#nfl

#nfl

Coming off the bye week, the San Francisco 49ers find themselves in an enviable position. They are rested, getting healthier, and eyeing not just the playoffs but potentially the NFC's No. 1 seed. With one more win, they are a virtual lock for the tournament. Andas luck would have ithere comes a team tied for the worst record in the NFL, flying cross-country to Levi's Stadium this Sunday. On the surface, this looks like a mismatch of epic proportions.

"It's almost like a slap in my face, bro," "I ain't gonna lie." "Did Philip Rivers send any type of sign that he was available?" "Why you asking me to do something that everybody else didn't do? I ain't no sucker. I ain't no lab rat. Come on, bro."

New England wants to lock up the division as soon as possible, a feat they haven't accomplished since Tom Brady was under center, and Buffalo will, of course, want to make sure that doesn't happen on their watch. That inevitably gives them more time to catch up and secure a playoff spot, and maybe even steal the division in the process.

Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups and makes his predictions for Week 15 of the NFL season.

The Falcons, losers of seven of their past eight games, will face the Buccaneers, losers of four of their past five, in primetime. The Bucs need a win badly to stay afloat in the NFC South, while the Falcons would like a win to be less sorry and play spoiler. Who will get that victory? We're going to find out, and it's probably not going to be pretty.

Welcome to Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season. An overtime win by the Chargers over the Eagles on "Monday Night Football" concluded an exciting Week 14 slate that saw the Jaguars, Packers and Steelers move into first place in their respective divisions. How do these teams fit in our updated Power Rankings? In addition to the 1-32 rankings, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to pick the most shocking statistical ranking -- good or bad -- for the teams they cover.

But less than a minute later, referee Alex Moore announced that it was an incompletion. Likely had the ball punched out by Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. before he made a third step in the end zone. NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth explained in a pool report Sunday that the third step is "an act common to the game" and needed to be completed in order for it to be ruled a touchdown.

Screenshot NFL legend Terry Bradshaw stunned Fox Sports viewers Sunday when he admitted he's never actually met Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Bradshaw, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, spent his entire 14-year career with the Steelers. He won three MVP awards and four Super Bowls, cementing himself as one of the best players the franchise has ever had.

The NFL has received exactly what it wanted when it released the schedule in May. As the calendar flips to December, several division races are up for grabs with multiple meetings between divisional-winning hopefuls still remaining on the schedule. Two AFC divisions the AFC North and the AFC South appear set to come down to important late season contests, while NFC features a similar scene with tightly-contested races in the three of the four divisions.

There was no good reason to be thinking about NFL history when the Dallas Cowboys took on the Las Vegas Raiders a couple of weeks ago. Neither team had a winning record at the time, and the score was never close after halftime. But as the game stretched on that Monday night, the sportswriter and video maker Jon Bois sensed that something unprecedented could be afoot. "I glanced up and realized 36-23 was very much in play," he told me.

WHEN MYLES GARRETT crouches on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field, waiting to perfectly time his get-off in pursuit of Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, there will be a number scribbled onto the tape wrapped around his wrists: 25. For two decades, the number on the minds of any aspiring great pass rusher was 22.5 -- the single-season sack record shared by Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.

It's Thursday night in Detroit and the clock is ticking down towards kickoff for a pivotal NFC clash between the Cowboys and Lions. Both teams desperately need a win tonight, and both teams are dealing with injuries. Now that we've got the inactives report, we have a better idea of who will be out there. For the Cowboys, Jadeveon Clowney and Tyler Guyton are both inactive.

the frustration and the emotions definitely were high after the game,

The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to a new model for selecting playing surfaces in stadiums, one that will require teams to choose from an approved set of manufacturers and styles for both natural and synthetic fields. The policy will apply to any teams that plan to replace their surfaces for the 2026 season. By the 2028 season, all stadiums will be required to have approved fields.

For the third straight year, we're picking out the NFL's top players by specific skills and traits ahead of the last month of the regular season. The MVP race is squarely between Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, but this exercise is meant to look at the smaller advantages some players have rather than their overall talent. For example, who is the most creative passer in the NFL, or the QB with the best touch? Which receiver has the best hands, and who is the most explosive running back? Which offensive lineman is the best at opening rushing lanes, and which defensive lineman is the best at plugging them on the other side of the ball? Which linebacker is the best tackler, and which defensive back is the top ball hawk? And what about special teams: Who is the most accurate kicker?

This past week, Detroit attempted to sign Frank Ragnow out of retirement but ultimately failed his physical. Tight end Sam LaPorta is on injured reserve, and it is hopeful at best that he returns before the end of the regular season. The Lions are wounded but also very unpredictable with Dan Campbell at the helm. Expect them to pull out all the stops, especially if they are shorthanded as today's injury report may suggest.

A significant number of NFL fans fell for a fake report about New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter from a known parody account. Ahead of Monday night's game between the Giants and the New England Patriots, self-proclaimed insider Wesley Steinberg claimedthat Carter would be benched for the Giants' first defensive drive because he was caught watching porn in a team meeting when his headphones disconnected.

Week 13 is in the books. Chippy week! Plenty of -- as the broadcasters would say -- pushing and shoving in Patriots-Giants, Jaguars-Titans and Steelers-Bills. As the weather gets colder and playoff hopes dwindle, so the skirmishes begin. Just know that if any of you hit my editors late, I'll be coming over with bad intentions.

He's a hoe, and I want that known, Harris said in front of his locker. Like, I see why he got punched in the nuts. He said some things that you should not say to another man ever. But like, I don't respect it because you say that then run behind your o-line. That's some real soft shit, and I want that known. I see exactly why they punched you in the nuts. I'm surprised nobody punched him in the jaw yet.

George Best was once the only man from Northern Ireland to make a stir kicking a ball in America. But now the NFL is rife with Irish kickers. Last season Jude McAtamney hit a FG for the Giants. (It went less well for him this year.) And on Sunday Charlie Smyth joined him with a successful kick of his own, joining Neil O'Donoghue in the growing fraternity of Irish-born NFL kickers.

The Titans, Saints, Raiders and Cardinals have now been eliminated as well. Attention in the case of those teams will increasingly turn toward the offseason. For some, questions about changes at the quarterback spot will be ongoing through the spring. Free agency is not expected to include many notable options, so the draft will be sought out in several instances as a means of finding a 2026 starter.

From kicking '45s with his native county, New Orleans Saints kicker was feel-good story of the weekend with 100pc success rate in his first regular season game

J.J. McCarthy could emerge from the concussion protocol as soon as Monday, coach Kevin O'Connell said Sunday, and be in line to start the Vikings' Week 14 game against the Washington Commanders. "He is [still in the protocol] as of right now, but we'll see how he does tomorrow," O'Connell said. "Our goal is he clears and he can have a good week of practice and have an opportunity to play next week."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner sustained a left calf injury early in Sunday's game against the Houston Texans and has been ruled out for the remainder of the day. Gardner was in coverage away from the action on the Texans' second play from scrimmage when he went down with a noncontact injury. He remained on the ground for an extended period while trainers dealt with him, then limped off with assistance. After a quick examination in the injury tent, Gardner was helped to the locker room.

TOUCHDOWN! Dolphins 7-0 Saints 10:42, 1st quarter Devon Achane gets Miami off to a flier. He bursts free for a 29-yard scorching touchdown. New Orleans had no chance once he got into space. Share Matt Stafford cashes in the generous field position to who else than his new favourite target Davante Adams. Poor Kyren Williams can't get a look in on the goalline. Automatic touchdown. The MVP is looking locked in for Stafford.

How the Raiders can win: Get in an offensive rhythm with interim play-caller Greg Olson, cleaning up the communication issues that were a problem in Chip Kelly's system. Establish a ground game with Ashton Jeanty and mix in more Brock Bowers at tight end. Protect Geno Smith, who has been sacked 18 times in the past three games, including 10 times by Cleveland last week. Get after Justin Herbert, especially off the edges with Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson.