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NFL notebook: Which Bucs QB will start?

[September 26, 2018] The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears .

And coach Dirk Koetter knows who it is but is keeping it a secret.

Jameis Winston reported back to the team on Tuesday, giving the team access to its usual starter, after his three-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick started during Winston's absence and became the first quarterback in NFL history to threw for 400 or more yards in three consecutive games, leaving Koetter with an intriguing dilemma.

Koetter said he has discussed his quarterback plan with Winston and Fitzpatrick but declined to share it with reporters. The

--The New Orleans Saints placed cornerback Patrick Robinson on injured reserve, according to multiple reports. He broke his ankle Sunday in the team's overtime win over Atlanta.

Players on injured reserve must miss eight weeks, so the earliest Robinson, 31, could return is for a Thanksgiving night rematch against the Falcons in New Orleans. The team has not announced a timeline for his recovery or whether he will return this season.

The Saints lack depth at the defensive back position. They waived the defensive backs they drafted this year -- fifth-rounder Natrell Jamerson and sixth-rounder Kamrin Moore -- and both have found homes with new teams. Now, New Orleans is left to hope that P.J. Williams or Ken Crawley can assume the starting role.

--The Buffalo Bills traded veteran offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse to the Carolina Panthers for a future conditional draft pick, the Bills announced.

Carolina cut tackle Corey Robinson to create room on the roster.

Newhouse, a TCU product, was a fifth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2010. He played three seasons with the Packers, one with the Cincinnati Bengals, two with the New York Giants and one with the Oakland Raiders. Buffalo signed him to a one-year contract in March.

--The Tennessee Titans plan to sign journeyman quarterback Austin Davis because of injuries at the position, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

The Titans targeted the 29-year-old to provide veteran insurance with starter Marcus Mariota bothered by an elbow injury and backup Blaine Gabbert in concussion protocol.

Gabbert suffered a concussion in last Sunday's victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and might not be cleared for this week's contest against the Philadelphia Eagles.

--Former Oakland Raiders linebacker Neiron Ball is in a medically induced coma following an aneurysm that burst in his brain, according to multiple published reports.

The 26-year-old Ball reportedly has been in the coma since Sept. 16.

Ball has battled a rare blood vessel disorder called arteriovenous malformation, which is an abnormality in the connection between arteries and veins in the brain or spine. The diagnosis was made after he experienced headaches in 2011 as a member of Florida's football team.

--Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen is under hospital supervision after an incident at a Minneapolis hotel on Saturday.

Head coach Mike Zimmer confirmed at a press conference that the Vikings ordered Griffen to undergo a mental evaluation in a letter sent to Griffen and his agent.

According to Deadspin, which posted a copy of the Minnetrista, Minn., police report detailing the incident, Griffen leapt out of an ambulance on his way to the hospital for the evaluation.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) stands in the pocket during the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

--Head coach Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers were looking at quarterbacks on Tuesday with Jimmy Garoppolo out for the season. Colin Kaepernick was not among the veteran passers invited to the workout.

Shanahan said the 49ers already have made contact with former Miami Dolphins backup Matt Moore. NFL Network reported the long list of players the 49ers are evaluating includes Matt Simms, who was with the Falcons when Shanahan was offensive coordinator there, along with Tom Savage, T.J. Yates and Kellen Clemens. Yahoo Sports reported Kyle Allen, an undrafted free agent who left school early after playing for Texas A&M and Houston, also was scheduled to meet with the 49ers.

Reports of trade interest from the 49ers in other veteran quarterbacks -- Tyrod Taylor of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets backup Josh McCown -- are unlikely to bear fruit. Browns head coach Hue Jackson said Monday that Cleveland would not trade Taylor, even after No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield was promoted to the starting job.

--Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the roughing the passer penalty is blurring the line of what he defined as a "man's game."

"The way I see our future is I see a real serious emphasis on youth football, amateur football. I see it reflected at the high school level. Then a step above that will be the collegiate level and I see a collegiate game that certainly has a lot of finesse in it but is a great game and makes these kinds of adjustments we're talking about," Jones said on 105.3 FM in Dallas on Tuesday.

"But when it comes to pro football, to use a boxing term, that's when you put the 6-ounce gloves on. That's when you don't want to fight with those 10-ounce gloves or you don't fight with those head gears. Everybody's being really paid to go out and you're paid a lot of money to go out and incur those type situations that have more risks in them. It's real important that pro football distinguish itself as a very physical game relative to the game at college, relative to the game at high school and amateur. That's very important. Now where to find that balance, that's one thing but when we get to a point in the future in time you'll see pro football where they've put the 6-ounce gloves on and where the men are playing."

--Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer were selected as the broadcast team for all 11 Thursday night football games this season to be aired by Amazon Prime streaming service.

Amazon produces multiple audio options, and users can select between the FOX broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman or three Prime audio streams: Storm and Kremer, a Spanish-language broadcast and a United Kingdom-English broadcast team.

"NFL fans will hear history made this season -- bringing two female announcers together to call an entire NFL game has never been done before," said Greg Hart, Prime Video vice president. "Our customers around the world love to stream football. We are thrilled to have Andrea and Hannah bring their extensive knowledge of the game to fans on Prime Video."

--Field Level Media

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