Arizona Cardinals: S Tyrann Mathieu (knee) At best, Mathieu (by his own estimation) is only about two-thirds of the way recovered from reconstructive surgery. The team doesn’t expect him back until October. Atlanta Falcons: DT Corey Peters (Achilles') The productive starter tore his tendon last December after coming off his best season. The team will now hope he won’t need to stay on PUP to begin this season. Chicago Bears: S Chris Conte (shoulder)...
As former North Dakota State product Carson Wentz went through drills, a commentator took a shot at the team many believe will take Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick calling him, ’the next former Browns quarterback.’ Check it out. MORE: Top 15 all-time performers at the NFL Combine | Connor Cook deserves a chance Ouch. Somebody behind the scenes might lose their job in the aftermath of this one....
As the 14-team playoff field thins to eight, there will be no more double-digit underdogs, barring some unexpected quarterback injury or COVID outbreak. Most of the point spreads will stay within one possession, and that will make every half-point line move that much more consequential. This is the time of year to keep a laser-sharp focus on the betting lines and odds while examining as many trends as you can about the playoff field....
The survey, posted on ESPN.com under the headline “Cannabis Confidential,” showed that the majority of players surveyed worry about the long-term risk of painkillers and more than 40 percent said they suspected a teammate “became an addict because of NFL painkiller abuse.” MORE: NFL players hope to start revolution for medical marijuana Several former players have come out in recent years in favor of cannabis as a form of pain management....
That said, Sporting News’ predictions from the preseason held up fairly well against all the chaos. The team we projected to win Super Bowl 56 finished 12-5, is the AFC’s No. 2 seed and a popular pick to return to the big game for a third consecutive year. And in the NFC, we correctly picked six of the seven playoff teams. However, we did whiff on the Browns’ faceplant along with the Ravens, Chargers and Seahawks....
Here is an updated look at what each conference field would look like now, what teams are still in contention and what teams should already be thinking about the offseason. MORE: Clinching scenarios for Week 16 NFL standings for Week 16 AFC playoff picture Who would be in? Ravens, champions, AFC North (13-2) — With their Week 16 win over the Browns, the Ravens clinched the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, sitting a game (plus a head-to-head tiebreaker) up on the Patriots....
Brady and the Bucs are hoping to be the first repeat Super Bowl winners since Brady’s Patriots did it in 2003 and 2004. This year, Tampa Bay will enter the postseason as the NFC South winner — they were a wild card team last year — but they won’t have the advantage of playing the Super Bowl on home soil. Instead, it will be the Rams and Chargers who can rely on home turf to, potentially, put them over the top....
The Browns slipped to the No. 7 seed in the AFC, which is the final playoff spot, and still need a win at home against Pittsburgh in the final weekend to clinch a playoff spot. The Kansas City Chiefs barely got past the hapless Atlanta Falcons at home on Sunday, but the Chiefs more importantly wrapped up the AFC’s top seed and first-round bye. The Pittsburgh Steelers survived a scare against the Indianapolis Colts, the Titans flopped in Green Bay and the Miami Dolphins found magic in Las Vegas....
The results of last week’s games were a perfect example of that to shake up the middle tier yet again. Here is a look at our updated NFL power rankings going into Week 12. MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture NFL power rankings New Orleans Saints 9-1 (last week: 1) The Saints could have scored 50 against the Eagles if they wanted to. They say you need to beat the champs to be the champs, and New Orleans went the extra mile with that beatdown of Philly....
The preseason format of four games per team (five for the Packers and Colts, who will play in this year’s Hall of Fame Game) and 65 games in total persists despite growing criticism. Here is the 2016 NFL preseason schedule in its entirety, beginning with the eight nationally televised games. (All times Eastern) MORE: Preseason format change overdue | Must be a better way 2016 NFL preseason: national TV schedule Hall of Fame Game (Canton, Ohio): Green Bay vs....
The American addiction to pro football is scheduled to receive its second dose of fuel for 2019 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The games don’t count, yet stadiums will be (mostly) packed, and even more people will watch on TV as second-, third- and even fourth-string players battle for their places on soon-to-be 53-man rosters. Some starters are scheduled to play a little more in Week 2 of the NFL preseason than they did in their openers, but still sparingly....
The thought had to cross Kyler Murray’s mind as he worked this August under the Arizona sun, and under the watchful eye of … everybody. Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in the year’s draft, has been given the task of turning around a struggling Arizona franchise. The good news: He’s not alone, though he’s very much under a spotlight that could give that Arizona sun a run for its wattage....
The Twittersphere lit up with both NFL insiders and fans ripping OBJ’s behavior. Matched up against Josh Norman, Beckham quickly became unraveled. MORE: Panthers unbeaten, not perfect | Odell Beckham may be as dirty as he is talented | OBJ shows up when it counts Former NFL coach Brian Billick, now an analyst with the NFL Network, said it succinctly on Twitter: ESPN’s Michael Wilbon tweeted: ESPN’s Bomani Jones also weighed in:...
Sporting News’ NFL team — writers Vinnie Iyer, Bill Bender and Tadd Haislop — did not shy away from the challenge of this increasingly difficult offseason tradition. Before you see our current list, however, be wary of our criteria. 2019 NFL PREDICTIONS:Standings, playoffs, Super Bowl pick and more These rankings are based on how each QB performed last season and the upside of how each might perform in 2019. No matter how many Super Bowl rings or MVP awards a QB has won, or the number of efficient passing seasons he has posted in the past, history is a small part of the equation....
The 24-year-old told FOX Sports on Wednesday that he began showing symptoms of COVID-19 three weeks ago, noting he felt fatigued and suffered from headaches and a sore throat. The third-year center also lost his sense of smell and taste, all symptoms that have been reported by those who have contracted the virus. Allen, however, added that he was feeling much better and is expected to be rid of the virus by this week....
While the coronavirus could derail the best-laid plans, the NFL is charging forward and unveiled a tantalising slate of primetime games for the upcoming season. Eight different teams tied for the most primetime games with five, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and new quarterback Tom Brady. All of the Buccaneers’ night games come from Weeks 5-11, starting with a Thursday night matchup against the Chicago Bears. Tampa Bay and Brady will be a part of the Raiders’ first season in Las Vegas with a Sunday night game on October 25....
Following a month of a highly criticized preseason ripe with injuries, 80-yard fields and even a surprise retirement of one the the game’s best quarterbacks, 32 franchises set forth on a quest to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at Hard Rock Stadium after winning Super Bowl 54 in Miami. As seems to always be the case, the Patriots are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl again after claiming the title last year over the Rams....
No need to call Doc Brown or get the time machines ready, it’s just the release of the 2020 NFL schedule at 8 p.m. ET. But reports of scheduled matchups will trickle in well before then, as is custom on this day every year. 2020 NFL SCHEDULE RELEASE:Strength of schedule rankings | How to watch release show One thing we know for sure: The NFL has already nixed the idea of playing international games due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic limiting travel and complicating things for professional sports leagues around the world....
MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 16 Christmas Eve will be loaded up with games the way most Sundays typically are, including several pivotal playoff race matchups. The Seahawks will face the Chiefs hoping to get back into an NFC wild-card spot, while the Giants will look to bolster their playoff positioning against the NFC North champion Vikings. Cincinnati comes to New England riding a six-game winning streak to face a Patriots team reeling after a stunning defeat to the Raiders....
