NFL Notes: Buccaneers, Giants, Panthers, Vikings

Buccaneers

• Buccaneers DE Ryan Russell told reporters on Monday that he’s being re-evaluated to see how his injured shoulder has recovered. Russell added that he’s hoping to practice and play this week. (Greg Auman)

Giants

• Jordan Raanan reports that the Giants are concerned about CB Janoris Jenkins‘ ankle and plan to have him checked out on Monday.

Panthers

Panthers QB Cam Newton said after Sunday’s loss to the Bears that they will need to get better offensively and called their Week 7 performance “unacceptable.”

“There’s no excuse not to come in and find a way to win this football game,” Newton said, via Panthers.com. “We squandered that opportunity.

“We have to get the job done, and offensively we didn’t. We didn’t get an opportunity to get in the red zone and that’s unacceptable. We will and have to be better.”

Vikings

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the Vikings don’t want QB Teddy Bridgewater to play right now and risk a potential re-injury of his surgically repaired knee.

A source explained to Florio that the Vikings and Bridgewater don’t want him to suit up and play in their Week 8 game in London, considering that the field over there is a notoriously slippery surface.

The Vikings have a bye in Week 9, which means Week 10 will likely be the earliest he’ll return and possibly play.

However, Vikings HC Mike Zimmer told reporters on Monday that this is the first he’s heard about these concerns.

“There was a report that said we didn’t want to play Teddy in London because of a slippery field,” Zimmer said, per Chris Tomasson. “That’s the first I’ve ever heard of it. That report is false.’’