CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY

As San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould gave his take on the Super Bowl, he took a shot at Jalen Hurts, a dual-threat quarterback, for his ability as a passer.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey came out of the gate hot on Wednesday as he talked about the team's devastating loss in the NFC Championship.

For Kirk Cousins, it wasn't quite the NFL-record 33-point comeback against the Indianapolis Colts to win the NFC North. NFC coach Eli Manning wanted Cousins in that spot to decide the overall winner, and the Minnesota Vikings QB responded by throwing three touchdowns passes to rally the NFC to a 35-33 victory over the AFC in the Pro Bowl Games and end that conference's five-game losing streak.

The NFL didn't put on its Sunday best for the conference championships. Before the San Francisco 49ers ran out of luck and quarterbacks, they were burned by a fourth-down catch by Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith that wasn't even a catch. Although Kyle Shanahan could have thrown a challenge flag, the league's replay assist rule allows the replay official to make a quick reversal without a challenge, something that didn't happen before the Eagles hurried to the line and snapped the ball.

The San Francisco 49ers got a jolt offensively when they made the bold decision in October to trade four draft picks to add Christian McCaffrey to an already deep group of playmakers.

Christian McCaffrey missed his second straight practice with a calf injury but said he'll be playing in the 49ers' NFC title game.

Nasty defenses.

Christian McCaffrey has been a revelation for the 49ers since his midseason acquisition, aided by his bond with position coach Anthony Lynn.

The teams boast the top defenses in the NFL, top-five offenses, top-10 rushing attacks and 114 sacks between them. So who has the edge?

Christian McCaffrey scored on a go-ahead 2-yard run in the fourth quarter and San Francisco’s defense did the rest, sending the 49ers to their second straight NFC title game with a 19-12 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys' unpredictable nature might actually be the thing that works in their favor this weekend against the 49ers' juggernaut.

The San Francisco 49ers have advanced to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs after blowing out their NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, 41-23.

Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth score in his playoff debut, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a wild-card game.

The 49ers have won 10 straight games, five started by rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy. Everyone knew Kyle Shanahan was brilliant, but this season is on another level.

Wild-card weekend is all about familiarity.

Brock Purdy led the San Francisco 49ers to their 10th consecutive win to end the regular season on the highest of notes against the Arizona Cardinals.

Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes for his sixth straight game with multiple TDs and the San Francisco 49ers clinched the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 38-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Brock Purdy passed his latest test and now has the San Francisco 49ers in position for a possible playoff bye. On a day when San Francisco's usually stellar defense struggled against a backup quarterback, Purdy showed he can thrive just as much when coming from behind as he has playing with a lead. Purdy had his fifth straight game with two TD passes and threw for 284 yards to help the Niners rally from a 10-point deficit in the second half to beat the Las Vegas Raiders 37-34 in overtime on Sunday for their ninth straight win.

Tashaun Gipson intercepted Jarrett Stidham in overtime and returned it 56 yards, setting up Robbie Gould’s 23-yard field goal that gave the San Francisco 49ers a 37-34 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Week 15 of the NFL season kicked off with the Niners taking down the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. Here were the top plays!

For any chance at an upset Thursday, the Seahawks need to play better against the run as the 49ers will focus on the ground game.

Brock Purdy threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in his first career start and San Francisco’s vaunted defense spoiled Tom Brady’s Bay Area homecoming with a 35-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brock Purdy's day started with a botched audible that led to a crushing hit and ended with an emotional hug with his family and congratulations from Tom Brady. In between came a stretch of nearly flawless play that made Purdy's first career start a very successful one. Purdy threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and San Francisco's vaunted defense spoiled Brady's Bay Area homecoming with a 35-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Deebo Samuel fired back at the trolling the team received from former teammates Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr.

Elijah Mitchell sprained his left MCL. Christian McCaffrey has been hurt for much of the last three years. Should the 49ers rely on Deebo Samuel more as a runner?

Olivia Culpo is joining her sisters Sophia and Aurora Culpo for a new reality TV series on TLC titled "Meet the Culpos." In it, the former pageant queen got candid about freezing her eggs.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo received a lot of attention from the Golden State Warriors cheerleading squad at Monday night's game.

Elijah Mitchell paced the 49ers' ground attack Sunday, joining Christian McCaffrey to form a formidable 1-2 punch.

The San Francisco 49ers turned defense up a notch and held the Los Angeles Chargers scoreless in the second half on their way to a comeback win.

Christian McCaffrey ran for the go-ahead touchdown with 7:54 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Chargers 22-16 in their first game back from a bye week.

The surprising Seahawks get top marks. But the midseason report cards for a couple other NFC West teams aren't nearly as good.

Pairing Christian McCaffrey with Deebo Samuel gives the Niners several ways to create favorable matchups with these two unique chess pieces.

The NFL trade deadline turned into a frenzy with 15 teams making 10 deals involving 12 players and several draft picks.

Christian McCaffrey was unstoppable for his new team. Who can slow the Dolphins? A former NFL scout takes you around the league.

Christian McCaffrey has been with the 49ers a little over a week but has learned fast, throwing, running and catching for touchdowns in blowout of Rams.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey became the first person to complete the trifecta of touchdowns since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005.

Christian McCaffrey became the 11th player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in one game, and the San Francisco 49ers extended their regular-season mastery over the Rams to four full years with a 31-14 victory over Los Angeles.

Christian McCaffrey became the 11th player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in one game, and the San Francisco 49ers extended their regular-season mastery over the Rams to four full years with a 31-14 victory over Los Angeles on Sunday. McCaffrey threw a 34-yard TD pass to Brandon Aiyuk in the first half, caught a TD pass from Jimmy Garoppolo in the third quarter and then put the Niners (4-4) in control with a TD run early in the fourth.

San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey made a terrific impact in Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams with a touchdown pass.

San Francisco 49ers playmaker Deebo Samuel will miss Sunday’s key NFC West showdown against the rival Los Angeles Rams with an injured hamstring.

The Los Angeles Rams are used to making the NFL’s boldest moves and getting the big-name players they want.

Baseball fans celebrated in Philadelphia and Houston on Sunday night. The Phillies are going to the World Series after winning the National League playoffs. They'll play the Houston Astros, who won the American League playoffs. (Oct. 24)

Patrick Mahomes threw for 424 yards and three touchdowns to rally Kansas City back from another double-digit deficit in the Chiefs’ 44-23 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Days after trading star running back Christian McCaffrey, the Carolina Panthers ran for a season-high 173 yards and rolled past Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-3.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell below.

General manager John Lynch still views his San Francisco 49ers as a Super Bowl contender despite a string of injuries, lackluster performances and a 3-3 start to the season.

Some might say it’s a rebuild.

In the short term, the Panthers will become even more unwatchable. In the long term, it means the team has gone into full tear-it-down-and-rebuild-it mode — again.

The San Francisco 49ers have acquired star running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers for a haul of draft picks.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey says he is tuning out any discussions about possibly being traded and is instead focusing on the tasks at hand.

According to a person familiar with the situation, the Carolina Panthers are considering trading 2019 All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey if they get something significant in return.

Can we finally start Tony Pollard.

While it's unlikely he'll be dealt, the Carolina Panthers have begun listening to offers for star running back Christian McCaffrey, according to multiple reports.

The San Francisco 49ers clobbered the Carolina Panthers 37-15 behind Jimmy Garoppolo's 253 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. The 49ers' defense was on point.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Laviska Shenault caught a 67-yard touchdown pass against the New Orleans Saints to pick up their first win of the season.

Nine home teams are underdogs in Week 3.

Patrick Mahomes loses sleep preparing for Thursday night games.

Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass during the Carolina Panthers' 23-21 preseason-opening victory at the Washington Commanders to give him a highlight in the quarterback competition against Baker Mayfield.

Training camps opened across the NFL and the biggest offseason question remains unanswered.

Brendan Smith scored a short-handed goal late in the second period while Antti Raanta finished with 21 saves to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 2-0, taking a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series.

The former Miss USA touched down at LAX in Los Angeles after near-week-long trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with her sister Aurora and boyfriend Christian McCaffrey.

Every year, players in every NFL city fail to meet expectations.

Here are some athletes who were money in the bank for sports bettors this year: Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans and Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani.

Los Angeles Rams receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been added to the COVID-19 reserve list as the NFL reports 28 more positive tests among players.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey will miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury.

Cam Newton provided a flashback to his Superman days in his second debut with the Panthers He threw for one touchdown, ran for another and sparked Carolina to a 34-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton made it clear in a 30-minute teleconference Friday that he doesn’t hold any grudges about the team releasing him prior to the 2020 season, calling it “irrelevant” to him now.

Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow are the top contenders for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year honors after bouncing back from injuries that ended their 2020 seasons early.

The Carolina Panthers have placed running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the next three games with a hamstring injury.

About a third of the starting quarterbacks have missed time because of injuries, and Richard Sherman’s return to the NFL was hastened by Tampa Bay’s need at cornerback.

According to a person familiar with the situation Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss multiple weeks with a hamstring injury.

Sam Darnold threw for 304 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and the Carolina Panthers eased past the Houston Texans 24-9 despite losing Christian McCaffrey to a hamstring injury early in the second quarter.

Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey left Thursday night’s game against the Houston Texans with a hamstring injury and will not return.

Sam Darnold threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, and the Carolina defense turned in another strong performance in a 26-7 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Arizona Cardinals kicker Matt Prater has capped a wild first half against Minnesota with a franchise-record 62-yard field goal on the final play.

The Denver Broncos are going with Teddy Bridgewater over Drew Lock as their starting quarterback.

Jacob Eason was efficient in place of the injured Carson Wentz, and rookie Sam Ehlinger delivered in the final quarter for the Indianapolis Colts.

Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson appeared on the field at their teams’ first training camp practices.

From players getting COVID-19 vaccinations to relaxed coronavirus protocols to lineup issues, particularly at quarterback, the NFL faces a multitude of questions as training camps open.

“I don’t have all the answers. This is something that’s going to require everyone’s effort now as far as taking care of our veterans.”

“I don’t have all the answers. This is something that’s going to require everyone’s effort now as far as taking care of our veterans.”

“I don’t have all the answers. This is something that’s going to require everyone’s effort now as far as taking care of our veterans.”

Hendrick Motorsports’ quest to pass Petty Enterprises as the all-time winningest NASCAR Cup Series race team got off to a good start when Kyle Larson captured the pole for the Coca-Cola 600.

Regardless, on Monday, two days before the NFL's 2021 business year begins, the 32 teams and agents for the players will be making deals. “Legal tampering, and tampering is illegal? AdOf course, free agency always is a buyer-beware situation. AdVoila: Lavonte David, a key linebacker, was re-signed, and several other key guys in the title run could be back. “We do have some money from a cap standpoint that we can spend; but again, it’s an interesting year.

The Saints (12-4) will host the seventh-seeded Chicago Bears in the wild-card round next Sunday at 4:40 p.m. EST. He also ran for five TDs, but the Panthers struggled to make winning plays late in games all season with Bridgewater at the helm. That leaves questions about his future as the Panthers starting QB, especially with the team having a top 10 draft pick in 2021. UP NEXTSaints: The four-time defending NFC South champions host the Bears next Sunday in the playoffs. Panthers: After failing to make the playoffs for the third straight season, Carolina will look to the NFL draft to upgrade a number of pressing needs.

DeVonta Smith is The Associated Press college football player of the year, becoming the first wide receiver to win the award since it was established in 1998, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. Jones received nine first-place votes and 67 points as he and Smith became the first teammates to finish 1-2 in the voting for AP player of the year. Smith is also the first Alabama player to win the award. Derrick Henry won the 2015 Heisman for the Tide, but Stanford's Christian McCaffrey was AP player of the year. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Haskins' failed second chance coupled with a special teams blunder and defensive miscues added up to Washington blowing its first chance to clinch the NFC East by losing to the Carolina Panthers 20-13 on Sunday. With Christian McCaffrey out again, Curtis Samuel had five catches for 106 yards and was the Panthers' leading rusher with 52 yards on seven carries. 2 pick forced Bridgewater to fumble on a sack in Washington territory early in the third quarter to prevent Carolina from putting up even more points. Washington: Played without top WR Terry McLaurin, who couldn't keep gutting through a nagging ankle injury. Washington: Gets another chance to win the NFC East next Sunday at Philadelphia.

Aaron Rodgers threw for a season-low 143 yards but produced a touchdown pass – his 40th of the season – and a touchdown run for the Packers. Green Bay (11-3) won its fourth straight and took a half-game lead over New Orleans (10-3) in the race for the NFC’s best record. Mason Crosby gave the Packers some breathing room with a 51-yard field goal with 3:39 left, but the Panthers wouldn't go away. The strategy didn't work then Green Bay stopped Carolina on its final possession. Green Bay hosts Tennessee in another night game on Dec. 27.