Vikings hang on for 28-25 win over Saints in London
Greg Joseph kicked a 47-yard field goal with 24 seconds left and the Minnesota Vikings hung on for a 28-25 win over New Orleans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the Saintsโ Wil Lutzโs 61-yard tying attempt hit the left upright and then the crossbar as time expired.
NFL players continue fighting for social justice, diversity
TAMPA, Fla. โ NFL players and their union want the league to continue fighting for social justice and theyโre still seeking an increase in the number of minority coaches. Two minorities were hired for seven head coach openings this offseason. There were three Black head coaches when the Rooney Rule was adopted in 2003 and there are three now, despite several changes to the rule to help promote more opportunities. Goodell said having two minority coaches hired this year wasnโt what they expected and not what they expect moving forward. โIt does frustrate players, especially African American players, because we see ourselves as potential leaders within the NFL community,โ Woodyard said.
Brady, Bucs, end playoffs for Saints, Brees, 30-20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) works against the New Orleans Saints during the first half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in New Orleans. Brady and the Bucs' offense turned three of four Saints turnovers into touchdowns and Tampa Bay beat New Orleans 30-20 in the divisional round of the playoffs Sunday night. Breesโ 16-yard pass to Tre-Quan Smith put the Saints ahead 20-13, and New Orleans appeared primed to build on that lead when Brees found Jared Cook across the 50. WINSTON'S MOMENTJameis Winston, forced out of Tampa Bay when Brady became available, threw a 56-yard touchdown pass against his old team on a trick play. Saints: Deonte Harris, who returned the first Tampa Bay punt 54 yards to set up a field goal, left with a neck injury in the first half.
Brees, Saints pull away late for 21-9 playoff win over Bears
Brees completed 28 of 39 passes for 265 yards, connecting with Michael Thomas and Latavius Murray for touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Chicago Bears 21-9 in an NFC wild-card game Sunday. Brees' first touchdown pass in the opening quarter was 11-yards over the middle to Thomas, back from a three-game absence to help heal a nagging ankle injury. The 2019 Offensive Player of the Year missed nine games this season and had not caught a touchdown pass since December 2019. That marked the second time this season a Bears player was thrown out for action taken against Gardner-Johnson after the whistle. The Bears have reached the playoffs twice since Pace took over in 2015, both times under Nagy, who was hired in 2018.
Brady and Bucs, plus Bills and Rams win NFL wild-card games
The first tripleheader of NFL wild-card games saw Tom Brady extend his postseason record for victories to 31 with a 31-23 win for Tampa Bay at Washington on Saturday. After a quarter-century, the Bills got one of those triumphs that Brady collects โ and they even figured out how to stop a Hail Mary. The previous playoff win was over Miami on Dec. 30, 1995. And it came in the Billsโ first home playoff game in 24 years, with a limited number of fans in attendance (6,700) for the first time this season. The Ravens averaged an NFL-best 191.9 yards rushing per game and their 3,071 yards rushing were third highest in NFL history.
A winner: Chiefs vs Saints, with Brees back to face Mahomes
1 conference seed is tight, with the Packers one game ahead of the Saints, the Rams and Seahawks one game behind. Drew Brees will be active after missing four games with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, making for an intriguing matchup with Patrick Mahomes. The Bills (11-3) scored twice in a 17-second span in the third quarter to ice their fourth straight victory that officially ended the New England Patriotsโ 11-year reign atop the division. The Ravens have run for at least 100 yards in 36 straight games, seven short of the NFL record set by Pittsburgh from 1974-77. Baltimore is averaging 173.8 yards on the ground and topped 200 yards in each of the past two games.
Russell Wilson, Travis Kelce among NFL Man of Year nominees
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) talks at the end of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Seattle's star quarterback Russell Wilson and Kansas City's standout tight end Travis Kelce are among the 32 finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)In a year impacted by a pandemic and social unrest, NFL players have spoken out and stepped up. โThe 32 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominees remind us that even in the face of adversity, players continue to raise awareness and use their voice and platform to positively impact their communities. โBeing nominated as the Chiefs' Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year is one of the greatest honors of my professional career,โ tight end Travis Kelce said. As an organization captain, he directs a team of active NFL players who are committed to using their platform to help address the clean water crisis.
From season-altering to bizarre, injuries hit NFL yet again
From the season-altering (Dak Prescott, Barkley) to the bizarre (Tyrod Taylor, Trent Brown), injuries are playing their traditionally significant role in the NFL. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)ARLINGTON, Texas โ From the season-altering to the bizarre, injuries are playing their traditionally significant role in the NFL. Brown also recently went back on the COVID-19 list, a newcomer among potential ailments with the NFL playing during a pandemic. Few teams have had the volume of injuries that have hit defending NFC champion San Francisco. New Orleans' star receiver, Michael Thomas, has had a tumultuous season in part because of ankle and hamstring injuries.
Brees throws 4 TD passes, Saints rout Brady, Buccaneers 38-3
Brees was 26 of 32 passing, including first-half TD throws of 14 yards to TreโQuan Smith, 8 yards to Adam Trautman and 12 yards to Sanders, who missed the previous two games while on the COVID-19 list. Brees regained the league career TD pass lead with 654, three more than the 43-year-old Brady, who had thrown for 17 touchdowns and just one interception over his previous six games. The Saints intercepted Brady twice in a 34-23 season-opening win, with Janoris Jenkins returning one for a TD. Jared Cook fumbled at the Bucs 2 with the Saints looking to build on an early 7-0 lead. The Saints outgained the Bucs 241 yards to 36 up to that point.
The Latest: Home teams now 65-65-1 in this pandemic season
That means that going into tonightโs Saints-Buccaneers showdown, home teams are 65-65-1 so far this season. That homefield advantage has largely been erased with sparse crowds or no fans at games because of the coronavirus pandemic. Las Vegas though has taken control on its first two drives of the second half. Neither had started an NFL game, but both have been in the league much longer than DiNucci. The Tennessee Titans already lost left tackle Taylor Lewan for the season, and now they are without left guard Rodger Saffold.
Will Lutz makes field goal in OT, Saints beat Bears 26-23
The Bearsโ Cairo Santos made a 51-yard field goal at the end of regulation to force the extra period. He came through with his fourth field goal on a windy day, sending the Bears (5-3) to their second straight loss. โMy gut, weโre on the field and I feel like we can kick a field goal at that distance without risking any ball-security issues,โ Payton said. Marshon Lattimore then intercepted Nick Foles, leading to a tiebreaking field goal by Lutz. After the Saints went three-and-out, Chicago tied it with 13 seconds left on Santosโ field goal into the wind.
19 Detroit men face drug charges; feds reveal โclimate of fearโ created by gangโs violence, control
Feds have charged 19 Detroit men in connection with drug crimes, and in one indictment, they broke down how the โItโs Just Usโ gang initiated its members, operated stash houses, moved guns and drugs, and even gained control of restaurants and bars while creating a โclimate of fearโ on the east side.
Packers without leading rusher Aaron Jones vs. Texans
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)The Green Bay Packers are without their leading rusher for Sunday's game at Houston after Aaron Jones was ruled out with a calf injury. Cam Erving is back at left tackle with Connor Williams at left guard. Washington will be without left tackle Geron Christian because of a knee injury, so journeyman Cornelius Lucas starts in that spot. ___GREEN BAY AT HOUSTONPackers: QB Jordan Love, CB Kevin King, S Darnell Savage, RB Tyler Ervin, RB Aaron Jones, T David Bakhtiari, DL Tyler Lancaster. Texans: WR Keke Coutee, CB John Reid, LB Peter Kalambayi, T Charlie Heck, TE Jordan Akins.
Saints score 5 straight TDs in 35-29 win over Lions
Drew Brees threw two touchdown passes to Tre'Quan Smith 2:19 apart in the second quarter, helping the short-handed Saints rally to beat the Lions 35-29. The Saints took a step toward sealing the win with Brees converting a third-and-5 from his 27 with a 19-yard pass to Smith. In Week 2, they were ahead by 11 points against Green Bay before giving up 31 straight points and losing an 11th straight game. โLetโs just talk about the Saints game," Patricia said when asked if he was concerned about his job security. Thomas, who practiced during the week, missed a third straight game with an ankle injury.
Raiders open Las Vegas stadium with 34-24 win vs Saints
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Darren Waller (83) during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)LAS VEGAS โ Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders delivered a performance worthy of their fancy new home. Carr threw three touchdown passes and the Raiders gave their new fans in Las Vegas plenty to celebrate even if they werenโt allowed in the stadium by beating the New Orleans Saints 34-24 on Monday night. Las Vegas converted 10 of 17 third downs and also went for it successfully twice on fourth down. Alec Ingold recovered for Las Vegas and Carr threw a 1-yard TD to Waller on fourth down to give the Raiders their first lead of the game at 24-17.
Saints intercept Brady twice in 34-23 win over Bucs
(AP Photo/Brett Duke)NEW ORLEANS โ Tom Brady was intercepted twice in his Tampa Bay debut, Alvin Kamara scored touchdowns running and receiving, and the New Orleans Saints beat the Buccaneers 34-23 on Sunday. Neither quarterback was statistically exceptional in this first-ever NFL game featuring two quarterbacks in their 40s. One exception was Saints safety and Players Coalition co-founder Malcolm Jenkins, who trotted to the Saints bench area after the anthem had finished. The Saints were flagged four times for 101 yards, with all of those calls occurring during the Bucs' first three scoring drives. Saints: Take part in the first NFL game played in Las Vegas, the Raiders' home opener on Monday night, Sept. 21.
Mahomes, Mathieu leading Chiefs in voter registration drive
FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2020, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, left, and Tyrann Mathieu celebrate after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Kansas City Chiefs began talking about a repeat before they had even left the stadium following their Super Bowl triumph. Patrick Mahomes and Tyrann Mathieu knew they had a platform to speak out about social injustice given their visibility and stature with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. And that's why they have joined with the Chiefs in the beginnings of a voter registration drive ahead of the November elections. If we're able to impact voter registration and give those people a voice and let those people go into their communities and select heir leaders, that's going to be very important going forward, Mathieu said.
The Latest: Australians draw parallels to inequality in U.S.
(AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)The Latest on the May 25 death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer pressed a knee on his neck:TOP OF THE HOUR: Australians rally, draw parallels to inequality in U.S. Protesters take to New York City streets after curfew, again. Protesters in South Korea condemn what they described as U.S. police brutality toward demonstrators. ___CANBERRA, Australia -- Thousands gathered in Australias capital on Friday to remind citizens that the racial inequality underscored by George Floyds death was not unique to the United States. ___NEW YORK -- Protesters stayed on the streets of New York City after curfew for another day Thursday, spurred by the death of George Floyd. ___WASHINGTON Protests in the nations capital over George Floyds death broke up before dark Thursday as a heavy rain began to fall.
Players send video message to NFL about racial inequality
NEW YORK NEW YORK (AP) Patrick Mahomes, Saquon Barkley and Michael Thomas are among more than a dozen NFL stars who united to send a passionate video message to the league about racial inequality. The players then name several of the black men and women who have recently been killed, including Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Eric Garner. I AM George Floyd, Hopkins says. ... We, the National Football League, admit wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting. ... We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Saints' Brees takes first step toward mending relationships
Ross Cameron, File)NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS (AP) Drew Brees now realizes he'd fallen out of touch. In the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, Brees repeated his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem. The Saints, Brees included, chose to kneel moments before the anthem and then stand as it began. Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins called Brees part of the problem, in a video he posted on social media. Brees' track record may be one reason Carolina Panthers tight end Chris Manhertz, a former Brees teammate in New Orleans, echoed Davis' sentiments.
Brees throws for 228 yards, 3 TDs as Saints beat Bucs 34-17
Thomas had eight receptions for 114 yards, boosting his season totals to 94 catches for 1,141 yards. Alvin Kamara rushed for 73 yards on 13 attempts and had 10 receptions for 47 yards against a Tampa Bay defense ranked No. A battered Jameis Winston completed 30 of 51 passes for313 yards and two TDS for the Bucs (3-7), who have lost five of six following a 2-2 start. Winston threw TD passes of 6 yards to Peyton Barber and 30 yards to Chris Godwin. Tampa Bay ran the ball just eight times for 36 yards, with Winston scrambling for a team-leading 23 on two attempts.