The National Football League has reportedly made the decision to halve the length of its traditional four-week long preseason schedule, and will only have its teams play two games to tune up for the 2020 regular season.

While no official announcement has been made, league sources told Pro Football Talk that the league will essentially eliminate Weeks 1 and 4 of the scheduled preseason in order to reduce team travel and contact between players in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The league currently believes that players will be forced to quarantine for two weeks prior to training camps, which would mean that they would have to enter an isolation bubble as soon as this week had they gone forward with the previously-planned schedule.

Instead, season preparations are set to be packed into a shorter amount of time in order to lesson the burden on the league’s players as well.

All teams are set to play one home game and one road game as part of the modified preseason docket. The first week of games will take place between August 20th and 24th and the second week of games will happen between August 27th and August 31st.

If the current pandemic does not throw a wrench into the NFL’s plans, the regular season is set to kick off on September 10th.

The post NFL Will Reportedly Shorten the 2020 Preseason to 2 Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Former MVP and long-time Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has found a new home in the league, signing a one-year deal with the New England Patriots to serve as Tom Brady’s replacement.

Newton, who was released by the Panthers earlier this off-season after two injury-plagued seasons and the signing of free-agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, will step into an ideal situation to revive his career in New England.

The former #1 overall pick expressed his excitement in an Instagram post on Sunday night, saying “I’m excited as I don’t know what right now!” together with the hashtag “#LETSgoPATS.”

Newton, one of the most decorated quarterbacks in the league, missed nearly the entirety of the 2019 season after suffering a Lisfranc injury that kept him off the field for all but two games.

He also struggled in 2018 as the Panthers failed to make the playoffs after playing through a shoulder injury throughout the season.

While Newton will not be guaranteed a starting job in New England, he figures to be the favorite to assume the reins as the Patriots’ first full-time starting quarterback other than Tom Brady since the turn of the Millenium.

Newton will compete for the starting job under Bill Belichick along with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer, and look to lead the Patriots to another strong season.

The post Cam Newton Signs with Patriots on 1-Year Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The traditional kickoff to the NFL preseason will not take place this August, as the previously-scheduled Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers will be canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s matchup, which was set to be held on August 7th as part of the traditional Hall of Fame Weekend, is yet another cancellation in the long line of sporting events that have been interrupted by the ongoing pandemic.

Instead, reports are that both the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the game itself will take place in summer 2021. Football fans will be deprived of the traditional kickoff to the football season, at least this year.

While the NFL has not announced any changes or modifications at the current time to the regular season, which is set to begin in early September, the news of the cancellation of the Hall of Fame Game is enough to begin to worry fans, coaches, owners, and the rest of the football world.

For the moment, however, teams are still expected to begin training camp in about a month in preparation for the season, which is set to open on September 10th in Kansas City.

The post 2020 NFL Hall of Fame Game Canceled appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has agreed to sign a franchise tag with his team this week, which will give the franchise a few weeks to work out a long-term deal with their star signal-caller.

Prescott, who has developed into one of the biggest stars at the position in the league since being drafted in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft, will earn a big raise after spending the first four seasons of his career on his modest rookie deal.

The Mississippi State alum is set to make $31.4 million this season after signing the franchise tag. However, Prescott’s main goal will be to sign a long-term deal that will provide him with this sort of money over multiple seasons in pre-training camp contract negotiations.

Prescott has twice been named a Pro Bowler and has thrown for 97 touchdowns and only 36 interceptions since coming into the league and winning the starting job for Dallas in 2016.

Perhaps even more impressive has been Prescott’s durability and consistency. The signal caller has played in and started all 64 regular season games of his professional career, and has also started all three of his team’s playoff games during his tenure.

Now, Cowboy fans must wait and see if their team is able to reach a deal with their star quarterback to remain in Dallas for the long-term.

The post Cowboys QB Dak Prescott to Sign Franchise Tag appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Seattle Seahawks added a big weapon to their offense on Tuesday, signing three-time Pro Bowler and NFL veteran tight end Greg Olsen to a one-year deal worth $7 million.

The former Carolina Panther hit the free agent market after being released by his former team earlier in the month. Olsen spent nine seasons with the NFC South franchise, establishing himself as one of the top tight ends in the league.

The 34-year-old New Jersey native was the 31st overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, beginning his career with the Chicago Bears.

The productive pass catcher spent the best stretch of his career with Carolina from 2014 to 2016, a period in which he was named a Pro Bowler in every season and a second-team All Pro selection twice.

Olsen has seen himself slowed down in recent years thanks to multiple foot ailments, including two fractures. He has missed 18 games over the past three seasons, seeing his numbers decline sharply.

The Miami alum was much healthier in 2019, only missing two games. However, he did see his production slow down, catching 52 passes for 597 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Olsen will look to revitalize his career in the Seahawks’ dynamic offense, led by quarterback Russell Wilson.

The post Seattle Seahawks Agree to One-Year Deal With TE Greg Olsen appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After more than three months of tough competition and lots of drama and controversy, the final four teams that are left standing to compete for this year’s college football championship have been selected.

The top four teams in the rankings, LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, and Oklahoma, will now head into a semi-final competition to decide who will play for the national championship in January.

LSU was awarded the top seed and will face #4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl semifinal game in Atlanta. The Tigers ended up with the top ranking after a 37-10 demolishing of #5 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, whereas Oklahoma squeaked in after an overtime winner in the Big 12 Championship Game over Baylor.

On the other hand, #2 Ohio State and #3 Clemson, both of which are undefeated, will square off in the other semi-final at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.

Ohio State, who has looked dominant throughout the season and dispatched of Penn State in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game, will look to send the reigning national champions home in what should be a thrilling matchup.

The Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl semi-final games will take place on Saturday, December 28th.

The post College Football Playoff’s 2020 Participants Announced appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Oregon Ducks’ playoff dreams were officially taken away on Saturday night after a surprising 31-28 defeat at the hands of the unranked Arizona State Sun Devils.

Oregon, who was ranked #6 in the standings heading into the night, found themselves unable to contain freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels, who led the Sun Devils to their biggest win of the season.

Daniels, who was named the starting quarterback in August and became the first-ever true freshman to start a season opener for Arizona State, was unleashed in his team’s 3-point win on Saturday.

He completed 22 of 32 passes for a whopping total of 408 yards and 3 touchdowns, having his way with an Oregon secondary that found itself beaten time and time again by the talented freshman’s arm.

After Oregon opened the scoring with a first-quarter touchdown, the Devils scored 24 unanswered points. Oregon mounted a late rally, scoring two quick touchdowns to narrow the gap to 24-21 halfway through the final quarter.

Arizona State, however, was able to score again to take a ten-point lead, allowing them to close out a victory that clinches bowl eligibility for them and kills any hope Oregon had of making the College Football Playoff.

The post Oregon Drops Out of Playoff Hunt With 31-28 Loss to Arizona State appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts got together on Thursday night for one of the most significant mid-week games in recent memory, with Houston walking away with an important victory that puts them in the driver’s seat of the AFC South title race.

Trailing by four points heading into the final quarter of the matchup at NRG Stadium, Houston scored a touchdown early in the quarter to take a 20-17 lead that they would not relinquish.

It was a back-and-forth affair between the 7-4 Texans and the 6-5 Colts, but Houston wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins’ connection with Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson ended up being the difference-maker.

Hopkins caught two touchdown passes for Houston, totaling six catches for 94 yards. His fourth-quarter touchdown reception was the catch that turned the tables in his team’s favor.

Will Fuller, Hopkins’ counterpart at the wide receiver position, also had a big night, linking up with Watson for seven receptions totaling 140 yards.

Running back Jonathan Williams, who got a start in place of the injured Marlon Mack, had a big night, running for 104 yards and a touchdown. It was, however, not enough to avoid a loss for his team.

Houston will host the powerhouse New England Patriots next weekend, while Indianapolis faces another key divisional tilt with the Tennessee Titans.

The post Texans Beat Colts 20-17 to Take Control of AFC South Race appeared first on SportzBonanza.

LSU’s big win over Alabama on Saturday left no doubt: as of now, the Tigers are the clear top dog in college football heading into Week 12.

LSU knocked Ohio State off of the top of the rankings after a college football’s game of the season on Saturday when went on the road to Tuscaloosa and defeated the #3 and previously-unbeaten Crimson Tide by a 46-41 final score.

The Tigers received 54 of the 61 total first place votes in the AP Poll.

The Buckeyes, who slaughtered the hapless Maryland Terrapins by a 73-14 final, fell to #2 as a consequence of LSU’s landscape-altering victory.

The final two spots in the top 4, which are theoretically the teams that will qualify for this season’s College Football Playoff, are occupied by Clemson and Alabama.

Lurking close behind are Georgia, Oregon, and the surprisingly undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers. The race for the playoffs is wide open at this point, and it seems certain that at least one one-loss team will have an opportunity to play for the National Championship.

Three weeks remain in the college football regular season, and there are sure to be more than a few surprises left to shock us.

The post LSU Claims #1 in AP Poll After Saturday’s Win Over Alabama appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New England Patriots made another move on Thursday as they look to replace the big void left by retiring tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The Patriots added former Detroit Lions tight end Michael Roberts in a trade on Thursday, acquiring in exchange for a conditional selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Roberts spent the first two seasons of his career with the Lions, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. While he has always flashed potential, he was never able to capitalize on his potential in Detroit.

The 6’6″ pass catcher only recorded 13 receptions for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns in two seasons with the Lions. However, it’s worth noting that he missed significant time with injury in 2018 after a shoulder ailment stopped him from playing for much of the season.

Roberts is seen by the Patriots as a “project,” and they intend to work with him in order to develop him into a threat for their offense, hoping that he could help replace the production left behind by Gronkowski.

They’ll do it at a minuscule cost, making the move a no-brainer on their part.

Roberts now must look to capitalize on his large frame and pass-catching ability in order to establish himself as one of the Patriots’ primary options on offense.

The post Patriots Trade for Tight End Michael Roberts appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The National Football League has reportedly made the decision to halve the length of its traditional four-week long preseason schedule, and will only have its teams play two games to tune up for the 2020 regular season.

While no official announcement has been made, league sources told Pro Football Talk that the league will essentially eliminate Weeks 1 and 4 of the scheduled preseason in order to reduce team travel and contact between players in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The league currently believes that players will be forced to quarantine for two weeks prior to training camps, which would mean that they would have to enter an isolation bubble as soon as this week had they gone forward with the previously-planned schedule.

Instead, season preparations are set to be packed into a shorter amount of time in order to lesson the burden on the league’s players as well.

All teams are set to play one home game and one road game as part of the modified preseason docket. The first week of games will take place between August 20th and 24th and the second week of games will happen between August 27th and August 31st.

If the current pandemic does not throw a wrench into the NFL’s plans, the regular season is set to kick off on September 10th.

The post NFL Will Reportedly Shorten the 2020 Preseason to 2 Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Former MVP and long-time Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has found a new home in the league, signing a one-year deal with the New England Patriots to serve as Tom Brady’s replacement.

Newton, who was released by the Panthers earlier this off-season after two injury-plagued seasons and the signing of free-agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, will step into an ideal situation to revive his career in New England.

The former #1 overall pick expressed his excitement in an Instagram post on Sunday night, saying “I’m excited as I don’t know what right now!” together with the hashtag “#LETSgoPATS.”

Newton, one of the most decorated quarterbacks in the league, missed nearly the entirety of the 2019 season after suffering a Lisfranc injury that kept him off the field for all but two games.

He also struggled in 2018 as the Panthers failed to make the playoffs after playing through a shoulder injury throughout the season.

While Newton will not be guaranteed a starting job in New England, he figures to be the favorite to assume the reins as the Patriots’ first full-time starting quarterback other than Tom Brady since the turn of the Millenium.

Newton will compete for the starting job under Bill Belichick along with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer, and look to lead the Patriots to another strong season.

The post Cam Newton Signs with Patriots on 1-Year Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The traditional kickoff to the NFL preseason will not take place this August, as the previously-scheduled Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers will be canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s matchup, which was set to be held on August 7th as part of the traditional Hall of Fame Weekend, is yet another cancellation in the long line of sporting events that have been interrupted by the ongoing pandemic.

Instead, reports are that both the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the game itself will take place in summer 2021. Football fans will be deprived of the traditional kickoff to the football season, at least this year.

While the NFL has not announced any changes or modifications at the current time to the regular season, which is set to begin in early September, the news of the cancellation of the Hall of Fame Game is enough to begin to worry fans, coaches, owners, and the rest of the football world.

For the moment, however, teams are still expected to begin training camp in about a month in preparation for the season, which is set to open on September 10th in Kansas City.

The post 2020 NFL Hall of Fame Game Canceled appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has agreed to sign a franchise tag with his team this week, which will give the franchise a few weeks to work out a long-term deal with their star signal-caller.

Prescott, who has developed into one of the biggest stars at the position in the league since being drafted in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft, will earn a big raise after spending the first four seasons of his career on his modest rookie deal.

The Mississippi State alum is set to make $31.4 million this season after signing the franchise tag. However, Prescott’s main goal will be to sign a long-term deal that will provide him with this sort of money over multiple seasons in pre-training camp contract negotiations.

Prescott has twice been named a Pro Bowler and has thrown for 97 touchdowns and only 36 interceptions since coming into the league and winning the starting job for Dallas in 2016.

Perhaps even more impressive has been Prescott’s durability and consistency. The signal caller has played in and started all 64 regular season games of his professional career, and has also started all three of his team’s playoff games during his tenure.

Now, Cowboy fans must wait and see if their team is able to reach a deal with their star quarterback to remain in Dallas for the long-term.

The post Cowboys QB Dak Prescott to Sign Franchise Tag appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Seattle Seahawks added a big weapon to their offense on Tuesday, signing three-time Pro Bowler and NFL veteran tight end Greg Olsen to a one-year deal worth $7 million.

The former Carolina Panther hit the free agent market after being released by his former team earlier in the month. Olsen spent nine seasons with the NFC South franchise, establishing himself as one of the top tight ends in the league.

The 34-year-old New Jersey native was the 31st overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, beginning his career with the Chicago Bears.

The productive pass catcher spent the best stretch of his career with Carolina from 2014 to 2016, a period in which he was named a Pro Bowler in every season and a second-team All Pro selection twice.

Olsen has seen himself slowed down in recent years thanks to multiple foot ailments, including two fractures. He has missed 18 games over the past three seasons, seeing his numbers decline sharply.

The Miami alum was much healthier in 2019, only missing two games. However, he did see his production slow down, catching 52 passes for 597 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Olsen will look to revitalize his career in the Seahawks’ dynamic offense, led by quarterback Russell Wilson.

The post Seattle Seahawks Agree to One-Year Deal With TE Greg Olsen appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After more than three months of tough competition and lots of drama and controversy, the final four teams that are left standing to compete for this year’s college football championship have been selected.

The top four teams in the rankings, LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, and Oklahoma, will now head into a semi-final competition to decide who will play for the national championship in January.

LSU was awarded the top seed and will face #4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl semifinal game in Atlanta. The Tigers ended up with the top ranking after a 37-10 demolishing of #5 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, whereas Oklahoma squeaked in after an overtime winner in the Big 12 Championship Game over Baylor.

On the other hand, #2 Ohio State and #3 Clemson, both of which are undefeated, will square off in the other semi-final at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.

Ohio State, who has looked dominant throughout the season and dispatched of Penn State in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game, will look to send the reigning national champions home in what should be a thrilling matchup.

The Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl semi-final games will take place on Saturday, December 28th.

The post College Football Playoff’s 2020 Participants Announced appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Oregon Ducks’ playoff dreams were officially taken away on Saturday night after a surprising 31-28 defeat at the hands of the unranked Arizona State Sun Devils.

Oregon, who was ranked #6 in the standings heading into the night, found themselves unable to contain freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels, who led the Sun Devils to their biggest win of the season.

Daniels, who was named the starting quarterback in August and became the first-ever true freshman to start a season opener for Arizona State, was unleashed in his team’s 3-point win on Saturday.

He completed 22 of 32 passes for a whopping total of 408 yards and 3 touchdowns, having his way with an Oregon secondary that found itself beaten time and time again by the talented freshman’s arm.

After Oregon opened the scoring with a first-quarter touchdown, the Devils scored 24 unanswered points. Oregon mounted a late rally, scoring two quick touchdowns to narrow the gap to 24-21 halfway through the final quarter.

Arizona State, however, was able to score again to take a ten-point lead, allowing them to close out a victory that clinches bowl eligibility for them and kills any hope Oregon had of making the College Football Playoff.

The post Oregon Drops Out of Playoff Hunt With 31-28 Loss to Arizona State appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts got together on Thursday night for one of the most significant mid-week games in recent memory, with Houston walking away with an important victory that puts them in the driver’s seat of the AFC South title race.

Trailing by four points heading into the final quarter of the matchup at NRG Stadium, Houston scored a touchdown early in the quarter to take a 20-17 lead that they would not relinquish.

It was a back-and-forth affair between the 7-4 Texans and the 6-5 Colts, but Houston wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins’ connection with Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson ended up being the difference-maker.

Hopkins caught two touchdown passes for Houston, totaling six catches for 94 yards. His fourth-quarter touchdown reception was the catch that turned the tables in his team’s favor.

Will Fuller, Hopkins’ counterpart at the wide receiver position, also had a big night, linking up with Watson for seven receptions totaling 140 yards.

Running back Jonathan Williams, who got a start in place of the injured Marlon Mack, had a big night, running for 104 yards and a touchdown. It was, however, not enough to avoid a loss for his team.

Houston will host the powerhouse New England Patriots next weekend, while Indianapolis faces another key divisional tilt with the Tennessee Titans.

The post Texans Beat Colts 20-17 to Take Control of AFC South Race appeared first on SportzBonanza.

LSU’s big win over Alabama on Saturday left no doubt: as of now, the Tigers are the clear top dog in college football heading into Week 12.

LSU knocked Ohio State off of the top of the rankings after a college football’s game of the season on Saturday when went on the road to Tuscaloosa and defeated the #3 and previously-unbeaten Crimson Tide by a 46-41 final score.

The Tigers received 54 of the 61 total first place votes in the AP Poll.

The Buckeyes, who slaughtered the hapless Maryland Terrapins by a 73-14 final, fell to #2 as a consequence of LSU’s landscape-altering victory.

The final two spots in the top 4, which are theoretically the teams that will qualify for this season’s College Football Playoff, are occupied by Clemson and Alabama.

Lurking close behind are Georgia, Oregon, and the surprisingly undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers. The race for the playoffs is wide open at this point, and it seems certain that at least one one-loss team will have an opportunity to play for the National Championship.

Three weeks remain in the college football regular season, and there are sure to be more than a few surprises left to shock us.

The post LSU Claims #1 in AP Poll After Saturday’s Win Over Alabama appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New England Patriots made another move on Thursday as they look to replace the big void left by retiring tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The Patriots added former Detroit Lions tight end Michael Roberts in a trade on Thursday, acquiring in exchange for a conditional selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Roberts spent the first two seasons of his career with the Lions, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. While he has always flashed potential, he was never able to capitalize on his potential in Detroit.

The 6’6″ pass catcher only recorded 13 receptions for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns in two seasons with the Lions. However, it’s worth noting that he missed significant time with injury in 2018 after a shoulder ailment stopped him from playing for much of the season.

Roberts is seen by the Patriots as a “project,” and they intend to work with him in order to develop him into a threat for their offense, hoping that he could help replace the production left behind by Gronkowski.

They’ll do it at a minuscule cost, making the move a no-brainer on their part.

Roberts now must look to capitalize on his large frame and pass-catching ability in order to establish himself as one of the Patriots’ primary options on offense.

The post Patriots Trade for Tight End Michael Roberts appeared first on SportzBonanza.