BALTIMORE — Few in the NFL have a game face as menacing as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. It’s as if he is back in middle school and the bully took his lunch money, or another student said something bad about his mom.

It’s time to fight. The scowl has become part of his persona.

“That’s his natural face,” said his older brother, Eddie...Read more

PITTSBURGH — This Steelers-Ravens showdown needs no endorsement from me. It's a playoff game. But it's also fraught with bigger-picture implications on both sides.

For starters, it feels like one of the more significant games of Mike Tomlin's career.

A loss, especially a lopsided one, arguably would mark the low point of Tomlin's 18-year ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — There are only two question marks for the Eagles this postseason.

The first one is more a function of the opponents the Eagles could face this postseason. The Packers, the Bucs, the Lions — all have offensive lines that are better than average (Pro Football Focus ranked all three among their top eight units in the league ...Read more

DENVER — It’s all love between Von Miller and the Broncos.

In preparation to face his former team in the wild-card round on Sunday, Buffalo’s veteran edge rusher doesn’t want to act like he has hatred toward Denver. The franchise still holds a special place in his heart.

“I’ve had two days to really think about it, and it’s all ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Defensive tackle Kobie Turner said the Rams' long but joyful regular season primed them for what's next.

On Monday night, the No. 4-seeded Rams will play the No. 5 Minnesota Vikings in an NFC wild-card game at SoFi Stadium.

"We've been waiting on this moment," Turner said after the Rams' regular-season finale against the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Five days before the Rams host the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC wild-card playoff game, the NFL said it was keeping an eye on the wildfires that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles County since Tuesday.

The league said it currently plans for the Rams to host the Vikings during their playoff game Monday night at SoFi Stadium in ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Much like they did in 2005 with Jerome Bettis, the entire Steelers organization, from the locker room to the front office, would like to get to the Super Bowl for defensive end Cam Heyward.

The three-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection has won just one playoff game in eight postseason appearances — and that was nine ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Five days before the Rams host the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC wild-card playoff game, the NFL said it was keeping an eye on the wildfires that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles County since Tuesday.

“The NFL continues to closely monitor developments in the area and will remain in contact with both clubs and the NFLPA,” the ...Read more

DENVER — Eight months since he joined the Broncos, there is nothing Bo Nix cannot fix.

After producing a winning record and a playoff berth, Nix burst the thought bubble hanging over the franchise’s head since the 2018 draft.

Should the Broncos have selected Wyoming star quarterback Josh Allen instead of defensive end Bradley Chubb? Six ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts returned to Eagles practice Wednesday, marking a significant step for the quarterback’s progression through the concussion protocol.

Since leaving the team’s loss to the Washington Commanders on Dec. 22 with the concussion, Hurts had missed all of the Eagles’ practices and each of the last two games.

Hurts ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Cincinnati Bengals finished the regular season on a high note by winning their final five games.

Unfortunately, the Bengals missed the playoffs because of how they started the season, losing four of their first five games.

Cincinnati had a chance to make the playoffs, but it was dependent on the Chiefs winning their ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — It is one thing to get off to slow starts in the regular season, which the Steelers have turned into an art form.

It is another when it happens in the postseason, which the Steelers have turned into a nightmare.

Slow starts have plagued the Steelers all season, especially on offense, where they haven't scored a touchdown on ...Read more

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Dolphins need a culture change. Badly.

I fear what the Dolphins’ locker room will look like when offensive tackle Terron Armstead and defensive tackle Calais Campbell, the most respected veterans on the team, aren’t there next season.

My fear is that the power will fall into the wrong hands.

Before the season ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you had been in the Carolina Panthers’ locker room Monday morning on clean-out day and knew nothing about the team, you would have wildly overestimated one thing.

That one thing would have been the Panthers’ record for the just-concluded 2024 season. Given the positive vibes and the endless questions about how great ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Kyle Shanahan is changing out 49ers defensive coordinators for the fourth time in five years.

Nick Sorensen, like his immediate predecessor Steve Wilks, won’t return to that role after one season in it, a league source confirmed. Sorensen could be retained on Shanahan’s staff in another capacity for a fourth season. ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — For the first time in two weeks, the Chargers had both of their leading rushers on the practice field Tuesday, and the team didn't stop at stocking the backfield with only J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott made his Chargers practice debut Tuesday after being signed to the practice ...Read more

CHICAGO — The losses have far outnumbered the wins under Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles’ watch. The misses — at this point three years into his tenure — have been as prolific as his hits. The coach firings are adding up.

But at their end-of-season media availability to wrap up a 5-12 campaign, Bears Chairman George McCaskey ...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — After the Chicago Bears put in a request to interview Mike McCarthy on Monday afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys have denied the request a little over 24 hours later, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

While McCarthy’s contract with the team technically expires on Wednesday, the Cowboys will have until next ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — You can fault the San Francisco 49ers for many things this season. There are too many to list.

But make no mistake about it: they were professionals until the end.

(Save for DeVondre Campbell, of course.)

And as this team heads into a pivotal and critical offseason, that professionalism shouldn’t be overlooked.

...Read more