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NFL category, Page 52

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
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 playoffs 
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 moments 
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 mindset 
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...
Helmet manufacturer: Mahomes’ shattered lid in playoff game ‘did its job’ 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The manufacturer of the helmet that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes shattered during their AFC wild-card game with Miami says it “did its job” by protecting the league MVP “during a head-to-head impact in unprecedented cold temperatures.” The game Saturday night was the fourth-coldest in NFL history....
Browns shake up offensive staff, coordinator Alex Van Pelt, 2 other assistants gone
CLEVELAND — For the second straight year, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has made a major offseason change to his staff. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has parted ways with the team, leaving just days after Cleveland was blown out in the wild-card round by Houston and following a season in...
Bills’ schedule could be disrupted with another snowstorm forecast to hit region
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Mother Nature might not be through complicating the Buffalo Bills’ playoff schedule, leaving coach Sean McDermott assessing his options Tuesday. McDermott said the team, for now, is still scheduled to practice Wednesday and Thursday, while monitoring a forecast that projects a lake-effect storm dumping nearly 2...
Ravens hope their bye has them refreshed and healthier for their playoff opener against Texans 
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Leave it to Roquan Smith, Baltimore’s chatty linebacker, to put the enormity of the postseason into words. “I don’t feel pressure at all, but some do say pressure bursts pipes and makes diamonds,” Smith said. “I know a lot of guys in there like diamonds, so...
Eagles center Jason Kelce intends to retire after 13 NFL seasons, AP sources say
PHILADELPHIA — Jason Kelce stood on the sideline in tears as the final seconds ticked off in his likely final NFL game. Kelce embraced his long-time offensive line coach. He removed his helmet once the game ended — a Philadelphia Eagles loss that completed a harrowing season-ending collapse — and...
3rd Chiefs-Bills playoff meeting in 4 seasons highlights NFL’s divisional round
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will have a third shot at Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. This time, Buffalo gets to play at home. And there won’t be a Super Bowl rematch between Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. At least not this season. Mahomes will...
Baker Mayfield throws for 337 yards and 3 TDs to lead Buccaneers to NFC wild-card rout of Eagles
TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns to lead the resurgent Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 32-9 wild-card playoff victory over Jalen Hurts and the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. The Bucs (10-8) won for the sixth time in seven games to...
Overachieving Rams head into brighter future after playoff loss
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams improved more quickly and won more games than almost anybody expected this season. That didn’t make their one-point road playoff loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday any less painful in the moment. But once the sting wears off, Matthew Stafford and his...
Heisman winner Caleb Williams formally leaves USC, enters NFL draft as potential No. 1 pick
LOS ANGELES — Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams has formally entered the NFL draft, leaving Southern California after two prolific seasons. Williams made his long-anticipated announcement on social media Monday, the final day for underclassmen to enter the draft. He is widely considered the favorite to be the No. 1...
Future gets cloudy for Cowboys after another playoff flop
ARLINGTON, Texas — Jerry Jones has watched his Dallas Cowboys lose their playoff opener twice as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The club’s owner and general manager endured the Dez Bryant catch that wasn’t in Green Bay when Dallas appeared good enough for a deep run but lost...
Analysis: After another playoff failure, only Bill Belichick can save Cowboys
Jimmy Johnson showed more passion for winning on television than any of the Dallas Cowboys did on the field. Now, Jerry Jones should turn to another coaching icon to save his franchise. Speculation about Bill Belichick has ramped up. He’s already the odds-on favorite to be the next coach in...
Stunned Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t address Mike McCarthy’s future after wild-card loss
ARLINGTON, Texas — Ashen-faced Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wasn’t ready to discuss the future of coach Mike McCarthy, quarterback Dak Prescott or anything else after a stunning playoff loss to Green Bay. “This is one of my (biggest) surprises since I’ve been involved in sport, period,” Jones said after...
Jared Goff leads Lions to 1st playoff win in 32 years, 24-23 over Matthew Stafford, Rams
DETROIT — Jared Goff threw for a touchdown and completed a game-sealing first down against the team that cast him away, and the Detroit Lions won a playoff game for the first time in 32 years, beating Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 on Sunday night. The Lions...


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