FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Falcons running back Devonta Freeman has been ruled out for the second straight week with a concussion and won’t play against Tampa Bay.
Atlanta (6-4) will rely again on Tevin Coleman and third-stringer Terron Ward when the Falcons (6-4) host Tampa Bay (4-6) on Sunday.
Freeman, the NFL’s highest-paid running back, looked good as he worked on the side during Friday’s practice. Quinn didn’t want to speculate if Freeman, who’s been in concussion protocol twice since preseason, will miss additional time.
“I’m not going to go to that one,” Quinn said. “‘I’m just not going to go ever against whatever they recommend in any way, shape, or form. What I can say is that it was awesome having him back out on the field — even in a limited fashion — seeing his speed, his quickness, and the way he can catch.”
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler was ruled out of Sunday’s game at New England because of a concussion, and backup Matt Moore will make his second start of the season.
Cutler practiced Friday, but remains in the concussion protocol. He threw three interceptions in Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay before he left at halftime because of his injury.
Moore threw for 282 yards and a score in the second half. He started for an injured Cutler three weeks ago at Baltimore and Miami lost 40-0.
Guard Jermon Bushrod (foot) and defensive end William Hayes (back) were also ruled out.
The Dolphins (4-6) take a four-game losing streak to New England.
NEW YORK (AP) — Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been fined $24,309 for an illegal crackback block against the Houston Texans last Sunday.
Fitzgerald was assessed a 15-yard penalty after Adrian Peterson was stopped for no gain on the play, which occurred midway through the first quarter of the Cardinals’ 31-21 loss in Houston.
Seattle safety Earl Thomas was also docked $24,309 for his hit on Atlanta’s Levine Toilolo, who caught a touchdown pass to give the Falcons a 31-20 lead in the third quarter last Monday night. Thomas was penalized for hitting Toilolo in the helmet with his shoulder in the end zone.
Kansas City linebacker Terrance Smith was fined the same amount for his blindside helmet-to-helmet hit on Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie during a punt return late in the second quarter of New York’s 12-9 win.
TENNIS
LILLE, France (AP) — Jo-Wilfried Tsonga swept past Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 to put France level with Belgium on the opening day of the Davis Cup final.
Tsonga’s comfortable win over the 76th-ranked Darcis evened the tie at 1-1 ahead after Belgium’s top player David Goffin had dispatched Lucas Pouille in straight sets.
Tsonga missed several chances to move ahead early in the first set but finally broke for a 5-3 lead with a deep forehand attack on his fourth break point. The Frenchman then claimed five consecutive games and served out the second set at love with a drop shot that hit the net cord and dribbled over for a winner.
Tsonga continued to play consistent and occasionally brilliant tennis in the third, including a series of reflex volleys.
SOCCER
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg is facing a UEFA racism charge after its fans displayed a large banner honoring convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic.
Two Serbian clubs, Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade, were also charged for similar offenses of supporting Mladic at Europa League games on Thursday.
UEFA said Friday that all three clubs faced charges of “racist behavior.” No dates were set for disciplinary hearings.
Zenit fans unfurled the banner, about 10 meters (yards) in length, during Thursday’s 2-1 Europa League group-stage win over Macedonian club Vardar Skopje.
The game took place the day after former Bosnian Serb military chief Mladic was convicted by a United Nations tribunal of genocide and other crimes in the wars following the collapse of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
ATHLETICS
MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) — High jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and heptathlete Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium have been named the IAAF’s world athletes of the year, while retiring great Usain Bolt was given the president’s award.
Barshim and Thiam also each won world titles in London this year.
The 26-year-old Barshim completed an undefeated season across 11 competitions and won the Diamond League title. He became the first high jumper in history to leap 2.40 meters or higher in five successive years.
The 23-year-old Thiam opened the year by taking the European indoor pentathlon title then she climbed to third on the heptathlon all-time list with a performance of 7,013 points at a meeting in Gotzis, Austria, in May.
The president’s award given to eight-time Olympic gold Bolt, who retired after taking bronze in the 100 meters at worlds, “recognizes and honors great service to athletics.”
Copyright © 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
[“Source-wtop”]