D-coordinators bring head coaching chops to NFL title games
All four NFL teams playing in the conference championships have a defensive coordinator who flopped as a head coach but who has the chops as a lieutenant to help his team get to the Super Bowl. The NFC championship pits high-powered offenses led by Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady, who is...
Chiefs’ Tyrann Mathieu making most of opportunity
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs were coming off an AFC championship heartbreak against the New England Patriots that rested largely on the shoulders of their defense, which couldn’t stop Tom Brady and Co. in overtime. Not enough talent? Maybe. Not enough playmakers? Absolutely. Chiefs...
Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Bills’ Sean McDermott to match wits for AFC titleVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ten years after firing Sean McDermott as his defensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid will stare across the field inside Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday and see his protege trying to spoil his hopes of a Super Bowl repeat. Funny thing: Even after firing him,...
All eyes on QBs as Packers host Bucs for NFC championship
For as much as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have accomplished in their Hall of Fame-caliber careers, they’ve rarely faced off on the field. Never have they met with so much at stake. When Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers (14-3) host Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-5) in the NFC championship game...
Finally the go-to receiver, Diggs delivers for BillsVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — With his name plastered on election campaign-style lawns signs — “Allen-Diggs 2020” — popping up across Buffalo, receiver Stefon Diggs requires no further introduction. And yet, cornerback Tre’Davious White playfully decided one was necessary upon ending his Zoom call with reporters and Diggs waiting in the...
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes cleared to play in AFC championship
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was cleared Friday from the league’s concussion protocol after his third consecutive day of practice and will be under center when Kansas City plays the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game Sunday. Mahomes was hurt in the third quarter of the...
Antonio Brown out for Bucs in NFC title game
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers bolstered their defense for Sunday’s NFC championship game, activating nose tackle Vita Vea from the reserve/injured list. The third-year pro, one of the top run-stoppers in the NFL, has been sidelined since early October with a broken ankle. He resumed practicing with the...
Byron Leftwich helping Tom Brady transform potent Buccaneers offense
TAMPA, Fla. — Byron Leftwich remembers traveling to Lambeau Field for the first time, walking into the legendary stadium and soaking up the atmosphere. “When you think of it, it’s the mecca of football. … It’s like (Madison Square) Garden in basketball. I guess it’s like Wrigley Field in baseball....
Robert Saleh’s Jets path shaped by 9/11: ‘I’m supposed to be here’
NEW YORK — Robert Saleh was trudging along in his professional life nearly 20 years ago, trying to find satisfaction and direction. His brother’s harrowing experience during the 9/11 attacks changed all that. Now, Saleh is the coach of the New York Jets, coming to the city that shaped his...
Lions coach Dan Campbell: ‘We’re going to bite a kneecap off’
Dan Campbell is empathetic about the hard times people have had in Detroit, in their lives and as fans of the Detroit Lions. The new coach of the long-suffering franchise is fired up for an opportunity to help the NFL team and people in the Motor City. “We need to...
Chiefs’ Reid, Bills’ McDermott to match wits for AFC titleVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ten years after firing Sean McDermott as his defensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid will stare across the field inside Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday and see his protege trying to spoil his hopes of a Super Bowl repeat. Funny thing: Even after firing him,...
AP sources: Eagles plan to hire Colts OC Nick Sirianni
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles are nearing a deal to hire Nick Sirianni to be their head coach, according to two people familiar with the decision. Sirianni was the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts the past three seasons. He worked under coach Frank Reich, who was offensive coordinator in...
Packers realize how much Aaron Rodgers has at stake
Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers teammates understand what this NFC championship game means to the All-Pro quarterback’s legacy. Rodgers has delivered the kind of season that puts him in contention for a third MVP honor, which would match the total won by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. The Super...
Bills among defenses peaking at perfect timeVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Leslie Frazier’s faith in his Bills defense never wavered even at the lowest point of Buffalo’s season. It was mid-November, and the Bills were entering their bye week on the heels of a 32-30 defeat at Arizona. Immediately dubbed “The Hail Murray,” the Cardinals won on...
Tom Brady, talented Buccaneers playmakers developing chemistry
TAMPA, Fla. — When Tom Brady drops back in the pocket he has a bunch of options to attack opposing defenses, including a talented collection of receivers that’s possibly the best he’s played with in more than a decade — maybe even his entire career. For starters, Mike Evans is...
Ravens offseason priorities begin with improving pass attackVideo
The Baltimore Ravens have got the running game down pat, as evidenced by their back-to-back seasons with more than 3,000 yards rushing. Nothing wrong there. The defense is sound, too. Baltimore allowed fewer than 19 points per game and limited the prolific Buffalo offense to a touchdown and a field...
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes practices, remains in concussion protocolVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, but he practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, raising hopes the reigning Super Bowl MVP can play in Sunday’s AFC title game against Buffalo. The Chiefs typically breeze through practice Wednesday with little contact before ramping...
Browns GM praises Mayfield, won’t discuss plans for QB
CLEVELAND — Baker Mayfield checked every box for the Cleveland Browns this season: he matured as a player, took them back to the playoffs, solidified himself as a leader. Cleveland’s long search for a franchise quarterback appears to be over. “We’re very, very pleased with him,” general manager Andrew Berry...
Lions agree to terms with Saints’ Dan Campbell to be coach
The Detroit Lions have agreed to terms with Dan Campbell to be their coach. The Lions announced the agreement with the New Orleans Saints tight ends coach on Wednesday, one day after formally introducing Brad Holmes as their general manager. “With more than 20 years of experience as both a...
Football great Brian Urlacher’s brother pardoned by Trump
CHICAGO — The brother of Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, who faced federal charges that he recruited for a multi-million dollar illegal offshore gambling ring, has been pardoned by President Donald Trump. Casey Urlacher, the mayor of the tiny Chicago suburb of Mettawa, was among those pardoned...
Colts QB Philip Rivers, 39, retires from NFL after 17 seasons
INDIANAPOLIS — When Philip Rivers first started tossing footballs as a high-school ball boy, he heaved them any way he could. The throwing motion stuck — and success soon followed. Rivers used that strange, shot put-like style to land a college scholarship, become a first-round draft pick and eventually string...
Confident Devin White sets tone for rejuvenated Buccaneers defenseVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — No disrespect to Tom Brady, but young Tampa Bay linebacker Devin White wants the Buccaneers defense on the field with the game on the line. That’s how much confidence the second-year pro has in himself and a band of ball-hawking teammates who’ve helped the Bucs (13-5) reach...
Patrick Mahomes, other QBs in final 4 share affinity for deep throws
Just in case it matters, Chad Henne isn’t nearly as likely as Patrick Mahomes to chuck the ball deep down the field for the Kansas City Chiefs. The sample size is closer than people might think, as well. If Mahomes can’t start the AFC championship game against Buffalo because of...
Ravens release RB Mark Ingram, who lost starting job in 2020
Three-time Pro Bowl running back Mark Ingram was released by the Baltimore Ravens, who used the 10-year veteran as a starter for the first seven games this season before dropping him deep on the depth chart. The 31-year-old Ingram was on the inactive list for four of Baltimore’s last five...
QB Chad Henne ready as Chiefs look toward AFC title gameVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 35-year-old journeyman quarterback who made the two plucky plays in the final minutes of regulation that helped get the Kansas City Chiefs into the AFC championship game was fortunate to even be on the team. Chad Henne had spent nearly a decade with Miami and...
