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    A New Outbreak Leaves a Broncos Rookie in an Awkward Position: Quarterback

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Coronavirus OutbreakliveLatest UpdatesMaps and CasesWho Gets the Vaccine First?Vaccine TrackerFAQAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storySaints 31, Broncos 3A New Outbreak Leaves a Broncos Rookie in an Awkward Position: QuarterbackReceiver Kendall Hinton was a last resort fill-in when four Denver Broncos quarterbacks were ruled ineligible to play in Sunday’s game because they’d been exposed to the coronavirus.Kendall Hinton was pressed into quarterback duties when four Denver Broncos passers were ruled ineligible because of exposure to coronavirus. He connected on one of nine passes in Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints.Credit…Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesBy More

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    Giants Seize Share of N.F.C. East Lead but Lose Daniel Jones

    AdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storygiants 19, bengals 17Giants Seize Share of N.F.C. East Lead but Lose Daniel JonesThe quarterback injured his hamstring in the third quarter and did not return as the Giants stretched their winning streak to three games.Giants quarterback Daniel Jones injured his hamstring in the second half and was replaced by Colt McCoy. Coach Joe Judge would not rule Jones out for next week’s game in Seattle.Credit…Jamie Sabau/Getty ImagesBy More

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    From Ortega to Messi: Diego Maradona's Long Shadow

    After scoring on Sunday, Messi paid tribute to Maradona by removing his Barcelona jersey to reveal a Newell’s Old Boys shirt. Messi played at the Argentine club before starting his career; Maradona spent time there near the end of his.Credit…Albert Gea/ReutersOn SoccerDiego Maradona’s Long ShadowFrom Ariel Ortega to Lionel Messi, dozens of players have been hailed as the next Maradona, the heir to his famed No. 10. But the fit was never perfect.After scoring on Sunday, Messi paid tribute to Maradona by removing his Barcelona jersey to reveal a Newell’s Old Boys shirt. Messi played at the Argentine club before starting his career; Maradona spent time there near the end of his.Credit…Albert Gea/ReutersSupported byContinue reading the main storyBy More

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    Virus Disruptions Hit 49ers and Broncos, as N.F.L. Crisis Grows

    After bobbing and weaving around the coronavirus pandemic for much of the fall, the N.F.L. nears the end of the third quarter of its regular season facing crises on teams from coast to coast.On Saturday, health officials in Santa Clara County threw the San Francisco 49ers’ season into turmoil when they temporarily banned all contact sports at the high school, college and professional levels and required anyone traveling into the region from more than 150 miles away to quarantine starting at 12:01 a.m. Monday. The order would be in effect until at least Dec. 21 and would apply to the Stanford and San Jose State college football teams, and to the San Jose Sharks of the N.H.L., among others.In Baltimore, six more members of the Ravens have tested positive for the virus as the outbreak in the team’s locker room expanded to 18 players, including the team’s star quarterback, Lamar Jackson.And in Denver, the Broncos appear to have run out of quarterbacks since Blake Bortles, Drew Lock and Brett Rypien were forced to quarantine after coming in contact with a fourth quarterback, Jeff Driskel, who tested positive for the virus on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the details. All four players are ineligible to play Sunday when the Broncos face the New Orleans Saints, and at this point Denver’s options for filling the position are extremely limited, because the league’s virus-related rules preclude bringing in a player who has not quarantined ahead of joining a team.For much of the season, the N.F.L. had only one full-fledged outbreak, when two dozen players and other personnel tested positive on the Tennessee Titans. The league got through that crisis by postponing a handful of games and moving a few others around. But teams have mostly exhausted their bye weeks, complicating efforts to juggle game dates this late in the season.The outbreak on the Ravens prompted the league to move their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers from Thursday to Sunday and then to Tuesday next week. The game is still scheduled for Tuesday despite the increase in positive cases.If any games, including the Ravens-Steelers matchup, are unable to fit into the league’s existing calendar, the N.F.L. may have to add an 18th week to the regular season and delay the start of the playoffs.The league’s doctors said they expect the number of positive cases to rise in line with surging infections across the country. On Friday, the N.F.L. told every team to cancel in-person practices on Monday and Tuesday because some players and personnel had celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.The 49ers face more pressing problems. The decision by local health officials could force the team to move at least two home games next month, and to leave their training site in Santa Clara.“We are at risk of exceeding our hospital capacity very soon if current trends continue,” said Dr. Sara Cody, the health officer for Santa Clara County, who added that the number of patients hospitalized with Covid-19 in the county had doubled in the past few weeks.The 49ers, who are to play the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday, should be able to return to Santa Clara County before the quarantine goes into effect. But it is not clear where and when they will go next.“We are aware of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department’s emergency directive,” Bob Lange, the 49ers team spokesman, said in a statement. “We are working with the N.F.L. and our partners on operational plans and will share details as they are confirmed.” More

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    The Heir to the Manning Quarterback Legacy Isn’t on TikTok

    AdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyThe Heir to the Manning Quarterback Legacy Isn’t on TikTokArch Manning, 16, nephew of Peyton and Eli, has a protective family to steer him from the perils of fame and expectation. And a grandfather, Archie, who texts him reminders to “have fun.”“I think I’m the most like my grandfather the way I play,” Arch Manning said, referring to Archie Manning, the New Orleans Saints quarterback throughout the 1970s. “He could scramble around, stretch the field.”Credit…Leslie Gamboni for The New York TimesBy More

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    Diego Maradona and All That We Have Lost

    AdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyRory Smith On SoccerAll That We Have LostPart of Diego Maradona’s enduring appeal is testament to his genius. But part of it, too, speaks to a sense of nostalgia for what he represented.Diego Maradona basked in the spotlight, even when it revealed his flaws.Credit…Sergio Perez/ReutersBy More

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    Diego Maradona, a Hero Who All Too Human

    Credit…Enrique Marcarian/ReutersSkip to contentSkip to site indexOn SoccerThe Most Human of ImmortalsThe sport that Diego Maradona illuminated, the one he lifted into an art, was not tarnished by all that he did to himself.Credit…Enrique Marcarian/ReutersSupported byContinue reading the main storyBy More

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    N.F.L. Teams Are Restricting Crowds. The Dallas Cowboys Want More.

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Coronavirus OutbreakliveLatest UpdatesMaps and CasesWho Gets the Vaccine First?Vaccine TrackerFAQAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyN.F.L. Teams Are Restricting Crowds. The Dallas Cowboys Want More.The team’s owner, Jerry Jones, is pursuing “a continued aggressive approach to having fans” at home games, even as coronavirus cases rise in the area around the stadium.The Dallas Cowboys have drawn 128,750 fans to its five home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, by far the most of any N.F.L. team and nearly 20 percent of the entire league’s reported attendance.Credit…Matthew Emmons/USA Today Sports, via ReutersBy More