17th game puts some NFL records within reach
Derrick Henry now has an extra game to help him surpass Eric Dickerson’s 37-year-old rushing record. The quest for the first 2,000-yard receiving season just got a little bit easier for big-play threats like Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins. And who knows what Patrick Mahomes can do to the record...
Cam Newton believes covid testing mishap contributed to Patriots’ release
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Former Patriots quarterback Cam Newton says he was caught by surprise by his release in New England and believes his weeklong absence near the end of training camp due to a mishap related to covid-19 testing protocols contributed to coach Bill Belichick’s decision. In a 45-minute video...
Jonas Shaffer: Ravens built dynamic offense on the cheap, and now they’re having to foot the bill
Two years ago, the Ravens had the best quarterback, best left tackle and one of the best tight ends in the NFL. They were the motors in their Maserati of an offense, finely tuned and high-speed, prone to the occasional breakdown but still a sight to behold. And what did...
Behind 4 TD passes from Tom Brady, Bucs sneak past Cowboys
TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns, helping the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off the NFL season with a mistake-filled 31-29 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. With seats in a NFL stadium filled to full capacity for the...
List of Ravens players with knee injuries continues to growVideo
BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens listed running back Gus Edwards and cornerback Marcus Peters as limited in practice Thursday, and ESPN later reported each player had a torn ACL. ESPN cited unidentified sources in its report. Losing Edwards would be another major blow to Baltimore’s backfield after the Ravens lost...
Packers’ Aaron Rodgers says uncertain future doesn’t create extra pressureVideo
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers acknowledges this season feels different because of the uncertainty surrounding how much longer he and some teammates might remain in Green Bay. But he doesn’t believe those questions will hinder his focus as the reigning MVP heads into his 17th — and...
Tom Brady, Buccaneers begin defense of title against CowboysVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Lofty, maybe even gargantuan, expectations don’t faze Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The reigning Super Bowl champions open the 2021 NFL season against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, confident they have everything it takes — at least on paper — to become the first...
Stefon Diggs finds validation in being selected a Bills captainVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Stefon Diggs no longer needs to worry about whether he’ll be accepted in Buffalo. If the record-setting production the receiver put up last year in his first season with the Bills wasn’t enough, whatever lingering apprehensions Diggs might have had were put to rest Tuesday, when...
Vikings, former Pitt tackle Brian O’Neill agree to a contract extension
MINNEAPOLIS — Despite contract negotiations that dragged through the summer and into Week 1 of the regular season, right tackle Brian O’Neill said he was convinced Wednesday’s contract extension would get done eventually because of his desire to stay with the Vikings. “The certain point was earlier this offseason when...
Ravens signing former Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell to practice squadVideo
BALTIMORE — The Ravens have found another running back: Le’Veon Bell. The team is signing the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back to its practice squad, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed, and likely will add him to its 53-man roster when ready. ESPN first reported the deal Tuesday....
Gambling wave coming to NFL TV screens, but in moderationVideo
Al Michaels no longer has to subtly refer to the point spread if a game comes down to the wire on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” Now he can refer to it directly without worrying about drawing a comment from NFL officials in New York. Three years after the Supreme Court...
Ravens RB Justice Hill reportedly tears Achilles tendon; former Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell among players trying out
BALTIMORE — Ravens running back Justice Hill reportedly tore his Achilles tendon in practice last week, likely ending his season and forcing the team to scramble for a replacement ahead of next Monday’s season opener. Hill, who was not at practice Monday, was reportedly hurt Thursday, according to the NFL...
Derrick Henry poised to run into more NFL history in 2021
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Derrick Henry is a man of few words, preferring to work hard with a tunnel-vision focus and let his play do all the talking. Henry has been almost shouting the way he keeps running into the NFL record books. Now the NFL’s back-to-back rushing leader has the...
Former Super Bowl champ David Patten dies in motorcycle crashVideo
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former three-time Super Bowl champion David Patten Jr. died in a motorcycle accident. The Richland County (S.C.) Coroner identified the victim of a crash Thursday night as Patten, 47, who is from Columbia. Patten played with the New England Patriots from 2001 until 2004, wining three NFL...
Mark Madden: When it comes to NFL and vaccines, ‘dependability is more important than ability’
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he didn’t cut quarterback Cam Newton because Newton declined to get a covid vaccination. But absolutely, he did. Belichick just wasn’t dumb enough to say it out loud like Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer. Belichick doesn’t necessarily appear to be pro- or anti-vaccine,...
Colts’ Carson Wentz still weighing options after return from covid listVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Carson Wentz spent three days attending Zoom meetings and rehabbing his injured left foot at home. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback also used the time to think about how to avoid another trip to the reserve/covid-19 list. On Thursday, Wentz returned to practice still unvaccinated but with a stronger...
Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson among unsigned big namesVideo
NEW YORK — They were once at the top of the NFL — league MVPs, All-Pros, Pro Bowlers and faces of franchises. With the regular season about to kick off, they’re now at the front of the unemployment line. Cam Newton, Adrian Peterson, Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley and Richard Sherman...
Ex-NFL player Keith McCants, 53, found dead in Florida home
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Former NFL player Keith McCants was found dead Thursday at his home in Florida after a suspected drug overdose, investigators said. He was 53. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in an email that deputies were called to a St. Petersburg home about 5:10 a.m. Thursday....
NFL returns social justice helmet decals, end zone stencils
NFL players can wear social justice messages on their helmets again this season and “It Takes All of Us” and “End Racism” will be stenciled in end zones for the second straight year as part of the league’s Inspire Change platform. The league will also bring back the “Say Their...
Joe Burrow, Bengals healthy and hopeful after 2020 debacleVideo
CINCINNATI — Plagued by injuries to key players — including franchise quarterback Joe Burrow — on top of all the pandemic-related disruption, last season was a special kind of mess for the Cincinnati Bengals. There is plenty of reason to believe this season will be better than that 4-11-1 result...
Raiders seek to make strides on defense in Jon Gruden’s 4th year
The improvement the Las Vegas Raiders showed offensively in Year 3 under Jon Gruden was negated by the lack of progress on defense. The end result was another season without a winning record or playoff berth. That prompted an offseason of change for the Raiders, who brought in energetic new...
Rookie QB Mac Jones ushers in new era for revamped PatriotsVideo
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mac Jones has the keys to his first NFL offense. The rookie quarterback won’t be the only one tasked with steering the New England Patriots back into relevance in the AFC East after a fiasco of a first season without Tom Brady. Bill Belichick spent a lot...
High expectations again for Lamar Jackson, Ravens
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In 2 1/2 seasons as a starter, Lamar Jackson has been an offensive threat unlike any in the NFL. He won an MVP and eventually a playoff game, blending efficient passing with a running ability rarely seen in a quarterback. About all that’s left for the...
Saints’ opener vs. Packers moved to Jacksonville because of Hurricane IdaVideo
The New Orleans Saints will play their season opener in Jacksonville after being displaced by Hurricane Ida. Instead of playing in the Superdome for the Sept. 12 opener against the Green Bay Packers, the Saints will host the game at the home of the Jaguars, the NFL announced Wednesday. While...
Ravens sign former Penn State QB Trace McSorley to practice squad
The Baltimore Ravens officially signed Trace McSorley to their practice squad, the team announced Wednesday afternoon. The former Penn State quarterback didn’t stay away from the Ravens for long. The Ravens waived McSorley during roster cuts Tuesday, but Baltimore signed him back to its 16-man practice squad Wednesday, according to...
