NFL

McCormick left the game in the second quarter after injuring his ankle in the opening frame. It’s a big loss to a Raiders team that ranks 32nd in rush yards per game but had seemed to find a spark with McCormick in the backfield the previous two weeks. McCormick managed eight yards on seven carries and 17 yards on two receptions prior to departing.

The Falcons continue to be one of the healthier teams in the league, a trend that carries into their Week 15 showdown with the Raiders. Now chasing the Buccaneers in the NFC South, the Falcons desperately need to handle business against the banged-up Raiders on Monday night.

O’Connell failed to practice in any capacity this week but the Raiders took the decision to the wire, reportedly working him out prior to the release of inactives before making a final determination. He was deemed unable to go, paving the way for recent acquisition Desmond Ridder to draw the start against the Falcons. The Raiders will also be without standout defensive end Maxx Crosby who elected to have season-ending surgery on his knee this week. Also inactive for the Raiders are DE Charles Snowden, CB Sam Webb, and OL Andrus Peat.

Gilmore is the only shocker after being listed as questionable following a ramp up in activity during practice this week. The Vikings continue to battle for a potential top seed out of the NFC, with a win drawing them into a three-way tie at 12-2 with only three games remaining in the regular season.

The Bears find a collective sigh of relief after ruling Roschon Johnson out earlier in the week. Swift managed just a lone limited session this week while dealing with a groin injury but will be on the field as the Bears take on the division rival Vikings. Inactive for the Bears are DT Gervon Dexter, LT Braxton Jones, RB Roschon Johnson, OL Ryan Bates, DB Ameer Speed, and LB Noah Sewell.

Lawrence hasn’t played since suffering a Lisfranc injury in Week 4 against the Giants. It was an injury that was supposed to take 4-8 weeks recovery time, but Lawrence remains on injured reserve with just three games left to go in the season and has not had his 21-day return window opened. Lawrence is in the final year of a three-year extension he signed in 2022. If he’s not activated before the end of the season, then it’s possible that Week 4 game will be the last we’ve seen of him in a Cowboys uniform.

Dimitroff served as the Falcons’ general manager from 2008-2020 and helped them to a 113-95 record with six playoff berths and an appearance in Super Bowl LI during the 2016 season. He was let go at the end of the 2020 season and has worked in football analytics since 2022. Dimitroff is the CEO of SumerSports, which, per the team’s website, is a “data-driven platform that empowers teams with insights and tools to make informed decisions within salary cap constraints.” Dimitroff becomes the latest candidate to interview the GM opening that was created after the Jets fired former GM Joe Douglas back in November.

The Chiefs made Edwards-Helaire the first running back off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft just months after he helped Joe Burrow and LSU win a national title. The every down back ran for 181-803-4 in his rookie season while amassing another 36-297-1 through the air, but injuries and underwhelming play slowed him over the last several seasons. The emergence of Isiah Pacheco in 2022 left CEH without much of a role, and he ran for a season-low 223 yards and one touchdown last season. Edwards-Helaire was in and out of practice this offseason and publicly shared an ongoing battle with PTSD he’s been dealing with since 2018 that has, at times, led to him being admitted to a hospital. CEH took to social media following the Chiefs’ decision to waive him to thank the team and the city for their support. Now set to hit waivers, CEH will be a free agent in the coming days if he goes unclaimed.

Johnston suffered an ankle injury in Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers but did manage to play out the remainder of the game. Monday’s DNP designation could simply be a matter of rest as the Chargers look to get him ready to play on a short week on Thursday night. We’ll see if things look any different on Tuesday or Wednesday’s injury report’s before allowing ourselves to get too concerned about Johnston’s Week 16 availability against the Broncos.

Surtain left Week 15’s game against the Colts after intercepting Anthony Richardson, but it appears he’s all well and good. A full practice on Monday puts him in line to not even be questionable against the Chargers on Thursday Night Football. The question would then become: Will Denver will move him around to deal with Ladd McConkey?