NFL draft picks can make an instant impact on a team’s immediate success.

Bo Nix has already turned 25.

The Tennessee Titans explored all their options with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Chip Kelly is returning to the NFL as the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator, a person with knowledge of the decision said Sunday.

Texans veteran defensive lineman Denico Autry had a sack and a blocked extra point against the Chargers in a playoff win.

The road to the NFL’s final four features seven of the eight division winners.

Jayden Daniels, meet Slinging Sammy Baugh.

Texans rookie corner Kamari Lassiter is coming off an outstanding performance against Los Angeles Chargers

Eric Murray returned one of Justin Herbert’s career-high four interceptions for a touchdown, C.

Texans defense put on a show with two interceptions, including pick-six against normally careful Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert

Jim Harbaugh’s football philosophy is rooted in being physical on both sides of the ball and wearing down an opponent.

Texans rookie cornerback squares off against former Georgia teammate, Chargers standout rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey

The NFL’s wild-card weekend features divisional rivals facing off, two NFC rematches from Week 1 and the Harbaugh brothers coaching on the same day.

Preview the Houston Texans' Wildcard Weekend matchup against the LA Chargers, featuring key insights, DeMeco Ryans' strategy, and what’s at stake in this playoff game.

Texans add veteran depth at cornerback position

The Denver Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots.

Playoff berths, draft positioning and more are up for grabs in Week 17.

Justin Herbert passed for 284 yards and two touchdowns, including a go-ahead 19-yarder to Derius Davis early in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Chargers got closer to wrapping up a playoff spot by rallying past the Denver Broncos 34-27 on Thursday night.

The setup for two Christmas Day games means two games on Saturday in Week 16.

Matthew Wright kicked a 31-yard field goal that banked off the left upright as time expired, and the Kansas City Chiefs survived another close game, beating the Los Angeles Chargers 19-17 to win their ninth straight AFC West title.

Six division matchups and Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota highlight a lighter Week 14 schedule.

Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, Derrick Henry rushed for 140 yards, and Baltimore coach John Harbaugh improved to 3-0 against his brother as the Ravens beat Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers 30-23.

The Los Angeles Chargers have played their way into another prime time appearance.

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Kyler Murray ran for a 44-yard touchdown and led the Cardinals on a drive that set up Chad Ryland’s 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Arizona rallied for a 17-15 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Jim Harbaugh listened to his heart when he began to feel off in pregame warmups.

Patrick Mahomes passed for 245 yards and a touchdown while rediscovering his connection with Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied from an early 10-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 17-10.

Justin Fields threw for a touchdown and ran for another and the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled away late to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-10.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is active and will play against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs chasing history will be the hottest topic throughout the NFL season.

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh praised quarterback Justin Herbert and others who were stuck on an elevator for two hours at the team hotel in Dallas.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will miss at least the next two weeks because of an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot.

The 2020 quarterback draft class is well on its way to being the highest-paid group of QBs from any draft in NFL history.

The Miami Dolphins have signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a four-year contract extension valued at a franchise-record $212.4 million.

Three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes was a unanimous choice by The Associated Press for No. 1 quarterback in the NFL in a preseason survey.

A person familiar with the negotiations says Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a five-year, $275 million contract extension that makes him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history.

Defense became the focus of the NFL draft on Friday night after a record-setting 23 offensive players were selected in the first round.

Shane Day leaves Texans

Jim Harbaugh fulfilled one of his goals by winning a national championship at his alma mater.

The Las Vegas Raiders announced Tuesday they hired Tom Telesco as their next general manager and passed over interim Champ Kelly for the position.

The AFC Divisional Round is set for Saturday between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens.

Saturday night’s game between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers already carried significance as the first NFL game to be exclusively streamed on Peacock.

Coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco have been fired by the Los Angeles Chargers after one of the worst losses in franchise history.

Easton Stick will be the latest backup to make his first start in a season filled with injuries to high-profile quarterbacks.

Justin Herbert will undergo surgery on Tuesday on his broken index finger on his right hand and will miss the Los Angeles Chargers’ remaining four games this season.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert fractured the index finger on his right hand during the second quarter of Los Angeles’ game against the Denver Broncos.

Texans come up short in 24-21 loss

Rookie Zay Flowers had a touchdown catch and ran for a game-sealing score late in the fourth quarter, Baltimore’s defense forced four turnovers, and the AFC-best Ravens beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-10.

Trevor Lawrence threw for 364 yards and a touchdown, and the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars escaped with a 24-21 victory over the division rival Houston Texans.

Detroit coach Dan Campbell took fourth-down aggressiveness to a new level last week.

Jared Goff threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns, Riley Patterson kicked a 41-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired, and the Detroit Lions prevailed in a 41-38 shootout over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Robert Saleh raised some eyebrows a few weeks ago when he declared the New York Jets have “embarrassed” some of the NFL’s top quarterbacks this season.

The New York Jets’ defense did its job again.

Derius Davis returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown, Austin Ekeler ran for two scores and Joey Bosa and Los Angeles’ defense stifled Zach Wilson and the New York Jets’ bumbling offense in the Chargers’ 27-6 victory.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns, Travis Kelce caught 12 passes for 179 yards and a score, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers 31-17.

Dak Prescott threw for 272 yards and a touchdown, and the Dallas Cowboys rebounded from a rout a week ago, beating the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17 Monday night.

Less than 24 hours after becoming the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback by annual salary, Justin Herbert’s first training camp practice on Wednesday didn’t appear different from past seasons, The Los Angeles Chargers signal-caller had his share of dynamic throws and then for nearly 25 minutes went up and down the sidelines signing autographs for fans and posing for pictures.

Justin Herbert is set to become the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback by annual salary, agreeing to a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday.

Defensive tackle received $7 million signing bonus

Brandon Staley will be back for a third season as the Los Angeles Chargers head coach.

Los Angeles Chargers players are voicing their support for embattled coach Brandon Staley.

Justin Herbert sat in silence at his locker for roughly 15 minutes and stared into the distance.

Wild-card weekend is all about familiarity.

Austin Ekeler scored on two 1-yard runs and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their first playoff berth since 2018, intercepting Indianapolis quarterback Nick Foles three times to beat the overmatched Colts 20-3.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay says he isn’t ready to oust Daniel Snyder as owner of the Washington Commanders and wants to discuss the possibility with other NFL owners.

Justin Herbert threw for 367 yards and a touchdown and a short-handed Chargers defense got the best of the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa as Los Angeles beat Miami 23-17.

Patrick Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for their third touchdown of the game with 31 seconds remaining, and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied past the Los Angeles Chargers 30-27 to stay atop the AFC.

Christian McCaffrey ran for the go-ahead touchdown with 7:54 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Chargers 22-16 in their first game back from a bye week.

Dustin Hopkins kicked four field goals, including a 39-yarder with 2:38 remaining in overtime, and the Los Angeles Chargers rallied for a 19-16 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Instead of unraveling late in the game during another epic collapse, as they have already done three times this season, the winless Texans’ latest defeat took a different path toward an identical outcome.

Justin Herbert threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns and Austin Ekeler scored three times as the Los Angeles Chargers built a big early lead and held on for a 34-24 win over the Houston Texans.

Even after the Los Angeles Chargers fell behind by 28 points late on a dismal Sunday afternoon, Justin Herbert insisted on staying in the game with his fractured rib cartilage.

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, rookie Jaylen Watson returned an interception 99 yards for the go-ahead fourth-quarter score, and the Kansas City Chiefs held on to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24.

Patrick Mahomes loses sleep preparing for Thursday night games.

Pep Hamilton spent a portion of his summer teaching the greater nuances of football strategy.

Oregon Ducks tight end Spencer Webb has died after falling and striking his head on rock slides at a popular swimming lake near Eugene, Oregon.

New Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson says he aims to play 10 to 12 more seasons and win three or four more Super Bowls.

The Chargers’ Justin Herbert hit Baltimore’s Mark Andrews with two touchdown passes to leading the AFC to a 41-35 victory over the NFC in the return of the Pro Bowl.

Daniel Carlson kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired in overtime and the Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 35-32 on Sunday night to earn their first playoff berth since 2016.

Travis Kelce scored on a 34-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes in overtime and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied for a 34-28 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Justin Herbert passed for three touchdowns and Tevaughn Campbell returned a Joe Mixon fumble 61 yards for a score, helping the Los Angeles Chargers hold off the Cincinnati Bengals for a 41-22 victory.

Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score and Dustin Hopkins kicked a 29-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining, leading the Los Angeles Chargers to a 27-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Adrian Phillips intercepted two Justin Herbert passes and returned one for the go-ahead touchdown, Nick Folk kicked four field goals and the New England Patriots rallied for a 27-24 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Lamar Jackson threw for 167 yards and a touchdown, and the Baltimore Ravens frustrated Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers in a 34-6 victory.

Austin Ekeler scored three touchdowns, including a 3-yard score with 1:31 remaining as the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Cleveland Browns 47-42 in a wild shootout Sunday.

Justin Herbert threw for 337 yards and a touchdown to help the Los Angeles Chargers beat Washington 20-16 in an ugly Week 1 matchup full of turnovers and big penalties.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers pumps his fist after an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Los Angeles Rams Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, in Green Bay, Wis. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earned his third Associated Press Most Valuable Player award, while Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald took his third top defensive player prize at NFL Honors. Titans 2,000-yard rusher Derrick Henry won Offensive Player of the Year, and the offensive rookie honor went to Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his work in the community. Rodgers had perhaps the best season of his 16-year career, leading Green Bay to a 13-3 regular season, the NFC’s best mark.

The 36-year-old quarterback completed a remarkable comeback from a broken right leg that required 17 surgeries to repair. ___9:52 p.m.For turning around a moribund Cleveland franchise, overcoming injuries and COVID-19 concerns, Kevin Stefanski is The Associated Press 2020 NFL Coach of the Year. ___9:43 p.m.One of the well-earned spoils for Derrick Henry’s 2,000-yard rushing season is The Associated Press 2020 NFL Offensive Player of the Year honor. ___9:30 p.m.Aaron Donald has become such a dominant defensive tackle that he’s joined elite company in winning his third Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Los Angeles Rams’ unanimous All-Pro added the 2020 top defensive player honor to his wins in 2017 and 2018.

However, none was able to knock off the Chiefs in the final AP Pro32 poll of the 2020 regular season. The Buffalo Bills stayed at No. The teams split their two meetings in the regular season, but the Seahawks won the most recent matchup, in Week 16. The Baltimore Ravens, the third team from the AFC North to make the playoffs, stayed at No. 16 after topping Philadelphia in the last game of the regular season and was the lowest-ranked team to make the playoffs.

Henry came into Sunday’s regular season finale needing 223 yards rushing to become the second man in franchise history to reach 2,000. He came in as the NFL’s rushing leader for a second straight season with a career-best 1,777 yards rushing. The Green Bay Packers have set an NFL season record for second-quarter points. With the run Newton also passed Grogan for the single-season team record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Newton entered the game 26 yards behind Grogan, who had 539 rushing yards in 1978.

“We win this game, find a way to win, win the division. He's assured of repeating as NFL rushing champ, the first since Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006-07. Henry has a career-high 1,777 yards rushing and ran for 212 yards in his most recent game against the Texans. Ezekiel Elliott, despite a mediocre performance in 2020, needs 63 yards rushing for 1,000 this season, his fourth such output in five seasons. Baltimore (10-5) at Cincinnati (4-10-1)During their four-game winning streak, the Ravens have averaged 37 points and 233.3 yards rushing per game.

Herbert, the sixth overall pick in the April draft and third QB taken, completed 21 of 33 passes for 253 yards. Badgley also split the uprights from 43 yards late in the second quarter to extend LA’s lead to 13-0 at halftime. After the Chargers went three-and-out, Drew Lock scored on a 1-yard keeper for Denver's first rushing touchdown in seven games. And after Badgley's late field goal, the Broncos got to midfield. McManus then had a 37-yard field goal attempt bounce off the left upright, his first miss inside 40 yards since 2017.

They do have a sack in an NFL-record 71 straight games and have sacked Philip Rivers 15 times during seven games while he played for the Chargers. Rivers has had two or more TD passes in five straight games. He had career bests of 10 catches for 163 yards last week, and Ridley's seven 100-yard games lead the NFL. The 19 straight seasons without losing both games to a divisional opponent is an NFL record. The Jaguars have allowed at least 24 points in each of those 13 games, an NFL record.

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry, right, embraces quarterback Justin Herbert (10) after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders in overtime of an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. Herbert scored on 1-yard plunge to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 30-27 overtime victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night. The Chargers (5-9) snapped a nine-game losing streak against their AFC West counterparts, and snapped a three-game skid against the Raiders. Las Vegas (7-7) lost quarterback Derek Carr to a left groin injury in the first quarter. “It just shows the kind of player and football character he has,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said of Mariota.

Tua Tagovailoa had help from a less-heralded rookie while Justin Herbert struggled against a relentless pass rush, and the surprising Dolphins earned their fifth consecutive victory by beating the Los Angeles Chargers 29-21 Sunday. The Chargers could never catch up after they were hurt by two mistakes in the kicking game that allowed Miami to take a 14-0 lead. “I was disappointed in the special teams and some of the things that went on there. “It changed the momentum.”SPECIALMost lopsided of all was the special teams matchup. Jakeem Grant, the NFL leader in punt return yards, helped the Dolphins’ field position with three runbacks for 57 yards.

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 36-10 to become the NFL’s first team to get to 9-0 since the 2015 Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals beat Buffalo 32-30 on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins with 2 seconds left, dropping the Bills record to 7-3. Brees was shaken up on a sack in the second quarter when Kentavius Street landed on him. 1 pick Joe Burrow, threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jakeem Grant with 58 seconds left in the first quarter. Cole had scored on a franchise-record 91-yard punt return in the second quarter.

As he walked off the field after taking a knee on the final play, Tagovailoa presented the ball to Flores. Flores said Tagovailoa appears to have regained all of his mobility, and might be even shiftier than he was at Alabama. “As a rookie, you don’t know what you don’t know,” Flores said. And while his NFL career is off to a good start, his perspective is different from before the hip injury. “I don’t know if I'll ever be my old self,” he said.

The top mark in NFL history through nine weeks was 24 ppg in 2018. That has eliminated the need for silent counts for road teams, making life much easier for offenses. Road teams are 67-65-1 this season, marking the first time since 1983 (68-57-1) that they had a winning record through nine weeks. From 2010-19, home teams outscored road teams by 2.0 points per game. FLAG FOOTBALL: From the crackdown on hits against defenseless receivers to the protections in place for quarterbacks, NFL rules always seem to tilt toward the offense.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is sacked by Denver Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Walker (57) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)