INSIDER
Scarlett Johansson and Dan Marino have fun with almost being champions in Super Bowl commercial
Read full article: Scarlett Johansson and Dan Marino have fun with almost being champions in Super Bowl commercialActor Scarlett Johansson and NFL legend Dan Marino come from different professions, but they have two things in common: Both have a sweet tooth and an infatuation with M&Ms. Johansson and Marino will star in the Super Bowl commercial that will focus on the candy being the comfort fun food while watching the big game.
From marching bands to megastars: How the Super Bowl halftime show became a global spectacle
Read full article: From marching bands to megastars: How the Super Bowl halftime show became a global spectacleWhen the Super Bowl halftime show was born, college marching bands were the main on-field attraction.
Bills clinch 4th straight playoff berth; beat Dolphins 32-29
Read full article: Bills clinch 4th straight playoff berth; beat Dolphins 32-29Tyler Bass hit a 25-yard field goal as time expired, and the Buffalo Bills clinched their fourth consecutive playoff berth on a snow-slick field in rallying to a a 32-29 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Dolphins' Thompson (thumb) leaves game, Bridgewater in
Read full article: Dolphins' Thompson (thumb) leaves game, Bridgewater inMiami quarterback Skylar Thompson, starting because the Dolphins’ top two quarterbacks had been in concussion protocols, left the field in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against Minnesota.
Chiefs' Mahomes still thrives on proving naysayers wrong
Read full article: Chiefs' Mahomes still thrives on proving naysayers wrongIt’s sometimes hard to believe that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, for all that he’s accomplished during his young but brilliant NFL career, would carry such a considerable chip on his shoulder.
Verstappen cruises to win in inaugural Miami Grand Prix
Read full article: Verstappen cruises to win in inaugural Miami Grand PrixMax Verstappen used an aggressive early pass on Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc then controlled the inaugural Miami Grand Prix to pick up his third win of the season.
Hall of Fame class has something for everybody
Read full article: Hall of Fame class has something for everybodyFrom bone-rattling tacklers Troy Polamalu, Steve Atwater and Cliff Harris to hard-charging runner Edgerrin James to the pass-catching brilliance of Isaac Bruce and Harold Carmichael, the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2020 has something for everyone.
Colts QB Rivers, 39, retires from NFL after 17 seasons
Read full article: Colts QB Rivers, 39, retires from NFL after 17 seasons“Every year, Jan. 20 is a special and emotional day,” Rivers said in a statement posted on the team’s website. “It is St. Sebastian’s Feast day, the day I played in the AFC championship without an ACL, and now the day that after 17 seasons, I’m announcing my retirement from the National Football League. I am grateful to the Chargers for 16 seasons, and the Colts for the 17th season.”Rivers was one of a kind. In the 2006 season opener, Rivers made his starting debut — and then the next 251 in a row including the playoffs. “My son never did throw a big ball like I did at that age and he throws it the exact same way,” Rivers said.
Super Host: Bucs become 1st to play Super Bowl at home
Read full article: Super Host: Bucs become 1st to play Super Bowl at homeThe Buccaneers defeated the Packers 31-26 to advance to the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay (14-5) is the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium. The prize is much different this year, though, because the Super Bowl will be played in front of a far smaller crowd than usual. The first Super Bowl in 1967 was played in front of 61,946 fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Eagles backup Nick Foles threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, a sign of things to come in the Super Bowl against New England.
Brady vs. Brees: A matchup for the ages and aged
Read full article: Brady vs. Brees: A matchup for the ages and aged(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)The NFL has never seen a playoff matchup quite like the upcoming one between Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints. Brees has thrown for more yards than any QB in the regular season with 80,358 and ranks second in TD passes with 571. Brady holds the mark for touchdowns with 581 and trails only Brees in yardage with 79,204. The combined age of the starting quarterbacks will be an NFL-record 85, surpassing the 84 from their two starts in the regular season this season. The team that swept the regular season series won 14 of the previous 22 matchups, which bodes well for the Saints this week.
Tom Brady excited, ready to lead Buccaneers into playoffs
Read full article: Tom Brady excited, ready to lead Buccaneers into playoffsTampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass during an NFL football practice Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)TAMPA, Fla. – New team, same ole Tom Brady. Brady led New England to the Super Bowl nine times in 20 seasons, appearing in 41 playoff games and winning 30 — both records. “When he first signed I said, ‘OK, we’ll be a 40 (touchdown) and 10 (interception) team,’” Arians said. “It’s a never-ending thing with him, the perfectionist, to get everything right in practice,” Arians added.
Week 17 scoring bonanza caps record-setting season
Read full article: Week 17 scoring bonanza caps record-setting season(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)The Week 17 scoring bonanza provided the perfect finish to a record-setting season on offense. Teams combined for 100 touchdowns in the final week of the season for the second-most in NFL history in a single week behind only the 104 scored in Week 14 of the 2013 season. He became the first player with at least 4,500 yards passing, 35 TD passes and five TD runs in a single season. The Browns joined the 2012 Colts (minus-30) as the only teams to win 11 games in a season when they were outscored. EVEN STEVENIn a bit of a statistical oddity, the Vikings gained the exact same number of yards this season as they allowed: 6,292.
Taylor-made day sends Colts past Jags, back into playoffs
Read full article: Taylor-made day sends Colts past Jags, back into playoffsTaylor's breakout game, given the circumstances, will never be forgotten by Colts fans. The Jags lost their final 15 games after beating the Colts in the season opener. Colts: Jared Veldheer started in place of injured LT Anthony Castonzo, and the Colts were without two starters in the secondary — S Khari Willis and CB Rock Ya-Sin. Colts: Rivers' TD pass, No. Hilton caught his 50th career TD pass, tying the late Jimmy Orr for fourth on the franchise list.
Brady throws for 4 TDs, Bucs pull away from Falcons 44-27
Read full article: Brady throws for 4 TDs, Bucs pull away from Falcons 44-27TAMPA, Fla. – Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heating up at the right time. “It meant the world for him to get that record and, then, to have an easy touchdown," Bucs coach Bruce Arians said. The latter trimmed Atlanta’s deficit to 30-27 before Brady put the game away with two late drives. “He’s a great coach,” running back Brian Hill said. Brown had his most productive day since joining the Bucs midway through the season with 11 catches for 138 yards.
The Latest: Henry runs for 2k, Titans' doink wins AFC South
Read full article: The Latest: Henry runs for 2k, Titans' doink wins AFC SouthHenry came into Sunday’s regular season finale needing 223 yards rushing to become the second man in franchise history to reach 2,000. He came in as the NFL’s rushing leader for a second straight season with a career-best 1,777 yards rushing. The Green Bay Packers have set an NFL season record for second-quarter points. With the run Newton also passed Grogan for the single-season team record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Newton entered the game 26 yards behind Grogan, who had 539 rushing yards in 1978.
A bonus for NFL fans in Week 16: 4 straight days of games
Read full article: A bonus for NFL fans in Week 16: 4 straight days of gamesThey do have a sack in an NFL-record 71 straight games and have sacked Philip Rivers 15 times during seven games while he played for the Chargers. Rivers has had two or more TD passes in five straight games. He had career bests of 10 catches for 163 yards last week, and Ridley's seven 100-yard games lead the NFL. The 19 straight seasons without losing both games to a divisional opponent is an NFL record. The Jaguars have allowed at least 24 points in each of those 13 games, an NFL record.
Colts recover another late fumble, beat Texans 27-20
Read full article: Colts recover another late fumble, beat Texans 27-20Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Zach Pascal (14) makes a catch under pressure from Houston Texans free safety Eric Murray (23) in the first half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)INDIANAPOLIS – Philip Rivers threw a late, tiebreaking touchdown to Zach Pascal and the Indianapolis Colts defense recovered a fumble in the end zone with 19 seconds left Sunday to seal a 27-20 victory over the Houston Texans. Watson answered by moving the Texans to the Colts 21. Coutee had five catches for 53 yards and one score before the fumble, and David Johnson had 11 receptions for 106 yards. Sanchez punted in that week's game, a loss to Tennessee.
A winner: Chiefs vs Saints, with Brees back to face Mahomes
Read full article: A winner: Chiefs vs Saints, with Brees back to face Mahomes1 conference seed is tight, with the Packers one game ahead of the Saints, the Rams and Seahawks one game behind. Drew Brees will be active after missing four games with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, making for an intriguing matchup with Patrick Mahomes. The Bills (11-3) scored twice in a 17-second span in the third quarter to ice their fourth straight victory that officially ended the New England Patriots’ 11-year reign atop the division. The Ravens have run for at least 100 yards in 36 straight games, seven short of the NFL record set by Pittsburgh from 1974-77. Baltimore is averaging 173.8 yards on the ground and topped 200 yards in each of the past two games.
Packers withstand late rally to outlast Eagles 30-16
Read full article: Packers withstand late rally to outlast Eagles 30-16The only other players with at least 400 touchdown passes are Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Dan Marino and Philip Rivers. He has 36 touchdown passes this year and is the first player to throw at least 35 in five separate seasons. Rodgers doesn't have the footballs from his 100th, 200th or 300th touchdown passes. His 400th touchdown pass was a 9-yarder to Adams that capped a 99-yard drive in the third period. Philadelphia’s rally started with Hurts' 32-yard touchdown pass to Greg Ward on fourth-and-18.
Jake Scott, former Miami safety, Super Bowl MVP, dies at 75
Read full article: Jake Scott, former Miami safety, Super Bowl MVP, dies at 75Scott, the star safety who was the most valuable player in the Super Bowl that completed the Dolphins 1972 perfect season, died Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, in Atlanta. Scott played in three consecutive Super Bowls, won back-to-back championship rings and made the Pro Bowl five years in a row with Miami. At Georgia, Scott was an All-American and the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1968. Shula suspended Scott and then traded him to the Redskins for safety Bryant Salter, who lasted only one season. He grew up in Athens, Georgia, and was recruited as a receiver by Dooley, who then moved Scott to safety.
Colts grab AFC South tiebreaker by beating Titans 34-17
Read full article: Colts grab AFC South tiebreaker by beating Titans 34-17Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Coaches and quarterbacks change for the Indianapolis Colts. Philip Rivers threw for 308 yards and a touchdown, and Nyheim Hines scored twice as the Colts trounced the Titans 34-17 Thursday night to grab the head-to-head edge atop the AFC South. The Colts (6-3) will host the rematch in Indianapolis on Nov. 29 after helping coach Frank Reich improve to 4-1 against Titans coach Mike Vrabel. Indianapolis took advantage of the Titans' special teams woes to score twice in the third quarter for a 27-17 lead. He passed Marino on the Colts’ first play from scrimmage with an 11-yard pass to rookie Jonathan Taylor.
AFC features plenty of star power even without Tom Brady
Read full article: AFC features plenty of star power even without Tom BradyPittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)The AFC doesn’t lack for drama or star power even though Tom Brady has taken his talents to Davis Beach. WEST: The Chiefs (8-1) are still the class of the conference despite a hiccup against the resurgent Raiders (5-3), who won 40-32 at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 11. Mahomes became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 100 TD passes, doing it in 40 games, four fewer than Dan Marino. The Broncos (3-5) have been waylaid by injuries and COVID-19 opt-outs, exposures and infections and Drew Lock went 45 drives without a TD pass.
Chiefs escape with 33-31 win when Panthers FG is wide right
Read full article: Chiefs escape with 33-31 win when Panthers FG is wide rightCarolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) runs toward the end zone to score against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. Chiefs coach Andy Reid liked it so much that he put it in the game plan. The Panthers' onside kick was recovered by Kansas City, but they used their three timeouts to get the ball back, and Teddy Bridgewater's 23-yard pass to Curtis Samuel with 9 seconds remaining gave them hope. It took nine plays and consumed nearly nine minutes before McCaffrey reached the end zone, keeping the potent Kansas City offense on the sideline. The Panthers still led 17-13 after the teams traded missed field goals to start the second half, but the Chiefs finally hit their offensive stride.
Ravens set NFL record for 20-point games with win in Indy
Read full article: Ravens set NFL record for 20-point games with win in Indy(AP Photo/AJ Mast)INDIANAPOLIS – Lamar Jackson fast-tracked the Baltimore Ravens' latest record-breaking achievement. He opened the second half with an up-tempo game plan that got Indianapolis' defense out of sync. After punting on their first five possessions and watching the defense score the Ravens' only points of the first half, Jackson switched it up. “I’m glad we did," Harbaugh said when asked about going fast in the second half. Linebackers Darius Leonard and Anthony Walker also were injured in the second half.
AP source: Tagovailoa replaces Fitzpatrick as Miami starter
Read full article: AP source: Tagovailoa replaces Fitzpatrick as Miami starterMiami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) looks to pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)MIAMI – Tua Tagovailoa now has a role to match his jersey number. He’s the Miami Dolphins’ No. At Alabama, Tagovailoa wore Marino's No. Tagovailoa went 2 for 2 for 9 yards against the Jets. At Alabama, Tagovailoa threw 76 touchdown passes in 24 starts over his final two seasons.
Chiefs, Edwards-Helaire run away with 26-17 win over Bills
Read full article: Chiefs, Edwards-Helaire run away with 26-17 win over Bills“But if teams are going to play us like this, we’ve got to show we can run the football.”Mission accomplished. Led by Edwards-Helaire’s 161 yards rushing, the Chiefs finished with 245 — the most since Mahomes took over as starter in 2017. The Chiefs, who were originally scheduled to play three games in 11 days, wound up having two more days of rest than the Bills. During that drive, Buffalo’s Justin Zimmer stripped the ball from Edwards-Helaire at the Kansas City 30. Kansas City had four drives of 10 plays or more and dominated time of possession by more than 15 minutes.
Brady outplays Rodgers, Buccaneers rout Packers 38-10
Read full article: Brady outplays Rodgers, Buccaneers rout Packers 38-10Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)TAMPA, Fla. – Tom Brady outplayed Aaron Rodgers in a rare meeting between the Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers erased an early double-digit deficit to rout the previously unbeaten Green Bay Packers 38-10 on Sunday. Brady also threw a 7-yard TD pass to rookie Tyler Johnson and Ronald Jones had a pair of rushing TDs for Tampa Bay, which got an even more impressive performance from its defense. Green Bay (4-1) never recovered. BRADY VS. RODGERSBrady and Rodgers split their two previous head-to-head meetings, with the Packers winning 26-21 in 2014 at Green Bay and New England winning 31-17 at home in 2018, while Brady was playing for the Patriots. INJURIESPackers: LT David Bakhtiari left in the third quarter with a chest injury, leaving Green Bay to play the remainder of the game without its best offensive lineman.
Bucs vs. Saints marks historic QB matchup with Tom Brady, Drew Brees
Read full article: Bucs vs. Saints marks historic QB matchup with Tom Brady, Drew BreesBucs’ Tom Brady is 43 and Saints’ Drew Brees 41. Brees leads both categories with 77,416 yards and 547 TDs, followed by Brady with 74,571 yards, 541 TDs. In five career starts vs. Saints, Brady has thrown for 286.6 yards per game, 11 total TDs and three INTs. ... Brees passed for 2,979 yards with 27 TDs vs. career-low four INTs for career-high 116.3 rating last season. ... All-Pro WR Michael Thomas led Saints last season with NFL single-season record 149 catches for 1,725 yards, nine TDs.