NFL News

When teams miss the playoffs, it’s a good bet that the head coach and quarterback are going to come in for criticism when the year is over. That was the case with the Saints, so General Manager Mickey Loomis spent time during a Wednesday press conference defending the work done by head coach Dennis Allen and quarterback Derek Carr. Loomis …

NFL logo for Sam Farmer picks (Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times) The Times’ NFL writer, Sam Farmer, examines this week’s matchups. Lines according to FanDuel Sportsbook (O/U = over/under). Last week’s record 3-3 (.500). Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, the record against the spread last week would have been 4-2 (.667). TV channels are for Los …

Photograph: Wilfredo Lee/AP The inquiry into what went wrong for the Dolphins this season will be long and painful. They can point to the freezing weather in Kansas City and the mountain of end-of-season injuries as reasons for why they fell at the first hurdle in the playoffs, but such thinking would ignore the issues that plagued the team during …

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni demoted defensive coordinator Sean Desai late in the season and handed the coordinator responsibilities to assistant Matt Patricia. It did not go well, and the Eagles went 1-4 in five games with Patricia calling the defense. Eagles cornerback Darius Slay says it was tough. Slay, one of the Eagles’ defensive captains, said the transition made …

Bears trade down twice in latest mock draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago Creating content for our weekly mock drafts feels like taking a dip into the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse (MCU). In the MCU’s Multiverse, characters might look the same but differ slightly from one mirroring universe to the next. So, Spider-Man is a good guy in one …

Patriots coaching rumors tracker: Latest updates on Jerod Mayo’s staff originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The New England Patriots’ offseason began with a monumental coaching change — and that might only be the beginning. The Patriots parted ways with Bill Belichick on Jan. 11 after a 24-year partnership, then named Jerod Mayo their new head coach the following day. …

The Bills held a walkthrough practice on Wednesday and they listed eight players as non-participants on their injury report after the session. Linebacker Terrel Bernard and wide receiver Gabe Davis were part of that group. Bernard injured his ankle against the Steelers on Monday while Davis missed the game due to a knee injury. Edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Von …

The only thing scarier than drafting an early-round running back these days is taking an older running back in those early rounds. The 2023 fantasy football season was not kind to many second-contract backs. The 2022 fantasy returns at running back weren’t that bad, all things considered. But things got messy in 2023. Ten backs who charted as top-20 backs …

The Panthers completed a virtual interview with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on Wednesday, the team announced. Quinn also interviewed with the Titans on Wednesday and will meet with the Commanders and Seahawks on Thursday and the Chargers on Friday. The Cowboys saw their season end in the wild-card round against the Packers, as the defense gave up 415 yards …

Ralph Vacchiano NFC East Reporter Jerry Jones has always been a little more patient with his head coaches than he probably should be. He’s often given them a year or two longer than anyone thought they reasonably deserved. But that’s not the case this time. This time, Jones was right to do what he did on Wednesday night — announce …

49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw returned to practice Wednesday. Greenlaw missed the Week 18 game against the Rams with Achilles tendinitis and sat out Tuesday’s practice. He was limited in his return to on-field work. Safety Logan Ryan (groin) also returned to limited work after missing Tuesday’s practice. The 49ers are optimistic about having Greenlaw and Ryan this weekend. Defensive end …

Purdy details mindset shift from first 49ers playoff run to now originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Brock Purdy isn’t approaching this year’s playoffs like he did a year ago. The 49ers quarterback has had an entire season, especially the last two weeks, to reflect on one of his young career’s defining moments: his impressive showing in the 2023 …

Why ex-49ers, Packers QB Benkert gives Green Bay advantage vs. SF originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area When exactly was the last time the 49ers played a meaningful game this season? To former 49ers and Green Bay Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert, who recently appeared on the “Up & Adams Show,” it has been about seven weeks, or nearly two …

The ratings for super wild-card weekend were stellar, even if the games weren’t. Browns-Texans on NBC, which resulted in a 45-14 Houston win, averaged 29 million viewers. Saturday night’s Dolphins-Chiefs game, a 26-7 margin, averaged 23 million viewers on Peacock. On Sunday, the Packers-Cowboys game on Fox — which was over before halftime — averaged 40 million. Rams-Lions on NBC …

Jerry Jones apparently doesn’t want him some gloryhole, after all. The Cowboys owner won’t be making a coaching change. Instead, the team has announced that Mike McCarthy will return for a fifth year on the job. McCarthy has won 12 regular-season games in 2021, 2022, and 2023. However, he hasn’t made it past the divisional round once. This year, the …