NFL notes: Broncos defensive coordinator upended, carted off field

Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was carted off the field and taken to the hospital for observation Sunday after being upended by a San Diego player who was blocked into the Denver sideline.

The team said the 69-year-old coach had movement in all his extremities.

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon was blocked into Phillips while trying to catch Bradley Roby during an interception return.

Gordon upended Phillips, and the back of the coach’s head slammed against the ground.

Medical personnel surrounded Phillips, and after about five minutes, he was secured to a backboard, then carted off the field. He pointed his index finger in the air as he was being driven to the locker room.

In last season’s playoffs, Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant upended the defensive coordinator, but Phillips popped back up quickly and kept coaching.

After Phillips left Sunday’s game, linebackers coach Reggie Herring took over the defensive play-calling duties.

Redskins’ Norman blasts official’s decisions after tie

Josh Norman berated field judge Brad Freeman following the Redskins’ tie with Cincinnati in London, saying Freeman made a number of questionable officiating decisions during the game.

Norman was asked about his matchup with Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, but instead used the question to launch into a tirade against Freeman.

“Who is official 88? He sucked,“ Norman said, referring to Freeman’s number because he did not know his name. “I’m just gonna be honest with you. I’m gonna be straightforward. He was terrible. I feel like he should be reprimanded. I feel like some of the plays that was going on out there , it was just – I mean, it was terrible.“

Norman was called for five penalties – two of which were declined – and was flagged four times for illegal use of hands. Each of those violations occurred when the cornerback was matched up with Green.

He also found it inexcusable that the officiating crew did not assess a facemask penalty on Bengals strong safety Shawn Williams for grabbing wide receiver Jamison Crowder at the goal line on a 33-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.

“We get a touchdown, no call,“ Norman said. “Now, defense? We go out there, and on the same sideline, we stop them for a run. We get in there and he said he called a facemask, but there was no evidence of that. It was a scrum. How did you see the scrum facemask, but you did not see the blatant one when it was just him?“

Freeman was unavailable to respond to Norman’s comments after the game. When approached, a Redskins spokesman said he had already seen the bus carrying the officials leave the stadium.

Carr sets record in Raiders win

The Raiders have unwavering faith in Derek Carr.

“It’s always great when you trust, and that trust is rewarded,” coach Jack Del Rio said after Seth Roberts turned Carr’s fourth-down pass into a 41-yard touchdown in overtime, giving the AFC West co-leaders a victory over the Buccaneers.

“That builds confidence,” Del Rio added of Carr, who finished with a franchise-record 513 yards passing and four touchdowns, “and we’ll continue to grow as a football team.”

They did it by overcoming a NFL-record 23 penalties for 200 yards.

Carr broke the Raiders’ 52-year-old record for yards passing in a game, joining Y.A. Tittle and Ben Roethlisberger as the only players in league history to throw for 500-plus yards, four or more touchdowns and no interceptions.

The third-year pro said he got so emotional that he nearly broke into tears when he learned he replaced Cotton Davidson (427 yards, 1964) in the record book.

“Not in a weird way, just like that’s stuff you dream of as a kid,” Carr said. “I’m just blessed.”