BALTIMORE — The Ravens needed a win. Any win.

That happens when a team is 1-5 and scrounging to get into the postseason, so the 30-16 victory against the Chicago Bears was a big deal. The Ravens are now 2-5, and that abyss the team has been staring into since the season started doesn’t appear to be as deep or as dark.

And once the Ravens ...Read more

BALTIMORE — After the Ravens’ handling of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s practice participation prompted an NFL investigation, coach John Harbaugh said that it was an “honest mistake.”

Jackson didn’t play in Sunday’s 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears after initially being ruled questionable with a hamstring injury following Friday’s...Read more

On the offensive side of the ball, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have developed a noticeable limp.

Thankfully, on the other side, the defense has begun to strut.

While the offense is looking beat up and out of sync, the Bucs defense showed up huge in a 23-3 win over the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome on Sunday.

It was the first time since Oct...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo suffered a horrific injury to his right ankle with 8:07 remaining in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Did you see it?” head coach Brian Daboll said, referring to the gruesome twist of Skattebo’s right foot. “Feel absolutely terrible for the...Read more

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots passed a major test while extending their winning streak to five games.

They proved that one of the NFL’s best defenses is no match for their offensive firepower.

The now 6-2 Patriots started slow, laboriously taking a 9-7 lead into halftime against the Cleveland Browns. Then came the offensive ...Read more

HOUSTON – Hey, at least tight ends George Kittle and Jake Tonges scored touchdowns on the NFL’s so-called National Tight Ends Day.

And at least Deommodore Lenoir’s interception snapped the San Francisco 49ers’ 14-game, 469-pass drought without a pick.

At the end, the 49ers didn’t have much else to celebrate, losing 26-15 Sunday to ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Halloween came early on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, as turnovers and a terrible run defense haunted the Panthers in a 40-9 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills (5-2). The frightening performance by Carolina (4-4) resulted in a scary stop to their three-game winning streak, which began in Week 5 on Mint Street.

Without ...Read more

At the start of the fourth quarter, a cheer broke out throughout Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“Let’s go Dolphins,” fans sang, followed by a syncopated five claps. “Let’s go Dolphins.”

The irony: this was the first time all month that Miami Dolphins supporters truly had a reason to be happy. That’s because the Dolphins came into Atlanta...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — No A.J. Brown, no Cam Jurgens, no problem.

The Eagles avenged their blowout loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 9, handing their NFC East foe a 38-20 defeat on Sunday afternoon. Even though Philadelphia was missing two of its top players on offense, it was still dominant on the ground and through the air, posting 428 net yards ...Read more

BALTIMORE — No Lamar Jackson, no problem.

With the Baltimore Ravens’ season effectively on the line Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium, quarterback Tyler Huntley started in place of the injured two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and filled in admirably, throwing for 186 yards and a touchdown and running for another 53 yards. Just as ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Vikings played their seventh game Thursday night. Not quite half of the season but still a large enough sample to glean some insight into a team’s identity.

Thus, here is a pertinent question: What do the Vikings do well?

Run the ball? No.

Stop the run? No.

Dominate opponents along the line of scrimmage? No.

Create ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — It was vintage Aaron Rodgers in Cincinnati last Thursday night, right down to the final play. No one in NFL history has completed more Hail Mary passes than Rodgers, and he almost did it again.

On a night Rodgers threw four more touchdowns to continue his turn-back-the-clock season with the Steelers, his best throw of the game ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Raiders didn’t expect to be 2-5 going into their bye week.

Coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek were supposed to breathe new life into the organization. Instead, the Raiders are in the midst of another lost season.

That means, once again, fans will spend most of the second half of the campaign thinking about ...Read more

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a bone bruise in his left knee last week's loss to the San Francisco 49ers and might not start in the tomorrow's game against the Miami Dolphins.

The Falcons (3-3) are set to host the Dolphins (1-6) at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

ESPN ...Read more

BALTIMORE — A day after Lamar Jackson practiced fully for the first time since injuring his hamstring last month, the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday ruled the quarterback out for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

“There has been an update to Lamar Jackson’s Friday practice and game status,” the Ravens posted on social media. “...Read more

NEW YORK — After a week of trying to fool the media, the New York Jets will keep the same starting quarterback this week.

Tyrod Taylor, who was expected to start against the Cincinnati Bengals, has been ruled out due to a knee injury he suffered last week in the loss to the Carolina Panthers, according to a source. He is not expected to ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Ozzie Newsome grew up in Muscle Shoals near the birthplace of the civil rights movement in Alabama. He remembers the days of “colored fountains” and as a sixth grader being the only African American in a newly desegregated school.

When the Cleveland NFL franchise first moved to Baltimore for the start of the 1996 season, ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For a variety of reasons the last few seasons, Patrick Mahomes at times appeared off-kilter and tentative. On occasions, he even seemed skittish in an often-precarious pocket.

Because of his transcendent talent and uncanny find-a-way mindset, he still was pivotal — along with some top-notch defense — in leading the ...Read more