The National Football League is completely different than college football when it comes to crowning a champion. Both of America’s premier (and most watched) football leagues crown champions via a playoff system, even though they determine playoff teams a significantly different way.  The NFL determines its 14 playoff teams on the field, taking the teams with the seven best records …

Getty Images The San Francisco 49ers are bolstering their secondary as they head down the stretch run and make a push for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. On Tuesday, the club signed veteran defensive back Logan Ryan to a deal, according to NFL Media. The specific terms of Ryan’s deal with the Niners were not immediately disclosed.  The …

Wes Welker knows a thing or two about being around NFL greatness. The Miami Dolphins wide receiver coach caught passes from both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in his playing career and played alongside several elite receivers, most notably Hall of Famer Randy Moss during his historic 2007 season where Moss and Brady helped lead the New England Patriots to …

As explosive as the UNC football team is offensively, that same team struggles significantly on the defensive side of the football. The Tar Heels gave us fans life early in the season – sacking South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler nine times in Week 1, holding Syracuse to single-digits and limiting Minnesota QB Athas Kaliakmanis to a less-than 50% completion rate. …

Getty Images The Jaguars faced unexpectedly steep competition from the Bengals on Monday night, with fill-in quarterback Jake Browning dicing up Jacksonville’s defense. They also suffered a critical loss at quarterback, with Trevor Lawrence exiting in the fourth quarter after suffering a right ankle injury. A visibly frustrated Lawrence required the help of two trainers to reach the locker room. …

Ranking Patriots’ most chaotic offensive positions entering 2024 offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The New England Patriots offense is broken. This group is scoring an NFL-low 12.3 points per game and was shutout for the second time this season during Sunday’s Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Patriots don’t have a quality starting quarterback. The …

Basha Bears quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (9) looks to pass while being pursued by Chandler Wolves strong safety Cam Cooper (8) at Basha High School in Chandler on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Alex Gould/Special for The Republic The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals have named Basha quarterback Demond Williams Jr. the Arizona high school football Player of the Year for the 2023 …

We are now at the point in the NFL season where teams will start to get eliminated from the playoffs while others are facing clinching scenarios.  But then there are the teams towards the middle. Some have winning records and are heading for the playoffs but may not be as good as they seem, while others have losing or .500 …

Getty Images The Detroit Lions took a significant blow on Wednesday when the team placed interior defensive lineman Alim McNeill on injured reserve. McNeill suited up for the Lions’ Week 13 game against the New Orleans Saints, but he had to leave the field several times. As a result, he played his fifth-lowest snap rate of the season, logging just …

Texas A&M star wide receiver Evan Stewart’s impending future with the program has left plenty of Aggie fans on their toes, but keeping up with Stewart’s social media updates is any indication of his current mindset; A&M is still very much in play. In even more entertaining fashion, Stewart, a former five-star prospect within the Aggies’ historic 2022 recruiting class, …

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom is week-to-week with a fractured finger. He sustained the injury during practice on Monday, prompting the team to recall Dustin Wolf from the AHL. Markstrom, 33, is 6-8-2 with a 2.94 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage this season. The Flames continue their six-game homestand Tuesday with Dan Vladar in goal against the Minnesota …

Running back Kenyan Drake joined the Packers on Tuesday. The NFL’s daily transaction report shows that Drake has signed to the practice squad in Green Bay. The Packers are the fourth team that the Drake has been part of in 2023. Drake spent the summer with the Colts, played two games with the Ravens and spent time on the Browns …

As the NFL season heads into Week 14, Colin Cowherd returned with another installment of “Herd Hierarchy.”  Now that we’re in December, Cowherd revealed which team he thinks will make the AFC Championship Game. He also touched on the strength of the 49ers, with MVP candidate Brock Purdy at the helm. Let’s check out his latest top 10.  10. Green …

Never let it be said that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis doesn’t have his priorities straight. That’s because his latest decision suggests he doesn’t. DeSantis is apparently so miffed that Florida State’s undefeated football team was not invited into the college playoff that he lashed out at the NCAA’s College Football Playoff committee on Sunday: “What we learned today is that …

Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterDec 5, 2023, 05:29 PM ET CloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN. SEATTLE — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday that the 2024 NHL draft will be held in Las Vegas and the league is finalizing plans to hold the event at the Sphere with the intent that it could also be the …