INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins sustained a knee injury in Monday’s 30-23 loss to his former team, the Baltimore Ravens, and did not play in the second half.
Dobbins, who had 40 yards on six carries before being injured, left without speaking to reporters after the game. Coach Jim Harbaugh said he had no update on the running back’s injury status.
“I don’t have any update,” Harbaugh said. “I know it’s a knee.”
Dobbins was injured about five minutes before halftime when he was wrenched backward by linebacker Malik Harrison and then gang-tackled by Baltimore on a play erased by a holding penalty against the Chargers.
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Dobbins grabbed his knee after getting up, and he eventually went to the locker room. He was ruled out for the game in the second half.
Although backup Gus Edwards stepped in for Dobbins — just as he did in Baltimore when they were teammates with the Ravens — he managed only 11 yards on nine carries. The Chargers struggled to move the ball in Dobbins’ absence, managing only two field goals on their next five drives before tacking on a late touchdown in the loss that ended their four-game winning streak.
“I thought we did a good job running the ball in the first half,” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said. “Obviously I’m hoping J.K. is OK.”
Los Angeles finished with just 83 yards on the ground after entering the weekend with the NFL’s 12th-ranked rushing offense.
The Ravens drafted Dobbins in the second round in 2020, but he sat out most of two seasons because of injuries.
He signed a one-year deal with the Chargers during the offseason.
Dobbins entered the game third in the AFC in rushing with 726 yards and was averaging 4.8 yards per carry. He has been considered among the contenders for Comeback Player of the Year after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon in last season’s opener.
ESPN’s Kris Rhim and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Thanksgiving week brings us a full slate of Week 13 NFL action. The games begin Thursday as the Super Bowl favorite Detroit Lions take on the Chicago Bears, then the Dallas Cowboys, fresh off an exciting win over their NFC East rival Washington Commanders, welcome another divisional foe, the New York Giants, to AT&T Stadium. Finally, the Miami Dolphins meet the Green Bay Packers in prime time.
Games continue Friday as the Las Vegas Raiders battle the Kansas City Chiefs and Sunday’s slate features 11 games with the Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles heading to Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens at 4:25 p.m. ET. The San Francisco 49ers play the Buffalo Bills on “Sunday Night Football” and “Monday Night Football” features Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos hosting Jameis Winston and the Cleveland Browns.
Our team takes an early look at the odds to find value before lines move later in the week.
Odds current as of publish time, courtesy of ESPN BET
Joe Fortenbaugh’s first bet: Seattle Seahawks (-2) over New York Jets
Last week:Los Angeles Chargers (13-1) to win AFC.
This line should be Seattle -3 at a minimum. The Seahawks currently find themselves atop the NFC West with everything to play for while the Jets would love nothing more than for this disaster of a season to come to an end. Even when New York was “competing,” it wasn’t doing well, as Aaron Rodgers and company have covered the spread just one time over their past eight outings. Get this: In the seven games where New York failed to cover the number during that aforementioned stretch, the Jets missed the closing spread by an average of 11.6 points per game. That’s absolutely dreadful. Look for Geno Smith to stick it to his former team.
Andre Snellings’ first bet: Detroit Lions (-11) over Chicago Bears
Last week:Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts over 50.5 points. Line closed at 49.5. Lions won 24-6.
The Bears have played better in the two games since firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and replacing him with Thomas Brown. Chicago lost to the Packers and Vikings by a combined four points. With that said, the Bears have still lost five games in a row and are a 4-7 team. The Lions, on the other hand, are a juggernaut. Detroit hasn’t lost since Sept. 15 and has won by an average of 19.3 PPG over its nine-game winning streak. The Lions have no weaknesses on either side of the ball; they are the top scoring offense (32.7 PPG) in the NFL and have the second-stingiest scoring defense (16.6 PPG allowed). The Bears are solid defensively but aren’t strong enough on offense to keep up with the high-powered Lions.
Tyler Fulghum’s first bet: Pittsburgh Steelers-Cincinnati Bengals UNDER 46.5
Last week:Denver Broncos (-5.5) at Las Vegas Raiders. Line closed at Denver -5.5. Broncos won 29-19.
We have Mike Tomlin and the Steelers going on the road for a divisional matchup. Last week in a similar situation the under seemed like an easy win, until four fourth quarter touchdowns in Cleveland carried us over the total. Let’s not be deterred by an unfortunate outcome. We should go right back to the well. If you feel more comfortable leaning into the first-half under, I have no issue with that. Tomlin has the requisite defense to muddy this game up with a Bengals team whose season is on life support.
Pamela Maldonado’s first bet: Nebraska Cornhuskers at Iowa Hawkeyes OVER 39.5
Already without their starting quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers are optimistic that star left tackle Trent Williams will be able to play Sunday at the Green Bay Packers, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
San Francisco, however, needs to see how Williams’ injured ankle feels in pregame warmups to make sure he will be able to go, the source told Schefter.
If Williams is deemed fit to play, it would be welcome news for veteran quarterback Brandon Allen, who will make his first start in more than two years in place of the injured Brock Purdy (shoulder).
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Williams, who is listed as questionable, did not practice this week after playing through his injury in last Sunday’s home loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The 49ers believe Purdy should be able to return next Sunday against the Buffalo Bills despite his shoulder soreness, sources told Schefter. The Niners, however, also thought Purdy would be able to start Sunday against the Packers despite his injury, and he couldn’t.
For the time being, there does not seem to be a high level of concern for Purdy’s injury, sources told Schefter.
The Niners (5-5), who are fighting to stay in the postseason hunt, also have ruled out star pass rusher Nick Bosa, who is dealing with injuries to both hips and obliques.
Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterNov 23, 2024, 06:00 AM ET
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Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University. You can follow him via Twitter @RichCimini.
FIFTY YEARS AGO, Joe Namath was in the backseat of a limousine, riding down Park Avenue on his way to film a TV commercial at a Manhattan studio. He was one of the most recognizable athletes in America — a Super Bowl MVP, a movie star and a prolific pitchman. He had appeared in dozens of commercials, endorsing everything from shaving cream to popcorn makers to typewriters.
On that day in 1974, he was accompanied by his attorney, Jimmy Walsh, a close friend from their college days at Alabama. He was — and still is — Namath’s consigliere, fiercely protective of the “Broadway Joe” brand. Suddenly, in the backseat of the limo, Walsh was hit with a wave of trepidation.