Following a touchdown catch that put the Giants just a score behind the Packers on Sunday Night Football, Beckham didn’t celebrate. He didn’t showboat. He just ran to the sideline, and gave his arch-nemesis, the kicking net, a big hug. MORE: NFL Week 6 waiver wire must-haves You may remember during the Giants-Redskins matchup in September, Beckham attacked a kicking net, which promptly retaliated, delivering a judo chop straight to Beckham’s face....

The New England Patriots and Patrick Mahomes have picked up where they left off last season, the Cleveland Browns aren’t as good as they expected and the Miami Dolphins are as bad as everyone expected. Fresh from signing Antonio Brown in one of the most surprising moves the NFL has seen in decades—or one of the least surprising, depending on which theories you believe—the Patriots thrashed the Pittsburgh Steelers 33-3 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sunday night....

OVER time. For the second straight week, the OVER dominated, with 10 of 16 games soaring above their totals. For the season, the OVER has hit at a 54.6 percent clip (119-99-6). Since the beginning of October, the OVER is 87-68-6 (56.5 percent). The lowest posted total in any Week 16 game at the LVH SuperBook as of Monday was 41 (Browns-Jets). A few years ago, there’s no way a late-season game in a cold-weather setting pitting these teams would have a total this high, but that’s where we are....

What a disastrous few days for OVER players. In Week 15 of the NFL season, 13-of-16 games stayed UNDER the total — and this with relatively mild weather for mid-December in the outdoor games. The eagle-eyed handicapper who spotted the trend asked for a take on the matter. So here goes: For starters, through 14 weeks, the OVER was a 50-50 proposition — 104-103-2. A 3-13 week is an outlier....

If you’re one of those people, maybe you need some tips and advice. Conversely, maybe you have experience and have spent months scouring odds, researching underdogs and sleepers and reviewing every NFL trend known to man and are now looking to confirm your findings. MORE: Full list of odds for NFL Week 1 Whatever your skill level, the Week 1 slate presents a lot of opportunity for gamblers. At this early point in the season, there are still teams that are overrated and underrated because of their performances last year....

However, even with 330 players invited, 15 percent of players drafted each year on average will have not been in attendance at the NFL Scouting Combine. This year, the NFL opted not to invite eligible prospects who had previously been convicted of violent crimes, which excludes a handful of top players, most notably Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly. This list of 2017 Combine “snubs” does not include those players, but rather players who were overlooked as draft-worthy prospects....

Events such as the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and bench press are always the focus of the Combine, but the early afternoon before the start of those events gives scouts the first chance to take its official measurements of each athlete. Who is the tallest tight end? Who is the heaviest running back? Which quarterback has the smallest hands? These are all important questions that are finalized as athletes prepare to show off their skills to scouts....

Goodell’s comment follows widespread criticism he faced after issuing a June 1 statement recognizing an “urgent need for action” following the May 25 death of George Floyd while in the custody of police officers. The NFL, under Goodell, formally banned on-field protests against police brutality in 2018. “We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People,” the NFL wrote in a tweet on Friday evening. “We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest....

The 49ers beat the Panthers at their own game with the help of the duo of Colin Kaepernick and Anquan Boldin. Kaepernick picked up another playoff victory with 196 passing yards, 15 rushing yards and two total TDs, the second an outright troll of Cam Newton’s “Superman” celebration. Kaepernick is completing just 53.4 percent of his passes this postseason, and he’ll have to be better at Seattle – where he has struggled in two previous losses....

The 2018 SEC Defensive Player of the Year led Kentucky to its first 10-win season since 1977. Allen, however, must prove himself all over again, like he did twice in high school and again with the Wildcats. “I’m going to be proving people wrong until the day I die,” Allen told Sporting News. “I believe it. This next step that’s coming, I feel like a couple teams could pass on me not knowing what my abilities are....

This year, the NFL confirmed that a record-115 college football underclassmen have been granted eligibility for the 2020 NFL Draft: 99 of whom were granted special eligibility (as they hadn’t yet completed their college degree) and 16 who, despite having eligibility remaining, have already fulfilled their degree requirements. Five are eligible for the draft without the need for special eligibility. That continues, for the fourth straight year, the trend of at least 100 underclassmen declaring early (106 declared in 2018, 103 in 2017 and 107 in 2016)....

All seven rounds and 255 picks of the 2020 NFL Draft, scheduled to begin with the first round on Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET and run through Saturday, April 25, will broadcast live on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Which means those broadcasts of the 2020 NFL Draft will be available to live stream on the NFL and ESPN’s digital platforms. MORE 2020 NFL DRAFT:SN’s draft hub | Top 100 players | 7-round mock...

Much has changed with the stock of future pro players since the beginning of the college football season. Values will continue to fluctuate with the Senior Bowl down and satellite NFL Scouting Combine workouts around the corner. Based on current evaluations and related buzz around them from teams, here’s the latest look at the top overall NFL draft prospects for 2021 plus how all the players stack up against each other by position:...

This is a crucial spending season, filled with various companies trying to lure customers with their best deals on products billed as essentials for the school year. But tying in NFL stars, who are also returning to work, is helping increase brand awareness for companies vying for consumer dollars. MORE: Breaking down eight expert-drafted fantasy teams for Madden NFL 16 | Best waiver wire pickups Lenovo and Xbox, for example, launched marketing campaigns featuring favorite NFL players with a twist on going back to school....

The NFL’s reported salary cap number for 2018 is up from last year’s mark of 168 million, in case anybody still wonders about the league’s current financial situation. NFL FREE AGENCY:Top 25 players; best by position The Browns and Jets easily have the most cap space for 2018 NFL free agency, followed by the Colts and Buccaneers. The Eagles, Dolphins and Chiefs, on the other hand, have work to do in order to get under the salary cap by the March 14 deadline....

Marshall, who will be released by the Jets when the league year begins, made it clear early Friday he intends to find a new team in free agency and continue playing in the NFL. “I’m sorry we couldn’t bring you a championship, but I wish you and my former organization the very best in your pursuit for one in the future,” Marshall wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “I’m looking forward to finding a great organization where I can contribute and bring home a championship....

The free-agent quarterback will sign with the Broncos when the NFL year begins Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported early Tuesday. Terms were not immediately available. RUMORS TRACKER: Keep up with the biggest signings, trades Denver is in the market for a quarterback after going through last season with Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch. In Keenum, it would get a 30-year-old journeyman who led the Vikings to the NFC championship game after permanently replacing an injured Sam Bradford in Week 5....

The Falcons announced Tuesday the defensive end will return to the team on a one-year deal. According to NFL Network, the deal is worth $4 million. Clayborn, 30, played for the Falcons from 2015-17 and was instrumental in taking the team to Super Bowl 51. During that three-year span, Clayborn posted 58 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss and 17 sacks. He set a franchise record in 2017, recording six sacks against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott....