MINNEAPOLIS — Aaron Jones was conducting his weekly news conference when he saw an opening, took it and, per usual, made the most of it.

He was being fed rushing stats to illustrate how his pass-happy league hasn’t been this productive running the ball in 34 years. A running back in a world obsessed with quarterbacks and receivers, he ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Matthew Stafford already moved past Eli Manning on two NFL career passing lists. The Rams quarterback is on the verge of doing it again.

If Stafford throws a touchdown pass against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night at SoFi Stadium, he will be in sole possession of 10th place.

Stafford, a 16-year pro, has passed for 366 ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Nick Sirianni on Friday indicated that Jalen Hurts is dealing with an ankle issue, despite the quarterback being listed on the injury report with a “rest” designation.

The Eagles coach may have slipped up when asked Friday about what went into his quarterback’s load management day two days prior.

Here’s the awkward ...Read more

Listening to Brian Burns, it sounds like he may have a lot more to say about the Carolina Panthers after Sunday’s game than before it.

Burns has had this game circled on his calendar since the spring, when the Panthers traded him to the Giants for two draft picks rather than paying Burns to play for them.

“Personally, I have my own ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Like everybody else — including, quite obviously, the Steelers — my opinion on Najee Harris fluctuates.

If the Steelers did not offer Harris a fifth-year option because they wanted to see how his style meshed with new coordinator Arthur Smith's scheme, that's easily defensible.

Harris also plays an understandably undervalued...Read more

BALTIMORE — The NFL’s best offense and its two-time and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player could only be contained for so long.

It took more than a half of football, but the Ravens and Lamar Jackson finally woke up Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Faced with a 14-point third-quarter deficit — their largest of the season — Jackson put ...Read more

DENVER — The Chiefs have become the Patriots. And that is not a compliment. At least not in these parts.

I am getting irritable in my 50s. Losing patience for reruns. What started innocently five years ago has become a full-blown annoyance.

It all began when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2019. They stepped onto the biggest stage, stopped ...Read more

NEW YORK — Last offseason, before he was traded to the Jets, Davante Adams sat down and had dinner with Garrett Wilson through a mutual friend in New York when the three-time All-Pro was in the area.

The two spoke about being fans of each other’s games and began to build a relationship. The receivers also talked about the potential to play ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Justin Herbert has been twisted down by his ankle. He was spun down late after his pass was well downfield. He was driven into the ground by 272-pound Myles Garrett.

Herbert has gotten up each time with no protest.

While his coach is calling for more stringent officiating on plays made on the Chargers' quarterback, Herbert is ...Read more

DENVER — Javonte Williams heard his head coach.

Sean Payton was asked Monday if he thought rookie running back Audric Estime would see an increased workload in the second half of the season.

“That’s a good and fair question, and one that I think I would answer, ‘Yes,’ ” Payton said then.

Of course, Payton said similar to Estime ...Read more

Here’s a look back at Week 9’s action and fantasy advice for the week ahead:

WEEK 9 RECAP

Jets 21, Texans 13: Aaron Rodgers is the overall QB10 since Nathaniel Hackett lost play-calling duties headed into Week 6. Rodgers is completing 64.2% of his passes for 1,014 yards with eight touchdown passes against three interceptions in the last ...Read more

MUNICH, Germany — The Carolina Panthers have extended the contract of one of their best players on the offensive side of the ball.

The team announced Thursday that running back Chuba Hubbard was extended through the 2028 season. The four-year deal is worth a base value of $33.2 million, with $15 million in guaranteed money, a league source ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears badly need a victory this week before a demanding NFC North stretch begins.

The Bears will be treated Sunday with a visit to Soldier Field from the 2-7 New England Patriots, who are in their own state of disarray and coming off a 20-17 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. That was their seventh loss in eight ...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — The percentages of this yielding much are almost as good as the Cowboys making the playoffs, but at this point playing Trey Lance carries minimal risk.

A trade that was never a good idea now has the perfect chance to see if it can be salvaged. The hamstring injury suffered by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in their loss ...Read more

Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups this week. Lines according to FanDuel Sportsbook (O/U = over/under). Record last week 12-3 (.800); season 90-48 (.652). Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, the record against the spread last week would have been 9-6 (.600); season 76-61-1 (.555). Off: Browns, Packers...Read more

Continued our hot streak straight-up last week by conjuring a 12-3 mark, but dropping another game to .500 vs. the spread soured the overall vibe. Had Patriots with the points at Tennessee and missed an Exacto score on that one by one point: Titans won 20-17; I had it 19-17. Also rightly had Bucs with the points to cover Monday night at K.C. ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Keaton Mitchell is back.

The Ravens activated the explosive second-year running back from the physically unable to perform list on Thursday afternoon, hours ahead of their prime-time game against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium.

Mitchell hasn’t played since last December when he suffered a torn ACL in...Read more

CHICAGO — If you made a list before the season of players the Chicago Bears could least afford to lose, nose tackle Andrew Billings might have ranked in the top three. He surely would have belonged in the top five.

Perhaps that sounds askew, but the Bears are about to find out what life will be like without Billings, who’s headed for ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Emotions turned on a Chiefs touchdown celebration early in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled to his right, looking to score his second rushing touchdown of the season, but was met by a pair of defenders. Running back Samaje Perine started to ...Read more