Brett Favre says he’s ‘unjustly smeared’ in welfare case
JACKSON, Miss. — Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre says he is being treated unfairly in news coverage of a Mississippi welfare scandal, including about payments he received to help fund a pet project of his — a volleyball arena at the university he attended and where his daughter was playing...
AP source: NFL to discuss roughing calls, no change imminent
The NFL did not give officials a directive to emphasize roughing-the-passer penalties following Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion, but the topic will be discussed next week when NFL owners meet in New York, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press. The person, speaking on condition...
Source: Raiders’ Adams could be suspended for shove
Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams could be suspended or fined for shoving a photographer to the ground as he left the field following Monday night’s loss at Kansas City. A person familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the league is reviewing Adams’ actions following...
Patrick Mahomes hits Travis Kelce for 4 TDs as Chiefs get past Raiders
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes to Travis Kelce, the Chiefs overcame an early 17-point deficit along with a dubious roughing-the-passer penalty, and Kansas City extended its mastery of the Las Vegas Raiders by holding on for a 30-29 victory Monday night. The Chiefs did it...
Reports: Panthers’ Baker Mayfield to miss time with high ankle sprainVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield has been diagnosed with a high left ankle sprain and is expected to miss several games, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person, who said Mayfield is expected to get a second opinion, spoke to the Associated Press on...
Brady: Buccaneers improving offense still a work in progressVideo
There’s one true barometer of success for a Tom Brady-led offense, and that’s if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers score enough points to win on a particular day. One week, attempting a season-high 52 passes while throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns without an interception didn’t get the job done...
Analysis: Bengals’ mistakes lead to another close lossVideo
CINCINNATI — After rolling to two straight victories, the Cincinnati Bengals stumbled again and lost to the Baltimore Ravens because of a late field goal. As in the two losses that started the season, the reigning AFC champs sputtered in the first half Sunday night, looked better in the second...
Analysis: Ravens win with legs of Justin Tucker and Lamar JacksonVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Justin Tucker’s winning kick felt pretty routine. The real indication of his greatness may have come earlier. In the third quarter, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh sent Tucker out to try a 58-yard field goal, even though a miss would have given Cincinnati the ball near midfield....
Analysis: Browns vow to fix run defense after Chargers’ dominant showingVideo
CLEVELAND — Hours after giving up 238 yards rushing to the NFL’s worst rushing team, the Browns traded for a linebacker who hasn’t played this season due to an injury. Desperate times. Cleveland’s defense is also broken. A unit that was supposed to be one of the team’s strengths —...
Deshaun Watson back with Browns, can attend meetings, not practice
CLEVELAND — Deshaun Watson was back among his teammates, doing things he may once have taken for granted. Cleveland’s franchise quarterback is still almost two months away from playing for the Browns, but took a major step Monday. Watson returned to the team’s training facility for the first time since...
Panthers fire Matt Rhule after 1-4 start; Steve Wilks takes over
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper said he ran out of patience with Matt Rhule’s inability to get the franchise “over the hump.” Tepper, a Pittsburgh native and Pitt and Carnegie Mellon graduate, fired his second coach in four years Monday, dismissing Rhule five games into his third...
Questionable roughing the passer calls raise more questions
TAMPA, Fla. — Can’t touch this. Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett found out the hard way when he sacked Tom Brady and got flagged for roughing the passer in the fourth quarter of Atlanta’s 21-15 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday. The questionable penalty that benefited Brady and the Buccaneers...
Justin Tucker’s leg lifts Ravens to 19-17 victory over Bengals
BALTIMORE — Justin Tucker kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final play to lift the Baltimore Ravens over the Cincinnati Bengals, 19-17, on Sunday night and into sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Tucker also made a 58-yard kick in the third quarter, and even when...
Panthers QB Baker Mayfield to have MRI on injured left ankle
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Baker Mayfield limped to the podium following the Carolina Panthers’ 37-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, his left foot in a walking boot. The quarterback said he plans to have an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. The former No. 1 overall...
NFL Week 5: Saquon Barkley’s late TD helps Giants edge Packers in LondonVideo
LONDON — Saquon Barkley took a direct snap and ran for a 2-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to cap the New York Giants’ 27-22 comeback victory over the Packers on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, spoiling Green Bay’s international debut. Aaron Rodgers drove the Packers to the 6-yard line,...
Chargers hang on to beat Browns despite coach’s failed gamble
CLEVELAND — Rookie Cade York missed a 54-yard field goal with 11 seconds left as Los Angeles held on for a 30-28 victory over the Cleveland Browns after Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley inexplicably gambled on a fourth down. York’s kick sailed right and allowed the Chargers (3-2) to...
Boy tackled by security after running on field at Bucs game
TAMPA, Fla. — A boy ran onto the field and was tackled hard by a security guard in the second quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. A woman who identified herself as the child’s mother told the Associated Press the boy is 10...
NFL concussion protocol changed after Tua Tagovailoa injury
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to modify the league’s concussion protocol following a joint investigation into the league’s procedures after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury against the Buffalo Bills last month. The league and players’ union said in a joint statement...
Roger Goodell: NFL to make ‘change or 2’ to concussion protocolVideo
LONDON — The NFL is prepared “to make a change or two” to its concussion protocol, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at a fan forum in London on Saturday as the league faces questions about how the Miami Dolphins handled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s recent injuries. Responding to a fan’s question...
NFL players union urges quick changes to concussion protocolVideo
NEW YORK — The NFL Players Association urged the league on Friday to implement changes to its concussion protocol in time to protect players in this weekend’s games. The players’ union wants to strengthen the protocol to avoid a repeat of what happened to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in...
Reaction to Colts-Broncos more offensive than game itself
And you thought the Steelers’ offense had its problems. The Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos played a Thursday night game for the ages — and not in a good way. Neither team scored a touchdown. Both quarterbacks — Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson (whom the Broncos signed to the second-largest...
Colts grind out 12-9 win over Broncos in injury-filled gameVideo
DENVER — Stephon Gilmore batted away Russell Wilson’s pass to Courtland Sutton in the end zone on fourth-and-1 from the 5 to give the Indianapolis Colts a 12-9 overtime victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. Gilmore also intercepted Wilson’s pass in the fourth quarter to help set up...
After being swept last season, Ravens face Bengals again
If there was a single moment when the Cincinnati Bengals announced their arrival as contenders last year, it may have been in Week 7 at Baltimore, when Ja’Marr Chase caught a short pass in front of Marlon Humphrey, spun past Chuck Clark and was gone for an 82-yard touchdown. “We...
Broncos’ Russell Wilson, Colts’ Matt Ryan enduring rough transitions to new teamsVideo
DENVER — Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan can feel each other’s pain. None of the nine NFL teams that changed quarterbacks this season has a winning record heading into October. Two of them square off Thursday night when Ryan’s beleaguered Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1) visit Wilson’s banged-up Denver Broncos (2-2). Both...
Jordan Poyer plays key role in Bills’ injury-filled secondaryVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — With multiple injuries to their secondary, the Buffalo Bills have relied on safety Jordan Poyer more than ever. He’s relishing the opportunity. In the three games Poyer has played for Buffalo this season, the Bills have not allowed a single point in the second half. “That’s...
