The Latest: Lions’ Goff stays on COVID list, Boyle to start

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is still on the reserve/COIVD-19 list and Tim Boyle is expected to make his second career start at Atlanta.

Goff was placed on the list nearly a week ago.

Lions running back D’Andre Swift is missing his fourth consecutive game with a sprained right shoulder on Sunday despite returning to practice ahead of the Week 16 game against the Falcons.

Detroit cornerback Amani Oruwariye was placed on injured reserve on Saturday with a thumb ailment, ending his season with a team-high six interceptions.

Atlanta placed starting defensive tackle Tyeler Davison on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday. Davison joins another defensive tackle, Marlon Davidson, who was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday.

Falcons wide receiver Tajae Sharpe is out with a foot injury against Detroit.

The Minnesota Vikings have placed backup quarterback Sean Mannion on the COVID-19 reserve list, raising concerns for them about the status of starting quarterback Kirk Cousins because he remains unvaccinated.

There was no change to the status of Cousins for the game Sunday against the Los Angles Rams. Cousins has a rib injury and was listed on the injury report for the first time in eight years.

The Vikings also put backup tackle Rashod Hill on the COVID-19 reserve list prior to the game. Running back Dalvin Cook landed on the list after testing positive for the virus earlier in the week.

Minnesota did get wide receiver Adam Thielen back in the lineup after a sprained ankle kept him out of the previous two games.

After their roster was ravaged by COVID-19 earlier this month, the Rams have returned to nearly full strength. They placed starting left tackle Andrew Whitworth on the COVID-19 reserve list on Saturday.

The Baltimore Ravens will be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley at Cincinnati.

Huntley has been the starter the last two weeks while Jackson has been out with an ankle injury. Huntley was put on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday.

Josh Johnson is expected to start for the Ravens, giving the 35-year-old quarterback his first start since 2018 and the ninth of his career. He played for San Diego Fleet in the Alliance of American Football in 2019 and for the XFL’s Los Angeles Wildcats last year.

The Ravens elevated quarterback Kenji Bahar to the active roster on Saturday.

The Ravens have five other players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including starting defensive end Justin Madubuike and starting safety Geno Stone.

The Bengals listed three on the reserve/COVID 19 list, including starting defensive tackle D.J. Reader.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets each lost key defensive players a few hours before kickoff of their game at MetLife Stadium.

Jacksonville placed linebacker Myles Jack on the COVID-19 list and New York put defensive lineman Quinnen Williams on the list Sunday.

Jack joined pass rusher Josh Allen, wide receiver Laviska Shenault and guard Ben Bartch, who were placed on the reserve list Friday. They didn’t make the trip to New Jersey. Allen, who is unvaccinated, will be out at least 10 days, according to current NFL protocol, and will miss the team’s game Jan. 2 at New England.

Williams is the latest loss for a Jets team hit particularly hard by a surge of COVID-19 cases. There were 20 players on the active and practice squad rosters — including injured reserve — on the COVID-19 list as of Sunday morning.

Jets coach Robert Saleh was ruled out for the game Saturday because he didn’t clear COVID-19 protocols Saturday. Tight ends coach Ron Middleton is assuming the head coaching duties.

Saleh tested positive for the coronavirus Wednesday and needed to have two negative tests by Saturday afternoon to return to the sideline. The coach has been quarantining in a hotel while running team meetings remotely.

Jets quarterbacks coach Rob Calabrese will also miss the game because of COVID-19 protocols. Senior offensive assistant Matt Cavanaugh is assuming Calabrese’s game-day duties.

— Dennis Waszak Jr. reporting from East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Kansas City Chiefs have ruled out Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce, starting linebacker Nick Bolton and starting right tackle Lucas Niang on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The three players tested positive for COVID-19 last week and missed every practice, but the Chiefs had activated each from the list by the Saturday afternoon deadline to give them a chance of playing at home against Pittsburgh. All three needed to pass protocols on Sunday morning, though, and none did.

The Chiefs did get some good news Saturday when wide receiver Tyreek Hill tested out of protocol. He didn’t practice all week and is expected to start as usual against the Steelers.