MATT RHULE

Tom Brady topped 5,000 yards passing for the second time in his career and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers set a franchise record for regular-season victories with a 41-17 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Cam Newton will begin the season finale on the bench as Sam Darnold starts at QB against Tampa Bay.

Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral wasn't about to miss a chance to make history in the Sugar Bowl. The potential first-round NFL draft choice has spent four years helping the Rebels (10-2) rise from the bottom of the Southeastern Conference standings to a No. 8 ranking and the cusp of the program's first 11-win season — if they can beat sixth-ranked Baylor (11-2) on Saturday night. Corral said the bond he has formed with Ole Miss teammates over several seasons outweighs the risk of an injury that could sink his draft stock — and his rookie pay day along with it.

The Indianapolis Cots have placed five players on the COVID-19 list as the virus continues to work its way through NFL locker rooms, even with the vast majority of players in the league vaccinated.

Tom Brady threw for 232 yards and a touchdown, Antonio Brown made a grand return to the lineup after missing the last eight games and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers 32-6 on Sunday to clinch their first NFC South title since 2007.

Matt Ryan threw for 190 yards and a touchdown, Mykal Walker returned an interception of Cam Newton 66 yards for a touchdown and the Atlanta Falcons continued to play well on the road with a 29-21 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Panthers coach Matt Rhule says Cam Newton will start Sunday at quarterback against the Washington Football Team.

Cam Newton is returning to the franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2011.

Texas Tech has named Baylor assistant and longtime Texas high school coach Joey McGuire as its next head coach.

Cameras caught Robby Anderson yelling at someone after Sam Darnold’s third interception of the day.

Sam Darnold threw for 304 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and the Carolina Panthers eased past the Houston Texans 24-9 despite losing Christian McCaffrey to a hamstring injury early in the second quarter.

The Tennessee Titans’ COVID-19 outbreak is nearing an end even with two starting offensive linemen still on the reserve list.

Jacob Eason was efficient in place of the injured Carson Wentz, and rookie Sam Ehlinger delivered in the final quarter for the Indianapolis Colts.

Dave Aranda became Baylor's coach about 19 months ago knowing NCAA penalties were coming.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Keith Kirkwood was hit in the neck area during practice Tuesday, carted off the field and taken away by ambulance.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson couldn’t help but notice a difference in Sam Darnold’s persona when he walked into Bank of America Stadium for the team’s mandatory three-day minicamp.

Brayden Point and Ross Colton scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy controlled the crease, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Tuesday night to win the second-round playoff series in five games.

Marco Wilson’s last two performances in Gainesville ended quite differently.

(AP Photo/John Raoux, File)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – There was no shortage of Kyle Pitts highlights at Florida’s pro day Wednesday, from his measurables to his moves to even his mindset. It was a refresher course for anyone who watched the versatile tight end play last season. Pitts and several teammates — most notably quarterback Kyle Trask, cornerback Marco Wilson and receivers Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes — worked out for talent evaluators from 31 of 32 NFL teams. AdIt’s still entirely possible for Pitts to be the highest-drafted tight end in the modern era (since 1970). “He’s a different bird than what a traditional tight end has been or certainly has been when I played,” said Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, a tight end who played 11 NFL seasons.

(AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)Bill Belichick never was one to spent wildly in free agency. Whether by trade, free agency or re-signings, the group brings a good mix of offense, defense and special teams. In addition to keeping Von Miller, Justin Simmons and Shelby Harris, Paton filled his biggest defensive pothole by signing free agent cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONSThe Lions didn’t do much in free agency but nobody in Detroit should be bothered. The Lions are focused on rebuilding through the draft after sending QB Matthew Stafford to the Rams and then letting star wide receiver Kenny Golladay walk in free agency.

Ad“I think there are concerns with coaches (regarding) what the future of college football is going to look like. Former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer left the broadcast booth to join the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, becoming the third college coach in as many years to make the move. Mullen has spent nearly three decades in the college ranks, including the last 16 years in the powerhouse SEC. Ad“There are probably some times I said things that, you know, maybe regrettable, maybe didn’t come off the right way, maybe got interpreted a different way," Mullen said. He has three years remaining on a six-year, $36.6 million contract that makes him the 10th-highest-paid coach in college football.

American Team quarterback Kellen Mond of Texas A&M (12) has his throw tipped by National Team offensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa of UCLA (92) during the first half of the NCAA Senior Bowl college football game in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)MOBILE, Ala. – Texas A&M's Kellen Mond was the Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player but two fellow Southeastern Conference Western Division products made the decisive big play. Fitzpatrick had six catches for 90 yards in the showcase game for senior and graduate NFL prospects, earning offensive player of the game honors. Obviously, kind of shaky at the beginning but it definitely shows a lot of poise to be able to bounce back.”North Carolina running back Michael Carter also had a big game. Jamie Newman completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trevon Grimes with 49 seconds left for the American team after Franks and Yeboah made it a two-score game.

The next game he plays is for his NFL draft stock, provided the Alabama quarterback's gimpy left ankle is good to go. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said the plan is for Jones to dress out and see how his ankle feels. “Just being in that room, I already learned so much about NFL football,” he said. Mond started 44 games for the Aggies, Ehlinger logged 43 starts for the Longhorns,Mond led the Aggies into College Football Playoffs contention in his final season. I just wanted to come and kind of learn more about NFL football and learn a new playbook, which I thought I did a good job with.

Newman is hardly alone among the players trying to shake off the rust after long layoffs leading up to Saturday's Senior Bowl for senior NFL prospects. A number of the Senior Bowl players had shortened seasons or none at all because of the coronavirus pandemic. He was the lone quarterback at the Senior Bowl not made available for post-practice media interviews. But I think he’s done a really good job.”AdThere are number of players at the Senior Bowl returning after a long absences from the field. Darby trained in Las Vegas for the Senior Bowl and the now-canceled combine.

Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady is becoming a popular name for NFL teams seeking to fill head coaching vacancies. A person familiar with the situation says the Chargers, Falcons and Texans have all asked for and received permission from the Panthers to interview Brady for their head coaching jobs. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt, File)ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons have interviewed a pair of offensive coordinators, Nathaniel Hackett of the Green Bay Packers and Joe Brady of the Carolina Panthers, for their head coaching job. The Falcons conducted a virtual interview with Hackett on Thursday, one day after meeting virtually with Brady. “I think one of the (prerequisites) to being a good head coach is presence in front of a room," Rodgers said.

Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Norman, Oklahoma. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Is Urban Meyer worth $12 million a season as the new Jaguars head coach? According to a Mike Florio with ProFootballTalk, that’s what Meyer is looking for in a potential coaching salary. Meyer has had success at every stop in college, including two national championships at Florida and another at Ohio State. According to widely circulated numbers, Seattle’s Pete Carroll ($11 million), Las Vegas’ Jon Gruden ($10 million), New Orleans’ Sean Payton ($9.8 million), Baltimore’s John Harbaugh ($9 million), Carolina’s Rhule ($8.5 million) and Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay ($8.5 million) follow Belichick.

The Saints (12-4) will host the seventh-seeded Chicago Bears in the wild-card round next Sunday at 4:40 p.m. EST. He also ran for five TDs, but the Panthers struggled to make winning plays late in games all season with Bridgewater at the helm. That leaves questions about his future as the Panthers starting QB, especially with the team having a top 10 draft pick in 2021. UP NEXTSaints: The four-time defending NFC South champions host the Bears next Sunday in the playoffs. Panthers: After failing to make the playoffs for the third straight season, Carolina will look to the NFL draft to upgrade a number of pressing needs.

FILE - In this April 17, 2019, file photo, Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney speaks to the media in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers have fired Hurney after the team lost eight of its last nine games and failed to make the playoffs for a third straight season. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Marty Hurney is out again as Carolina's general manager. The Panthers are the fifth team this season to fire their general manager, joining the Lions, Jaguars, Texans and Falcons. He was the general manager from 2002-12 before being fired by former owner Jerry Richardson.

Brady threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, Ronald Jones set a franchise-record with a 98-yard touchdown run, and the Buccaneers bounced back from a dreadful defeat with a resounding 46-23 win over the Carolina Panthers. Panthers coach Matt Rhule described Brady’s play as “elite” and “fantastic.”The Bucs ran the ball just five times last week. Tampa Bay racked up 544 yards on offense and outgained the Panthers 322-35 in the second half and outscored them 29-6. Chris Godwin had 92 yards receiving for the Buccaneers (7-3), who swept the season series and handed the Panthers (3-7) their fifth straight loss. Rhule said the Panthers were unaware the ball had hit the ground or else he would have just had Bridgewater spike the ball.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) runs against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland (21) during the second half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. Rhule said McCaffrey has a separation of the AC joint, which is located at the tip of the shoulder where the shoulder blade and collarbone meet. “I'm anticipating from I know being much more day to day and week to week than that. McCaffrey injured the shoulder in the fourth quarter of Carolina's 33-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. McCaffrey has six touchdowns in the three games he's played this season, including two in a 31-17 loss to Tampa Bay in Week 2.

From the season-altering (Dak Prescott, Barkley) to the bizarre (Tyrod Taylor, Trent Brown), injuries are playing their traditionally significant role in the NFL. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)ARLINGTON, Texas – From the season-altering to the bizarre, injuries are playing their traditionally significant role in the NFL. Brown also recently went back on the COVID-19 list, a newcomer among potential ailments with the NFL playing during a pandemic. Few teams have had the volume of injuries that have hit defending NFC champion San Francisco. New Orleans' star receiver, Michael Thomas, has had a tumultuous season in part because of ankle and hamstring injuries.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) celebrates after scoring against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Panthers coach Matt Rhule says running back Christian McCaffrey is “day to day” with a shoulder injury he suffered in the closing seconds of Carolina’s 33-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Rhule would not say if McCaffrey has already had an MRI or an X-ray, adding that he should know more about the extent of the injury on Wednesday. McCaffrey left the game for a few plays and was seen holding his shoulder on the sideline. I thought he had some really nice runs, obviously scored a couple touchdowns.”If McCaffrey can't play, Mike Davis would get the start.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) runs toward the end zone to score against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. His kick dropped just outside the uprights, though, allowing the Chiefs to escape. McCaffrey finished with 18 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown while catching 10 passes for 82 yards and another score. Panthers coach Matt Rhule said all week that McCaffrey would get a full load if he was able to take the field. It took nine plays and consumed nearly nine minutes before McCaffrey reached the end zone, keeping the potent Kansas City offense on the sideline.

That means that going into tonight’s Saints-Buccaneers showdown, home teams are 65-65-1 so far this season. The .500 mark is lower than last year’s .518 mark by home teams that was the lowest home field success rate since the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002. Las Vegas though has taken control on its first two drives of the second half. Neither had started an NFL game, but both have been in the league much longer than DiNucci. ___1:05 p.m.Eleven NFL teams entered Week 9 with two or fewer losses.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)The NFL is recommending that players on the sidelines who are not participating in a game or about to go on the field wear protective masks. Although the NFL stopped short of mandating masks for all players not on the field, it “strongly encouraged” all active players in the bench area who are not about to enter the game to wear masks while standing on the sideline and/or sitting on the bench. While the NFL considers expanding the bench area further down the sideline, teams may consider reconfiguring or adding benches. There’s no change to the status of the game,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Associated Press. “There have been 70-plus instances of a team having a player or players who test positive.

22 Marshall has scheduled a Nov. 7 home football game against Massachusetts, athletic director Mike Hamrick said Monday. ___The Carolina Panthers have closed their facility for the next two days after receiving an “unconfirmed” positive coronavirus test Monday. ___Toledo basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk has tested positive for the coronavirus, the school’s athletic department said Monday. Kowalczyk tested positive on Sunday and will self-isolate for 10 days, he said in a statement. Four players and three staff tested positive last week, and Wasps hasn't trained since last Wednesday for its first appearance in the final since 2017.

Videos from the team’s Twitter account show players gathered in close proximity to Foley — and each other — and singing along without masks on. “.... All of the coaches, including coach Foley who is singing, if it continues, they definitely have to have masks on. I want to make sure we are safe and in compliance.”As for the players, Rhule said that decision will be left up to the team's medical staff. The NFL has fined coaches $100,000 each for not wearing masks on the sideline during games. The Associated Press reached out to the NFL for comment about whether the Panthers locker room singing celebrations were in violation of the league's COVID-19 protocols, but the league has not responded.

You'd never know it watching Bridgewater break the pocket, juke two defenders and race 18 yards to the end zone on Sunday, helping the Carolina Panthers defeat the Arizona Cardinals 31-21 for their second straight win. Bridgewater also threw for 276 yards and two scores as the Panthers solved their red-zone issues from a week ago by scoring TDs on their first four trips inside the Arizona 20-yard line. It was tough to catch up all day.”Said Panthers DE Brian Burns: “We put emphasis on keeping eyes on (Murray). After the game, Bridgewater gave his offensive line the game ball. “We didn’t play well enough or coach well enough in any phase,” Kingsbury said.

The All-Pro running back is expected to miss “multiple weeks” with a high right ankle sprain he sustained in Carolina’s 31-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. “As soon as the third quarter ended I went and got taped and tried to play it off,” McCaffrey said. In two games this season McCaffrey has run for 156 yards and four touchdowns and caught seven passes for 67 yards. The loss of McCaffrey is a devastating blow for the Panthers' offense. The Panthers rewarded the fourth-year running back with a four-year, $64 million contract making him the highest-paid running back in the league.

(AP Photo/John Froschauer)The Latest on Week 2 in the NFL (all times EDT):___8:55 p.m.Seattle safety Quandre Diggs was ejected late in the first quarter Sunday night for a helmet-to-helmet hit on New England’s N’Keal Harry. Multiple flags were thrown and after a few minutes of deliberation, referee Craig Wrolstad announced Diggs had been ejected. Watkins made an 11-yard catch to convert a third down when Desmond King started to bring him down and Denzel Perryman landed a helmet-to-helmet hit. San Francisco lost both defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas to left knee injuries earlier in the game. Brady struggled in an 11-point loss to New Orleans in his first NFL game not in a New England Patriots uniform.

Jacobs’ 6-yard run around the right end with 4:14 left put the Raiders ahead for good after they’d surrendered a 12-point fourth quarter lead. McCaffrey racked up 134 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns for Carolina. Carolina battled back with McCaffrey getting 11 touches for 64 yards on one drive and scoring on a 3-yard run. Bridgewater, who replaced Cam Newton as the starting QB, finished 22 of 34 for 270 yards and one touchdown in his Carolina debut. 1 cornerback Donte Jackson left with an ankle injury early in the first quarter and did not return.

FILE - Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater watches during an NFL football camp practice Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers invested $63 million over three years in Bridgewater, and the QB has proclaimed, “this definitely feels like my team." I remember everybody was hurting in practice," Diggs said. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who worked with Bridgewater while with the Saints, is confident Bridgewater can be thrive in Carolina. “Knowing what I know now, I would just go back and tell myself the moment I was on the ground screaming in pain, ‘life is just a race,’” Bridgewater said.

FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019 file photo, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley talks with players during an NCAA college football game between Iowa State and Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. As usual, Riley is taking his time naming a starting quarterback. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

The Sooners are still considered the overwhelming favorite to win their sixth consecutive Big 12 crown overall because nobody has dethroned them with Riley there. Purdy last year set school records with 3,982 yards and 27 TDs passing, leading the Big 12 with 306.3 yards per game. Conference play begins Sept. 26, the start of an 11-week stretch for nine league games before the Big 12 title game Dec. 12 or Dec. 19, if an extra week is needed. Since this is only TCU's ninth season in the league, Patterson technically isn't the longest-tenured Big 12 coach. Former Oklahoma State quarterback Mike Gundy is in his 16th season as head coach for his alma mater.

Perhaps the biggest headlines Brady drew recently came when he defied players' union recommendations to cease informal practices with teammates as a coronavirus precaution. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File)In seven weeks, the NFL expects to kick off its 101st season with the Super Bowl champion Chiefs hosting Houston. Still set on conducting a somewhat normal training camp, though without any preseason games, and then opening the regular season on time, the NFL pushes onward. We could have a ton of social distance, more than we have with our football team, Chiefs coach Andy Reid says. Perhaps the biggest headlines Brady drew recently came when he defied players' union recommendations to cease informal practices with teammates as a coronavirus precaution.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Transitioning from head coach at the college level to the NFL is never easy. But for Carolina Panthers first-year coach Matt Rhule, it has been particularly challenging given the coronavirus pandemic. The only face-to-face time he's had with most players has come during virtual meetings via the laptop in his home office. None of it has been ideal for a new coach looking to make an impact in the NFL. He feels like they've succeeded and, in an pleasantly unexpected way, the virtual offseason has helped his staff become better coaches and teachers.

Usually, NFL head coaching deals don't exceed five or six years, but Gruden changed that with this agreement. "It raised the bar," former NFL head coach Tony Dungy told CNBC in an interview. In the NFL, coaching contracts are not included in a team's salary cap, so those numbers don't typically get released. Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers is congratulated by head coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks after their 28-23 win in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 12, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Tepper also signed Rhule for seven years when owners typically don't commit to first-year head NFL coaches for more than four years.

Lynch ranks eighth nationally with his 12 1/2 sacks, which are a single-season Baylor record. RB_u-Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma St., 6-1, 207, So., Sherwood Park, Alberta. G_Josh Rivas, Kansas St., 6-6, 323, So., Hutchinson, Kansas. P_Devin Anctil, Kansas St., 6-1, 234, Sr., Lenexa, Kansas. Offensive player of the year — Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma St.

Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer (12) passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Waco, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019. When it was all over, Hurts and coach Lincoln Riley were sharing a joyous embrace and the No. 12 Baylor on Saturday night that ended the Bears’ bid for an undefeated season. Oklahoma erased a three-touchdown halftime deficit and tied the game at 31-all on Hurts’ 2-yard TD pass to Willis. That was after the Sooners had opened the second half with Stogner’s second TD catch, a 3-yarder that made it 31-17.