Are the Patriots trying to f*** with the Texans, Jimmy Garoppolo, or both?

We still don’t know if Jimmy Garoppolo is going to play this week or not. He was listed as limited at practice on Tuesday, but with a Thursday game, this seems more like Belichick trying to psyche out the competition. Or maybe there’s another mind game they’re playing.

Are the Patriots putting pressure on Garoppolo to play this week? That’s what some folks close to the team are suggesting. One went so far as to say that the Patriots told Garoppolo that Tom Brady played through a similar injury. However, he can barely lift his right arm, so maybe rushing him back onto the field isn’t the best idea. Then again, this is the Patriots, so who the hell knows?

All we know right now is that Bill Belichick is not a doctor, and he’s fine with that. To be honest, he would make a horrible doctor.

LIONS LOSE STARTING RB: Ameer Abdullah placed on injured reserve. The Detroit Lions starting running back is out at least six weeks. They added George Winn to practice squad.

PICKS PICKS PICKS: NFL picks 2016, Week 3: Experts see big wins for the Packers and Panthers. Sure, it’s not a stretch to see a unanimous vote for the Dolphins to beat the Browns, but is this week really that much of a sure thing for the Panthers and Packers?

HOPE FOR OAKLAND: Is there new hope for the Raiders to stay in Oakland? There is some more positive news coming out of Oakland Tuesday regarding a potential buyer for the Coliseum and some positive spin from Roger Goodell.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS: We want stars to speak out, unless we don’t like what they have to say. Two seasons ago, Marshawn Lynch was vilified for not talking to reporters. Now Colin Kaepernick is being treated the same way for speaking out. Who do we want our athletes to be?

MARTIN OUT FOR AWHILE: Doug Martin expected to miss time with hamstring injury. Charles Sims takes over as the Bucs’ lead running back.

SERIOUS BOAT RIDE: Ron Rivera’s not having any of your shenanigans. Longtime fans of the Panthers know very well the demeanor of Riverboat Ron Rivera. Contrary to the exuberant sounding nickname, Ron has only two facial settings on the sidelines: upset and not upset.

DAKTOBERFEST: Why Dak Prescott’s got this for Cowboys: Mom, family, community. Being a mama’s boy is who Dak Prescott is, growing up in a three-bedroom trailer in Princeton, La., before becoming a high school star at Haughton (La.) and college star at Mississippi State. Now he’s looking to do the same in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys.