Football

The New York Giants could clinch their first postseason berth since 2016 with a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and they understand the urgency of the situation.

"Yeah, you don't want to leave it to chance," running back Saquon Barkley said Thursday, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "The way you do that is by doing what you've got to do this week. That is really it."

Entering this season, the Giants were pegged as one of the teams projected to finish near the bottom of the league. New York has shocked the masses with an impressive 2022 campaign under first-year head coach Brian Daboll, as the team enters Week 17 with a record of 8-6-1.

However, the Giants have struggled down the stretch, going 1-4-1 over their last six games. They're coming off a heartbreaking 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings last week on a last-second field goal.

Per Raanan, New York is a 5.5-point favorite against the Colts, who have been eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-10-1 record. Much of the Giants roster has never experienced the postseason, including Barkley.

"Obviously, the first four years it didn't happen. Now there is a chance; it's a possibility," Barkley said. "It's a beautiful thing when looking at all the ups and downs, whether it's in my personal career or as an organization what we've been through the last couple years. It will be special. We have a chance to do it."

If the Giants fail to punch their ticket to the postseason this week, they will face the daunting task of defeating the NFL-leading Philadelphia Eagles (13-2) in the regular-season finale. New York would obviously prefer to secure its spot in the playoffs by taking down Indianapolis.

"I think everybody knows what [is at stake]," Daboll said. "But what we can control is, again, the same stuff we try to control each week—making sure we're prepared, ready to go, and go out there and put our best foot forward."

The Tennessee Titans will reportedly start Josh Dobbs for Thursday night's matchup with the Dallas Cowboys over rookie Malik Willis, according to Justin Melo of TheDraftNetwork.com. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network confirmed the news.

It will be Dobbs' first NFL start.

The Titans selected Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, and he has served as Ryan Tannehill's backup this season. He has started three games in Tannehill's absence.

Willis was one of the more promising quarterbacks in a relatively weak 2022 draft class at that position. He spent two seasons at Auburn before transferring to Liberty, where he spent his junior and senior seasons.

The 22-year-old had a solid 2021 season, completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 878 yards and 13 scores.

The Titans have gone just 1-2 in his three starts this season. He's thrown for only 276 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions while completing just 50.8 percent of his passes and taking 10 sacks. He has also rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown.

Dobbs has appeared in six games throughout his NFL career. He's completed 10 of his 17 pass attempts for 45 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

With Tannehill still injured, the Titans had to decide between the inexperienced and struggling Willis or the journeyman Dobbs. They reportedly have chosen the latter.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is listed as doubtful for Thursday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys because of a hip injury, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Sitting Henry at this point is risk mitigation by Tennessee. The Titans are in a must-win game in Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars if they want to secure the AFC South title, and the outcome of Thursday's clash with the Cowboys won't have any bearing on their pursuit of a postseason berth.

Henry has amassed 319 carries for 1,429 yards and 13 touchdowns through 15 games. The ex-Alabama star is a two-time Pro Bowler who won the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year award in 2020.

He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and rushing yards in 2019 and 2020, notably running for 2,027 yards in the latter year. Henry's 2,141 yards from scrimmage also paced the NFL in 2020.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't practice on Wednesday because of a knee injury, though it isn't expected to keep him out of action in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Rodgers has dealt with a thumb issue for much of the season and suffered a rib injury during a Week 12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. His health concerns have played a role what has turned into a disappointing campaign for the 7-8 Packers, though the team's postseason hopes are still alive

The 39-year-old has completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,331 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

That Green Bay is fighting for its playoff life means Rodgers will almost assuredly play unless he's absolutely unable to go. Having to rely on Jordan Love down the stretch wouldn't be ideal for the Packers.

The team surprised many when it selected Love with a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft despite having Rodgers. The 24-year-old started just one game as a rookie and is yet to establish himself at the NFL level because of the presence of the veteran.

It seems unlikely that will change despite Rodgers' latest injury.

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields will "absolutely" not be shut down for the remainder of the season despite injuries to his shoulder and foot, head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Monday.

Fields' status for the rest of the 2022 regular season had been uncertain since he suffered a left shoulder injury late in Chicago's Week 11 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He suffered the foot injury in Saturday's loss to the Buffalo Bills after getting stepped on.

Eberflus told reporters after the Falcons game that they were operating as if Fields would be "day to day," but he didn't rule out the possibility of shutting down his second-year quarterback for the season.

"We have not ruled that out at this point," Eberflus said when asked if the Bears could say the injury isn't season-ending. "We'll see where it is on Wednesday."

Even going into Week 12, the Bears were playing coy about Fields' status. He was officially a game-time decision against the New York Jets after being a limited participant in practice all week.

Fields went on a dazzling run of success prior to the injury. The 23-year-old threw for 963 yards, ran for 640 yards and accounted for 16 touchdowns in a six-game span from Weeks 6-11.

The Bears scored at least 24 points in each of the final five games during that stretch. Fields set an NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game by a quarterback when he ran for 178 against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9.

Fields' development in the second half of this season has been critical for a Chicago team that needed to see improvement from him after a rough start to his career. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 draft certainly looks like he can become a franchise quarterback.

The Bears will face the Detroit Lions on Sunday before closing out the season against the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 8.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been placed in the concussion protocol, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Monday.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported the NFL Players Association will review the situation. A source told Florio that it's "standard protocol" to review it.

Previously, Tagovailoa most recently suffered an ankle injury at the end of his team's Week 13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, although it wasn't believed to be significant, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Any injury involving the 24-year-old is a concern considering his past durability issues.

Tagovailoa missed two games this season because of a concussion after injuries cost him four games in 2021. A hip issue at Alabama also led to a slow start to his NFL career after being drafted fifth overall in 2020.

The left-hander has totaled 3,548 passing yards and 25 touchdowns through 13 games. He leads the NFL with a 105.5 passer rating.

It's been a breakout year after throwing just 27 passing touchdowns in his first two seasons combined, totaling an 88.8 passer rating in that span.

The Dolphins have Skylar Thompson and Teddy Bridgewater behind Tagovailoa on the depth chart, but the offense could suffer a setback without the starting quarterback, especially as Miami (8-7) fights for a postseason berth.

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022 season after suffering a fractured shoulder in Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Baker played all of Sunday's game.

Baker, a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, has been a staple in the Arizona defense since being selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Washington.

The 26-year-old has never missed more than two games in a season and played all of the 2021 campaign.

Earlier this season, Baker suffered a high ankle sprain and was expected to miss multiple weeks, but he worked through the injury and surprisingly didn't miss any time.

Baker was selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl this year and has posted two interceptions, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble, 111 tackles, one tackle for loss and two quarterback hits in 15 games.

With Baker sidelined, Chris Banjo and Charles Washington could see more playing time to end the season.

Baker's injury is certainly a tough blow for the Cardinals, though they have already been eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-11 record, fourth in the NFC West. So it wouldn't necessarily matter if Baker played.

Arizona will face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday before ending the season on Jan. 8 against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Denver Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett on Monday amid a disastrous first season with the team.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, senior assistant coach Jerry Rosburg, who was hired to help with clock-management strategy, has been named interim coach. Troy Renck of Denver 7 reported defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero declined the interim job, opting to remain in his current role instead.

Denver fell to 4-11 on the season following Sunday's calamitous 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The team also let special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry go:

Hackett joined the Broncos after spending the past three seasons as offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. There were high expectations for the organization after the team acquired nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

Even with the upgrade at quarterback, the offense has been a disaster this season while ranking dead last in the NFL with 15.5 points scored per game.

The defense has done its job, holding opponents to fewer than 20 points 10 times this season. However, the offensive limitations have kept the team mired in mediocrity.

Beyond the overall struggles, Hackett has been heavily criticized for his decision-making and game management, forcing the head coach to hire a senior assistant to help with game management earlier in the year.

Hackett notably called for a 64-yard field goal attempt instead of going for it on fourth down during a Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The mistakes became more apparent as the Broncos lost three games in overtime.

General manager George Paton offered Hackett support after the team fell to 2-5 in Week 7.

"The scrutiny he's faced is unprecedented," Paton said. "We've had four primetime games so he's had to learn in front of the entire world."

The failure to turn things around led to the end of his tenure in Denver, forcing the organization to make a quick change at head coach.

The Broncos will now look for their fifth coach in nine seasons, trying to find someone who can get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

An elite defense plus young offensive skill players could make this an enticing location for available coaches, although potential uncertainty at quarterback could create major question marks.

Wilson signed a five-year, $243 million extension last offseason that should keep him under team control for at least the next few seasons. However, despite throwing for over 3,000 yards, Wilson has posted just 12 touchdown passes (tied for 25th in the NFL) to nine interceptions and his passer rating of 82.6 is the worst of his career and ranks 29th in the league.