MARCUS ALLEN

Never mind the comeback the Pittsburgh Steelers made in the second half.

Never mind the comeback the Pittsburgh Steelers made in the second half. Mike Tomlin had seen enough before that, and the 15th-year coach was so upset he started benching players in search of a spark. The defense gave up 176 yards rushing to the Minnesota Vikings in the first half.

Sometimes, the abdicating king, or the deposed one, returns to his kingdom.

Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, Jared Allen and Calvin Johnson are first-year eligible players to make the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fames class of 2021. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)TAMPA, Fla. – The Latest on the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class announced Saturday during the NFL Honors TV show (All times EST):___10:49 p.m.Peyton Manning is heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an all-but-preordained honor for a quarterback who helped redefine offense in the 21st century. Manning spent his first 14 years in Indianapolis, where he won his first Super Bowl. ___10:08 p.m.Alan Faneca, the sturdy guard who spent years opening holes open for Jerome Bettis and protecting Ben Roethlisberger, is going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ___9:33 p.m.Calvin Johnson, the receiver better known as “Megatron,” has been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)The Cleveland Browns are short-handed as they try to clinch the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2002, the longest active drought in the NFL. They learned Sunday morning they will be without starting rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills against the New York Jets because of an illness. The Browns will be missing receivers Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge and linebacker Jacob Phillips. The Indianapolis Colts will be without both starting offensive tackles when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers. This comes after they placed LB Whitney Mercilus on the COVID list on Christmas.

Jones had been listed as questionable after missing practice throughout the week with a hamstring injury. Even so, the winless Falcons’ secondary gets a boost with safeties Keanu Neal (hamstring) and Ricardo Allen (elbow) returning from injuries. ___PHILADELPHIA AT PITTSBURGHEagles: TE Hakeem Butler; RB Jason Huntley, WR DeSean Jackson, WR Alshon Jeffery, CB Avonte Maddox, QB Nate Sudfeld, DE Casey Toohill. Falcons: S Jaylinn Hawkins, WR Julio Jones, CB A.J. Ravens: RB Justice Hill, WR Chris Moore, QB Trace McSorley, DT Broderick Washington, DT Justin Ellis, OL Tyre Phillips.

Washington released veteran running back Adrian Peterson on Friday, a stunning move by first-year coach Ron Rivera in the name of getting younger. Rivera called Peterson early in the morning asking him to come to the practice facility, then delivered the news the team was moving on from the 35-year-old star. Peterson played the past two seasons with Washington, rushing for 1,940 yards and 12 touchdowns in the fourth stop of a career that will likely earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now, after Guice's release following a domestic violence arrest, he, Peterson and longtime third-down back Chris Thompson are all gone, and the backfield has a decidedly young look. This is a very talented, gifted young man that did a lot of different things, Rivera said Thursday.