National Football League

National Football League

You can stare at the game tape until your retinas detach. You can break down the metrics until you're hallucinating EPA. None of that will tell you a single useful thing going into this NFC Divisional Round. That is the specific, high-grade torment of this Saturday's rubber match between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. We are well past the point of X's and O's here, folks. We have waded deep into the murky waters of psychological warfare.

The two-time Coach of the Year has loomed as one of the top candidates since his Browns tenure came to an expected end. Stefanski is nearing a tour of interested teams for second interviews. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the list of teams expected to arrange a follow-up includes the Falcons, Ravens and Titans. Both Atlanta and Tennessee came up as aggressive Harbaugh suitors.

After watching the Texans' defense dismantle the Steelers on Monday night, it's clear the Patriots are in for a challenge when they host Houston in the divisional round. They just went against another formidable defensive opponent in the Chargers, but this is a different breed Drake Maye hasn't faced in his young career. It is already being projected to be the best defensive group the Patriots will face this season, and fortunately, they have some experience in that area during the 10-game win streak.

The conversation around NFL officials is always a hot topic throughout any season and only becomes more heated once the playoffs begin. Because the referees have been under fire for much of the last few years, despite commissioner Roger Goodell claiming they're doing their best work right now, it's, of course, something to discuss as the Patriots go into the divisional round.

As the architect of the "Greatest Show on Turf" offense that fueled the St. Louis Rams' Super Bowl title 26 years ago, Mike Martz was an in-demand speaker when he retired from the NFL in 2011. For years he worked the lecturing circuit, but there was one visit that made a lasting impression. It was 2018, and Martz had been invited to the Miami Dolphins training camp by former head coach Adam Gase. Dolphins' wide receivers coach, Ben Johnson, made sure not to waste the opportunity.

Football fans rejoice: Super Bowl LX is almost here. This year, Bad Bunny is kicking off the halftime show on Sunday, February 8. Everyone knows, though, the best way to enjoy the game and the performance is with a crowd, and it's never too early to start prepping for your Super Bowl festivities. We've rounded up must-have items that will take your gatherings to the next level, whether you're hosting an indoor or outdoor celebration.

A lot can change between now and the start of the draft on April 23. For one, players from Indiana and Miami have until January 23 to declare for the draft. There are still predraft events, the combine and pro days over the next three months. We'll also learn more about lingering injury situations for a handful of top prospects.

"Obviously, I didn't pitch a shutout," Campbell said Wednesday. "I had two or three plays that I wish I could have back. But that's $300 million in defensive ends and I've got a ton of respect for those dudes. It's going to be like that every week in the playoffs. "Like Coach [Mike] Vrabel said, you've gotta be willing to spill a little blood and violence. You've just gotta hope you don't spill more than they do. That's the name of the game."

Warner was officially ruled out Friday from the 49ers' divisional-round visit to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night, three months after his right ankle fracture. Coach Kyle Shanahan announced Tuesday that Warner's practice window would open this week for a potential return next week, and he reiterated Friday that could be the case if the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game for an eighth straight time when making the playoffs.

"Call him Superman, like, Wolverine, whatever you want to say,"

"Stef is one of the best teammates I've ever had in my career, in my life," Stroud said. "He's been amazing to my life, not just on the field but off as well. I think he's super teammate oriented. He wants to be around the guys. He wants to do stuff for the guys. He wants to be one of the captains in the room."

Someone looking to understand America might do well to study the nation's embrace of football. N.F.L. games regularly outperform anything else on television, and, in 2025, some hundred and twenty-seven million viewers tuned in to the Super Bowl - more than ever before. As this year's championship approaches, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz are joined by their fellow New Yorker writer Louisa Thomas to unpack the sport's allure, which has persisted despite increasingly dire evidence of the danger it poses to players' health.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Long-snapper JJ Jansen not only is the longest-tenured member of the Carolina Panthers with 17 seasons under his belt, he's also arguably the most insightful. So when he saw second-year coach Dave Canales sitting in the back of the special teams room earlier this season, listening to their discussion, taking notes and having conversations with coordinator Tracy Smith, it made an impression because that's not something he saw from Canales last season.