CHICAGO — Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson hasn’t heard from a lot of old colleagues about making the playoffs as a first-year head coach, nor has he given himself a second to pat himself on the back for the achievement.

It’s a short week before the Bears face the Green Bay Packers on Saturday for the third time in six weeks — and in a ...Read more

BALTIMORE — For the first time in nearly two decades, the Ravens are looking for a new head coach.

John Harbaugh was fired Tuesday evening, ending his 18-year run in Baltimore just two days after the Ravens lost a de facto AFC North championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With a slew of injuries and underperformance, the Ravens ...Read more

It felt like the end of the San Francisco 49ers’ season last Saturday, didn’t it?

The Niners’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks wasn’t just a defeat; it was a gut-punch delivered with extreme prejudice.

With the NFC West crown and the No. 1 seed dangling right there for the taking, the 49ers were beaten to a pulp.

It was, arguably, the ...Read more

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions have parted ways with offensive coordinator John Morton after one season, the team announced Tuesday evening.

Morton was hired last offseason to take over for the departing Ben Johnson, now the coach of the Chicago Bears, and failed to meet the standard set by his predecessor. After eight games, Lions coach Dan ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Tyler Higbee has played in 12 NFL playoff games during his 10-year career, so the veteran tight end knows, better than perhaps any other Rams player, what lies ahead.

Higbee was part of two teams that advanced to the Super Bowl.

“Don’t listen to the outside noise,” Higbee said when asked to describe the formula for a ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The John Harbaugh era in Baltimore has come to a stunning end.

After 18 seasons, Harbaugh, 63, and the Ravens agreed to part ways on Tuesday, according to a source with direct knowledge of the team’s decision. The move comes less than a year after Harbaugh signed a three-year extension that would have kept him with the ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — "You know how it is. If my aunt had male parts, she'd be my uncle."

An all-time absolutely bonkers Mike Tomlin quote to sum up an all-time absolutely bonkers Steelers game.

And the Baltimore Ravens were on the other end of it Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium. Of course they were.

The roar that popped from the Steelers fans in ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — It’s OK to open your eyes now.

The Baltimore Ravens’ nightmare season is finally over.

The brutal ending Sunday night felt all too familiar. So familiar that rookie kicker Tyler Loop’s missed 44-yard field goal attempt on the game’s final play felt predictable. Baltimore’s season-ending 26-24 loss to the Steelers wasn�...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — OK, let’s play this out. Let’s go back to the third quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles’ 24-17 loss Sunday to the Washington Commanders, to a first-down completion for 6 yards from backup quarterback Tanner McKee to Grant Calcaterra, the team’s second tight end — an innocent enough play. Let’s go back to Washington ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Call Joel, email Bryan and text Ed.

While you’re at it, reach out to Darcie, Avram and Kevin, too.

Gather the Glazer kids together and — since we so rarely see them — thank them for the past half-dozen seasons. For B.A., for Brady, for Gronk and for the Super Bowl. For five consecutive playoff appearances and for all the ...Read more

SEATTLE — Upon going 0-3 with the Indianapolis Colts after returning to the NFL at age 44, quarterback Philip Rivers said he had no regrets and would do it all over again. You could tell he meant it. The man savored every moment on the field despite the lack of victories.

As for Pete Carroll coaching the Las Vegas Raiders at 74? It's ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The upcoming Super Bowl is officially out of reach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That’s the bad news.

And if you are inclined to look into the distance, the next Super Bowl is already fading from view.

That feels like a gut punch.

Throughout the rebuilding, reshaping and rebranding of the Tampa Bay roster, there was always ...Read more

CHICAGO — Ben Johnson’s greatest frustration Sunday night stemmed from another uneven and at times wobbly offensive effort that forced the Chicago Bears to play catch-up most of the game.

The 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions in the regular-season finale was concerning, with the Green Bay Packers up next Saturday at Soldier Field in the wild-...Read more

SAN DIEGO — As the AFC’s seventh and last seed, Jim Harbaugh’s LosAngeles Chargers actually caught two breaks going into the Super Bowl tournament that will begin this weekend.

The Chargers (11-6) will face the second-seeded Patriots (14-3) in New England.

That’s a better matchup for Los Angeles than having to play either the third-...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Another end to a Las Vegas Raiders season, another head coaching search.

Another reset is upon us.

Man, this stuff is getting old.

It was the correct call to move on from Pete Carroll Monday. The Raiders never got any better under him. They beat New England to open the season and summarily regressed from that point.

He brought ...Read more

Those who snub Father Time like to say that 50 is the new 30. A different Father — Benedictine priest Maximilian Maxwell— sprinkled holy water in the end zone before his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with the AFC North title on the line.

Fifty is the new 30 also applies to field goals. More than 70% of ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The lights were on, the stage was set, and a prime-time audience got to see exactly what everyone comes to see in these types of moments:

The stars shining brightest.

And that's what the Pittsburgh Steelers got in their title-clinching victory Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens — their biggest stars playing their best ...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys played a season where their starting quarterback not only started all 17 games but enjoyed one of the best statistical years of his career, and it finished with a losing record with no playoffs.

Even if you are not the president, or member, of the Dak Prescott Fan Club, and believe some of his numbers ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — What had essentially been known for weeks came to fruition Monday. After one year on the job, Pete Carroll is out as the Las Vegas Raiders coach.

The Raiders made the firing official Monday morning after owner Mark Davis, minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek huddled at the team’s Henderson headquarters and ...Read more

MIAMI — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made clear Monday that he would welcome a fresh start with another team but did not go as far as to say that he would request a trade.

Tagovailoa, who was benched for the final three games of the season, told the Miami Herald and The Palm Beach Post that he “would be good with” a new ...Read more