Derrick Henry heading to Ravens is another sign that running backs are valued -- at the right price
Derrick Henry is leaving the Tennessee Titans to team up with MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens with a two-year deal worth up to $20 million, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press.
Moss upstages Taylor's return in Colts' 23-16 victory over Titans. Richardson injures shoulder
Zack Moss upstaged the return of Jonathan Taylor by running for a career-high 165 yards and two scores and Gardner Minshew was sharp in relief of the injured Anthony Richardson to lead the Indianapolis Colts past the Tennessee Titans 23-16.
Giants and running back Saquon Barkley fail to reach contract extension
Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants failed to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension by Monday’s deadline for franchised players, leaving the star running back with the option of playing for the tag-mandated $10.1 million salary or maybe taking the season off.
Mahomes helps Chiefs rally past Titans 20-17 in overtime
Patrick Mahomes ran for the tying touchdown and 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter, Harrison Butker atoned for two earlier misses by kicking the go-ahead field goal in overtime, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Tennessee Titans 20-17.
Defending Super Bowl champion Rams open season as underdogs
Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams will raise their Super Bowl banner Thursday night before kicking off the NFL season at home where they became the second straight team to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy in their own stadium.
Aaron Jones staying with Packers on 4-year, $48 million deal
The Pro Bowl running back, Jones has agreed to a new deal with the Green Bay Packers and wont be exploring free agency. Drew Rosenhaus, Jones agent, confirmed that his client had agreed on a four-year deal worth $48 million that includes a $13 million signing bonus. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke, File)Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones has agreed to a new deal with the Green Bay Packers and won’t be exploring free agency. Drew Rosenhaus, Jones’ agent, confirmed that his client had agreed on a four-year deal worth $48 million that includes a $13 million signing bonus. “We anticipated bigger offers in free agency, but Aaron wanted to stay with the Packers,” Rosenhaus said via email.
Rodgers wins 3rd MVP, Donald gets 3rd top defensive player
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers pumps his fist after an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Los Angeles Rams Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, in Green Bay, Wis. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earned his third Associated Press Most Valuable Player award, while Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald took his third top defensive player prize at NFL Honors. Titans 2,000-yard rusher Derrick Henry won Offensive Player of the Year, and the offensive rookie honor went to Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his work in the community. Rodgers had perhaps the best season of his 16-year career, leading Green Bay to a 13-3 regular season, the NFC’s best mark.
The Latest: Washington's Smith is comeback player of 2020
Smith received 49 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. ___9:52 p.m.For turning around a moribund Cleveland franchise, overcoming injuries and COVID-19 concerns, Kevin Stefanski is The Associated Press 2020 NFL Coach of the Year. ___9:43 p.m.One of the well-earned spoils for Derrick Henry’s 2,000-yard rushing season is The Associated Press 2020 NFL Offensive Player of the Year honor. ___9:30 p.m.Aaron Donald has become such a dominant defensive tackle that he’s joined elite company in winning his third Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Los Angeles Rams’ unanimous All-Pro added the 2020 top defensive player honor to his wins in 2017 and 2018.
Ravens' season ends with Jackson in locker room, 17-3 loss
The Ravens and Lamar Jackson were stymied for the much of Saturday night by a hustling, relentless Buffalo defense. Then, the biggest miscue on a night of missteps for the Ravens effectively put an end to an otherwise memorable season. In the end, however, the Ravens got blown away on a windy night by a team that chased Jackson all over the field. 1-ranked rushing game generated 150 yards, but Jackson was limited to 34 yards on nine carries with a long of 15 yards. Throwing under duress for much of the game, Jackson went 14 of 24 for 162 yards with an interception and three sacks.
Falcons pick Titans offensive coordinator Smith as new coach
FILE - Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith instructs his players during NFL football training camp in Nashville, Tenn., in this Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, file photo. The New York Jets interviewed Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, for their head coaching vacancy. Atlanta agreed to terms with Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith on Friday to become the team's head coach. Smith has served on Tennessee's staff for 10 seasons, including two as offensive coordinator. He also was an offensive assistant/quality control coach (2012), offensive line/tight ends assistant (2013) and assistant tight ends coach (2014-15).
Allen, Jackson set for playoff showdown as Bills host Ravens
FILE - Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) talks with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) following a 24-17 Ravens win in an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., in this Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, file photo. It happened in the 2018 season opener, when the then-raw rookie Bills quarterback was shoved into the Ravens' sideline. Much like Jackson, Allen prefers putting the past behind him and focusing on the next challenge. “We’ve had our backs against the wall since the Pittsburgh game,” Harbaugh said. The Bills limited the Ravens to only 118 yards rushing in last year’s meeting, a 24-17 Ravens win.
Browns advance, Brees to meet Brady, Lama Jackson a winner
The Browns not only snapped a 17-game skid at Heinz Field, they manhandled the mistake-prone archrival Steelers 48-37 Sunday night. After two postseason flops, Jackson was his usual dynamic and decisive self in leading the Ravens to a 20-13 wild-card victory at Tennessee. Browns 48, Steelers 37In their first playoff road victory since 1969, the Browns (12-5) overcame all sorts of problems and history. Baker Mayfield threw for three touchdowns and the Browns got their first playoff win in 26 years. While leading his new team, the Buccaneers (12-5), to their first playoff win since Tampa Bay won the 2002 championship, Brady extended his record for playoff victories to 31.
Lamar winless no more, leads Ravens to 20-13 win over Titans
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown on a 48-yard run against the Tennessee Titans in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. At right is Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26). After the turnover, the Ravens came onto the field and started waving good-bye to the Titans — drawing a taunting penalty they didn't mind at all. The All-Pro ran all over the Ravens with 328 yards rushing combined in the past two meetings. “We won the division, hosted a home playoff game,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. The Titans finally stopped the Ravens' scoring spree at 17 when Gostkowski kicked a 25-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter, pulling within 17-13.
The Latest: Browns open 28-0 lead over Steelers
The Browns have raced to a 28-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns’ 28 points are the most by any team in the first quarter of a playoff game since the 1970 merger. So, this will be the first NFL playoff game ever pitting two quadragenarian quarterbacks. Drew Brees is trying to join Brett Favre and Tom Brady as quarterbacks to win a playoff game after turning 40. That was his third career playoff game with 150 or more rushing yards, one game shy of Hall of Famer Terrell Davis’ record.
Brady and Bucs, plus Bills and Rams win wild-card games
The Bills won the game 27-24. The first tripleheader of NFL wild-card games Saturday saw Tom Brady extend his postseason record for victories to 31 with a 31-23 victory for Tampa Bay at Washington. After a quarter-century, the Bills got one of those triumphs that Brady collects — and they even figured out how to stop a Hail Mary. The previous playoff win was over Miami on Dec. 30, 1995. And it came in the Bills’ first home playoff game in 24 years, with a limited number of 6,700 fans in attendance for the first time this season.
Donald, Kelce unanimous AP All-Pros; Rodgers, Henry chosen
(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File)Dynamic defensive star Aaron Donald and unstoppable tight end Travis Kelce were unanimous choices Friday for The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team. Donald, who has helped the Los Angeles Rams to the top-ranked defense in the NFL, earned his sixth All-Pro selection. “I think the best display of greatness is making people around you better,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of Donald. Joining Donald and Kelce were 15 players returning to the squad, and 14 newcomers. Rounding out the offense were Cleveland right tackle Jack Conklin (second selection), and Washington right guard Brandon Scherff (first).
Mahomes leads champion Chiefs to 14-2 mark in stacked AFC
While the Chiefs get another week’s rest, the six other AFC playoff teams get going this weekend. For just the second time since the 1970 league merger, every team in the AFC playoffs has at least 11 wins. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 54, 31-20 over the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 2, 2020, at Miami. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 43, 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Feb. 1, 2009, at Tampa, Florida. Their pass rush is nearly nonexistent with 19 sacks, the fewest by a playoff team since Denver had 19 in 1979.
Week 17 scoring bonanza caps record-setting season
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)The Week 17 scoring bonanza provided the perfect finish to a record-setting season on offense. Teams combined for 100 touchdowns in the final week of the season for the second-most in NFL history in a single week behind only the 104 scored in Week 14 of the 2013 season. He became the first player with at least 4,500 yards passing, 35 TD passes and five TD runs in a single season. The Browns joined the 2012 Colts (minus-30) as the only teams to win 11 games in a season when they were outscored. EVEN STEVENIn a bit of a statistical oddity, the Vikings gained the exact same number of yards this season as they allowed: 6,292.
Henry passes 2K, Titans beat Texans 41-38 on late field goal
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) breaks away from Houston Texans defensive end Charles Omenihu (94) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)HOUSTON – The Tennessee Titans won the AFC South on Sunday. All it took was Derrick Henry surpassing 2,000 yards rushing and rookie Sam Sloman’s 37-yard field goal that bounced off the upright and through for a 41-38 victory over the Houston Texans. The Titans then capped a long drive with a 5-yard TD run by Ryan Tannehill with less than two minutes remaining. Henry had put the Titans on top 10-3 when he dashed 52 yards early in the second quarter.
Derrick Henry becomes 8th player with 2,000 yards rushing
Henry, who entered the game with 1,777 yards rushing, reached the mark on a 6-yard run in the fourth quarter. He’s the first player to top 2,000 yards since Adrian Peterson had 2,097 in 2012. Henry added a 4-yard run on Tennessee's last drive and finished the season with a franchise-record 2,027 yards rushing. Another long run, this one for 45 yards later in the third quarter, put him at 201 yards rushing for the day. He had 212 yards rushing in a Week 6 win against Houston and piled up 211 yards rushing in last year’s regular-season finale.
The Latest: Henry runs for 2k, Titans' doink wins AFC South
Henry came into Sunday’s regular season finale needing 223 yards rushing to become the second man in franchise history to reach 2,000. He came in as the NFL’s rushing leader for a second straight season with a career-best 1,777 yards rushing. The Green Bay Packers have set an NFL season record for second-quarter points. With the run Newton also passed Grogan for the single-season team record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Newton entered the game 26 yards behind Grogan, who had 539 rushing yards in 1978.
NFL races go down to the wire in AFC South and NFC East
“We win this game, find a way to win, win the division. He's assured of repeating as NFL rushing champ, the first since Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006-07. Henry has a career-high 1,777 yards rushing and ran for 212 yards in his most recent game against the Texans. Ezekiel Elliott, despite a mediocre performance in 2020, needs 63 yards rushing for 1,000 this season, his fourth such output in five seasons. Baltimore (10-5) at Cincinnati (4-10-1)During their four-game winning streak, the Ravens have averaged 37 points and 233.3 yards rushing per game.
AP sources: Star Vikings RB Cook absent after father's death
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)MINNEAPOLIS – Running back Dalvin Cook is not practicing with the Minnesota Vikings this week, due to the death of his father. Cook has a younger brother, James Cook, who is a running back for Georgia. He was picked for a second straight Pro Bowl, with 1,557 rushing yards, 361 receiving yards and 17 total touchdowns in 14 games. Cook’s absence will clinch a second consecutive rushing title for Tennessee’s Derrick Henry, who has a 220-yard lead on Cook. Cook has a slim lead on Henry atop the NFL with 1,918 total yards.
Adams shines in snow as Packers trounce Titans 40-14
The Green Bay Packers teammates would love the opportunity to produce plenty of similar scenes next month by staying home throughout the NFC playoffs. Rodgers threw four touchdown passes as the Packers trounced the Tennessee Titans 40-14 for their fifth consecutive victory Sunday night. I think we proved that tonight.”Playing in the cold at Green Bay is tough for road teams, anyway. With snow falling throughout the first half and continuing to cover much of the field the rest of the game, Green Bay moved the ball at will all night. Green Bay pulled ahead 19-0 when Rodgers threw touchdown passes on each of their first three possessions.
Heisman finalists: Tide teammates plus Lawrence and Trask
(AP Photo/Brian Blanco, File)Alabama teammates Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith along with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Florida’s Kyle Trask have been named finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Jones and Smith are the eighth set of teammates to be finalists together since the tradition started in 1982. The Crimson Tide is the second team to have three players in the top five in Heisman voting. In 1946, Army running back Glenn Davis won the Heisman, fellow running back Doc Blanchard finished fourth and quarterback Arnold Tucker was fifth. Iowa State running back Breece Hall was sixth this year, followed by Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
A bonus for NFL fans in Week 16: 4 straight days of games
They do have a sack in an NFL-record 71 straight games and have sacked Philip Rivers 15 times during seven games while he played for the Chargers. Rivers has had two or more TD passes in five straight games. He had career bests of 10 catches for 163 yards last week, and Ridley's seven 100-yard games lead the NFL. The 19 straight seasons without losing both games to a divisional opponent is an NFL record. The Jaguars have allowed at least 24 points in each of those 13 games, an NFL record.
Chiefs lead AP Pro32 poll; Bills at No. 2, Packers at No. 3
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) waves as he walks off the field after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)NEW YORK – The Kansas City Chiefs are home for the rest of the regular season. Kansas City beat the New Orleans Saints 32-29 on Sunday to finish a perfect 8-0 on the road. 1 in the latest AP Pro32 poll once again. The Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers switched places after earning wins last Saturday.
The Latest: Bucs lose Davis to groin injury against Falcons
He made the announcement in an Instagram post (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)The Latest on Week 15 in the NFL (all times EST):___2:55 p.m. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost Carlton Davis to a groin injury. Davis, who leads Tampa Bay with four interceptions, was ruled out for the rest of the game against the Atlanta Falcons early in the second half. Okwara sacked Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the end zone with 3:31 left in the second quarter. ___2:25 p.m.New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore has left the game at Miami in the second quarter with a right leg injury.
A winner: Chiefs vs Saints, with Brees back to face Mahomes
1 conference seed is tight, with the Packers one game ahead of the Saints, the Rams and Seahawks one game behind. Drew Brees will be active after missing four games with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, making for an intriguing matchup with Patrick Mahomes. The Bills (11-3) scored twice in a 17-second span in the third quarter to ice their fourth straight victory that officially ended the New England Patriots’ 11-year reign atop the division. Jerry Rice caught a touchdown pass in 12 straight games in 1987 and A.J. Green did it in nine straight games in 2012.
Henry runs wild, Titans hand Jags 12th straight loss, 31-10
Enjoying a big performance about 25 miles from his hometown of Yulee was something new for Henry. He managed just 13 yards as a rookie in 2016, followed by outings of 92, 57 and 44 yards in front of friends and family. Henry had 170 yards on 17 carries in the first 30 minutes, including a 36-yard touchdown run. He added a 47-yard scamper early in the third as the Titans (9-4) started to pull away. AFC South-leading Tennessee clinched its fifth consecutive winning season and moved a step closer to securing a playoff berth.