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....
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...
