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Because our preseason rankings weren’t enough, we will keep doing weekly updates based on the natural fluctuation of football’s most important position. When we go 1-32, we’re looking at only every team’s current starer, so no Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan or Cam Newton until they return, and no Ben Roethlisberger at all for the rest of the reason. This week, we have several more changes. From the new best to the new worst, let the debate begin, er, continue:...

An NFL Network producer reported the league would inspect the balls used by the Patriots and Titans before the game, at halftime, and after the game — the first time this season the league’s random air-pressure checks have occurred at Gillette Stadium. MORE: The complete Deflategate timeline | Know your -Gate controversies A follow-up from the Boston Globe after the Patriots’ 33-16 win apparently confirmed the initial report. If the NFL did indeed wait until Week 15 to do in-game inspections in New England, the Patriots won’t be able to argue that they were subject to unfair scrutiny in the wake of the Deflategate scandal....

As another season culminates in this weekend’s Super Bowl, though, it is clear the league’s vision for its future includes a strong global component. MORE: The five biggest Super Bowl matchups | The most overrated player in the Super Bowl | Blount’s drug charge withdrawn Both Super Bowl coaches, Bill Belichick of the Patriots and Pete Carroll of the Seahawks, were asked Friday for their thoughts on the NFL’s ongoing international series, especially the now-annual fixture of multiple games at Wembley Stadium in London....

The quality of opponents from one season to the next is the biggest factor, but when and where games are played can combine to further stack the odds against teams with playoff aspirations. MORE NFL SCHEDULES:Steelers, 49ers among contenders with easiest slates Here are six contenders that must navigate the toughest regular-season schedules in order to make the postseason after the 2018 season. Kansas City Chiefs Andy Reid is breaking in new starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes with a brutal stretch early in the season....

While some teams opted for a simple image to announce their schedules (c’mon, Washington Redskins, lift your game), other teams went all out. 2018 NFL SCHEDULE: Regular-season slates for all 32 teams Here are the top five NFL schedule releases: Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars win the award for cutest reveal in a landslide. The team dressed up a host of rosy-faced youngsters to represent their 2018 opponents, but it was the little touches that made the video truly memorable....

In Phildadelphia, a huge day for Carson Wentz made for four touchdown passes and a blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals. Cam Newton had another big performance with three touchdowns in a 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions. Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to an improbable win in Dallas as he led the Packers to a game-winning drive with one minute left. His touchdown pass to Davante Adams made for the 35-31 win and the Packers improved to 4-1 on the season....

The league kept its expanded playoff field, with 14 of its 32 teams (43.8 percent) set to qualify for the latest postseason. That includes 7 each from the AFC and NFC, with only the No. 1 seeds getting byes on top of home-field advantage. Who would be in, who’s still in contention, and who should be thinking about next season? Here’s a comprehensive look: NFL POWER RANKINGS: Cowboys, Bills, Eagles rise; Patriots, Steelers, Browns fall for Week 17...

Sure, it’s still early in the year. Teams are still getting used to new personnel, coaching staffs and schemes. Young players are trying to find their footing in the league. And mistakes are certainly bound to happen. So, there are no must-win games this early. But throughout the games in Week 2 featuring teams that have begun the season 0-1 are bound to here various stats about teams that begin the year....

The Raiders have traded the cornerback to the Texans for a third-round pick, The Athletic first reported. The Raiders shortly after confirmed Conley had been traded, with coach Jon Gruden wishing him the best of luck. According to ESPN, the third-round pick the Texans received from the Seahawks when they traded Jadeveon Clowney is the same one they will be trading to the Raiders. He will be a welcome addition to the Texans, who lost cornerback Phillip Gaines in Sunday’s loss to the Colts....

Jackson, who was fired in 2018 after losing 36 of his 40 games in charge of Cleveland, had previously implied that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam paid him to lose games. Jackson, now the head coach at Grambling State, pulled back on his allegation during an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper a few days later. “No, I was never offered money like Brian (Flores) had mentioned,” Jackson told Cooper. “I think this is a totally different situation but has some similarities....

One is Joe Thomas’ retirement. The other is the day the Browns officially began laying the groundwork for a much brighter future. Yes, it’s a shame Cleveland’s cornerstone left tackle will not be on the field to personally experience the long-awaited revival of the league’s worst franchise. Nobody connected to the organization is more deserving than Thomas, who was the team’s only consistent on-field positive over the past 11 seasons....

Tis the season for current high-NFL players to make appearances on ESPN’s roster of morning shows. Thursday, it was future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Peterson’s turn. Amid a week that included spots by Giants safety Landon Collins and Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon, “All Day” made the biggest splash from a news perspective, providing a short list of potential destinations if the Vikings cut him. Peterson, the NFL’s 16th all-time leading rusher, has spent his entire nine-year career in Minnesota but could be a salary cap casualty, moving forward....

The 4 p.m. ET kickoffs include a pair or huge NFC matchups, Eagles and Packers and Lions at Cardinals. In primetime, the Patriots and Colts promise to bring fireworks to close the day’s betting card. The Linemakers on Sporting News, a group of former sports book operators with dozens of years of collective experience making odds and handicapping games in Las Vegas, offer our opinions and picks on the NFL’s Week 11 slate....

From a few injury updates to a rookie getting his first NFL start, we cover it all in this edition of NFL news and notes. Three things that matter Dwayne Haskins to make first NFL start It’s official: Dwayne Haskins, selected by the Redskins with the No. 15 pick out of the 2019 draft, will make his first NFL start Sunday against the Bills. Washington interim coach Bill Callahan announced Friday that Haskins would get the start with Colt McCoy serving as the backup while Case Keenum remains in the concussion protocol....

The playoff race is on, and every day has a good matchup. On Thursday, the 49ers, who have won five of six games, will look to continue their playoff push against the Titans. Christmas offers two fantastic matchups, too. The Browns face the Packers at Lambeau Field, and the Colts face the Cardinals on the road. The early Sunday window features matchups between AFC North rivals Baltimore and Cincinnati and AFC East rivals Buffalo and New England....

Thankfully, though, three NFL teams opened as double-digit favorites this week, per Sportsbook Review. So we’ll spoil a few of our predictions off the bat and let you know we’re picking the Patriots, Eagles and Chiefs to beat the Redskins, Jets and Colts, respectively. MORE: Get the latest NFL odds at Sportsbook Review As for the rest of the NFL games in Week 5, predictions are as difficult as usual....

Baltimore being able to secure the top seed in the AFC is one of many NFL playoff clinching scenarios for Week 16, but it’s arguably the most significant. The Ravens have only one home loss this season, a fluke of a defeat at the hands of the division-rival Browns. In the playoffs, Lamar Jackson will be difficult enough for potential opponents like the Patriots and Chiefs to contain; he’ll be even more of a pain at M&T Bank Stadium in January....

Football fans will be able to watch three wild-card games each on Saturday and Sunday as the 2021 postseason kicks off. Only the Chiefs and Packers earned first-round byes, so the other 12 squads must fight to avoid an early exit. Here’s everything you need to know about the NFL wild-card games, including a full schedule with TV channels and start times. MORE: Watch today’s NFL games live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)...

The Chiefs were clearly up to the task against the Buccaneers. Tyreek Hill and Patrick Mahomes both had huge games. The Buccaneers tried to fight back, but the Chiefs walked away as the only AFC West team to win a game in NFL Week 12. Lets take a look at the AFC West Power Rankings for NFL Week 13. 4) Los Angeles Chargers (3-8) The Los Angeles Chargers check in at number four again in the AFC West Power Rankings....