on Aug. 9, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

    Hurts ran for a touchdown at the goal line in the fourth quarter to go up 10 points. After the Chiefs scored on a pass from Patrick Mahomes to Tyquan Thornton the team couldn’t score again.

    The star quarterback was 15-of-22 with 101 passing yards. Hurts had a rushing touchdown Barkley was held to fewer than 100 yards rushing – he had 88. But he scored a touchdown.

    “The most important thing is finding a way to win. We showed up when we needed to the most. Being able to play turnover free football,” Hurts said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “There is a level of patience you have to have. Play within yourself.”

    Jalen Hurts carries the ball

    Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, left, is stopped by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (55) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.  (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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    Mahomes was 16-of-29 with 187 passing yards, a touchdown pass and an interception. He also had a rushing score and led the team in rushing yards with 66 on seven carries.

    Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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  • Super Bowl LVIII: A guide to the 49ers’ championship rematch against the Chiefs

    Super Bowl LVIII: A guide to the 49ers’ championship rematch against the Chiefs

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    The stage is set for a Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. Both teams overcame a season of peaks and valleys, nonstop headlines and the pressure to sustain the success they’ve enjoyed over the past several years. The Chiefs are looking to solidify a dynasty, while the 49ers have an opportunity to avenge their heartbreaking loss to Kansas City in Superbowl LIV. If the game itself doesn’t excite you, a highly anticipated Usher performance, wacky commercials and Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce schedule conflicts might. Super Bowl LVIII has just about everything. Here’s what to know. Details on kickoffSometimes, you can get so caught up in planning your Super Bowl that you can lose track of the time the game actually starts. Super Bowl LVIII is set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be telecast on CBS. | SAVE MONEY | Score major deals on TVs in time for the Super BowlThere will be an alternate telecast airing at the same time on Nickelodeon. The telecast will open with an animated performance of the song “Sweet Victory” from “Spongebob Squarepants.”Spongebob or Tony Romo? The choice is yours.| MORE | Tom Brady speaks about the ‘respect’ he has for Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy ahead of Super Bowl LVIIIWhat colors are each team wearing?The Chiefs will wear their red jerseys, while the 49ers will wear white.Each season, the winners of the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC) alternate between which conference representative will be considered the home team in the Super Bowl. The home team gets the first pick over the away team of which color jersey they will wear.The Chiefs represent the AFC and are considered the home team this year.Kansas City also wore red while the Niners wore white when they met in Super Bowl LIV.| MORE | Cheer on Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers at home with Niners-themed party itemsFree Usher concert!Usher was announced in September as the headlining performer for the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show. The NFL released a series of ads promoting his performance that included a callback to his iconic “Confessions, Pt. II” music video. A Las Vegas performance makes all the sense in the world for Usher, who had a residency in the city from June 2022 to December 2023. Earlier in his superstar career, Usher said it was a goal of his to one day take over Las Vegas and put on an unforgettable show. He’s already been doing this, but now, the world will be watching. “It definitely has been a challenge to squeeze 30 years into 13 minutes,” he said when he addressed the media Thursday in advance of Sunday’s Super Bowl.He said he’s been asking himself, “What songs do people know me for, what songs have been a celebration of all of the journey?”| MORE | Making the trip to Super Bowl LVIII? Check out these things to do in VegasHow much does it cost to attend the game?Prices for a seat at Allegiant Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday start no lower than $5,000 across multiple ticket vendors. Below is a roundup of prices As of the morning of Feb. 5. Vivid Seats: Tickets are selling from $5,307 on Vivid SeatsStubHub: Tickets are selling from $5,394 on StubhubSeatGeek: Tickets are selling from $5,773 on SeatGeekTicketmaster: Tickets are selling from $5,800 on TicketmasterTickPick: Tickets are selling from $6,944 on TickPickTicket Network: Tickets are selling from $7,282 on Ticket NetworkKeep in mind these are the lowest ticket prices. The average price of a ticket ranges from $9,000-$12,000 across multiple vendor sites.KCRA 3’s Del Rodgers said that when he played in Super Bowl XXIII, ticket prices were $100. Both teams’ road back to the Super BowlOften in team sports, greatness can be taken for granted. Each season ends with just one champion, they’re celebrated for a few months, and then the pressure to do it again is immediately back on as if it never happened. No teams have won more playoff games than the Chiefs (13) and 49ers (8) since the 2019 postseason. The writing was probably always on the wall for them to meet in the Super Bowl again, but you wouldn’t know it based on the discourse around both teams since last spring. The Niners entered this season with a quarterback controversy on their hands. | MORE | What to know about 2 Niners players with Sacramento-area tiesBrock Purdy was thrown into the fire in 2022 as a rookie and helped San Francisco make a push to the NFC Championship Game, but he tore a ligament in his elbow in the first quarter and the team got blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles. Purdy, the last pick in his draft, went undefeated as a starter in the 2022 regular season and brought the team within one game of the Super Bowl, but ahead of the 2023 season, he was coming off an injury to his throwing arm and the 49ers still had to figure out what to do with Trey Lance, who they drafted in 2021. | MORE | Sacramento’s Bark Purdy makes Puppy Bowl finals for Most PupularPurdy and Lance competed for the starting quarterback spot in training camp. After months of media speculation, 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear Purdy had won the starting spot, telling Sports Illustrated in August: “He would have to melt in practice to lose .”Trey Lance was traded to the Dallas Cowboys weeks before the season and the Niners came out the gates on a roll. The Niners won their first five games, lost the next three and then won eight straight to lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 (when most of the Niners key players were resting for the playoffs). Despite a 13-4 season where San Francisco blew their opponents out more often than not, some still poked holes at their success.Purdy was named a finalist for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. Still, some argued he was being carried by his supporting cast, particularly Christian McCaffrey, who is also a finalist for MVP. The 49ers defense is loaded with talent, but they weren’t as statistically dominant as they have been in years past. In the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions, the Niners trailed 24-7 at halftime and it looked like the team was going to fall a game short of reaching the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season. But in the second half, the script flipped. The Niner defense got stops, Purdy made plays and his supporting cast did too. Now all the doubters are going to have to wait a week. As for Kansas City, the reigning Super Bowl champs have been facing doubt since the first game of the season, a loss to the Detroit Lions at home. Much was made all year long of the Chiefs’ lack of reliable wide receivers. The offense in the regular season was the least dynamic it looked since Patrick Mahomes won league MVP in his first year as the starter in 2018. Mahomes still had a reliable security blanket in Travis Kelce and the guidance of one of the greatest NFL coaches ever: Andy Reid. But as the season progressed, narrow victories against weaker teams became memorable losses to playoff teams. The spotlight has been on the Chiefs since they beat the 49ers in Super Bowl 54, opening the door for them to be the next great NFL team after 20 years of dominance from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s Patriots. But this year, they were under the microscope like never before. Between Kelce’s headline-grabbing relationship with Taylor Swift and Mahomes’ increasing frustration with the offense’s struggles, the stage was seemingly set for the best team of the past five years to melt down. | MORE | Will Travis Kelce propose to Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl? There’s a gambling line for thatIt looked like this may not be the Chiefs’ season and they would crack under the pressure to keep their success going. It turns out, the playoffs removed all of that pressure. While much was said of the struggling Chiefs offense this season, the emergence of a truly dominant defense flew under the radar. That defense has held Kansas City’s playoff opponents to a combined 41 points in three games. Mahomes and Kelce returned to their typical playoff form and have willed the offense to victories, along with running back Isaiah Pacheco, who has had a rushing touchdown in all three games. | MORE | 49ers legend Jerry Rice had a hilarious response to Travis Kelce breaking his recordThe Niners’ quest for the sixth Super Bowl in franchise history has led them to the same destination it did four seasons ago: A matchup with a Chiefs team that keeps finding new ways to break their opponent’s hearts. But who’s to say this time won’t be different? We’re just going to have to watch and see. Daily Super Bowl Coverage The San Francisco 49ers are just one win away from securing the franchise’s sixth championship. KCRA 3 is going all in on Niners coverage live from Las Vegas every day this week leading up to the Super Bowl. Watch our specials at 7:30 p.m. from Monday through Saturday.

    The stage is set for a Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

    Both teams overcame a season of peaks and valleys, nonstop headlines and the pressure to sustain the success they’ve enjoyed over the past several years.

    The Chiefs are looking to solidify a dynasty, while the 49ers have an opportunity to avenge their heartbreaking loss to Kansas City in Superbowl LIV.

    If the game itself doesn’t excite you, a highly anticipated Usher performance, wacky commercials and Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce schedule conflicts might.

    Super Bowl LVIII has just about everything. Here’s what to know.

    Details on kickoff

    Sometimes, you can get so caught up in planning your Super Bowl that you can lose track of the time the game actually starts.

    Super Bowl LVIII is set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be telecast on CBS.

    | SAVE MONEY | Score major deals on TVs in time for the Super Bowl

    There will be an alternate telecast airing at the same time on Nickelodeon. The telecast will open with an animated performance of the song “Sweet Victory” from “Spongebob Squarepants.”

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    Spongebob or Tony Romo? The choice is yours.

    | MORE | Tom Brady speaks about the ‘respect’ he has for Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy ahead of Super Bowl LVIII

    What colors are each team wearing?

    The Chiefs will wear their red jerseys, while the 49ers will wear white.

    Each season, the winners of the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC) alternate between which conference representative will be considered the home team in the Super Bowl. The home team gets the first pick over the away team of which color jersey they will wear.

    The Chiefs represent the AFC and are considered the home team this year.

    Kansas City also wore red while the Niners wore white when they met in Super Bowl LIV.

    | MORE | Cheer on Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers at home with Niners-themed party items

    Free Usher concert!

    LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 15: Singer/songwriter Usher performs during the 2022 Lovers &amp&#x3B; Friends music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds  on May 15, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)

    Usher was announced in September as the headlining performer for the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.

    The NFL released a series of ads promoting his performance that included a callback to his iconic “Confessions, Pt. II” music video.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    A Las Vegas performance makes all the sense in the world for Usher, who had a residency in the city from June 2022 to December 2023.

    Earlier in his superstar career, Usher said it was a goal of his to one day take over Las Vegas and put on an unforgettable show. He’s already been doing this, but now, the world will be watching.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    “It definitely has been a challenge to squeeze 30 years into 13 minutes,” he said when he addressed the media Thursday in advance of Sunday’s Super Bowl.

    He said he’s been asking himself, “What songs do people know me for, what songs have been a celebration of all of the journey?”

    | MORE | Making the trip to Super Bowl LVIII? Check out these things to do in Vegas

    How much does it cost to attend the game?

    Prices for a seat at Allegiant Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday start no lower than $5,000 across multiple ticket vendors.

    Below is a roundup of prices As of the morning of Feb. 5.

    Keep in mind these are the lowest ticket prices. The average price of a ticket ranges from $9,000-$12,000 across multiple vendor sites.

    KCRA 3’s Del Rodgers said that when he played in Super Bowl XXIII, ticket prices were $100.

    Both teams’ road back to the Super Bowl

    Often in team sports, greatness can be taken for granted.

    Each season ends with just one champion, they’re celebrated for a few months, and then the pressure to do it again is immediately back on as if it never happened.

    No teams have won more playoff games than the Chiefs (13) and 49ers (8) since the 2019 postseason. The writing was probably always on the wall for them to meet in the Super Bowl again, but you wouldn’t know it based on the discourse around both teams since last spring.

    The Niners entered this season with a quarterback controversy on their hands.

    | MORE | What to know about 2 Niners players with Sacramento-area ties

    Brock Purdy was thrown into the fire in 2022 as a rookie and helped San Francisco make a push to the NFC Championship Game, but he tore a ligament in his elbow in the first quarter and the team got blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles.

    Purdy, the last pick in his draft, went undefeated as a starter in the 2022 regular season and brought the team within one game of the Super Bowl, but ahead of the 2023 season, he was coming off an injury to his throwing arm and the 49ers still had to figure out what to do with Trey Lance, who they drafted in 2021.

    | MORE | Sacramento’s Bark Purdy makes Puppy Bowl finals for Most Pupular

    Purdy and Lance competed for the starting quarterback spot in training camp. After months of media speculation, 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear Purdy had won the starting spot, telling Sports Illustrated in August: “He would have to melt in practice to lose [the job].”

    Trey Lance was traded to the Dallas Cowboys weeks before the season and the Niners came out the gates on a roll.

    The Niners won their first five games, lost the next three and then won eight straight to lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 (when most of the Niners key players were resting for the playoffs).

    Despite a 13-4 season where San Francisco blew their opponents out more often than not, some still poked holes at their success.

    Purdy was named a finalist for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. Still, some argued he was being carried by his supporting cast, particularly Christian McCaffrey, who is also a finalist for MVP.

    The 49ers defense is loaded with talent, but they weren’t as statistically dominant as they have been in years past.

    In the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions, the Niners trailed 24-7 at halftime and it looked like the team was going to fall a game short of reaching the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season.

    But in the second half, the script flipped.

    The Niner defense got stops, Purdy made plays and his supporting cast did too. Now all the doubters are going to have to wait a week.

    As for Kansas City, the reigning Super Bowl champs have been facing doubt since the first game of the season, a loss to the Detroit Lions at home.

    Much was made all year long of the Chiefs’ lack of reliable wide receivers. The offense in the regular season was the least dynamic it looked since Patrick Mahomes won league MVP in his first year as the starter in 2018.

    Mahomes still had a reliable security blanket in Travis Kelce and the guidance of one of the greatest NFL coaches ever: Andy Reid. But as the season progressed, narrow victories against weaker teams became memorable losses to playoff teams.

    The spotlight has been on the Chiefs since they beat the 49ers in Super Bowl 54, opening the door for them to be the next great NFL team after 20 years of dominance from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s Patriots.

    But this year, they were under the microscope like never before. Between Kelce’s headline-grabbing relationship with Taylor Swift and Mahomes’ increasing frustration with the offense’s struggles, the stage was seemingly set for the best team of the past five years to melt down.

    | MORE | Will Travis Kelce propose to Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl? There’s a gambling line for that

    It looked like this may not be the Chiefs’ season and they would crack under the pressure to keep their success going. It turns out, the playoffs removed all of that pressure.

    While much was said of the struggling Chiefs offense this season, the emergence of a truly dominant defense flew under the radar.

    That defense has held Kansas City’s playoff opponents to a combined 41 points in three games. Mahomes and Kelce returned to their typical playoff form and have willed the offense to victories, along with running back Isaiah Pacheco, who has had a rushing touchdown in all three games.

    | MORE | 49ers legend Jerry Rice had a hilarious response to Travis Kelce breaking his record

    The Niners’ quest for the sixth Super Bowl in franchise history has led them to the same destination it did four seasons ago: A matchup with a Chiefs team that keeps finding new ways to break their opponent’s hearts.

    But who’s to say this time won’t be different? We’re just going to have to watch and see.

    Daily Super Bowl Coverage

    The San Francisco 49ers are just one win away from securing the franchise’s sixth championship.

    KCRA 3 is going all in on Niners coverage live from Las Vegas every day this week leading up to the Super Bowl.

    Watch our specials at 7:30 p.m. from Monday through Saturday.

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  • Onion Sports’ NFL Divisional Round Picks

    Onion Sports’ NFL Divisional Round Picks

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    Onion Sports shares its expert analysis on the teams that will come away with victory in the NFL’s Divisional Round.

    Jaguars at Chiefs

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    Jaguars: Expect Chiefs coach Andy Reid to have something special up his sleeve for this game. Unfortunately, that will just be a dozen hot dogs.

    Offensive Player To Watch: Jaguars

    Offensive Player To Watch: Jaguars

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    Zay Jones: The Jags wide receiver has the field awareness needed to witness numerous Trevor Lawrence interceptions.

    Defensive Player To Watch: Jaguars

    Defensive Player To Watch: Jaguars

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    Josh Allen: This could be a perfect opportunity for the pass rusher to pick up a loose quarterback on the ground and return it for a touchdown.

    Offensive Player To Watch: Chiefs

    Offensive Player To Watch: Chiefs

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    Patrick Mahomes: Kansas City’s star QB is expected to have his best State Farm commercial yet.

    Defensive Player To Watch: Chiefs

    Defensive Player To Watch: Chiefs

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    Chris Jones: Expect the massive defensive tackle to struggle to make it out of the Jaguars’ backfield.

    Giants at Eagles

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    Eagles: Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have what it takes to bring a small dollop of joy to Philadelphia citizens’ otherwise bleak, empty lives.

    Offensive Player To Watch: Giants

    Offensive Player To Watch: Giants

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    Daniel Jones: The quarterback has a bright future with his next team.

    Defensive Player To Watch: Giants

    Defensive Player To Watch: Giants

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    Dexter Lawrence: The Giants colossal nose tackle will rely on his flexibility and athleticism, which allow him to change direction at least once per game.

    Offensive Player To Watch: Eagles

    Offensive Player To Watch: Eagles

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    Jason Kelce: The Eagles’ Pro Bowl center is reportedly practicing a knuckleball hike

    Defensive Player To Watch: Eagles

    Defensive Player To Watch: Eagles

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    Ndamukong Suh: Though playing as a backup, the veteran Suh is hoping he still has a few more dirty plays left in him.

    Bengals at Bills

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    Bengals: After Week 17’s suspended matchup, Cincinnati will be eager to get revenge on Damar Hamlin.

    Offensive Player To Watch: Bengals

    Offensive Player To Watch: Bengals

    Image for article titled Onion Sports’ NFL Divisional Round Picks

    Joe Burrow: Pretty much just needs to go out there and not throw 20 picks to go down as the best quarterback in Bengals history.

    Defensive Player To Watch: Bengals

    Defensive Player To Watch: Bengals

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    Eli Apple: The feisty cornerback will do whatever it takes to be dragged into the end zone while clinging to Josh Allen’s back.

    Offensive Player to Watch: Bills

    Offensive Player to Watch: Bills

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    Stefon Diggs: Buffalo’s wideout has shown the ability to make seemingly impossible catches, rending the delicate fabric of our so-called “reality” and plunging NFL fans into a horrid abyss of unfathomable madness.

    Defensive Player To Watch: Bills

    Defensive Player To Watch: Bills

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    Tremaine Edmunds: The middle linebacker is the heart and soul and lower intestine and trachea and stapes bone of the Bills defense.

    Cowboys at 49ers

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    49ers: San Francisco has better defenders, a more explosive offense, and it’s just really gratifying to see Jerry Jones absolutely fucking miserable.

    Offensive Player To Watch: Cowboys

    Offensive Player To Watch: Cowboys

    Image for article titled Onion Sports’ NFL Divisional Round Picks

    Dak Prescott: He has the kind of arm that can ruin the hopes and dreams of any Cowboys fan.

    Defensive Player To Watch: Cowboys

    Defensive Player To Watch: Cowboys

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    Micah Parsons: Keep a close eye on the Dallas linebacker, who is a dual threat as a pass rusher and a player who can turn completely invisible for multiple quarters.

    Offensive Player To Watch: 49ers

    Offensive Player To Watch: 49ers

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    Brock Purdy: Luckily for San Francisco, Brock Purdy has zero professional experience with losing and barely comprehends the concept of defeat.

    Defensive Player To Watch: 49ers

    Defensive Player To Watch: 49ers

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    Nick Bosa: Expect Bosa to come out strong on every play in order to sack Dak Prescott before he has the chance to throw a pick.

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  • Source: NFL to mull roughing rules after season

    Source: NFL to mull roughing rules after season

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    The NFL’s competition committee plans to discuss roughing the passer penalties after the season amid outrage over two disputed calls in Week 5, a member of the committee who wishes to remain anonymous told ESPN’s Ed Werder.

    The Associated Press, which reported earlier Tuesday that the topic also will be discussed next week when NFL owners meet in New York but that the league was not planning in-season rule changes, said the NFL has not given officials a directive to emphasize roughing calls following Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s concussion.

    The NFL’s competition committee — composed of six team owners/executives and four head coaches — makes most of the recommendations for rule changes. Teams can also propose rule changes, which require 24 votes to pass, to be voted on by owners.

    One idea, suggested by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones on Monday night after he was flagged, might be to allow video review of roughing calls.

    Another committee member, who wished to remain anonymous, acknowledged to Werder that review would be helpful on roughing calls but wasn’t sure if the league would be interested in using the review process on personal fouls.

    “Well, the hard part is that because we have no real standard for what roughing the passer looks like, we will always get a wide range of what a referee decides is and isn’t a foul,” the committee member told Werder. “The only way to correct that is to have a ‘review process’ for personal fouls. We may even have to do that for OPI (offensive pass interference) and DPI. These are huge fouls that impact and can change the game when the foul is or isn’t called. I don’t know if the powers that be would want that ‘review process’ for personal fouls or not, though.”

    Protecting quarterbacks is a priority for owners, who pay big money to the faces of their franchises. Twenty-five QBs are making at least $25 million this season.

    The questionable call against Jones — the second of its kind in two days — nearly cost Kansas City in its 30-29 comeback victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

    The Chiefs had just scored to trim their deficit to 17-7 when Jones stripped Raiders quarterback Derek Carr from behind just before halftime. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle landed on Carr while also coming up with the ball — replays showed it was clearly loose and that Jones cleanly recovered — but referee Carl Cheffers threw a flag for roughing the passer.

    “The quarterback is in the pocket and he’s in a passing posture. He gets full protection of all the aspects of what we give the quarterback in a passing posture,” Cheffers told a pool reporter after the game. “My ruling was the defender landed on him with full body weight. The quarterback is protected from being tackled with full body weight.”

    On Sunday, Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was flagged by referee Jerome Boger for a seemingly harmless sack on Tom Brady. The penalty gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a first down and allowed them to run out the clock on a 21-15 victory.

    Boger made a similar critical call late in the fourth quarter of the Ravens-Bills game a week earlier on a play that many also thought didn’t warrant a flag.

    Boger called another borderline roughing penalty in the Falcons-Buccaneers game when Vita Vea was pushed into Atlanta quarterback Marcus Mariota.

    Roughing the passer is the only rule with which referees are instructed to err on the side of caution.

    The NFL rulebook notes: “When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer.”

    Jones, who has been flagged for roughing the passer nine times in his career, has a possible solution.

    “We’ve got to be able to review it in the booth, you know what I mean?” Jones said. “I think that’s the next step for the NFL as a whole. If we’re going to call it a penalty at that high [of rate], then we’ve got to be able to review it and make sure, because sometimes looks can be deceiving.”

    The league already went down that road, making pass interference reviewable for one season after an egregious missed foul late in the fourth quarter in the 2019 NFC Championship Game cost the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl.

    The experiment failed, and the rule wasn’t considered the next year.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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