Jacksonville won the AFC South and Tennessee earned a wild-card playoff berth out of the division last season. Now, they get the prime-time spotlight tonight even though both are also-rans. Oh, the Titans (6-6) still are in the playoff chase. But it’s difficult to take serious a team that needs a late rally to beat […]

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — James Develin has spent most of his seven seasons with the New England Patriots doing the kind of dirty work that rarely gets noticed on the field. A special teams player and fullback used mostly as a blocker, he entered 2018 without a carry in either of his previous two seasons. Now it […]

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots have thrived in the final month of the season since Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s arrival. They’re hoping their 24-10 victory over the Vikings is the start of another memorable December. Tom Brady passed for 311 yards and a touchdown, Bill Belichick earned his 250th victory, including playoffs, as Patriots coach […]

DETROIT — Todd Gurley ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns to help the Los Angeles Rams overcome a sputtering start to beat the Detroit Lions 30-16 Sunday and clinch the NFC West title for a second straight season. The Rams (11-1) also moved a step closer to earning home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs, taking […]

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The month of December has been a special time for the New England Patriots during the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady era. Since the pair arrived in 2000, the Patriots are 64-13 during the final month of the regular season. Brady has been the starter for all but six of those victories — […]

FOXBOROUGH, mass. — The Patriots have been at their best on offense this season when they’ve established the run and avoided facing a significant number of third downs. Achieving success in both areas could be difficult Sunday against a Minnesota Vikings team that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is expecting to offer “as big a challenge as […]

By BARRY WILNER The Associated Press They are beginning to think playoffs in Big D. They’ve been thinking Super Bowl for weeks in the Big Easy. Tonight, the Cowboys host the Saints in, well, a big game. New Orleans (10-1) has looked like the NFL’s best, even as it sits tied with the Rams for […]

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — When Patriots players looked around the locker room Sunday, they saw a generally healthy squad. That’s scary for the rest of the NFL. Or maybe not. Unless New England makes some key improvements over the next month — and can anyone doubt the Patriots will, given their track record? — a third straight trip to […]

DEBVER — Von Miller declared earlier this season that his job was to “sack quarterbacks and tell jokes.” With half a sack to show for chasing around Ben Roethlisberger all afternoon, Denver’s superstar chose not to talk about the Broncos grappling their way back to relevance but instead channeled Bill Belichick and his “We’re on to Cincinnati” credo […]