Two members of the Kansas City Chiefs were docked a total of $30,385 for their actions in their victory over the Denver Broncos last week. Defensive tackle Chris Jones was fined for his forearm shiver to quarterback Trevor Siemian well after the ball was thrown. After the Chiefs' 33-10 win that eliminated the defending champs from the playoff chase, the affable Jones said in the locker room: ''My mom be on Twitter and someone said, 'Dumb-dumb Chris Jones got his first fine.' I thought that was kind of funny.
The Newbys are with me. After the smelly beast was either turned away from or escorted out of the 1945 World Series (either version works just fine), his owner vowed the Cubs - whose last World Series title was in 1908 - would never win another one. BIGGEST LOSERS: This one goes to British betting houses that made Leicester a 5,000-to-1 longshot to win the Premier League.
The Newbys are with me. After the smelly beast was either turned away from or escorted out of the 1945 World Series (either version works just fine), his owner vowed the Cubs - whose last World Series title was in 1908 - would never win another one. BIGGEST LOSERS: This one goes to British betting houses that made Leicester a 5,000-to-1 longshot to win the Premier League.
The Newbys are with me. After the smelly beast was either turned away from or escorted out of the 1945 World Series (either version works just fine), his owner vowed the Cubs - whose last World Series title was in 1908 - would never win another one. BIGGEST LOSERS: This one goes to British betting houses that made Leicester a 5,000-to-1 longshot to win the Premier League.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Chiefs ruled Justin Houston out for Sunday's game in San Diego with swelling in his surgically repaired left knee, throwing into question the four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher's availability for the playoffs.
Von Miller is headed for a very different kind of offseason. ''For one, I already know that I'm not going to be Super Bowl MVP,'' the Broncos star cracked. No, but he could still win his first Defensive Player of the Year award - if voters look past Denver's offensive-driven nosedive that will leave them out of the postseason party for the first time since 2010.
Adrian Peterson is listed as out for the season finale against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, leaving open the possibility the star running back has played his final game for the Minnesota Vikings. Peterson was listed on Friday has having groin and knee injuries. Peterson is under contract for more than $18 million next season and it is unlikely the Vikings will keep the 31-year-old player at that price.
The New York Jets have honored the late Dennis Byrd by voting to posthumously select the former defensive lineman as the winner of the team's award named after him. The Dennis Byrd Most Inspirational Award has been presented each year since 1992 - with Byrd the first winner - to the most inspirational Jets player by a vote of his teammates. Byrd, who played for the Jets for four seasons, was killed in a car accident in Oklahoma in October.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- Matt Forte's first season with the New York Jets is officially over.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Outside linebacker Robert Mathis announced Friday he will retire following the Indianapolis Colts' season finale against Jacksonville on Sunday.
Suspended Oakland Raiders pass rusher Aldon Smith will not be reinstated by the NFL this season. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Friday that the league has deferred a decision on Smith's petition for reinstatement and will begin consideration in March. Pro Football Talk first reported the decision by the league.
Michael Bennett and the Seattle Seahawks reached agreement on a three-year contract extension on Friday that will keep the defensive end under contract through the 2020 season. Bennett's agent Doug Hendrickson told The Associated Press that discussions about the extension started six months ago and finally reached their conclusion just before the end of the regular season. Bennett's deal begins with the 2018 season and is worth up to $31.5 million, including $16 million in the first year of the new deal.
When Robert Mathis speaks, the Indianapolis Colts listen. ''If you don't do your job and make plays, they will answer the question for you,'' Mathis said when asked recently if he wants to return in 2017. Of course, Mathis would prefer to leave the game on his own terms, but he's been around long to know how fickle the football business can be.
The first year of coach Chip Kelly's tenure has not gone according to plan after San Francisco fired two coaches the previous two seasons. Kelly's team set a franchise record with 13 consecutive losses and will have one of the top picks of the NFL draft. General manager Trent Baalke has faced criticism.
Muhammad Wilkerson knew something was wrong with his ankle early in the season. The New York Jets defensive end wasn't his usual playmaking self, unable to move around the field the way he has for most of his career. ''It sounds like an excuse,'' Wilkerson said Thursday.
The second-year wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks is more than just a pass catcher. Lockett's become so versatile he even owns the Seahawks longest touchdown run of the season on a 75-yarder a few weeks ago against Carolina. ''Hopefully Paul (Richardson) can kind of fill that role, fill those shoes, because he is extremely explosive as well.
The New York Giants had just finished calisthenics and were about to break into group workouts when something out of the ordinary happened at practice Thursday. For a few seconds it seemed like rookie coach Ben McAdoo would be delivering a message, just three days before the playoff-bound Giants (10-5) are to face the Washington Redskins on the road in the regular-season finale. Seconds later when a few players shifted their locations, it was obvious that the guy who had their attention was linebacker and defensive captain Jonathan Casillas.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -- Though he didn't quite slam the door on a change, Chicago Bears coach John Fox indicated he won't fire offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
DeMarcus Ware was likened to a vintage Ferrari that simply needed new brakes. There's certainly nothing wrong with the motor of the 34-year-old Denver Broncos pass rush specialist, though. Ware is scheduled to have surgery Friday to repair a ruptured disk, ending what's been an injury-filled season.
Reggie Bush has picked up many honors and accolades throughout his football career. The veteran Buffalo Bills running back has a chance of becoming the first non-quarterback since the AFL-NFL merger to finish a season with negative rushing yards (with a minimum of 10 carries). According to Pro Football Reference, Bush could become the first non-quarterback to finish the season with negative yardage on double-digit carries since John Adams in 1961.
DeMarco Murray has a chance to lead the AFC in rushing with a strong performance Sunday in Tennessee's season finale. The veteran running back even has been mentioned as a possible candidate for NFL Comeback Player of the Year - two years after he was voted the league's offensive player of the year. Murray said he only wants one thing Sunday when he walks off the field: A win.
Mixing and matching safeties since late last season, the Washington Redskins have no choice but to use a safety-by-committee approach in their must-win regular season finale. With their playoff hopes riding on beating the New York Giants on Sunday - as long as the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions don't tie - the Redskins are likely to start one converted cornerback and a Week 1 healthy scratch at the safety positions. Season-ending injuries to David Bruton, DeAngelo Hall and veteran addition Donte Whitner mean Washington will lean heavily on Will Blackmon, Duke Ihenacho and even special teams ace Deshazor Everett against the Giants.
Bad form for the AFC, which has all six of its playoff qualifiers determined heading into the final Sunday of the schedule. The sharpest spotlights will be in the nation's capital in the afternoon, then in the Motor City at night. If the Redskins beat the Giants, then the loser between the Packers and Lions won't get into the postseason.
The New England defense has turned from a major question mark to a strength as the Patriots steam toward the playoffs. ''It's just y'all that was gassing all of that up,'' defensive co-captain Dont'a Hightower said Thursday, pointing a finger at the media. The Patriots, who visit Miami on Sunday looking for their seventh straight win, a 14-2 regular-season record and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, haven't yielded a touchdown in more than nine quarters and haven't allowed a real touchdown drive in the past three games.
The Miami Dolphins gave up a season-worst 589 yards last week against the Buffalo Bills, allowed five first downs in overtime and still won. The Dolphins are on pace to set a franchise record for the most yards allowed in a season, but they're 10-5 and headed for the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Miami ranks third-worst in the NFL in yards allowed (382 per game), and next to last in rushing yards allowed per play (4.9, worst in franchise history).
Antonio Brown is in the driver's seat in his car bet with Brandon Marshall, so he's looking for the Jets receiver to turn over the keys. If he had more yards receiving, Brown would give him his Rolls-Royce. If Brown had more, Marshall would give him a Porsche that the Jets had on display outside their facility.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has returned to the practice field, but he's not taking part in team drills yet. Tannehill wore a cap, T-shirt and left knee brace while watching his teammates at the start of Thursday's workout for the regular-season finale Sunday against New England. The Dolphins (10-5) play their first playoff game in eight years next week.
Robert Griffin III can finish what he started. Cleveland's quarterback was cleared from concussion protocol on Thursday and will likely start Sunday at Pittsburgh in the season finale. Griffin was checked by an independent neurologist - the last step in the NFL's procedure on head injuries - and will practice as the Browns (1-14) prepare to face a Steelers team that has locked up a playoff spot and will rest starters, including stars Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.
DeSean Jackson turned 30 and turned his game up to another level. For the first time in nine NFL seasons, Jackson recorded 100-plus receiving yards in three consecutive games and is hitting his stride just in time for the playoff-hopeful Washington Redskins. New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple called Jackson ''probably the best deep threat in the league,'' a declaration the numbers back up.
There are more important things for the Washington Redskins and New York Giants to worry about than the usually entertaining matchup between cornerback Josh Norman and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. No doubt the Redskins' defender and the Giants' playmaker are going to mix it and get in each other's face during Sunday's regular-season finale in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins (8-6-1) need to win to get into the playoffs.
Indianapolis Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton knows the title chase is on. Hilton also understands the champion probably won't be known until Sunday night, after the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars finish their early afternoon game and his two nearest competitors - Beckham of the Giants and Atlanta's Julio Jones - complete their late-afternoon games. ''There's no need to watch it,'' Hilton said Wednesday.
Matt Ryan is back in the playoffs after a four-year wait. The Atlanta Falcons' four-time Pro Bowl quarterback never thought it would take that long after signing a six-year, $103.75 million contract in July 2013. Leading the league's top-scoring offense, Ryan is a strong contender for his first MVP award, but the nine-year veteran, a master at stating the obvious throughout his career, isn't about to look too far ahead.
(Reuters) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin has been suspended four games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy and said on Wednesday he was entering a treatment facility. The NFL Network reported that two-time Pro Bowler Martin, who was held out of last week's loss against the New Orleans Saints, was suspended for using the stimulant Adderall. My initial instinct was to appeal the suspension and finish the season with my teammates," Martin, 27, said in a statement.
The National Football League has slapped Doug Martin with a four-game suspension after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back failed a drugs test. The ban begins with this week's final regular season game against the Carolina Panthers and Martin has now entered a treatment facility. Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter earlier benched the Pro Bowl running back in Saturday's 31-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin has been suspended four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance enhancing substances and said Wednesday he's entering a treatment facility rather than appeal the ban. The two-time Pro Bowl selection who was the league's second-leading rusher in 2015 will miss Sunday's regular-season finale against Carolina. The fifth-year pro said he decided to enter a treatment facility ''and receive the help I truly need'' after discussing the matter with people close to him, including Bucs coach Dirk Koetter.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- The Denver Broncos will play both of their young quarterbacks in their season finale against the Oakland Raiders.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Coach Ron Rivera says he will not play three-time All-Pro middle linebacker Luke Kuechly in the team's season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the Panthers out of playoff contention and his star defender recovering from a concussion.
Steve Smith talks like a man ready to play his final game, though the Baltimore Ravens receiver has not completely closed the door on returning for a 17th NFL season. The 37-year-old Smith will play in his 219th regular-season game Sunday at Cincinnati. Smith broke into the league in 2001 with Carolina and played with the Panthers for 13 seasons before coming to Baltimore in 2014.
The New York Jets have placed running back Khiry Robinson on injured reserve after he broke his right leg for the third time in 13 months. Robinson was injured last Saturday in his first game back since breaking the leg in the preseason finale at Philadelphia in September. Robinson first injured the leg while playing for New Orleans against the Giants on Nov. 1, 2015.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Receiver A.J. Green won't play in the Bengals' final game on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, leaving him shy of an NFL record.
Browns starting quarterback Robert Griffin III remains in concussion protocol and could miss Sunday's season finale in Pittsburgh. Griffin was not on the practice field Wednesday as the Browns (1-14) prepared to face the Steelers. Kessler, who made eight starts but sustained two concussions earlier this season, will start if Griffin can't play.
Aside from having an interim head coach in Anthony Lynn, the Buffalo Bills also have an interim starting quarterback: EJ Manuel. Without going into detail, Lynn called it ''a business decision'' to start Manuel in place of Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo's season finale against the New York Jets on Sunday.
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- Safety Isa Abdul-Quddus will miss the rest of the season for the playoff-bound Miami Dolphins after hurting his neck Saturday at Buffalo.
While Derek Carr underwent surgery to repair his broken right leg on Tuesday, the Oakland Raiders began preparing for a playoff run without their star quarterback. The Raiders have given no timetable for how long Carr will be sidelined, but his brother, David, said Monday on NFL Network, where he is an analyst, that the initial estimates are he will miss six to eight weeks. If Oakland loses and the Chiefs win, the Raiders will open the playoffs at AFC South champion Houston on wild-card weekend.
A person familiar with the decision has confirmed to The Associated Press that the Buffalo Bills intend to start backup quarterback EJ Manuel in place of Tyrod Taylor for their season finale at the New York Jets on Sunday. Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn will serve as interim coach on Sunday in a game between two AFC East rivals eliminated from playoff contention.
Tight end Tyler Eifert and left guard Clint Boling will miss the Bengals' final game with injuries. ''All season long I've put this game out of my mind just because of that,'' Whitworth said on Tuesday. A 12-10 loss in Houston on Saturday night left them 5-9-1 , their worst record since a 4-12 finish in 2010.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might get his wish to spend the meaningless regular season finale in sweats, watching backup Landry Jones go to work against the Cleveland Browns. With the AFC North title in hand and the third seed in the AFC already secured, running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown could get the day off too. Coach Mike Tomlin, however, has a message for the rest of his team: you better be ready to work.
Despite being No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Pro 32 rankings, Carolina never came close to making it back to the Super Bowl. In fact, the Panthers didn't even make it back to the playoffs, ending a three-year run as NFC South champions. You really do,'' Rivera said.
Dak Prescott can help the Dallas Cowboys set a franchise record with 14 wins. Ezekiel Elliott could break Eric Dickerson's 33-year-old rookie rushing record with a career high and a few more yards. Other than that, Dallas doesn't have much on the line in the regular-season finale at Philadelphia on Sunday.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin doesn't mind Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw criticizing his performance. It comes with the job.
