Bounce-back win shows Browns possess offensive potentialVideo
CLEVELAND — The chant seemed to come out of nowhere and quickly grew louder during a replay review to see if the Browns had indeed scored on a gorgeous, play-action touchdown pass. “O-B-J, O-B-J,” yelled many of the 6,000 fans, acknowledging Odell Beckham Jr.’s 43-yard scoring reception from Baker Mayfield....
Even Patriots players wish noisy Seahawks fans were present for home openerVideo
RENTON, Wash. — For a normal Sunday night game in Seattle, the fans would start showing up in the morning, giving themselves plenty of time to find parking and begin their preparations for the evening’s festivities. Those parking lots will be empty this Sunday. No tailgates. No party buses. No...
Mayfield throws 2 TD passes, Browns hold off Burrow, Bengals
CLEVELAND — Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes, Nick Chubb ran for two scores and 124 yards and the Cleveland Browns gave coach Kevin Stefanski his first NFL victory Thursday night by beating the Cincinnati Bengals 35-30 on the NFL’s 100th birthday. Mayfield connected with Odell Beckham Jr. on a...
Nike’s special anniversary Colin Kaepernick jersey sells out within seconds of releaseVideo
Nike’s limited edition jersey for Colin Kaepernick sold out in a swoosh. The black monochromatic No. 7 jerseys, which commemorated the four-year anniversary of when then-San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality, sold out in seconds...
Jets place Le’Veon Bell on IR with hamstring injuryVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Jets will face the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers without Le’Veon Bell. The star running back was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a hamstring injury. Bell was hurt in the second quarter of the Jets’ season-opening 27-17 loss at Buffalo on Sunday....
Stephen Gostkowski finally delivers in Titans’ 16-14 win at Denver
DENVER — A day after Tom Brady’s dud of a debut for Tampa Bay, Stephen Gostkowski failed to put all that Patriots pedigree to work in his first game with the Tennessee Titans. Until the very end. Unlike Brady, who lost his first game in a uniform other than New...
First Call: Ravens coach defends risking Lamar Jackson, Bruce Arians blunt about Tom Brady
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives us John Harbaugh’s defense of Lamar Jackson staying in the Baltimore Ravens’ blowout win Sunday. Bruce Arians isn’t afraid of criticizing Tom Brady. The Dallas Stars are onto the Stanley Cup Final. And Pitt is a big favorite on Saturday. Leavin’ Lamar The Baltimore Ravens destroyed...
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson can’t expect many early exits under John HarbaughVideo
There’s no question keeping Lamar Jackson healthy is a top priority for Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh. The best way to do that is to keep Jackson off the field, but that’s not going to happen if there’s a shred of a chance Baltimore’s opponent can rally from a rather...
Analysis: Stefanski, Browns make bad first impression in opening lossVideo
CLEVELAND — Kevin Stefanski didn’t need long to be lumped together with so many Browns coaches before him. One game into his tenure, he is 0-1, being ripped for a head-scratching decision and Stefanski is facing a lengthy list of problems — some fixable, others more complicated. Welcome to Cleveland,...
Jets RB Le’Veon Bell could miss a few weeks with hamstring injuryVideo
NEW YORK — New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell could miss a few weeks after injuring his left hamstring in the team’s season-opening loss at Buffalo. Coach Adam Gase says Monday he doesn’t want to put a timetable on Bell’s return, but says it could take some time because...
NFL reminds teams to follow sideline rules on face coverings
The NFL on Monday reminded team personnel on the sidelines about the covid-19 requirements for wearing face coverings, saying such carelessness or disregard could put the season “at risk.” There were several games Sunday in which team members other than players did not use face coverings. Troy Vincent, who oversees...
Racial injustice themes fill empty NFL stadiums
Jason Myers kicked off to start the Seahawks’ season-opener against the Falcons, and the ball sailed through the end zone for a touchback. No one moved a step. Instead, the players all dropped to one knee. After years of pleading with the NFL to act against systemic racism, they were...
First Call: Typical ‘Bengalrific’ loss; Le’Veon Bell injured; Ex-Steeler, rookies help Ravens
What does Monday’s “First Call” teach us? The Ravens may be just as good as last year. The Browns may be even worse than last year. And the Bengals will always be the Bengals. OK. Maybe we didn’t need “First Call” to teach us that. But it’s worth reiterating. Also,...
Rams open SoFi Stadium in style with 20-17 win over CowboysVideo
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Malcolm Brown rushed for a career-high 79 yards and two touchdowns, Jared Goff passed for 275 yards and the Los Angeles Rams opened SoFi Stadium with a 20-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Robert Woods had six catches for 105 yards to help the...
Joe Burrow struggles in NFL debut as Bengals lose to Chargers
CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow ran 23 yards for a touchdown in his NFL debut and put the Bengals in range for a dramatic, last-minute win. Instead, he ended up like so many Cincinnati quarterbacks before him, wondering what the heck just happened. They lost a game Cincinnati-style: Chargers 16, Bengals...
John Steigerwald: Gallup survey shows maybe it’s time for leagues to return focus to sports
Sports have nowhere to go but up. That’s as in up in the ratings. Actually, they could go down a little bit and become lower rated than the pharmaceutical industry and the federal government. We’re not talking about TV ratings here. We’re talking about Gallup’s annual survey of Americans’ views...
Newton runs for 2 TDs, Patriots hold off Dolphins 21-11Video
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Cam Newton looked just fine as Tom Brady’s replacement, rushing for two touchdowns Sunday, and the New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins, 21-11, to open the season. Newton rushed 15 times for 75 yards and threw for 155 yards, leading a Patriots offensive attack that did...
Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson off to hot start as Ravens rout BrownsVideo
BALTIMORE — Looking every bit like the reigning NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns to help the Baltimore Ravens beat the Browns, 38-6, on Sunday, ruining Kevin Stefanski’s debut as Cleveland’s coach in a game played without fans in attendance. Although the covid-19 pandemic kept...
AFC North preview: QBs rule roost in Steelers’ division
It’s all about the quarterbacks in the AFC North, a division that includes the reigning NFL MVP, the top pick in the 2020 draft and a two-time Super Bowl winner looking to make a successful comeback. The Baltimore Ravens won the AFC North last year behind Lamar Jackson, who accounted...
Tom Brady, Drew Brees to make history in Bucs-Saints Week 1 opener
NEW ORLEANS — After a century of NFL football, this season’s Week 1 slate features the first game ever to involve two quarterbacks in their 40s: Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady and New Orleans’ Drew Brees. So mark down Sunday’s NFC South Division clash between the Buccaneers and Saints as yet...
Saints, RB Alvin Kamara agree on 5-year, $75M extensionVideo
NEW ORLEANS — Saints running back Alvin Kamara agreed to a five-year extension, the club announced Saturday. A person familiar with the contract said it is worth up to $75 million, but that the final season includes a large non-guaranteed payment that effectively limits the team’s obligation to $50 million...
Vikings sign RB Dalvin Cook to 5-year, $63M extensionVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings signed running back Dalvin Cook to a five-year, $63 million contract extension Saturday, giving their dual-threat star some security the day before the season opener. Cook was picked for his first Pro Bowl last year after becoming the eighth player to reach 1,000 rushing yards...
Chiefs, Texans booed as racial justice stand sparks outrage
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The NFL’s new stance encouraging players to take a stand against racial injustice got its first test as some fans of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs booed during a moment of silence to promote the cause, touching off a fresh debate on how players...
Chiefs rookie Edwards-Helaire shines in NFL debut vs. TexansVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs raised eyebrows during the NFL Draft when they used their first-round pick on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, adding another potent weapon to their dynamic offense rather than filling a pressing need on defense. Turns out that decision was downright brilliant. With starter Damien Williams...
Bengals name rookie quarterback Joe Burrow among captainsVideo
Joe Burrow was picked as one of the Cincinnati Bengals’ captains even before he took a snap. It is unusual for a rookie to be picked as a captain, an honorary role that usually goes to veterans who have been around the team a long time. The players’ vote shows...
