Yes, the big uglies don’t get much attention, but often, the best NFL teams have the best blocking. Good blocking allows more time for downfield passes, which boosts the ceilings of quarterbacks and deep-threat receivers. It also can have a big impact on rushing yardage, as good blockers allow running backs to travel farther downfield before being contacted. DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 fantasy cheat sheet Take David Montgomery and Josh Jacobs, for example....

The Rams and Patriots join the other 30 NFL clubs who’ve been in offseason mode for weeks now. While the draft on April 25 is still two months away, there’s plenty of important dates teams and fans need to keep in mind. The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Feb. 26, the franchise-tag deadline on March 5 and the start of free agency on March 13 are just a few marquee dates on the league calendar....

Professional pigskin prognostication already faces the challenge of the league’s unpredictability. Now there are more factors to consider in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. How much does home field help with lesser or no fans? How will certain teams perform after limited offseason work? As with every season in the NFL, it’s best to take things week by week, game by game. Based on what we know going into Week 1, here’s how we see the full slate of 16 contests playing out....

That should make Week 2 a little easier to handle another full slate of games. What’s notable is having three massive favorites on the board while the rest of the matchups call for one-possession spreads. Whether the number is big or small, here’s helping you navigate through it all. Here’s also hoping to build on some solid but unspectacular initial returns: (Game odds courtesy of FanDuel) NFL POWER RANKINGS: Big bumps for Steelers and Saints, but how about that NFC West?...

That has changed. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the game; meaning that matchup with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes II will be put on hold. It’s still worth watching, however, knowing second-year quarterback Jordan Love will make his first NFL start. It’s not the only good matchup on the schedule. Who will win the battle of Ohio? Cincinnati and Cleveland meet in a matchup of teams trying to keep pace in the super-competitive AFC North....

By a slim, slim margin, the new NFL CBA was ratified on Sunday morning by a 1,019 to 959 (60 vote) disparity. The new CBA includes a 17-game schedule, expanded playoffs, a new revenue split and added player benefits for retirees. The voting process, though, was contentious, with several prominent players voicing their displeasure over the proposed CBA in recent weeks. On Sunday, that displeasure continued for some players — and not for others....

There isn’t much the running back and tight ends can’t conquer, be it a blitzing linebacker or a defensive back gunning for their legs. Take them out of their element, however, and they all look like fish out of water. That’s exactly what Pantene did, enlisting the fathers to do their daughters’ hair in a series of Super Bowl 50 commercials. It’s cute comedy at its finest. MORE: HS yearbook photos of Super Bowl 50 stars | Panthers fans make corny rap videos...

Campbell, 31, is Sporting News’ Defensive Player of the Year for 2017, an award voted on by his peers. A two-time Pro Bowler with the Cardinals, Campbell was named first-team All-Pro for the first time in his first season with the Jaguars. At 6-8, 282 pounds, Campbell got his chance to play regular defensive end in a 4-3 scheme in Jacksonville while still sliding inside on passing downs. The result was a career high-shattering 14....

One of the teams we predicted would reach the Super Bowl this season, Kansas City, is sitting pretty with a first-round bye in the AFC bracket. The Chiefs, though, have the second best odds to win the Super Bowl behind the top-seeded Ravens. The NFC is even more of a jumbled, loaded mess, making predictions for that side of the bracket extra challenging. The 49ers and Saints, two of the top three seeds, enter the playoffs with the same odds to win the Super Bowl....

The 2021 NFL playoffs feature six wild-card matchups over a two-day stretch that should produce an overload of excitement for NFL fans. Indianapolis and Buffalo open the playoff bracket at 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday. Los Angeles and Seattle will meet for the third time in the 4:40 p.m. slot, which sets up a prime-time matchup between Tampa Bay and Washington at 8:15 p.m. Sunday’s schedule features another tripleheader. Baltimore and Tennessee meet in a rematch of last year’s AFC divisional playoff game at 1:05 p....

Two teams — the Rams and Saints — have already clinched their respective divisions, and this week, both teams had chances to clinch first-round byes in the playoffs. The Bears’ win over the Packers, though, meant neither LA nor New Orleans would be able to get that bye. Though the race for the all-important No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs will continue into Week 16. In the AFC, the Chiefs have not yet clinched the West, an objective that was complicated by their Thursday night loss to the Chargers....

The postseason field expanding by one team each in the AFC and the NFC to a total of 14 has brought more teams into realistic contention over the closing stretch. Based on the current standings, here’s an updated look at what each conference tournament would look like if the playoffs started now: WEEK 13 NFL PICKS: Against the spread | Straight-up predictions NFL standings for Week 13 AFC playoff picture Who would be in?...

A year and a half later, the rematch in Sunday’s NFC championship game will be a lot different. First, this season’s Vikings and Eagles (14-3) carry the same record through the divisional round. Second, neither Sam Bradford nor Carson Wentz will be starting at quarterback. MORE: Stream Vikings-Eagles live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) Instead, there’s a less than marquee QB matchup between two backups pressed into duty by knee injuries to both Bradford and Wentz — Case Keenum and Nick Foles....

Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters Tuesday at the close of the league's fall meetings in Washington that the size of the postseason field would not be increased before the 2015 season. Trying to do it for next season is impossible because of scheduling issues, but it is one of the "priorities" for the competition committee next year, NFL.com reported. MORE: New-look Pro Bowl uniforms | More games in London | NFL’s worst team: Giants or Jags?...

The last time we looked at the teams from Nos. 1-32 right after Super Bowl 53, we had no idea how improved or weakened each would become after free agency and the 2019 NFL Draft. Now that we think we know who is better and who is worse, here is a new edition. With the new power rankings come hints about who is in for a playoff rise or slide....

The appeals process could allow Beckham to play Sunday night before a decision is made, but it’s unlikely the suspension is completely wiped away. The best fantasy owners can hope for is that Beckham is forced to miss Week 17, which wouldn’t matter for most. MORE: Week 16 fantasy football rankings:Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Defenses | Kickers Odell Beckham Jr.’s suspension, fantasy outlook For now, we’re leaving Odell Beckham Jr....

The Detroit wide receiver, in a hurry as the clock was winding with under 20 seconds left in the game, spotted the ball himself after making a catch. He appeared to be down at the Bears’ 26-yard line or 27-yard line, depending on how one viewed his forward progress, but he put the ball down on the right hash at the 25. Pellis picked up the ball and put it back down, taking away maybe an inch or two from Golladay’s original spot....

Each team’s roster (which was 90 players at the start of camp) is limited to 53. Sporting News contributor Jason Fitzgerald last week explained how teams use the final days before the Sept. 5 deadline to trim their squads. MORE: Indispensable players | Cuts bring anxiety for GMs Many players (including veterans) heard the dreaded “bring your playbook” command last week. Here are the notable cuts. NOTABLE 2015 ROSTER CUTS — Tim Tebow, QB, Eagles...