The Kansas City Chiefs outlasted the Miami Dolphins in freezing conditions to take a step towards a fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years.
With the temperature at a near-NFL-record low of minus 20C, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was instrumental in leading his side to a dominant 26-7 victory.
Mahomes threw for 262 yards and a touchdown without turning the ball over on a night where rushing was the focal point of Kansas City’s offence.
The strategy paid off as the Chiefs opened the scoring in the first few minutes and stayed in front from there.
An injury-depleted Miami was far from their high-scoring best, finishing with just 264 total yards as the Dolphins remain without a play off victory since 2000.
The cold weather wreaked havoc across the first day of the super wild card round, with the matchup between the Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers in Buffalo being rescheduled to Monday due to a potentially dangerous snowstorm.
Elsewhere, CJ Stroud threw for three touchdowns as the Houston Texans demolished the Cleveland Browns 45-14.
Stroud racked up 274 yards in the air without a turnover, while Browns quarterback Joe Flacco was picked off twice in the heavy loss.
With a potentially dangerous winter storm headed toward Buffalo, New York, the NFL was forced to postpone the wild-card playoff game between the Bills and visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.
The game, originally scheduled for 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, was moved to 4:30 p.m. EST on Monday after New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a full travel ban for the Buffalo area.
Some meteorologists have projected that the incoming storm could produce lake effect snow accumulations of one to three feet with high winds and limited visibility.
The NFL has had its eye on weather forecasts all week. Saturday night, the Miami Dolphins visit the Chiefs in Kansas City, where the kickoff temperature is projected to be below -2 degrees Fahrenheit.
Winter weather could also affect fan travel in Detroit, where the Lions host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night under the cozy dome at Ford Field.
The New England Patriots have named inside linebackers coach and former player Jerod Mayo as their new head coach following the departure of long-serving Bill Belichick.
The Patriots on Thursday announced they and Belichick, 71, had mutually agreed to part ways following a 24-year tenure featuring six Super Bowl titles.
Belichick’s successor Mayo played for the Patriots from 2008 to 2015 before returning when he joined Belichick’s coaching staff in 2019. At 37, Mayo becomes the youngest current head coach in the NFL.
Captain for seven seasons and a Super Bowl champion in 2014, Mayo is the first former Patriots player to become head coach of the team.
He is to be formally introduced in his new role at a press conference next Wednesday.
Belichick took charge at the Patriots in 2000 and oversaw an unprecedented run of success, including three Super Bowl titles in the space of four seasons, as well as 17 AFC East division titles and 18 play-off appearances.
The Patriots ended the 2023 season with a 4-13 record, the worst of Belichick’s coaching career.
The New England Patriots wasted no time in naming a successor to Bill Belichick.
Multiple outlets reported Friday that the Patriots have promoted inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo to be their next head coach, one day after the team and Belichick announced they would part ways after a historic 24-year run.
Mayo, a former New England linebacker, spent the last five seasons on Belichick's staff. The 37-year-old becomes the youngest current head coach in the NFL and the first Black head coach in Patriots history.
Bill Belichick has left his role as New England Patriots head coach following 24 years and six Super Bowl titles with the franchise.
Belichick, who had one year remaining on his contract, paid an emotional farewell at a press conference on Thursday afternoon alongside owner Robert Kraft.
The Patriots ended the 2023 season with a 4-13 record, the worst of Belichick’s coaching career, and there had been widespread speculation over his future.
Belichick was named as Patriots coach in 2000 and oversaw an unprecedented run of success, including three Super Bowl titles in the space of four seasons, as well as 17 AFC East division titles and 18 play-off appearances.
The 71-year-old had been in talks with Kraft since the end of the season and confirmed the pair had reached a mutual decision to move on after the most decorated partnership in NFL history.
“Robert and I, after a series of discussions, have mutually agreed to part ways. And for me this is a day of gratitude and celebration,” Belichick said.
“I have so much thanks for the opportunity to be a coach here for 24 years. It is an amazing opportunity, I have received tremendous support.
“We had a vision of building a winner, building a championship football team here.
“That’s exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations, the amount of success that we were able to achieve together through a lot of hard work and contributions of so many people.
“So I am very proud of that. I will always have those great memories which I will carry for the rest of my life.”
Bill Belichick is expected to announce the end of his historic reign as New England Patriots coach at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
Belichick is due to speak alongside Patriots owner Robert Kraft following reports the record-breaking head coach is to leave the franchise after 24 years and six Super Bowl titles.
The Patriots ended the 2023 season with a 4-13 record, the worst of Belichick’s coaching career, and there had been widespread speculation over his future.
Belichick has one year remaining on his contract, but the 71-year-old has been in talks with Kraft since the end of the season and, according to reports, the pair have reached a mutual decision to move on after the most decorated partnership in NFL history.
Belichick was named as Patriots coach in 2000 and oversaw an unprecedented run of success, including three Super Bowl titles in the space of four seasons, as well as 17 AFC East division titles and 18 play-off appearances.
With Tom Brady leading the offence from quarterback, defensive specialist Belichick built a dynasty in New England, but their fortunes have declined since Brady left for Tampa Bay before the 2020 season and they have posted losing records in three of the four seasons since.
Belichick has 333 career wins across the regular season and the play-offs, putting him 14 behind the record held by Hall of Famer Don Shula. Belichick, George Halas and Curly Lambeau are the only NFL coaches with six championships since 1933 and the introduction of post-season play.
His 17 division titles, nine conference championships and 12 Super Bowl appearances (including three as an assistant coach) all stand as records.
Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings are joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in playing NFL games in London next season.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host the Bears and Vikings against as yet unnamed opposition in the autumn as part of the 2024 International Games series.
The Jags will also be returning to Wembley, their home away from home, as part of their multi-year commitment to the UK, with this set to be their 12th game in the capital.
Carolina Panthers are heading to Munich, Germany while Brazil is set to host its first game in Sao Paulo as the NFL continues to grow across the globe – no teams have yet been announced for that fixture.
Peter O’Reilly, executive vice president of club business, league events and international at the NFL, said: “Taking our game to more fans around the world is a major priority for the league and its 32 teams, and we are delighted to be returning to London and Munich in 2024.
“Whether tackle or flag football, international passion for the game and the NFL continues to grow, and having our teams and their world-class athletes play games and engage with fans around the world is an important part of becoming a truly global sport.”
A recent vote by teams means the NFL will have the ability to schedule up to eight international games per season from 2025.
Pete Carroll is no longer the coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
After 14 seasons as the team's coach, the 72-year-old is moving into an advisory role with the organisation.
"After thoughtful meetings and careful consideration for the best interest of the franchise, we have amicably agreed with Pete Carroll that his role will evolve from Head Coach to remain with the organisation as an advisor,” the team said in a statement.
The Seahawks made the announcement on Wednesday, three days after the team concluded the season with a 21-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals. They finished the year 9-8, and would've made the play-offs had the Green Bay Packers lost to the Chicago Bears in Week 18.
As the coach of Seattle since 2010, Carroll led the Seahawks to the franchise's only Super Bowl title, two conference championships, five division crowns and 10 play-off berths. Overall, he went 137-89-1 with Seattle.
Although he is the winningest coach in franchise history, the Seahawks missed the play-offs in two of the last three seasons, and have only advanced to the divisional round of the post-season once in the last seven years.
He had prior NFL coaching stops with the New York Jets and New England Patriots, and his 170 career wins are tied with Tom Coughlin and Mike Shanahan for the 14th most in NFL history.
"His expertise in leadership and building a championship culture will continue as an integral part of our organisation moving forward," the statement read. "Pete will always be a beloved member of the Seahawks family.”
The Tennessee Titans now have a coaching vacancy after firing Mike Vrabel.
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement she spoke with Vrabel on Tuesday to inform him they would be parting ways.
The decision came two days after the Titans pulled off a surprising 28-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars that eliminated the Jags from play-off contention, but it wasn't enough to save Vrabel's job as the team finished 6-11 and in last place in the AFC South for the first time since 2015.
"Last year, we began a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance that plan," Strunk said. "As I continued to assess the state of our team, I arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.
Vrabel was hired by Tennessee in January 2018, and led the Titans to a pair of AFC South titles and an appearance in the 2019 AFC conference title game. He was named the 2021 AP Coach of the Year after Tennessee went 12-5 and captured the AFC's top seed.
The following season, the Titans again looked like they would be one of the conference's top contenders after starting the year 7-3, but they ended up losing their final seven games to miss the play-offs for the first time since 2018.
In six seasons as Tennessee's coach, Vrabel went 56-48, including the play-offs.
"I believe the Tennessee Titans can and will be a premier National Football League franchise. It's what our fans deserve, and there will be hard decisions along the way," Strunk said. "My decision today is not only a reflection of my disappointment in our past two seasons, but also my recognition that further changes are necessary to fully achieve our vision."
Vrabel's firing is expected to be one of several off-season changes for the Titans, with quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry hitting free agency.
In what had been an expected move, the Washington Commanders fired coach Ron Rivera on Monday.
The decision came one day after the Commanders finished a 4-13 season with a 38-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Washington lost its final eight games of the season, and was outscored by more than 27 points in three of those defeats.
Rivera's firing wasn't a huge surprise as he failed to post a winning record in any of his four seasons as the Commanders coach, and Josh Harris will work on finding a new coach heading into his second season as the team's controlling owner.
"As we look ahead, we recognize the results this season were not good enough and a strategic shift in leadership and approach is necessary," Harris said in a statement.
Washington hasn't won a play-off game since 2005, though the team did make the post-season in Rivera's first season with the franchise, going 7-9 to win the subpar NFC East in 2020. The Commanders went 26-40-1 in Rivera's four seasons as coach.
"To deliver upon our ultimate goal of becoming an elite franchise and consistently competing for the Super Bowl, there is a lot to do, and first we must establish a strong organizational infrastructure led by the industry's best and most talented individuals," Harris said.
Hired by the franchise on New Year's Day 2020, Rivera arrived in Washington after winning two NFL Coach of the Year Awards during his nine seasons in charge of the Carolina Panthers. He led the Panthers to four play-off appearances and a berth in the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.
"Ron helped navigate this organization through some challenging times," Harris said. "He is a good man and a thoughtful leader who has positively contributed to this organization and the NFL."
Harris will be working with co-owners Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson and David Blitzer as well as former NBA executive Bob Myers and ex-Minnesota GM Rick Spielman in the coaching search.
The Atlanta Falcons announced they have fired head coach Arthur Smith after three seasons of missing the playoffs and delivering middling results.
Owner Arthur Blank disclosed the decision in a statement released hours after the Falcons ended their 2023 campaign with Sunday's 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Smith went 7-10 in each of his three seasons after being hired in 2021. The 41-year-old previously served 10 seasons as an assistant with the Tennessee Titans, including the last two as that team's offensive coordinator.
The Falcons said they will conduct a search for a new head coach immediately, with Blank and team CEO Rich McKay to lead the operation.
“Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good,” said Blank in a statement. “We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position.”
Smith came to Atlanta with a reputation as a successful play-caller during his time with the Titans, but the Falcons never finished in the top half of the NFL in total offence in any of his three seasons despite investing high draft choices on expected playmakers in tight end Kyle Pitts (2021), wide receiver Drake London (2022) and running back Bijan Robinson (2023).
Additionally, young quarterback Desmond Ridder struggled in his first season as a full-time starter in 2023 after displaying potential in a four-game stint as a rookie the previous year.
Smith did have the Falcons in position to end the franchise's five-year playoff drought, as the team owned a one-game lead atop the NFC South in early December. Atlanta lost four of its final five games, however, to finish two games back of the Saints and the eventual division champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Falcons last made the postseason in 2018 and their six consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs is tied with the Carolina Panthers for the longest active stretch in the NFC.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed they can still challenge in the post-Tom Brady era by clinching their third consecutive NFC South title with a 9-0 win over Carolina Panthers.
It is the fourth time in a row that they have qualified for the play-offs but the first without Brady, their superstar quarterback replaced by Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield was struggling with a rib injury but still contributed to the drives that enabled Chase McLaughlin to kick three field goals.
View this post on InstagramThe Buccaneers finished the season with a 9-8 record – the same as New Orleans Saints but progress ahead of their rivals due to their higher win percentage in common games.
The Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons 48-17 but the result in North Carolina meant their win was not enough to advance.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 28-20 loss to the Tennessee Titans saw the Houston Texans take the AFC South title and sent the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers into the play-offs.
View this post on InstagramThe Texans will face the Cleveland Browns in the super wild card round with the Browns losing 31-14 to the Cincinnati Bengals after fielding a large number of reserve players.
The Pittsburgh Steelers held onto their slim play-off chances, courtesy of a 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
After ending the regular season with three straight wins, the Steelers will qualify for the post season on Sunday if the Buffalo Bills lose to the Miami Dolphins or the Jacksonville Jaguars go down to the Tennessee Titans.
Pittsburgh opened the scoring at a rainy Baltimore through a six-yard run from Najee Harris near the end of the first quarter.
The AFC North champion Ravens, who rested several key players including quarterback Lamar Jackson, evened the score at 7-7 just before half-time when Tyler Huntley found Isaiah Likely in the endzone on a 27-yard reception.
Following a scoreless third quarter, Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph broke the game open with a 71-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson on the first play of the fourth.
Each side kicked a field goal from there as the Steelers now play the waiting game.
The status of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence remains up in the air for the team's important regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Lawrence is recovering from a sprained right shoulder he sustained in Jacksonville's 30-12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 24. The injury caused the former No. 1 overall draft pick to miss last Sunday's win over the Carolina Panthers and has limited him in practice this week.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson told reporters prior to Friday's practice that Lawrence could be a game-day decision for Sunday's contest, which if Jacksonville wins would give the Jags a second straight AFC South title and a No 4 seed for the conference playoffs.
A loss to the Titans, however, could knock Jacksonville out of the postseason depending on the outcome of other games.
"It's day by day," Pederson said of Lawrence's status. "[Friday] will be a big day for him, tomorrow [as well]. He's progressing well.
"He's been plugged in and engaged all week mentally. Now is just the physical part."
C.J. Beathard would start at quarterback if Lawrence is not medically cleared. Beathard completed 17 of 24 passes for 178 yards without a turnover in last week's 26-0 victory over Carolina.
"If he's good to go, he's good to go," Pederson said of Lawrence. "He'll try to do everything he can to protect himself, but at the same time, if he's out there, he's rolling and we'll go play."
Pederson added that the team has yet to decide whether to activate wide receiver Christian Kirk from injured reserve for Sunday's game.
Kirk, who set career and team highs with 84 receptions, 1,108 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches in 2022, has missed the last four games with a groin injury he sustained against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4. Like Lawrence, he was a limited practice participant throughout the week.
Jacksonville enters the regular season's final weekend in a three-way tie with the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans for first place in the AFC South. The Jaguars would win any tie-breaking scenarios if the division's top two teams finish with identical records.
The Texans and Colts will meet in Indianapolis on Saturday, with the winner guaranteed at least a wild-card playoff berth.
The NFL announced the rosters for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games on Wednesday with the San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy and Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa named starting quarterbacks.
This is the first Pro Bowl selection for both QBs.
Purdy led all players in balloting for the NFL Pro Bowl with 451,864 votes to be named the NFC's starting quarterback.
The other quarterbacks for the NFC are the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott, who was named a Pro Bowler for a third time, and the Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford, who was selected as a Pro Bowler for a second time.
The AFC's other quarterbacks are the Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson, who was named to his third Pro Bowl, and the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, who made it for the sixth time.
Purdy's teammate in the 49ers backfield, running back Christian McCaffrey had the second-most votes with 429,993, while Tagovailoa ranked third with 414,502. Another 49er, tight end George Kittle, had the fourth-most votes (373,750) and another tight end, the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce ranked fifth among all vote-getters (327,263).
The NFC-best 49ers led all teams with nine Pro Bowlers - including eight starters. The Ravens and Cowboys each had seven selections, while the Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles had six apiece.
The Pro Bowl Games are a multi-day competition between players from the AFC and NFC culminating with a flag football game on February 4.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
