Sam Wyche, boundary-pushing coach of Bengals, dead at 74Video
Sam Wyche, who pushed the boundaries as an offensive innovator with the Cincinnati Bengals and challenged the NFL’s protocols along the way, has died. He was 74. Wyche, who had a history of blood clots in his lungs and had a heart transplant in 2016 in Charlotte, N.C., entered hospice...
NFC playoff breakdown: 49ers roar back as top seedVideo
For the first time since 1997, the San Francisco 49ers are the top seed in the NFC playoffs, a stunning turnaround for a team that owned the second overall pick in the NFL Draft just nine months ago. After four straight losing campaigns, including only 10 wins in coach Kyle...
AFC playoff breakdown: Tom Brady, Patriots don’t get usual R&RVideo
Tom Brady and the defending champion New England Patriots aren’t getting their usual bye week to rest, relax and recharge. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens earned the AFC’s top seed for the first time since the current playoff format was adopted in 1990. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City...
Now NFL rushing leader, Titans’ Derrick Henry his own worst criticVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — No one is a harsher critic of Titans running back Derrick Henry than himself. “I just want to do my job very well,” Henry said Wednesday. “If I don’t, I’m hard on myself. I just keep working until I get it right.” The NFL rushing leader and...
Browns, GM John Dorsey part ways after disappointing 6-10 seasonVideo
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns parted ways with general manager John Dorsey two days after the team fired coach Freddie Kitchens. Dorsey’s stunning departure on Tuesday came after he met with owner Jimmy Haslam, who is once again with his wife, Dee, cleaning house and restructuring the front office after...
Pat Leonard: Giants’ decision to retain Dave Gettleman promises continued irrelevanceVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Giants’ decision to retain GM Dave Gettleman is good news. It’s good news for the rest of the NFC East. “They won’t win with him,” one NFL source said. Gettleman is football’s poster boy for mocking analytics and forward thinking. In April 2018, he...
Jaguars keep Doug Marrone, Dave Caldwell despite another losing season
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars are retaining coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell despite consecutive losing seasons. Owner Shad Khan made the announcement Tuesday after “positive meetings” with Marrone, Caldwell, their staffs and several players. “This is not the time to consider an overhaul of our organization,”...
Source: Redskins hire former Panthers coach Ron RiveraVideo
It didn’t take long for former Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera to find a new job. Rivera will be named the new coach in Washington, barring any unexpected developments, The Observer confirmed with a source familiar with the team’s decision who isn’t authorized to speak publicly about it. Rivera’s imminent...
Ravens prepare for playoffs and potential exit by offensive coordinatorVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The mastermind behind the Baltimore Ravens’ prolific offense might be headed elsewhere after the team has completed its playoff run. Coach John Harbaugh confirmed Monday the Cleveland Browns have asked permission to talk to offensive coordinator Greg Roman about their vacant head coaching job, and the...
Browns set to interview Josh McDaniels, others for coaching jobVideo
BEREA, Ohio — Jarvis Landry believes he knows what the Browns are missing more than anything else. “Leadership,” the star wide receiver said Monday. A day after their season of great expectations ended in bitter disappointment, failure and another year out of the playoffs, the Browns began their search for...
Browns request to interview Josh McDaniels, Greg RomanVideo
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have asked permission to speak with New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman about their head coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the requests told the Associated Press on Monday. Cleveland fired Freddie Kitchens on Sunday night after a...
Redskins fire president Bruce Allen, eye Ron Rivera to coach
ASHBURN, Va. — Bruce Allen was mocked four years ago when he proclaimed that his perennially last-place Washington Redskins were “winning off the field.” More eye rolls arrived recently when Allen defended the club’s “culture.” After a lot of losing on the field and all manner of public relations disasters...
Giants fire coach Pat Shurmur, retain GM Dave GettlemanVideo
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants have fired coach Pat Shurmur after the once-proud franchise took a step back by winning four games in a season marked by a franchise record-tying nine-game losing streak. The Giants also announced Monday general manager Dave Gettleman will return despite seeing the...
First Call: Browns’ Baker Mayfield barks at fans; Bengals RB takes out ref; Blue Jackets’ John Tortorella epic rantVideo
In Monday’s “First Call,” another epic postgame rant from John Tortorella. Another Saquon Barkley highlight. More comedy from the Bengals. And more yapping from Baker Mayfield. ‘Torts-ing’ it up one more time in 2019 Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella went on one of his classic postgame tirades after a...
NFL playoff schedule: Teams, dates and times set
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season is over, but the NFL playoffs begin next weekend. In the AFC the Baltimore Ravens are the No. 1 seed and the Kansas City Chiefs grabbed the No. 2. On the NFC side the San Francisco 49ers won the No. 1, while the Green Bay Packers...
Analysis: Can NFL playoffs be as unpredictable as end of regular season?
If you predicted when December began that the Patriots would be playing in the wild-card round, take a bow. If you said back then the Eagles would win the NFC East, particularly after a loss at Miami and a string of injuries that would send most teams spiraling to the...
49ers win NFC West, No. 1 seed with win over Seahawks
SEATTLE — The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will go through San Francisco for the first time since 1997. By inches. The 49ers won the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 26-21 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night...
Packers barely beat Lions to earn first-round bye
DETROIT — Aaron Rodgers was on the money when Green Bay needed him most, overcoming one of his worst games this season. Rodgers threw a short and accurate pass to Aaron Jones, whose 31-yard reception set up Mason Crosby’s 33-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Packers to...
Coach Jason Garrett’s future murky with Cowboys
ARLINGTON, Texas — Jason Garrett says he doesn’t know if he’ll be coach of the Dallas Cowboys next year, and owner Jerry Jones won’t even acknowledge that there’s a decision to make regarding the leadership of an underachieving club. The mystery of a team that sagged under the weight of...
Coach Pat Shurmur’s job uncertain after Giants post 4-12 record
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Pat Shurmur is facing a very uncertain future as New York Giants coach after winning four games this season and nine overall in two seasons in charge. The Giants finished off a 4-12 season on Sunday, dropping a 34-17 decision at MetLife Stadium that allowed the...
Ron Rivera to meet with Redskins about coaching vacancy
WASHINGTON — Ron Rivera will meet with the Washington Redskins to discuss their head coaching vacancy. Agent Frank Bauer confirmed the former Carolina Panthers coach will visit the Redskins on Monday. Rivera coached the Panthers the past nine seasons and took them to a Super Bowl before being fired earlier...
Cowboys beat Redskins but miss playoffs with Eagles’ win
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes to help Dallas beat Washington 47-16 on Sunday, a win rendered meaningless when the Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs by Philadelphia’s victory over the New York Giants. The Cowboys (8-8) lost control of their playoff fate with a 17-9 loss...
One, done: Browns fire Freddie Kitchens after disappointing season
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns fired coach Freddie Kitchens after a disheartening season that didn’t come close to meeting expectations. Kitchens was let go Sunday night, hours after the Browns were beaten by the lowly Cincinnati Bengals (2-14) to finish 6-10 and miss the playoffs for the 17th straight...
Titans clinch playoff spot with win over Texans
HOUSTON — Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans ran their way into the playoffs, beating a Houston Texans team that rested several starters and setting up an intriguing first-round matchup with New England. Henry rushed for a season-high 211 yards and three touchdowns in the Titans’ 35-14 victory on Sunday....
Injury-ravaged Eagles beat Giants to win NFC East
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles are heading to the playoffs thanks to a group of players off the practice squad. Boston Scott ran for three touchdowns in the second half and the injury-ravaged Eagles beat the New York Giants 34-17 on Sunday to win the...
