Giants beat the Colts but lost the coveted No. 1 draft pick
The New York Giants lost by winning. A rare victory — 45-33 over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday — knocked the Giants out of control for the coveted No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. So much for Shedeur Sanders’ Giants-themed cleats unless New York trades up to get...
Patriots lead race for No. 1 overall pick in 2025 NFL Draft with week to go
Thanks to two rivals, the Patriots are in a position to pick atop the 2025 NFL Draft. The Patriots tentatively hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after the Giants beat the Colts on Sunday. Draft order is determined by record and strength of schedule. The...
Browns’ Myles Garrett makes history with 2 sacks, but another loss leaves him frustrated
CLEVELAND — Myles Garrett was in no mood to celebrate his birthday or making history. Garrett recorded two sacks to become the first NFL player with 14 sacks in four straight seasons, but the Cleveland Browns couldn’t do anything on offense during a 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins on...
NFC’s No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18
The NFC’s No. 1 seed will come down to the final week when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings. The winner takes the NFC North and gets a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser becomes the No. 5 seed and must play on...
Tyler Huntley-led Dolphins hand Browns 5th straight loss, keep playoff hopes aliveVideo
CLEVELAND — Tyler Huntley scrambled for a touchdown and threw for one while starting for Tua Tagovailoa, and the Miami Dolphins stayed in the playoff race heading into their season finale with a 20-3 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. With Tagovailoa sidelined by a hip injury, Huntley did...
NFL Week 17: Baker Mayfield throws 5 TD passes and Bucs keep playoff, NFC South hopes alive with rout of PanthersVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield threw for 359 yards and five touchdowns to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers keep their division and playoff hopes alive with a 48-14 rout of the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Tampa Bay’s fifth win in the past six weeks nudged the first-place Bucs (9-7) a...
Kenny Pickett says he’ll ‘be OK’ after rib injury knocks him out of dream start for EaglesVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Kenny Pickett had only fond memories of going to Eagles games with his dad and grandfather since the New Jersey native was 5 years old. Pickett rooted for greats such as Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook and could not believe his good fortune this week when he knew...
Eagles QB Tanner McKee gets 1st career TD football back with a little help from fansVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Tanner McKee’s first career NFL touchdown pass was thrown to a Philadelphia Eagles fan named Patrick. OK, McKee actually threw the 20-yard TD to Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J Brown, who — in a momentary lapse of reason — chucked the souvenir football into the Lincoln Financial field...
Analysis: Bengals keep confidence high with Steelers on tap in regular-season finaleVideo
CINCINNATI — Saturday’s wild overtime win over the Denver Broncos was the most important in what has been a mostly disappointing season for the Cincinnati Bengals. Not only did the Bengals (8-8) win their fourth straight for the first time this season and keep their slim playoff hopes alive, but...
Saquon Barkley tops 2,000 yards rushing as Eagles rout Cowboys to clinch NFC EastVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Nick Sirianni wore the hat given to NFC East champions as he sat at the podium and considered all the greatness that his Eagles still could accomplish this season. Personal goals, sure. Saquon Barkley has Eric Dickerson’s NFL rushing record in sight. Team goals, absolutely. There are playoff...
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...