NFL confident about L.A. Super Bowl, but AT&T Stadium in Texas cited as alternate site
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — The NFL is moving ahead full tilt with the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium, despite news Wednesday that the Grammy Awards have been postponed because of coronavirus concerns.
“Every single game we’ve played this year in a full-capacity stadium has allowed us to hone our protocols and prepare not only for game day at SoFi — in what is considered an outdoor building with a roof — but also for Super Bowl week,” said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business and league events.
This is the first Super Bowl in the Los Angeles area since the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills played at the Rose Bowl in early 1993.
“We want to be a role model,” O’Reilly said. “We know we’ve got a platform here, but we also know that we can do things safely and effectively. This is a big moment for us and for L.A., being back there after all these years and we’re really confident in our plan.”
According to a report Wednesday by WFAA, the ABC affiliate in Dallas, the league has looked into the availability of AT&T Stadium, home of the Cowboys, as an alternate Super Bowl site should COVID-19 restrictions in California merit relocating the event.
The NFL’s standard protocol is to have multiple stadium options, even for regular-season games, should one need to be moved. Those contingency plans are routine, no matter the situation.
“That’s not where I’m spending any energy or time,” O’Reilly said. “Our plans for Super Bowl week and the game in Los Angeles are moving forward fully. We’re confident in our protocols for putting on full-capacity games safely.”
Said Kathy Schloessman, chief executive of the Los Angeles Super Bowl Host Committee: “We’re looking forward to this opportunity to really show off Los Angeles to the rest of the world, and also show that Los Angeles can host safe events and it’s business as usual.”
Gutsy calls, tight races set up NFL for wild finish
Gregory Bull
Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 30 TDs passes in each of his first two seasons when he threw for three scores in a 37-21 win over the Giants.
Herbert followed up last season's rookie-record 31 TD passes with 30 more so far this season. Herbert (23 years, 277 days) was the second-youngest player to reach the 60 TD mark, trailing only Dan Marino (23 years, 78 days).
Earlier against the Giants, Herbert threw a 59-yard strike to Jalen Guyton that traveled 63.8 yards in the air, according to NFL NextGen stats. That's the second-longest throw on a completion pass this season and the 10th pass in Herbert's career that traveled at least 55 yards in the air, the most in the NFL since the start of last season.
Gregory Bull
Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 30 TDs passes in each of his first two seasons when he threw for three scores in a 37-21 win over the Giants.
Herbert followed up last season's rookie-record 31 TD passes with 30 more so far this season. Herbert (23 years, 277 days) was the second-youngest player to reach the 60 TD mark, trailing only Dan Marino (23 years, 78 days).
Earlier against the Giants, Herbert threw a 59-yard strike to Jalen Guyton that traveled 63.8 yards in the air, according to NFL NextGen stats. That's the second-longest throw on a completion pass this season and the 10th pass in Herbert's career that traveled at least 55 yards in the air, the most in the NFL since the start of last season.
Gutsy calls, tight races set up NFL for wild finish
Stacy Bengs
The Vikings have played 10 straight games decided by eight points or fewer after beating Pittsburgh 36-28 last Thursday. That's two games shy of tying the longest streak in NFL history, shared by the 2015 Ravens and 1989 Chargers.
Minnesota also became the 15th team in the Super Bowl era to take a lead of at least six points in each of the first 13 games of the season. The Vikings have only managed a 6-7 record despite that, while 13 of the other 14 teams won at least 10 games.
The 1991 Saints (9-4) had the worst record of that group before the Viking,s as those 14 teams combined for an .852 winning percentage.
Stacy Bengs
The Vikings have played 10 straight games decided by eight points or fewer after beating Pittsburgh 36-28 last Thursday. That's two games shy of tying the longest streak in NFL history, shared by the 2015 Ravens and 1989 Chargers.
Minnesota also became the 15th team in the Super Bowl era to take a lead of at least six points in each of the first 13 games of the season. The Vikings have only managed a 6-7 record despite that, while 13 of the other 14 teams won at least 10 games.
The 1991 Saints (9-4) had the worst record of that group before the Viking,s as those 14 teams combined for an .852 winning percentage.
Gutsy calls, tight races set up NFL for wild finish
Aaron Gash
The Bears and Packers played a second quarter unlike any other in NFL history.
The teams combined for six touchdowns, one field goal and 45 points in the highest-scoring quarter in the storied history of the rivalry.
But the big plays went beyond that. Five of the six touchdowns came on plays of more than 35 yards, the first time in NFL records dating to 1925 that happened in a quarter.
Jakeem Grant scored on a 46-yard catch and a Bears record 97-yard punt return, Damiere Byrd had a 54-yard TD catch for Chicago, Rasul Douglas returned an interception 55 yards for a TD and Aaron Rodgers threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams.
Grant's punt return TD was the first in the NFL this season. This is the first time in the Super Bowl era no team returned a punt for a score in the first 13 weeks.
Aaron Gash
The Bears and Packers played a second quarter unlike any other in NFL history.
The teams combined for six touchdowns, one field goal and 45 points in the highest-scoring quarter in the storied history of the rivalry.
But the big plays went beyond that. Five of the six touchdowns came on plays of more than 35 yards, the first time in NFL records dating to 1925 that happened in a quarter.
Jakeem Grant scored on a 46-yard catch and a Bears record 97-yard punt return, Damiere Byrd had a 54-yard TD catch for Chicago, Rasul Douglas returned an interception 55 yards for a TD and Aaron Rodgers threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams.
Grant's punt return TD was the first in the NFL this season. This is the first time in the Super Bowl era no team returned a punt for a score in the first 13 weeks.
Gutsy calls, tight races set up NFL for wild finish
Rick Scuteri
In one week, the NFL doubled the number of successful onside kicks for the season.
Arizona, Chicago, Baltimore and the Giants all pulled off the feat in the fourth quarter of their games, although none were able to turn those into wins.
There had been four successful onside kicks the first 13 weeks of the season, including a surprise one by Detroit against the Rams in Week 7.
This marked just the fourth time since 1991 that there were four successful onside kick recoveries in the same week, according to Sportradar, with the last time coming in Week 13 of the 2019 season.
This was the first time that all four came in the fourth quarter when teams knew they were coming.
Rick Scuteri
In one week, the NFL doubled the number of successful onside kicks for the season.
Arizona, Chicago, Baltimore and the Giants all pulled off the feat in the fourth quarter of their games, although none were able to turn those into wins.
There had been four successful onside kicks the first 13 weeks of the season, including a surprise one by Detroit against the Rams in Week 7.
This marked just the fourth time since 1991 that there were four successful onside kick recoveries in the same week, according to Sportradar, with the last time coming in Week 13 of the 2019 season.
This was the first time that all four came in the fourth quarter when teams knew they were coming.
