SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Denver Broncos are good. But not good enough.

Dre Greenlaw reminded them of this sobering fact Sunday. On his first tackle and with last words. He celebrated by pointing at Sean Payton, and providing his unsolicited opinion to the coach after the San Francisco 49ers’ 24-14 victory at Levi’s Stadium.

“I love ...Read more

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — That, in case you forgot after that sunny Super Bowl run and dreary start to this season, is what Mike Vrabel-led teams do.

They punch up.

They connect on the jaws of giants, uppercutting again and again until the best teams and players in football topple over like they did Sunday. Josh Allen threw an interception on his...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Lip readers on social media had a field day with some of the animated and expletive-filled outbursts by Pittsburgh Steelers players in Cleveland this past Thursday night.

But they didn’t need to read lips when quarterback Aaron Rodgers screamed at coach Mike McCarthy to get the plays in quicker. His profanity was picked up by ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Every great team needs a thing.

It needs a thing it can do better than anything else.

What is that thing for the Eagles?

Where should they turn when nothing is working? When the injuries accumulate? When the score tightens? When the offense as a whole looks lost?

There are lots of things that might explain the Eagles’ 24-...Read more

SEATTLE — Veteran running back Joe Mixon is expected to sign to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad assuming he passes a physical, a source confirmed, adding depth to a position that is dealing with some injury concerns.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald confirmed during his Monday afternoon news conference that the team had Mixon in for a ...Read more

CHICAGO — Tyson Bagent will start at quarterback for the Chicago Bears in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers, coach Ben Johnson announced Monday during his weekly radio spot on WMVP-AM 1000.

In an interview with Bears play-by-play voice Jeff Joniak, Johnson said Bagent would be “the guy” Sunday at Lambeau Field. Last week Johnson didn�...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Freakish start, familiar finish.

The first NFL game to open with back-to-back interceptions ended Sunday with another loss by the Los Angeles Chargers, who are 0-4 and still searching for answers.

The 30-23 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks didn't feel as close as the final score suggests, as quarterback Justin Herbert took a ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain II is believed to have avoided a serious injury after missing the second half of the Broncos’ game on Sunday, multiple sources told The Denver Post.

The three-time All-Pro defensive back suffered a non-contact injury at the end of the first half in the Broncos’ loss to the ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson remains day-to-day after injuring his left ankle in Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans, coach Jesse Minter said Monday afternoon in Owings Mills, Md.

Jackson underwent an MRI on Monday, though Minter did not provide specifics on the results.

The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player ...Read more

Tyreek Hill once was a superstar receiver with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl and making six Pro Bowls during his six seasons with the team.

While that was several years ago at this point, it appears that Hill and the Chiefs have mutual interest in a possible reunion.

The Chiefs have a void at wide receiver. Fifth-year player ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The emotions of Kansas City Chiefs fans changed in a split second Sunday.

When Patrick Mahomes completed a 55-yard pass to Tyquan Thornton in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ 30-27 win over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, there was joy.

But Thornton didn’t get up. And then he pointed at his foot.

“...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The mood inside U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday was weirdly conflicted and loudly irritable. The home team was booed throughout a wire-to-wire victory that kept its record perfect.

Good news: The Minnesota Vikings are 4-0.

Bad news: Their offense continues to sputter.

Is that a case of being half full, or half empty?

“Today ...Read more

HOUSTON — Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb stood before a throng of reporters on Sunday afternoon, and from 20 feet away, his quarterback, Dak Prescott, yelled, “You’re welcome, CeeDee!”

A few feet away, teammate George Pickens was preparing to leave the Cowboys’ locker room and could only say, “Yeah, no [expletive].”

The...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The M-V-P! chants rained down in front of a raucous, rarely-seated, jam-packed Bank of America Stadium crowd early in the fourth quarter on Sunday night.

It was a fun wrinkle on an overwhelmingly fun day — one that saw a spectacular day from Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, a redemptive day from Tetairoa McMillan...Read more

CHICAGO — “Country Road, Take Me Home” was the perfect serenade for Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent on Sunday afternoon.

As the lyrics “West Virginia, mountain mama / Take me home, country roads” blared over the Soldier Field speakers after the Bears’ 23-12 win over the New York Jets, the Martinsburg, W.Va., native could ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — George Kittle caught Brock Purdy’s short pass, burst into the open field, and triumphantly took the San Francisco 49ers’ undefeated record for a joyride.

Kittle’s 56-yard, catch-and-run touchdown secured Sunday’s 24-14 victory over the Denver Broncos, capping off a three-game homestand and rewarding fans who sat...Read more

PARADISE, Nev. — The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27 Sunday, improving to 4-0 as they enter their early bye week.

Let’s dive in.

Turning point: Tyquan Thornton’s 55-yard catch flips the game late

This was the most easily identifiable turning point of the season to date.

With the Chiefs facing third-and-5 in ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — It’s rarely sunny in Philadelphia for Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams.

Before Sunday’s game against the Eagles, McVay was 1-6 against them, 1-4 at Lincoln Financial Field and 0-4 against Eagles coach Nick Sirianni.

The last time the Rams visited here, the Eagles blocked a field-goal attempt and returned it for a ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — When Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson dragged Miami Dolphins cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. across midfield during a 14-yard catch and run, he might as well have been dragging Minnesota’s struggling offense along with him.

Hockenson’s 10th of 13 catches — tying his single-game career high from 2022 — converted a...Read more