Jordan Love’s strong 1st season as Packers QB ends with interception
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For all that went well in Jordan Love’s first season as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, the end proved disappointing. The Packers are headed home after a crushing playoff loss. Love threw his second interception of the game with Green Bay trying to...
Jared Goff throws 2 TD passes, Lions advance to NFC title game
DETROIT — Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes, and the Detroit Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-23, in a divisional-round playoff game Sunday, lifting the long-suffering franchise into the NFC championship for the first time in 32 years and just the second time in franchise history. The Lions (14-5)...
49ers stage 4th-quarter rally to put away pesky Packers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy’s throws were off target all night. The San Francisco defense kept giving up big plays. There were even a couple of special teams blunders. Just when it seemed like the top-seeded 49ers might be sent home in their first playoff game, they did something...
Lamar Jackson, Ravens pull away to beat Texans, reach AFC title game
BALTIMORE — Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores, and the Baltimore Ravens pulled away in the second half for a 34-10 win over the Houston Texans on Saturday to advance to the AFC championship game. On one of his most productive rushing days of the...
Josh Allen, Bills hope home-field edge will help them avoid another playoff loss to Chiefs
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — As much respect Josh Allen has for friend and occasional offseason golf partner Patrick Mahomes, the Buffalo Bills quarterback still can’t forget when his Kansas City Chiefs rival got the last laugh at his expense. The two were teammates in a made-for-TV golf event in June...
C.J. Stroud shows poise beyond his years in leading Texans
HOUSTON — Rookie C.J. Stroud impressed fans across the country with his poise and calmness in leading the Houston Texans to a win over the Cleveland Browns in his playoff debut. Though the performance was eye-opening to many, for those in Houston who know him best, it was just what...
Lions finally giving fans, including Eminem, chance to cheer for winner
DETROIT — Eminem stood alongside Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson before the Detroit Lions hosted a playoff game for the first time in three decades, soaking up an electric atmosphere at Ford Field. “The energy in the building was amazing,” Johnson said in a phone...
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews won’t play in playoff opener against Texans
BALTIMORE — Mark Andrews’ return to the Ravens’ lineup will have to wait a little longer. Baltimore did not activate the tight end from injured reserve Friday, meaning he will be unavailable when the Ravens host the Houston Texans in Saturday’s divisional round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. Andrews,...
Ravens ready to give Dalvin Cook a shot, but there’s no telling what to expect
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Even John Harbaugh isn’t sure what to expect from Dalvin Cook this weekend. The Baltimore coach sounds ready to put him on the field and find out. “It’s new. We haven’t seen him out there,” Harbaugh told reporters Thursday. “Just like you guys haven’t seen him,...
Atlanta Falcons complete 2nd interview with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick
ATLANTA — Bill Belichick completed his second coaching interview with the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, moving closer to joining the franchise that endured its biggest disappointment with him on the opposite sideline. The Falcons also met virtually with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, but all eyes were on Belichick...
Raiders hire Antonio Pierce as coach, remove ‘interim’ tag
Las Vegas Raiders players lobbied for Antonio Pierce to be the full-time head coach since he stepped in as the interim at midseason. On Friday, Pierce officially got the gig. The Raiders announced the hiring of Pierce as their new coach, crossing out the word “interim” in a post on...
John Harbaugh, with mix of love and old-school rigor, has Ravens set for playoff run
Anxiety percolated behind the scenes. How could it not? Lamar Jackson, the superstar quarterback around whom the Baltimore Ravens had shaped their roster and their plans, asked to be traded. John Harbaugh, entering his 16th season as the team’s coach, faced the prospect of starting over at the most important...
Packers QB Jordan Love offers different challenge for 49ers from past playoffs
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers had plenty of success going up against the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs when Aaron Rodgers was running the show. The Niners knocked Rodgers and the Packers out of the playoffs four times, including twice in the previous four seasons. While...
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, Texans’ C.J. Stroud ready for rematch
BALTIMORE — When Lamar Jackson and C.J. Stroud faced off in Week 1 back in September, it was not a good representation of how those two would play this season. Jackson threw an early interception. Each quarterback lost a fumble. Stroud was sacked five times and Jackson four. “I haven’t...
Mike McCarthy sells belief in playoff breakthrough that has eluded Cowboys
FRISCO, Texas — Mike McCarthy sifted through several versions of selling his belief that the Dallas Cowboys can find a level of postseason success that has eluded the storied franchise for nearly three decades. The coach faced reporters a day after a meeting with owner and general manager Jerry Jones...
Falcons plan for 2nd interview with Bill Belichick after talking with Eagles’ Brian Johnson
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons are planning for a second interview with Bill Belichick after talking with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson for the head coaching vacancy on Thursday. Belichick made the Falcons his first known interview Monday since leaving the New England Patriots. Belichick won a record six...
Kirk Cousins plans to be ready for OTAs in the spring after Achilles injury
Kirk Cousins plans to be ready to return for practice in the spring wherever he ends up playing next season. Cousins continues progressing from a torn Achilles tendon that ended his season after eight games. He’s set to become a free agent following six years with the Minnesota Vikings but...
Reba McEntire, Post Malone and Andra Day to sing during Super Bowl pregame
LOS ANGELES — Country music star Reba McEntire will grace next month’s Super Bowl stage to sing the national anthem while Post Malone will perform “America the Beautiful.” The performances will take place Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas before the championship matchup and halftime show featuring Usher....
Eagles face uncertain offseason after late-season collapse
PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Graham surveyed the media horde waiting to dissect the Eagles’ season-ending failure with players who packed up their lockers Wednesday and bellowed at reporters that they were out of luck for a story. “Y’all ain’t getting nothing,” he said, laughing. “All the bad stuff’s been reported already.”...
Mike McCarthy will return as coach of the Dallas Cowboys after stunning wild-card loss
Mike McCarthy will get another chance to end a nearly three-decade stretch without a deep playoff run for the Dallas Cowboys. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Wednesday night the Greenfield native will be back for a fifth season as coach after a stunning 48-32 wild-card loss to Green...
Patriots coach Jerod Mayo says ‘everything under consideration’ as new era begins
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Jerod Mayo will be a first-time head coach, and the youngest in the NFL. He’ll also be following one of the winningest coaches in NFL history in Bill Belichick, who built the New England Patriots into one of the league’s preeminent franchises. And the former Patriots player...
After waiting out the bye week, Lamar Jackson is ‘antsy’ to take the field for the playoffsVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Lamar Jackson might have a bit of cabin fever, NFL style. A first-round bye left the star quarterback with no game last weekend, and Jackson has made it clear that he’s itching to take the field and play. He has repeated one word in particular —...
Packers-49ers playoff rivalry has produced many memorable momentsVideo
Kyle Juszczyk remembers the different feel when he took the field for the first time in the playoff rivalry between his San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. Two storied franchises with rich traditions that produced big stars facing off against each other on the playoff stage. The teams...
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes hitting road for 1st time in playoffs to play Buffalo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes has done just about everything in his NFL career, particularly when it comes to the postseason. Five straight AFC title games. Three conference championships. Two Super Bowl titles. One shattered helmet. Mahomes will try something entirely new Sunday night, though, when he leads the...
First-year coach DeMeco Ryans transforms Texans with relentless mindsetVideo
HOUSTON — DeMeco Ryans was in high school when a coach told him if he wanted to make a career out of football, he would have to show great energy on every single snap. Ryans took that message to heart and now in his first year as coach of the...
