CHICAGO — A day later, Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet was still agitated, still bothered he hadn’t handled his pass protection duties with more polish. Less than 7 minutes remained Sunday in Indianapolis and Kmet and the Bears had taken over possession for a potential go-ahead fourth-quarter drive.

But that series ended as quickly as it ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Javon Hargrave, last seen celebrating a sack against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday before departing with an injury, will need surgery for a torn triceps and will miss the rest of the season.

It was the latest in an injury wave that’s hit the 49ers, who are 1-2 after a 27-24 road loss to the Rams.

“It’s a big one,” ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Lost in Sunday’s 49ers loss to the Los Angeles Rams was a big silver lining.

Yes, the Niners might have choked away a game they should have won nine times out of 10, but the good news is they also wasted a downright brilliant performance from their quarterback, Brock Purdy.

And if this season turns out to be the long, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Already struggling with injuries to four key starters, including quarterback Justin Herbert, the Chargers will be without safety Derwin James Jr. against the Kansas City Chiefs as the NFL suspended the three-time All-Pro for repeated violations of safety rules.

The NFL announced the one-game suspension without pay Monday after ...Read more

ATLANTA — A funny thing has happened in the first three weeks of the Falcons’ season.

The defense has largely played better than the offense. It happened again Sunday night when the Falcons defense more than held its own against two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City and the greatest quarterback of this generation, Patrick ...Read more

MIAMI — Tim Boyle voluntarily describes himself as an NFL survivor.

That’s the mind-set an undrafted backup quarterback, who has existed on the fringe of a team’s roster since 2018, has to take to justify his nomadic existence, which has him playing for his sixth team in seven years.

“I’m chugging along. It’s been interesting,” ...Read more

The Los Angeles Chargers lost several starters to injury, including quarterback Justin Herbert, in a 20-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. Herbert left the arena in a walking boot after reinjuring his right ankle while absorbing a sack during the third quarter.

With AFC West rival Kansas City next, what we learned...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers 27-24 on Sunday night at SoFi Stadium.

What we learned from the victory that improved the Rams' record to 1-2:

Joshua Karty can kick under pressure

The Rams, bedeviled by kicking woes in 2023, used a sixth-round draft pick to select Joshua Karty.

Karty came through with a field goal ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Chargers could soon need a bigger injury tent.

After four starters, including star quarterback Justin Herbert, missed the end of the Chargers' 20-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach Jim Harbaugh deflected all questions about the mounting injuries Monday, deferring until the team is required to release an injury report ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — "Holy —!"

Sean McVay began his postgame news conference like a slack-jawed sailor, but he spoke the truth.

Holy rebound. Holy resilience. Holy Rams.

They began this stomach knot of a Sunday afternoon flat on their backs, trailing the San Francisco 49ers by two touchdowns in the first 15 minutes — winless and helpless and ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — After undergoing additional medical testing, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was determined to have a left knee bruise and is not expected to miss any time, head coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday.

Darnold suffered a left knee injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s win against the Houston Texans when former Vikings edge ...Read more

ATLANTA — The Kansas City Chiefs are still undefeated. And they have their defense to thank for that.

Kansas City held on for a 22-17 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night to improve to 3-0, as the defense had two dramatic stands in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs stopped the Falcons on two plays from the 5-yard line to ...Read more

Last February, Eugene “Mercury” Morris walked from his home office, where legal papers covered his desk, out to his garage in South Miami where two framed jerseys hung on the wall. One was his No. 22 Miami Dolphins jersey that he wore in one of his three Super Bowls.

“We should have won all three,” he said.The other frame held his faded...Read more

MIAMI — How many more weeks of this quarterback catastrophe do Miami Dolphins fans have to endure?

Or should we say suffer through because that’s a more fitting description of the Dolphins’ offensive ineptitude in the first game the team played without Tua Tagovailoa, which concluded with a 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

We’ve got ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Here are three takeaways from the Raiders’ 36-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium:

1. Embarrassed

Sunday was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming for the Raiders.

They were coming off an improbable road upset of Baltimore. They were hosting what looked like the NFL’s worst team through two weeks...Read more

ARLINGTON, Texas — The last time Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was at AT&T Stadium, it was draft night in 2018, and he promised he would deliver Baltimore a Super Bowl trophy. Sunday, Jackson and a gashing ground game helped keep that promise alive for this season.

Jackson rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown and completed 12-of-...Read more

LOS ANGELES — All Matthew Stafford needed was a chance.

The San Francisco 49ers gave the Rams' veteran quarterback two opportunities in the final minutes of Sunday's game at SoFi Stadium and Stafford made them pay both times.

Stafford engineered a game-tying touchdown drive and then a game-winning field goal drive as the Rams came back to ...Read more