Chargers’ Justin Herbert, Brandon Staley ponder what went wrong
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Justin Herbert sat in silence at his locker for roughly 15 minutes, staring into the distance. He had taken off his cleats but still was wearing most of his grass-stained uniform. It was a defining scene for a team devastated by a collapse no one could have...
Bills hang on for 34-31 wild-card win over DolphinsVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Josh Allen shrugged off a three-turnover outing by throwing two touchdown passes 3 minutes, 11 seconds apart in the third quarter and rallying the Buffalo Bills to a 34-31 win over the injury-depleted Miami Dolphins in an AFC wild-card matchup Sunday. Cole Beasley scored the go-ahead...
Damar Hamlin cheers on Bills from home, says ‘heart is with’ team
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who is still recovering after going into cardiac arrest on the field in Cincinnati two weeks ago, cheered via Twitter from home Sunday during Buffalo’s wild-card playoff home game against the Miami Dolphins. “My heart is with my guys as they compete...
Lawrence rallies Jaguars from 27 down to beat Chargers 31-30
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence’s confidence somehow never wavered. Not after the first interception. Or the second. Or the third. Or even the fourth. The generational quarterback simply delivered a generational comeback. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft followed four interceptions with four touchdown passes — one...
Brock Purdy’s 4 TDs lead 49ers past Seahawks in playoffsVideo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth score in his playoff debut, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a wild-card game Saturday. Purdy picked up where he left off in the regular season for...
AP source: Hamlin visits teammates for 1st time since injuryVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Damar Hamlin visited with teammates at the Bills facility on Saturday for the first time since being discharged from a Buffalo hospital and about two weeks after the safety went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati....
NFL regular-season TV ratings down 3% over last seasonVideo
NFL regular-season ratings saw a 3% decrease from last season, which was not unexpected with “Thursday Night Football” moving from Fox and NFL Network to exclusively airing on Amazon Prime Video. The 272 regular-season games averaged 16.7 million viewers across TV and digital platforms. The league also said that 185...
Sean McVay decides to keep coaching, stays with Rams
LOS ANGELES — Sean McVay has decided to return for a seventh season with the Los Angeles Rams after taking a break to contemplate his future following the first losing season of his career. The youngest coach in NFL history to win the Super Bowl has decided not to take...
Vikings get upstart Giants in playoffs with ‘do it now’ viewVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings quickly found their stride under rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell as a confident, close-knit and resilient team — featuring the league’s leading receiver — with an NFL-record 11 wins by eight points or fewer. Just because O’Connell’s career is ascending doesn’t mean this season of...
Playoffs pit Bengals against Ravens in quick rematchVideo
CINCINNATI — The Bengals and Ravens play for the second consecutive week — and third time this season — on Sunday night in a wild-card playoff game. The AFC North rivals know each other pretty well by now. “They know what we try to do on offense, We know what...
Bills turn focus to Dolphins with Damar Hamlin recovering at homeVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — With Damar Hamlin recovering at home, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott smiled when asked if he thought the tide of bad news might finally be turning for his team. And he jumped on an opportunity to move forward to Sunday, when the AFC East champion Bills...
49ers seeking 3-game sweep vs. Seahawks in wild-card gameVideo
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan knows the challenges of trying to beat an opponent three times in a season after falling short a year ago in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers open this postseason with a similar challenge when they host NFC West rival Seattle in...
Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence, Chargers’ Justin Herbert face off in playoff debutsVideo
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence feels as if he has been in the playoffs the past two months. Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars were 3-7 and four games behind division-leading Tennessee in late November. It was clear they needed to find ways to start winning close games. Lawrence easily could...
Jadeveon Clowney apologizes to Myles Garrett for Browns favoritism commentsVideo
CLEVELAND — Jadeveon Clowney now says he’s sorry. Clowney said he apologized to Browns star Myles Garrett more than a week after the defensive end criticized Cleveland, saying the organization favored his teammate and was more focused on getting him to the Hall of Fame than winning. Clowney also claims...
NFL All-Pros: Travis Kelce, Justin Jefferson unanimous; 16 first-timers
Travis Kelce and Justin Jefferson are unanimous choices for The Associated Press 2022 NFL All-Pro Team, and Sauce Gardner is the first rookie cornerback selected in 41 years. The Chiefs’ Kelce and the Vikings’ Jefferson received first-team votes Friday from all 50 members of a nationwide panel of media members...
Raiders QB Derek Carr says he embraces challenge of new city, teamVideo
LAS VEGAS — Quarterback Derek Carr said Thursday in his first public comments since being benched by Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels that he is ready for the challenge of playing in a new city. “I once said that if I’m not a Raider I would rather be at...
Bills coach Sean McDermott hailed for leading through emotional weekVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Jimmye Laycock’s first thought during those initial chilling moments went to Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who collapsed on the field in Cincinnati last week. The former William & Mary coach’s second thought, upon seeing teary-eyed players’ reactions, then turned to Sean McDermott, the Bills...
Lamar Jackson says in tweet he’s suffered grade 2 PCL sprain
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens still are practicing without Lamar Jackson. Thursday, however, included one significant development — an update from the star quarterback’s Twitter account. “Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries. I want to give you all an update as I am...
Atlanta will be site if Bills, Chiefs meet for AFC title
NEW YORK — Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be the neutral site if Buffalo and Kansas City meet in the AFC championship game. The NFL decided to put that potential matchup in a neutral city after the Bills’ Week 17 game against Cincinnati was canceled when Damar Hamlin went into cardiac...
Steelers assistant Brian Flores interviews with Browns to run their defense
CLEVELAND — Brian Flores landed in the AFC North last season. He might be ready to make a move inside the division. Flores, who joined coach Mike Tomlin’s staff in Pittsburgh following his messy departure in Miami, is interviewing with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday to be their new defensive...
Bears hire Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren as team president
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears hired Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren as their president and CEO on Thursday, bringing him back to the NFL to help lead a founding franchise after three years running one of college athletics’ marquee conferences. Warren replaces the retiring Ted Phillips and becomes the Bears’...
Bengals will rely on O-line replacements to slow down RavensVideo
CINCINNATI — With guard Alex Cappa sidelined, the Cincinnati Bengals are faced with starting two backups on the right side of the offensive line for Sunday’s playoff game. Coach Zac Taylor said Wednesday that Cappa’s injury, suffered in last week’s game, will keep him out of at least the opening...
Lamar Jackson still absent during open portion of Ravens practiceVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — When it comes to Lamar Jackson, no news feels like bad news for Baltimore fans. The Ravens practiced Wednesday in preparation for their playoff opener at Cincinnati, and Jackson again was absent. If there was any remaining hope that the star quarterback could make a dramatic...
Tua Tagovailoa ruled out of Dolphins’ playoff game vs. Bills
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has not been cleared to return to football activities and has been ruled out for Sunday’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills as he remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. The Dolphins are preparing for rookie...
NFL Pro Bowl skills competitions announced
LAS VEGAS — The NFL announced all eight skills competitions for its revamped Pro Bowl week on Wednesday. Five of the events will be Feb. 2 at Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center, the headquarters for the Las Vegas Raiders. Those will be televised but not open to the public. The rest...
