NFL

Terrell Owens says put the blame SQUARELY on Jerry Jones for the Cowboys' struggles ... telling TMZ Sports the owner is the problem in Dallas!!

"Anytime there's any type of dysfunction, turmoil, it starts from the top down," TO says. "It starts with him."

Of course, Owens has hated pretty much everything about the Cowboys since Jerry cut him after the 2008 season ... but when we got the Hall of Famer out at LAX this week, he made it clear he truly believes Jones is the issue in Big D.

So much so, Owens says it might be time Jerry steps away and hires a real general manager to take over!!

As for the head coach ... Owens is still advocating for Jason Garrett's firing -- hilariously telling us, "He should have been Edward Scissorhands'ed!"

Dallas has a (very small) chance to prove TO wrong these next few weeks ... if it's able to beat both Philly and Washington, it gets a home playoff game in January.

Don't stick a fork in Eli Manning just yet -- his friend and ex-teammate, Plaxico Burress, is adamant he'll play again in 2020 ... telling us, "It won't be the last you see of him."

Plax LOVED the way 38-year-old Eli played against the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend -- "S**t, I think E-Money held his own!"

And, while most people think Eli will hang it up at the end of the season, the former NY Giants WR says he just ain't convinced Manning's ready to retire.

"I don't think it's the end of the road. That's my main man. That's my homeboy," Plax says ... "It won't be the last you see of him. I'll tell you that."

The big question ... will Eli stay with the Giants, where he's played his entire career or move on to another team in need of a QB.

When Manning DOES decide to retire, Plaxico says there's ZERO DOUBT he'll end up in the Hall of Fame.

"First ballot, no doubt about it," Plax says ... "How is he not? 2 Super Bowls, 2 MVPs ... how many QBs have done it?"

Ohio State superstar Chase Young -- the projected #1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- says he's not thinking about declaring for the draft and the "plan" is to return to school.

... But you know what they say about plans. They change.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Heisman finalist in NYC on Friday before Saturday's big ceremony ... and, despite the MASSIVE contract he could have come April, Young says that's not on his mind.

Young -- a 20-year-old junior -- has been a dominant, uncontrollable force on defense for the Buckeyes this season ... racking up 16.5 sacks (a school record) despite being suspended 2 games.

So, yeah, whoever sits at the top of the draft is gonna want to either take Young or his old teammate/LSU sensation Joe Burrow ... but it sounds like the Bucks could come out winners. Maybe.

We also talked to Young about the upcoming Fiesta Bowl matchup with Clemson ... and he sounds ready to go.

Stop the search for a franchise QB, Denver ... Broncos stud Justin Simmons tells TMZ Sports Drew Lock IS the future of the team!!

"He's starting to prove himself a little bit," the Broncos DB says.

Of course, Lock's only started two games this season ... but Simmons tells us it's pretty clear to him Denver has finally got their QB of the future.

In fact, Simmons says he could see this coming way back in the fall ... telling us during practices in Sept. and Oct., he watched Lock's massive upside up close and personal.

"You could see he had all the potential," Simmons says.

"So, it's cool that we kind of got, like, the first look at it and he got to go in these past two Sundays and kind of perform for the world."

So far, Simmons' anointing of Lock as QB1 ain't exactly a crazy statement ... Lock is 2-0 the past two weeks with 5 TDs and 443 passing yards.

But, Lock has a chance to make Justin look really brilliant this weekend ... the rookie QB will go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes in a tense AFC West game on Sunday.

"Obviously, it's a big test for us on the road this week," Simmons says.

Janoris Jenkins says he now understands how hurtful the r-word can be -- telling TMZ Sports he won't use the term again and vows to learn from this experience.

Just hours after the NY Giants released Jenkins for using the word to insult a critic on Twitter, the NFL star agreed to speak with TMZ's Evan Rosenblum, a parent of a 4-year-old special needs daughter.

During the conversation, Evan explained why using the r-word as an insult is particularly hurtful for special needs families -- and Jenkins called it a "learning moment."

"It's always a learning moment, man. Everybody's going to learn from different situations ... move forward and learn."

Buckeye loyalty be damned ... Ohio State legend Eddie George says LSU's Joe Burrow is the front-runner to win the Heisman trophy on Saturday ... despite 2 OSU finalists.

TMZ Sports spoke with the 1995 Heisman winner about the 4 finalists -- Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Chase Young and Justin Fields -- and while he won't tell us who he voted for, he thinks the Tigers gunslinger will take home the hardware.

"They're all worthy candidates," George tells us ... "It's tough for me to say who's gonna take it. It might be Joe Burrow might be the leader. But this thing has always been surprising.

"If I was a guessing man, I would think it would probably be the quarterback at LSU."

The New York Giants have cut star CB Janoris Jenkins days after calling a fan the r-word ... and then refusing to apologize.

Jenkins used the word -- often used to mock people with special needs -- to insult a fan on social media who had been critical of Jenkins' recent play.

When pressed about using the word -- which has been condemned by organizations like the Special Olympics -- Jenkins shrugged it off and said it was just "hood" talk.

The Giants weren't satisfied with Jenkins' "apology" ... so the organization made the decision to fire the Pro Bowler on Friday.

“This was an organizational decision,” coach Pat Shurmur said.

“From ownership to management to our football operations, we felt it was in the best interests of the franchise and the player. Obviously, what happened this week, and the refusal to acknowledge the inappropriate and offensive language, was the determining factor.”

Janoris joined the Giants as a free agent in 2016 ... and had the best season of his career -- making the Pro Bowl.

This year's been a struggle ... the Giants are 2-11 and there's been beef between JJ and the coaching staff.

But ... none of that matters now 'cause Jenkins is a goner.

As for the star CB, he doesn't seem too broken up about being cut, tweeting "Best news ever.. Thank you"

A pit bull owned by NFL star Trent Williams killed a neighbor's 3-year-old black lab -- and while the neighbor is PISSED -- Williams says it's no big deal.

Linda Flowers says her beloved dog, Sandy, was attacked and dragged through a fence by one of 9 pitbulls at Williams' Missouri City, TX home, ripping its body to shreds in the process.

Flowers tells TMZ Sports ... Sandy was docile and friendly and is clearly the victim in the situation. She believes Williams is running a dangerous pit bull mastiff kennel out of his backyard in a residential community with families and children.

Williams, however, told FOX 5 in D.C. he doesn't understand why the mauling is such a big deal ... saying it's "dogs doing what dogs do."

Williams claims his dogs did nothing wrong -- and it was Sandy who broke into his yard and attacked his dogs first.

We've learned Missouri City PD responded to the scene -- but kicked the case over to animal control, which is currently investigating.

No arrests have been made and no charges filed at this time.

31-year old Williams is a star for the Redskins -- the #4 overall pick in 2010 is a 7-time Pro Bowler and signed a 5-year, $66 million contract in 2015.

No one was happier about Lamar Jackson breaking Mike Vick's QB rushing record ... than Mike Vick!!!

The Baltimore Ravens quarterback passed Vick for the #1 spot on the single season rushing record for a QB on Thursday night, moving past Vick's 1,039 yards from the 2006 season.

Jackson was only 23 yards shy going into the Jets game -- and smashed it -- finishing with 1,103 on the season ... and he's still got 2 games to go!

Mike Vick, who's been praising Jackson all season, immediately made a congratulatory video for the young superstar.

"Congratulations Lamar, we knew it was coming man!"

"Like I said, you was the guy for the job. You did it and you did it well. Keep rushing and set the bar high man!"

"It's gonna be an amazing run for you. Appreciate everything you do for the game."

Jackson, to his credit, seemed more interested in getting the victory than breaking the record ... and spelled it out during a hilarious post-game interview with Erin Andrews.

His running back/hype man, Mark Ingram, eventually took over the interview -- and it was GOLD!!! Check out the dancing teammate in the background!

Terrell Owens believes the NFL is screwing Antonio Brown ... claiming the league is slow-playing its investigation into the WR in order to keep the superstar off the field.

"I think that's probably, maybe a tactic of the NFL to drag it out to where, you know, he can't get on the field this year," Owens said.

AB is being investigated by the NFL for multiple reasons including allegations of sexual assault and claims he sent menacing text messages to a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct.

No team has signed Brown since the Pats cut him back in Sept. -- and it's pretty obvious everyone is staying away until the league concludes its probe.

Owens says he's been spending a lot of time with Brown -- and even visited the WR at his home ... and clearly doesn't believe the allegations against his friend.

T.O. does believe Brown could be handling the situation better publicly -- especially when it comes to his social media -- but tells TMZ Sports he understands why AB is frustrated and acting out.

"I don't condone everything he's doing but I understand where he's coming from," Owens says.

"Man, this guy's a loving father ... I don't agree with everything but I understand where he's coming from."

Of course, Brown went after the Patriots hard after he was cut -- and even made light of Robert Kraft's prostitution case -- probably not the smartest move on his part.

Brown later apologized for some of his social media posts ... but he's still out of a job.

Jarvis Landry says his best friend Odell Beckham is NOT trying to bolt from the Browns, despite reports to the contrary ... telling reporters, "He's not trying to leave."

There are multiple reports claiming Odell told opposing players and coaches to "come get me" out of Cleveland ... essentially letting people know he's unhappy with the Browns and wants to get out.

Of course, Beckham didn't choose to play for Cleveland in the first place -- he was traded there by the Giants earlier this year.

Additionally, Beckham expressed frustrations with the Browns training staff -- suggesting they did not properly handle the sports hernia injury he suffered in training camp.

But, Landy -- who's been super tight with Beckham since high school -- came out strong to reporters today, saying the superstar WR is not trying to jump ship.

"He doesn't want to leave and he's not trying to leave," Landry said moments ago.

"It's not even about trying to go somewhere else," Landry added ... noting that Beckham's been a solid teammate and consummate pro during his run in Cleveland.

For his part, Odell has tweeted about the reports saying, "I NEVER said I was not happy in Cleveland, just like everyone else I’m hopeful for better results. Period. Next story plzz."

Ex-NFL star Clinton Portis is accused of defrauding the NFL and stealing money from the league's healthcare program ... and now, the former RB is facing up to 20 YEARS behind bars.

United States Department of Justice officials say Portis and 9 other ex-NFL players developed a scheme back in 2017 to make money off of the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Plan.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, some of the names involved in the scam included Robert McCune, John Eubanks, Tamarick Vanover, Ceandris Brown, James Butler, Fredrick Bennett and Etric Pruitt.

Officials say the scheme wasn't too complicated ... Portis and the former players allegedly made up fake claims, submitted them to the plan (which is designed to help retired players pay for medical bills) and were reimbursed.

Officials say some of the fraudulent claims included the players looking to be reimbursed for things like pricey hyperbaric oxygen chambers, ultrasound machines and electromagnetic therapy devices designed for use on horses.

Donald Trump is still on the Patriots bandwagon ... praising both Robert Kraft and Tom Brady at a White House event Wednesday -- despite the new Pats video scandal.

Kraft was Trump's guest at a special Hanukkah event where the two also spoke about their support for Israel. And, they were joking like two old pals.

"I also want to bring a friend of mine up," Trump said ... "He's a tremendous success in so many other businesses, but they only know him because he signs Tom Brady's check every week!"

POTUS added, "He's a champ, he's a winner."

"As usual, his team is mired in 1st place," Trump continued ... "Have you ever been in 2nd place?"

Obviously, no mention of the new investigation into the Pats -- after the team admitted their video crew broke league rules by filming the Bengals sidelines from the Browns press box.

The NFL is investigating the Patriots. The team has insisted they weren't trying to cheat -- claiming the video crew made an innocent mistake.

Trump and Kraft go back decades -- and while they're on great terms right now, they've had some rocky moments.

As we previously reported, Kraft was critical of the way Trump handled the Colin Kaepernick kneeling situation ... and spoke out against POTUS at a 2017 NFL meeting.

But, clearly, that's all water under the bridge now.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the league is conducting a thorough investigation into the New England Patriots to see if they used a video crew to try and cheat.

"Obviously it’s under review," Goodell said to the media while in Dallas ... "We're gonna be thorough and we're gonna get all the facts and we'll go from there."

Goodell was also asked if the Patriots' history of using illegal surveillance -- aka the 2007 Spygate scandal -- would factor in to the investigation.

"Of course that’s a factor. The key things are the new information that we have. That [old] information we obviously already have. But, I think the issue is what information do we have from this incident?"

As we previously reported, the Cincinnati Bengals told the NFL a Patriots staffer was illegally shooting video of their sidelines during a game. The Patriots admitted wrongdoing but insist it was a mistake and not intentional. The team is adamant they did NOT cheat.

There was A LOT more during the media event ... Goodell was also asked about Colin Kaepernick and Antonio Brown.

When asked about the Colin Kaepernick workout, Goodell said -- "It was about opportunity, a credible opportunity. He chose not to take it, and I understand that."

Colin famously backed out of the Nov. 16 workout -- organized by the NFL -- over a dispute regarding media access and the legal language on the workout injury waiver.

Instead, Kaepernick held his own workout at a nearby high school and called for interested teams to hit up his agent. So far, he's still unsigned.

As for Antonio Brown ... Goodell was questioned about the league investigation into sexual assault and harassment claims against the WR.

Goodell says his investigators DID meet with Antonio but "they have more work to do."

"They're following up on that and I'll get an update when they have more information."

"Baker is like a joke, man."

That's ex-NFL star Orlando Scandrick going IN on Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield ... claiming he is a huge problem who's not for the league.

Scandrick -- who played 11 seasons in the NFL -- appeared on FS1's 'The Herd' and ripped the QB for the way he's handled himself on and off the field ever since he was drafted in 2018.

"Baker is like a joke, man. This guy has so much confidence and arrogance to have done nothing."

Scandrick continued ... "I don't know how [other players in the NFL] see him, but at the rate that he's going, I don't see how Baker is gonna play 8, 9, 10 years."

"He's an interception machine. He doesn't do anything but rub people the wrong way, and once the investment begins to become more than the return, then what happens?"

FYI, Mayfield has thrown a bunch of picks in 2019 -- 16 INTs with only 15 TDs this season ... the second most INTs this season behind Jameis Winston.

Scandrick was also critical of the way Mayfield spoke to the media after the Myles Garrett helmet incident -- when he condemned his teammate's actions on national television.

"That's Baker though. He calls out Myles Garrett, who's one of the best players on their team after he hits [Mason Rudolph] with a helmet when he could have taken the high road and just said, 'That's an unfortunate situation. We support Myles; it was unfortunate for Mason' and then just moved on."

Antonio Brown is going off -- again -- blasting everyone from Ben Roethlisberger to the "racist" NFL and even knocking the XFL in the process.

It all started with AB trying to point out the NFL's inconsistency when it comes to the way different players are treated in the wake of negative allegations.

Brown alludes to his former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate, Anthony Chickillo -- who was arrested this year for allegedly attacking his girlfriend.

Chickillo (who is white) was placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List and missed 2 games -- but was allowed to rejoin the team once prosecutors decided to drop the case.

The NFL is still actively investigating -- and Chickillo could face discipline in the future, but for now he's active and playing ... and AB is upset.

"Guess all mighty @nfl can hold players out against there will no criminal charges pending nothing but A Caucasian player gets a domestic go to jail still out there playing targeted hate against us everywhere my peeps."

Of course, Brown hasn't played since Week 2 as the NFL investigates rape allegations made by his former trainer, Britney Taylor.

The flaw in Brown's comparison is AB is a free agent and teams can sign him if they want -- but so far, no one wants to take the risk.

During his Wednesday morning Twitter sesh, Brown also addressed Ben Roethlisberger -- retweeting two people who brought up Ben's sexual assault cases.

AB didn't comment specifically on Ben's legal issues but did engage one critic who wrote, "Ab a real loser. Big Ben made that bum. Soon as Ben was done with him he was out the league."

Brown replied, "Check his stats before I came n I was done with that loser long time ago."

Yeesh.

When another person suggested AB should join the XFL, the WR shot that down hard too.

"No way," Brown wrote ... "they run the media they set me up clowns."