Veteran linebacker Devin White leads Raiders' defense with huge stat line in win over Titans By W.G. RAMIREZ Associated Press The Associated Press LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Devin White had every reason to boast after Sunday’s 20-10 win over the Tennessee Titans , sitting at his locker surrounded by reporters with the game ball he intercepted beside him.
Yet even after becoming the third Raider since 1999 to record a sack, a forced fumble and a pick in a game — and the first since 2016 — White chose to speak of his teammates.
“Great team win, man,” White said. “I knew coming in that I just wanted to be cool, calm, collected — and play hard.
“Obviously, everything wasn’t perfect, but that’s why you got teammates. They lift you up, and you just keep going, man. We had a positive mindset on the sideline. Whether it went good, went bad, we just stayed in it. Just proud to go out there with these guys and just dominate.”
The Raiders (2-4) dominated the Titans with a suffocating defense, holding them to 225 yards. White led the charge with nine tackles, including five solo, a quarterback hit and a pass deflection.
The 27-year-old White was a standout in five seasons with Tampa Bay, earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2020, before playing for Houston last season.
“He played a great game,” linebacker Malcolm Koonce said. “That’s the guy that we see make plays in practice. It’s great to see him do that on the field. He had a day today.”
White helped put the Raiders in position to score their first touchdown in seven quarters when he sacked Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward and forced a fumble deep in Tennessee territory. Defensive end Tyree Wilson was there to pounce on the ball, and three plays later, Geno Smith found Michael Mayer for a 4-yard touchdown.
White later intercepted Ward to thwart a Titans drive that got to the Las Vegas 30 and keep Tennessee scoreless.
“Devin’s been in the league many years. He’s made plenty of plays,” Wilson said. “So it was time to get back to the Devin we know, and he showed up today. He had big plays in the game that were keys to the win.”
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Joe Flacco's strong second half in Cincinnati debut gives slumping Bengals reason for hope By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer The Associated Press GREEN BAY, Wis.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Joe Flacco rallied the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half. That was enough to provide some hope for his new teammates.
Just five days after he was acquired in a trade with Cleveland, Flacco passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns in his Cincinnati debut. The Bengals lost 27-18 at Green Bay on Sunday, but they pushed the Packers all the way to the very end.
“He’s just so poised,” All-Pro receiver Ja’Marr Chase said of Flacco.
Cincinnati (2-4) has been outscored 140-55 during a four-game losing streak. The slide started a week after Joe Burrow departed a 31-27 victory over Jacksonville on Sept. 14 with a toe injury .
After Jake Browning started at quarterback in the first three games in the current streak, the Bengals acquired the 40-year-old Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Browns on Tuesday for a fifth-round selection.
There wasn't a noticeable difference for Cincinnati at first.
The Bengals trailed 10-0 after getting outgained 240-65 in the first half. It was the fourth straight game in which they failed to score a touchdown before halftime. Flacco was 8 of 15 for 40 yards at the break, and Cincinnati totaled one first down in its first four possessions.
“Usually playing a good football team, playing one good half isn’t going to be good enough,” Flacco said. “But we gave ourselves a chance down at the end, and we did some good things but just not enough.”
The breakthrough began on the opening possession of the second half.
Flacco orchestrated a 17-play, 78-yard touchdown drive lasting 10 minutes, 14 seconds. Flacco capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Hudson on fourth-and-goal.
That set the tone for the rest of Flacco's outing.
Flacco went 21 of 30 for 179 yards in the second half. The Bengals scored two touchdowns and a field goal on their first three second-half drives before their final possession ended with a missed field-goal attempt.
The veteran quarterback was at his best in the fourth quarter. With the Bengals trailing 24-10 and facing fourth-and-5, Flacco threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Chase in the right corner of the end zone. He then connected with Chase Brown on a 2-point conversion that made it 24-18 with 4:11 left.
“I certainly thought that he had a lot of confidence and got into a rhythm," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “There are times when you get in those games where you are having to throw the ball there at the end to get back in it, it is not all stuff that is on the call sheet. We were having to ad-lib a little bit as you explore how they are playing our guys. You have to adjust as the game goes, and I thought he did an unbelievable job of handling that.”
Flacco faced Green Bay again just three weeks after helping the Browns beat the Packers 13-10. He became the eighth quarterback since at least 1950 to start against the same opponent twice in a season while playing for two different teams.
The only quarterback to win both games under those circumstances was Jack Kemp, who led the AFL’s Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers past the New York Titans in 1962.
Flacco couldn't quite join Kemp, but he did give the Bengals some reason for optimism as they prepare to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.
“At the end of the day, Joe did good with communicating with the receivers and talking to the receivers about what we like, what we see,” Chase said.
Flacco is looking forward to playing alongside his new teammates again.
“They talk about learning how to win, good football teams know how to do that,” Flacco said. "That’s because they always believe that they can. Listen, I’ve only been here for a week, but I think these guys in the locker room got a good head on their shoulders, and I’m excited to get to work with them.”
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Mahomes leads the Chiefs to a 30-17 victory over Lions, and a fistfight erupts at the finish By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs knew they were going to have a fight on their hands when the Detroit Lions, riding a four-game winning streak and a whole bunch of momentum, rolled into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night.
They probably didn't expect their dominant performance to end with an actual fistfight .
Mahomes threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, scrambled for another score, and led Kansas City to a 30-17 victory that was so comprehensive that Lions safety Brian Branch boiled over at its conclusion. Branch delivered a right hook to Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster as the teams were coming together at midfield, touching off a brief melee among players.
“It is what it is,” Mahomes said. “You just kind of move on. We won the football game.”
Did they ever.
Marquise Brown had two touchdown receptions and Xavier Worthy had another for the Chiefs (3-3), who played a near-flawless game — no penalties, no turnovers — one week after a mistake-strewn, last-second loss at Jacksonville.
Kansas City also managed to hold in check the NFL's highest-scoring offense to snap Detroit's winning streak.
“We just didn't make the plays we needed to make,” said Lions coach Dan Campbell, who began his postgame briefing by saying that Branch's cheap shot was “inexcusable and not going to be accepted here," and that he had apologized to the Chiefs for it.
“We were able to do some good things in phases at times but not enough for a team like that with the pedigrees they have,” Campbell continued. “We were not able to compliment each other and we were not able to make it a game, really. We weren't.”
Jared Goff finished with 203 yards passing for the Lions (4-2), though he did connect with Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta for scores. Amon-Ra St. Brown was held to 45 yards receiving and Jahmyr Gibbs needed 17 carries to gain just 65 yards.
Detroit was intent on trying to grind down the Chiefs' defense and keep their potent offense off the field.
The Lions did a good job on the opening drive, too. They ran 15 plays over a 9:39 span, chewing up so much clock that Mahomes looked downright bored on the sideline. And it looked as if it would pay off when David Montgomery took a direct snap and threw to Goff, who powered into the end zone from a yard out for a touchdown.
But the officials came together to discuss the play, and even though nobody had thrown a flag, they eventually said Goff was not set — an illegal motion penalty. After a delay of game, the Lions had to settle for Jake Bates' chip-shot field goal.
“I've got to do a little research on exactly what went wrong,” Goff said.
Kansas City wasted no time answering, marching 70 yards in eight plays. Mahomes hit three receivers on the drive, and Worthy hauled in a 6-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to give the Chiefs the lead.
The back-and-forth continued throughout the first half: The Lions went the other way with Williams grabbing a 22-yard pass to give them the lead back, and the Chiefs answered with Mahomes scoring on a keeper for a 13-10 edge at halftime.
“It was important to get that lead back and get the momentum and get the crowd going,” Mahomes said.
The banged-up Lions defense, missing cornerbacks D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold and Avonte Maddox, couldn't slow down the Chiefs, who are finding their offensive mojo again just in time to get suspended wide receiver Rashee Rice back next week.
They roared downfield on the opening drive of the second half, this time with Marquise Brown hauling in the touchdown catch to extend the lead. And when the Lions finally answered behind a flurry of passes to St. Brown and a nifty toss to LaPorta in the end zone, Kansas City rolled right back downfield as Marquise Brown pulled in another touchdown reception for a 27-17 lead.
Detroit proceeded to go three-and-out, and the Chiefs put the game away from there.
“I'm disappointing, you know? I'm disappointed, because it's been a long time ago since you were watching someone kneel it three times in front of you, and it's not even close,” Campbell said. “We got worked pretty good. So yeah, it's disappointing.”
Missing Simmons
The Chiefs played without left tackle Josh Simmons, their first-round pick, who had a personal issue that kept him from making it back to Kansas City for the game. Jaylon Moore played well in his place against Aidan Hutchinson and the Detroit pass rush.
More on Mahomes
Mahomes has 302 career touchdown passes, including the postseason, becoming the quickest player in NFL history to reach the 300 mark. He accomplished the feat in 139 games, eight faster than Aaron Rodgers, to the delight of a crowd that included Taylor Swift — the fiancee of tight end Travis Kelce — and WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
Injuries
Lions: CB Terrion Arnold (shoulder) and LT Taylor Decker (shoulder) were inactive.
Chiefs: CB Nohl Williams was evaluated for a concussion and cleared in the first half.
Up next
Lions: Host Tampa Bay next Monday night.
Chiefs: Host Las Vegas next Sunday.
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Brian Branch and the Lions end a frustrating loss at Kansas City with postgame fisticuffs By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A long, frustrating night for the Detroit Lions inside Arrowhead Stadium ended with Brian Branch delivering a punch to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, setting off a brief fistfight among players from both teams.
It was about as much fight as the Lions showed all night.
They were dominated on both sides of the ball by a Kansas City team coming off a mistake-filled mess in Jacksonville with no interest in falling two games below .500. Indeed, the Chiefs shut down the prolific Detroit offense, holding it to less than half its season scoring average, and their own offense romped up and down the field on the way to a 30-17 victory Sunday night.
“We got worked pretty good,” Lions coach Dan Campbell admitted afterward.
Afterward is when the real fireworks happened.
As red ones were set bursting over the stadium to celebrate the Chiefs' victory, Patrick Mahomes tried to give a high-five to Branch as they met near midfield. The Lions safety walked right past the Kansas City quarterback and Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took umbrage with the move, walking up to Branch and having a few words with him.
Branch responded by throwing a right hook that knocked Smith-Schuster to the ground.
The veteran wide receiver leaped to his feet and went after Branch, who played through an ankle injury that had kept him out of practice most of the week. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco tried to get between them, but Branch succeeded in ripping Smith-Schuster's helmet off as dozens of players from both teams converged on the scrum.
“I did a little childish thing,” Branch said, “but I'm tired of people doing stuff in between the play and refs don't catch it. They be trying to bully me out there and I don't — I shouldn't have did it. It was childish.”
Eventually, coaches and players managed to separate the parties, and they finally left the field for the locker room. Branch could be facing yet another hefty fine — he was docked $23,186 for face-masking and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against Green Bay last month — and perhaps even a suspension for his actions.
“I love Brian Branch,” Campbell said, “but what he did is inexcusable, and it's not going to be accepted here. It's not what we do. It's not what we're about. I apologized to Coach (Andy) Reid and the Chiefs, and Smith-Schuster. That's not OK. That's not what we do here. It's not going to be OK. He knows it. Our team knows it. That's not what we do.”
Smith-Schuster came away with a bloody nose from the punch.
“The guy came up and hit JuJu for what looked like no reason,” Reid said. “That's tough. But pretty good damage on JuJu's nose.”
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton was on the sideline getting tape cut off when he caught sight of the fracas.
“The big thing for us is make sure our guys are safe,” Bolton said. “Make sure our quarterback is good and our guys taken care of.”
The loss snapped a four-game win streak for Detroit, which was trying to pull off a rare feat by winning two consecutive games in Arrowhead Stadium. Instead, the Lions allowed 355 yards of total offense, forced just one punt, and were unable to make the stops they needed late in the fourth quarter to give their offense a chance to mount a comeback.
Jared Goff finished with just 203 yards passing, though he did have touchdown throws to Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta, while Amon-Ra St. Brown was held to 45 yards receiving. Jahmyr Gibbs needed 17 carries for 65 yards, and nine for 32 came on the game's opening drive, when Detroit marched right down field for what looked like a touchdown.
David Montgomery took a direct snap near the goal line and threw to Goff, who had gone into motion, caught the pass and then barreled into the end zone. But long after the play had finished, the officials huddled and decided that Goff never got set — even though no flags were thrown on the flag — and the illegal motion penalty wiped away the the touchdown.
After a delay-of-game penalty, the Lions had to settle for a field goal and a 3-0 lead.
It was just the start of a frustrating night for Campbell and his team.
“It doesn't matter if I agree or disagree (with the penalty),” he said. “They said he never stopped. He stayed in motion. You can't stay in motion. But that had no bearing on the game. We lost by 13 points.”
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All the talk about the decline of the Kansas City Chiefs may have been premature By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
All the talk about the decline of the Kansas City Chiefs was apparently premature.
With Patrick Mahomes doing his magic and a stout defense, the Chiefs can beat anybody.
A convincing 30-17 victory over the Detroit Lions in front of a national audience on Sunday night lifted the Chiefs to 3-3.
They’ve got a long way to go but they’re a much better team than the one that started 0-2. Critics were wondering if it was the end of Kansas City’s dynasty.
But the Chiefs just need to get healthy and work out some kinks.
Mahomes and the offense have regained their mojo and will get a boost when wide receiver Rashee Rice is back from a six-game suspension next week. Xavier Worthy’s return from injury already energized the passing attack. The offensive line is settling in and Jaylon Moore was exceptional filling in for Josh Simmons at left tackle against Detroit.
“We’re not afraid to go up against anybody,” Mahomes said.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit shut down Detroit’s dynamic offense, holding Jared Goff and Co. to just 17 points and 297 yards.
“I’m disappointed because it’s been a long time since you’re watching somebody kneel it two times in front of you and it’s not even close. You’re down two scores. We got worked pretty good,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “I felt like this was a game where we needed to score 30 points at least. We weren’t able to get the points required to give ourselves a chance. We needed to show up and we weren’t able to do it.”
The Lions (4-2) lost for the first time since Week 1 against Green Bay. They have a tough schedule coming up with home games against the Buccaneers (5-1) and Vikings (3-2) followed by road games against the Commanders (3-2) and Eagles (4-2).
Both teams won 15 games last season and this was expected to be a potential Super Bowl preview. It still could be but they’ve got plenty of work ahead.
The Chiefs trail the Chargers and Broncos by one game as they pursue a 10th straight AFC West title and fourth Lombardi trophy in seven years. An impressive victory over Detroit has them heading in the right direction.
Missing Lamar
Without Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens have no chance.
The three-time All-Pro and two-time NFL MVP missed his second straight game. The Ravens managed just one field goal in a 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. They’ve scored only 13 points with Cooper Rush at quarterback and fell to 1-5. Only four teams have rebounded to make the playoffs after losing five of six games to open the season.
At least they have a bye to give Jackson more time to heal.
“I know we’re 1-5, and it doesn’t look good, as far as (big) picture-wise, but we still have a lot of games left ahead of us,” running back Derrick Henry said.
Same old Jets
Aaron Glenn is still seeking his first win as a head coach after the Jets lost 13-11 to Denver in London to fall to 0-6.
Glenn’s decision-making might be even worse than the team’s record.
The offense showed no urgency at the end of the first half down 10-6. The Jets faced a fourth-and-1 from their own 47 with just under 30 seconds left in the second quarter and no timeouts. Justin Fields stood at the line of scrimmage and let the clock run out.
Glenn explained that he didn’t want to give the Broncos an opportunity to run a play if the offense couldn’t convert on fourth down. However, Fields could’ve taken the snap with a couple seconds left and thrown a Hail Mary.
It appeared there was confusion on the sideline. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson was upset and had some words for Glenn on the way to the locker room.
Winless teams need to play aggressive. The Jets have some talented players but they can’t even find a way to win a game.
At this point, they might be better off losing enough games to secure the No. 1 pick in the draft.
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Brian Thomas Jr.’s drops may force the Jaguars to restart their decades-long search for a No. 1 WR By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Brian Thomas Jr. was supposed to be Jacksonville’s No. 1 receiver, a go-to guy who would help quarterback Trevor Lawrence reach another level.
After six games, it's reasonable to wonder if he's doing more harm than good.
Thomas added another drop to his disappointing season Sunday when he botched a third-down pass over the middle in the fourth quarter of a 20-12 loss to Seattle . Thomas was wide open in space but let the ball slip through his fingers.
He wiped his gloves on his No. 7 jersey afterward but made no excuses later for what’s become a troubling trend in 2025.
“I am going to keep pushing and keep working hard, keeping coming back each and every week, pushing and trying to be the best I can be each and every down," said Thomas, who has 24 catches on 48 targets for 334 yards and a touchdown this season.
Late last year, Thomas looked like he had the talent to be the franchise’s best receiver since Jimmy Smith. He caught 50 passes for 675 yards and five touchdowns over the final seven games and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
He showed so much promise that Jacksonville’s new regime traded Christian Kirk and cut fellow receiver Gabe Davis even though the moves cost the team a combined $19 million against the salary cap.
But the Jaguars (4-2), who travel to London to face the Los Angeles Rams (4-2) on Sunday, aren’t sure what has happened to Thomas since. Is he lacking confidence? Is he feeling pressure? Is he dealing with personal issues? Is he being asked to do too much?
Thomas has dropped at least five passes this season, including a fourth-down throw at the goal line in a loss at Cincinnati in Week 2. Equally concerning, he short-armed two other throws over the middle and ducked on a pass in the end zone — the kind of effort that can raise eyebrows in a locker room.
“We’ve just got to quit beating ourselves,” said Thomas, who also dropped passes in practice throughout the offseason.
Could benching Thomas help? Maybe, but the Jaguars have limited options because rookie Travis Hunter works solely as a slot receiver on offense.
Trading the 23rd pick in the 2024 NFL draft wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities considering general manager James Gladstone dealt starting cornerback Tyson Campbell , running back Tank Bigsby , offensive tackle Fred Johnson and center Luke Fortner in the last two months.
The drops also might be something the Jags have to live with until they can restart their decades-long search for another No. 1 receiver like Jimmy Smith.
What’s working
The Jaguars converted all three fourth-down attempts against Seattle, raising their total to 6 for 9 on the season. They moved the chains twice on fourth down during a second-half touchdown drive, which made it a one-score game. Thomas’ third-down drop came on the ensuing possession, the first of numerous mistakes down the stretch for Jacksonville.
What needs help
Jacksonville’s special teams rarely get outplayed, but they did against the Seahawks. Cam Little missed an extra point and a field goal. Logan Cooke punted a season-high eight times but landed just two inside the 20. And returner Parker Washington muffed a punt that bounced out of bounds.
Stock up
Cornerback Montaric Brown made his first start of the season, stepping in after Campbell was traded, and played well. He had three tackles and defended two passes while playing 84% of the defensive snaps.
Stock down
Jacksonville’s offensive line, which allowed a combined six sacks in the first five games, was abused by Seattle and now faces a Rams unit that’s tied for fourth in the league with 19.
Trevor Lawrence was sacked seven times and pressured on more than half his drop-backs. Left tackle Walker Little had a particularly rough afternoon, unable to handle DeMarcus Lawrence or Leonard Williams off the edge.
Injuries
Starting linebacker Devin Lloyd (calf), the AFC defensive player of the month for September, and reserve tight end Quintin Morris (groin) won't make the trip to London. Center Robert Hainsey (hamstring) will try to play.
Key number
13 — Games the Jaguars have played in London, more than double any other NFL franchise. The Jaguars are 7-6 overseas, with most of those played at iconic Wembley Stadium.
Next steps
Jacksonville leaves for London on Monday and will spend much of the week working on playing cleaner football.
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Rams WR Puka Nacua day to day after spraining ankle in win over Ravens By DAN GREENSPAN Associated Press The Associated Press
Puka Nacua is day to day because of an ankle injury the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver sustained in a 17-3 win at the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday .
Nacua, who leads the NFL in catches and is second in receiving yards, was hurt early in the second quarter as he tried to make a play in the end zone and got tangled up with Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Nacua was able to return to the game in the second half and finished with two receptions for 28 yards.
“He has an ankle sprain, he’ll be day to day, and his status is uncertain for the game,” coach Sean McVay said in a video call on Monday from Baltimore, where the Rams are based this week to prepare for their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday.
The Rams (4-2) do have good options to handle any potential absence of Nacua, who has become the focal point of McVay’s offense since being drafted in the fifth round in 2023. Davante Adams is still settling in after signing a two-year contract as a free agent in March, but the three-time All-Pro has carried multiple offenses as the lead passing game option during his 12-year career. Third receiver Tutu Atwell didn’t play against the Ravens because of a hamstring injury, and McVay expressed optimism he will be able to go at Wembley Stadium.
“We feel really good about the depth of our group at the receiver position, being able to really have the possibility of a plan either or in alignment,” McVay said.
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Titans fire coach Brian Callahan after 4-19 record and 1-5 start to second season By TERESA M. WALKER AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans fired Brian Callahan on Monday after a 1-5 start to his second season, making him the first NFL head coach ousted this season.
Chad Brinker, the Titans’ president of football operations, said team officials had extended conversations with controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk and general manager Mike Borgonzi before meeting with Callahan on Monday morning to tell him that Tennessee was making a change.
“While we are committed to a patient and strategic plan to build a sustainable, winning football program, we have not demonstrated sufficient growth,” Brinker said in a statement. “Our players, fans, and community deserve a football team that achieves a standard we are not currently meeting, and we are committed to making the hard decisions necessary to reach and maintain that standard.”
The Titans announced hours later that Mike McCoy would take over as interim coach. Brinker and Borgonzi were scheduled to talk to reporters Monday night.
McCoy joined the team in March as a senior offensive assistant , and he was 27-37 in four seasons coaching the then-San Diego Chargers between 2013 and 2016, losing 23 of the last 32 games before being fired. He also was offensive coordinator in Denver in 2017 and Arizona in 2018.
His first game leading the Titans comes Sunday against former Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel and his New England Patriots (4-2).
Callahan went 4-19, which featured a 10-game skid.
He became just the second coach fired during the season by this franchise since it relocated from Houston to Nashville in 1997, joining Ken Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt had a 3-20 record when fired in November 2015, with a stint that also included a 10-game skid to end the 2014 season.
But it's just the latest personnel shakeup since December 2022:
— General manager Jon Robinson was fired on Dec. 6, 2022.
— GM Ran Carthon was hired on Jan. 18, 2023.
— Vrabel was fired on Jan. 9, 2024 .
— Callahan was hired on Jan. 24, 2024 .
— Carthon was fired on Jan. 7, 2024 .
— GM Mike Borgonzi was hired on Jan. 17, 2025.
The Titans had said they wanted to see improvement this season with Callahan going into his second season as a first-time head coach and with a rookie quarterback in Cam Ward. Yet Callahan had to hand off play-calling duties after dropping to 0-3 and the offense struggling.
Even the change in play-caller didn’t help.
The Titans have scored only 83 points and are averaging 3.94 yards per play. Only the 2019 Jets, the 2018 Bills in Josh Allen’s rookie year, the 2009 Browns, the 2009 Raiders in JaMarcus Russell’s last season and the 2007 49ers have scored fewer than 84 points and 4 yards per play through six games in the past 20 seasons.
Of the 241 NFL coaches who have coached at least 20 games or more since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, Callahan ranks 237th with a .174 winning percentage. The only coaches with worse winning percentages were Jim Ringo (.130), Marty Mornhinweg (.156), Chris Palmer (.156) and Rod Dowhower (.172).
The Titans knew that this would be a rebuilding year, and Brinker said at the start of training camp that improvement was the one sign they were looking for. They have played at least seven rookies in each game this season, led by Ward, the No. 1 draft pick.
Callahan was hired in January 2024 for his work with quarterbacks including Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, also a No. 1 pick, in 2020.
But Ward is the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL, with 25 already, including a pair of games with six sacks each, following a 20-10 loss to the Raiders.
This marks the fourth time in five years that a team that picked a quarterback with the No. 1 selection fired the coach during the season.
Callahan joins Matt Eberflus (Chicago, 2024), Frank Reich (Carolina, 2023) and Urban Meyer (Jaguars, 2021) in that group. Hue Jackson also was fired by Cleveland in 2018 and former Titans coach Jeff Fisher by the Rams in 2016 in the same situation.
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Glenn acknowledges Fields took a step back, but there's no quarterback change right now for Jets By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Justin Fields was knocked around, sacked nine times and held onto the ball way too long at times.
It was a brutally rough day for the New York Jets quarterback and the offense, which was stunningly — and historically — bad in a 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday in London.
The team is 0-6 after putting up a franchise-worst minus-10 net yards passing against the Broncos, and Aaron Glenn is the first Jets coach to begin his tenure with six losses. Still, Glenn isn't about to pull the plug on Fields.
“I don’t think you just try to bench a player after having one true bad game,” Glenn said Monday. "Because I thought the other games he played fairly well.”
Fields has just four touchdown passes and 799 yards passing in five starts this season. He has no interceptions, which is a positive, and so are his 235 yards rushing and three TD runs.
But the passing game has been spotty — and then embarrassingly bad on an international stage. Fields went 9 of 17 for 45 yards, getting as many completions as sacks. New York's 82 net yards of offense were the third fewest in franchise history.
“When you look at what Justin did, the games that he played, listen, I didn’t think he was bad at all," Glenn said. "I actually thought he did some pretty good things in those four games.
“In this fifth game, he took a step back. I’m with you guys 100%. And we can’t have that. And we have to get better than that, and he knows that.”
Glenn initially bristled Sunday when asked if he would consider a quarterback change. But it's a valid idea, especially with the offense coming off such a pitiful display. Veteran Tyrod Taylor, who started in the injured Fields' place in Week 3, is the backup. Even with Fields' struggles Sunday, Glenn refused to make a switch.
“I think that’s always an issue because now you start to bring in the dynamic of, man, the quarterback’s always thinking, 'Am I gonna get pulled if things are not going right?’” Glenn said. “I think there are a number of things that goes into that.”
One of the key issues is Fields' propensity to take too long to throw. Against the Broncos' swarming defense, that was exacerbated.
“It wasn’t good enough and it starts with me,” Fields said after the game. “I've got to get the ball out. They've got a good D-line. They got to the backfield fast. Once you get in that rhythm, you've got to go one, two, get the hell up out of there.”
Glenn acknowledged that, but added that other things contributed, such as faulty protection by the offensive line and the inability of receivers to get open.
“But again, Justin has to get those balls out,” Glenn said. “And even when we do have these shot plays that we tried to get, I mean you've just got to give your guys a chance.”
What’s working
Kicking game. Kicker Nick Folk and punter Austin McNamara have been bright spots. The 40-year-old Folk is 12 for 12 on field goals, including three Sunday, and made all seven of his extra points. McNamara, in his first NFL season, has been solid with his distance and hang time flipping the field consistently.
What needs help
In-game decisions. In addition to the players, Glenn and his staff also have made costly errors.
Instead of the puzzling decision Sunday to let the clock run out before halftime on fourth down to make sure Denver didn’t get the ball back with some time left and good field position, Glenn acknowledged Monday he would’ve let it get to about five seconds before taking a shot at a Hail Mary.
“That’s a mistake that I made,” Glenn said, “and I hold myself accountable for that.”
Stock up
CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. Acquired from Tennessee last month, the 2024 fifth-rounder out of Louisville forced a fumble that resulted in New York's first takeaway of the season and he had six total tackles and a tackle for loss in his second game with the Jets.
Stock down
OC Tanner Engstrand. The first-year offensive coordinator was actually praised by Glenn for sticking to the game plan against Denver, which raised some eyebrows. But Engstrand's lack of adjustments in the loss were glaring — particularly not trying to take advantage of Fields' running ability or using running back Breece Hall, who wasn't targeted once, in the passing game.
Injuries
Glenn confirmed star WR Garrett Wilson is dealing with a knee issue and was having tests, but wouldn't speculate if it could result in missed time. ESPN reported Monday night that Wilson has a hyperextended knee and will miss some time, but avoided a major injury. ... LB Cam Jones and CB Qwan'tez Stiggers both have hip injuries.
Key number
0-6 — The Jets are the fourth team in NFL history to start a season 0-6 despite leading in at least three of those games in the fourth quarter, according to Sportradar, joining the 2013 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1955 Detroit Lions and 1953 Chicago Cardinals.
Next steps
The Jets return home to play Carolina on Sunday, looking to avoid the third 0-7 start in franchise history and first since 2020.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Za'Darius Smith abruptly retires after 5 games with the Eagles The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Za'Darius Smith abruptly announced his retirement Monday, five games into his eighth NFL season and first with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 33-year-old pass rusher called it a career in a post on Instagram. The Eagles lost Thursday night at the New York Giants to fall to 4-2 and play at Minnesota on Sunday.
Smith signed with the reigning Super Bowl champions the day after their Week 1 win against Dallas. He spent last season with Cleveland and Detroit.
“As I step into the newest season of my life, please know this game has meant the world to me,” Smith said. “The lessons learned on and off the field will stay with me forever.”
Smith was a three-time Pro Bowl selection, in 2019 and '20 with Green Bay and again in 2022 with Minnesota. He had 10 tackles in five games with the Eagles.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl