Football Page 497 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Improved Bears out to erase Packers from postseason picture
Green Bay can clinch a playoff berth with a victory against visiting Chicago on Sunday afternoon in Green Bay, Wis....

Big Bears fans, Seahawks stalk playoff spot in Arizona
For the second year in a row, the Seattle Seahawks enter the final week of the regular season needing a win and a big assist....

Bill Belichick downplays curtain call as Patriots, Jets wrap woeful seasons
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick might be unsure what the future holds, but he realizes now certainly isn't the time to get sentimental....

Buccaneers on brink of playoffs, must tame Panthers
A simple math problem awaits the Buccaneers, and the assignment looks rather routine on paper: Beat the lowly Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, N.C., and one of the NFC's seven playoff spots belongs to Tampa Bay....

Saints, Falcons fight for playoff footing, root against Buccaneers
For a chance at the playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints need a win Sunday....

Lions resist rest, plan to give best vs. Vikings
Following their controversial loss in Dallas, the Detroit Lions are virtually locked into the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs....

Cowboys aim to seal NFC East title vs. Commanders
Eliminated from playoff contention, the Washington Commanders can still deliver a parting gift to an NFC East rival....

Browns set to send out 5th QB for finale vs. Bengals
History is on the line when the Cleveland Browns visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in the regular-season finale for the Ohio rivals....

Jaguars head to Tennessee with AFC South title in sight
Unofficially, the playoffs started last week for the Jacksonville Jaguars....

Brock Purdy one of nine 49ers on NFC Pro Bowl roster
The San Francisco 49ers, who will head into the playoffs as the top seed in the NFC, had a league-high nine players selected for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games....

49ers holding out QB Brock Purdy in finale, Sam Darnold to start
The San Francisco 49ers are holding out quarterback Brock Purdy from Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams and will start Sam Darnold in his place....

Bills QB Josh Allen (neck, finger) making progress from injuries
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was a full participant during Wednesday's walkthrough despite dealing with injuries to his neck and what the team listed as a "throwing finger."...

Draft notebook: NC State CB Shyheim Battle leaving for NFL
North Carolina State cornerback Shyheim Battle announced Wednesday that he will skip his final season of college eligibility and is declaring for the NFL draft....

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson sitting out Saturday vs. Steelers
Lamar Jackson will get an extended break until the AFC divisional round, as the Ravens plan to sit their quarterback for the regular-season finale Saturday against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers....

Massive fire damages mansion of Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
The 9,300-square-foot South Florida mansion owned by Miami Dolphins standout wide receiver Tyreek Hill was damaged by a massive fire on Wednesday....

NFL ratings soar 24 percent for Amazon's 'TNF' slate
In its second season as the exclusive streaming platform for the NFL's "Thursday Night Football" broadcasts, Amazon saw a 24 percent gain in viewership in 2023 over its first season....

Vikings need miracle, turn back to Nick Mullens at QB
The Minnesota Vikings need a slew of things to happen in order to qualify for the playoffs and it begins with beating the Detroit Lions this week, an outcome they are turning back to quarterback Nick Mullens to accomplish....

No. 2 Washington hungry, expected to be in Houston
For the 28th and final time as head coach and quarterback, Kalen DeBoer and Michael Penix Jr. take the field on Monday exactly where they expected to be — with a chance to walk away national champions....

Rams to rest Matthew Stafford, start Carson Wentz in finale
The Los Angeles Rams will rest starting quarterback Matthew Stafford in their season-finale this week and turn the ball over to primary backup Carson Wentz against the San Francisco 49ers....

Want to reduce college football Bowl opt-outs? Pay the players
The bowl opt-outs are a letdown, but we all saw what happened to Jaylon Smith. During the 2016 Fiesta Bowl — which was not a playoff game — his leg was mangled. A projected top-five pick fell to the second round. Since then, many star players have made the intelligent business decision to not play i...