Marcus Jones gave the Patriots good field position on their first drive with a 15-yard punt return to the Seahawks 40. The team’s offense needed eight plays to cover the rest.
New England took a 7-0 lead after Ja’Lynn Polk’s 5-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett was 5-of-5 for 49 yards on the drive with tight end Hunter Henry catching three for 37, including a 17-yarder.
Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 17 yards on four carries.
The Seahawks gained only 7 yards on their opening possession, but responded to New England’s score with a big one of their own. DK Metcalf caught a 56-yard pass from Geno Smith, knotting things up 7-7.
Smith is 6-of-7 for 77 yards.
Every week we bring you all the inactives from the 1 p.m. ET games in one post, constantly updated with the latest information.
There never seemed to be a chance that quarterback Jordan Love would play for the Packers this week, but the team declined to rule him out ahead of Sunday’s game against the Colts. They did downgrade him to doubtful on Saturday, however, and he is officially out after being placed on the inactive list 90 minutes ahead of kickoff.
Malik Willis will start for the Packers and he will have wide receiver Jayden Reed available to catch passes. Reed was listed as questionable due to calf and shin injuries.
The Colts will be without wide receiver Josh Downs again this week because of an ankle injury, but defensive tackle DeForest Buckner will play despite a back injury.
Colts at Packers
Colts: WR Josh Downs, QB Sam Ehlinger, DB Julian Blackmon, OL Tanor Bortolini, OL Blake Freeland, TE Will Mallory, DL Genard Avery
Packers: QB Jordan Love, S Kitan Oladapo, DL Brenton Cox Jr., T Andre Dillard, T Travis Glover, DL Colby Wooden
Jets at Titans
Jets: CB D.J. Reed, T Max Mitchell, T Carter Warren, DL Leonard Taylor, DL Eric Watts, RB Israel Abanikanda
Titans: DB Julius Wood, LB Caleb Murphy, LB James Williams, OL John Ojukwu, TE David Martin-Robinson, TE Thomas Odukoya
Raiders at Ravens
Raiders: DE Tyree Wilson, CB Decamerion Richardson, RB Dylan Laube, OL Jackson Powers-Johnson, WR Tyreik McAllister, WR Ramel Keyton, S Thomas Harper
Ravens: WR Devontez Walker, OL Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, OL Nick Samac, LB Adisa Isaac, CB Nate Wiggins, CB T.J. Tampa, S Beau Brade
Browns at Jaguars
Browns: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, CB Kahlef Hailassie, G Javion Cohen, T Jedrick Wills, T Jack Conklin, WR Jamari Thrash, TE David Njoku
Jaguars: S Darnell Savage, OL Javon Foster, OL Cole Van Lanen, DL Tyler Lacy, DL Maason Smith, DL Jordan Jefferson
49ers at Vikings
49ers: QB Josh Dobbs, S Talanoa Hufanga, CB Darrell Luter, G Ben Bartch, LB Dee Winters
Vikings: QB Brett Rypien, WR Jordan Addison, T Walter Rouse, DL Levi Drake Rodriguez, DL Jalen Redmond, CB Fabian Moreau, CB Dwight McGlothern
Chargers at Panthers
Chargers: S Alohi Gilman, WR Brenden Rice, RB Kimani Vidal, DL Justin Eboigbe, OL Jordan McFadden, QB Taylor Heinicke, CB Tarheeb Still
Panthers: CB Chau Smith-Wade, CB Shemar Bartholomew, RB Mike Boone, C Andrew Raym, G Jarrett Kingston, TE Messiah Swinson
Seahawks at Patriots
Seahawks: RB Kenneth Walker, T George Fant, LB Uchenna Nwosu, OL Olu Oluwatimi, TE Pharaoh Brown, OL Michael Jerrell, OL Sataoa Laumea
Patriots: G Sidy Sow, WR Kayshon Boutte, OL Demontrey Jacobs, LB Curtis Jacobs, QB Joe Milton
Saints at Cowboys
Saints: WR A.T. Perry, QB Spencer Rattler, CB Marshon Lattimore, DT Khalen Saunders, LB D’Marco Jackson, LB Jaylan Ford, TE Dallin Holker
Cowboys: TE Jake Ferguson, QB Trey Lance, CB Andrew Booth, LB Buddy Johnson, WR Ryan Flournoy, TE John Stephens Jr., OT Matt Waletzko
Giants at Commanders
Giants: S Anthony Johnson, CB Nick McCloud, LB Darius Muasau, LB Boogie Basham, G Jake Kubas, QB Tommy DeVito
Commanders: CB Emmanuel Forbes, DE Jamin Davis, G Chris Paul, LB Dominique Hampton, WR Jamison Crowder, S Darrick Forrest, QB Sam Hartman
Buccaneers at Lions
Buccaneers: TE Devin Culp, T Luke Goedeke, CB Josh Hayes, DL Calijah Kancey, LB Jose Ramirez, DL Ben Stille, S Antoine Winfield
Lions: DL Marcus Davenport, S Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB Ennis Rakestraw, LB Trevor Nowaske, OL Giovanni Manu, WR Isaiah Williams
The Patriots placed offensive tackle Chuks Okorafor on the exempt/left squad list Saturday, the team announced.
The team benched Okorafor after 12 snaps, where he allowed three quarterback pressures in six pass-blocking snaps last week. He is a career right tackle who the Patriots were trying to use as a stop-gap left tackle this season.
The Patriots now will go with Vederian Lowe at left tackle.
The Patriots also announced they elevated offensive guard Michael Jordan from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
It is the second elevation for Jordan, with starting left guard Sidy Sow (ankle) out.
In the season opener, Jordan played all 65 offensive snaps at left guard, allowing two hurries in pass protection.
The NFL’s offensive player of the year in 2023 won’t be playing in 2024 until Week 6, at the earliest.
Per multiple reports, the 49ers have placed running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve. The move means he’ll be required to miss at least the next four games.
He has had a calf and Achilles issue throughout training camp. Last week, McCaffrey was a surprise scratch despite being listed as questionable. This week, he supposedly aggravated it at practice on Thursday, resulting in the move.
In addition to Sunday’s game at Minnesota, McCaffrey will miss the Week 3 game at the Rams, Week 4 vs. the Patriots, and Week 5 vs. the Cardinals.
He’ll be eligible for Week 6, a Thursday night visit to the Seahawks.
The 49ers then have two games before the bye — a Week 7 Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs and a Week 8 visit from the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
Until he returns, expect plenty of Jordan Mason. The undrafted free agent in 2022 had 28 carries in Monday night’s win over the Jets.
The Seahawks are preparing to play without running back Kenneth Walker against the Patriots this Sunday.
Walker has been out of practice this week with an oblique injury and the Seahawks listed him as doubtful to play as a result.
Walker ran 20 times for 103 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening win over the Broncos. Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh are the backup running backs for Seattle.
The Seahawks also expect to be missing right tackle George Fant because of a knee injury. He joins Walker in the doubtful category.
Tight end Pharoah Brown (foot) and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (knee) have been ruled out. Linebackers Jerome Baker (hamstring) and Tyrel Dodson (shoulder) are considered questionable.
Jacoby Brissett is the starting quarterback of the Patriots. For now.
Whenever the change comes, the Patriots are getting ready for it. On Friday, coach Jerod Mayo confirmed that the first-team reps are being shared between Brissett and his eventual successor, Drake Maye.
It’s a 70-30 split.
“It’s not a secret,” Mayo said. “We have a quarterback in the wings that needs to continue to develop. Normally, I would say the starter gets, let’s say, 95 percent of the reps and the backup doesn’t. With this, it’s a little bit different. We had a conversation, how do we — I guess the struggle is, how do you get your starting quarterback prepared for the game and also continue to develop the guy in the background, which is Drake? So, it is like a 70-30 split. . . . We’re very thoughtful. When we talk about [how] we have a development plan for Drake, that’s part of it. I try not to get too deep into what that plan actually looks like, but [Maye] still takes reps with the starters. He does a good job on the [scout] team as well. He’s doing a good job, and you can see his confidence continuing to grow.”
Mayo also praised Brissett for accepting the inevitability that Maye will play.
“Since day one, I’ve always said that [Brissett is] a true professional,” Mayo said. “I’ve always said that he’s a great mentor, not only for Drake, but the other quarterback in the room in [Joe] Milton. He understands. Look, he’s a professional. He’s won games in this league. He understands that we drafted Drake as the No. 3 pick in the draft, and looking out the front windshield, at some point in time — I don’t know when that time will come — he’ll have to go out there and play. Just seeing the relationship in the quarterback room has been special for me. It is very hard. When we talk about checking your ego at the door, I would say that Jacoby is one of those guys that is egoless. He wants to do what’s best for the team, not about him. Whether he throws for 150 yards or 350 yards, he’s very consistent and just a true professional.”
It’s easy to make the shift if the Patriots are struggling. If they keep winning, it becomes a tougher proposition to bench Brissett and ride with the rookie.
Regardless, the Patriots are working to get Maye ready for his debut. Which presumably will come at some point in the next 16 games.
Tom Brady made his broadcasting debut, if you haven’t heard, last Sunday in Cleveland for Cowboys-Browns. This week, he’s working another Dallas game.
He’ll be on the call for the Saints-Cowboys game at 1:00 p.m. ET. That’s primarily because, this week, CBS has the doubleheader game — Bengals-Chiefs.
The better option for Brady would have been Seahawks-Patriots, given that it’s a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX. And given that Brady knows a thing or two about the Patriots.
That said, the Saints-Cowboys game likely will go to more of America, because the Cowboys continue to be America’s Team. Also, given Brady’s extreme restrictions on access (due to his looming purchase of a piece of the Raiders), the more he works Cowboys games, the easier it will be for him to prepare.
Brady’s results in his first game were mixed, as expected. Fox allowed the hype to get out of control. He was destined to underachieve. Especially since broadcasting games seems to be beneath him — even at $37.5 million per year.
Everything gets better with reps. And, in a roundabout way, Brady’s largely ordinary performance and largely ordinary (at best) speaking voice will authentically humanize him. Since it’s not the product of a deliberate effort to be humanized.
Like that roast was.
In the aftermath of Tua Tagovailoa suffering another concussion during Thursday night’s matchup with the Bills, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel refused to offer a timeline for the quarterback’s return while saying he thinks Tagovailoa is unlikely to play next week in a Friday morning video conference.
McDaniel was adamant that he did not want to add any anxiety to Tagovailoa by discussing anything about his career going forward. McDaniel said several times that the most important thing for Tagovailoa right now is to focus on getting healthy and being a father to his children.
But after acknowledging that the most important people in the equation are Tagovailoa himself and the doctors — and that he hasn’t received any definitive information from either to this point — McDaniel admitted it’s hard to think Tagovailoa will be on the field to take on Seattle in Week 3.
“If I’m a betting man ... I don’t see how he would play the next game. I don’t see it,” McDaniel said. “But who am I to know or judge? But I think it’s a fair assessment to be prepared to have three quarterbacks on our roster for the next game, that we need to add one for that game. But, again, I have no idea. And I am not going to all of a sudden start making decisions that aren’t in — I don’t even see myself involved in the most important parts of those.”
When asked whether or not he views it as realistic that Tagovailoa could consider retirement, McDaniel said, “I think it would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject.”
"[Y]ou’re talking about this career, right? His career is his. You know?” McDaniel said. “And that’s something that I think, I just really, really, really wish — I totally understand [the question], and it’s not misplaced. I totally get how that’s where people want to go to. I just wish people would, for a second, hear what I’m saying — that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care, that should be the last thing on your mind.
"[I]f I were to answer that question, I’d be like, alright, this is my thoughts on his career. And he read it. If he agreed with it or disagreed with it, either way, I’ve just made him worse. ... I don’t think it’s appropriate simply for my care and regard, and I don’t think those types of conversations when you’re talking about someone’s career — I think it probably is only fair that their career should be decided by them.”
While McDaniel said he feels Tagovailoa is unlikely to play next week, he did not say whether or not he thinks Tagovailoa will be placed on injured reserve. Part of that is because McDaniel hadn’t yet spoken to Tagovailoa on Friday and the quarterback had not undergone any next-day examination.
“His opinion and what he wants to do with his life and his career coupled with the experts in neuroscience — those are the driving forces behind those actions,” McDaniel said. “I’m not hiding anything. I’m being as transparent as I absolutely could [be], I have zero idea what any sort of timeline is.
“We just have to operate in the unknown and be prepared of every situation. And that’s all I want to do or we should do, just because I’m not going to rush to judgment way prematurely. ... Literally, all I’m telling Tua is everyone is counting on you to be a dad, be a dad this weekend. And then we’ll move from there. So, there won’t be any talk about where we’re going in that regard and how long he’ll [be out] … none of that will happen without doctors’ expertise and the actual player.”
Still, it’s personally tough for McDaniel to witness Tagovailoa going through another concussion given the close nature of their relationship.
“As I look at it, Tua is a family member of mine,” McDaniel said. “So when family is going through something, you know how it is — you’re trying to think about a ton of different stuff that people are counting on me to think about. So, not easy.”
Jamal Adams has missed 29 of the past 39 games, but he guarantees he will play this week against his former team and against Aaron Rodgers.
“I’ll be there,” Adams said, via Nick Suss of The Tennessean. “Oh, I’ll be there. Oh yeah, I’ll be there. I’ll be there.”
Adams, who missed the season opener with a hip injury, had a full practice Wednesday. It was one of fewer than 10 times he has practiced in any capacity since signing with the Titans in July.
Injuries to his left quad and a knee cut short the past two seasons for Adams, who was drafted in the first round by the Jets in 2017 and traded to the Seahawks in 2020. He said his hip injury this season isn’t directly connected to those injuries but a by-product of what the toll of the injuries have done to his body and his routine.
He said missing out on training camp in 2022 and 2023 prevented him from developing the “callouses” he needed.
“As a football player, you definitely need those things to get ready for the season because it’s a long season,” Adams said. “Games are long — 60 minutes. I feel like my body kind of went in shock a little bit. It just wasn’t ready. Well, I’m not going to say it wasn’t ready. But it was just more so like it wasn’t used to the cutting and the conditioning as much and a constant pace of football. . . . I was feeling good. And it just so happened that it didn’t work out for me. My body just kind of locked up on me for whatever reason. I had to listen to it. I know my body now. As shitty as it is, obviously I want to be out there with my team, but it didn’t work out like that for me.”
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker did not practice Wednesday. He sat out with an oblique injury.
Coach Mike Macdonald said it’s too early to know Walker’s availability for Week 2.
Walker rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in playing 44 of 67 snaps in the season opener.
Offensive tackle George Fant (knee), linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (knee) and linebacker Tyrel Dodson (shoulder) also missed practice. The Seahawks already ruled out Nwosu.
Wide receiver Tyler Lockett (thigh) was limited.
Tight end Noah Fant (toe), tight end Pharaoh Brown (foot), linebacker Jerome Baker (hamstring), linebacker Dre’Mont Jones (hamstring), cornerback Riq Woolen (hamstring) and cornerback Tre Brown (quad) also were limited.
Offensive guard Laken Tomlinson (ankle) and offensive guard Anthony Bradford (knee) were full participants.
