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Confession? I don’t have a freaking clue how Joe Burrow’s calf magically healed over the last two weeks. And I was certainly concerned Burrow might have forced things against the Cardinals last week in a “must win” spot and, similar to the fallout from his performance against the Rams, we might see a little injury regression against Seattle in Week 6. That wasn’t the case at all, with Burrow looking downright spry at times, including an almost shocking scramble around with several Seahawks defenders chasing him. 

The box score doesn’t scream “explosive offense” — Cincy won a grinder 17-13 — but Burrow was efficient, looked healthy and, most importantly, the Bengals moved to 3-3 as they head into a much-needed bye week. 

Burrow said earlier this week he felt “close to 100 percent” back from the calf injury and, quite frankly, I didn’t believe him. Did this dude fly to Germany midweek to get some kind of Kobe Bryant knee treatment on his calf? The NFL on CBS crew passed along Burrow’s explanation: rest, better diet, hydration and routine, basically. 

Whatever happened, it’s working. Burrow suffered the injury in training camp on July 27 — it’s been less than three months since the initial injury, but it feels like an eternity since those steamy summer days — before tweaking his injured calf in a Week 2 loss to the Ravens. Things got so dark some lunatic fringe Bengals fans suggested throwing Burrow on injured reserve to “save the season.”

Instead, Burrow worked through it and did just that without missing any time. Getting to .500 isn’t the Bengals goal. They want to win the Super Bowl. But at various points already in this young season it felt like a possible lost year for Burrow and Co. Instead, they’re heading into a Week 7 bye knowing Burrow will only get healthier over the next two weeks with massive matchups against the 49ers and Bills looming immediately after the…

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Deebo claps back at Gardner-Johnson for 49ers-Browns fight critique originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers-Cleveland Browns pregame scuffle carried over into social media on Sunday night.

Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who currently is sidelined with a pectoral injury, weighed in on the brouhaha on X, formerly Twitter, and took a shot at 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel in the process.

Samuel wasted no time clapping back at Gardner-Johnson, posting a video of former Bears wide receiver Javon Wims swinging at Gardner-Johnson during an on-field altercation in November 2020.

There could be an extra layer to the feud between Samuel and Gardner-Johnson, as the Lions safety was a member of the Eagles team that defeated the 49ers in last year’s NFC Championship Game.

In an offseason interview, Samuel stated the Eagles are his “most hated” team while also making it clear the rematch between Philadelphia and San Francisco in Week 13 remains at the forefront of his mind.

Samuel exited the game during the first quarter of the 49ers’ loss to the Browns with a shoulder injury and did not return.

Gardner-Johnson is on injured reserve after suffering the pectoral injury in Detroit’s Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers are not scheduled to face the Lions during the regular season, but with both teams sitting at 5-1 a matchup in the postseason could be in the cards.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

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Miami Dolphins star wideout Tyreek Hill has reportedly racked up a significant amount of fines this season due to multiple uniform policy violations, and he can expect another fine in the mail this week. However, this fine doesn’t have to do with uniform violations, but instead, a touchdown celebration.

After a 41-yard touchdown reception against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Hill pulled a bit of a Joe Horn. He found a media member’s phone, and recorded himself doing a backflip to celebrate. 

Check it out: 

If you want to see the video from the phone’s perspective, here it is: 

Hill entered this week as the NFL’s leader in receiving yards (651) and receiving touchdowns (5), and he’s in the process of recording yet another monster performance. Using a cellphone as a prop in a celebration will likely draw the ire of the league office, but who knows? Maybe Hill is trying to set an NFL record with all these fines. He can certainly afford them as the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. 

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Why Juszczyk finds McCaffrey’s relentless work ethic ‘contagious’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Christian McCaffrey has established himself as an essential piece to a 49ers team that immediately saw its ceiling elevate upon his arrival.

However, McCaffrey’s contributions exceed the gaudy numbers he is racking up on the field.

During an appearance on the “Richard Sherman Podcast,” 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk explained how McCaffrey’s relentless work ethic has galvanized the other players on the team.

“Christian’s impact goes far beyond the 200 yards from scrimmage he gets every game,” Juszczyk said. “The scoring a touchdown in each of the last like 14 straight games. I mean, that’s massive because, at the end of the day, it’s about winning, and it’s about putting points on the board, and he’s been a massive, major part of that. His stat lines speak for themselves.

“But truly, the person we brought in here, the guy works harder than anybody I know, is harder on himself than anybody I know. Christian McCaffrey is Christian McCaffrey’s biggest critic, and he’s always going to push himself no matter what the game looks like, even if he had 150 yards. He always feels like there is something left out there that he can get better at, and I think just guys just seeing that when you see how hard he practices and how hard he is running in practice. Man, it just pushes you like, ‘If Christian is doing that, I need to do that,’ as we like to say, it’s contagious. That type of thing is contagious, and it gets spread around the whole locker room. Really can’t say enough about what Christian has done for this team, and what an addition it’s been.”

McCaffrey has scored a touchdown in 14 consecutive games, tying Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith’s mark for the most by any player since 1990.

The dynamic back has scored a touchdown in 16 of the 19 games he has suited up for with the 49ers while recording over 100 scrimmage yards in 15 games over that span.

McCaffrey…

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Joe Burrow is healing. He’s been dealing with a lingering calf injury throughout the early portion of the season, and it has thus far had a dramatic impact on his performance. But that may not be the case for much longer. 

According to NFL on CBS’ Evan Washburn, Burrow feels he is very close to being where he was pre-injury. 

“After hanging 34 points on the Cardinals last Sunday, Burrow said this week he feels as close to 100% as he has since prior to the injury, and that was in late July,” Washburn said. “Burrow added to us that he now feels he can make the movements in and out of the pocket to extend plays, which leads to a lot of the big plays this Bengals group has been known for over the last few years.”

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Last week against Arizona, Burrow completed 36 of 46 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns (each to Ja’Marr Chase), along with one interception. The 6.9 yards per attempt average was his highest of the season by more than a…

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