Los Angeles Rams receivers Sammy Watkins and Tavon Austin were both evaluated for possible concussions late in Thursday night’s 41-39 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Sean McVay said.
Brian Hoyer overcame a bumpy start to keep the 49ers competitive Thursday, but came up short in the end against Jared Goff and the visiting Rams.
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Watkins was having a big game, with six catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns, when he left with about eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
He appeared to take a hard hit as he barreled into the end zone for his second score, on a 13-yard reception that gave the Rams a 41-26 lead.
Watkins was evaluated in the medical tent on the Rams’ sideline before heading to the locker room and was placed in the concussion protocol, according to McVay.
Austin left the game shortly after and also was placed in concussion protocol, McVay said. Austin finished without a reception but had three carries for 14 yards.
Also Thursday, Rams free safety Lamarcus Joyner left in the first half with a hamstring injury and did not return, and center John Sullivan suffered a groin injury in the second half.
The Rams (2-1) have 10 days before their next game Oct. 1 at the Dallas Cowboys.
The over 60,000 in attendance at Wembley Stadium couldn’t have found a better way to spend their Wednesday night.
Specifically Tottenham supporters that is, who witnessed their side produce a rare win in the national team’s stadium after edging past Borussia Dortmund 3-1 during the Group H encounter.
But, for both sets of fans, and neutrals alike, it was a match that was loaded with end-to-end action. For almost every moment Dortmund pressured Tottenham and looked poised to score, Spurs, somehow, came away with the ball and mounted a dangerous counter-attack.
However, there were plenty of mistakes that added to the excitement. Whether it was poor marking or a missed foul call, the gaffes helped the contest stand out as the most exciting spectacle from Matchday 1.
Here’s a rundown of the lapses in judgment that helped fuel the buzz at Wembley Stadium:
Referee and linesman suffer temporary blindness
In what he later described as one of his best goals, Harry Kane could have easily been stopped in his tracks for a pair of perceived fouls en route to giving Tottenham a 2-1 advantage in the first half.
The English forward muscled his way past a pair of Dortmund defenders, but there were genuine questions as to whether he should have been called for dropping Nuri Sahin and Sokratis Papastathopoulos. But it was the contact with Sokratis that appeared to be the more blatant of the two, as Kane dragged the Greek defender down from behind before breaking free on goal and delivering a fierce, left-footed finish.
Related – Watch: Yarmolenko, Kane trade golazos in frenetic start at Wembley
Harry Kane on his first goal: “It was probably one of the best goals in my career so far. It was nice to see that go in.” #UCL
— Daniel Thacker (@UEFAcomDanielT) September 13, 2017
Dortmund was later denied an equaliser when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was adjudged to be offside. Yet, replays show the Gabon forward was well within his right to lodge a complaint to the match official.
#BVB robbed of an equalizer! Aubameyang’s goal incorrectly ruled out for offside! Clearly onside, great finish too. #THFC #TOTBVB #UCL pic.twitter.com/4cLVzLvOqp
— Jason Foster (@JogaBonitoUSA) September 13, 2017
It was Tottenham who felt aggrieved late in the match when Jan Vertonghen was sent packing after picking up his second yellow for a foul on Mario Gotze.
Perhaps it was Gotze’s reaction that forced the official’s hand, as he tumbled to the ground in pain, but it’s difficult to presume there was much malice as Vertonghen’s attempt to shield the ball saw him inadvertently make contact with the German’s face.
#thfc Somehow, just somehow Jan Vertonghen has been sent off for this: pic.twitter.com/r270QNMLGb
— James McCarthy (@JMcCarthyLIVE) September 13, 2017
Burki’s nightmare
Roman Burki’s first Champions League encounter in a Dortmund shirt was one to forget.
The hosts needed just four minutes to break the deadlock when Heung-Min Son charged down the wing and fired Tottenham into the lead. But questions over Burki’s positioning have to be asked as the Swiss goalkeeper failed to properly cover his near post.
In what was almost a carbon copy, Kane found himself in a similar position just over 10 minutes later. Last season’s Premier League Golden Boot winner took a page out of Son’s book and launched his strike into the roof of the net.
Harry Kane has now scored 29 goals in 27 games for Spurs across all competitions in 2017.
Andriy Yarmolenko couldn’t have asked for a better way to open his scoring account at Borussia Dortmund.
Less than a month after his move from Dynamo Kyiv, Yarmolenko sent the away section into a frenzy with a gorgeous, curling strike that found its way into the top corner of goal to bring Dortmund level following Son’s opener.
But it was a rare moment of lackluster defending from Mousa Dembele that helped Yarmolenko carve out a path and create enough space to unleash his shot, as the Belgian appeared to completely lose his marker in the seconds before the equaliser.
A group of four players sent the NFL a memo in August requesting league support and asking for a month to be dedicated to social activism, not long after commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly had talked to several players regarding their game-day activism efforts.
According to Yahoo! Sports, defensive end Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and receiver Torrey Smith, and former Arizona Cardinals wideout Anquan Boldin co-authored the 2,740-word document intended to push the NFL into efforts “similarly to what the league already implements for breast cancer awareness, honoring military, etc.”
The letter was obtained by Yahoo! Sports and originally published on Wednesday night.
The head of the union representing Las Vegas police alleged Michael Bennett made false accusations and asked the NFL to investigate. The league won’t, saying there are no grounds to do so.
Justin Britt, who is white, put his arm on Michael Bennett’s shoulder as Bennett sat during the national anthem on Friday night. Bennett had called for a white player to join the protest that seeks to call attention to social injustice.
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“We would like November to serve as a month of Unity for individual teams to engage and impact the community in their market,” the memo states.
The letter followed closely after Goodell spoke directly with several players who had protested on game day before the regular season kicked off, the Yahoo! report stated, citing two sources.
“For us, support means: bear all or part of the weight of; hold up; give assistance to, especially financially; enable to function or act. We need support, collaboration and partnerships to achieve our goal of strengthening the community,” the letter stated.
The league declined to comment when asked about the memo, Yahoo! Sports reported. Bennett, Jenkins, Smith and Boldin either didn’t return requests for comment to Yahoo! or declined to discuss it, citing an agreement to keep talks private, according to the website.
Boldin retired in late August, two weeks after signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. He said in a statement he felt “drawn to make the larger fight for human rights a priority. My life’s purpose is bigger than football.”
Earlier this month, the NFL affirmed it had no plans to investigate Bennett’s behavior during an August incident in which he was detained and handcuffed by police in Las Vegas.
The league was responding to a letter Goodell had received from the president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the union that represents the police in that city. In the letter, the union alleged that Bennett made false accusations against Las Vegas police and asked the league to “conduct an investigation, and take appropriate action.”
Bennett, who accused the Las Vegas police of unfairly targeting him and pointing a gun at his head, sat on the bench during the national anthem for a Seahawks preseason game on Aug. 13 and said at the time, “I can’t stand right now. I’m not going to be standing until I see the equality and freedom.”
Thirteen Real Madrid players were named in the 55-man shortlist that will be whittled down to become the FIFA FIFPro World 11 in October.
The lineup will include one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders, and three attackers, and is intended to reward those who were best in their position during the 2016-17 campaign.
Twenty-five thousand professional footballers named their preferred XI, and the 55 most popular names in their respective roles have been revealed. The final World 11 will be revealed at the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in London on Oct. 23.
Last year’s lineup was: Manuel Neuer; Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Andres Iniesta, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo. All of those players are in contention to be selected in this year’s edition.
