Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes wins MVP, Rams’ Aaron Donald repeats as top defensive player
ATLANTA — Patrick Mahomes’ breathtaking breakthrough season earned him the NFL’s MVP award. The Chiefs quarterback landed a pair of honors at NFL Honors on Saturday night, taking the Associated Press 2018 MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards. In his second pro season, Mahomes led Kansas City to...
Youth meets experience as Rams, Patriots clash in Super Bowl
ATLANTA — Hey, have you guys been here before? If you’re a New England Patriot, the answer pretty much is “all the time.” If you play for the Rams, the reply basically is “never in my life.” So if experience is a factor in Sunday’s Super Bowl, the overwhelming edge...
Steelers fan among 3 with perfect attendance for Super Bowl
ATLANTA — Don Crisman knows precisely when the streak began: Jan. 15, 1967. The ticket price for the Super Bowl at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was $12. “Good seats,” Crisman, 82, said. “You could buy $6 tickets, and $10. There were three prices.” On Sunday, Crisman, Pittsburgh Steelers fan...
After latest goodbye, Rams’ Aqib Talib says hello to another Super Bowl
ATLANTA — It might seem as though Aqib Talib says “goodbye” as often as the flight attendant standing at the front of the plane. And yet, he keeps resurfacing on good teams — and at the Super Bowl. The colorful cornerback brought his necklaces, his personality and, yes, even defensive...
Patriots right where they want to be entering Super Bowl
ATLANTA — The Super Bowls have become a yearly ritual for the New England Patriots under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. They’re back for the third straight year and the ninth time overall despite a taxing season that seemed doomed after Julian Edelman’s four-game suspension for performance-enhancers, a 1-2 start...
Rams really ready to knock off Patriots in Super Bowl
ATLANTA — The Los Angeles Rams aren’t ready to beat the Patriots, according to much of the conventional wisdom around the Super Bowl. Only four members of the upstart NFC champions have played in a Super Bowl. Even though the Rams are coming off a 13-3 regular season and two...
Here’s reportedly why Trump stopped bashing the NFL and players who protested
WASHINGTON — During his annual pre-Super Bowl news conference this week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sidestepped a question about President Donald Trump’s complaints that the game had gone soft, insisting, “We have a lot of fans, the president among them.” Trump may sometimes sound like Joey from Tarzana or some...
Penn Hills cherishes Aaron Donald as he prepares for Super Bowl debut
When Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald takes the field Sunday for the Super Bowl, millions will be watching — including those from Western Pennsylvania who knew him long before his time in the NFL. Those who watched the Penn Hills graduate before his professional football days expect Donald...
Steelers Nation shares mixed emotions about Tom Brady’s greatness
One thing we know for sure going into Super Bowl LIII: Many Steelers fans will passionately root against New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady. After all, Brady has dashed the Steelers’ championship dreams time and time again. How much heartbreak can one fan base take? Plus, he’s taking our...
The Rams just sold a year’s worth of gear in 10 days
The Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl berth has been good news for its merchandise business, with the team ringing up about $3.5 million in online sales in the 10 days after they clinched a spot in the big game. To put that number in perspective, it’s about the same amount...
Tom Brady, Jared Goff have massive age gap but same Super Bowl dreamVideo
ATLANTA — Tom Brady vividly remembers the first time he experienced all the hype, hoopla and heightened expectations of playing in the Super Bowl. The New England Patriots quarterback was just a wide-eyed yet supremely confident second-year player who was on the verge of jumpstarting what has become one of...
Super Bowl 2019: Some of the prop bets that are making the bookies nervous
At the SugarHouse Casino, they’re seeing a lot of action on C.J. Anderson scoring the first touchdown. The biggest liability for the William Hill-US bookmakers is whether James Develin will score. Most of their bettors are saying no, he will not. Some guy walked into Resorts Casino in Atlantic City...
Saints’ Payton says he ate ice cream, binge-watched Netflix after Rams loss
METAIRIE, La. — Saints coach Sean Payton turned to ice cream, binge-watching and seclusion after his team’s football season came to an excruciating end. Payton was finally ready on Wednesday to stand in front of reporters for his NFL-mandated, end-of-season media availability, some 10 days after New Orleans’ 26-23 overtime...
Super Bowl 53 on TV: A viewer’s guide to Sunday’s game
Sunday’s Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams marks the biggest day of sports broadcasting for networks. Here are some things to know about CBS’ coverage as well as other Super Bowl-related programming on other networks: ••• SUPER 20 FOR CBS This marks the 20th Super...
Roger Goodell admits blown call in Rams-Saints; NFL will consider replay for pass interference
ATLANTA — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that the league’s competition committee will consider the prospect of making pass interference calls subject to review by instant replay, but he stopped short of declaring that he favors such a change to the sport’s replay system. Goodell, speaking at his annual...
Rams’ Todd Gurley says he taught Patriots’ Sony Michel the basics at Georgia
ATLANTA — Todd Gurley says he often communicated with two other former Georgia running backs, Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, during the 2018 season. Now that Gurley and Michel are having a Super Bowl reunion as the leading rushers for the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, respectively, that...
Steel Valley product Luke Getsy named Packers’ QB coach
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers are bringing back Luke Getsy, this time as their quarterbacks coach to work with Aaron Rodgers. Getsy, a former Pitt quarterback and a Steel Valley product, spent four seasons on former coach Mike McCarthy’s staff before leaving to become Mississippi State’s offensive...
Old-school Rams DC Wade Phillips knows how to stop Tom Brady
ATLANTA — As Bum Phillips once said, “There’s two kinds of coaches: them that’s fired and them that’s gonna be fired.” His son, Wade Phillips, has been fired enough times to know how true that is: He has walked a broken line through the NFL with nine teams in 41...
Patriots’ Matthew Slater carries proud family football traditionVideo
ATLANTA — Matthew Slater is more than halfway to his father’s longevity as an NFL player. He doesn’t plan to equal it. The star special teamer of the New England Patriots just completed his 11th pro season, and he’s at his fifth Super Bowl, with two wins. In his dad...
Rams’ Brandin Cooks gets 2nd shot at Super Bowl after Patriots tradeVideo
ATLANTA — In the past three NFL seasons, Brandin Cooks has caught passes from Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Jared Goff while playing for Sean Payton, Bill Belichick and Sean McVay. “I guess I know how to pick ‘em, right?” Cooks asked Tuesday with a laugh. Cooks has racked up...
‘Bromance’ of Tom Brady and Julian Edelman key to Patriots success
ATLANTA — Teammates have called their relationship a “bromance.” Patriots quarterback Tom Brady himself openly uses the word love to describe his bond with Julian Edelman, a receiver he has come to depend on during his career. As the duo prepares to play in a fourth Super Bowl together, each...
Super Bowl media night more like mosh pit and Mardi Gras
ATLANTA — Super Bowl Media Night is the NFL’s version of a rock concert, with player interviews rather than music. It’s a Mardi Gras party, complete with the costumes. It’s a slow-motion stampede conducted mostly by quasi-media members or outright impostors. Some Los Angeles Rams players and coach Sean McVay...
Vinatieri, 46, signs contract to play another season in Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — Kicker Adam Vinatieri has signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. General manager Chris Ballard announced Friday the two sides had agreed to terms on a new deal. Vinatieri made it official with his signature Monday, then told reporters he was glad the process went smoothly and...
AP analysis: NFL centers seeing shorter career longevity
ORLANDO, Fla. — Pro Bowl center Alex Mack rattled off all he does before the snap: Checks for blitzes, keeps an eye on the play clock, makes blocking adjustments and communicates all the changes to everyone else. All that happens in seconds — with 300-pound defenders a few inches away...
Offensive lines key to Super Bowl for Patriots, Rams
ATLANTA — The Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots are bringing two of the top scoring offenses in the NFL to the Super Bowl. The reason they have played so well has a lot to do with the big guys playing up front. Los Angeles had the same offensive...
