NFL

11:27 PM ET SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For the San Francisco 49ers players remaining from 2018, Thursday’s game probably dredged up many unwanted but familiar feelings. Decimated by injuries and with the new twist provided by the COVID-19 pandemic making matters worse, the Niners opened Thursday night’s 34-17 blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers

6:21 AM ET SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As text messages, phone calls and FaceTime requests lit up his phone into the wee hours of Oct. 18, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett sat back and let the weight of his journey wash over him. After a series of devastating injuries, including a right Achilles tear

6:45 AM ET You’d forgive the San Francisco 49ers for thinking 2020 just wasn’t meant to be their year. After losing to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in February, the 4-4 Niners have dealt with a catastrophic flurry of injuries that have served to compromise their chances of competing in the NFC this season.

7:28 PM ET NFL NationESPN The status of some big-name players is in doubt entering Week 9 in the NFL, including Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was put on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, who was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice because of a hamstring strain. They join

4:13 PM ET Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford missed Wednesday’s practice and was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list by the club. This means either Stafford tested positive for COVID-19 or was in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Stafford now joins linebacker Jarrad Davis on the COVID-19 list after Davis was

7:15 AM ET The first eight weeks of the 2020 season have featured, in many ways, the best streak of cumulative quarterback play in NFL history. It has been easy to miss amid daily updates of coronavirus pandemic protocols and super-early coaching changes, but the league’s aggregate Total QBR of 65.6 is nearly 10% higher

4:22 PM ET The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially activated Antonio Brown from the suspended list on Tuesday, the team announced. Coach Bruce Arians said Tuesday that Brown will have a role in Sunday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints. “He’ll have his role – it could be 10 plays, it could be 35 plays.

4:20 PM ET NFL trade deadline day, as is often the case, came and went Tuesday with more fizzle than sizzle. A few big names got kicked around, but there wasn’t much late movement, and not many people were surprised. This year more than ever, with COVID-19 testing requirements delaying the availability of new player

7:00 AM ET NFL NationESPN While it doesn’t always seem like it, we believe the NFL Power Rankings should look at the bright side of each team. That’s what we’re doing this week, as every NFL Nation writer picks a point of optimism for the team they cover. Whether it’s a player, coach, statistical trend

1:24 AM ET EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A picked-up penalty flag in the final minute allowed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to edge out the New York Giants 25-23 on Monday night at MetLife Stadium. Giants coach Joe Judge thought it was the wrong call. Bucs coach Bruce Arians thought it was the right call. The

7:15 AM ET EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The surgery on New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley‘s right knee came on Friday, 40 days after it gave out while he was trying to break a tackle in a game against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 20. It was considered a success with the ACL being

6:35 AM ET ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — It rained here all morning, snowed as night fell, and in between, the Patriots’ 2020 season turned to mud and slid into nearby Lake Erie. Yes, the Bills (6-2) beat the Patriots (2-5) on Sunday, which is no small thing. They play twice a year, and this was

6:10 PM ET NFL NationESPN Week 8 in the NFL was action-packed. In an intense AFC North battle, the Steelers held off Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense in the final minute to move to 7-0 on the season. The Vikings got by the Packers on a massive day from Dalvin Cook. And the Chiefs

first Quarter NO CHI FG 8:13 Wil Lutz Made 38 Yrd Field Goal 12 plays, 55 yards, 6:47 3 0 FG 1:17 Cairo Santos Made 44 Yrd Field Goal 14 plays, 49 yards, 7:00 3 3 second Quarter NO CHI TD 8:10 Allen Robinson II Pass From Nick Foles for 24 Yrds, C.Santos extra point

10:37 PM ET One factor that contributed to the Miami Dolphins‘ decision to name rookie Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback was the fact that Miami owns the Houston Texans‘ first- and second-round picks in next year’s NFL draft, league sources told ESPN. The Dolphins need to know what they have in Tagovailoa as they

9:40 AM ET The roster percentages for this column are updated every Friday morning, and any players from Thursday’s Falcons-Panthers game have been taken out. Each week of the NFL season, we will identify fantasy football waiver-wire pickups specifically for those of you looking for streaming options in deeper formats (including IDP leagues). These are

2:37 PM ET FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys on Saturday ruled out quarterback Andy Dalton for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles because of a concussion, which means rookie Ben DiNucci will start in the key NFC East meeting. Dalton suffered the concussion in the third quarter of last week’s loss to the Washington

4:31 PM ET METAIRIE, La. — Michael Thomas and Marquez Callaway have officially been ruled out for Week 8 as the New Orleans Saints‘ receiving corps continues to get thinner. Emmanuel Sanders remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list, meaning New Orleans will be without three of its top four wide receivers Sunday at the Chicago Bears.