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T.J. WATT

Brady and Bucs, plus Bills and Rams win NFL wild-card games

The first tripleheader of NFL wild-card games saw Tom Brady extend his postseason record for victories to 31 with a 31-23 win for Tampa Bay at Washington on Saturday. After a quarter-century, the Bills got one of those triumphs that Brady collects — and they even figured out how to stop a Hail Mary. The previous playoff win was over Miami on Dec. 30, 1995. And it came in the Bills’ first home playoff game in 24 years, with a limited number of fans in attendance (6,700) for the first time this season. The Ravens averaged an NFL-best 191.9 yards rushing per game and their 3,071 yards rushing were third highest in NFL history.

Donald, Kelce unanimous AP All-Pros; Rodgers, Henry chosen

(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File)Dynamic defensive star Aaron Donald and unstoppable tight end Travis Kelce were unanimous choices Friday for The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team. Donald, who has helped the Los Angeles Rams to the top-ranked defense in the NFL, earned his sixth All-Pro selection. “I think the best display of greatness is making people around you better,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of Donald. Joining Donald and Kelce were 15 players returning to the squad, and 14 newcomers. Rounding out the offense were Cleveland right tackle Jack Conklin (second selection), and Washington right guard Brandon Scherff (first).

Mahomes leads champion Chiefs to 14-2 mark in stacked AFC

While the Chiefs get another week’s rest, the six other AFC playoff teams get going this weekend. For just the second time since the 1970 league merger, every team in the AFC playoffs has at least 11 wins. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 54, 31-20 over the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 2, 2020, at Miami. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 43, 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Feb. 1, 2009, at Tampa, Florida. Their pass rush is nearly nonexistent with 19 sacks, the fewest by a playoff team since Denver had 19 in 1979.

Browns end long playoff drought, survive late Steelers rally

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield celebrates after the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Cleveland. The Browns, winless just three seasons ago and so bad for so long, are in the playoffs. The Browns and their passionate fan base endured 197 losses, 14 double-digit-loss seasons and seven coaches since the last playoff appearance. For the moment he got to Cleveland in 2018, Landry's goal was to get the Browns back to the postseason. Steelers: Will be back at full strength for their first playoff appearance since the 2017 season.

Unbeaten Steelers focusing on Washington, not perfection

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) tries to fend off Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tramon Williams after making a catch during the second half of an NFL football game Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, in Pittsburgh. So forgive the Pittsburgh Steelers if they're not exactly caught up in the hype — or maybe lack of hype — surrounding their perfect start. Yes, the Steelers are unbeaten. “Every week is a test,” Rivera said. “It really is about feel and opportunity as far as those things are concerned," Rivera said.

Steelers stay unbeaten with 28-24 comeback win over Ravens

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) applies pressure on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Baltimore. Ben Roethlisberger threw two second-half touchdowns, and the Steelers beat error-prone Lamar Jackson and the Ravens 28-24 Sunday to match the best start in franchise history. “I put that on me.”Beyond losing ground in the division, Baltimore lost All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley for the season with a severe ankle injury. The Steelers led 28-24 when the Ravens (5-2) faced a fourth-and-3 at the Pittsburgh 8 with 2 minutes left. That left Pittsburgh thin up front after DE Chris Wormley went on IR Saturday.

Steelers stay perfect, keep Texans winless in 28-21 victory

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers spent two quarters trying to hem in Deshaun Watson. Slicing into the backfield relentlessly, the Steelers put the clamps on the Texans in the second half to rally for a 28-21 victory that pushed them to 3-0 for the first time in a decade. Houston managed just 51 yards and two first downs over in the final 30 minutes to fall to 0-3. After opening the season with two relatively drama-free wins, the Steelers needed to overcome an early 11-point deficit to stay perfect. Steelers: Johnson exited in the second quarter due to a concussion on the play where Roethlisberger helped pave the way for a short gain.

Steelers knock out Lock, hold off Driskel, Broncos 26-21

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)PITTSBURGH – A game seemingly in hand suddenly on the cusp of slipping away, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn't overthink things. Needing a stop to turn back the surprisingly resilient Denver Broncos, the Steelers dialed up one final blitz in an afternoon filled with them. So the Broncos (0-2) hung around despite losing starting quarterback Drew Lock (right shoulder) in the first quarter. The Steelers recovered and went downfield for a touchdown while Lock was in the blue medical tent getting evaluated. Still, he wasn't exactly thrilled on a day the Steelers never trailed but struggled to put the Broncos away.

Defense, Snell, Big Ben carry Pittsburgh over Giants 26-16

Roethlisberger, who missed the final 14 games last season after elbow surgery, threw for three scores in a 26-16 win over the New York Giants at an empty and eerie MetLife Stadium on Monday night. The defense, while not quite on the level of the famed Steel Curtain, was plenty stingy and physical. It not only held Saquon Barkley to 6 yards on 15 carries, it also swarmed him in the backfield nearly all night. Even though the Pittsburgh defense broke down as the Giants marched 87 yards on 19 plays in just under nine minutes in the third quarter, it still came up with a major stop. Roethlisberger then took Pittsburgh 62 yards for the field goal and a 19-10 lead.

Steelers' Heyward: team will be united if it opts to protest

FILE - In this Dec. 30, 2018, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (97) plays against the Cincinnati Bengals in an NFL football gamein Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)PITTSBURGH Cam Heyward is well-versed in the sometimes messy optics associated with taking a stand against social injustice. I think we want to stay united in what we do and what we want to accomplish, Heyward said. For a team that's missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons, Heyward has become acutely aware of a window potentially closing. I know the NFLPA and the NFL have been working on this for a while," Heyward said.