PITTSBURGH — It’s not about how you start but how you finish. That goes for Russell Wilson’s Steelers debut, and perhaps it will be the theme of his first season in Pittsburgh.

After missing the first six games because of a problematic calf, Wilson finally got his chance ahead of Justin Fields as the starting quarterback and led the ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — To be the man, you have to beat the man.

But the San Francisco 49ers have not beaten Patrick Mahomes.

And in the third quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and 49ers, as the Kansas City quarterback scampered down the sideline with his trademark, toddler-like knock-kneed gait, with not one, not two...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It was a brutal Sunday for NFL quarterbacks.

Injuries, inefficiencies and in-your-face defenses made for rough outings all around the league.

The Rams beat the Las Vegas Raiders, 20-15, and the quarterbacks combined for zero touchdowns and four interceptions.

Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy combined for zero ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Ricky Pearsall’s first thought after being shot in the chest on Aug. 31 was obvious.

Would I live?

Once doctors determined that, yes, Pearsall would survive, he shifted his attention to the next logical line of questioning.

Would I be able to play football again?

“That was a common question coming out of my ...Read more

ATLANTA — There was insufficient preparation, missed plays and poor execution all across the board for the Falcons Sunday. You don’t lose 34-14 on account of one facet of the game.

But the Falcons’ inability to effectively pressure the quarterback has become the problem that is impossible to avoid. The inability of their defensive front ...Read more

ATLANTA — With 10 seconds left in the second quarter Sunday, Geno Smith took a shotgun snap, stepped up, reset and ripped a 31-yard rope into the end zone. The ball met the massive mitts of DK Metcalf — who absorbed a shot from safety Jessie Bates III, bounced to his feet and unfurled a defiant flex.

Smith, too, flexed toward his sideline ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk sustained what the San Francisco 49ers believe is a season-ending knee injury Sunday, compounding their sorrowful feelings after being dealt a 28-18 loss to the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

“No way to sugarcoat that: We got our (butt) kicked today,” coach Kyle Shanahan ...Read more

NEW YORK — Saquon Barkley wasn’t reveling in any revenge.

He didn’t gloat. He wasn’t dancing on the Giants’ graves after gutting Joe Schoen’s team Sunday as a Philadelphia Eagle, 28-3, in a butt-kicking that got Daniel Jones benched.

The former face of the Giants’ franchise told the New York Daily News, alone in the visitors’ ...Read more

Andy Dalton took a knee at the end of the second quarter at Northwest Stadium on Sunday. He might as well have waved a white flag, as the Panthers took a 27-point hole to halftime against the Washington Commanders on the road.

This 40-7 blowout loss — with standout rookie QB Jayden Daniels limited to just one series due to injury — was the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It need not be pretty.

Style points, let alone a semblance of offense, are not required.

The Rams learned last season that the start of a season turnaround can be accomplished sans “Showtime.”

On Sunday, a defense fueled by cornerback Cobie Durant’s second-quarter burst and Jaylen McCollough’s two interceptions helped ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Kansas City Chiefs continued a run of dominance over the San Francisco 49ers — while also keeping the NFL’s only unbeaten record intact.

Kansas City had three interceptions, including two from seldom-used rookies, while continuing to grind out efficiency on offense in a 28-18 road victory on Sunday afternoon at ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Almost seven months after he was acquired in a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles, Haason Reddick will finally report to the Jets facility.

Reddick ended his holdout Sunday morning and has agreed to an adjusted contract, a source confirms. ESPN was the first to report that Reddick would end his lengthy holdout.

“We look ...Read more

LONDON — If the first six weeks of the season didn’t prove it already, the New England Patriots’ 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium solidified them among the NFL’s lowest of the low.

Getting blown out by the Texans at home is one thing. Losing by double digits to the lowly Jaguars, who were embarrassed by the ...Read more

LONDON — Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said in February the Patriots’ new regime would bring less of a “hard-ass vibe.”

Eight months later, the Patriots are left with a “soft football team across the board.”

Those were head coach Jerod Mayo’s words moments after the New England Patriots traveled to ...Read more

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For the first time since last November, the Eagles are on a winning streak.

Sparked by a series of big plays from their offensive stars, a dominant showing from Saquon Barkley, and a swarming pass rush, the Eagles left MetLife Stadium with a lopsided 28-3 win over the New York Giants to move to 4-2 on the season. It’...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Detroit Lions rose from the dead in Sunday's pivotal division matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Detroit rallied back from an early 10-point deficit with 21 unanswered points in the second quarter before coming out on top on a 44-yard field goal from rookie kicker Jake Bates to cap a hectic back-and-forth ...Read more

DENVER — Bo can’t throw.

That is quite the takeaway from the Broncos’ Big Easy win over the New Orleans Saints. Returning home Friday brought surprising hand-wringing on talk radio and social media about Nix’s accuracy. His misses were unsettling, but no reason to break glass in case of emergency. Not yet anyway.

Each game is not a ...Read more