Hands up who saw Thursday night's result coming? I'm not ashamed to admit I 100 per cent did not. As good as the Chargers are, at Arrowhead and without Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler I thought the Chiefs would have too much for them, but a stunning fourth-quarter comeback means LA have now
1 min 31 sec
Raiders WR Martavis Bryant, who was placed on IR earlier this month, has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
8 min 31 sec
8 min 31 sec
Last weekend was a wild one for folks tracking the top of the 2019 NFL Draft order. The San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and New York Jets all won. The Arizona Cardinals lost to drop into a tie with the 49ers and Raiders at 3-10 heading into the final three weeks of the season. The NFL kicked off
8 min 31 sec
Need some quick tips to assemble your fantasy lineup for Week 15? For most leagues this weekend, the postseason is down to four teams, all eyeing a berth in the title game a week from now. For some owners, a dominant season is on the line. For others, they have come all this way but have some lineup
8 min 31 sec
With the Broncos all but out of the playoff picture, let's take a look at the NFL draft season. 1. The Broncos' three-game winning streak before last week's loss at San Francisco pushed them out of the top 15, which generally means they would have to trade up to get a quarterback. But is
8 min 31 sec
Todd Archer ESPN Staff Writer Close Covered NFL since 1997, Cowboys since 2003 Previously covered Bengals and Dolphins Lives in Dallas area with his wife and two children Follow on Twitter FRISCO, Texas -- Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin has been ruled out of the Dallas Cowboys' matchup against the Indianapolis
8 min 31 sec
When talking big-game quarterbacks, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers probably wouldn't get benched in favor of the Vikings' Kirk Cousins. No offense to Mr. Cousins, who's having a solid if unspectacular season in Minnesota. He just doesn't have Rodgers' history. But fantasy football
8 min 31 sec
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Chargers can no longer be overlooked, whether it is on the list of Super Bowl contenders or as a headline attraction in their own town. Thursday night's 29-28 come-from-behind victory over the Kansas City Chiefs moved the 11-3 Chargers into a tie atop the AFC West with
8 min 31 sec
Playoff implications abound in the NFC West this week, as the Seahawks can clinch a wild card berth with a win at San Francisco and the Rams can secure a first-round bye with a win and a Chicago Bears loss. As the postseason draws ever nearer, take a look at this week's NFC West Awards. The Awards
8 min 31 sec
First-year Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy received seven of 10 possible first place votes among a panel of 10 Associated Press football writers asked to name the NFL coach doing the best job this season. Nagy, who was previously the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, finished ahead of Pete Carroll
1 min 31 sec
Raiders WR Martavis Bryant, who was placed on IR earlier this month, has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
1 hour 30 min
While doing their jobs scouting NFL players for EA Sports, Madden ratings adjusters have surprisingly become rock stars of sorts themselves.
2 hours 30 min
Winners and projections for every matchup, plus playoff scenarios, to get you through the weekend. Catch up on Week 15 here.
4 hours 1 min
Eagles coach Doug Pederson said QB Carson Wentz faces a three-month recovery period for a stress fracture in his back, meaning it's unlikely he will return to action this season.
6 hours 30 min
Limiting big plays is a priority for a Houston defense that was torched in Week 14 and sees Jets QB Sam Darnold and his WRs developing chemistry.
6 hours 30 min
In the salary cap era, missing the playoffs year after year requires a special level of ineptitude and a constant state of rebuilding.
6 hours 30 min
Phillip Lindsay, Bradley Chubb and several other rookies have had big roles all season. To keep thin playoff hopes alive, they'll need to do more.
6 hours 30 min
Perhaps tops among the challenges for the Steelers' defense Sunday is stopping Gronkowski, who has five TDs in his past five games against them.
6 hours 30 min
After a record-breaking start to the season, Thielen's production has dipped. Now, it is his new interim OC's job to get him back on the right track.
6 hours 30 min
With Baker Mayfield's rookie numbers conjuring Otto Graham, Dan Marino and Peyton Manning, the Browns believe they hit big on their No. 1 pick.
20 hours 44 min
This week on the Off The Charts football podcast, we do a review of the Chargers' big comeback against the Chiefs and then preview three big games of the upcoming weekend: Miami at Minnesota, New England at Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia at the Los Angeles Rams. (Click for audio link.)
20 hours 44 min
This week: nobody dies, or covers Mike Williams.
1 day 1 hour
The best thing about bowl season is that there's a game every day. The worst thing is that often, you have no idea who these guys are. Ian Boyd introduces you to some of the best players you'll see in the next week -- including Fresno State receiver KeeSean Johnson.
1 day 1 hour
With the Lions, 49ers, and Falcons out of the playoffs, Ben Muth says hello to a new team in the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, the Rams' offensive line had a bad night against the Bears in Chicago, but there's reason to think things would turn around in a postseason rematch.
1 day 5 hours
The Chargers stunned the Chiefs with another 14-point fourth-quarter comeback on the road. We look at how it happened and which team should feel better about a potential rematch in January.
1 day 19 hours
The biggest game of the week is on Thursday night. With a win, Kansas City can all but wrap up home-field advantage in the AFC -- but with a loss, they open the door a crack for the L.A. Chargers to slip past them and win the AFC West. We've got a pair of Saturday games (Texans-Jets and Browns-Broncos); critical Sunday games such as Cowboys-Colts, Dolphins-Vikings, and Patriots-Steelers; and finally the Saints and Panthers on Monday night. Use this thread to discuss them all.
1 day 23 hours
Guest columnist Ben Baldwin returns for another look at play-action passing in the NFL. Does a team's effectiveness on standard passes have an effect on play-action success? Do teams that run the ball a lot use play-action more often? Do teams that run well use play-action more? And finally, is play-action more effective when it's used sparingly?
2 days 2 hours
In a year when offenses are running wild like never before, one defense stands out from the pack as the best in the league -- and it's not just because they traded for Khalil Mack. Derrik Klassen shows how the stars in Chicago's secondary are just as important as their pass-rushers.
2 days 3 hours
This week's Upset Watch looks at what the Chargers need to do to go on the road and win in Kansas City. They match up well against Travis Kelce, but can they stop Tyreek Hill from burning them deep again? Cover Watch looks at Carolina's desperate need for a win against New Orleans.
2 days 21 hours
Jerry Jeudy and Alabama were very good this year, just like we all expected. Same goes for their Playoff competitors in Clemson, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame, and other top teams like Ohio State and Washington. Brian Fremeau looks back at a year filled with boring predictability and tries to find out why good teams don't play each other anymore.
14 min 30 sec
Los Angeles is coming off a dispiriting 15-6 loss in chilly Chicago during which it failed to score a touchdown for the first time in coach Sean McVay's tenure.
3 hours 56 min
Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson go 1-on-1. Here's a preview of their conversation. The full interview will air on Sunday's FOX NFL Kickoff at 11 am ET.
4 hours 20 min
Memphis won't have All-America running back Darrell Henderson for Birmingham Bowl matchup with Wake Forest
5 hours 50 min
Saints QB Drew Brees gives commemorative footballs to receivers, lineman and coaches who helped him become the NFL's career leader in yards passing this season
18 hours 38 min
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is listed as questionable to play at Buffalo because of a back ailment
19 hours 38 min
Tennessee linebacker Quart'e Sapp says he's bypassing his final season of eligibility to enter NFL draft
20 hours 20 min
The Los Angeles Chargers can no longer be overlooked, whether it is on the list of Super Bowl contenders or as a headline attraction in their own town
20 hours 26 min
Orakpo out vs. Giants, Titans add Mariota to injury report
21 hours 1 min
The Seattle Seahawks will be without one of their three running backs Sunday after rookie Rashaad Penny was ruled out with a knee injury
21 hours 1 min
Kentucky running back Benny Snell Jr. says he'll skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft but will play in the Wildcats' New Year's Day bowl game
50 min 31 sec
Houston Texans left tackle Duane Brown was absent Tuesday as the team prepared to leave for training camp in West Virginia, according to NFL Network's James Palmer.
50 min 31 sec
The Indianapolis Colts announced Tuesday that first-round draft pick Malik Hooker will open training camp on the PUP list. Hooker injured his hamstring during Monday's conditioning test.
50 min 31 sec
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead was arrested and charged with misdemeanor petty larceny in June after he was accused of shoplifting in Virginia, according to court and police records.
50 min 31 sec
Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon enters Year 2 facing more adversity. After earning a four-game ban for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing drugs, Dixon is slated for knee surgery Tuesday.
50 min 31 sec
Former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned. For his ex-teammate in San Francisco, Jeremy Kerley, that's a shame. Because for Kerley, Kaepernick "knows how to get" a team back to the Super Bowl.
50 min 31 sec
The Broncos have reached an agreement with general manager John Elway on a new five-year deal through 2021, the team announced Monday.
50 min 31 sec
Cowboys star receiver Dez Bryant may have shown up late to training camp, but that didn't stop him from professing his love for the organization that drafted him.
50 min 31 sec
Veteran pass rusher Tamba Hali took to Twitter to vent some frustration he has with fellow Chiefs teammates. Coach Andy Reid said Hali "doesn't need to go there and do all that."
50 min 31 sec
The Colts will open training camp with their franchise quarterback on the sideline. GM Chris Ballard announced Monday that Andrew Luck will be placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
3 hours 20 min
After over 2,000 days and 14,000 stories, Sports on Earth is ceasing publishing. It has been an honor and a delight to have the opportunity to write about sports every day for you for the past five-and-a-half years. Now, we reflect on the history of the site.
3 hours 20 min
Nick Foles will become the rare backup quarterback to start in a Super Bowl for the Eagles against the Patriots. They're led by Tom Brady, who did the same thing 16 years ago. Let's look back at how rare it is for replacement QBs to start in the Super Bowl.
3 hours 20 min
The results of the 2018 Hall of Fame vote were revealed on Wednesday, with four players making it in: Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman. However, those four names weren't the only things we learned from the announcement.
3 hours 20 min
The Eagles have evolved over the course of the season by necessity because of injuries, but they also got a big boost by trading for running back Jay Ajayi. It's the latest in a line of midseason additions that have helped teams make Super Bowl runs.
3 hours 20 min
With two weeks until the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 8, plenty of teams appear ready to make a move at the deadline to bolster their roster. So let's look at who we expect to be buyers and sellers, and which teams appear to be standing pat.
3 hours 20 min
There is no offseason in college football. As soon as the 2017 season ended with Alabama's walk-off win for the national title against Georgia, the 2018 preseason began. That's right: It's time to start ranking teams already. All 130 of them.
3 hours 20 min
The Rangers will finally retire Jean Ratelle's No. 19 on Feb. 25 at Madison Square Garden. It only took 43 years. The National Hockey League trade deadline is the next day, and the window is closing quickly on this edition of the Broadway Blue Shirts.
3 hours 20 min
There was a picture this week of another gift coming the way of Jose Altuve, a colorful crystal bat from Swarovski to go with the World Series trophy and the AL MVP Award. Altuve has come a long way for this moment, and he's only just getting started.
3 hours 20 min
The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots will face off in Super Bowl LII, a rematch of the Super Bowl from 13 years ago. It has me digging even further back to the only two Philadelphia-Boston matchups in World Series history in 1914 and '15.
3 hours 20 min
The Milwaukee Brewers came close to a playoff bid last year, but they're flying under the radar entering the 2018 season. Are they due for regression or are they poised to make a leap into the postseason? Let's look at the arguments for both.
38 min 30 sec
Novak Djokovic wins an epic semi-final against Rafael Nadal which set up his straight-set win over Kevin Anderson in the final of Wimbledon.
38 min 30 sec
Amelie Mauresmo has decided against taking over as captain of France's Davis Cup team to instead coach Lucas Pouille.
38 min 30 sec
Andy Murray will use his protected ranking of world number two to gain entry to January's Australian Open.
38 min 30 sec
The move means a planned auction of the ex-tennis champion's trophies and memorabilia can go ahead.
38 min 30 sec
Britain's Andy Lapthorne loses in three sets to Paralympic champion Dylan Alcott in the Wheelchair Tennis Masters quad singles final in Orlando.
38 min 30 sec
Marin Cilic beat Lucas Pouille in straight sets to secure Croatia's second Davis Cup title.
38 min 30 sec
We take a look at East Midlands' Unsung Hero winner for 2018 - autistic tennis coach Matthew Chilvers who wants to encourage people with disabilities to get involved in sport.
38 min 30 sec
France keep their Davis Cup final hopes alive as Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert beat Croatian pair Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic.
38 min 30 sec
International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty is "confident" a revamped Davis Cup and the new ATP Team Cup can join forces.
38 min 30 sec
Marin Cilic and Borna Coric both win to put Croatia 2-0 up in the Davis Cup final against hosts France.
8 min 31 sec
Hands up who saw Thursday night's result coming? I'm not ashamed to admit I 100 per cent did not. As good as the Chargers are, at Arrowhead and without Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler I thought the Chiefs would have too much for them, but a stunning fourth-quarter comeback means LA have now
8 min 31 sec
Last weekend was a wild one for folks tracking the top of the 2019 NFL Draft order. The San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and New York Jets all won. The Arizona Cardinals lost to drop into a tie with the 49ers and Raiders at 3-10 heading into the final three weeks of the season. The NFL kicked off
8 min 31 sec
Need some quick tips to assemble your fantasy lineup for Week 15? For most leagues this weekend, the postseason is down to four teams, all eyeing a berth in the title game a week from now. For some owners, a dominant season is on the line. For others, they have come all this way but have some lineup
8 min 31 sec
With the Broncos all but out of the playoff picture, let's take a look at the NFL draft season. 1. The Broncos' three-game winning streak before last week's loss at San Francisco pushed them out of the top 15, which generally means they would have to trade up to get a quarterback. But is
8 min 31 sec
Todd Archer ESPN Staff Writer Close Covered NFL since 1997, Cowboys since 2003 Previously covered Bengals and Dolphins Lives in Dallas area with his wife and two children Follow on Twitter FRISCO, Texas -- Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin has been ruled out of the Dallas Cowboys' matchup against the Indianapolis
8 min 31 sec
When talking big-game quarterbacks, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers probably wouldn't get benched in favor of the Vikings' Kirk Cousins. No offense to Mr. Cousins, who's having a solid if unspectacular season in Minnesota. He just doesn't have Rodgers' history. But fantasy football
8 min 31 sec
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Chargers can no longer be overlooked, whether it is on the list of Super Bowl contenders or as a headline attraction in their own town. Thursday night's 29-28 come-from-behind victory over the Kansas City Chiefs moved the 11-3 Chargers into a tie atop the AFC West with
8 min 31 sec
Playoff implications abound in the NFC West this week, as the Seahawks can clinch a wild card berth with a win at San Francisco and the Rams can secure a first-round bye with a win and a Chicago Bears loss. As the postseason draws ever nearer, take a look at this week's NFC West Awards. The Awards
8 min 31 sec
First-year Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy received seven of 10 possible first place votes among a panel of 10 Associated Press football writers asked to name the NFL coach doing the best job this season. Nagy, who was previously the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, finished ahead of Pete Carroll
14 min 30 sec
SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes is here to lend a hand as you decide which games to bet on heading into Week 15 of the NFL. A quick glance at items of interest as Week 15 rolls on… Who's hot: The Seahawks. Look who's on the verge of clinching a playoff berth. Gone are Richard
26 min 31 sec
The Steelers have a recent history of being shorthanded at key offensive spots when they face the Patriots, and it appears Sunday will continue that trend. James Conner’s ankle injury is likely to keep him out of Sunday’s game against New England, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. While Conner is expected to return for Week 16 against the Saints, the Steelers will have to go with Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley for a second straight game. Injured during the Steelers’ Week 13 loss to the Chargers, Conner had not made the same kind of impact in November that he did during the first half of the season. Le’Veon Bell’s replacement was held under 100 yards from scrimmage from Weeks 10-13, this coming after he’d exceeded that barrier in Pittsburgh’s previous four games (all wins). Nevertheless, Pittsburgh is now down to what would have been its third-string running back if Bell had played this season. Last season, the Steelers lost Antonio Brown during the first half of their close loss...
38 min 30 sec
Despite practicing on Friday, it appears James Conner will be hard pressed to play Sunday when his Pittsburgh Steelers take on the New England Patriots. The running back missed Pittsburgh’s last game due to an ankle sprain suffered in the team’s Week 13 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Initially thought to be a minor injury, it was deemed a bit more serious after additional testing, and now it appears it will cost Conner two games. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports Conner “is unlikely to play” Sunday, but “should be good to go in Week 16.” The last game without Conner was frustrating for Pittsburgh’s offense, as running backs Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley failed to pick up the slack. On the season, Conner has tallied 1,376 yards and 13 touchdowns from scrimmage.
2 hours 56 min
We learned yesterday that Raiders wideout Martavis Bryant had been suspended indefinitely by the NFL. While it was certainly possible for the 26-year-old to rehabilitate his image and return to the league, at least one individual believes the receiver has already played his final game in the NFL. A source told FanSided.com’s Jason Cole that he doesn’t believe Bryant “will ever play again” (Twitter link). This might not necessarily be attributed to teams’ lack of interest; rather, Cole says the wideout “seriously angered” the NFL during the process. Bryant had previously been fighting a substance abuse suspension, but a lost appeal means that he’ll be banned until further notice. The 2014 fourth-round pick had previously served two suspensions during his stint with the Steelers: a four-game ban in 2015 and a season-long ban in 2016. He was conditionally reinstated by the league in April of 2017, and this most-recent ban was attributed to “violating the terms of his conditional...
3 hours 1 min
Jon Gruden may not be doing a lot of winning this season as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, but he still knows how to destroy folks in the media. Check out this comment he made about the team’s upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, if you weren’t aware of the immense gaffe Stephen A. Smith committed before Thursday night’s game between Kansas City and Los Angeles, you might be inclined to believe Gruden has well and truly lost his mind. However, when we do take into account Smith’s ridiculously uninformed takes, it makes perfect sense. Gruden absolutely leveled his former ESPN colleague from the top rope with this epic troll job. It’s almost as good as what the Chargers did in response to Smith via their injury report.
3 hours 50 min
As expected, the Philadelphia Eagles will not have QB Carson Wentz available for Week 15. Wentz had been considered doubtful with a fractured vertebrae in his back, but on Saturday morning, Philadelphia took the extra step of formally ruling him out of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. Nick Foles will start in Wentz’s place Sunday and possibly beyond. The good news is Wentz won’t need surgery and can just rest to heal his injuries, but that makes it unclear if he’ll be able to play again this season. With Philadelphia barely in the playoff race, it may not end up mattering, but it’s still disappointing from any perspective.
4 hours 1 min
Odell Beckham Jr. is set to miss his second-straight game this weekend, and it sounds like we’re finally getting some clarity on his injury. Speaking on the "UnInterrupted" Facebook docuseries, the wideout said he’s been dealing with a hematoma to his quad, and he acknowledged that he aggravated the injury during a practice on December 6th. We already knew that Beckham had suffered a quad injury, but many reports referred to it as a standard sprain. As Ralph Vacchiano of SNY tweets, a hematoma is described as “a collection of blood outside a blood vessel.” The reporter notes that the injury can be slow to develop, could require draining, and may be a sign of a larger, underlying problem. Furthermore, while the Giants’ coaching staff has generally been tightlipped when it comes to their star’s quad, Beckham provided some insight into when he may have suffered the injury. The 26-year-old indicated that he suffered the injury during a late-November game against the Eagles. While the...
4 hours 44 min
The 2018 NFL regular season is entering its home stretch, and the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers have all clinched playoff spots, which leaves eight postseason berths up for grabs entering this weekend’s games. Given that only three regular-season games remain for NFL teams not named the Chiefs or Chargers, who squared off in Thursday night’s thrilling divisional showdown, a number of squads have little room for error going forward. Six of these teams must win this weekend to keep their playoff hopes alive, so read on to see what their outlook looks like. Pittsburgh Steelers Having dropped three straight games, including a loss to the hapless Raiders last week, the Steelers find themselves in desperate need of a win against the Patriots on Sunday in order to preserve their lead in the AFC North. Baltimore currently trails Pittsburgh by only a half-game, and the Ravens have a favorable matchup against the Buccaneers this week. The...
4 hours 44 min
As part of yesterday’s roster shuffle, the Jaguars also lost an offensive lineman for the season. The team announced that they’ve placed offensive guard Josh Walker on the injured reserve with an ankle injury. The 27-year-old Walker had missed that Jaguars last four games, but his placement on the IR was still a bit surprising. The lineman was a full participant at practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, and there was some optimism that he’d be able to play in this weekend’s contest against the Redskins. Ultimately, the team decided to open the extra roster spot. The 2014 undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State had started four of his five games this season. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance in 2018. Walker, who’s listed as an offensive tackle, ranked dead last among the 78 eligible players at the position. While Jacksonville is losing one lineman, they’ll be welcoming another one back. As part of yesterday’s moves, the team activated...
15 hours 56 min
The trade of Amari Cooper from the Raiders to the Cowboys has been one of the most discussed stories this NFL season. The conventional wisdom had been that new coach Jon Gruden wanted him gone as he sought to stockpile more draft picks to completely rebuild the Raiders the way he wanted, but new information suggests that might not be the case. Cooper himself told Calvin Watkins of The Athletic that it was Raiders owner Mark Davis who wanted him gone and not Gruden. Cooper shares an agent with Khalil Mack, and rumors have swirled online for a while now that there may have been bad blood between Davis and Mack’s agent after the two sides were unable to work out a new deal for the defensive end. That being said, the notion that Davis is the one who wanted Cooper off the Raiders isn’t true, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, who reports that Cooper is misinformed. It’s unclear who’s right, but it’s likely this isn’t the last we hear of this story. Here’s more from around the...
17 hours 20 min
The Dolphins have a big offseason ahead of them. They’ll have to make a tough decision about Ryan Tannehill, but they have some other calls to make as well. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald took a look at some of their non-Tannehill-related upcoming decisions recently and wrote that receiver DeVante Parker almost certainly won’t be back at the $9.4M salary he’s owed next season. He also writes about veteran pass-rusher Cameron Wake, who is set to be a free agent after this season and notes that “the Dolphins told Wake’s camp early this past offseason that they wanted to extend him but nothing materialized.” Wake will be turning 37 next month and has seen his production drop off a bit this year with just 4.5 sacks compared to 10.5 a year ago. Jackson thinks the Dolphins will definitely want Wake back at a cheaper figure than his current $8M salary but is unsure whether Wake will be willing to take a dramatic paycut. It might be pretty small, but Jackson does “expect a Dolphins...
