Another early playoff exit adds to Seahawks frustrationVideo
SEATTLE — For all the success through the years, there is an indisputable fact Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks more veteran players can’t avoid. Since the Seahawks’ loss to New England in the Super Bowl in February 2015, their playoff performances have been complete...
Lamar Jackson ends playoff drought by leading Ravens past TitansVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Lamar Jackson finally has his first postseason victory — and on the road, no less. Combine that with Baltimore smothering 2,000-yard rusher Derrick Henry, and the Ravens look playoff tough. Jackson ran for 136 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown, and threw for 179 more as the Ravens...
Brady outduels Heinicke, leads Buccaneers past Washington
LANDOVER, Md. — New team, same swashbuckling playoff success for Tom Brady. Brady threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers past Washington 31-23 in their NFC wild-card game Saturday night for their first playoff victory since the 2002 season. Brady was critical of his...
Rams get better of division-rival Seahawks in 1st roundVideo
SEATTLE — A lot of Cam Akers churning yards on the ground and mostly a great defense has the Los Angeles Rams moving on in the NFC playoffs at the expense of the division-foe Seattle Seahawks. Akers rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown, Darious Williams returned Russell Wilson’s interception...
Saints not taking underdog Bears for grantedVideo
NEW ORLEANS — Saints linebacker Demario Davis’ largely productive NFL career also has had its share of disappointing, teachable moments. Losing seasons with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns helped Davis cherish recent postseason opportunities with New Orleans. And in the playoffs, Davis has experienced excruciating losses in each...
Allen leads Bills past Colts in AFC wild-card gameVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Quarterback Josh Allen and safety Micah Hyde teamed up to make the Buffalo Bills’ losing past history. Now do you Bill-ieve? In a season in which the Bills busted numerous slumps, Allen became Buffalo’s first starter in a quarter century to win a playoff game. And...
Aaron Donald, Travis Kelce unanimous AP All-Pro Team choices
Dynamic defensive star Aaron Donald and unstoppable tight end Travis Kelce are unanimous choices Friday for The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team. Donald, a Penn Hills and Pitt grad, and Kelce swept the votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. It is the...
AFC playoff breakdown: Chiefs, Mahomes try to repeat as championsVideo
So often, uneasy is the head that wears the crown. Yet the Kansas City Chiefs followed their first Super Bowl title in half a century by posting the NFL’s best record at 14-2, earning the AFC’s only first-round bye in the expanded playoff format. The Chiefs didn’t dominate teams as...
NFC playoff breakdown: Packers back on top thanks to RodgersVideo
The NFC playoff field features the usual cast of quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. Now there’s also Tom Brady, who tormented the AFC field for two decades in New England. The NFC field features two teams with non-winning records: the Bears (8-8) and Washington (7-9), the...
Mayfield warns don’t count out Browns vs. SteelersVideo
The odds are stacked against the Cleveland Browns as they prepare for their first playoff game in 18 years. Let’s go through a quick list … — The Browns have yet to practice this week because of their ongoing covid-19 issues. — Kevin Stefanski won’t be able to coach them...
Katie Sowers parts with 49ers after 4 seasons in pioneering role
Katie Sowers’ pioneering tenure with the 49ers is done after four seasons, she told the (San Jose) Mercury News Thursday. Sowers served as the franchise’s first female assistant coach and the NFL’s first openly gay coach. “I will sadly not be back,” Sowers confirmed in a text message, without further...
Jets interview former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis for vacancy
NEW YORK — The New York Jets interviewed former Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis on Thursday for their head coaching vacancy. Lewis is currently on former Jets coach Herman Edwards’ staff at Arizona State as the Sun Devils’ co-defensive coordinator. The 62-year-old Lewis is the second known candidate with whom...
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson itching to add playoff win to solid resume
Lamar Jackson has an NFL MVP Trophy, two 1,000-yard rushing seasons and a 30-7 regular-season record as the Baltimore Ravens starting quarterback. What he doesn’t have is a playoff victory, a bothersome shortcoming Jackson intends to rectify Sunday on the road against the Tennessee Titans. Jackson’s postseason ledger began with...
Titans’ woeful defense sees postseason as fresh start
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Postseason means a fresh start, and the Tennessee Titans defense may be the unit most in need of just that opportunity. The Titans (11-5) won the AFC South almost in spite of a defense that ranked among the NFL’s worst in several categories. Tennessee’s high-scoring offense helped...
Testing replaces tailgating as Bills set to welcome fans
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Testing is replacing tailgating in the Bills Stadium parking lot, with a limited number of fans being allowed to attend Buffalo’s wild-card playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. Before that can happen, New York state guidelines require the approximate 6,700 fans, plus 200 employees...
Browns’ Rashard Higgins, Jedrick Wills cited for drag racingVideo
Cleveland Browns receiver Rashard Higgins and rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills were cited for drag racing by police Tuesday morning in Westlake, Ohio. According to an incident report and court records, the players were stopped in the suburb about 10 miles from the team’s headquarters. The report said a marijuana...
No place like home? NFL teams’ advantage vanishes in year of virusVideo
For the eight NFL teams guaranteed to host at least one game in the playoffs this month, the comfort of familiar surroundings can’t hurt their quest to reach the Super Bowl. Staying in the same time zone and avoiding airplanes and hotels ought to help players stay fresh. For the...
Jamal Adams, Carlos Dunlap find the playoffs in 1st seasons in SeattleVideo
RENTON, Wash. — When Jamal Adams and Carlos Dunlap each made it clear to their former employers they wanted out, part of the reason was so they could experience the postseason. For Adams, he wanted to get there for the first time. For Dunlap, he wanted another chance at a...
Steelers’ Alan Faneca makes list of 15 hall of fame finalists
Peyton Manning, no surprise, is among 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2021. Joining him is former Pittsburgh Steelers stalwart Alan Faneca — again. The star quarterback, owner of a record five NFL Most Valuable Player awards and two Super Bowl titles, was the first...
Dolphins GM regarding Tua: ‘He’s our starting quarterback’
MIAMI — Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier gave rookie Tua Tagovailoa a strong endorsement Tuesday, which may tamp down speculation about the team’s draft plans. Or not. Grier declined to discuss the draft, when Miami has the No. 3 overall pick and could take a quarterback in the first...
Mr. Smith goes to Washington, takes another team to playoffs
If the Alex Smith story becomes a movie, Alex Smith doesn’t want to see it. “Heck no,” he said, “I wouldn’t watch it.” Smith is living it and already documented the long journey back from breaking his right leg and needing 17 surgeries to rehab. As inspiring as it is...
Ravens rookie J.K. Dobbins belatedly emerges as impact runnerVideo
J.K. Dobbins knew his spectacular career at Ohio State provided no guarantee he would immediately become an NFL star. Dobbins was the first Buckeyes running back to rush for 1,000 yards as a freshman, sophomore and junior. He finished with 4,459 yards on the ground — second most in school...
Embattled Florida coach Dan Mullen reportedly interested in NFL openingsVideo
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Dan Mullen could be on the verge of opting out. A week after insisting he hadn’t even thought about the NFL, there are reports Mullen might walk away from the Gators, telling NFL teams he’s interested in making the jump to the pros. It was...
AP Source: Wentz needs time to think about future in Philly
PHILADELPHIA — Carson Wentz needs time away to think about his future with the Philadelphia Eagles and is hopeful it won’t end in a divorce, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Wentz was benched for the final four games of the worst season of...
NFL sets draft order for nonplayoff teamsVideo
NEW YORK — The NFL confirmed the order for April’s draft picks for the 18 nonplayoff qualifiers Monday, with tiebreakers determined by the ease of a team’s schedule. Jacksonville (1-15), which won its opener and lost its next 15 games, has the top selection, which it clinched in Week 16....
