LOS ANGELES — After Saquon Barkley ran past, through and over them twice last season, the Rams made a big move to stop the Philadelphia Eagles' star running back from doing it again.

Ostensibly, general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay signed lineman Poona Ford to improve the overall run defense. To give a young ascending front an ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have officially ruled out receiver Xavier Worthy for Sunday night’s game against the New York Giants. On Saturday morning, the club announced Worthy would not travel to East Rutherford, N.J., via its official X account.

Worthy injured his shoulder on the third play of Kansas City’s season opener ...Read more

CHICAGO — Philosophically discussing the art of roster building, former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said with all factors equal, his preference would be for an elite cornerback over an elite pass rusher.

Fangio wanted both — for sure — and to construct a defense that can carry a team in the playoffs, the depth chart has...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Kaleb Johnson shouldn't feel too bad about his embarrassing gaffe in Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Those types of moments have happened for years, especially with Steelers rookies.

They even happened with one of their Hall of Fame running backs.

The Steelers did not lose the game because of Johnson's gaffe — they were...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts might not be the fastest.

He might not be the most agile or dexterous either.

In spite of all that, he’s still managed to establish himself as one of the most dangerous running quarterbacks in NFL history.

And in an ironic twist of nomenclature, the name Hurts bestowed upon one of his signature moves belies its ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers will play the Patriots on Sunday, and it is a game that lacks the juice of many of the contests between these two teams of the last 25 years or so.

It used to be when these two teams met, it was the biggest game of the NFL weekend because both were almost always contenders in the AFC. Both had star power and both ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Nothing but respect.

That's what Rams edge rusher Jared Verse professed Thursday when asked about returning to play the Philadelphia Eagles before their fans at Lincoln Financial Field.

Verse, the Rams' top pick in the 2024 NFL draft, sent shock waves through the NFL last January when he said before an NFC divisional-round game...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Whether the quarterback is Mac Jones or Brock Purdy, it’s all about forward progress for the 49ers.

Purdy was officially listed as questionable Friday to face the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, with coach Kyle Shanahan saying that if the $265 million quarterback is in uniform, it probably wouldn’t be as the starter.

“I...Read more

DENVER — The people who chased and shot at former Denver Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds and his two friends last year mistook the trio for people who’d used counterfeit money to purchase $250,000 worth of cocaine in an earlier drug deal, according to court records.

The newly unsealed court filings explain why as many as a dozen ...Read more

Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly told reporters Thursday that he does not game plan with team minority owner and Fox NFL broadcaster Tom Brady — at least not "on a weekly basis" — despite a report during "Monday Night Football" this week that suggested otherwise.

During the first quarter of the Chargers-Raiders game at ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels was ruled out of Sunday’s home game against the Raiders with a knee injury, coach Dan Quinn said after the team’s practice Friday.

Former Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota will get the start in the 10 a.m. game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md.

Quinn said earlier in the week the...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Emeka Egbuka was back on the practice field Friday, offering hope that the NFL’s receiving touchdowns co-leader could be available for the home opener Sunday against the Jets as the Bucs battle through a rash of injuries.

Egbuka suffered a groin injury in Monday night’s 20-19 win at Houston.

He still managed to catch four ...Read more

RENTON, Wash. — I don't know if it's Rule No. 1 in sports writing, but it's on the first page: If you're going to complain about some people being boring, don't complain about others being candid.

Honest answers always beat the safe ones, and if we're talking about ex-Seahawks quarterbacks — that's one of the chief distinctions between Geno...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Are we really going to do this?

The Eagles have won 18 of their last 19 games. One of them was the Super Bowl. Two others were their first two games after the Super Bowl, also known as the first two games of this season. In the most recent of those two games, they beat the team they beat in the Super Bowl. Except, this time, ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Historically, Sept. 17 sure has made for plenty to commemorate.

Like the 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia. And the 1920 meeting in Canton, Ohio, to form what would become known as the National Football League. From a more local perspective, The Beatles played at Municipal Stadium here in 1964 — ...Read more

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Miami Dolphins played well enough to contend with the Buffalo Bills for 60 minutes in their house on a short week.

They played well enough to warrant coach Mike McDaniel keeping his job at this point in time with so much speculation over his job status.

They didn’t quite play well enough to overcome the mighty ...Read more

Well, Tua, you were right, after all.

You’re not Josh Allen. Not nearly as good. Miami Dolphins fans knew it. All of the NFL did. And America was reminded once again Thursday night in Buffalo.

But did you have to say it like that? Put it so plain and surrender so publicly? Like, Dolfans were not hurting enough already?

What a weird pep talk...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — In the Season 11 premiere of HBO’s "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Albert Brooks decides to host what he calls a “live funeral.” Brooks, in the episode, says attending five “real funerals” in a three-year span sparked a “different way of thinking about” the funeral. “The idea that people get together and friends get ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson says that he doesn’t really pay attention to stats.

“I’m trying to win,” he said Thursday afternoon in Owings Mills.

Whether he notices them or not, the numbers continue to pile up, particularly on Monday nights.

For his career, Baltimore is 7-2 on “Monday Night Football” with Jackson...Read more