Player Notes

When the Chiefs in February played in their third Super Bowl in four seasons, and won their second in that span, it set the stage for them to pursue the first NFL repeat title in nearly two decades. As the instant favorites, no less.And since the advent of the Patrick Mahomes Era, they’ve been so good for so long that they’ve earned heaping helpings of benefit of the doubt.So it’s been only natural ...

This was a heck of play that didn’t count.This wasn’t quite as painful as the Dee Ford penalty in the AFC Championship Game in 2019, but woof, this one will sting for the Chiefs.It appeared that tight end Travis Kelce’s love of laterals had paid off late in Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.The Chiefs trailed by three points when Kelce hauled in a pass from ...

Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco helped the Cleveland Browns stay deep within the AFC playoff mix Sunday, guiding the team to a a 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Cleveland.Flacco, who made his second start with the team this week, threw for 311 yards on 26-of-45 passing with three touchdowns and one interception, leading to a 92.0 passer rating.The 38-year-old passer is the fourth quarterback ...

Indianapolis StarCINCINNATI - Ten thoughts on the Colts' 34-14 loss to the Bengals at Paycor Stadium to fall to 7-6:1. The Colts came on the road with a 7-5 record, winners of four straight, facing another backup quarterback but one who was coming off a big performance with a 6-6 team with its own playoff desires.And the Colts simply got their butts kicked all day long. In the trenches, on the edges, ...

Indianapolis StarThe Colts' playoff chances took a hit with Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals but, perhaps, not as much as you might think.The Colts odds have slipped from 66% to 41%, according to the New York Times. There are currently six AFC teams with 7-6 records and the Colts hold the 7th and final position.The good news? Indianapolis has better odds to make it than one of the teams ...

Kansas City head coach Andy Reid was not happy that officials did not warn wide receiver Kadarius Toney that he was offsides, as the officials typically do.The Chiefs trailed by three points when tight end Travis Kelce caught a pass at the Bills 30-yard line. Kelce evaded past a couple of Buffalo defenders and got to the 20-yard line. He spotted Toney and Kelce threw the ball across the field to Toney, ...

10-12 minutes 12/11/2023BALTIMORE — Tylan Wallace sat on the Baltimore Ravens’ bench as the delirium had finally dissipated around him. The first order of business was catching his breath. He had just sprinted 76 yards after breaking three tackles, regaining his balance and keeping his feet when it looked like he was going to the ground, then he front-flipped into the end zone to culminate a wet and ...

By Matt CalkinsSeattle Times columnistSANTA CLARA, Calif. — There is some nuance to that late-game fracas, which will be touched on later in this space. But the optics symbolized something all too real in the Seahawks’ camp.As Seattle receiver DK Metcalf tussled with San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner after a game-sealing interception — prompting a near 22-man scuffle and a Metcalf ejection — it ...

Brock Purdy torched the Seattle Seahawks with deep balls on Dec. 10, 2023 in the San Francisco 49ers' 28-16 win.Purdy threw for a career-high 368 yards while completing 19-of-27 passes in the 49ers’ 28-16 win over the Seahawks, but perhaps most impressive was Purdy’s performance on deep balls, completing all six passes that went 16 yards or further beyond the line of scrimmage.Purdy’s touchdown pass ...

22-28 minutes 12/11/2023LAS VEGAS — After each of the Vikings' 20 wins under Kevin O'Connell, the team's digital media crew records the coach's postgame locker room speech and posts it on the Vikings' website shortly thereafter. The video of O'Connell's postgame speech following Sunday's 3-0 win over the Raiders was the first of its kind in franchise history.It had to be, because the only other time ...