Raiders’ Brock Bowers breaks Mike Ditka’s 1961 rookie tight end receiving record
NEW ORLEANS — Brock Bowers has broken Mike Ditka’s 1961 record for yards receiving by a rookie tight end. Drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders 13th overall out of Georgia, Bowers eclipsed Ditka’s mark of 1,076 yards when he made a 13-yard catch late in the second quarter on Sunday...
Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins come through for Bengals in OT
CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow threw his third touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1 minutes, 7 seconds left in overtime, and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a wild 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday. Following a Broncos punt, Burrow completed a 31-yard pass...
UConn beats North Carolina in Fenway Bowl
BOSTON — UConn’s victory in the Fenway Bowl showed North Carolina coach-in-waiting Bill Belichick how much work he has ahead of him. Joe Fagnano threw for 151 yards and two touchdowns to help the Huskies beat the Tar Heels, 27-14, on Saturday at Fenway Park, embarrassing Belichick’s new team in...
Justin Herbert tosses 3 TDs, Chargers clinch a playoff spot
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes, and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots on Saturday. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach,...
Georgia QB Carson Beck to enter NFL Draft after season-ending elbow injuryVideo
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck on Saturday announced his plans to enter the NFL Draft, five days after having season-ending elbow surgery. Beck, a fifth-year senior, made his NFL plans official on social media. He suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over...
Appeals court overturns ex-49er Dana Stubblefield’s rape conviction
LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court has overturned the rape conviction of former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield after determining prosecutors made racially discriminatory statements during the Black man’s trial. The retired football player was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in October 2020 after being convicted...
Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78Video
NEW YORK — Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster, has died from cancer, according to a statement from family released by CBS on Friday. He was 78. “He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic...
Browns restructure QB Deshaun Watson’s contract to create cap space, flexibilityVideo
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have again restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson’s massive contract to create salary-cap space and give them future flexibility, a person familiar with the move told the Associated Press on Friday. Watson has been limited to just 19 games in three seasons because of an NFL...
Jalen Hurts out for Eagles, former Steeler Kenny Pickett to start Sunday vs. CowboysVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts is still in the NFL’s concussion protocol, forcing the Philadelphia Eagles to play against Dallas without their star quarterback. The Eagles will turn to backup Kenny Pickett on Sunday because Hurts is still dealing with the lingering effects of a concussion suffered against Washington. Hurts was...
Williams, Woolen lead way as Seahawks beat struggling Bears 6-3 to boost playoff hopesVideo
CHICAGO — Riq Woolen intercepted Caleb Williams’ late pass, and the Seattle Seahawks boosted their fading playoff hopes, squeezing past Chicago, 6-3, on Thursday night to hand the Bears their 10th straight loss. Jason Myers kicked field goals on the game’s first possession and near the end of the second...
Cowboys shutting down CeeDee Lamb with 2 games to go because of shoulder injuryVideo
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are shutting down CeeDee Lamb with two games remaining after their 2023 All-Pro receiver spent the second half of the season dealing with a sprained right shoulder. The team said Thursday that additional exams revealed enough damage to keep Lamb off the field Sunday...
At least 65 million tune in for Netflix NFL Christmas Day games. NBA holiday ratings also skyrocketVideo
LeBron James is going to have to make room for the NFL. Wednesday’s doubleheader on Netflix set records as the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history, with numbers nearly five times more than the NBA. The Baltimore Ravens’ 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million, and Kansas City’s...
Analysis: Some Chiefs could rest for 24 days after team clinches No. 1 seed in AFCVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs earned a much-deserved extended rest after their Christmas Day rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which capped an unbeaten stretch of three games in 11 days and clinched them the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. That extended rest? Well, it can...
Analysis: Texans must get on track before playoffs after lopsided loss to RavensVideo
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans certainly didn’t look like a playoff team in a rout by the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday. With just one game left until the playoffs begin, the AFC South champions know they’ll have to get much better to be competitive in the postseason. “That’s not who...
Lions sign Teddy Bridgewater as a veteran backup QBVideo
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions are bringing back Teddy Bridgewater to give the team a veteran backup quarterback for their playoff run. Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that the team signed Bridgewater as another backup with second-year player Hendon Hooker behind starter Jared Goff. The Lions have clinched...
Ravens now in the AFC North driver’s seat after 3 convincing wins in 11-day stretch
Now Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens can rest a bit. They’ve certainly earned it. Baltimore’s 31-2 rout of Houston on Wednesday capped a sweep of a grueling stretch of three games in 11 days. Baltimore looked like a Super Bowl contender while handling the Giants, Steelers and Texans. A...
Lamar Jackson breaks NFL QB rushing record, accounts for 3 TDs as Ravens rout TexansVideo
HOUSTON — Lamar Jackson broke the NFL career rushing record for quarterbacks in the Baltimore Ravens’ victory over the Houston Texans on Wednesday. A highlight came when Jackson dashed 48 yards for a touchdown on a run where he reached a career-best top speed of 21.25 mph. “I was jogging,”...
Beyoncé’s performance highlights Netflix’s NFL debut on Christmas DayVideo
Beyoncé provided more excitement than either game during Netflix’s NFL debut on Christmas Day. Riding into her halftime appearance on a white horse, the 32-time Grammy winner rocked her hometown Houston crowd with a nearly 13-minute performance on Wednesday. She surprised fans by bringing along Shaboozey to perform “Sweet Honey...
Players have mixed feelings about being on the road on Christmas as NFL adds more holiday games
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Asked if there was any special meaning to playing on Christmas for a second straight season, Lamar Jackson paused for several seconds before answering. That said it all. “I mean, it is,” he finally replied, trying to be diplomatic. “That means we’re good. But at the...
1,000-yard rushers are keeping pace with 1,000-yard receivers for a change in the NFL
Led by free-agent bargains Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, the number of big-play running backs is rivaling the number of high-production wide receivers for a change. With two weeks remaining in the season, there are 11 players who have reached the 1,000-yard milestone in both rushing and receiving, a far...
NFL on Netflix: Christmas Day games are a 1st for streaming giant
Netflix will have one of its biggest days Wednesday since the site launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL games for the first time. “NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” begins with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m., before Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City. Baltimore faces Houston in the second...
Ex-Eagles player pleads guilty to federal fraud charges related to pandemic aid programs
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood Jr. has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after he was accused of submitting fraudulent tax returns and applications for hundreds of thousands of dollars in covid-19 pandemic aid programs. The signed plea agreement was approved Friday by a federal...
NFL players who use platform to share their faith say it’s their duty to spread their love of Jesus
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Jake Bates was standing on the turf in his hometown of Houston when asked to reflect on an unlikely journey from learning how to sell bricks to making game-winning kicks for the Detroit Lions. Bates used his platform as an NFL player to spread his love...
Hobbled Texans will try to deal blow to Ravens’ AFC North title hopesVideo
HOUSTON — For a second straight season, the Houston Texans will be without Tank Dell to end the regular season and for the playoffs after the dynamic receiver suffered another major injury. Coach DeMeco Ryans revealed the details of the injury Monday before announcing that Dell (torn ACL, dislocated kneecap)...
Former NFL great Michael Vick introduced as Norfolk State’s football coach
NORFOLK, Va. — To shouts of “Coach” and “Let’s go Spartans,” Michael Vick was introduced Monday as Norfolk State’s football coach, a homecoming for the former NFL star and a splashy, attention-grabbing hire for a program that has struggled in recent years. Vick, who grew up about 30 minutes away...
