Patriots look toward future after regressingVideo
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots entered the 2020 season staring at an uncertain future. They ended it the same way. In their first season after Tom Brady’s departure in free agency to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Patriots regressed not just on offense but across the board. New...
Eagles face difficult decision regarding Carson WentzVideo
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles enter the offseason facing a major question they didn’t expect to have to answer this quickly. What will the team do with Carson Wentz? Three years after Wentz finished third in NFL MVP voting and the Eagles won the franchise’s only Super Bowl title behind...
After Bengals limp to finish, coach Zac Taylor gets vote of confidenceVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Less than 24 hours after Cincinnati fell flat in the final game of another frustrating season, Bengals president Mike Brown made it clear he still thinks coach Zac Taylor is the guy who can turn the ship around. So the 37-year-old Taylor, 6-25-1 in his first two...
Streaking Ravens look forward to ‘next challenge’ vs. TitansVideo
There might come a time when the Baltimore Ravens look back with pride at the late-season surge that got them into the playoffs for the third year in a row. For now, their scrutiny is on what happens next — with the objective of avoiding the one-and-done pattern that thus...
Baker Mayfield pushes Browns back into playoffs, rematch with SteelersVideo
CLEVELAND — Baker Mayfield forcefully planted his Browns flag Sunday. With the weight of a city’s football hopes riding on his back, Mayfield delivered for Cleveland and its long-suffering fans. Coming off an embarrassing performance a week earlier, Mayfield, who came into the NFL vowing to return a fallen franchise...
Browns lose DE Oliver Vernon for playoffs with torn Achilles tendon
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns starting defensive end Olivier Vernon ruptured his Achilles tendon during Sunday’s playoff-clinching win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and is done for the season. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Vernon, who has played well in his second year with Cleveland, will have surgery. “Obviously, I’m very...
Chargers fire head coach Anthony Lynn after 4 seasons
COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers have fired coach Anthony Lynn less than two seasons after he led the franchise to the AFC divisional round. Lynn is the sixth NFL coach fired this season, joining Houston’s Bill O’Brien, Atlanta’s Dan Quinn, Detroit’s Matt Patricia, Jacksonville’s Doug Marrone and...
Jaguars fire coach Doug Marrone after 15th consecutive loss
The Jacksonville Jaguars fired coach Doug Marrone on Monday, a little more than 12 hours after ending the season with a 15th consecutive loss. It was a move many thought owner Shad Khan should have made at the end of the 2019 season. But Khan gave Marrone another chance to...
NFL playoff field: powerhouses, pretenders and a 7-9 team
From the rested in Kansas City and Pittsburgh to the relieved in Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles, the field for the Super Bowl chase is set. There are some powerhouses and some pretenders — and a team with a losing record. The reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs (14-2) and Green...
Washington beats the Eagles 20-14, captures NFC East title
PHILADELPHIA — Just call the Washington Football Team division champs. Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes and Washington beat the Philadelphia Eagles 20-14 Sunday night to capture the lowly NFC East. “This one’s special just because of how hard it was,” said Washington coach Ron Rivera, who overcame a form...
Browns, Bucs among newcomers as NFL playoff schedule comes into focusVideo
Welcome to the postseason, Cleveland. Cleveland? The Browns ended their string of non-playoff seasons Sunday with a tighter-than-expected 24-22 victory over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, who sat many of their starters. Cleveland returned to the NFL in 1999, made the playoffs in 2002, and then, zilch. Until now. “It’s a...
NFL Week 17 roundup: Giants outlast Cowboys, stay in running for NFC EastVideo
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants won. Now they wait. Rookie Xavier McKinney intercepted Dallas’ Andy Dalton in the end zone with 1:15 remaining, giving the Giants a 23-19 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday and a chance at an unprecedented, six-win playoff berth. New York’s postseason chances...
Ravens rush for 404 yards, steamroll Bengals to get into playoffsVideo
CINCINNATI — As one of the NFL’s worst covid-19 outbreaks sidelined star players, and injuries hit others, the Baltimore Ravens didn’t look like a playoff team in late November. But as quarterback Lamar Jackson came roaring back, so did Baltimore. After a Dec. 2 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers with...
Report: Carson Wentz will seek trade from EaglesVideo
Here we go again. Another week, another report about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz being disgruntled and wanting out. Only this time, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Wentz will seek a trade regardless of whether the Eagles stick with Jalen Hurts as their starter. This is because his relationship with...
Cowboys, Giants need win and Washington loss for playoffsVideo
Playing with a backup quarterback and a defense that finally has found itself, the Dallas Cowboys are the hottest team in the NFC East entering the final weekend of the regular season. It might not be good enough to get them back to the playoffs. The Cowboys (6-9) will try...
NFL races go down to the wire in AFC South, NFC East
As the calendar turns to 2021, the NFL is experiencing pretty much what it covets. Try two division races and five wild-card berths out of six still undecided. Not to go unnoticed, naturally, is that the league is about to finish an entire schedule on time, with a few postponements...
On Football: From 2020’s best play to its weirdest moment
The Associated Press will hand out its individual NFL awards on the night before the Super Bowl in Tampa. Until then, here are some off-the-beaten-track honors to consider. Best game: In Week 9, the first professional matchup of Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray lived up to the hype. The two...
Syracuse and Broncos great Floyd Little dies at 78Video
Floyd Little, the great running back who starred at Syracuse and for the Denver Broncos, died. He was 78. The Pro Football Hall of Fame said he died Friday night at his home in Nevada. No cause was given. “Floyd Little was not only a Hall of Fame running back,...
Browns down 2 more coaches for Steelers game because of covid issuesVideo
CLEVELAND — Down at least five players and three assistant coaches, the Cleveland Browns will try to become a playoff team again. Unable to practice most of the week because of covid-19 cases and protocols, the Browns said Saturday that offensive line coach Bill Callahan and assistant line coach Scott...
Alvin Kamara on covid-19 list, could miss Saints’ playoff opener
NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints have placed running back Alvin Kamara, who leads the club in both yards rushing and receiving, on their COVID-19 reserve list. The move means Kamara is unavailable for Sunday’s regular-season finale at Carolina and also could miss the Saints’ first playoff game if...
Browns get to practice as ‘weight’ of Steelers game sinks inVideo
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns rang in the new year by practicing. With everything else that transpired over the past week, that was a major victory. They’ll go for an even bigger one Sunday. After days of positive covid-19 tests, disruptions and delays, the Browns found some normalcy and reopened...
A season often in doubt to end on time, no cancellationsVideo
During the summer, with baseball just returning from its hiatus and the NHL and NBA scrambling to build “bubbles” to complete their interrupted seasons, many scoffed at the prospect of the NFL going through a four-month schedule on time. Without cancellations or significant delays, too, likely even to the staging...
Browns female executive Brownson to fill in again as coach Sunday against SteelersVideo
Cleveland Browns chief of staff Callie Brownson will fill in for wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This will be the second time Brownson has been called on by coach Kevin Stefanski. Earlier this season, she became the first female in NFL history to handle...
Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick tests positive for covid-19Video
MIAMI — Miami Dolphins backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tested positive for covid-19 and is expected to miss Sunday’s regular-season finale at Buffalo. Coach Brian Flores shared the news with Fitzpatrick’s teammates during a Zoom meeting Thursday, safety Eric Rowe said. Fitzpatrick’s positive test was first reported by NFL Network. “It...
New York makes exception to allow fans at Bills playoff game
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York is making an exception to its restrictions on large gatherings to allow about 6,700 fans to attend a Buffalo Bills home playoff game in January as long as all test negative beforehand. That’s about 10% of the stadium’s capacity. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the football...
