LOS ANGELES — The heat was blistering, the fans were jeering, the knockout punch was looming.

Late Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium, the stage was set for the continuation of a long-standing tradition fostered by a certain local team's consistent meltdowns.

Except these Chargers didn't "Charger."

These Chargers "Harbaughed."

These Chargers...Read more

DETROIT — Jared Goff picked up two small wins over Matthew Stafford in Detroit on Sunday night: One on the coin toss to start the game and one more on the coin toss to start overtime.

The second one led to a massive 26-20 victory for the Detroit Lions over the Los Angeles Rams in the season opener on Sunday Night Football before a raucous ...Read more

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Las Vegas Raiders’ formula for victories this year is dependent on them following a specific road map.

They veered so off that trail in their season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday that one had to wonder if their GPS was out of whack.

The Raiders made head-scratching coaching decisions, committed ...Read more

MIAMI — Miami Dolphins All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s team is considering taking legal action after the NFL star was handcuffed Sunday morning on his way to the team’s season-opening game against Jacksonville.

Hill’s agent Drew Rosenhaus on Sunday night told the Miami Herald that the 30-year-old Georgia native’s legal team “...Read more

SEATTLE — Once the Seahawks' new coaches went old school Sunday it began to feel like old times at Lumen Field.

The Seahawks overcame a dreadful offensive first half by turning to their power running game in the second half, running all over the Denver Broncos to take a 26-20 win in the debut for rookie head coach Mike Macdonald.

After ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Jim Harbaugh made a winning first impression in his Chargers' coaching debut as the team rode a stifling defense to a 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

Losers of eight of their last nine games, the Chargers ushered in their new era with a dominant defense that allowed only one touchdown and ...Read more

TAMPA BAY, Fla. — The score was impressive. The journey was better.

The Buccaneers began the 2024 season with an efficient, mostly mistake-free 37-20 victory against the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. The new-look offense under Liam Coen had open receivers all afternoon, and the running game came alive in the fourth...Read more

ATLANTA — Changes aplenty marked this Pittsburgh Steelers offseason, particularly for their offense, but the script Sunday looked awfully familiar to the past few seasons.

The Steelers grinded their way to a 18-10 win against the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the 2024 opener, unable to generate a touchdown while kicker Chris Boswell did...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears’ showing against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday was more about big defense and special teams plays than it was the magic of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, but the Bears still emerged from their season opener victorious.

Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had a pick-six against Titans quarterback Will Levis and ...Read more

It was an all-too-familiar nightmare.

Inexcusable turnovers, big plays for the opposing offense, and a wildly overmatched squad that looked like it had never lined up together before, despite an encouraging training camp slate.

No, it’s not 2023, but the Carolina Panthers — in what looked like a fairly winnable matchup on paper — showed ...Read more

ATLANTA — Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins tossed two interceptions and led the team on just one touchdown drive as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat them 18-10 in the season opener on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Cousins, who was signed to a four-year $180 million contract in free agency, was thought to be the missing piece to the team’s ...Read more

The New England Patriots shut up a sea of orange, and an endless list of pundits predicting them for a league-worst finish, in Jerod Mayo’s first career win as head coach.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s unit proved the old adage that you have to learn to walk before you can run in the Patriots’ 16-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals...Read more

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins’ surreal opening day of the 2024 NFL season began with an incident involving star wide receiver Tyreek Hill and local police hours before kickoff.

It ended with Jason Sanders booting a 53-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to lift Miami to a 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock ...Read more

MIAMI — Hours after Miami Dolphins All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill was handcuffed Sunday morning on his way to the team’s season-opening game against Jacksonville, the Miami-Dade Police Department is investigating the officers involved in the stop, during which Hill was pinned to the ground.

Video and photos posted to social media showed ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — During the Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5, the NBC broadcast took some time to talk about Carson Steele, the Chiefs’ undrafted rookie running back.

The broadcast discussed Steele’s pet alligator, Crocky-J, who was a Christmas present Steele received in elementary ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s not like Brock Purdy has grown in stature, although his thighs have taken on a Bosa-like quality through work in the weight room.

Yet it’s pretty clear Purdy has seized control of the 49ers’ offense, if not the team. The false narrative of Purdy being a mechanical ball distributor on behalf of coach Kyle ...Read more

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — For all the months of chatter about returning Jalen Hurts to how he performed in 2022 — the changes at offensive coordinator and in scheme that were made to get him back there, and how he seemed on his way following a strong training camp — the quarterback looked a lot like he did last season in the Eagles' season ...Read more

DENVER — You could count on one hand the number of times Sean Payton seemed relaxed in his Friday news conferences last season. Maybe one finger. Like the middle one.

That is what made Friday interesting and further proof of his comfort level with his second Broncos team entering its first game of the season. He entertained questions, both ...Read more

CHICAGO — Black-and-white photographs and grainy videos are all you ever see of Sid Luckman.

The greatest quarterback in Chicago Bears history, who retired in 1950 after leading the team to four NFL championships, played in an era so far removed from today’s game, it’s impossible to compare him to any modern QB, much less one of our own. ...Read more