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Heroes Are Human Now an Audio Book

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WESTPORT, Connecticut – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Heroes are Human: Lessons in Resilience, Courage and Wisdom from the COVID Front Lines—an important new book that honors front-line healthcare workers with gripping, first-hand stories of their struggles during the pandemic—will be available as an audiobook when it published Sept. 27, as well as a hardcover and e-book from City Point Press.

Tantor Media, a leading audiobook publisher based in Old Saybrook, Ct., has produced Heroes are Human with two veteran performers – Randye Kaye, an accomplished voice talent and nominee for a prestigious Listen-Up Award; and Barry Abrams, who has wide-ranging experience narrating and producing audiobooks for an array of publishers.

Tantor, founded in 2000, produces more than 100 new audiobook titles every month and its roster includes more than 150 of the industry’s top narrators. Highly regarded in the industry, Tantor has a stellar catalogue that includes Pulitzer and National Book Award winners. In 2015, Tantor was acquired by Recorded Books, the largest independent publisher of  unabridged audiobooks with operations in the U.S., England and Australia.

Tantor’s production will showcase the empathetic guidance of Bob Delaney—internationally recognized in the field of Post-Traumatic Stress. Heroes are Human is comprised of powerful stories told by frontline health-care workers, their family members, and those they care for in the harrowing fight against COVID-19.

It is at the forefront of new books that deal with this critical issue, deepening our understanding of the toll this work has taken and offering invaluable strategies for self-care and healing. His message to frontline workers—not all wounds bleed, and invisible wounds may hurt as much as the wounds we see.

Kirkus Reviews recent reviewed the book: “An eye-opening work about health care workers’ sacrifices and burdens.” Heroes are Human is co-authored with award-winning journalist Dave Scheiber, and contains a foreword by renowned Harvard Global Mental Health director Dr. Richard Mollica. It is published by City Point Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster. For more information, or to order the book, visit heroesarehuman.com.

Niners Defense Stops Rams

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SANTA CLARA – (Staff and Wire Service Report  with Field Level Media) – Deebo Samuel caught six passes for 115 yards, including a long catch-and-run touchdown, and Talanoa Hufanga scored on an interception return to help the San Francisco 49ers notch a 24-9 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.

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Jimmy Garoppolo completed 16 of 27 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown and Jeff Wilson Jr. rushed for 74 yards and one score as San Francisco (2-2) won its seventh consecutive regular-season game over the Rams (2-2). Of course, Los Angeles won the biggest recent meeting, beating the 49ers in last season’s NFC Championship Game en route to winning the Super Bowl.

Matthew Stafford connected on 32 of 48 passes for 254 yards with one interception and one lost fumble for the Rams. Cooper Kupp caught a career-best 14 passes for 122 yards, Tyler Higbee made 10 catches for 73 yards and Matt Gay kicked three field goals for Los Angeles.

Nick Bosa and Samson Ebukam each had two of San Francisco’s seven sacks. Bosa leads the NFL with six. Ebukam forced Stafford to fumble on one of his sacks.

Hufanga made his big play when Stafford was trying to rally the Rams from an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit. Hufanga, who anticipated that Stafford would throw a quick pass to Kupp, jumped the route, made the interception and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown to give San Francisco a 24-9 advantage with 6:27 to play.

The 49ers outgained Los Angeles 327 yards to 257. The Rams didn’t have a single 20-yard offensive play.

The Rams controlled the ball for the first 8:12 of the contest, but their drive stalled and they settled for Gay’s 39-yard field goal.

San Francisco then struck as Wilson exploded for a 32-yard touchdown run with 2:46 left in the opening quarter.

Gay booted a 29-yard field goal with 6:22 left in the half before Samuel produced his dynamic 57-yard scoring reception. He caught the ball at his own 49-yard line and later easily eluded Jalen Ramsey’s tackle attempt at the Rams’ 22 en route to giving the 49ers a 14-6 advantage.

Los Angeles had a 16-play, 75-yard drive in the third quarter but couldn’t finish it off. The excursion took 7:43 and ended with Gay’s 26-yard field goal.

Robbie Gould kicked a 25-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter to restore San Francisco’s eight-point lead.

–Field Level Media

Ackerman and BIG EAST Visit Vatican

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ROME – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – BIG EAST Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman was joined by representatives from four BIG EAST member schools at the recent International “Sport for All” summit held on September 29-30 in Vatican City.  More than 250 participants from 40 countries participated in the event, which brought together international federations, professional sports leagues, governmental officials, faith-based organizations, non-profits, media companies, corporations, and educational institutions.   The purpose of the Summit was to promote the social and inclusive dimensions of sport in society and to encourage sports programs that foster human, educational and spiritual growth.

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The Summit featured remarks by His Holiness Pope Francis and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, both of whom spoke to the power of sports to promote solidarity, global peace and positive social change.  In prepared remarks, Pope Francis encouraged the participants to “make sport a home for everyone, something open and welcoming” and noted that “the Church supports you in this educational and social commitment.”

The Summit concluded with the release of a “Declaration of Sport,” which outlined the goals of developing sports programs that are cohesive, accessible and tailored to each person, including the socioeconomically disadvantaged, young people, refugees and migrants, women and girls, and persons with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Ackerman, who moderated two of the Summit’s working group sessions, was joined by Marquette’s Kate Braasch (Chief of Presidential Affairs), Sarah Bobert (Executive Associate Athletic Director – Internal Operations/SWA) and Matt Mitten (Professor of Law and Executive Director, National Sports Law Institute); Seton Hall’s Renee Robinson (Interim Dean, College of Communication and the Arts) and Jane McManus (Executive Director, Center for Sports Media); Georgetown’s Debora Tonelli (the university’s representative in Rome); and Creighton’s Max Engel (Associate Professor, Department of Theology).

The Summit was an outgrowth of “Sport at the Service of Humanity: The First Global Conference on Faith and Sport” held at the Vatican in October 2016, for which Ackerman served as an advisory member.  That event was followed by three U.S.- based, invitation-only, Sport at the Service of Humanity (SSH) conferences exploring similar themes, held at Villanova University (2017), Loyola Marymount University (2018) and Georgetown University (2019).

“The BIG EAST was honored to be included in the Vatican’s Sport For All Summit, the goals of which align perfectly with the mission of our schools to develop the athletic, academic and spiritual dimensions of our student-athletes and to bring the many societal benefits of sports to our greater campus communities,” said Ackerman.

NFL Sports Desk: Week 4 Round-Up

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TAMPA BAY – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdown passes and Clyde Edwards-Helaire found the end zone twice to fuel the visiting Kansas City Chiefs to a 41-31 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Mahomes completed 23 of 37 passes for 249 yards to exact a small measure of revenge for Kansas City’s 31-9 loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.

Mahomes also reached the 20,000-yard passing mark in his 67th career game, besting the previous NFL record of then-Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (71 games).

Travis Kelce reeled in nine catches for 92 yards and a touchdown for the Chiefs (3-1), while fellow tight ends Noah Gray and Jody Fortson also found the end zone. Edwards-Helaire, who had a rushing and receiving touchdown, had 19 carries for 92 yards. Kansas City enjoyed a decisive 189-3 edge in yards on the ground.

Brady completed 39 of 52 passes for 385 yards and tossed three touchdown passes, including two to Mike Evans (eight catches, 103 yards). Leonard Fournette added a receiving score for the Buccaneers (2-2), who surrendered 28 points in the first half after allowing 27 over the first three games of the season.

Packers 27, Patriots 24 (OT)

Mason Crosby converted a 31-yard field goal as time expired in overtime, lifting host Green Bay past New England.

Green Bay (3-1) forced overtime when Aaron Rodgers tossed his 500th career touchdown pass, a 13-yarder to Romeo Doubs with 6:14 left in regulation. Rodgers completed 21 of 35 passes for 251 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Aaron Jones rushed 16 times for 110 yards for the Packers and Allen Lazard caught six passes for 116 yards.

Brian Hoyer started at quarterback for New England (1-3), replacing the injured Mac Jones. But after leading the Patriots to a Nick Folk field goal on their opening drive, Hoyer sustained a head injury after being sacked by Rashan Gary. Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe was forced into action and completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and his first NFL touchdown, a 25-yard strike to DeVante Parker at the 4:52 mark of the third quarter.

Vikings 28, Saints 25

Greg Joseph kicked five field goals, including a game-winning 47-yarder with 24 seconds left, as Minnesota held off New Orleans in London.

Wil Lutz, whose 60-yard field goal had tied the score for the Saints moments earlier, tried a 61-yarder on the final play of the game, but the ball hit the left upright and the crossbar before falling short in the end zone.

Kirk Cousins completed 25 of 38 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (3-1). Andy Dalton, starting in place of injured Jameis Winston, completed 20 of 28 for 236 yards and a touchdown for the Saints (1-3), who lost their third straight.

Bills 23, Ravens 20

Tyler Bass kicked a 21-yard field goal as time expired to complete Buffalo’s comeback win over host Baltimore.

The Ravens led 20-3 late in the first half before the Bills rallied to tie the game. Josh Allen threw for 213 yards, one touchdown and one interception and led the Bills (3-1) in rushing with 70 yards and a score on 11 carries.

Lamar Jackson had a game-high 73 rushing yards and threw for 144 yards with a touchdown and two picks. J.K. Dobbins scored two touchdowns as the Ravens (2-2) blew another lead against an AFC East opponent after the Miami Dolphins stormed back in Week 2.

Falcons 23, Browns 20

Tyler Allgeier rushed for 84 yards on 10 carries and Younghoe Koo kicked three field goals to lead Atlanta over Cleveland. With the game tied at 20-20, Koo made a 45-yard field goal with 2:28 remaining to give the Falcons the lead and eventual win.

Dee Alford, a Georgia native who played in the Canadian Football League a season ago, picked off a Jacoby Brissett pass at the Atlanta 26-yard-line to end the game. Brissett went 21-of-35 passing for 234 yards in defeat for Cleveland (2-2).

A strong ground game led the Falcons (2-2), with 202 yards on 35 carries, with reserve running backs Allgeier and Caleb Huntley receiving 10 carries apiece.

Cowboys 25, Commanders 10

Cooper Rush threw for two touchdowns, Brett Maher connected on four field goals and Dallas’ defense stifled visiting Washington.

Rush completed 15 of 27 passes for 223 yards and became the first quarterback in Cowboys (3-1) history to win his first four starts. He played error-free football on a day where neither team gained 300 total yards.

Carson Wentz completed 25 of 42 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (1-3), which lost its third straight game after a Week 1 win over Jacksonville.

Seahawks 48, Lions 45

Geno Smith completed 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a score as Seattle (2-2) never trailed in defeating host Detroit (1-3).

Rashaad Penny rushed for 151 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns, including a 41-yarder with 2:14 remaining to give Seattle a 48-38 lead. Penny also scored from 36 yards on a third-and-16 play in the third quarter as the Seahawks amassed 235 yards on the ground.

For Detroit, Jared Goff was 26 of 39 for 378 yards and four touchdowns, though he threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage in the second half that was returned by rookie Tariq Woolen 40 yards for a touchdown.

Titans 24, Colts 17

Derrick Henry rushed for 114 yards and one touchdown to help Tennessee defeat host Indianapolis in an AFC South battle.

Ryan Tannehill completed 17 of 21 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns for the Titans (2-2). Robert Woods and Chigoziem Okonkwo had scoring receptions and Kristian Fulton made a key fumble recovery.

Matt Ryan was 27-of-37 passing for 356 yards, two touchdowns to Mo Alie-Cox and one interception for the Colts (1-2-1). Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor gained just 42 yards on 20 carries and lost the fumble in the fourth quarter that Fulton recovered.

Giants 20, Bears 12

Daniel Jones rushed for two touchdowns and Saquon Barkley ran for 146 yards to help New York (3-1) post a victory over Chicago in East Rutherford, N.J.

Jones injured his left ankle late in the third quarter but was forced to return in the fourth after backup Tyrod Taylor was diagnosed with a concussion. Jones rushed for 68 yards and completed 8 of 13 passes for 71 yards.

Michael Badgley kicked four field goals to account for all the points for the Bears (2-2). He was signed Saturday to fill in for Cairo Santos (personal reasons). Justin Fields completed 11 of 22 passes for 174 yards for the Bears.

Eagles 29, Jaguars 21

Philadelphia took advantage of five turnovers by Trevor Lawrence and remained unbeaten with a victory against visiting Jacksonville.

Miles Sanders ran for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Eagles (4-0). Jalen Hurts passed for 204 yards and rushed for a touchdown.

Before the mistakes piled up, the Jaguars (2-2) had a 14-0 lead in coach Doug Pederson’s first game against his old team. But Lawrence lost four fumbles — two of them recovered by Haason Reddick — and threw an interception. He passed for 174 yards and threw two touchdown passes, both to Jamal Agnew.

Raiders 32, Broncos 23

Josh Jacobs rushed for a career-high 144 yards and two touchdowns and Derek Carr was 21-for-34 for 188 yards through the air as host Las Vegas topped Denver.

Amik Robertson returned a fumble for another score and Davante Adams had nine catches for 101 yards for Las Vegas (1-3). Russell Wilson was 17-for-25 passing for 237 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score. Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy had TD catches for the Broncos (2-2).

Denver running back Javonte Williams ran for 28 yards before leaving with a right knee injury He is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam Monday. Wilson led the Broncos on the ground with 29 yards and the one score on four carries.

Jets 24, Steelers 20

Breece Hall rushed for a go-ahead 2-yard touchdown with 16 seconds remaining as New York edged host Pittsburgh.

The Jets (2-2) drove 65 yards in just 3:18 to punch in the game-winning score. Hall finished with 66 yards on 17 carries, while quarterback Zach Wilson completed 18 of 36 passes for 252 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and a TD reception in his season debut.

Before Wilson connected with Corey Davis for a 5-yard scoring strike, the Steelers (1-3) had scored 20 straight points to take a 20-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett spearheaded Pittsburgh’s comeback after replacing Mitchell Trubisky following halftime. Pickett threw for 120 yards on 10-of-13 passing with three interceptions and rushed for his first two career touchdowns.

Chargers 34, Texans 24

Justin Herbert passed for 340 yards and two touchdowns to help visiting Los Angeles hold on to beat Houston.

Mike Williams caught seven passes for 120 yards, and Austin Ekeler rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns for the Chargers (2-2), who led 27-7 at the half. The Chargers posted 293 total yards in the first half but punted on their first three possessions of the second half and then fumbled away a kickoff that led to another score.

Dameon Pierce rushed for 131 yards on 14 carries, including a 75-yard touchdown run, for the Texans (0-3-1).

Cardinals 26, Panthers 16

Kyler Murray threw for two touchdowns and ran for another — all in the second half — as Arizona overcame Carolina Panthers at Charlotte, N.C.

The Cardinals (2-2) scored 10 points in less than a minute early in the fourth quarter and tacked on another touchdown a few minutes later. Murray completed 23 of 32 passes for 207 yards with an interception.

Linebacker Frankie Luvu had Carolina’s highlight with a second-quarter interception return for a touchdown. Baker Mayfield completed 22 of 36 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions for the Panthers (1-3), who had a six-game winning streak against Arizona (including playoffs) come to a halt.

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With:

Crosby, Hoyer, Zappe & Jones

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GREEN BAY – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Mason Crosby converted a 31-yard field goal as time expired in overtime Sunday, lifting the host Green Bay Packers to a 27-24 win over the New England Patriots.

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After both teams went three-and-out with their initial overtime possession, Green Bay (3-1) marched 77 yards in 12 plays, chewing up the final 6:47 of the game. The Packers converted a pair of third downs, including AJ Dillon’s 7-yard run inside the 2-minute warning that allowed them to run down the clock and tee up Crosby’s game-winner.

Green Bay forced overtime when Aaron Rodgers tossed his 500th career touchdown pass, a 13-yarder to Romeo Doubs with 6:14 left in regulation. But Doubs dropped a potential 40-yard game-winner in the end zone with 2:02 remaining.

Rodgers completed 21 of 35 passes for 251 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Aaron Jones rushed 16 times for 110 yards for the Packers and Allen Lazard caught six passes for 116 yards.

Brian Hoyer started at quarterback for New England (1-3), replacing the injured Mac Jones. But after leading the Patriots to a Nick Folk field goal on their opening drive, Hoyer sustained a head injury after being sacked by Rashan Gary.

Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe was forced into action and played reasonably well in his debut. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and his first NFL touchdown, a 25-yard strike to DeVante Parker at the 4:52 mark of the third quarter.

With Zappe on the field, New England’s already conservative game plan leaned even heavier towards the run in an attempt to keep Rodgers and Green Bay’s offense off the field.

The Patriots’ defense did its part to help. After giving up a 15-yard touchdown run to rookie wide receiver Christian Watson two minutes into the second quarter, New England took a 10-7 lead into halftime when Jack Jones picked off Rodgers and loped 40 yards down the left sideline with 13 seconds remaining.

–Field Level Media

Vikings Hold Off Saints in London

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LONDON – (Staff with Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Greg Joseph kicked five field goals, including a game-winning 47-yarder with 24 seconds left, as the Minnesota Vikings held off the New Orleans Saints 28-25 on Sunday in the NFL’s International Series in Britain.

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Wil Lutz, whose 60-yard field goal tied the score for the Saints moments earlier, tried a 61-yarder on the final play of the game, but the ball hit the left upright and the crossbar before falling short in the end zone.

Kirk Cousins completed 25 of 38 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (3-1).

Andy Dalton, starting in place of injured Jameis Winston, completed 20 of 28 for 236 yards and a touchdown for the Saints (1-3), who lost their third straight.

After Lutz tied the score with 1:51 left, Cousins and Justin Jefferson connected on a 39-yard completion to set up Joseph.

Joseph’s 24-yard field goal increased Minnesota’s lead to 16-7 early in the third quarter.

Dalton and Marquez Callaway teamed on a 33-yard completion, leading to Latavius Murray’s 1-yard touchdown run that trimmed the lead to 16-14 at the end of the third quarter.

Minnesota used a fake punt to convert a fourth-and-2, leading to Joseph’s 46-yard field goal and a 19-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Taysom Hill ran 2 yards for a touchdown and Dalton’s two-point conversion pass to Jarvis Landry gave the Saints their first lead, 22-19 with 9:29 left.

The Vikings converted four third downs — three on defensive penalties — on their way to Jefferson’s 3-yard touchdown run. But Joseph missed the extra point, leaving Minnesota with a 25-22 lead.

That made a difference when Lutz tied the score with his 60-yarder.

Cousins’ 15-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Mattison on the first possession of the game gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Saints converted three third downs, the last of which came on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to rookie Chris Olave to tie the score.

Joseph made 28- and 36-yard field goals to increase the lead to 13-7 at halftime.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sports Desk: Winston Out in London

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LONDON – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston will miss Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings in London due to back and ankle injuries. The Saints downgraded Winston from doubtful to out on Saturday.

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Veteran Andy Dalton will serve as the starting quarterback for the Saints (1-2).

Winston has been dealing with back issues since Week 1. The injuries to his ankle and foot became known during the week following the Saints’ second game and he didn’t practice at all this week making Saturday’s announcement an expected development.

Winston, 28, has passed for 858 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions this season in his third campaign with the Saints. He spent his first five NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Winston has passed for 21,840 yards, 139 touchdowns and 96 interceptions in 86 games (80 starts).

The Saints ruled out receiver Michael Thomas (foot), guard Andrus Peat (concussion) and safety Marcus Maye (ribs) on Friday.

Dalton, 34, has started 148 of 152 games played during his 12 NFL seasons. He has passed for 35,279 yards, 226 touchdowns and 135 interceptions for the Cincinnati Bengals (2011-19), Dallas Cowboys (2020) and Chicago Bears (2021).

New Orleans also signed quarterback Jake Luton to the active roster from the practice squad on Saturday. Luton, 26, started three games for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020 and passed for 624 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions.

The Saints also waived fullback Adam Prentice.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sports Desk: KC Chiefs at Tampa

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TAMPA BAY – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Chiefs All-Pro Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and visiting Kansas City are prepared to test their mettle against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a high-profile showdown on Sunday night. The game remains in Florida, despite Hurricane Ian making landfall in the area on Wednesday. The NFL adopted a contingency plan of Minneapolis for Sunday’s contest before electing to keep the game in Florida.

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While expressing sympathy for those affected by Mother Nature, Mahomes said the plan remains the same as the Chiefs (2-1) brace for the Buccaneers (2-1).

“For us, it’s an away game regardless,” Mahomes said Wednesday. “So, you’re going to be going somewhere else to play. So, you just have to focus on the game plan, and try to prepare yourself that way.”

Mahomes and Brady are no strangers to one another, with the former holding a 2-1 edge in regular-season play while the latter has gotten the better of both postseason matchups. Brady guided the New England Patriots to a win over Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game of the 2018 season before quarterbacking the Buccaneers past the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

Tampa Bay’s defense arguably was the star of the show in that game and can make that same claim this season by surrendering a league-best 9.0 points per game.

Linebacker Shaq Barrett provided some bulletin board material on Wednesday by comparing the Chiefs’ offensive line that took the field on that day to the current one.

“I really don’t think it’s too much of a difference,” Barrett said with a laugh. “I think we have a lot of favorable matchups. We have an opportunity to really dominate the game. I think we’ve got an opportunity to really impose our will as pass-rushers, as edge rushers in this game. We can really have a coming-out party.”

Brady, however, appears to be waiting for the party to start this season. The three-time NFL MVP has thrown for just 673 yards and three touchdowns in three games after setting franchise records in both categories last season (5,316, 43). Brady, 45, threw for 271 yards and one touchdown in Tampa Bay’s 14-12 setback to Green Bay last Sunday.

Russell Gage had 12 catches for 87 yards and a score for the Buccaneers, who played without wideouts Mike Evans (suspension), Julio Jones and Chris Godwin.

While Evans will return to the fold against Kansas City, the returns of Jones (knee) and Godwin (hamstring) are not set in stone. Jones, Godwin and Gage (hamstring) joined tackle Donovan Smith (elbow) in being listed as questionable for the game, while wideout Breshad Perriman (knee/hamstring) is doubtful. Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (foot) has been ruled out for the contest.

Mahomes started the season with a brilliant five-touchdown effort in a 44-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals before turning in a pair of relatively mediocre performances. The 2018 NFL MVP threw for just 235 yards in a 27-24 win over the Los Angeles Chargers and completed just 57.1 percent of his passes in a 20-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles isn’t buying any potential offensive woes for the Chiefs, however.

“The running game has picked up. They’ve got big offensive linemen down there. They’ve got bigger receivers — as opposed to smaller, quicker receivers — that can catch the ball very well,” Bowles said. “They’ve still got (Travis) Kelce, they’ve still got (Clyde Edwards-) Helaire, they’ve still got a lot of pieces and Mahomes has only gotten better since we played them. He was great then, he’s great now, he’s gotten better.”

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker was ruled out for the third straight game after he sustained an ankle injury in the season opener.

Kicker Matthew Wright and linebacker Elijah Lee were elevated from the team’s practice squad on Saturday.

Wright, 26, has made 25 of 28 field-goal attempts and 20 of 22 extra-point tries in 17 career games with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2020) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2021).

Kansas City defensive end Mike Danna (calf) also was ruled out, while wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (abdomen) and defensive end Joshua Kaindoh (illness) are questionable to play on Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Hoyer Preparing for GB Packers

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FOXBORO – (Staff Report with Field Level Media Wire Services) – Reserve quarterback Brian Hoyer lined up under center with New England’s starters at Wednesday’s practice, but coach Bill Belichick is not ready to eliminate his starter Mac Jones from the Patriots’ game plan Sunday at Green Bay.

Belichick said Wednesday that Jones was a longshot to practice the next two days due to an ankle sprain suffered in the Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Belichick said he saw Jones before meeting the media at Noon ET on Wednesday and said the quarterback is “getting better” with noteworthy progress the past two days.

“We’ll take it day by day,” Belichick said.

Hoyer, 36, might take every practice rep this week and still not start against the Packers, Belichick said.

Perturbed by pressing questions about the nature of Jones’ injury and hypotheticals for the week, Belichick asked the room, “What do I look like, a doctor? An orthopedic surgeon? Do you want me to read the MRI?”

Quarterbacks coach Joe Judge said Hoyer prepares diligently and wouldn’t be surprised to be on the field this week for his 40th career start.

“He’s always ready to take that next snap when he’s called on,” Judge said.

Fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe would likely serve as the No. 2 quarterback if Hoyer is called upon.

Hoyer has appeared in 75 career games and started one game with the Patriots (2020). He is 16-23 as a starter and has thrown for 10,631 yards and 53 touchdowns with seven teams.

–Field Level Media

Students Learn: Heroes Are Human

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JERSEY CITY – (Staff Report) – New Jersey City University students, faculty and staff spent time on Sept. 30 with NBA Cares Ambassador and NJCU alumnus Bob Delaney, who shared the message of his new book, Heroes are Human: Lessons in Resilience, Courage and Wisdom from the COVID Front Lines (City Point Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster).


“It was great to be back on campus speaking with students pursuing noble careers in nursing, law enforcement, firefighting, teaching and other service-oriented professions,” said Delaney, an elite NBA referee for 25 years before his retirement in 2011, and prior to that a New Jersey State Trooper whose dangerous undercover mission inside the Mafia in the 1970s was chronicled in his first book in 2008, Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob.

Delaney, a member of the NJCU Sports Hall of Fame, presented his message of self-care and trauma awareness – one he has been delivering for four decades with the military, first responders and many other groups. That message was showcased in Delaney’s second book, 2011’s Surviving the Shadows: A Journey of Hope Into Post-Traumatic Stress.

Heroes Are Human, written with the co-author of all three books, veteran journalist Dave Scheiber, tells the stories of members of the healthcare community who have been at war with an “invisible enemy” – sharing lessons on how caregivers can navigate the resulting stress and potential burnout through an uplifting message of self-care and post-traumatic stress education.
Delaney and the NBA “gifted” books to students, faculty and staff, allowing the important topic of what he calls “mind health” to be discussed on the NJCU campus.

Students and Faculty at New Jersey City University (file photo)

“Not all wounds bleed ” is a common theme presented by Delaney, who earned his criminology bachelor of science degree from New Jersey City University, and later learned about post-traumatic stress first-hand from his three-year undercover investigation of the Mob. His riveting talks about his experiences underscore peer-to-peer conversations as a first line of defense when dealing with trauma.

Dr. Richard Mollica, Director Harvard Global Mental Health Trauma Recovery Program, wrote of Delaney in the Heroes are Human foreword, “His down-to-earth style, charisma and honesty – delivered by a man who has walked the walk connects universally with his varied audiences.”