While the NFL looks wide open at the midway point of the 2023 season, several of the usual suspects remain near the top — including last year’s Super Bowl participants Philadelphia and Kansas City — but another team has emerged as a strong threat: Baltimore. Having notched several convincing wins over potential playoff contenders, the Ravens are tied for first …

PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Graham stood at his locker with that infectious smile on his face, feeling like a kid in a candy store. Graham, the veteran trash talker that he is, put on a Dallas Cowboys hat with a stop sign crossing out the logo — knowing the cameras were coming as he was prepared to exit the locker room.  …

A franchise of a well-known Mexican restaurant opened near me not long ago. (Yes, this is a column about the Las Vegas Raiders. Trust me.) In the first few days the place was open, the servers scooped monstrous piles of steak into every taco and burrito. Once the word got out that the joint was open and piling up the …

Penn State has had a handful of noon kickoffs this season. And now it will have one more to add to the schedule. On Monday, the Big Ten officially announced Penn State’s home game against Rutgers on Saturday, No. 18 will start at 12:00 p.m. ET. The specifics for the broadcast will be confirmed at a later point in time, …

The first eight games of the season brought panic, disappointment, bewilderment, hope and elation for the Cincinnati Bengals and their fans. Often, it was a combination of all those things. At the center of all that, as usual, was superstar quarterback Joe Burrow. His play usually dictates the fortunes of the Bengals. The 26-year-old Burrow started the season rusty because …

USATSI Arthur Smith will not be reshuffling the deck at quarterback. The Falcons head coach told reporters during his press conference on Monday that Taylor Heinicke will remain the starter for Atlanta when they travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals in Week 10. That means 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder will remain on the bench as the primary backup.  …

With Ollie Gordon II continuing to thrive for Oklahoma State, the star running back’s name is starting to enter the Heisman discussion. USA Today has released its latest Heisman odds, and Gordon — who helped lead Oklahoma State to a 24-21 win over Bedlam rival OU on Saturday — is seventh on the list with a 2.44% chance of claiming …

PHILADELPHIA — The entire city went silent once Jalen Hurts was thrown down by Micah Parsons late in the second quarter. Something wasn’t right once Hurts emerged from the wrath of Parsons, as he stayed on the ground for an extensive period before getting up and limping to the sideline. Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni called timeout to give …

The Cardinals saw a couple of offensive linemen go down with injuries in Sunday’s loss to the Browns and they were already thin up front, so they moved to add a healthy player to the mix on Monday. The team announced that they have claimed Doug Kramer off of waivers. The Bears waived Kramer when they activated tackle Braxton Jones …

Getty Images Clarity could soon come regarding allegations of illegal sign stealing by the Michigan football program as the university confirmed to ESPN on Monday that the Big Ten has issued a formal notice of potential disciplinary action against the Wolverines. According to Yahoo Sports, the NCAA has revealed its investigation findings to the Big Ten and among the disciplinary action the …

Quarterback Kyler Murray will make his 2023 season debut for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at home against the Atlanta Falcons, head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Monday. Murray is nearly 11 months removed from tearing his ACL in a game against the Patriots last December. He missed the final three weeks of the 2022 season. The Cardinals traded for …

The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a 28-17 win over the Buffalo Bills, but the game was far from all positive. In the second half, star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase fell on his back while attempting to make a catch and the injury may be more significant than initially thought. Chase remained in the game, though he did appear to …

The Dallas Cowboys entered their Week 9 NFC East bout at the Philadelphia Eagles with a 5-2 record and a +77 point-differential, the fourth-best in the NFL through the first eight weeks of the 2023 season. That figure was predominantly built on blowout wins against the New York Giants (40-0), the New York Jets (30-10), the New England Patriots (38-3) …

With just three games to go, the Iowa Hawkeyes are going to a bowl game. The question of what bowl game, against whom, and when it is played are the only questions that remain. Iowa has a real shot at double-digit wins again this year with their final three games against Rutgers, Illinois, and Nebraska. While all three are winnable, …

Frank Reich was filled with optimism when he took over as head coach of the Carolina Panthers in January. Midway through the season that optimism has waned significantly with the Panthers (1-7) matching the worst start in franchise history. They’ve been overwhelmed with injuries and face the growing prospect they may have drafted the wrong quarterback with the No. 1 …