FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are riding high as they roll into the postseason.

Now riding a new three-game winning streak, the Patriots demolished theMiami Dolphins 38-10 in Sunday’s Week 18 regular-season finale. They’ve now outscored opponents 80-20 in their final two games of the season.

Quarterback Drake Maye was ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Detroit Lions traveled to Chicago as a broken and battered team, hoping to put together one last quality performance before the season was officially over.

But before bidding this 2025 season farewell, they reminded us of the team they could've been.

The Lions controlled Sunday's game against the playoff-bound Chicago Bears ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders got the best of both worlds Sunday, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 14-12 in the season finale at Allegiant Stadium and still keeping the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

Daniel Carlson kicked a 60-yard field goal with eight seconds left for the winning points.

The Raiders (3-14) knew before kickoff that they ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams are headed to Carolina for the playoffs.

The Rams’ 37-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, combined with the Atlanta Falcons’ victory over the New Orleans Saints, helped the Rams move up to the No. 5 seed for the NFC playoffs.

The Rams earned a rematch against the No. 4 seed Panthers, who ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The No. 3 seed will have to do for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

With Nick Sirianni opting to rest most of the starters, the Philadelphia Eagles fell, 24-17, to the Washington Commanders Sunday. With the Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the Arizona Cardinals, the Eagles will draw the No. 6-seeded San Francisco 49ers in the...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers backed their way straight into the NFL playoffs Sunday afternoon, courtesy of their frenemies — the Atlanta Falcons.

It’s a weird way to break a postseason drought that stretched all the way back to the 2017 season, but the Panthers will take it. They have clinched the NFC’s No. 4 seed and will ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — It felt like an epic collapse. It looked like an epic collapse.

And on Sunday, it officially became an epic collapse.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sitting at home watching helplessly, they were eliminated from the NFL playoffs when the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 19-17, handing the NFC South division title to ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Facing a Green Bay Packers team that had little to play for, the Minnesota Vikings got the win they wanted to finish the 2025 season above .500 at 9-8. For the third straight week, they finished the game with Max Brosmer at quarterback because of an injury to J.J. McCarthy.

The quarterback took himself out in the third quarter ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The job isn’t finished. Not even close. But, man … what an achievement.

While the nation saw the Seahawks win the NFC West and secure a first-round bye Saturday, 12s saw the conclusion of the most astounding regular season in franchise history.

This was not a team seen as a threat to sit atop the conference when the...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Seahawks walked into Levi’s Stadium on Saturday afternoon hoping it would be the first of two times they will play here over the next five weeks.

They spent the next three hours showing just why they may indeed be back for the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, with a 13-3 win over the 49ers in a showdown for the NFC West title...Read more

CHICAGO — Offensive play callers have been dubbed innovators, gurus or geniuses over the last couple of decades for their ability to develop intricate passing attacks.

It has put many of those designers on the fast track to head coaching opportunities as many teams searching for their next leader are on a quest to find the next great ...Read more

CHICAGO — Kevin Byard III remembers how badly the Chicago Bears lost to the Detroit Lions in Week 2, but also how, in the aftermath, Ben Johnson didn’t lose it.

Johnson, the former Lions offensive coordinator, was humbled by his ex-team 52-21 at Ford Field, stumbling to an 0-2 start as a first-time head coach.

“There’s TVs around this ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Matthew Stafford remains among the frontrunners for the NFL most valuable player award, though his status took a hit after a three-interception performance in a defeat by the Atlanta Falcons.

On Sunday, the Rams' veteran quarterback gets a final shot at making his case when he plays against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium....Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — So, the Tampa Bay Bucaneers survive to live another day. Or, perhaps a half day.

Tampa Bay hung on to beat the Carolina Panthers 16-14 in a miserable, rain-soaked afternoon Saturday to keep its hopes alive for a fifth consecutive NFC South championship. It could be for moot, however, if the Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints in...Read more

If the Steelers lose to the Ravens on "Sunday Night Football" and miss the playoffs, DK Metcalf will always be remembered for his role in the team's downfall.

No one will remember he led the team in receiving yards or touchdowns. The lasting image will be Metcalf putting his hands on Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy, an act that resulted in a ...Read more

McCarthy back for one more; Packers‘ starters will sit: With Green Bay locked into the NFC’s No. 7 seed, the Packers are expected to rest many of their starters to preserve them for the start of the playoffs. Quarterback Clayton Tune, who entered the Packers’ last game after backup Malik Willis aggravated his right shoulder injury, will ...Read more

It was a premeditated plan, born from a performance on a January night in Baltimore in which the Steelers had something happen to them that was foreign to their proud culture.

They got pushed around like a shopping cart by the neighborhood bully.

So, after their 28-14 playoff loss to the division-rival Ravens on Jan. 11, 2024, a game in which ...Read more

When Saints nose tackle Broderick Bunkley suffered a season-ending quadriceps injury in 2013, he told then-teammate and rookie John Jenkins to not give New Orleans a reason to bring someone else in.

Thirteen years and seven teams later, it has proven to be sage advice. On Friday, the Ravens signed Jenkins to a one-year extension, the team ...Read more