Browns' Myles Garrett needs 4 sacks for the NFL single-season record. Could it happen vs. Titans? By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer The Associated Press
Myles Garrett needs four sacks in the Cleveland Browns’ final five games to set the NFL's single-season record.
Given the All-Pro pass rusher’s recent performance and this week’s opponent, there is a possibility it could happen on Sunday when the Browns host the Tennessee Titans.
“Hopefully, he gets it. But I just pray he don’t get it this week,” Titans three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said.
Garrett has 19 sacks, and has his sights set on surpassing the mark of 22 1/2 shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh’s TJ Watt.
Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward has been sacked a league-high 48 times. He has gone down at least twice in each of his 12 games, including eight games in which he has been sacked at least four times.
Garrett has had a sack in six straight games, amassing 15 in that span and reaching 19 on the season — the most ever by a player through 12 games since sacks became an official stat in 1982, and more than three teams this season: Cincinnati (18), Carolina (18), and San Francisco (16).
“Probably the best player that there is at that position. And he’s proved that game in and game out,” Ward said about Garrett. “So we got to do our job of not letting him affect the game each and every play. Try to keep a lid on it and just got to continue to execute our plays and just try to execute up and down the field.”
The two QBs behind Ward in sacks didn’t fare well against Garrett. Las Vegas’ Geno Smith was sacked four times, as the Browns totaled 10 sacks, their second most in a game since 1982. Garrett’s team-record five-sack game was against New England’s Drake Maye.
If Garrett gets four sacks on Sunday, he would be the first player in NFL history with three games with at least four in a season. He has had at least one sack in each of the four games he faced the Titans, including 3 1/2 in 2023.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said a team allowing the most sacks doesn’t drastically change the game plan.
“When the focus is on, not necessarily the number of sacks that they’ve given up, and when we look at film, a lot of times you’re looking at games that you think are similar or closer to where you’re playing, so maybe you don’t even see all those things,” he said. “I’d say this, like, when our D-line creates pressure, tackles for losses, just wreaks havoc — we’re at our best, and we need those guys to do that for us, not just in the pass game, but in the run game here also.”
Ward has been pressured on 37.5% of drop-backs. The Browns are fourth in the league with a 38.9% pressure rate.
Even though the Browns (3-9) are assured of their 23rd losing season since 1999, Garrett is still trying to maintain the same focus.
“We’ve got to continue to fight to win. Whoever’s our next opponent, they’re going to get our very best and let the chips fall as they may,” he said. “I can’t worry about how the end result’s going to be. Just worry about giving it your very best every play.”
Just win
The Titans (1-11) are the NFL’s only one-win team, putting them on pace to land the No. 1 overall pick for a second straight season. They’ve lost seven straight and need a win to avoid matching the fewest wins in a full season since 1973. The idea of landing the No. 1 pick to trade back for more talent to help Ward in 2026 is not something the Titans want to entertain with five games left.
“I can tell you no one in this building is talking about the No. 1 pick, and that’s outside noise, and we try to block outside noise out,” Simmons said. “ Right now we are trying to find out how to win another game, get win number two of the season.”
Sanders set for third start
Shedeur Sanders looks for his first home win after the Browns struggled in last week’s 26-8 loss to San Francisco.
While Sanders has thrown behind the line on 24.6% of attempts, the highest for a Browns QB this season, he has four 30-plus-yard completions in two starts compared to two in the first 11 games.
Even though Sanders and Ward trained together during the draft, he doesn’t view this matchup as personal. “I’m just playing against another opponent. It’s another week. We face great quarterbacks every week. This doesn’t add anything,” Sanders said.
Helping Cam
Simmons said he knows Sanders keeps plays alive by running around. Simmons isn’t really concerned with Sanders right now because he has a bigger challenge.
“My job is to have my quarterback’s back. I think we can help Cam out,” Simmons said. “When you look at all stats on defense, we haven’t had nothing but one strip-sack all year. It’s like, how can we get Cam in better position?”
The Titans held the Jaguars to five three-and-outs last week but couldn’t force a turnover.
Tennessee has been sacking quarterbacks with three last week for its fifth such game in the past six. The Titans have 21 sacks since Week 7, tying them for the fourth most in the NFL in that span. Yet Tennessee has only 10 combined takeaways, with five interceptions and five fumbles recovered.
Keep an eye on ...
Cleveland tight ends Harold Fannin and David Njoku, who have combined for 797 receiving yards. The duo also has five touchdowns when targeted 14 times in the red zone.
Tennessee has allowed the 10th-fewest tight end yards (560) and only four touchdowns (seventh fewest).
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Commanders and Vikings have both fallen hard after last season's success By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings won 14 games last season, the second most in franchise history. The Washington Commanders rode the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award winner, Jayden Daniels, all the way to the NFC championship game.
Both teams aggressively added to their roster during the offseason, too, seemingly setting themselves up for sustained success. But life comes at you fast in this league. The Vikings are on a four-game losing streak at 4-8, with a once-potent offense that has completely broken down . The Commanders have lost seven straight games to take a 3-9 record into this matchup of vast underachievers in Minnesota on Sunday.
“We want to get back on track and try to get a win this week. It’s been a while since we’ve felt that feeling,” Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. "I know they’re itching for a win as well, so you’ve got two hungry teams.”
During this week’s season debut of the new “Hard Knocks” docuseries, which is following all four NFC East teams, Commanders coach Dan Quinn delivered a poignant postgame locker room speech after Washington’s 27-26 overtime loss to a Denver team that has the NFL's second-best record. With a couple of expletives for emphasis, Quinn urged the Commanders to realize they'd recaptured their competitive edge in a second consecutive narrow defeat after dropping the previous four games by 21-plus points.
“We lost,” Quinn said, "but we’re not lost anymore.”
The message seemed to resonate with the players.
“We don’t question what he believes in, and we believe in him,” right guard Sam Cosmi said. “Even though we haven’t been getting the results we wanted, that’s why we keep fighting.”
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has had his hands full trying to guide new quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft — eight spots after Daniels — who has missed 24 of a possible 30 games because of injuries.
After dropping close, winnable games at home to Baltimore and Chicago, the Vikings were blown off the field the past two weeks at Green Bay and Seattle.
“We've got to stop doing things to lose games before we get ourselves a chance to win them,” said O'Connell, whose team has by far the league's worst turnover margin at minus-15. The Commanders are third worst at minus-eight.
Even if the playoffs are an extreme long shot, important auditions will be held at several positions down the stretch for 2026 roster spots and starting jobs. The foundation O'Connell has helped build over four years will continue to undergo vital stress-testing, too, as the Vikings try to get back on track.
“It’s about trying to go 1-0 this week, and if you’ve ever understood or questioned why a cliche like that is used, we’re in a moment where it matters more so now than ever,” he said.
Bracing for boos
The Vikings are just 1-4 this season at U.S. Bank Stadium, where their exasperated fans last saw the offense produce three turnovers and six punts in a 19-17 loss to Chicago on Nov. 16 despite a late rally to briefly take the lead. Over losses at Green Bay and Seattle since then, the Vikings have been outscored 49-6 with eight more turnovers and a woeful average of 3.3 yards per play. If they didn't notice the boos against the Bears, they'll surely hear a louder expression of disdain if the offense continues to be stuck.
“Since I’ve been here, there's a certain way that, no matter what, you kind of know you should be seeing some things when you show up to watch the Vikings play, so I understand when the frustration sets in,” said O'Connell, alluding to the team's top-six rank in the NFL in passing yards in each of his first three seasons. “I understand how passionate our fans are and how much they love the Minnesota Vikings, and that is not lost on me in one moment.”
Refreshing the defense
Washington’s defense has looked much more competent and capable over the past two games since Quinn took over the play-calling on that side of the ball from defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Part of the improvement has been strategic, with a greater reliance on zone coverage in the back end, instead of man to man. Another part of it has been a simplifying of the scheme — or “more vanilla,” as Quinn put it. The former defensive coordinator — on back-to-back Super Bowl teams with Seattle — said he missed the excitement of play-calling and the closer connection it provides him to players.
“During the game, I’m on the trip with them and riding it with them,” Quinn said, “and I want to make sure I’m giving them every chance they can to play at their best.”
Turner emerges on the edge
The Vikings have wasted several stellar defensive performances during this losing streak. One of the bright spots on that side of the ball has been edge rusher Dallas Turner, who now leads the team with 5½ sacks after forcing two fumbles at Seattle last week.
“I just feel like it’s playing fast and physical at a high level. It’s not really like a ‘he’s here’ type of thing,” said Turner, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft. “I’m just playing football.”
What a catch by Burks!
Treylon Burks had just one reception last week, but what a catch it was: a leaping, falling, one-handed grab for a touchdown — the hand on which he recently had finger surgery, no less – that made every list of best plays of the season. It was just the second touchdown catch in the NFL for Burks, a first-round pick by Tennessee in 2022 whose career was derailed by injuries. He signed with Washington's practice squad in October.
“It starts in practice. Just doing that type of stuff in practice, it builds confidence. It gave me the confidence to do it in the game,” Burks said. “So I just keep being the player I am for this team and trying to help us win.”
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AP National Writer Howard Fendrich contributed from Ashburn, Va.
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Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown active for Thursday night game and Cowboys' Jadeveon Clowney held out The Associated Press DETROIT
DETROIT (AP) — Amon-Ra St. Brown was active for the Detroit Lions against the Dallas Cowboys Thursday night.
The two-time All-Pro receiver left last week's loss to Green Bay with an ankle injury and had been listed as questionable on the injury report.
Lions offensive linemen Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow were in the lineup after each was listed as questionable with injuries.
Cowboys edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney was inactive, a week after he had two sacks in a win over Kansas City. Dallas safety Malik Hooker was active after being listed as questionable with a back injury.
The Cowboys previously ruled out cornerback Trevon Diggs for a seventh consecutive game and left tackle Tyler Guyton for a second game in a row.
The Lions put tight end Brock Wright on injured reserve earlier in the day. On Wednesday, they determined wide receiver and punt returner Kalif Raymond would miss a second straight game and safety Kerby Joseph would extend his absence that dates to Oct. 12.
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McCarthy welcomes his latest return at QB for the Vikings, this time with a clearer mind By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press EAGAN, Minn.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — J.J. McCarthy has returned to the lineup for the Minnesota Vikings, refreshed after an injury absence to resume his much-delayed development with a better perspective on how to handle this most difficult job.
That sure sounds familiar.
After yet another reset, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has at least temporarily revised his expectation and strategy. The weekly game plan needs to include fewer plays, he decided, for the sake of the entire offense, not just the 22-year-old quarterback. The lower-body passing mechanics O'Connell and his staff have been working so exhaustively on with the struggling McCarthy can be shelved until spring.
“I want him to have a clear head and a clear mind to just go play,” O'Connell said, “but play with an understanding."
There's always a “but,” and in this case the Vikings and their NFL-worst minus-15 turnover margin need McCarthy to bring his decision-making more in line with how closely it can correlate to devastating interceptions.
“A lot of the mentality has changed for sure. I was just so focused on doing every rep perfect and making sure every little detail was crossed and checked off,” McCarthy said, later adding: “I’m definitely a natural overthinker, and it’s not against them. I need to do a better job of compartmentalizing those coaching points and realizing when it’s game time, it’s time to let it loose."
O'Connell has clearly had to make his own improvements this season, too. After winning the AP NFL Coach of the Year award in 2024 on the strength of his work toward the transformation of quarterback Sam Darnold's career, O'Connell has not enjoyed much carryover from that process when it comes to a prospect such as McCarthy at a very different stage.
“It’s not like I’m totally disregarding all the coaching points and all that, definitely not, but it’s just picking and choosing which ones you carry into gameday with and what’s going to be the most effective way of completing that play,” McCarthy said.
Given that McCarthy has missed 24 of a possible 30 games in his career because of the knee injury that cost him his rookie season, a sprained ankle earlier this season and a concussion last week, the current messaging from the coaching staff also includes an emphasis on remembering to slide after scrambling so he can better protect his body.
“Every single game kind of feels like you got kicked in the face by a donkey,” McCarthy said on Thursday after he was cleared from the concussion protocol. “That’s inevitable, the feeling of the whiplash and all that, so how can I avoid those situations where something catastrophic could happen — or just something ticky-tack like an ankle sprain that puts you out for six weeks?”
Though rookie Max Brosmer and 10-year veteran Carson Wentz have also contributed to this problem, the Vikings at 5.2% have the worst interception rate per pass attempt by any team in the NFL since 2009, per Sportradar data. Coincidentally, their 2010 team (5.1%) during Brett Favre’s final season with Tarvaris Jackson and Joe Webb as injury fill-ins has the second worst.
While a once-potent passing attack has gone dormant, star wide receiver Justin Jefferson has had to be patient with the quarterback development — in the prime of his career without a single playoff game win. But Jefferson said on Thursday his confidence in McCarthy remains high.
“It’s just all about him just going out there and doing stuff that he’s been doing all week. All week at practice the throws are there and accurate and the decision-making is there,” Jefferson said. “It’s just all about taking that into the game and playing freely, calm, and poised.”
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Will Lamar Jackson finally face Aaron Rodgers? Only if his shaky health allows it By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer The Associated Press BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers — six MVPs between them — have remarkably never faced each other. It's finally happening this weekend.
Maybe.
With these two, you can't be certain of anything at the moment.
Jackson's Baltimore Ravens host Rodgers' Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday with first place in the AFC North on the line, but although they share the division lead, these two rivals are looking pretty shaky. That's in part because of the health and performance of their star quarterbacks.
Rodgers is the NFL's career leader with a 102.4 passer rating. Jackson is second at 102.2. Neither has played like it of late. Jackson was erratic in Baltimore's loss to Cincinnati on Thanksgiving, and although the Ravens (6-6) won five in a row before that, he didn't look nearly as explosive as usual as a scrambler. Jackson missed three games with hamstring problems earlier this season, and since then, he's dealt with ankle, knee and toe issues.
It appeared all might finally be well when he took the field for practice Wednesday. The Ravens had extra rest after facing the Bengals the previous Thursday. But afterward, Jackson's normal media session was put off — a team spokesman said he was getting treatment — and he showed up as limited on the injury report because of his ankle. Then he didn't practice at all Thursday.
Rodgers, meanwhile, played last weekend against Buffalo with a brace on his broken left wrist. He went 10 of 21 for 117 yards — the fewest completions of Rodgers' career in a game he started and finished. The Steelers (6-6) lost, missing a chance to move a game up on Baltimore.
Rodgers didn't practice Wednesday but was a full participant Thursday.
“It’s definitely healing. I appreciate the extra day off,” he said. “You know, I love the practice, so I hate missing practice, but dealing with what I’m dealing with, it helps to get another day without any pounding on the bones in there. So, we’ll see what happens.”
Rodgers faced the Ravens in 2021 while with Green Bay, but Jackson missed that game with an injury.
Familiar foes
This is the 38th meeting between Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Only George Halas and Curly Lambeau (49) have faced off more times.
This is also the latest in the season the two have met with neither team boasting a winning record. They were both 5-6 when they played in Week 13 in 2013.
Of course, as frustrating as this year has been, the winner of this game will probably feel pretty good about its playoff chances by Sunday night.
“I think you never would have envisioned 6-6 at this point with the expectations," Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said. “But at the end of the day, if you told me, Week 14, at the beginning of the season, you’ll be tied for first place, you control your own destiny, I’m signing myself up for that every day of the week and twice on Sunday.”
Steelers' struggles against the run resurface
The last time Pittsburgh was in Baltimore, the Ravens gashed the Steelers for 299 yards rushing while breezing to victory in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.
The Steelers used a significant amount of resources in the offseason in an attempt to become better equipped to stop the run, drafting defensive linemen Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black and outside linebacker Jack Sawyer and signing Daniel Ekuale in free agency, among other moves.
The results have been mixed at best and may have hit a low point last week against Buffalo, when the Bills piled up 249 yards rushing, the most the Steelers have given up to an opponent at home in more than 50 years.
Now Jackson and Derrick Henry are looming. Pittsburgh reviewed video from the playoff loss this week. Nearly 11 months later, the sting hasn't gone away.
“I mean it still sucks,” outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “To finish the way we did last year ... to allow 300 rushing yards is truly unacceptable. So that’s something I think that’s fueling us for this week.”
Nagging negativity
Pittsburgh's midseason swoon may have hit its nadir in the fourth quarter against Buffalo last week, when the fans booed the playing of “Renegade," long a late-game staple designed to pump up the defense.
There were also chants for Tomlin's firing and multiple former Steelers — quarterback Ben Roethlisberger chief among them — saying it might be time for the team to move on from Tomlin after 19 seasons.
Tomlin shares the frustration of the fan base, though his players have done their best to put on ear muffs.
“I don't worry about anybody who's not in the locker room,” said longtime defensive captain Cam Heyward, the second-longest tenured player in franchise history. “It's not a diss at them. I think we've just got to worry about the guys in here and focus on the job at hand.”
Just in case
If Jackson can't go, backup Tyler Huntley already led the Ravens to a big win over Chicago earlier this season when Baltimore was 1-5. Huntley has faced Rodgers before. He played in that 2021 game for Baltimore — a 31-30 loss to the Packers. And when he was with Miami last season, Huntley started the finale for the Dolphins. They lost 32-20 to Rodgers and the New York Jets.
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Bills seek to end cycle of inconsistencies, while Bengals have renewed hope with Burrow's return By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer The Associated Press ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Impressed as Sean McDermott was regarding Buffalo’s dominance against Pittsburgh , the Bills coach knows last weekend’s win means little if Buffalo follows it up with a dud in hosting the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
With the closing stretch of the season here and the Bills playoff aspirations hardly secure in a tightly packed AFC featuring 10 teams at .500 or better, McDermott placed an emphasis on Buffalo (8-4) breaking its two-month cycle of win-one, lose-one outcomes.
“I don’t think we can afford to be inconsistent. Not now,” McDermott said. “Not that you can ever be, don’t get me wrong, but our backs are against the wall. That’s the way it is. And that’s our mindset.”
Amid the highs and lows the Bills experienced in splitting their past eight outings, the team showed resolve in a 26-7 win at Pittsburgh. Buffalo overcame a depleted lineup by leaning into the strengths by generating a season-best 249 yards rushing. And the defense asserted itself with its most complete outing of the season in allowing a season low in points, and cornerback Christian Benford scoring the go-ahead points on a fumble return.
Now here come the Bengals, who have Joe Burrow back behind center, and plenty to play for despite their 4-8 record .
Though a wild-card berth is essentially out of the equation, the AFC North race is still up for grabs with Baltimore and Pittsburgh tied atop the division at 6-6.
There’s renewed hope in Cincinnati when factoring in Burrow’s return from a toe injury in a 32-14 win over Baltimore, and after the Bengals went 1-8 minus their starter.
The Bengals’ margin of error might be razor thin, though they’re on much better footing to mount a late-season push with the quarterback outfitted with a carbon fiber plate and custom orthotic in his left shoe .
Uncomfortable as Burrow said the fit might be, it took him one half to rediscover his rhythm in securing the win with two second-half touchdown passes.
More encouraging was the Bengals defense — ranked 30th or worst in numerous statistical categories — overcoming its season-long deficiencies by allowing a season-low 16 first downs while forcing a season-best five turnovers.
“We know what it looks like, and we know what it feels like. We know what the urgency level is,” coach Zac Taylor said. “It doesn’t really change how we operate in any way, shape, or form because we just keep going on a week-to-week basis and doing our best to find a win.”
For Burrow, the sixth-year player is looking forward rather than back, even when reminded of his first and only previous visit to Buffalo, where he oversaw a 27-10 win in the 2022 AFC divisional round of the playoffs.
“It’s one of my favorite games since I’ve been here. But it’s in the past,” he said. “We haven’t done anything in a long time against these guys. We have to go and prove it every single week.”
Dominant in December
Buffalo has a league-best 23-4 record in regular-season games played in December and beyond since 2020. And that includes last season’s finale, a 23-16 loss at New England in which the Bills rested their starters.
“It’s the best time of year to play football. It’s when the stakes are high and you got to go out there and perform,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “That’s a big part of this team of we want that pressure.”
Joe Cool, indeed
Besides the Bengals winning their past eight starts with Burrow under center, the sixth-year quarterback is 18-5, including playoffs, in games played in December and beyond. The 78.3% win rate is the fourth highest since 1970 of any QB with at least 15 starts.
Over that stretch, Burrow has the best career completion rate (71.1%), pass yards per game (296.0), and passer rating (105.4).
Burrow is trying to become the second quarterback to be 3-0 or better against Allen. The only other is Tom Brady, who was 4-0, split between New England and Tampa Bay.
Tightening up
Cincinnati's two biggest defensive weaknesses this season have been tackling and not being able to stop the run. There has been improvements in both areas over the past couple of games.
In their past three outings, the Bengals have allowed 113.7 yards rushing as compared to 166.4 in their first nine. Cincinnati has combined for 12 missed tackles in its past two games, a marked improvement compared to the combined 42 in losses to Chicago and Pittsburgh in Weeks 9 and 11.
On to Cincinnati
Steelers veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward accused Allen of kneeing him in the stomach after a tackle on Sunday. It led to the two trading words in a helmet-to-helmet exchange, and Heyward being flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Allen sidestepped a question about the accusation on Wednesday by saying: “Listen, I got a lot of respect for Cam Heyward, but we’re on to the Bengals.”
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AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy contributed to this report.
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The Patriots' closeness off the field has helped them build the best record in the NFL By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer The Associated Press FOXBOROUGH, Mass.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — If there’s an unsung reason the New England Patriots have entered their bye week with the NFL's best record following back-to-back 4-13 seasons, it may be as simple as them enjoying being around one another.
While teams around the league dole out platitudes about brotherhood, these Patriots (11-2) are remarkably close, on and off the field.
Whether it’s been quarterback Drake Maye and rookie left tackle Will Campbell sitting courtside at a Celtics game or having dinner together in Boston’s North End, the weekly dinners shared by the offensive line, or the ways coach Mike Vrabel has given attention to individual players, the bonds of this roster are noticeable.
“This is probably the tightest group of guys I’ve been around in my four years,” offensive lineman Vederian Lowe said.
Creating those connections was not a given after an offseason that saw only 27 holdovers from last season make this season’s initial 53-man roster.
At his introductory news conference in January, Vrabel said he wanted to put the players and their needs at the forefront as he began building the team’s culture.
He has backed it up at the end of every game, when he shakes hands with the opposing coach, then sprints to the tunnel to ensure he’s at the locker room door to greet each player.
Some get a handshake or a “Nice job.” Others receive a longer embrace and maybe a few words in their ear. It’s varied by design.
“I understand I’m going to have a different relationship with some players than I do others,” Vrabel said. “But I’m going to have a relationship with every single one of them.”
He’s also done smaller things that have resonated, like bringing back individual player introductions before games — something that had been absent for at least a decade in New England. He also selects weekly game captains, which come as a surprise to players. Those picked for the role often have a link with that week’s opponent.
In New England’s win over the New York Giants last week, one captain was linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who missed the team’s game at Cincinnati in Week 12 for personal reasons.
The Patriots dedicated that victory to him and made a video call to him in the locker room afterward. After the win over the Giants, Vrabel asked Tavai to break down the locker room huddle.
“Glad to have you back,” Vrabel told Tavai as teammates stood around him cheering.
Walking to the middle of the group, Tavai said, “I love the brotherhood in here and I’ll ride with any of y'all any day. I love you guys and appreciate you guys.”
Then there are players like 32-year-old wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Along with leading the Patriots in receptions (64) and receiving yards (705), he’s also embraced his role as a mentor to young receivers Kayshon Boutte (23), DeMario Douglas (25) and Kyle Williams (23).
Diggs didn’t score a touchdown over the first seven games, the longest such stretch of his career to begin a season. But he supported his fellow receivers throughout, often being the first in line to give them high-fives.
Williams said the Patriots have a culture of joy.
“It is hard not to feel it,” he said. “As soon as you walk through the building, you see we share a whole locker, so we are always just cracking jokes and uplifting everybody. It is hard to be in a bad mood when you’ve got so many joyful people around you.”
Diggs said a lot of the credit goes to Vrabel, who helped him feel welcome as a free-agent addition coming off knee surgery.
“He is one of my favorite coaches up to this point. I look forward to building off of that,” Diggs said. “It’s been a very, very fun year. ... He’s made the transition real seamless as far as helping the team band together, spending time together, getting to know each other, and appreciating him as a man.”
Diggs said the way the Patriots interact with one another is genuine.
“Guys really pulling for each other. It’s not fake out there,” he said. “You want the guys to play well, you want the guys around you to play well. Throwing those extra blocks and doing all that. I think it goes a long way. ... We all hold each other accountable.”
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Justin Herbert expects to play with broken hand but Chargers and Eagles plan for contingencies By DAN GREENSPAN Associated Press The Associated Press EL SEGUNDO, Calif.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers had to adjust on the fly after Justin Herbert broke a bone in his non-throwing hand last Sunday.
As optimistic as they are that Herbert will be ready to start against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, the Chargers (8-4) have spent this week accounting for every possible contingency.
“I think you got to try to look at it from all the different angles, you know, as you prepare,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. “What if this happens? What if that happens?”
Planning went into practice during a 31-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, when Herbert had to play the final three quarters with his left hand in a hard cast and protective glove. The injury prevented Herbert from taking snaps under center, with the Chargers using shotgun and pistol formations the rest of the way.
“It’s just a good reminder you really need to work through these contingencies in your mind,” Roman said. “A lot of what we practiced that week went out the window. So, really, hats off to Justin and really everybody.”
Herbert had surgery on Monday and was back at practice Thursday , leaving an organization that typically treats such matters as state secrets expressing an unusually public degree of belief he will be ready to go against the NFC East-leading Eagles (8-4).
“That's the plan, is to prepare as if I'm going to play,” Herbert said Wednesday. “See how the next couple days goes, and do everything I can to be out there for the team and for the guys.”
However, that does not necessarily mean Herbert will be able to run the full offense. Backup Trey Lance worked with the first unit on Wednesday, and coach Jim Harbaugh has said the third overall pick in the 2021 draft would be prepared for situations where the Chargers might need to be under center, such as in short yardage or at the goal line.
Roman has used quarterback platoons at times, but never because of an injury like Herbert's.
“It was because of, you know, trying to throw some trickeration at people,” Roman said. “But, no, I mean, we’ll do whatever it takes.”
The uncertainty carries over to the Eagles, where defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has also been devising plans for Herbert and Lance, who has not thrown a touchdown pass in the NFL since Jan. 2, 2022, the last game of his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers.
“We’ll have to prepare for both quarterbacks,” Fangio said. “Probably knowing that if Herbert plays, he’ll be in the pistol a lot and in the gun. Yeah, we’ll have to be ready for both.”
Eagles run over
Philadelphia’s offense has absorbed the bulk of the blame for the team's struggles of late. Yet, it was the defense — especially the line — that got whipped against the Bears, when the unit allowed 281 yards . Chicago had two 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time since its dominant Super Bowl-winning 1985 season.
“I didn’t do a good enough job of preparing our squad for the quality and the diversity of their run game,” Fangio said. “We didn’t play the run and the blocks the way we had been playing.”
Herbert familiar with Fangio
Herbert has experience going against Fangio’s schemes, having faced him four times from 2020-21 when Fangio was head coach of the Denver Broncos. Herbert went 2-2, throwing for 1,071 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions. Both wins were at home, and he did not throw a pick in those games.
Although the Eagles have allowed over 400 yards of offense in consecutive games for the first time under Fangio, Herbert expects a big response this week.
“We know how good their defense is, and we watch the film, and it doesn’t take long to turn it on and see the plays they make,” Herbert said. “They have guys on that side of the ball that are game-wreckers. And at the same time, they’re really well-coached, and it makes for a dangerous combination.”
Eggs and anger
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has stood behind offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, both professionally amid the offense's struggles and personally, after Patullo’s New Jersey home was vandalized with eggs over the weekend .
Sirianni said he’s leaned on advice he was given early in his coaching career: “Give strength to the people that need it.”
“I always thought that was really good,” Sirianni said. “Pick up people that need it, and that’s your job as a leader to do that. That’s why the relationship portion of it is so important because there are ups and there are downs in relationships.”
Patullo appreciated Sirianni’s trust in him to turn around a unit that is running out of time to perform like one that's capable of winning another Super Bowl. Saquon Barkley and Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts have seen their production dip, while former 1,000-yard receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are behind the pace of their career averages. The Eagles are averaging 62.4 fewer yards per game and 4.7 fewer points than last season.
Offensive line optimism
Coming off their bye week, the Chargers turned in arguably their best offensive performance since tackle Joe Alt was lost for the season on Nov. 2 in the win over the Raiders . To Harbaugh, it was clear the time off benefited the offensive line, with multiple players getting healthy and Jamaree Salyer having the chance to work exclusively at left tackle after previously splitting time at right guard. That switch will be permanent for the remainder of the season, Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh was especially pleased with the run blocking, which set the stage for 192 yards and two scores on the ground, and believes the front five has found some consistency without Alt.
“These are high (level), elite football players that have gotten their opportunity,” Harbaugh said. “Their playing is healthy and together and good. ... That bodes well for us down the stretch.”
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb ruled out with concussion against Lions The Associated Press DETROIT
DETROIT (AP) — Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb suffered a concussion against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Lamb leaped for a pass in the third quarter and he landed hard on the turf.
He had six catches for 121 yards, giving him 57 receptions for 865 yards and three touchdowns this season.
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Bowers, Crosby bring high energy and elite production to Raiders team desperately in need of both By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer The Associated Press HENDERSON, Nev.
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Tight end Brock Bowers didn't realize at the time he had made one of the best catches of the season Sunday when he reached down with his left hand to snag the ball before it hit the ground.
That touchdown catch was one of the Las Vegas Raiders' few highlights in their 31-14 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers , and social media blew up over the play.
As dismal a season as the Raiders are experiencing — they are 2-10 heading into Sunday's home game against Denver — they can count on Bowers and defensive end Maxx Crosby to bring their best. And their best is right up there with the elite in the NFL.
“The fact that our top players are playing great football is because they’re our top players, and they jump out and stand out on our team,” coach Pete Carroll said. "They stand out because they continue to play at a really high level. That’s what we’re trying to get more guys that can do that to play along with them.”
Bowers is a second-year pro who already has established himself as one of the NFL's best tight ends. His engine has run at a high level seemingly from the moment the Raiders drafted him 13th overall last year.
No one can accuse Crosby of taking days off, and he has set the tone in the locker room with his seemingly unlimited drive since overachieving as a fourth-round draft pick in 2019.
Because he has been with the organization since it was based in Oakland, Crosby's influence extends beyond the defense and is a great example for young players such as rookie running back Ashton Jeanty .
Having come from a perennial college winner at Boise State, Jeanty isn't used to losing so many games.
“It gives you all the motivation in the world to look at a guy like (Crosby) who’s continued to keep going, despite not having the best years with the team in a winning perspective,” Jeanty said. "But also just wanting to keep playing and fighting for guys like him, trying to get better so that we can get to some wins.”
Crosby is playing at a high level, even by his standards. He has 13 tackles for loss and four sacks over his past five games. That includes four tackles for loss and two sacks against the Chargers.
He also drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for shoving quarterback Justin Herbert to the turf. While saying on his SiriusXM show “Let’s Go!," that Herbert flopped to draw the flag, Crosby acknowledged the line between playing with high emotions while also under control.
“Just being fully present and being in that moment and learning how to calm myself down, especially when the bullets are flying,” Crosby said on the show. "I already have all the energy in the world. I don’t need to burn it and waste it on a million things on the sideline and this and that. … But it’s not just telling yourself that. You have to actively work at it and practice it.”
When it comes to matching high energy with elite production, Crosby and Bowers stand apart. That burning desire to succeed was who they were long before they became pros.
“I've always wanted to compete with everything I do,” Bowers said. “It doesn't matter, I'm still going out there trying to win.”
His numbers are down compared to last season, mostly because of a knee injury that dogged Bowers early this season. The Raiders also don't have other playmakers to take pressure off him, especially with the trade of Jakobi Meyers to Jacksonville.
But Bowers can still produce, and though he was targeted just four times against the Chargers, he caught all four passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns.
That includes making one of the best catches of the season.
“You think about all the great catches that we’ve seen,” Carroll said. “So, so unique that he would catch it off the top of the turf. I thought it was one of the really excellent catches I’ve seen, and it’s because you never see anybody do it like that.”
Key players limited
Crosby (knee), quarterback Geno Smith (foot) and guard/center Jordan Meredith (ankle) were limited in practice Wednesday. This is not a new injury for Crosby, who has played through it this season. Smith is new to the injury report, but he met with reporters, an indication he will play. Meredith did not play at Los Angeles, and Carroll was noncommittal on whether he would be back this weekend. ... A handful of players didn't practice — tight end Michael Mayer (ankle), guard Dylan Parham (back), wide receiver Dont'e Thornton (concussion) and wide receiver Alex Bachman (thumb).
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