New York Jets

New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder will not play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Jets listed Crowder as a non-participant in practice Thursday with a hamstring injury.

Crowder is the Jets' starting slot receiver. He was undoubtedly their top offensive weapon in their Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills, as he finished with seven receptions for 115 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown.

The loss of Crowder is significant not only because of his status as quarterback Sam Darnold's favorite target, but also because New York is already short-handed at wideout.

Rookie second-round pick Denzel Mims was expected to be a big factor for the Jets this season, but he is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Running back Le'Veon Bell, who is also a big part of the passing game, went on IR with a hamstring injury as well after the loss to Buffalo.

With both Crowder and Mims out, the Jets are left with three healthy receivers on the active roster in Breshad Perriman, Chris Hogan and Braxton Berrios. They could also elevate one or more of Jaleel Scott, Lawrence Cager, D.J. Montgomery and Josh Malone from the practice squad.

Perriman becomes the de facto No. 1 receiver for Sunday's game. The 2015 first-round draft pick finished last season with 36 receptions for 645 yards and six touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' third receiver.

Darnold and Perriman didn't seem to have an immediate connection in Week 1, though, as he was targeted just five times and finished with three catches for 17 yards.

Hogan had just 67 yards receiving with the Carolina Panthers last season and finished with one catch for no yards in Week 1, but he will be the other outside starter. His best NFL season came back in 2016 when he registered 38 grabs for 680 yards and four touchdowns as a member of the New England Patriots.

Berrios has just six catches for 115 yards in his career, but he will likely fill in for Crowder as the slot receiver, which could make him a favorite target of Darnold in the game.

Tight end Chris Herndon also figures to get a significant uptick in targets and usage.

For fantasy purposes, Perriman may be worth a start as a WR3 or flex, especially considering how well he played down the stretch in a featured role for the Bucs last season when Mike Evans was out injured.

New York Jets CEO Christopher Johnson believes that Adam Gase—who has a 30-34 record as a head coach between the Miami Dolphins and Jets and just one winning season to his name—has a "brilliant offensive mind" and "my every confidence."

No, this is not an Onion article.

"I have full confidence in Adam," Johnson told reporters Wednesday. "I think that he has a lot more in him as a head coach than some of our fans are giving him credit for. And I understand they want to see success. I think that they will."

"Look, I think he can work with and develop quarterbacks," he added. "I do continue to think he's a brilliant offensive mind especially. He has my every confidence."

The comments come on the heels of the Jets opening their season with a 27-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills, moving Gase to 7-10 in his Jets tenure. The team managed just 254 yards in the loss, was 4-of-11 on third downs, had just 52 rushing yards, two turnovers and a paltry 18:44 in time of possession. 

The Jets also finished last year ranked 31st in points and 32nd in yards. In his three seasons at Miami, the Dolphins never finished higher than 24th in yards and 17th in points. 

Granted, neither the Jets nor Dolphins exactly surrounded him with elite quarterback play or an inspiring collection of weapons. He fared much better in his time as the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator (2013-14) in the Peyton Manning years, with those offenses finishing first in both yards and points in 2013 and second in points and fourth in yards the following year.

But that success ended there. In 2015 as Chicago's offensive coordinator, his team finished 21st in yards and 23rd in points. His teams have trended that way in recent years, leaving pundits to question if his success in Denver was more a product of Manning's genius than anything else. 

The other alternative, of course, is that Gase in fact is a strong if not generational offensive mind who has struggled because of quarterbacks like an aging Jay Cutler, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, a young Sam Darnold and Luke Falk, among others. 

On the other hand, Tannehill's rousing success in Tennessee last year and his general struggles in Miami begs the question—is Gase actually getting the most out of his signal-callers? Is he getting the most out of Darnold, who has now thrown for 37 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in his career, completing just 59.9 percent of his passes?

Johnson, at least, is remaining confident in the Gase-Darnold duo. 

"I have so much confidence in Sam," he said. "He's the best player I know at turning the page, the absolute best, and I think he'll turn the page on this last game, I think you'll see an extraordinary Sam. I think we're going to see him turn into that quarterback that we all expected shortly, I really do. I think he's an absolute sterling quarterback."

Maybe. Or maybe his full potential would be unlocked with a different head coach. For now, that doesn't appear to be something the Jets, at least publicly, are considering.  

Running back Le'Veon Bell was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury Tuesday. He is eligible to return to the active roster in three weeks.

The running back left the third quarter of the Jets' season-opening loss against the Bills with the injury and did not return.

Prior to his departure, Bell had six carries for 14 yards and caught two balls for 32 yards as the Jets trailed 21-10, eventually falling 27-20. 

Bell grabbed at his leg after making a catch late in the first half, but he remained in the game until he was pulled. Jets coach Adam Gase took the blame for the injury after the loss, per Chris Ryan of NJ.com: 

"I'm mad at myself that I let him go back in there in the second half. That play looked bad, because I'm watching him — I thought it was going to be a touchdown — he got grabbed and then just kind of the way he planted and twerked, it looked real bad. I saw him grab his hamstring, and he wouldn't come out." 

Gase praised Bell's progress in camp, saying the 28-year-old had lost 12 pounds and was "extremely motivated and in phenomenal shape," per ESPN's Rich Cimini. In August, Bell responded to a tweet from a Jets staffer who claimed he was held out on a few snaps with "hamstring tightness."

Last season, his first with the Jets after sitting out in 2018 due to contract disputes, Bell rushed for a career-worst 789 yards, a tough start to his second act after three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro appearances in five seasons with the Steelers.

Frank Gore led the Jets in rushing when Bell was injured and finished the day with 24 yards on six carries. Josh Adams also added two carries for eight yards, including one of the Jets' two touchdowns. 

Gase wasn't detailed on Bell's condition after the game and said an update will come early this week. For now, it looks like the second half of Bell's career will be further postponed.

New York also announced Tuesday it has signed running back Kalen Ballage to the active roster. The Jets had agreed to acquire Ballage from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. However, the deal was called off due to a failed physical.

The New York Jets' running back situation has become more complicated for fantasy managers with Le'Veon Bell potentially out several weeks with a hamstring injury, as head coach Adam Gase confirmed to reporters on Monday.  

There was already uncertainty around Bell's fantasy value coming into this season. The three-time Pro Bowler seemed to be taking shots at head coach Adam Gase during training camp over how much he was being used:

Gase did tell reporters prior to the start of the season that he hoped to use Bell in receiving situations:

"I feel like we can find better ways to get him the ball to help him create more explosive plays. We can get him in space better than what we did last year. I think that there was a lot of good that came out of what he did in the receiving game last year. But I don't think we ever really gave him enough space to work, because that's his game."

All of this is to suggest fantasy managers should have prepared for the possibility Bell would fall off even from where he was last year after 1,250 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns. 

The Jets supplemented their backfield in two extremely drastic ways by signing Frank Gore, the NFL's oldest active running back (37), and selecting La'Mical Perine out of Florida in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. 

Gase talked glowingly about Gore's ability during training camp.   

"He looks the same as he did 12 years ago," Gase told reporters in August. "I can't explain it. When I watch him, I flash back to 2008. He looks the same. I don't know how. It doesn't make sense. He's going to look like that when he's 60."

Gase was an offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers in 2008 when Gore played for the team. The five-time Pro Bowler racked up 699 yards from scrimmage on 179 touches for the Buffalo Bills in 2019. 

Gore seems likely to get the bulk of the touches until Bell can return. By that metric alone, he becomes worth a flex spot on your roster. 

Perine, on the other hand, has to get healthy before being worthy of fantasy consideration. Perine missed the Week 1 matchup with an ankle injury and his status going forward is unclear.

Once healthy, Perine has the skills to be an effective pass-catcher out of the backfield. He caught 40 passes last year at the University of Florida. His 40-yard dash time of 4.62 seconds is a concern about how he will hold up as a runner, but if the Jets have to throw the ball, he could be a good sleeper add once he returns to the lineup.

However, Perine is nothing more than a stash play, as he is unlikely to get starter-worthy usage when he regains full fitness.

New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell could miss a couple weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 1, coach Adam Gase told reporters Monday.

Bell hurt his hamstring just before the halftime break of Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills and briefly returned in the second half before being pulled. Frank Gore, who led the Jets with 24 yards on six carries, will get the start if Bell is unable to go.

Gase said after the game he regretted allowing Bell to return. The three-time Pro Bowler pulled up lame and was clearly in pain after being hurt on a second-quarter pass attempt from Sam Darnold. 

"That play looked bad," Gase told reporters. "I'm watching, and I thought it was going to be a touchdown, then he got grabbed. And kind of the way he planted and torqued, it looked really bad.

"I saw him grab his hamstring and he wouldn't come out. We come in at halftime. I let him go back in there. I was worried about it, and we were eventually like, 'I can't put you in there. We can't take a chance on getting more hurt than you already are.'"

Bell previously suffered a hamstring injury in camp that led to a brief war of words between the running back and Gase. The pair had a less-than-stellar beginning to their relationship last season, and the Jets explored trading Bell during the offseason.

The 37-year-old Gore may wind up getting a starter's load of carries next week against the San Francisco 49ers, the team where he spent 10 seasons. The Jets' only other healthy running back on their roster is Josh Adams, who had two carries for eight yards and a touchdown Sunday. 

If Bell is expected to be out at least three weeks, the Jets could take advantage of the NFL's new injured reserve rules and sign a short-term replacement. In 2020, players may return after spending three weeks on IR. 

New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell did not return in the team's season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills after suffering a hamstring injury.

Bell left the game after gaining 14 yards on six carries before exiting and was replaced by Frank Gore. Bell also caught two passes for 32 yards.

After the 27-17 road loss, head coach Adam Gase told reporters he was "mad" at himself for allowing Bell to reenter the game after initially injuring the hamstring.

During training camp, Bell was previously held out of some snaps because of what the team was calling hamstring tightness. After the session, Bell took to Twitter to refute there was any issue with his hamstrings.

In his second season with the Jets, Bell is coming off a miserable 2019. The three-time Pro Bowler rushed for 789 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a career-low 3.2 yards per carry while struggling to develop a relationship with coach Adam Gase.

The Jets reportedly explored trading Bell during the offseason but struggled to find a taker. Barring a return to form in 2020, it's likely the Jets will move on from Bell or ask the former Pittsburgh Steelers star to restructure his contract ahead of the 2021 season.

Gore will get extended work if Bell misses time going forward. Gore had six carries for 24 yards against the Bills.

Pitbulls owned by free-agent NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas reportedly attacked Jennifer Savage, a Roswell, Georgia, native, and her dog Berkley on the front lawn of their home.

"I look up, not even paying attention, and I see two pit bulls charging at me, showing their teeth and growling at me,” Savage said, per Mike Petchenik of WSB-TV.

"We tumbled down a hill with the pit bulls and all of a sudden I remember being on top of Berkley, shielding his body from them while they were taking huge chunks out of him."

Per Petchenik, a Roswell police report said that Thomas was the pitbull owner. The 32-year-old lives in the Roswell neighborhood, which is roughly a half-hour drive north of Atlanta in Fulton County.

Berkley and Savage suffered injuries. Berkley had surgery Thursday and had "punctures and tubes all in him," according to Savage, who required stitches after suffering arm and leg bites.

Kathy Savage, Jennifer's mother, also spoke with WSB-TV.

"We found out who they belong to. We went to their house and told them their dogs were running our neighborhood and we felt danger," Kathy Savage said.

Petchenik then asked Jennifer Savage if she felt the pitbull owner should be charged, to which she replied, "Yes, we definitely do."

A county spokesman told Petchenik that the case, which has been referred to animal control by Roswell police, is still under investigation.

Thomas has played 10 NFL seasons for the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, New England Patriots and New York Jets. Denver drafted him 22nd overall out of Georgia Tech in 2010. The Georgia native attended high school at West Laurens High School in Dexter.

TMZ Sports reached out to law enforcement and Thomas for comment but had not heard back as of Friday evening.

Free-agent wide receiver Josh Bellamy was arrested and charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud after allegedly participating in a scheme to illegally receive federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Bellamy allegedly received $1.25 million in federal loans for his company, Drip Entertainment LLC. The wideout, who was released by the Jets this week, is accused of using that money for personal use, including $104,000 in purchases at luxury stores like Gucci and Dior, along with $62,774 spent at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Ten other co-conspirators were charged with similar crimes. In total, they allegedly received $24 million in fraudulent loans. Bellamy is also alleged to have sought out PPP loans on behalf of friends and family.

The federal government approved the PPP loans in March for small businesses that were struggling with shutdowns related to the pandemic. They were meant to cover employee salaries and other expenses to avoid the shuttering of businesses and lessen job losses.

It is illegal to use any money from those loans for anything other than their specified purpose.

Bellamy was released by the Jets from the reserve/PUP list Wednesday. He was slated to miss the entire 2020 season because of a shoulder injury.

Bellamy spent seven seasons in the NFL, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Football Team, Chicago Bears and Jets. 

The New York Jets reportedly signed veteran linebacker Alec Ogletree to their practice squad Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

The former New York Giant was granted his release at the end of February and took his time finding his new home as free agency opened up. Ogletree had to watch as Devon Kennard, Danny Trevathan, Sean Lee, Jamie Collins, Nick Kwiatkoski and Kyle Van Noy all signed deals on the open market. 

Coming off a year in which he recorded 80 total tackles, six pass deflections, one sack and one interception, teams weren't rushing out to sign him long term. 

Ogletree hasn't played a full 16-game slate since 2016 with the Los Angeles Rams, and he ended up on the field for just 76 percent of the Giants' defensive snaps in 2019, per Pro Football Reference—a career-low during a season in which he played 13 or more games. 

In releasing him, New York was able to save $11.75 million in cap space in 2020 and $10.75 million in 2021.

The No. 30 overall pick out of Georgia in the 2013 NFL draft spent the first five years of his career with the Rams—first in St. Louis, then in Los Angeles—before he was traded to the Giants during the offseason in 2018 for two picks in the 2018 draft. 

In 93 career games, he's recorded 12 forced fumbles, 12 interceptions and 7.5 sacks to go with four defensive touchdowns.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL has instituted new practice squad rules for the 2020 season, including increasing the number of players teams can carry to 16. Six of those spots can used on any player regardless of their experience level.

The 28-year-old Ogletree is a seven-year NFL veteran, and he gives the Jets an experienced option to call upon should they suffer a big injury among their linebacker corps.

With C.J. Mosley opting out of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ogletree could serve as a solid replacement at some point during the campaign.

The New York Jets are coming off a 7-9 season and haven't made the playoffs since the 2010 campaign. 

Low expectations are natural given that reality, but general manager Joe Douglas said they are angering a team that could use them as motivation.

"Our guys don't live in a bubble. We see the things that are said, we see the things that are written," Douglas told reporters Monday. "It angers a lot of people."

There is a reason outside of the recent losing that expectations are lower.

After all, the Jets lost two of their top defensive playmakers this offseason, as middle linebacker C.J. Mosley opted out of the upcoming campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic and Jamal Adams was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

Mosley is a four-time Pro Bowler who was a force in the middle of the Baltimore Ravens defense from 2014 to 2018, while Adams is a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the league's best young safeties at 24 years old.

"Obviously, there were good players that were on this team last year that aren't playing this year," Douglas said. "But just going through this camp, I can tell you there are some guys on this team that may not be household names, but they are good football players. Their mission is to go out and become a household name."

Having unheralded players develop into household names would be a significant boost for New York, but the development of quarterback Sam Darnold is likely the biggest factor in how the season will unfold.

Darnold, who the Jets selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL draft, appeared in 13 games last season and completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,024 yards, 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

He showed flashes of his potential, but he was also far too inconsistent to lead his team to the playoffs. Establishing that consistency in his third year will be key.

Darnold and the Jets start their season on the road Sunday against the Buffalo Bills in an AFC East showdown.