NFL BUZZ - SEPTEMBER 24th RAPID FIRE

Here’s all your NFL news from around the league for 9/24, pulled together from some of the most reliable sources in the game. Everything you need in one snapshot, so you don’t have to spend your night searching for it yourself. My mission is simple: make your life easier and leave the hard work to me. Now enjoy!

🦬 Buffalo Bills

• DJ Moore and Keon Coleman both missed Thursday's practice, creating a potentially significant availability issue in Buffalo's receiving corps heading into Week 3. (Matthew Bové)
• Dalton Kincaid's resurgence has been about more than box-score production. His route running, athleticism and ability to create mismatches against both linebackers and defensive backs have stood out early this season. (John Wawrow)

🐅 Cincinnati Bengals

• Ja'Marr Chase's underlying metrics have shown some early changes following his preseason knee hyperextension. Medical/data review couldn't establish whether that's because of the knee, changes within the offense or some combination, so it's something to monitor rather than attribute directly to the injury. (Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT)

🟡 Pittsburgh Steelers

• Rico Dowdle missed practice for the second consecutive day because of his toe injury.
• Michael Pittman and Jaylen Warren remained limited Thursday with foot and shoulder injuries, respectively.

🐂 Houston Texans

• 🚨 Nico Collins missed his second straight practice and is not expected to play this week. That would leave Houston without its top receiver against Indianapolis. (Aaron Wilson, Adam Schefter)
• Kayshon Boutte is still developing chemistry with C.J. Stroud, but his experience in New England's system reportedly translates well to Texans OC Nick Caley's offense. His opportunity becomes especially interesting if Collins is out. (Aaron Wilson)
• Dalton Schultz ran the third-most routes from the slot among ALL NFL players in Week 2. That's some extremely interesting deployment for a tight end.

🐎 Indianapolis Colts

• Tyler Warren's two touchdowns may be masking some concerning underlying trends. His average target depth, yards per route and yards after catch have declined. His previous groin injury and the quarterback environment are possible explanations, but neither has been established as the cause. (Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT)

⚔️ Tennessee Titans

• Tony Pollard returned to practice on a limited basis, while Tyjae Spears missed his second consecutive practice.
• Cam Ward has attempted only ONE pass of 20+ yards through two games. Regardless of the reason, that's a notable early-season limitation in Tennessee's offensive deployment.

🏔️ Denver Broncos

• J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey upgraded to full participation, while Jonah Coleman remained out and isn't expected to play. That positions Dobbins and Harvey to handle Denver's backfield work this week.

☠️ Las Vegas Raiders

• Brock Bowers was limited for the second consecutive day as he continues trending toward a possible Week 3 return.

🏹 Kansas City Chiefs

• Emmett Johnson could be getting more opportunities. DeMarco Murray said he wants to get Johnson more involved, although he acknowledged Kenneth Walker is difficult to take off the field once he gets into a rhythm.

🪖 Washington Commanders

• Jayden Daniels remains unavailable, with Marcus Mariota continuing to track toward the Week 3 start.

🗽 New York Giants

• Malik Nabers practiced FULL on Thursday and said the X-rays on his shoulder produced good results. Jeff Mueller notes that X-rays don't answer the potential labrum/instability question that an MRI would, so there's still something to monitor despite the encouraging practice participation. (Ryan Dunleavy; Jeff Mueller)
• Gardner Minshew and Mac Jones have been identified as potential Giants trade targets, although Jameis Winston remains the current starter following Jaxson Dart's injury. (Adam Schefter)

🦅 Philadelphia Eagles

• Saquon Barkley was limited after suffering another stinger but expects to play in Week 3. Given Barkley's history of stingers, Jeff Mueller believes ruling out disc involvement would be prudent, but that's medical interpretation rather than a reported diagnosis. (Jeff McLane; Jeff Mueller)
• Dallas Goedert is expected to miss several weeks with his MCL sprain, although he's currently expected to avoid injured reserve. (Jeremy Fowler)
• 👀 DeVonta Smith did not practice Thursday because of a hamstring injury. Smith also dealt with a hamstring issue in August, making this one worth monitoring closely heading into the weekend. (Jeff McLane; Jeff Mueller)

🐻 Chicago Bears

• Caleb Williams remains week-to-week and isn't expected to play in Week 3. Tyson Bagent remains in concussion protocol, putting Case Keenum in position to potentially start against Philadelphia. (Ian Rapoport)
• Kyle Monangai missed practice again with a knee/hamstring designation.

🟣 Minnesota Vikings

• Aaron Jones returned to practice on a limited basis while wearing a brace on his left knee. His Week 3 availability remains uncertain. (Kevin Seifert; observation: Jeff Mueller)

🧀 Green Bay Packers

• Green Bay has faced the NFL's third-lowest rate of light boxes, while Atlanta has played light boxes on 46.2% of its snaps. Peter Bukowski believes that could encourage Matt LaFleur to emphasize the running game. (SumerSports data, Peter Bukowski)
• There was another development in the Josh Jacobs case: the judge declined a request to permanently seal evidence and referred the matter to the police department. What, if anything, that means for potential NFL discipline remains uncertain. (Rob Demovsky)
• Don't be too quick to drop MarShawn Lloyd or Kaleb Johnson. The current recommendation is to wait for additional role evidence before making a move on either Packers back.

🐾 Carolina Panthers

• Jalen Coker went in the wrong direction Thursday, being downgraded from limited participation Wednesday to a non-participant. Xavier Legette also missed practice with a knee injury.

🏴‍☠️ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Medical/data review found no significant evidence that Emeka Egbuka's August turf-toe injury is driving his recent production decline. Reduced yards after catch and Tampa Bay's broader offensive/QB performance may provide better explanations, although those remain interpretations. (Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT)
• Todd Bowles continues to talk up Ted Hurst, praising his route running, explosiveness and catch radius and saying a breakout is only a matter of time.
• Bucky Irving's workload could continue fluctuating. Zac Robinson said his carry volume will depend on game flow and managing wear over the course of the season, adding that Tampa trusts several backs.

🐏 Los Angeles Rams

• 🚨 Puka Nacua missed practice for the second consecutive day and is now considered unlikely to play in Week 3. Sean McVay said Nacua isn't making good progress as he continues dealing with his hip/groin issue. (Ian Rapoport, Adam Schefter, Nate Atkins)

🌉 San Francisco 49ers

• Mike Evans missed practice for the second consecutive day because of his hip injury.

🌊 Seattle Seahawks

• Sam Darnold upgraded to FULL participation and remains on track to start Week 3. Drew Lock remains the contingency option in superflex/2QB leagues if Darnold suffers a setback. (Brady Henderson; Jeff Mueller)
• Jadarian Price was limited for the second consecutive day with his chest injury, while Zach Charbonnet's practice window remains closed.

✈️ New York Jets

• Adonai Mitchell was added to the injury report as limited with a finger issue. It's unclear whether it will threaten his availability, but it's another concern for an already depleted Jets receiver room. (Rich Cimini)
• Mason Taylor missed his second consecutive practice because of his thumb injury.

🐬 Miami Dolphins

• Caleb Douglas missed his second consecutive practice with his ankle injury.
• Chris Bell says he's ready to play, but he continued working primarily on the side. Jeff Mueller cautions against assuming Douglas' absence automatically produces a major Bell workload because Miami was already planning a gradual ramp-up. (Jeff Mueller)

🐦‍⬛ Baltimore Ravens

• 🚨 Zay Flowers missed his second consecutive practice, and the current beat-reporter outlook is pessimistic about his chances of playing in Week 3. Flowers will still travel with the team. (Jamison Hensley, Mike Garafolo)