The NFL Thread

Eagles got a lucky break against 2 teams back to back with injured QBs and squandered it. They will still be a good team next time around, but now Salary cap will hurt them.

What can you say about Mahome - what a talent! Good job KC keeping the important pieces in place while maneuvering the salary cap. A very thoroughly deserved SB to KC!
 
The truth about Pat Tillman's death

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The truth, from me, about Pat Tillman - the truth about his life and his death that the NFL didn't tell you on Super Bowl Sunday, and that the Bush administration and the Pentagon tried to cover up. <br><br>Please do watch & share this important commentary: <a href="https://t.co/80qZrGL2T4">pic.twitter.com/80qZrGL2T4</a></p>— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan/status/1626419908803190785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones says he can no longer run or jump and that playing in the NFL has come at a "regrettable cost".
 
Aaron Rodgers says he plans to end his 18-year association with the Green Bay Packers and join the New York Jets.
 
Odell Beckham Jr agrees in principle to a one-year deal with Baltimore Ravens

Free agent Odell Beckham Jr has agreed in principle to a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens.

The wide receiver, 30, missed last year's NFL season after suffering a knee injury in the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl win over Cincinnati Bengals in 2022.

Odell will reportedly sign for $15m and could earn up to $3m more in incentives.

He confirmed the news on Instagram with a picture of his son in a Ravens shirt.

Odell, who was also linked with a move to the New York Jets, spent five seasons with the New York Giants and scored 44 touchdowns.

He switched to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 but his season was ended prematurely in 2020 when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a game against the Bengals.

Odell joined the Rams in November 2021 and scored the opening touchdown in the Super Bowl win but left the game in the second quarter after tearing his ACL again.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/65231443
 
Jalen Hurts: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback agrees record deal - report

Quarterback Jalen Hurts has agreed a new deal with the Philadelphia Eagles that makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history, according to a report.

The 24-year-old, who led the Eagles to Super Bowl 57 in February, has agreed a five-year extension to the end of 2028.

The deal is said to be worth $255m (£206m), meaning his annual salary will be the highest in NFL history.

Hurts was a leading contender for last season's Most Valuable Player award in just his third season in the league.

He lost out to Patrick Mahomes, whose Kansas City Chiefs team beat the Eagles to win Super Bowl 57.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/65305192
 
Five NFL players, including 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams, have been banned for violating gambling policy.
 
Jalen Hurts: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback agrees record deal - report

Quarterback Jalen Hurts has agreed a new deal with the Philadelphia Eagles that makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history, according to a report.

The 24-year-old, who led the Eagles to Super Bowl 57 in February, has agreed a five-year extension to the end of 2028.

The deal is said to be worth $255m (£206m), meaning his annual salary will be the highest in NFL history.

Hurts was a leading contender for last season's Most Valuable Player award in just his third season in the league.

He lost out to Patrick Mahomes, whose Kansas City Chiefs team beat the Eagles to win Super Bowl 57.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/65305192

My Boi gat Paiiddd...

Now lets build a great team around him, lets go Howie Roseman.

Fly Eagles Fly....
 
NFL: Aaron Rodgers to join New York Jets after trade deal agreed with Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers - the NFL's four-time Most Valuable Player - will join the New York Jets after they agreed a trade deal with the Green Bay Packers.

The quarterback said in March that he intended to end his 18-year spell with the Packers and join the Jets.

Rodgers, 39, had spent his entire NFL career with Green Bay, helping them win the Super Bowl in 2011.

"I know this, he will always be a Packer," said the team's general manager Brian Gutekunst.

"I have so much respect for Aaron and the person he is. He has done so much for this organisation."

The deal was delayed as the teams negotiated draft-pick compensation as Rodgers was still under contract with Green Bay having signed an extension last year.

As well as Rodgers, they will give the Jets a fifth-round pick in this year's NFL draft, which begins on Thursday.

The teams have also agreed to swap places in the first round of the draft, with Packers now having the 13th overall pick and the Jets 15th.

In addition, the Jets will give Green Bay picks in the second and sixth rounds, plus a second-round pick in the 2024 draft that could become a first-round pick if Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets' offensive snaps this coming season.

"He'll be missed," added Gutekunst. "Players like that don't come around very often. He'll be one of the best who has ever done it around here.

"But we are very excited about where we are going. This has all got to get finalised to get done. But we have a great appreciation for him."

Gutekunst said that the contracts must be signed on Tuesday.

"We've been working on this for a while," he said. "To get beyond the draft would have been tough for both teams."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/65381873
 
Lamar Jackson agrees record-breaking 'mega deal' to stay with Baltimore Ravens

Quarterback Lamar Jackson is staying with the Baltimore Ravens on a five-year "mega-deal," agreeing to terms mere hours before the start of the NFL Draft.

The Ravens revealed the news by posting a video message from Jackson on social media.

"You know, for the last few months, there's been a lot of 'he said, she said.' A lot of nail-biting, a lot of head-scratching going on," Jackson said.

"But for the next five years, there's a lot of flock going on," he added in a reference to the team's "Ravens Flock" nickname for Baltimore's fan base.

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It's believed that the deal now makes Jackson the highest paid player in NFL history based on average annual earnings.

NFL Network reported that after the Philadelphia Eagles awarded quarterback Jalen Hurts a record-setting five-year, $255m extension on April 17, the Ravens "offered [Jackson] a deal that trumped it," calling it a mega-deal.

This agreement ends a lengthy saga that heated up this spring when the 2019 NFL MVP revealed he'd requested a trade on March 2.

Jackson, 26, represented himself in negotiations. Talks geared towards a long-term deal were launched more than a year ago, general manager Eric DeCosta said.

Jackson missed the final five games of the 2022 regular season, plus the wild-card playoff loss at Cincinnati, with a knee sprain. He did not travel with the Ravens for the game against the Bengals, sparking speculation he was ready to move on in the offseason.

https://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/...aking-mega-deal-to-stay-with-baltimore-ravens
 
The Carolina Panthers selected former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the first pick of the 2023 NFL draft.

The 21-year-old, awarded the Heisman Trophy for best college player in 2021, had replaced CJ Stroud as favourite to be the first off the board.

Ex-Ohio State quarterback Stroud, also 21, was selected second by the Houston Texans in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Texans then made a big play by trading up from the 12th pick to third to take pass rusher Will Anderson Jr.

Ex-Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, whose athleticism has drawn comparisons with Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson, was taken fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts.

But the biggest story on draft day actually involved 26-year-old Jackson, the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2019.

Three hours before the draft started, the Ravens announced they had agreed a new five-year contract with Jackson reportedly worth $260m, which would make him the NFL's highest-paid player less than two weeks after Jalen Hurts claimed that title.

Baltimore have already boosted Jackson's offence by signing free agent Odell Beckham Jr and they added another wide receiver in the draft, claiming Zay Flowers with the 22nd pick.

It was thought as many as four quarterbacks could be among the first 10 picks, but Will Levis was kept waiting in the green room on day one.

Several trades made in draft-day scramble

Some NFL analysts predicted several draft-day trades in the scramble for the best young players coming out of the US college system.

There proved to be three among the first nine picks alone, plus the trade Carolina had already agreed last month to move up from ninth to gain the first overall pick from the Chicago Bears.

The Panthers were eager to acquire a franchise quarterback having gone through three starting QBs last season, when they missed out on the play-offs for a fifth straight year.

In Young they hope to have finally found a long-term successor to Cam Newton, who Carolina selected the only other time they had the first pick in 2011 and was the 2015 MVP as he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl.

Houston had draft capital as a result of Deshaun Watson's trade to the Cleveland Browns last year and they took advantage of it to claim the third pick from the Arizona Cardinals, who went back up from 12 to six to select tackle Paris Johnson Jr.

The Philadelphia Eagles, narrowly beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs in a thrilling Super Bowl in February, then traded up one spot to nine to reunite Jalen Carter with two of his former team-mates on the Georgia defence, who they drafted last year.

A total crowd of 300,000 people is expected at this year's draft; 17 of the top prospects attended, waiting to be called in an immaculate green room inside Kansas City's Union Station.

The NFL has constructed a giant stage in front of the building's iconic facade and Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce made an appearance during Thursday's festivities, showing off the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Kelce's mother Donna - renowned for speaking to worldwide media about the 'Kelce Bowl' before her sons Travis and Jason became the first brothers to play against each other in a Super Bowl - also appeared on stage to announce the 30th pick, with Philly adding another ex-Georgia player on defence as linebacker Nolan Smith became Jason Kelce's newest team-mate.

The three-day event continues with the second and third rounds on Friday (midnight BST).
 
2023 NFL Draft: Philadelphia Eagles select Georgia's Kelee Ringo on day three as Los Angeles Rams draft quarterback Stetson Bennett

The Philadelphia Eagles witnessed Georgia's defense dominate college football and decided they wanted in, bolstering their Bulldogs core again by selecting Kelee Ringo on day three of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Ringo had been among the marquee names still available, to the surprise of analysts, after being overlooked through the first three rounds of the Draft, before eventually landing in Philadelphia at 105th overall.

There was a feeling of inevitability as to his destination when the Eagles traded up before the start of round four, having already drafted Ringo's National Championship-winning Georgia teammates Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in round one on Thursday night.

Awaiting the trio is a reunion with Philly defensive tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean, with whom they also won the 2021 National Championship.

With the 259th and final pick of the 2023 Draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected Desjuan Johnson, making the Toledo defensive end this year's Mr Irrelevant.

The trades flew in before a single pick had been made on day three: the New Orleans Saints moved up to acquire Old Dominion offensive tackle Nick Saldiveri with the first pick of round four; the Las Vegas Raiders moved up to acquire Maryland cornerback Jakorian Bennett with the second pick; and the Eagles moved up to add Ringo to their pool of Georgia products.

Northwestern defensive end Adetomiwa Adebawore joined Ringo among the notable names to fall swiftly as he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts at 110th overall, before 6ft 8ins, 374lbs Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones headed to the Cleveland Browns immediately afterwards.

The depth of this year's cornerback class was then reflected again when the Atlanta Falcons snagged Utah's Clark Phillips III with the 113th selection, adding lightning footwork across from AJ Terrell in the secondary.

The Sky Sports NFL studio in London would play stage to the Chicago Bears' 115th overall pick as they selected Texas running back Roschon Johnson, as announced by UK Bears flag football player Majeetah.

Five picks later it was back to the UK as the New York Jets announced their selection of Pittsburgh offensive tackle Carter Warren with the 120th pick from talkSPORT Studio, before Jaguars center Luke Fortner and Fulham's Tim Ream announced Jacksonville's selection of Florida inside linebacker Ventrell Miller with the 121st pick from Craven Cottage.

Miami later made their 197th overall pick from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Ted Lasso castmates Kola Bokinni and Cristo Fernandez announced Stanford's Elijah Higgins as the newest Dolphins wide receiver.

Read more: https://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/...ngeles-rams-draft-quarterback-stetson-bennett
 
Henry Ruggs III: Former NFL star faces prison after pleading guilty following fatal drink-driving crash

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has pleaded guilty to killing a woman and her dog while drink-driving in 2021.

The 24-year-old will avoid a trial but is expected to be jailed for three to 10 years under the terms of his plea agreement.

Ruggs was driving up to 156mph when he crashed into Tina Tintor's car, causing it to burst into flames.

He was found to be more than twice the legal drink-drive limit in Nevada.

Ruggs pleaded guilty to one count of DUI (driving under the influence) resulting in death and one count of misdemeanour vehicular manslaughter at Clark County District Court in Las Vegas.

The minimum three-year sentence cannot be reduced by converting the 18 months Ruggs has spent on house arrest to time already served.

He would have faced a mandatory minimum of two years in prison but potentially up to 50 years had he been convicted at trial.

District Attorney Steven B Wolfson said in a statement that the charge of driving under the influence resulting in death was "the most serious charge the law allows" when someone dies as the result of a drunken driver's actions.

Other charges against Ruggs were dismissed under the plea agreement, including felony reckless driving, driving under the influence causing substantial injury to a passenger in his car - his girlfriend Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington - and a misdemeanour gun charge stemming from the discovery by police of a loaded gun in his car, which Ruggs agreed to forfeit.

Ruggs joined Las Vegas Raiders as 12th overall pick in the 2020 draft but was released the day after the crash in November 2021.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/65551863
 

Alex Collins: Former NFL running back dies aged 28 after motorcycle accident in Florida​



Alex Collins became renowned for celebrating with an Irish jig, which he learned while regularly attending Irish dance classes in his native Florida

Former Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks running back Alex Collins has died aged 28.

Collins was riding a motorcycle when he collided with an SUV in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

He played 25 games for both the Ravens and Seahawks between 2016 and 2021, scoring 19 touchdowns.
"May Alex always be remembered for the light and love he brought to so many people in his life," the Ravens said.

"Always quick to greet everyone with a smile, he was a genuinely kind person who carried a special joy and passion wherever he went."

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said: "Alex was a joy to be around and someone whose light shined brightly.

"I'll always remember him for being a great team-mate who had an uplifting spirit that impacted everyone he encountered."
The accident occurred on Sunday at 22:20 local time. According to the police report, the motorcycle collided with the rear passenger side of an SUV as it turned left across the carriageway. The circumstances of the crash are under investigation.

After being a fifth-round draft pick by Seattle in 2016, Collins was released after one season then spent his best two years with Baltimore.

He rushed for 973 yards in 2017 and scored 14 touchdowns over the two seasons, with his Irish jig celebration helping to endear him to fans.

After a year out of the NFL in 2019, he returned to Seattle for two seasons and most recently played for the Memphis Showboats in the United States Football League earlier this year.

"Alex's infectious smile and classic river dance skills will forever be missed," said the Seahawks' executive vice-president/general manager John Schneider.

"Alex would light up a room and was beloved by our entire building. He enjoyed life and attacked it on the football field."
Collins played college football at Arkansas and is the second former Arkansas and Ravens player to pass away in six weeks after ex-NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett died in an apparent drowning.
 
Great start of NFL season. Detroit started off with a bang upsetting KC with that awesome defense.

My Niners just shredded the Pittsburgh - Purdy came back more crisp after injurry - This year's Niners look even more dangerous. I hope this is gonna be the year - It has been too long lifting that trophy.

Let see if Raiders can upset Broncos and Pats beat Eangles - some great games are being played.
 
Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a suspected Achilles injury on his New York Jets debut against Buffalo Bills.

The NFL's four-time Most Valuable Player, who joined from Green Bay Packers in the off-season, was injured in the first quarter after being sacked by Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd.

"We're concerned with his Achilles," said Jets coach Robert Saleh. "It's not good."

The Jets won 22-16 in overtime at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Rodgers arrived at the Jets amid much excitement as the franchise look to end the NFL's longest play-off drought of 12 years.

The 39-year-old had spent his entire NFL career with Green Bay and won the Super Bowl in 2011.
 
Brutal debut for Rodgers with the Jets. After all the buzz around his switch, I was really hyped to see him play. While X-rays were clear, the MRI will tell the real story. Hoping for his quick recovery.
 
Aaron Rodgers: Quarterback out for whole NFL season with torn Achilles

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will miss the rest of the NFL season with a torn Achilles tendon.

The four-time Most Valuable Player suffered the injury just four snaps into his Jets debut.

Rodgers, widely considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time, had spent his 18-year professional career with Green Bay Packers until he asked for a trade in the off-season.

But with his 40th birthday in December, whether he returns may be in question.

Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft who was benched last season, is New York's back-up quarterback and replaced Rodgers against Buffalo Bills.

The Jets went on to win 22-16 in overtime, with Wilson throwing one touchdown and one interception, but their victory was heavily overshadowed by the injury.

Head coach Robert Saleh said after the game that the Jets believed Rodgers had a ruptured Achilles, which was later confirmed by an MRI scan.

"Not the way any of us wanted it to go, but we know the commitment you've made to this team will continue to impact us moving forward," the Jets said in a statement, adding: "Get well soon, Aaron Rodgers."

There had been high hopes for the Jets - who have not won their four-team division since 2002 - this season following Rodgers' arrival.

Rodgers won Super Bowl XLV with the Packers in 2011 and his 475 regular-season passing touchdowns are the fifth-most of all time.

 
Aaron Rodgers: New York Jets quarterback 'completely heartbroken' after Achilles injury

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he is "completely heartbroken" to miss the rest of the NFL season with a torn Achilles tendon.

The four-time Most Valuable Player sustained the injury in his Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills on Monday.

Rodgers, widely considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time, joined the Jets after 18 years with the Green Bay Packers.

"The night is darkest before the dawn. And I shall rise yet again," he said.

Posting on Instagram, Rodgers, who will be 40 in December, added: "I'm completely heartbroken and moving through all of the emotions, but deeply touched and humbled by the support and love. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I begin the healing process today."

Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, is the Jets' back-up quarterback and replaced Rodgers against the Bills.

The Jets went on to win 22-16 in overtime, with Wilson throwing one touchdown and one interception, but their victory was heavily overshadowed by the injury.

Players unhappy with pitches

Rodgers' injury has led to a renewed call from the NFL players' union (NFLPA) to get rid of all artificial turf pitches and play the sport only on grass.

The MetLife Stadium pitch Rodgers was injured on has a new turf that was installed after the old one was branded one of the worst in the league.

The NFLPA is also unhappy that when NFL stadiums are used for football, they switch to grass pitches, as they will do for the 2026 World Cup.

Manchester United and Arsenal played at MetLife Stadium in July and a grass pitch was used.

"It makes no sense that stadiums can flip over to superior grass surfaces when the World Cup comes or soccer clubs come to visit for exhibition games in the summer, but inferior artificial surfaces are acceptable for our own players," NFLPA boss Lloyd Howell said.

"This is worth the investment and it simply needs to change now."

BBC
 
I feel sorry for Aaron. A great QB who should leave football in one piece. He is a hall of famer and needs nothing else to prove. Why would he want to come back at 40 is beyond me.
 
Aaron Rodgers: New York Jets quarterback says doubters will motivate him to return from Achilles surgery

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he'll use doubters as motivation in his rehabilitation from Achilles tendon surgery and indicates he'll play football again - perhaps even this season.

Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon on the fourth snap of his debut with his new team on Monday night, a 22-16 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills.

The four-time NFL MVP had surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles.

"I think what I'd like to say is, give me the doubts," Rodgers said in an appearance on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday.

"Give me the timetables. Give me all the things that you think can, should or will happen because all I need is that one little extra per cent of inspiration. That's all I need.

"So give me your doubts, give me your prognostications and then watch what I do."

Rodgers' surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, an orthopaedic surgeon based in Los Angeles who has worked with numerous professional athletes during his career. The 39-year-old quarterback faces a long, arduous recovery and rehabilitation from the injury.

"Definitely some odds stacked against me based on age, but I like it," Rodgers said. "Stack all the odds up against me and see what happens."

He said he has spoken to several people who have had a similar injury and rehabilitation process.

"My entire focus and dedication is on acquiring the most information," Rodgers said. "And then adding to what I've already put together is a pretty damn good rehab plan that's going to, I think, shock some people."

Rodgers wouldn't put any timetables on his return, but he made it clear he intends to play football again. He was asked if he means this season - if the Jets make it to the playoffs.

"I'm not going to make any of those statements," Rodgers said. "I don't feel like that's fair to myself. I think, as Kevin Garnett said, anything's possible."

 
Kansas City Chiefs 17-9 Jacksonville Jaguars

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, as the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months.

The Chiefs (1-1) won their eighth straight in the series and avoided becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999.

Coach Doug Pederson’s team had another slow start, failed to capitalise on two of three turnovers and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining in an eight-point game, and Kansas City didn’t let the Jaguars get the ball back.

Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, making his season debut after ending his holdout and signing a one-year contract, dominated his one-on-one matchups. He finished with two sacks on five QB pressures.

With extra time to prepare following a loss to Detroit 10 days earlier in the NFL opener, the Chiefs had hoped to look a lot more like their normally dynamic selves on offense. But Richie James muffed a punt, Justin Watson fumbled and Mahomes threw an interception.

Kadarius Toney, who dropped three passes in the opener, fumbled late in the third but was able to scoop up the loose ball and avoid another turnover.

Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for 305 yards. He found Kelce all alone in the end zone to extend KC’s lead to 14-6.

Kelce, who missed the opener because of a hyperextended knee, punted the ball into the end zone to celebrate. He finished with four catches on nine targets for 26 yards.

 
NFL week two review & results: Mahomes wins on birthday, Dallas & 49ers cruise & Burrow injury

Patrick Mahomes had to work hard for a victory on his birthday as the Kansas City Chiefs scraped to a tight 17-9 win at the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Dallas Cowboys' defence dominated again as they beat the New York Jets 30-10 while the San Francisco 49ers also moved to 2-0 by beating the Los Angeles Rams 30-23.

The Seattle Seahawks and the Tennessee Titans won overtime thrillers while Joe Burrow limped off as the Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Baltimore Ravens to drop to 0-2 for a second year in a row.

In an action-packed second Sunday of the NFL season, the New York Giants pulled off a record comeback and the Atlanta Falcons also came from behind to beat the Green Bay Packers.

The Miami Dolphins made it two away wins to start the season as they won 24-17 at the New England Patriots - who slipped to 0-2 for the first time since 2001.

A happy birthday for Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes celebrated his 28th birthday with a hard-fought win against the Jaguars as the Chiefs responded to losing their season opener - despite continuing to struggle with mistakes, turnovers and penalties.

The returning Travis Kelce caught a touchdown pass and Chris Jones sacked Trevor Lawrence and caused mayhem as the Chiefs avoided becoming just the fifth Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 in the following season.

"You play bad and win, it's a lot better than playing bad and losing," said Mahomes as he summed up the game. "So I was glad we were able to find a way to get a win, but there is a lot of stuff we have to be better at."

Josh Allen had a point to prove after four turnovers cost the Buffalo Bills last week and he started with a career-best 13 straight completed passes and never looked back as they beat the Las Vegas Raiders 38-10.

"I love feeling how I felt last week. I really do, because it makes the 'good' feel that much better," said Allen. "I take the bad with the good, I understand it, and I'm just trying to let it fuel me and use it to my benefit."

Cowboys dominant and 49ers sparkle in NFC
No team in the league is regularly put under more scrutiny than the Dallas Cowboys, but 'America's Team', as they are known, look to have a defence that could be capable of carrying them to a first Super Bowl for 27 years.

Behind a dominant Micah Parsons, Dallas followed up last week's 40-0 annihilation of the Giants with a 30-10 success over the New York Jets.

Zach Wilson managed to throw the only touchdown Dallas have allowed this season, but Aaron Rodgers' stand-in was sacked three times and intercepted three times as the Cowboys became just the third team in NFL history to score more than 70 and allow 10 points or fewer in their first two games.

Fellow NFC big guns San Francisco also moved to 2-0 in style as the 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 30-23, with their defence also showing up big with two late turnovers earning a ninth straight regular-season victory against their divisional rivals.

Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel both produced superb touchdown runs, with QB Brock Purdy also scoring as he remained unbeaten in seven regular-season starts and the 49ers made it two road wins to start the season.

Burrow hurt as Bengals start 0-2 - again
The Cincinnati Bengals recovered from an 0-2 start to finish 12-4 last season and got to within a game of the Super Bowl, but repeating that feat looks set to be a tougher task this year as QB Joe Burrow limped out of their 27-24 home loss against the Baltimore Ravens.

Burrow, who recently became the highest-paid player in the NFL, missed most of pre-season with a calf injury but said he had "just tweaked it" after hobbling off late in the game.

"It's pretty sore right now," said Burrow. "But no telling how it's going to feel, so I think we're going to take it day by day. I'm doing everything I can to get healthy and get that thing the way I need it to be so I can go out and perform the way I need to, to win."
The Detroit Lions sold out their season tickets for the first time in 21 years and there was standing room only at Ford Field as they were pipped 37-31 thanks to a walk-off Seattle Seahawks touchdown from Tyler Lockett in overtime.

Jared Goff's first interception in 383 passes was run back by Seattle for a costly TD but the Lions still rallied from 10 points down to force overtime - only for Geno Smith to find Lockett for the killer blow.

The Los Angeles Chargers blew an 11-point lead as the Tennessee Titans won 27-24 in overtime to end their eight-game losing streak. The Chargers have plenty of talent but are 0-2 after losing both games by a combined five points.

Jordan Love had another decent game but Desmond Ridder had a better one as he led the Atlanta Falcons to come from 12 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Green Bay Packers 25-24, while the Washington Commanders went one better by erasing an 18-point deficit to beat the Broncos in Denver.

After losing 40-0 last week the New York Giants found themselves 20-0 and 28-7 down at the Arizona Cardinals before engineering the joint-record comeback in the team's history with a 31-28 success - although it came at a cost, with Saquon Barkley picking up an ankle injury.

Rookie Richardson is concussed
CJ Stroud was picked second in the draft by the Houston Texans and Anthony Richardson fourth by the Indianapolis Colts - and the pair, both 21, met in just the NFL's second meeting of two QBs under the age of 22.

Richardson showed his athletic ability by running in two early touchdowns as the Colts went on to win 31-20, but he took a big hit and despite playing for two more drives was eventually evaluated and taken out of the game.

The Chicago Bears lost their 12th game in a row as QB Justin Fields was sacked six times and threw two interceptions in a 27-17 defeat at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - with former number one overall pick Baker Mayfield enjoying a resurgence in Florida.
 
Patrick Mahomes: Kansas City Chiefs to make quarterback most paid NFL player over four-season period

The Kansas City Chiefs have restructured Patrick Mahomes' contract which will see him become the highest paid NFL player over a four-season period.

Mahomes will be paid $210.6 million (£170m) from 2023 to 2026 in the new deal, his representatives confirmed to ESPN on Monday.

Equity Sports CEO Chris Cabott also said the Chiefs and Mahomes plan to revisit the agreement following the 2026 season.

Mahomes agreed to a 10-year, $450 million extension in 2020. At the time, it was the largest contract in NFL history in terms of total value.

The NFL quarterback market has since been reset, with Mahomes' $45 million average annual salary trailing Joe Burrow ($55 million), Justin Herbert ($52.5 million), Lamar Jackson ($52 million), Jalen Hurts ($51 million), Russell Wilson ($48.5 million), Kyler Murray ($46.1 million) and Deshaun Watson ($46 million), per Spotrac.

Under the new terms, Mahomes would earn $52.65 million in each of the next four campaigns. Mahomes, who turned 28 on Sunday, won his second Super Bowl and second league MVP award last season.

Including a 1-1 start to this season, Mahomes is 65-17 as a starter in the regular season and 11-3 in the post-season. He has passed for 24,772 yards, 196 touchdowns and 51 interceptions in 82 starts since the Chiefs drafted him in the first round (10th overall) in 2017.

 
Los Angeles Chargers 28-24 Minnesota Vikings

Justin Herbert passed for 405 yards and three touchdowns for Los Angeles and the Chargers kept Kirk Cousins and Minnesota out of the end zone twice in the last three minutes to preserve a wild 28-24 victory over the winless Vikings on Sunday.

Kenneth Murray Jr. made the game-sealing interception in the end zone with seven seconds left, snagging a ball that deflected off the chest of diving tight end T.J. Hockenson.

On Minnesota's previous possession, Michael Davis knocked down Cousins' fourth-down throw to Justin Jefferson at the goal line.
 
NFL week three review & results: Dolphins set records, Taylor Swift cheers on Chiefs & Dallas defeated

The Miami Dolphins scored the second-highest number of points in a game in NFL history as they trounced the Denver Broncos 70-20.

Eleswhere, the Kansas City Chiefs thrashed the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys suffered a big upset loss in Arizona.

The Green Bay Packers came from 17-0 down to beat the New Orleans Saints.

And the Los Angeles Chargers won their first game of the season in a thriller against the Minnesota Vikings.

In another entertaining NFL Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons all lost for the first time and the New England Patriots extended their long winning streak against the New York Jets.

 
NFL: Damar Hamlin plays first regular season game since suffering cardiac arrest

Damar Hamlin has completed his return to NFL action, nine months after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing for the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills safety collapsed after making a tackle in a game on 2 January and had to be resuscitated on the field.

After being discharged from hospital on 11 January, the 25-year-old was cleared to play again in April and appeared during the Bills' pre-season games.

And on Sunday he played in his first regular season game since his injury.

Hamlin was not selected for Buffalo's first three games of the season but was called up for the Bills' home game with the Miami Dolphins after fellow safety Jordan Poyer was ruled out with a knee injury.

Hamlin was on the field for the first kick-off return and was on the Bills' defence for the Dolphins' first drive.

He could now be part of the Bills' squad as they travel to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham next Sunday.


 
UGLY Win for my Eagles but I will take it. Despite Eagles best efforts to lose the game unfortunately we came out victorious.

Need to clean up a lot of messy plays, right now best team in the NFL is San Francisco...
 
NFL London: Jacksonville Jaguars hold on for thrilling 25-20 win over Buffalo Bills at Tottenham

The Jacksonville Jaguars held on for a 25-20 win over the Buffalo Bills after a thrilling finale at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

After beating Atlanta at Wembley last week, the Jaguars became the first NFL team to play two regular season games outside the US in the same season and led 11-7 at half-time.

A crowd of 61,273, a new record for an NFL game at Tottenham, then watched the defences get on top, preventing a score for 22 minutes at the start of the second half.

But each side then scored two touchdowns apiece in the last eight, with Travis Etienne running in both for the Jaguars to secure an upset over 'home' side Buffalo.

The Bills were playing just their second international game - and their first since losing 34-31 to the Jaguars in another thriller at Wembley in 2015.

And the Buffalo fans, known as the Bills Mafia, created a raucous atmosphere in the second of this year's three NFL games in London.

"It was so loud in here - the intensity, the crowd - everyone was going crazy," said Etienne.

"I was leaning into the huddle and I couldn't hear what Trevor [Lawrence] was saying. That's the first time that's happened to me in my NFL career."

 

My Boi Jalen Carter starting to Show UP!!!!!... So lucky to get him and thank you to all the teams that passed up on him on this year's draft.

Fly Eagles Fly...
 
NFL: Baltimore Ravens beat Tennessee Titans 24-16 at Tottenham in last London game of 2023

The Baltimore Ravens brushed off a third-quarter rally by the Tennessee Titans to win 24-16 in the last of this year's three NFL games in London.

Four Justin Tucker field goals and a Zay Flowers touchdown gave the Ravens a 18-3 lead after a dominant first half in front of 61,011 at Tottenham.

Some poor discipline from Baltimore allowed Tennessee to get back in the game in the third quarter, through a Nick Folk field goal and a touchdown from the NFL's two-time rushing leader Derrick Henry.

But two more field goals in the fourth quarter by Tucker, the NFL's most consistent kicker, ensured the Ravens improved to a 4-2 record while the Titans slip to 2-4.

Baltimore suffered an agonising late defeat at their divisional rivals Pittsburgh Steelers last week, but regrouped to secure a victory that was functional, if not flashy.

Baltimore's UK fans would have hoped to see more big plays from quarterback Lamar Jackson, the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2019, and star receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

But they will need to grind out more wins like this if they are to finally mount a Super Bowl run having won only one play-off game in their last four postseason appearances.

"I thought the guys fought through adversity," said Ravens coach John Harbaugh. "Lamar Jackson played one of the most courageous games I've seen."

Jackson added: "That means a lot, coming from the head coach. The sky's the limit for us this season."

 
NFL Week nine review & results: Kansas City Chiefs beat Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt

Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs survived a second-half Miami Dolphins fightback to win 21-14 in the NFL's first visit of the season to Germany.

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdowns as the Chiefs stormed into a 21-0 first-half lead, but they had to hang on for the win after Miami scored twice in the third quarter.

Two of the best teams in the league, both with records of six wins and two defeats, were playing in the first of two games being held in Frankfurt.

Reacting to the overwhelming success of the NFL playing a regular season game in Munich last year, the league granted two games for this season, with the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots playing at Deutsche Bank Park next Sunday.

And for starters Germany had one of the biggest games of the season with two of the leading MVP contenders going head-to-head with Mahomes facing Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the league's best attack.

Mahomes hit Rashee Rice and Jerick McKinnon for touchdowns in the first half before Bryan Cook returned a fumble from former Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill for a third score in one of the best defensive plays of the season.

Mike Edwards scooped up the loose ball from Hill's fumble but then thought fast and when tackled he offloaded the ball back to Cook to scamper down the right sideline and put the Chiefs in total control.

After being shutout in the first half for the first time in just over two years, Miami hit back with Tagovailoa's touchdown pass to Cedric Wilson and Raheem Mostert running in from 13 yards to cut the gap to seven.

Miami missed the chance to tie or even win the game though when Tagovailoa fumbled a fourth-down snap at the Kansas City 31-yard line with just over a minute left on the clock - enabling the defending champions to leave Germany with the win.

Both teams have a bye week next week before the Chiefs return with a huge Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles.

 
NFL Week 10 review and results: Bill Belichick's Patriots future in doubt; big wins for Cowboys & 49ers

Legendary head coach Bill Belichick faces serious questions about his New England Patriots future after his team's latest loss against the Indianapolis Colts in Germany.

The Cleveland Browns produced a stunning comeback to beat the Baltimore Ravens in one of a record five games to be settled with the last kick of the match on the same day.

The Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions also won via walk-off field goals in a thrilling set of fixtures on the 10th NFL Sunday of the season.

NFC big guns the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers got back to winning ways in some style while Joshua Dobbs' incredible story continued as he engineered a fifth win on the spin for the Minnesota Vikings.

The New York Jets again showed how good their defence is but how much they're struggling to put up points without Aaron Rodgers as they lost 16-12 to the Las Vegas Raiders - who have now won both games under interim coach Antonio Pierce.

Belichick has never missed Tom Brady more than he is right now, after a poor 10-6 loss to the Colts in Frankfurt saw the Patriots slip to 2-8 - their worst record since Belichick's first season in charge in 2000 and the head coach's joint-worst of his career.

It's a career that will forever be entwined with legendary quarterback Brady after the pair won six Super Bowls together in two decades of dominance, but since they parted company Brady added another ring with Tampa Bay before retirement while Belichick's Patriots have continually struggled.

So as well as many now crediting Brady for those Super Bowl wins, the almost unthinkable is being discussed as Belichick's future comes under scrutiny after a 33rd loss in the fourth season without Brady - who only lost 66 games in 20 years as a Patriot.

"Obviously it was a disappointing game. Similar theme that we've had to other games this year. We just didn't do a good enough job today," said Belichick, who benched his current underperforming quarterback Mac Jones in the closing stages only to see replacement Bailey Zappe throw an interception to end the game.

Belichick has a long flight back from Germany and a bye week to stew over his team's problems in what is the most difficult spell of his long, illustrious career.


 
Jevon Holland scored a sensational 99-yard interception touchdown as the Miami Dolphins won 34-13 at the New York Jets in the NFL.

The safety caught Tim Boyle's 'Hail Mary' pass on his own one-yard line before running the length of the pitch.

"Nobody on this team on the field will forget that particular play," said Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.

"There are very few players that could have pulled off what Jevon did."

Nobody from the Jets could lay a finger on Holland as he gave the Dolphins an 11-point lead following a second quarter touchdown from Tyreek Hill.

"I had to get busy. I had to show a little sugar," said Holland.

"I just got into the zone. I could smell it and then, once I made that cut, I knew I was there, and then I had to make it happen."

McDaniel, who sprinted on to the field to celebrate the touchdown with his players at MetLife Stadium, said: "Our team knows he can be the best player on the field at any given moment."

Running back Raheem Mostert scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Dolphins secured an eighth win in 11 games.

They are top of AFC East with a two-game cushion over the Buffalo Bills.

 
The Philadelphia Eagles showed why they are the toughest team to beat in the NFL as they came from behind yet again to pip the Buffalo Bills 37-34.

Quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen produced two of the outstanding displays of the season in an overtime classic.

And it was Hurts who made the decisive contribution as Philadelphia became the first team to win 10 games this season.

Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs as they came from behind to beat the Las Vegas Raiders, while the Jacksonville Jaguars joined the Super Bowl champions on 8-3 with victory over the Houston Texans.

Things went from bad to worse for Bill Belichick as the New England Patriots lost again after a late missed kick against the New York Giants left them as the second-worst team in the NFL, with their worst record for 30 years.

The Eagles have now been behind at half-time in their past four games, but have won them all - with the latest victory coming after a fourth-quarter burst from Hurts and a big 59-yard kick from Jake Elliott 20 seconds from the end forced overtime.

Buffalo dominated for the majority of the game with Allen playing out of his skin - but his one interception proved crucial as Hurts turned it into the second of two quick scores that turned the game in their favour.

Allen also missed a throw into the end zone that could have won the game - and for all his brilliance, he now has an 0-6 record in overtime games. At 6-6, the Bills are up against it - especially as they next visit the Chiefs after a bye.

"By any means we will find a way, that's just the mentality we have," said Hurts after a win that encapsulates Philadelphia's season - not always firing, while making plenty of mistakes, but nearly always finding a way to win.

That mentality will be tested next week as they face a showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Chiefs fell 14-0 behind at the Las Vegas Raiders but came roaring back to a 31-17 victory in the stadium that will host the Super Bowl in February. Mahomes and his side will hope that's a good sign.

To get back to Vegas for the big game, though, the Chiefs will likely have to go through the Baltimore Ravens, who own the AFC's best record at 9-3 after they took care of the Los Angeles Chargers 20-10 in the late game.

There's no respite for Bill Belichick, whose once-mighty Patriots now have the league's second-worst record at 2-9 after kicker Chad Ryland missed a simple 35-yard field goal at the finish - handing the New York Giants just their fourth win of the season with a turgid 10-7 victory.

Belichick again had to bench starting quarterback Mac Jones during a game after two first-half interceptions, and replacement Bailey Zappe was not that much better as they got outplayed by undrafted Giants rookie Tommy Devito, who famously still lives at home with his parents.

With the season gone and the team in disarray, the Patriots will already be looking at next season, but whether the man who led them to their six Super Bowl titles is still the man for the job is the huge question owner Robert Kraft has to answer.

What makes it especially difficult is the fact Belichick has so much control of the team - he is also the general manager so is in charge of recruitment as well as coaching. But with so much work to do, the Patriots look unlikely at this stage to trust him with either next season.

With seven straight one-score games, the Houston Texans are always a good watch, but they were on the wrong end of one as Matt Amendola's late kick hit the crossbar to give the Jacksonville Jaguars a 24-21 victory.

Rookie CJ Stroud was excellent again with three total touchdowns for Houston but Trevor Lawrence just about got the job done as the Jaguars earned a vital win against their divisional rivals and moved to 8-3 to sit right in among the race for top seeds in the AFC.

With 304 yards, two passing touchdowns and one rushing score, Stroud is still putting together one of the great rookie seasons, but at 6-5 the Texans dropped to third in the division, just outside the play-off places.

The Indianapolis Colts moved above Houston in the AFC South after a 27-20 success over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it three wins in a row - with former rushing champion Jonathan Taylor scoring twice as he starts to find his best form just in time for a play-off push.

Just a few days after the Pittsburgh Steelers fired their offensive co-ordinator Matt Canada following some lukewarm displays this season, they promptly had their first 400-yard game for more than three years in their 16-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers had not made a big coaching change like that during a season since 1941, and they still had to lean on TJ Watt and the defence after failing to turn all those yards into points - but at 7-4, they will be a threat if they can get more production and points on the board.

With Joe Burrow lost for the season, Jake Browning became the 50th quarterback to start a game in the NFL this season and he did throw a touchdown, but was also sacked four times - and without a run game to speak of, it is hard to see the Bengals making the play-offs from here.

The Cleveland Browns also have quarterback problems but they are still in the play-off hunt despite a 29-12 defeat to the red-hot Denver Broncos, who have now won five in a row after starting the season 1-5 to power into play-off contention.

Elsewhere, the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 24-15, the Tennessee Titans were 17-10 winners over the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams comprehensively beat the Arizona Cardinals 37-14.

Source: BBC Sport

 

Frank Reich: Carolina Panthers sack head coach after 1-10 start to NFL season​

The Carolina Panthers have sacked head coach Frank Reich after starting the season with one win in 11 games.

Reich, 61, was appointed in January and the Panthers traded up to select quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick of the NFL draft in April.

But he and his offence have struggled this season, and Carolina currently have the NFL's worst record.

Reich is the second coach to be sacked this season, as Josh McDaniels left the Las Vegas Raiders after a 3-5 start.

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor has taken over as Carolina's interim head coach, while senior assistant Jim Caldwell will be a special advisor to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who will take over play-calling duties.

Reich had handed them to Brown then took them back, and the team suffered another defeat on Sunday, losing 17-10 at the Tennessee Titans.

Reich took the Indianapolis Colts to the play-offs in two of his first four years with the team but was dismissed after winning just three of their first nine games last season.

He is the third NFL head coach to be sacked in back-to-back seasons after Ray Rhodes by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers in 1998 and 1999, and Chip Kelly by the Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers in 2015 and 2016.

Source: BBC
 
Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been cleared to return to practice just 11 weeks after undergoing surgery on his torn Achilles tendon.

Rodgers, a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player, was injured on his New York Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills in September.

The 39-year-old will be eased back into training and limited to non-contact.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said there was "no added risk" to Rodgers stepping up his rehabilitation programme.

"There's certain things that he's been cleared that we are going to allow him to do," said Saleh. "Aaron is not going to do anything to put himself in harm's way,

"This isn't so much getting ready to play as much as it is a progression in his rehab."

The Jets have a 4-7 record after a defeat by the Miami Dolphins on Friday and now only have a slim chance of making January's play-offs.

Rodgers had spent his entire NFL career with the Green Bay Packers and won Super Bowl XLV in 2011 before switching to the Jets in the off-season in April.

His arrival was met with much excitement but he was sacked by Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd in the first quarter at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, resulting in a torn left Achilles.

Rodgers, who turns 40 in December, was ruled out for the rest of the season but Saleh said he can see the quarterback's motivation to quickly get back to full fitness.

"I think it's a testament to who he is as a human and obviously there's a little bit of that drive where he wants to prove it can be done faster than anybody's done it before," said Saleh.

"That's OK. That's part of his mental makeup. I think he still runs with a chip on his shoulder and that's the way he lives his life, where he always wants to prove people wrong in terms of doubting him.

"He's a special human and I think his actions are showing how much he appreciates, I think, this organisation and everything around it."



BBC
 
Von Miller: Arrest warrant issued for Buffalo Bills linebacker over domestic violence

An arrest warrant has been issued for Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller in a domestic violence case involving a pregnant woman.

Police were called to a "major disturbance" at his home in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday.

Two-time Super Bowl champion Miller, 34, is accused of arguing with a pregnant person then assaulting her.

Police say Miller left the scene before they arrived, while the victim was treated for minor injuries.

The Bills said in a statement they are aware of the matter and "are in the process of gathering more information" while the National Football League said it will "follow all legal developments".

Miller was previously investigated but not charged for domestic violence in 2021.

The charge of assaulting a pregnant woman is a third-degree felony in Texas and punishable by prison.



 
Seahawks’ third straight loss brings playoff hopes into question

The perception coming out of another prime-time showcase is the Seattle Seahawks put forth a gutty effort and had every chance to end the Dallas Cowboys’ long winning streak after outplaying them for chunks of the night.

The reality is the Seahawks are struggling in many ways.

They’ve lost three straight. They’ve lost four of the last five. And a high-priced defense has let them down over the past month.

Nevertheless, Pete Carroll remained steadfast in his confidence about where the Seahawks stand a day after the 41-35 loss to Dallas. In fact, Carroll believes his team may be as prepared for the playoffs as they’ve ever been by what they’ve experienced during this season.

There’s only one small issue that needs to first be overcome for Carroll’s belief to be tested: Seattle must find a way to make the playoffs. And right now, at 6-6, that’s no sure thing.

“I just believe we’re of that caliber,” Carroll said Friday. “We have to find our way through it and get there. I don’t know that there’s enough games. Maybe there isn’t. Maybe we run out of games. I don’t know. But we’re going to have to make some big noise here in the next couple of weeks. And then we’ve got to just keep on going.”

There were takeaways that provided optimism about Seattle moving forward. Geno Smith was terrific and played in rhythm. DK Metcalf had a monster performance with three TDs. Rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba had the most productive game of his rookie season.

But countering that are continued problems with penalties and a defense that never forced Dallas to punt in 11 possessions. Only once in the past five games has Seattle held an opponent under 25 points.


 
NFL week 13 review & results: 49ers get revenge on Eagles, Packers beat Chiefs

The San Francisco 49ers made a huge statement of intent in the big game of week 13 as they beat the Philadelphia Eagles 42-19 in a bruising NFC Championship rematch.

The 49ers pressed their claims to be Super Bowl favourites with a dominant display against the team that pipped them to the showpiece last season, and you get the feeling these two will meet again come play-off time.

Bill Belichick's New England Patriots had yet another nightmare as they lost 6-0 to the Los Angeles Chargers, raising more questions over his future.

The Detroit Lions roared back after a disappointing Thanksgiving loss and moved to 9-3 with a 33-28 win over the New Orleans Saints.

The Miami Dolphins are also 9-3, for the first time in 22 years, after thrashing the Washington Commanders 45-15 and they moved above Kansas City into the AFC's top spot after the Chiefs lost 27-19 at the fast-improving Green Bay Packers.

The 49ers had minus six yards as they struggled in the first quarter in Philadelphia, but turned it around from then on to overrun the Eagles with touchdowns on their next six possessions.

A feisty, hard-hitting, chirpy contest between two heated rivals had multiple altercations, plenty of trash talk and two ejections - Niners player Dre Greenlaw and Eagles security man Dom DiSandro were both dismissed after a clash on the sideline.

Back on the field, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy buried the demons of being injured in last season's NFC title game at Lincoln Financial Field by throwing four touchdowns with receiver Deebo Samuel dominant with three scores.

After four straight second-half comebacks, Philadelphia (10-2) had no answer this time and now have San Francisco (9-3) hot on their heels in the race to finish as top seed in the NFC - which not only means home field advantage in the play-offs but also the only first-round bye available.

And just to add to the intrigue, next up for the Eagles is a trip to Texas to face the 9-3 Dallas Cowboys, their huge divisional rivals, and a home win would throw the NFC wide open.


 

NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence injured in defeat by Cincinnati Bengals​

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost quarterback Trevor Lawrence to an ankle injury as they were beaten 34-31 by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Evan McPherson kicked a 48-yard field goal with one minute 45 seconds left in overtime to seal the Bengals' win.

Lawrence had to be helped off the field after Walker Little stepped on his right ankle in the fourth quarter.

The 24-year-old punched the ground and threw aside his helmet in frustration after sustaining the injury.

The NFL Network reported it had been diagnosed as a sprained ankle but Lawrence would undergo an MRI scan on Tuesday.

"I don't have any information yet on Trevor," Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said. "We're still evaluating him. We'll probably have a better update for you tomorrow on that."

Lawrence had completed 22 of 29 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns before he had to leave the field.

The Jaguars managed to force overtime when Brandon McManus kicked a 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining to make it 31-31.

Cincinnati quarterback Jake Browning, making his second career start after Joe Burrow's season-ending wrist injury, completed 32 of 37 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown - and also ran for a score.

McPherson had slotted a 54-yard field goal with 2:28 left in regulation time to give the visiting Bengals a 31-28 lead, before converting the decisive kick in overtime.

Source: BBC
 
NFL suspends Chiefs' Justyn Ross six games for violating personal conduct policy

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross has been suspended six games by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy, according to ESPN. Ross had been on the Commissioner Exempt List since October and that time away from the team is credited toward this suspension. So, Ross will be eligible to return to the Chiefs on Monday following the club's matchup with the Bills. The receiver will also have to pay back the six game checks he received on paid leave.

These developments come after Ross was arrested on Oct. 23 on two misdemeanor charges of criminal damage of less than $1,000 and domestic battery with no priors, according to 610SportsKC. Ross pleaded not guilty to both charges during his arraignment and was released on $2,500 bond under the conditions that he has no contact with the accuser or any witnesses, per Pro Football Talk.


 
Joe Flacco helps the Browns survive a battle of turnovers against Jaguars

oe Flacco threw three touchdown passes and the host Cleveland Browns made the fewest turnovers in defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-27 in the AFC matchup on Sunday.

Flacco went 26 of 45 passing for 311 yards. Two of his scoring strikes went to David Njoku in the first half.

Cleveland's defense picked off Trevor Lawrence three times, and the Jaguars lost two fumbles. The Browns (8-5) turned one from each category into second-half touchdowns, the latter a 41-yard scoring pass to David Bell.

Lawrence, playing less than a week after sustaining a high-ankle sprain of his right foot, completed 28 of 50 throws for 257 yards and three touchdowns. His pass to Parker Washington with 8:52 left in the game pulled the Jaguars (8-5) within 28-21.

The Browns tried to seal the win, however, by stopping the Jaguars on fourth-and-3 at the Jacksonville 38 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Dustin Hopkins paid it off with a 55-yard field goal left for a 10-point lead.

Jacksonville then went 75 yards on nine plays in just over a minute and a half, scoring on Lawrence's 2-yard toss to Evan Engram, his second touchdown of the game. However, Lawrence was sacked on the ensuing two-point attempt, leaving the score at 31-27, and the Browns recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

The Browns amassed 389 total yards to 293 for the Jaguars.

Flacco was picked off once and the Browns lost two fumbles, one in each half, and the Jaguars scored touchdowns on each ensuing drive.

The teams capitalized on each other's fumbles for third-quarter touchdowns.

On the first possession of the period, Washington coughed up the ball after a catch on the Jacksonville 22. The Browns turned that into a direct snap to Kareem Hunt for a 4-yard touchdown run and a 21-7 lead.

Cleveland forced the Jaguars to punt, but Antonio Johnson's strip-sack of Flacco led to Jeremiah Ledbetter's recovery at the Browns' 25. Travis Etienne Jr. later scored on a 1-yard run.

The Jaguars trailed 14-0 in the second quarter but took advantage of the second of back-to-back turnovers. Jacksonville took over at the Cleveland 12-yard line when Amari Cooper fumbled after a short reception.

It took Jacksonville just two plays to score, when Lawrence hit Engram for a 10-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter. Engram finished with 11 catches for 95 yards.

The Browns built their lead on 34- and 30-yard touchdown passes to Njoku, who finished six for 91.



 
The race is on and let see what team(s) loses out for injuries and turnovers. The margin of error is very small. Even though SF 49ers are favorite to win it all and are distinctly stronger than other teams, they have had injury issues in the past which have killed their chances of lifting the trophy.
My top 4 choice from NFC and AFC.

NFC:
1: SFO
2: DAL
3: PHI
4: SEA (This Dark horse is better than Det. if beat PHI next week, look out then. Pete Caroll is an awesome coach)

AFC:
1: BAL
2: KC (I believe in Mahomes to do majic in playoffs)
3: BUF
4: DEN (Fins fans would laugh at it. I believe in Wilson. The guy is getting his act together and if they beat DET next week, they might end up winning the rest for wild card spot)
 
The Kansas City Chiefs were furious with a late penalty that saw them lose to the Buffalo Bills, while the San Francisco 49ers rolled on with a fifth win in a row in week 14 of the NFL.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was incensed as the Super Bowl champions saw a late touchdown ruled out by the referees to slip to a fourth defeat in six.

The Philadelphia Eagles are also struggling after falling to consecutive defeats when being well beaten by the Dallas Cowboys, while the Baltimore Ravens grabbed a dramatic walk-off victory over the Los Angeles Rams in overtime.

There were more exciting finishes as teams start to line up for play-off places, but not so much in Las Vegas as just a single field goal inside the final two minutes saw the Minnesota Vikings beat the Raiders in the lowest scoring game for 16 years.

Travis Kelce's moment of magic looked to have won the game for the Chiefs after he caught a Mahomes pass then offloaded it to Kadarius Toney to score with just a minute left, but a penalty flag saw the touchdown ruled out.

Toney himself was penalised for standing offside before the ball was snapped, and that left Arrowhead Stadium flat as the Bills held on for an intense, hard-fought 20-17 victory, inspired again by Josh Allen, that keeps their play-off hopes alive.

Offensive offside is still a rare call by officials even if there have been 11 penalties for it this season compared with just three over the previous two years, and it left a usually calm Mahomes incensed on the sideline and in his post-match interviews.



BBC
 

NFL: Tennessee Titans beat Miami Dolphins 28-27 thanks to stunning late comeback​

A stunning late comeback from the Tennessee Titans secured a dramatic 28-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

The Titans looked on course for defeat when trailing 27-13 with just four minutes 34 seconds remaining.

But rookie quarterback Will Levis set up late touchdowns for DeAndre Hopkins and Derrick Henry to seal the visitors' first away win of the season.

"I think we showed the type of team we always thought we could be this season," Levis told ESPN.

Levis, making just his sixth career start, began the comeback by leading a 75-yard drive that culminated in a three-yard pass to Hopkins, with a two-point conversion throw to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine reducing the deficit to six points.

The 24-year-old immediately launched another drive, hitting Hopkins and Chigoziem Okonkwo to get into a scoring position, before Henry drove over from three yards to stun the crowd at the Hard Rock Stadium.

"Obviously we've had some lows but we've got a special locker room and special guys across the board. So glad that we were able to grind it out at the end there," added Levis, who was a second round pick in the 2023 draft.

Despite the dramatic win the Titans stay bottom of the AFC South and have little chance of making the play-offs.

But defeat for the Dolphins, their first at home this season, means they miss the chance to go level with Baltimore Ravens with the best record in the AFC, in which the side which finished in top spot secures home advantage in the playoffs.

In Monday's other game, a 37-yard field goal with the final kick from Randy Bullock sealed a 24-22 win for the New York Giants over the Green Bay Packers.

The result guarantees a play-off place for NFC leaders the San Francisco 49ers, who beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-16 on Sunday.

The Packers stay in the final play-off spot despite the defeat, but the Giants are now just one win behind a group of five teams, including Green Bay, in the race to reach the post-season.

Source: BBC
 
Will Levis is proving time and time against that he is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
 
NFL: Las Vegas Raiders set franchise scoring record in win against Los Angeles Chargers

The Las Vegas Raiders set a franchise record for points scored when beating the Los Angeles Chargers 63-21.

Rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 20 of 34 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns in a game that saw the Raiders lead 42-0 at half-time.

The Raiders fell nine points short of the NFL's all-time regular-season record for points in a single game, set by Washington in 1966.

Victory keeps the Raiders' slim AFC wildcard hopes alive.

Vegas had lost three in a row coming into the game, including a 3-0 defeat against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and they move to 6-8 for the season.

O'Connell said: "I think it might have been good for us to have a short week. We couldn't really sulk about what happened on Sunday, we just had to come out here and play and trust ourselves and put an entire team performance together.

"It was awesome."

Away from the action between the two teams, history was made with the officiating team as, for the first time ever, there was an all-black on-field and replay crew overseeing the fixture.

Ronald Torbert, who began as an NFL official in 2010, was the referee.

It was also the first time that three women had been on the same crew - Maia Chaka was the line judge, Artenzia Young-Seigler the replay official and Desiree Abrams the replay assistant.



 

Los Angeles Chargers: Head coach Brandon Staley sacked after 63-21 defeat by Las Vegas Raiders​

The Los Angeles Chargers have sacked head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco after their 63-21 thrashing by the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Chargers slipped to the foot of the AFC West with a 5-9 record after the heavy loss to their divisional rivals.

Staley, in charge since 2021, led them to the play-offs last season while Telesco had been GM for a decade.

"Doing nothing in the name of continuity was not a risk I was willing to take," said team owner Dean Spanos.

"I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and wish both and their great families nothing but the best.

"These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly. We are clearly not where we expect to be, however, and we need new vision.

"Building and maintaining a championship-calibre program remains our ultimate goal. And reimagining how we achieve that goal begins today."

The Chargers, who were 42-0 behind at half-time in Las Vegas, have lost four of their past five games to effectively end any already-remote hopes of play-off qualification.

Source: BBC
 
NFL: Detroit Lions beat Denver Broncos to move closer to play-offs

The Detroit Lions edged closer to a first NFL play-off place since 2016 with a 42-17 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff threw for five touchdowns - three to rookie Sam LaPorta - to match his career high.

They can secure a post-season spot if the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.

The victory was a welcome return to form for Goff and the Lions, who had lost two of their past three games.

They move to 10-4 for the season and have a clear lead at the top of the NFC North, while the Broncos fall to 7-7.

Goff, who completed 24 of 34 passes for 278 yards, connected with LaPorta, rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St Brown for touchdowns in the second quarter to put the Lions 21-0 ahead at half-time.

Elsewhere, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts both came from behind for wins which boost their play-off hopes.

Evan McPherson kicked a 29-yard field goal in overtime to give the Bengals a 27-24 triumph over the Minnesota Vikings.

Cincinnati's Jake Browning completed 29 of 42 passes for 324 yards, including two touchdown passes to Tee Higgins, as the Bengals rallied from 17-3 down entering the fourth quarter.

Minnesota's defence had not allowed a touchdown in more than 166 minutes, the longest span in the NFL this season, until Browning connected with Higgins on a 13-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The result leaves the Bengals, who are now 8-6, sixth in the chase for the seven AFC play-off places while the Vikings (7-7) are ranked sixth in the NFC.

Gardner Minshew threw three touchdown passes to guide the 8-6 Colts to a 30-13 success over the Pittsburgh Steelers and put them in the final AFC play-off spot. The Steelers, on 7-7, drop to 10th in the AFC standings.




 
NFL results: San Francisco 49ers win NFC West and Buffalo Bills beat Dallas Cowboys

The San Francisco 49ers clinched their division and a few more play-off places were decided in the NFL, but the Buffalo Bills made perhaps the biggest statement with their demolition job on the Dallas Cowboys.

Results elsewhere meant Dallas clinched a play-off spot before their game in Buffalo, but they were outmatched and outmuscled by the Bills, who will be a real threat if they can fight their way into the post-season.

The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back after two straight defeats but still had problems with dropped passes, while the Miami Dolphins shut out the New York Jets 30-0 as the Jets' long-running play-off drought went into a 13th year.

The Chiefs still trail the Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens, who beat the Jacksonville Jaguars to maintain top spot in the AFC standings ahead of their huge Christmas Eve showdown with Miami which could settle who gets a first-round play-off bye.

They should have beaten the Eagles in Philadelphia, they did beat the Chiefs in Kansas City and on Sunday the Bills crushed the Cowboys 31-10, showing a physical dominance in the trenches we have not seen from them before.

Defensively, Buffalo held the best scoring attack in the league in check with a season-low of 195 yards, coupled with a power run game as James Cook had a monster day with 179 yards and two touchdowns.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen had only 94 yards from 15 pass attempts but still had his moments as the Bills moved to 8-6, still just outside the play-offs on tie-breakers but firmly looking the team everyone will want to avoid in the post season - if they can get there.

Signing Aaron Rodgers was supposed to herald a new era for the Jets, but the suffering goes on as their heavy loss in Miami means it is now 13 years since they made the play-offs - not only the longest streak in the NFL but in all four major sports in the USA.

Rodgers may well have made a miraculous recovery from Achilles surgery, but there is no way he will be risked this season as that summer of hope has been replaced by a familiar feeling of failure around New York.

For 10-4 Miami, if they win their last three games they will get the AFC top seed, a bye and home advantage throughout the play-offs - but it is as tough as it gets with final fixtures against the Cowboys, Ravens and Bills.

Running back Raheem Mostert scored twice for Miami to reach 20 touchdowns for the season, which was then matched by Christian McCaffrey thanks to hat-trick in San Francisco's 45-29 victory at the Arizona Cardinals.

San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy took a big hit in the game but hardly missed a throw, with his four touchdowns and 242 yards passing helping his team to a sixth straight win that gave them a second successive NFC West title.

They have won all six by at least 12 points to lead the NFC, with the unflappable Purdy a major MVP candidate and team-mate McCaffrey perhaps his biggest challenger as they drive the 49ers juggernaut on to 11-3 and looking almost impossible to stop.



 
Drew Lock threw a 29-yard touchdown pass with just 28 seconds remaining as the Seattle Seahawks kept their play-off hopes alive with a dramatic 20-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The 27-year-old drove Seattle 92 yards on 10 plays before finding Jaxon Smith-Njigba to make the decisive score.

Lock was making just his second start of the season with first-choice quarterback Geno Smith out injured.

"Amazing won't do it justice but amazing," Lock told ESPN. Lock only found out he was playing shortly before the game with Smith listed as available despite struggling with a groin injury.

He had only made one start and two substitute appearances for the Seahawks since being traded from the Denver Broncos in 2022."It takes a special group to rally around the guy that has come into his second game of the year," he added.

"For a team like that, not just the offense but the defence to rally around me tonight, that was amazing," The win ended a run of four losses for the Seahawks to move them to 7-7 for the season and give them a chance of reaching the post-season.

The Eagles have already secured a play-off place but have lost three straight matches and are second behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East division on 10-4. San Francisco 49ers, on 11-3, remain in front in the race to claim the top seed in the NFC and a first-round play-off bye.

The result also means NFC North leaders the Detroit Lions have not yet clinched a play-off spot, but can secure second seed in the conference if they win their final three regular-season games.

Source : BBC News
 
NFL: Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers win to boost play-off hopes

The Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers won to stay in play-off contention in the NFL.

Tyler Bass kicked a 29-yard field goal with 28 seconds left as the Bills won 24-22 at the Los Angeles Chargers.

Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one in a third straight win for the Bills.

The Steelers kept their play-off hopes alive with a 34-11 win at home to the Cincinnati Bengals as both teams chase a wildcard spot.

They each have two games left in the regular season, with Pittsburgh third in the AFC North and the Bengals fourth.

The Bills are second in the AFC East - behind the Miami Dolphins - with two matches remaining.

Quarterback Mason Rudolph threw touchdown passes of 86 and 66 yards to George Pickens in a victory which ended the Steelers' three-game losing run.

"We did a great job across the board," said Rudolph.

"The defence was on fire creating turnovers, giving us short fields, so we are going to carry this momentum into next week."



BBC
 
Watched a bit as I was scrolling through channels. Truly boring sport. No glow with so many interruptions.
 
Extremely disappointed with Broncos' efforts. I guess they are out of the race. For a moment I thought that Russell is back.

My Niners are on track, and Hawks are clawing back into the race as I thought they would. THE Game of the year coming up tomorrow - Niners vs Ravens. This is a most likely SB preview barring some MAJOR upset(s). Go Niners!
 
The Miami Dolphins got the big-game win their season needed as they booked their play-off spot with a dramatic late victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Eve in the NFL.

Joining Miami in the play-offs are the Detroit Lions who claimed a divisional title for the first time in almost 30 years, while the Cleveland Browns are also nearly there after an impressive win over the Houston Texans.

The Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers came out on top in wild late finishes to keep their wildcard hopes alive, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the form teams in the league after winning four in a row.

And in a surprisingly entertaining encounter in Denver, the New England Patriots put a huge dent in the Broncos' play-off hopes with a last-gasp field goal giving Bill Belichick's side a 26-23 victory - just a fourth win of the season for the six-time Super Bowl winners.
 

Christmas Day NFL results & review: Ravens dominate 49ers, Raiders stun Chiefs & Eagles beat Giants​

The Baltimore Ravens sent a huge Christmas Day message to the rest of the NFL with a dominant victory at the San Francisco 49ers in the heavyweight meeting of the league's top two teams.

Baltimore ended an exciting triple-header of games on Monday with a convincing 33-19 win as San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, a leading most valuable player candidate, endured his worst game since joining the league.

The Kansas City Chiefs - watched by Taylor Swift - earlier missed the chance to win their division as they were stunned 20-14 at home by the Las Vegas Raiders after making a host of errors throughout.

After three straight defeats, the Philadelphia Eagles got back to winning ways, although they had to work hard for their 33-25 success over the New York Giants.

Purdy picked off four times in Ravens rout
It is rare for the NFL's two best teams to meet so late in the regular season - and the Baltimore Ravens won decisively as Lamar Jackson charged ahead of opposing quarterback Purdy in the race to be most valuable player.

The San Francisco 49ers' Purdy had been practically perfect this season but had by far his worst outing in the league as he threw four interceptions before leaving the game with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter, as a rampant Ravens defence dominated.

By contrast, Jackson threw two touchdowns in just 18 seconds either side of a Purdy interception and added a crucial 45 yards rushing to his 252 passing yards in the kind of all-action display that made him the league's unanimous MVP in 2019.

"I thought Lamar had an MVP performance tonight," said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. "It takes a team to create a performance like that, but it takes a player to play at that level, to play at an MVP level. Lamar was all over the field."

San Francisco still lead the NFC but only by way of a tie-breaker as they are now level at 11-4 alongside the Eagles and Detroit Lions, who both have renewed hope of pinching that coveted top spot - which comes with a first-round bye and home advantage in the play-offs.

The Ravens are out on their own at 12-3 but face their closest challengers, the 11-4 Miami Dolphins, next week in another huge game where they can clinch the AFC number one seed.

"We play a brand of football that people don't want to play," said Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen. And with Baltimore now 6-1 against teams currently in the play-offs, it is hard to argue with him.

Catalogue of errors costs Chiefs
With pop superstar Swift watching on at Arrowhead Stadium, the Kansas City Chiefs had a match to forget - as two huge errors on consecutive plays allowed the Las Vegas Raiders to score two defensive touchdowns in a rare win over their big rivals.

A fumble and an interception were both returned for touchdowns by the Raiders on back-to-back Chiefs plays, before the hosts then missed a field goal and had a few more receivers drop passes from an increasingly disgruntled home quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Vegas quarterback Aidan O'Connell threw for just 48 yards while the Raiders became the first side to win a game despite not throwing a completed pass after the first quarter since 2000 - and just the fifth away side to win at Arrowhead Stadium without scoring a touchdown from their offence.

The upset defeat not only means that Andy Reid's men have to wait to clinch an eighth AFC West title in a row, but it also ends their chances of claiming the top seed in the play-offs and the only bye available.

It is now also more likely that Mahomes will have to play his first career play-off game on the road if he and the Chiefs want to get back to the Super Bowl - but he is remaining positive that they can clean up their sloppy play.

"I still believe that we can go do what we want to do," said Mahomes. "If we clean it up, we can beat anybody. I truly believe that, but we got to prove that we can do it."

Eagles end three-game losing streak
Jalen Hurts scored on another 'tush push' one-yard speciality run from the Philadelphia Eagles to grab a record 15th rushing touchdown of the season - the most by a quarterback in NFL history - and help his side end a three-match losing run.

Philadelphia, beaten at the Super Bowl in February, defeated the New York Giants to improve to 11-4 and top the NFC East, as they look to pip the Dallas Cowboys to the divisional title.

Hurts threw for 301 yards and another touchdown but also threw a pick six - when an opposing defensive player intercepts the ball and it is returned for a touchdown - as the Eagles almost let a 17-point lead slip. Despite the much-needed victory, the Eagles still have issues to solve.

"We have 11 wins but we're not playing good football right now," said wide receiver DeVonta Smith after the game. "As an offence, we're not where we want to be. And we're nowhere near that. So no, I'm not happy."

Source: BBC
 
NFL: Cleveland Browns beat New York Jets to secure play-off spot

Joe Flacco helped the Cleveland Browns reach the NFL play-offs before laughing that his team-mates had sent him to sleep during their victory.

Quarterback Flacco, 38, passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns as the Browns beat the New York Jets 37-20 to clinch at least a wildcard spot.

But footage showed him appearing to be near falling asleep while on the bench.

"I guess our offence was boring me a little bit!" he joked to Amazon Prime after the Browns' win.

"We weren't doing a good enough job."

It is only the second time in 21 years that the Browns - second in the AFC North, behind Baltimore Ravens - have reached the play-offs.

They led 34-17 at half-time with Flacco, who was released by the Jets earlier in 2023, finding Jerome Ford for two touchdowns.

But a defensive second half followed, with neither team adding to their total in the third quarter and managing just one field goal each in the fourth.




BBC
 
The road to the Super Bowl will go through Baltimore and San Francisco after the Ravens and 49ers secured the two top seeds in the AFC and NFC, and home advantage in the play-offs.

The Ravens look like the unstoppable force in the NFL after hammering the Miami Dolphins 56-19 in the big game of the New Year's Eve schedule to claim top spot in the AFC, with Lamar Jackson again showcasing his most valuable player (MVP) claims.

San Francisco's 27-10 win over the Washington Commanders gave them the number one seed in the NFC after the Philadelphia Eagles suffered a huge upset defeat at home to the lowly Arizona Cardinals.

The Buffalo Bills continued their play-off push with a 27-21 victory over the New England Patriots while the Kansas City Chiefs won their division for the eighth year running.

BBC
 
Season over for my Eagles. I am tuning off till next season..


Looks like.Baltimore will win the superbowl.
 
NFL: Carolina Panthers owner fined after throwing drink at Jacksonville Jaguars fans

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has been fined $300,000 (£237,290) for "unacceptable conduct" after throwing a drink at Jacksonville Jaguars fans.

Tepper was captured on video throwing a drink in the direction of Jaguars fans from the owner's box on Sunday.

The incident occurred during the Panthers' 26-0 defeat in Jacksonville - their 14th loss in 16 games.

"I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behaviour on Sunday," the 66-year-old said.

"I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL's code of conduct and accept the league's discipline for my behaviour."

In announcing Tepper's punishment, the NFL said in a statement: "All NFL personnel are expected to conduct themselves at all times in ways that respect our fans and favourably reflect on their team and the NFL."

Tepper replaced Jerry Richardson as Panthers owner in 2018.

The Panthers' record of two wins and 14 defeats is the worst in the league heading into the final week of the regular season, with no other team winning fewer than four games or losing on more than 12 occasions.

But although the Panthers are guaranteed to end the season with the worst record, they will not have the top pick in the next NFL Draft after they traded that selection away last year to sign quarterback Bryce Young.

BBC
 

NFL week 18 preview: Play-off permutations & what to look out for on final Sunday of regular season​

Almost anything is still possible heading into the final week of the NFL regular season, with 20 of the 32 teams still in the hunt for the Super Bowl with five play-off spots and four divisional titles all up for grabs.

We are assured of a pulsating ending to a particularly thrilling campaign that saw 109 games won by six points or less - the second-most in NFL history - with 13 of the closing 16 games having direct play-off implications.

And since they are all divisional games it means there are some big rivalries taking place, some huge winner-takes-all matches and some complicated permutations to be figured out.

There's also the prospect that one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, Bill Belichick, could be taking charge of his final game in New England.

The San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens have been the standout teams in the NFL this season, and the respective roads to the Super Bowl will go through them, as earning the top seeds means they will play at home throughout the play-offs.

Both sides also get the only first-round byes on offer, so as well as resting their top stars this week, they can kick back and relax next week as the remaining six teams from each conference fight it out in the wildcard round.

San Francisco occupy the Baltimore position as top dogs, while Dallas will finish second with a win but could swap places with Philadelphia if they lose and the Eagles win - and given how much better the Cowboys are at home than away then closing that out could be huge for their chances.

Tampa Bay need a win to clinch fourth, but defeat will open the door for the Saints and Falcons, who despite being 12th can still sneak in by winning their division.

Green Bay face a nice and simple win-and-in game but the Vikings need a win and a lot of help elsewhere to perform a minor miracle.

Source: BBC
 

NFL week 18 review & results: Bills beat Dolphins, Packers make play-offs but Jaguars miss out​


The Jacksonville Jaguars agonisingly missed out on the play-offs by losing their last game of the season, while the Green Bay Packers claimed an impressive victory in their must-win game and the Buffalo Bills beat Miami in the big clash of the night.

The final Sunday of regular season action saw the Jaguars produce the biggest stumble as their loss to the five-win Tennessee Titans opened the door for the Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers to clinch play-off spots.

After having their spot confirmed, Buffalo later beat the Dolphins in Miami to claim the second seed in the AFC and two possible home play-off games.

There were no great surprises in the NFC, as the impressive Packers and battling Tampa Bay Buccaneers claimed the final two spots available to set-up two hugely intriguing wildcard games next weekend.

Outside the play-offs, Bill Belichick's New England Patriots ended the worst season of his coaching career in a drab 17-3 defeat by the New York Jets - although the Atlanta Falcons beat them to the punch by firing Arthur Smith straight after their defeat by the New Orleans Saints.

Later on Monday, Scott Fitterer was sacked by the Carolina Panthers and Ron Rivera was dismissed by the Washington Commanders after they failed to reach post-season.

The Green Bay Packers became the youngest team to make the play-offs since the NFL began keeping records in 1978, thanks to a 17-9 victory over the Chicago Bears, with quarterback Jordan Love showing exactly why the team were ready to lose Aaron Rodgers.

Four-time MVP Rodgers failed to get the Packers over the line in the final game of last season, but Love made no mistake at Lambeau Field to cap a fine end to the campaign after a 2-5 start and make it 10 wins in a row against their oldest rivals.

Love ends his first season as a starter with 4,159 passing yards and 32 touchdowns - only Patrick Mahomes and Kurt Warner have ever produced better debut season numbers.

"I think everyone knew what we were capable of," said Love. "All the games we lost were close games that we knew there were little things we could fix that would put us over the hump to win those games."

Green Bay will visit former Packers coach Mike McCarthy and his Dallas team in a mouth-watering wildcard round game after Dak Prescott's four touchdowns gave the Cowboys a 38-10 victory at the Washington Commanders and the NFC East title.

Stafford to return to Lions' den
One of the highlights of wildcard weekend will be Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford returning to Detroit as the Lions host a play-off game for the first time in 30 years.

Stafford spent 12 seasons in Detroit before joining the Rams in 2021 and winning the Super Bowl that season - with Jared Goff going the other way and leading the Lions to a rare post-season berth.

"I know it's going to be rocking there," said Stafford. "Haven't had a play-off game there for about 30 years or whatever it is, so it'll be a great atmosphere. It'll be a tough task for us, but [I'm] definitely excited."

There's nothing rare about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being in the play-offs as they battled to an ugly 9-0 win over the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South for a third straight season - and they'll fancy their chances as they host the faltering Philadelphia Eagles.

From the best team in the league at 10-1, the Eagles have collapsed down the stretch and their 27-10 loss at the New York Giants was their fifth in their closing six games.

Last year's beaten Super Bowl side hold the dubious honour of being just the third team to finish 1-5 and still make the play-offs, but they are limping into a trip to Tampa Bay and have a big injury worry over quarterback Jalen Hurts, who damaged the middle finger on his throwing hand.

Source: BBC
 
Mike Vrabel: Tennessee Titans sack head coach after consecutive losing seasons in NFL

The Tennessee Titans have sacked head coach Mike Vrabel after a second consecutive losing season in the NFL.

The 48-year-old spent six years in charge of the Titans, leading them to the play-offs in three of his first four seasons.

He was named coach of the year for 2021, as Tennessee clinched the top seed in the AFC Conference.

But they have had losing records in each of the past two years, finishing the 2023 season with a 6-11 record.

Although the Titans reached the post-season three times under Vrabel, they won just two of their five play-off games - both upset wins as the sixth seed at the end of the 2019 season.

That put them within one win of the Super Bowl but they lost the AFC Championship game against eventual champions the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite earning a first-round bye as the top seed two years ago, they fell at their first hurdle, losing at home to the Cincinnati Bengals.

"Last year, we began a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance that plan," said the Titans' controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk.

"As I continued to assess the state of our team, I arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.

"I believe the Tennessee Titans can and will be a premier National Football League franchise. My decision today is not only a reflection of my disappointment in our past two seasons, but also my recognition that further changes are necessary to fully achieve our vision."

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a player with the New England Patriots, leaves Tennessee with a record of 54-45 from regular-season games.

He is the third head coach to be sacked since the regular season ended on Sunday, after Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons) and Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders).

"I appreciate Mike's contributions to the Tennessee Titans both on and off the field," Adams Strunk added.

"Anyone who has ever met him knows how passionate and genuine he is, and he's been a strong supporter of the Nashville community."


BBC
 
Bill Belichick: Legendary New England Patriots coach set to leave after 24 years

Legendary head coach Bill Belichick is to hold a news conference at 17:00 GMT amid US media reports that he will leave, external the New England Patriots.

The 71-year-old has been Patriots coach since 2000 and has won six Super Bowls and been a runner-up three times.

But since the departure of Tom Brady in 2020 they have made just one play-off appearance and on Sunday they suffered a 13th defeat of the season.

Belichick is due to speak alongside Patriots owner Robert Kraft.




 
New England Patriots set to appoint Jerod Mayo as Bill Belichick's successor as head coach

The New England Patriots are set to promote Jerod Mayo to replace Bill Belichick, which would make the 37-year-old the NFL's youngest head coach.

Belichick's 24-year tenure, which included six Super Bowl wins, ended on Thursday as he and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways.

Reports in the US, external say Mayo, a former Patriots linebacker and current linebackers coach, will replace him.

He was with the Patriots, but injured, when they won Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.

Having joined Belichick's coaching staff in 2019, Mayo had been touted as a possible successor when he signed a long-term contract extension last year.

Mayo said he felt prepared if asked to take over from Belichick after the Patriots' season-ending defeat by New York Jets on Sunday.

"When I think about when I do get my opportunity, I don't know when that's going to be, honestly, I'm kind of like a dry leaf blowing in the wind, wherever [it] takes me," Mayo said.

"But at the same time, I feel like I'm prepared. I feel like I'm ready. I look forward to the opportunity, wherever that may be."

Defeat by the Jets meant the Patriots finished bottom of the AFC East for the first time in 24 years.

It was their 13th loss this campaign, the most Belichick has endured during a season in his 26-year head coaching career.

The Patriots have only reached the play-offs once since Tom Brady left in 2020, leading to Belichick's departure.

At a news conference on Thursday arranged to announce the news, owner Robert Kraft called Belichick "the greatest coach of all time" and said his success will "never be replicated".

Between 2001 and 2019, the Patriots played in nine Super Bowls, the most of any franchise.

They also won 17 division titles, made 13 AFC Championship Game appearances and had the only undefeated 16-game regular season in 2007.

Mayo, who played eight seasons for the Patriots, is a month younger than Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, the current youngest coach in the NFL.

He would also be the Patriots' first black head coach.



BBC
 

Buffalo Bills-Pittsburgh Steelers game postponed until Monday due to 'dangerous conditions'​

The NFL's Wild Card playoff matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers has been postponed from Sunday to Monday evening due to extreme winter weather, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Saturday.

"I've been in communication with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the dangerous conditions in Buffalo this weekend," said Hochul on Twitter/X.

"In consultation with our emergency response teams, Buffalo Bills leadership, and the NFL, the Bills game will be postponed to 4.30pm Monday."

The Bills had published an article to their team website on Friday asking for the help of fans in shovelling snow at Highmark Stadium, offering $20 per hour as well as complimentary food and breaks during shifts.

The game, originally scheduled to kick off at 6pm (UK) on Sunday, will now take place at 9.30pm on Monday.

Source: SKY
 
NFL play-offs: Kansas City Chiefs beat Miami Dolphins after Houston Texans thump Cleveland Browns

The Kansas City Chiefs overcame historically cold conditions in Missouri to keep alive their hopes of becoming back-to-back NFL champions.

With the temperature at Arrowhead Stadium having plummeted to -20C, the Chiefs' play-off match with the Miami Dolphins was the fourth coldest NFL game on record.

And the hosts handled it better, claiming a 26-7 win to reach the divisional round and stay on course for a third title in five years.

Earlier on Saturday, the Houston Texans kicked off wildcard weekend with a 45-14 rout of the Cleveland Browns.



 
NFL play-offs: Detroit Lions claim first win in 32 years, Green Bay Packers stun Dallas Cowboys

The Detroit Lions held on for a 24-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams to celebrate their first play-off victory in 32 years.

Some of the long-suffering Lions fans, who included rapper Eminem, were in tears as Dan Campbell's team won the first post-season game to be played in Motor City for 30 years.

That also brought an end to the NFL's longest-ever losing streak in the play-offs, with Detroit having suffered defeat in their previous nine.

Earlier on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers pulled off the first shock of this season's play-offs, claiming a stunning 48-32 win at the Dallas Cowboys.

As the lowest seed in the NFC Conference, the Packers are now guaranteed to visit the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers in next week's divisional round.

And the Lions will be at home again - against either Philadelphia or Tampa Bay, who meet as the wildcard weekend concludes with two games on Monday.



 

Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles center, reportedly tells his teammates he is retiring​

Philadelphia Eagles center and future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce told his teammates that he is retiring, league sources told ESPN.

Kelce, considered to be one of the best centers in the history of the NFL, reportedly made the announcement in the locker room after the Eagles' 32-9 wildcard playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in a post on X.

The Associated Press and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo also reported the news.

NBC News reached out to the Eagles and a representative for Kelce, 36, for comment, but has not received responses.

Kelce declined to answer questions in the locker room about his future.

"Not today," he told reporters who approached his locker, according to NBC Sports.

Kelce, who played the 2023 season on a one-year contract and is set to become a free agent in March, is the fifth center in NFL history with at least six All-Pro selections. The other four are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He’s considered one of the most important players in Philadelphia’s controversial “tush push” plays. Kelce leads the way for QB Jalen Hurts — and their pushing teammates — on Philadelphia's highly effective short-yardage plays.

His apparent retirement comes after the Eagles dropped six of their last seven games after starting the season 10-1. Last season, the Eagles lost a last-second thriller to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Source: NBC
 
Packers making history as they advance in playoffs with league’s youngest roster

This wasn’t the typical formula for producing a title contender.

The Green Bay Packers followed up an 8-9 season by trading four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets and letting plenty of other veterans walk away while assembling the league’s youngest roster.

Green Bay has found a way to thrive in the postseason anyhow. The Packers (10-8) are the youngest team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to win a playoff game, at least according to one metric.

They’re eager to keep it going as they visit the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers (12-5) in an NFC divisional playoff game Saturday night.

“Our mindset is to win the Super Bowl,” said wide receiver Christian Watson, a 2022 second-round pick.

History suggested that was an unrealistic proposition.

The Elias Sports Bureau calculated the weighted age of each playoff roster since the AFL-NFL merger by factoring in how many games in which a player appeared. The Packers’ oldest player — 32-year-old offensive tackle David Bakhtiari — suited up for only one game before going on injured reserve.

Green Bay’s weighted age of 25.58 years made this the fourth-youngest playoff team, behind only the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals (25.22), 1970 Miami Dolphins (25.44) and 1974 Buffalo Bills (25.56).



 
NFL play-offs: 'We're not done yet' - Packers ready for 49ers, says Dan Whelan

"The youngest team ever to win a play-off game and the first team ever to win as the seventh seed - that just shows you that everybody here is capable."

Dan Whelan, rookie punter with the Green Bay Packers and the first Irish-born player to feature in the NFL play-offs in over four decades, is enjoying the ride in his debut season.

The Packers produced the biggest upset in last weekend's wild card round, eliminating the Dallas Cowboys with a comprehensive 48-32 win.

Few outside Wisconsin tipped the underdogs to spring such a surprise in Texas, but Whelan says they were determined to upset the odds and approached the game with the right mentality.

The message in the locker room pre-match was simple, according to Whelan.

"We have just got be grimier than them - fight for it more," says the 24-year-old, who was born in County Wicklow before moving to California as a teenager.

"They didn't want to go the full length of the game - we did."

It was a huge win for the Packers, stunning a fancied Cowboys side attempting to reach their first Super Bowl in more than 25 years.

But Whelan says the Packers have already moved on, with another daunting divisional round prospect on Saturday at the San Francisco 49ers, the number one seed in the NFC conference.

"Now it's a bigger one this week," adds Whelan, who supplanted nine-year veteran Pat O'Donnell for the punter position at Green Bay.

"So, it's on to the next - we have more games to play and we're not done yet."



 
The San Francisco 49ers produced a nerve-wracking fightback in the NFL play-offs to survive a scare against the Green Bay Packers.

The 49ers are the favourites to win Super Bowl 58 and hosted the Packers, the seventh and lowest seed in the NFC Conference, in the divisional round.

The Packers trailed 7-6 after a tense first half but led 21-14 following a thrilling third quarter and were still in front as the hosts regained possession with just over six minutes remaining.

But quarterback Brock Purdy led a game-winning drive which put San Francisco within one win of the NFL's championship game.

Running back Christian McCaffrey, favourite to be this season's Offensive Player of the Year, capped the drive by scoring his second touchdown of the game with 67 seconds left.

Then linebacker Dre Greenlaw claimed his second interception to seal a 24-21 victory as the 49ers followed the Baltimore Ravens into the Conference Championships.

The Ravens, who like the 49ers earned a first-round bye in the play-offs as the top seed in their conference, had earlier claimed a 34-10 win at home to the Houston Texans.

Both will retain home advantage for the two Conference Championship games next Sunday.
 
NFL play-offs: San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens win to reach Conference Championships


The San Francisco 49ers produced a nerve-wracking fightback in the NFL play-offs to survive a scare against the Green Bay Packers.

The 49ers are the favourites to win Super Bowl 58 and hosted the Packers, the seventh and lowest seed in the NFC Conference, in the divisional round.

The Packers trailed 7-6 after a tense first half but led 21-14 following a thrilling third quarter and were still in front as the hosts regained possession with just over six minutes remaining.

But quarterback Brock Purdy led a game-winning drive which put San Francisco within one win of the NFL's championship game.

Running back Christian McCaffrey, favourite to be this season's Offensive Player of the Year, capped the drive by scoring his second touchdown of the game with 67 seconds left.

Then linebacker Dre Greenlaw claimed his second interception to seal a 24-21 victory as the 49ers followed the Baltimore Ravens into the Conference Championships.

The Ravens, who like the 49ers earned a first-round bye in the play-offs as the top seed in their conference, had earlier claimed a 34-10 win at home to the Houston Texans.

Both will retain home advantage for the two Conference Championship games next Sunday.



BBC
 
The Kansas City Chiefs stayed on course for a fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years by winning another nail-biting play-off game against the Buffalo Bills.

Sunday's divisional round match-up was eagerly anticipated after the AFC rivals produced a play-off classic two years ago, the Chiefs winning 42-36 in overtime.

And the rematch lived up to the hype as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen again had a quarterback shootout before the defending champions held on for a 27-24 win during a nervy finale.

It is the third time in four years that Kansas City have knocked the Bills out of the play-offs - and this time they did it in Buffalo.

The Chiefs will now play in the AFC Championship game for a sixth straight year and are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back NFL titles since the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
 
NFL play-offs

Dates: 13-28 January 2024

When the host city for this year's Super Bowl was announced in December 2021 it really sparked the imagination.

One of the biggest annual sporting events around? Staged in what's widely regarded as the entertainment capital of the world?

That's right, the NFL's championship game will be held in Las Vegas for the very first time on 11 February.

And this Sunday, during the Conference Championships, the NFL's biggest stars will battle it out for the chance to shine on the Strip.

Just four teams remain on the road to Super Bowl 58 with the Kansas City Chiefs, the defending champions, looking to cement an NFL dynasty having won two titles in the last four years.

The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers aim to finally get back to the big game having been among the NFL's best teams in recent years, while the Detroit Lions are the underdogs out to create history.

 
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