FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jakobi Meyers walked through the Patriots locker room on Wednesday with a smile on his face. That’s a big difference from the last time Meyers was seen by the media.
At the center of the team’s meltdown in Las Vegas, Meyers took blame for the Patriots’ loss to the Raiders. The veteran showed accountability when he discussed how he mistakenly threw the ball to Mac Jones and never saw Chandler Jones, who caught the lateral and ran in for a game-winning touchdown.
It was a tough moment for Meyers, who had tears in his eyes in that visitor’s locker room. On Wednesday, the receiver turned the page and even impressed his quarterback in the Patriots’ first practice of the week.
Jones said that Meyers’ actions this week speak volumes about his professionalism.
“Kobi’s is just a very routine person, kind of like myself. No matter what happened the week before, we’re running the same schedule,” Jones said. “He’s not going to let results affect his performance. He’s going to grind and do whatever he can to help the team like he’s done since he’s been here.
“I definitely look at him as a great leader on our team so he’s setting a great example. Now, we’re just getting ready for this big week. He’s done a great job.”
Meyers has been one of the few bright spots for the struggling Patriots offense. Despite missing three games, he leads the team in receiving yards (640) and receiving touchdowns (three) and ranks second with 52 receptions.
Prior to the late-second gaff, Meyers played a big role in the Patriots’ potential comeback. With 4:43 left, he caught a 39-yard pass. That set up a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown run. On the next play, Meyers caught a 2-point conversion from Jones. That put the Patriots up 24-17 with 3:43 left.
But the game ended in misery for the Patriots. Meyers was clearly emotional in the aftermath and put the blame on himself. The receiver has turned the page, and the Patriots will certainly need him on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
COLTS: Nick Foles will replace 37-year-old Matt Ryan as the Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback, interim coach Jeff Saturday announced.
The Colts will host the Chargers on Monday night.
Saturday made the move, four days after the Colts blew a 33-point lead in a 39-36 overtime loss at Minnesota – the largest comeback in NFL history. In Indy’s previous game, at Dallas, the Colts gave up 33 fourth-quarter points, largely because of four turnovers.
The Colts (4-9-1) are hoping Foles can make more vertical plays and play with more efficiency than Ryan has. Ryan leads the NFL with 18 giveaways. Foles has not taken a regular-season snap since Indy signed him as a backup during the offseason. He was the Super Bowl MVP when the Philadelphia Eagles won the world championship following the 2017 season.
TITANS: Tennessee rookie Malik Willis appears closer to making his third start this season, with the Titans signing Joshua Dobbs off the Detroit practice squad Wednesday.
Veteran Ryan Tannehill was listed among nine who did not practice Tuesday in a walkthrough, on an injury report with 18 players. He proved his toughness taping up his sprained right ankle yet again after being carted to the locker room last week. Tannehill returned and finished the game, running for a touchdown that tied it up with 48 seconds left before a 17-14 road loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Titans (7-7) hold a one-game lead atop the AFC South that has dwindled from four. They host the Houston Texans (1-12-1) on Saturday.
JAGUARS: Jacksonville ruled out two defensive starters – linebacker Travon Walker and nose tackle Foley Fatukasi – for Thursday night’s game at the New York Jets.
Walker (ankle) and Fatukasi (ankle) won’t make the trip to New Jersey for the primetime game that has AFC playoff implications for the Jaguars (6-8) and the Jets (7-7). Both players have been instrumental in Jacksonville’s run defense, which ranks 10th in the league in yards per carry (4.24).
Walker sat out last week’s victory against Dallas, and Fatukasi joined him on the sideline after being injured in the first quarter.
ANTONIO BROWN: No charges will be filed against former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown following an apparent domestic incident at a Tampa home in late November, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Investigators completed a review of all available evidence and decided to drop the misdemeanor battery charges, the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office said in a statement. A warrant for Brown’s arrest also has been recalled.
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