TAMPA, Fla. — It wasn’t exactly a creed or even a motto. More like a safety net.

If the running game wasn’t working? Pass. If the defense collapsed? Pass. If the end of the game was near and the wrong team was winning? Pass, pass, pass.

For more than five seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been the most pass-happy team in the NFL. ...Read more

MIAMI — This Miami Dolphins’ 2025 season has been a disaster, but there are still reasons to be thankful.

Despite a 4-7 record, the Dolphins aren’t eliminated from playoff consideration, and the schedule sets up wonderfully for Miami, which could qualify for the postseason if it wins all six remaining games.

While that feat seems ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Chicago Bears on Sunday and their defense again looked incompetent and powerless to stop a fairly pedestrian offense.

This came one week after they played maybe their best game of the season in a whipping of the Cincinnati Bengals.

The game before that, the Steelers looked like a JV team as ...Read more

DENVER — The Broncos have locked up another key member of one of the best-performing offensive lines in football.

On Tuesday night, Denver agreed to a four-year extension with center Luke Wattenberg, sources confirmed to The Denver Post. It’s a four-year, $48 million extension for Wattenberg, a source confirmed, with $27 million guaranteed....Read more

SEATTLE — The Seahawks appear close to a reunion with safety Quandre Diggs to help shore up an injury-riddled position, a source confirmed to The Seattle Times.

If Diggs signs, it is expected that it will be to the practice squad.

Diggs foreshadowed the move Tuesday morning with a post on the social media platform X with a picture of ...Read more

CHICAGO — On first-and-10 with 10:30 left in the third quarter Sunday, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams faked a handoff to Kyle Monangai, whipped around and planted the ball in Rome Odunze’s belly for a 14-yard gain with Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. draped all over Odunze.

Set up at Pittsburgh’s 29-yard line, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Training camp began with a nebulous but optimistically sounding concept. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah noted the organization devoted its offseason to “building the idea of the 2025 Vikings.”

What has become clear is that the brain trust miscalculated the pairing of an unproven quarterback with an expensive, veteran ...Read more

Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free-agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.

Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @UTEddieBrown if you ...Read more

NEW YORK — Eli Manning is a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame once again.

The former Giants quarterback is among the 26 candidates for the class of 2026 who advanced to the semifinalist portion of the voting in the modern-era players category, the Hall announced Tuesday.

Manning, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, is in his second year on the ballot...Read more

CHICAGO — It’s still hard to believe a team was audacious enough to record a rap video revealing their plans to go to the Super Bowl, but the “Super Bowl Shuffle” remains one of the more endearing stories of the 1985 Chicago Bears, whose legendary swagger never seems to grow old.

In Chicago, we’ve relived the ’85 Bears over and over...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The NFL is making a statement with its punishment of Carolina Panthers safety Tre’Von Moehrig.

The league office announced Tuesday afternoon that Moehrig will be suspended one game without pay for his “act of unsportsmanlike conduct” in the Panther’s Monday against the San Francisco 49ers.

Moehrig and San Francisco�...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The PittsburghSteelers will be without starting left tackle Broderick Jones and starting defensive tackle Derrick Harmon for Sunday’s home game against the Buffalo Bills.

Jones, who suffered a neck injury in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears, will miss his first game of the season. Veteran ...Read more

The Chicago Bears didn't want to seem cocky.

They didn't want to jinx themselves.

They certainly didn't want to provide opponents with bulletin board fodder during their attempt to bring a Super Bowl championship to their home city after the 1985 season.

As a large group of players from that team — billed as the Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew...Read more

Bernie Kosar doesn’t start with, “Hello,’’ on the other end of the phone.

He starts “It’s almost not believable — it’s Disney-type stuff.”

He’s on the ninth floor of University Hospital in Cleveland, and tells how he was being discharged last Sunday when told they finally had a liver for him. A 21-year-old Cleveland Browns ...Read more

SEATTLE — In the Seattle Seahawks’ season-opening, 17-13 loss to San Francisco on Sept. 7, Jaxon Smith-Njigba provided a preview. In his first game without DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the 23-year-old excelled, torching the 49ers for nine catches and 124 yards. Smith-Njigba earned 13 of his team’s 22 targets, and his teammates combined ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have cured their inability to run the football, something they were determined to do.

And, between Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, they have been mostly responsible for the explosive plays in their offense. Good thing, too.

They haven't had that in their passing game, particularly from their...Read more

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Just came here to say: Matthew Stafford > Drake Maye for MVP.

Stafford > Jonathan Taylor.

Stafford > everyone.

There’s no one doing it like the Los Angeles Rams’ 37-year-old, 17th-year QB, who doesn’t want to label it this way himself, but who is, in fact, playing the best football the best of his long, illustrious...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy threw an opening-drive touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings, duping all into thinking this “Monday Night Football” affair would be a Brock-Is-Back showcase and a San Francisco 49ers’ blowout.

Then Purdy got intercepted on the 49ers’ next drive. And the next. And the next.

The 49ers overcame that ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Another week, another new injury for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

This time it’s his toe. Jackson was listed with the injury on the team’s first injury report of the week, which was an estimation after Baltimore held a walk-through Monday evening.

He was one of four players not to practice and coincidentally ...Read more