FOOTBALL NFL ARTICLES

If it’s not one thing it’s another as the Cleveland Browns try to end that horrible winless streak that has reached 19 games after a gut-wrenching loss to the Saints. The defense did a solid job on New Orleans’ fast-break offense and Tyrod Taylor looked more comfortable as the starter. But special teams was the culprit last Sunday and the Browns will be in the market for a new kicker after Zane Gonzalez missed a pair of extra points and field goals in the three-point loss. The Browns need to sto... 

Based on early results, the Kansas City Chiefs made the right decision trading Alex Smith and handing the offense to Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs lit up the scoreboard again with Mahomes the catalyst in a victory over the Steelers. Mahomes tossed six scoring passes and is the first player with 10 touchdown tosses through two games. The Chiefs have scored 80 points through their first two outings and have a date with Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers in their Week 3 home opener.... 

With the first weekend of the NFL regular season in the books, we have a better idea of what teams look like, at least for this week. NFL rosters are always fluid, mainly due to injuries, and we had a few whoppers last weekend that can and will impact the lines. The biggest took place in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers’ knee. He came back after the injury to post a historic comeback, but the line for the Packers’ Week 2 game with Minnesota remains off the board.... 

A rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game could also be a preview of what to expect next January. The Jacksonville Jaguars came oh so close to their first Super Bowl appearance, leading by 10 points in the fourth quarter before Tom Brady took over. The New England Patriots have been to the conference title game so many times – seven in a row and 13 overall to be exact – that they are expected to be there once again. Fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars are guardedly optimistic that their team... 

The Chicago Bears aren’t the first team to succumb to the heroics of Aaron Rodgers and they won’t be the last. But the defeat stings nonetheless. This is a much different Bears team than we saw the last four seasons, and they showed glimpses of what they could be. The deal for Khalil Mack is a game-changer and the offense showed some creativity under new coach Matt Nagy. Part of growing as a team is learning from your mistakes and not repeating the gaffes. In the end it was a loss, but blowing a... 

On the field, the most recent Jon Gruden era got off to whimper with the Oakland Raiders lay down defeat to the Rams on Monday night. As many times as the coach was shown on the ESPN telecast, you would have thought he still worked for the network. And with Gruden calling the shots, specifically on the Khalil Mack impasse and eventual trade, should we start calling him the GM too? The Raiders and Denver Broncos renew their rivalry from the old AFL days when they get together in Week 2.... 

Saquon Barkley or Sam Darnold? It’s a debate that will last for years in the Big Apple as long as the stars continue to shine. But Barkley will forever have a leg up after being taken second overall by the New York Giants, one spot ahead of Darnold, who was taken third by the rival Jets. Both had impressive debuts, however Darnold got his team a win, and isn’t that all that matters? Barkley will matchup with one of the best running backs in the game on Sunday night when the G-Men visit the Dalla... 

It is Week 2 of the NFL regular season and some excellent matchups are on tap, including the New England Patriots at the Jacksonville Jaguars. We did well with some of our fantasy football rankings in Week 1, including Drew Brees as our top ranked quarterback and the Baltimore defense as our top ranked defense. What will the rankings look like for Week 2 and who could surprise? Let’s look at Week 2 Fantasy Football rankings. ... 

Deshaun Watson made a huge splash in the league last season, turning the boring Houston Texans into one of the most prolific offensive teams during his brief time before an injury prematurely ended his campaign. Playing his first regular season game since Week 8 of last season, Watson was rusty and so were the Texans. Fumbling a handoff on the first offensive play and throwing an ill-advised interception later was too much for the Texans to overcome as they lost to the defending AFC champion Pat... 

It’s hard to say who had a worse start to the season, Jimmy Garoppolo or the Detroit Lions. Making their debut under Matt Patricia, the Lions were smacked by the Jets on Monday Night Football, leaving many fans to believe that the Jim Caldwell era wasn’t so bad. After all, the former coach had three winning seasons and two playoff appearances in his four years. The Lions must regroup for their Week 2 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers and Jimmy G, who chucked three picks in losing his first ga... 

It looks like Ryan Fitzpatrick is making a bid to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers permanent starter, and he has a good chance to supplant Jameis Winston if he continues to play like he did in the opener. It’s a lot to expect from the career journeyman and unlikely, but oh what a performance he had on Sunday. FitzMagic shredded the Saints secondary and all of a sudden the Bucs’ season doesn’t appear to be doomed before it even starts. The Bucs continue a brutal three-game opening stretch by hosting t... 

Thrust into the starting role as the savior of the New York Jets, the career of Sam Darnold started with a thud, but his first game ended with a bang. On his very first NFL pass, the No. 3 overall pick was pick-sixed and visions of former first-round failures Richard Todd and Ken O’Brien came to mind. By the end of the night fans were planning the parade route through Manhattan after the Jets upended the Lions. Things are a bit calmer in South Beach where the Miami Dolphins welcomed back Ryan Ta... 

Alex Smith did something Kirk Cousins never did as the Washington Redskins starting quarterback – he won a season opener. And the Skins did it convincingly with their veteran backfield of Smith and Adrian Peterson leading the way to a 24-6 manhandling of the Cardinals. The Skins could be a sleeper in the NFC as long as they remain healthy and the resurgent AP supplied them with a ground game they haven’t seen in a few years. Looking to start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2011, the Skins ... 

It’s not often a team commits six turnovers and doesn’t lose. The Pittsburgh Steelers had their chances to put the game away, but costly miscues prevented them from defeating the Browns, instead settling for a boring, 21-21, tie. The Kansas City Chiefs were far from boring in their season-opening win over division rival Los Angeles, using the strong arm of Patrick Mahomes and the shiftiness of Tyreek Hill to frustrate the Bolts. Hill said the Chiefs will have the best offense in the NFL and they... 

After not playing a snap during the preseason, it took the Los Angeles Rams offense some time to get going. But once it did, the Raiders didn’t stand a chance. Fresh off their first division title in 14 years and stocked with a roster of Pro Bowl players, the Rams are trying to take advantage of a championship window that’s wide open. They looked every bit the contender on Monday, scoring 23 unanswered points in the second half to pull away for the win. While the Rams are near the top of the hea... 

They didn’t lose last week, so that’s a plus for the Cleveland Browns. But they did extend their winless streak to 18 straight games by playing to a tie against the Steelers. And they way they forged the tie was something to be excited about. The Browns scored two touchdowns in the last half of the final quarter, and they were given a chance in overtime after Chris Boswell missed a field goal. But in typical Browns fashion, they botched that attempt, watching the potential game-winning kick get ... 

It looks like the Buffalo Bills may have gotten rid of the wrong quarterback. The trade of A.J. McCarron set up a battle between Nathan Peterman and Josh Allen, and they both looked horrible, as did the entire team for that matter, in last week’s thumping by the Ravens. Most experts predicted the Bills would take a tumble after ending a 17-year playoff drought last season, but I doubt many of them expected them to fall this far. They have a chance in Week 2 to redeem themselves, but they have to... 

The legend of Aaron Rodgers just added another chapter after Sunday’s dramatic comeback win over the Bears. Faced with another “what if” season when he was carted off the field in the second quarter, Rodgers made a stunning return for the second half and led the Packers back from what had become a 20-point deficit. Facing the team that did knock him out last season, ending Green Bay’s streak of eight straight playoff appearances, Rodgers takes aim at Anthony Barr and the Minnesota Vikings in an ... 

Cam Newton is up to his old tricks again, and the Carolina Panthers are excited about their prospects. After dealing with an assortment of injuries last season, the thought was that Ron Rivera and new offensive coordinator Norv Turner would limit Cam’s rushing attempts. Well, it looks like that strategy is out the window. Newton had nearly as many carries and yards as Ezekiel Elliott in the opener and Carolina got off with a victory behind a strong defensive effort. Newton was the ninth leading ... 

Looking like the best team in the NFL after their pasting of Buffalo in the opener, the Baltimore Ravens have a much tougher opponent when they meet the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. It’s a battle for first place in the AFC North that doesn’t include the favorite Pittsburgh, but you can expect the Steelers to be right in the thick of the race as the season progresses. I know, it’s only one game, but the Ravens and Bengals have to be excited about getting off to a good start after both missed the... 

Opening lines for Week 1 of the NFL regular season came out months ago so it’s only natural to expect some movement with five months and four preseason games to handicap teams. And now that we are in game week, there will be more action on the games and, as a result more changes to the numbers. ... 

The first week of the NFL season is finally here and it is time to set our fantasy football lineups for the first week. In theory you would think that there wouldn’t be a lot of decisions to make in Week 1 in terms of lineups, but the reality is that we have a lot of choices and a lot of things to consider. For example, just because you took Jimmy Garoppolo as your starting quarterback, doesn’t mean you will want to start him against the Minnesota defense. Let’s look at Week 1 Fantasy Football rankings. ... 

A new era in Seattle Seahawks football begins in 2018. No longer are they called the Legion of Boom with nearly all the particulars that accounted for that moniker no longer around. But don’t count the Seahawks. Knowing this time would come, forward-thinking management stocked the cupboard on the defensive side leaving Pete Carroll in good position to continue the excellence that resulted in five straight double-digit win seasons, three NFC West titles and two Super Bowl appearances in a five-ye... 

The Washington Redskins opening day roster will look much different from the one that finished the 2017 campaign. And it’s not because they overhauled the group, but because a number of players are returning to good health. The Skins placed 20 players on injured reserve last season and never could find a rhythm with such a fluid lineup. There is something to be said about consistency and the Skins are looking for it. Both teams will break in a new quarterback in Week 1 with Alex Smith taking ove... 

We’ll see if the Los Angeles Rams starters actually exist when the team takes the field for its Week 1 Monday Night Football opener against the Oakland Raiders. It’s hard to argue with Sean McVay’s logic after he led the team to a seven-game improvement from 2016 and earned Coach of the Year honors. But you have to wonder if the guys will be ready to go after most of the regulars watched. You also have to wonder about the psyche of the Raiders after management traded away one of the best defende...