NFL News and Notes: Beast Mode Is Back

Week 17 of the NFL regular season is upon us, and this one is for all the marbles. While many teams have already locked their playoff lives, others are fighting for either home-field advantage or a chance at the playoffs altogether.
In the AFC, the Steelers and the Raiders are currently on the outside looking in but have a chance to sneak in to the playoffs. In the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys could still conceivably make the playoffs depending on what Philadelphia does.
Regardless, while some teams are starting to wrap it up for the year, for others, the true test of the season is just beginning. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the news from around the NFL.
Lynch Rejoins Seahawks
Unfortunately for the Seattle Seahawks, a genuine contender to win the NFC, their star running back got injured at the wrong time. Chris Carson is out for the rest of the year after suffering a fractured hip in the Seahawks’ Week 16 loss to Arizona.
On the season, Carson had rushed 278 times for 1,230 yards and seven touchdowns and also had 37 receptions for 266 yards and two touchdowns. With C.J. Prosise (broken arm) and Rashaad Penny (torn ACL) also injured, that left the Seahawks in a very vulnerable position.
Enter Marshawn Lynch. The 33-year-old Lynch has not played this season, but given his knowledge of the team and of coach Pete Carroll, it is probably the best that the Seahawks could do on such short notice.
Last season with Oakland, Lynch played in just six games, rushing 90 times for 376 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes for 84 yards.
The Seahawks probably do not need the “Beast Mode” of Lynch’s previous stint with the team (he rushed for over 1,200 yards four straight times between 2011 and 2014), but they do need someone that can come in and be serviceable. For just a few games, they are rolling the dice that Lynch can once again be their man.
Sproles To Retire After Season
After two injury-shortened seasons, Darren Sproles is calling it a career. The Eagles have announced that the veteran running back will retire after this season after a 14-year career with the Eagles, Saints and Chargers.
In his career, Sproles has played in 183 games, rushing 732 times for 3,552 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also has 553 receptions for 4,840 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Additionally, he has 2,961 punt return yards with seven touchdowns and 8,352 kickoff return yards with two scores. It has been a frustrating last few years, but it has certainly been a remarkable career for Sproles.
McCarthy Interviews With Carolina
It appears as if Mike McCarthy would like to get back into a head coaching role, and the Carolina Panthers might be an option for the former Green Bay Packers head coach. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Panthers interviewed McCarthy as a candidate to replace the recently fired Ron Rivera.
McCarthy did not coach in 2019 but had previously gone 204-125 as the Packers’ head coach prior to that. While he certainly had Hall-of-Fame-caliber quarterbacks during his tenure with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, Carolina would still benefit from bringing in the experience and success of a McCarthy.
While the Panthers are likely to interview others along the line, McCarthy is certainly a name to watch.
Steelers Lose Another Quarterback To IR
Starting with the loss of Ben Roethlisberger early in the season, it has been a bit of a bumpy ride at the quarterback position this year for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That bumpy road got a little worse this week as quarterback Mason Rudolph was also added to injured reserve.
After taking over for Roethlisberger, Rudolph had mixed levels of success, as well as his own health issues. It first started with a concussion, and now it is a shoulder injury suffered last week.
Rudolph had actually given way to Devlin Hodges, but after Hodges disappointed last week, Rudolph was called into action. Unfortunately, that action was short-lived, as the shoulder injury forced him from the game.
Rudolph went 176 for 283 for 1,765 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. Hodges has gone 91 for 135 for 968 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has also been sacked 13 times.
Moving forward, it will be Hodges taking the snaps under center. The Steelers still have a shot at the playoffs with a Tennessee Titans loss; however, they still have to take care of business on their end against the vaunted Baltimore Ravens (13-2) or get a lot of help if they lose. Regardless, it will be Hodges doing the work as they look for the win on the road.
Jackson In The Giving Mood
When you are arguably the league’s Most Valuable Player, it is nice to say thank you to the people whose job is literally to protect you on a daily basis. That is exactly what Lamar Jackson did as he gave his entire offensive line brand new Rolex watches.
On the season, Jackson has led the Ravens to a 13-2 record, going 265 for 401 for 3,127 yards, 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions. As another credit to his offensive line, he has rushed 176 times for 1,206 yards and another seven touchdowns.
Needless to say, his offensive line deserved the nice gifts from Jackson. For Jackson, he now gets to sit back and relax as he will likely not play the last game of the season and instead prepare for the playoffs.