NFL category, Page 270
Rams, Cowboys seek long-awaited postseason breakthroughsVideo
LOS ANGELES — As if the pressure of playing for the Los Angeles Rams’ first playoff victory in 14 years wasn’t enough, Todd Gurley carries an extra imperative into the Coliseum on Saturday night. “Basically, everybody I know hates the Cowboys,” the Rams’ All-Pro running back said. “They’ve been hitting...
Colts hope history repeats vs. Chiefs; K.C. hopes to reverse fortunes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Given the postseason history involving Indianapolis and Kansas City over the years, Andrew Luck and the Colts have every reason to feel confident heading to Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday. The Chiefs have every reason to believe they are due. Four times the teams have met in...
Offensive star power headlines Colts-Chiefs showdown
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Eric Ebron has seen the forecast for Saturday’s divisional playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs, where even the most optimistic of meteorologists are pegging the chances of rain or snow at about 50 percent. It doesn’t bother him. The Colts tight end...
Did Tyler Boyd perform beyond his contract terms?
The Cincinnati Bengals caught a bargain with Tyler Boyd this season. The former Pitt and Clairton star is one of five NFL finalists for the VIZIO Top Value Performer trophy. The award is given to the NFL player whose on-field performance most exceeds the value of his contract. Boyd, who...
Rams’ Whitworth looking for 1st playoff win in 8th trip
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Seven trips to the postseason and no wins can wear on a person. Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth has managed to keep his sense of humor. “This is the furthest I’ve been in the playoffs, even though we didn’t play last week,” Whitworth said....
Bruce Arians confident Buccaneers not far from playoff contention
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay’s bid to lure Bruce Arians out of retirement and back to the NFL included a pitch from baseball manager Joe Maddon. The 66-year-old Arians, a longtime Steelers offensive coordinator, grew up in York, not far from Maddon’s hometown of Hazelton. He and the Chicago Cubs...
Cowboys’ playoff trip to Rams is L.A. reunion for Tavon Austin
FRISCO, Texas — Tavon Austin’s fresh start with the Dallas Cowboys wasn’t much different than the stale final season the versatile receiver endured with the Los Angeles Rams. The difference is Austin has a chance to change the feeling — against his former team, in the divisional round of the...
Jets turn to ex-Dolphins coach Adam Gase to lead team
NEW YORK — The New York Jets hired former Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase as their head coach Wednesday night, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press. Gase was 23-26 in three seasons with Miami, including a playoff game in 2016, before being fired last week. It...
Patriots defense aims to win ‘mind game’ with crafty Philip Rivers
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers said thinking about how to defend against the Los Angeles Chargers has kept him up at night. “Over the bye, I had a dream about not setting the edge,” Flowers said this week. “I woke up, and it was a nightmare.” New...
Nick Foles knows time with Eagles likely nearing end
PHILADELPHIA — Nick Foles is in a unique situation, a Super Bowl MVP trying to lead his team to a second straight championship knowing he most likely will play somewhere else next season. Nothing about what Foles has done for the Philadelphia Eagles is ordinary. “I’m not worried about the...
Browns pick offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens as next coach
CLEVELAND — The Browns didn’t have to go far to find their new coach. Freddie Kitchens was already in the building. The 44-year-old Kitchens, who had a dazzling eight-week run as the team’s interim offensive coordinator, is finalizing a contract to become Cleveland’s ninth coach since the franchise’s 1999 rebirth,...
Kansas RB Pooka Williams granted diversion in battery case
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas running back Pooka Williams has been granted diversion in a domestic battery case. The Kansas City Star reports Williams appeared in court Wednesday. If he successfully completes diversion, the domestic battery charge would be kept off his record. An affidavit alleges that Williams punched an 18-year-old...
Arizona Cardinals hire ex-Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury
PHOENIX — The Arizona Cardinals have hired former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury as their head coach, a move aimed at providing guidance for young quarterback Josh Rosen and resuscitating the worst offense in the NFL. The Cardinals announced the hiring Tuesday after a long interview earlier in the day,...
Eagles are different team since worst loss by a champion
PHILADELPHIA — When the Philadelphia Eagles went to New Orleans in Week 11, their leaders lost their composure before the team lost the game. Carson Wentz walked off the field punching at the air after throwing one of his three interceptions, an uncharacteristic display of frustration by the third-year quarterback....
While teams seek next Sean McVay, he begins playoff run with Rams
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Most NFL teams with a head coaching vacancy this winter seem to be looking for the next Sean McVay. The original is still hard at work for the Los Angeles Rams, hoping to justify his enormous influence on the football world with a big postseason run....
Former Steelers offensive coordinator Arians hired as Buccaneers coach
TAMPA, Fla. — Bruce Arians is the latest coach entrusted to transform the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers into winners. The 66-year-old came out of a one-year retirement Tuesday to fill the team’s fifth coaching vacancy in a decade. Arians replaces Dirk Koetter, who was dismissed Dec. 30 after leading the...
Plum product Pat McAfee finding way around broadcast booth
INDIANAPOLIS — Pat McAfee watched those two agonizing bounces in Chicago on Sunday and immediately tried to put Cody Parkey’s missed field goal in perspective. He thought about the 27 death threats he received after missing a couple of costly kicks during one game in college. He felt horribly for...
Philly building trolls Bears’ kicker’s missed game-winning field goal
“Doink.” Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey missed a game-winning field goal in the final seconds against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon. And everyone in Philly is celebrating and piling on. Parkey’s kick struck the left goal post and then bounced off the bottom of the post failing to go...
Even in era of offense, NFL playoffs come down to defense
The NFL’s wild weekend of wild-card games demonstrated that even in this age of explosive offenses, defense still dominates in the playoffs and it often comes down to a toe, a few fingers or even a 40-year-old hamstring. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski’s season — and maybe career — ended when he...
Sarah Thomas to become first woman to officiate NFL playoff game
NFL official Sarah Thomas is set to be the first women to officiate a NFL playoff game on Sunday. Thomas will work the Los Angeles Chargers - New England Patriots matchup in Foxborough, Mass., joining Ron Torbert’s crew as a down judge, according to Football Zebras. Thomas became the first...
Chiefs’ struggling defense preps for Colts’ potent offense
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs defense had been hearing all season about how bad it has been and how it was the biggest threat to an offensive juggernaut falling short of the Super Bowl. Then, the Chiefs shut down the Oakland Raiders in Week 17. Now, the...
Reports: Matt LaFleur accepts offer to become Packers coach
NASHVILLE — The Green Bay Packers are turning to fast-rising offensive whiz Matt LaFleur to aid Aaron Rodgers and end a two-year absence from the postseason. LaFleur accepted an offer Monday to become the next head coach of the Packers, according to a person familiar with the decision. The person...
NFL wild-card round ratings up 12 percent over last year
The NFL’s strong regular season of TV ratings continued into its opening weekend of the postseason. The league said on Monday that there was an average of 28.4 million viewers for the four wild-card round games, which is a 12 percent increase over last year. The Philadelphia Eagles game against...
NFL officially rules Parkey’s missed FG as block; Penn Hills grad gets hand on it
PHILADELPHIA — Cody Parkey got an excuse he probably won’t use. Parkey’s missed 43-yard field goal in the final seconds that gave the Philadelphia Eagles a 16-15 upset win over the Chicago Bears in Sunday’s wild-card playoff game officially was ruled a block by the NFL. Video showed Philadelphia’s Treyvon...
Browns interview Colts’ Matt Eberflus after wild-card playoff win
CLEVELAND — Matt Eberflus has a past with the Browns. Maybe he’ll have a future as well. One day after his Indianapolis defense held quarterback Deshaun Watson and Houston’s offense to just seven points in an AFC wild-card win, Eberflus became the sixth candidate to interview for Cleveland’s open coaching...
