It starts in practice. That was the beginning point of what happened Thursday night, when Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones leapt high in the air to snag a pass from New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

Hall of Famer James Lofton thinks the Browns’ new GM should have a say in who coaches the team.

The way the season started, the Los Angeles Chargers had no business thinking they would be contending for the division championship. Yet, at 6-6, that’s exactly where they find themselves in the AFC West, tied at the top with the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders.

Will he won’t he? That’s the question that has been swirling lately about Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians.

Sammy Watkins knows he’s part of something special with the Los Angeles Rams.

When the Minnesota Vikings signed Case Keenum during the offseason, they were expecting him to be a solid backup quarterback. They ended up getting so much more.

Duane Brown saw the immediate difference after joining the Seattle Seahawks, the sense that he was a part of a team that had no doubt about its stature in the NFL.

Golden Tate is on pace for his third 1,000-yard receiving season in the past four years. That doesn’t mean the Detroit Lions’ wide receiver takes anything for granted.

As dominant as the Philadelphia Eagles have been in all phases, their players have to fight the urge to look too far ahead and get caught up in thoughts about being a Super Bowl team. So how do they remain focused on the present?

To win seven games in a row, the Minnesota Vikings are doing more than playing well in all phases. They also have tremendous cohesion.

Members of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense knew they were part of something good in 2016, when Jim Schwartz became the team’s defensive coordinator. They’re part of something even better this season.

The New Orleans Saints’ eight-game winning streak has seen the team excel in all phases.

Defensive end Brandon Graham is quick to recognize one factor that stands out above the rest in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 9-1 record: the play of second-year quarterback Carson Wentz.

Attitude matters, and that’s something Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph believes has served Case Keenum well as the team’s quarterback. Sunday, Keenum led the Vikings to one of their biggest victories of the season against his former team, the Los Angeles Rams.

Dan Quinn knows Russell Wilson better than most opposing coaches. Before becoming head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Quinn was defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, so he saw plenty of the quarterback in practice.

Terron Armstead has been through the bad times, when the New Orleans Saints struggled through three consecutive 7-9 seasons from 2014 to 2016 after going 11-5 and reaching the Super Bowl in his rookie year.

With Sean McVay as coach, the Rams are playing in the 3-4 look of new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. And they’re excelling in it on the way to a 7-2 record.

A.J. Bouye loves the common thread in all of the talent the Jacksonville Jaguars have added to their defense this year.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford likes most of what he has seen through a 5-4 start, especially with the way the club elevated its game in the second half against the Browns.

To listen to safety Micah Hyde, the 5-3 Bills are right where they need to be entering Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

The Washington Redskins’ Week 9 win at Seattle put the team at 4-4. According to linebacker Zach Brown, it also sent a strong message to the rest of the NFL.

Safety Mike Adams says that he and other players who joined the Carolina Panthers during the offseason — such as Julius Peppers and Captain Munnerlyn — along with everyone else on the defense have benefitted greatly from the guidance of first-year coordinator Steve Wilks.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson doesn’t think Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green should have allowed his to reach the level it did after he was shoved to the ground by Jags cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

When the New Orleans Saints began the season 0-2, it was time for some soul searching.

Given the limited options to replace Deshaun Watson as the Houston Texans’ quarterback, Mark Dominik thinks it would make sense for the team to reach out to one who is sitting in a broadcast booth.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis makes no attempt to hide his joy over the fact the trade that was supposed to send AJ McCarron to the Browns didn’t get done.

Deion Sanders was beside himself in trying to sort out the Cleveland Browns’ unsuccessful attempt to make a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals for quarterback A.J. McCarron.

The Seattle Seahawks are on a roll. With four consecutive victories, they now have a 5-2 record and look as if they’re hitting their stride.

Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly was back from concussion protocol and feeling good Sunday.

After the Baltimore Ravens snapped a two-game losing streak with Thursday night’s 40-0 victory against Miami and improved their record to 4-4, the question has to be asked. Where exactly is this team headed?

The doubters have expressed their opinions. They expected very little from the Chicago Bears, especially when it became clear during last April’s NFL Draft they were committed with going with a rookie quarterback.

Defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., is an integral part of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ pass-rushing dominance.

To Lane Johnson, Jason Peters is so much more than a fellow tackle on the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line.

To win their third game in a row after going 0-4, the Los Angeles Chargers must have made some major adjustments, right?

How good can the Los Angeles Rams’ offense be? “I don’t even think we’re at our expectations yet,” wide receiver Robert Woods told Bruce Murray and James Lofton on the SiriusXM Blitz. “I think we’re still getting started, still getting going. We feel like we can be unstoppable.”

Carson Wentz has done more than his share to help pick up the slack with a season that has done plenty to validate his being the second overall pick of last year’s draft. The improvement he has made since his rookie year has gone a long way toward making the Eagles arguably the best team in the NFL.

Defensive end Cliff Avril has been placed on injured reserve with neck/spine problems resulting from Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett accidentally stepping on his chin during an Oct. 1 game, coach Pete Carroll told Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on Movin’ The Chains.

Adam Gase wasn’t scrambling to make adjustments when his Miami Dolphins players when they entered halftime trailing the Atlanta Falcons, 17-0, last Sunday.

Malcolm Butler has learned more than a few lessons in nearly three-and-a-half seasons as an NFL cornerback. One is that, whenever a ball-carrier is reaching for the pylon, do everything possible to try and punch the ball loose. Another is that there’s nothing that can change the results on the field, so accept them … especially when they go your way.

For an NFL defense, challenges don’t get much greater than facing Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen knows that all too well from many NFC North encounters with Rodgers through the years.

Eric Weddle sees plenty of reason to expect that he and the rest of the rest of the Baltimore Ravens’ defense will have their hands full when they face Chicago Bears rookie Mitchell Trubisky Sunday.

The Los Angeles Chargers faced a gut-check last Sunday against the New York Giants.

Geoff Schwartz should know a thing or two about Adrian Peterson. The former NFL offensive guard blocked for Peterson when they were teammates on the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. That was the year Peterson ran for a career-best 2,097 yards.

The Los Angeles Rams’ high-flying offense started fast, but it was the Seattle Seahawks’ opportunistic defense that did what was necessary to finish the job Sunday at L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

Wide receiver A.J. Green knows is that since Sept. 25, when the Bengals made Bill Lazor the new man putting together the offensive game plan and calling plays, Green and his teammates on offense have felt a greater sense of urgency.

They have different backgrounds. What they share, however, is the desire to help make the Buffalo Bills a winner. And that, says safety Micah Hyde, has become a strong bond on the way to the team’s 3-1 start.

As someone who played football at Harvard before entering the NFL in 2014, Cameron Brate had a fairly close view of the New England Patriots’ dynasty.

Ever wish you had the play-by-play schedules of your favorite teams sent right to your phone? Well, you’re in luck.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are back. And as far as Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier is concerned, it isn’t only a one-week thing.

The Los Angeles Rams aren’t much for making statements with the outcome of games.

Rams running back Todd Gurley sees new coach Sean McVay as the major difference-maker in his and the rest of the team’s offensive improvement.

They have the talent. They have the coaching. They have the perfect record. But that isn’t all the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs have going for them, according to standout linebacker Derrick Johnson, whose 14 tackles are also a factor.

Ryan Kerrigan sees the steady progress. Week by week, the Washington Redskins’ defensive line shows the capacity to dominate.

The 3-0 Atlanta Falcons fully anticipate a tremendous challenge to remain unbeaten when they face the 2-1 Buffalo Bills at home Sunday.

Case Keenum wasn’t merely adequate in helping the Minnesota Vikings beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.

As an undrafted rookie entering training camp with the Oakland Raiders last year, running back Jalen Richard didn’t know what to expecting, including whether he would be able to land a spot on the roster. This year, he has emerged as a dynamic presence in their offense.

Jarvis Landry had no doubts about what Jay Cutler would bring to the Miami Dolphins.

There has never been a question about the arm, which is as strong and as accurate as any in the NFL. When Golden Tate watches Matthew Stafford lately, however, the Detroit Lions’ receiver sees his quarterback working to enhance another aspect of his game: running.

Bill Polian thinks the reason for poor offensive line play in the NFL is clear.

The goal is the Super Bowl, but according to Russell Wilson, the Seahawks don’t talk about it in present tense.

As far as Mark Dominik is concerned, the Cincinnati Bengals don’t need to make a quarterback change on top of the move they made Friday by firing offensive coordinator Ken Zampese and replacing him with quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor.

Safety Tashaun Gipson is ready to declare that the Jaguars’ secondary has no peers in the NFL.

Brandon Graham has played defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles since joining them as a first-round draft pick from Michigan in 2013. Never has a felt better about being a part of their defensive scheme.

The Arizona Cardinals suffered a crushing blow when running back David Johnson suffered a wrist injury in Sunday’s season-opening loss against the Detroit Lions that required surgery. But Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is trying to stay optimistic.

Leonard Fournette was almost going to give up the ball after scoring his first NFL touchdown in helping the Jacksonville Jaguars’ to Sunday’s 29-7, season-opening victory against the Houston Texans. That is, until veteran defensive end Calais Campbell intervened.

The optimism about the Tennessee Titans’ fortunes for the 2017 season is mainly driven by their talent. For coach Mike Mularkey, there’s even more to his team.

After having their season-opener against the Miami Dolphins postponed until Nov. 19, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be — or at least hope to be — playing a home game in Week Two against the Chicago Bears. And by then, their starters would have had an extended break that, on one hand has its advantages — coupled with the fact the Bucs are home for three of their first four games — and on another could be disadvantage.
“I think the th

Pete Carroll is happy that Michael Bennett is able to find a diversion in his job, which is playing defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks.

Football is back, and that means SiriusXM is offering complete coverage of the 2017 NFL season on SiriusXM NFL Radio, as well as live broadcasts of every game of the season.

The ankle and knee injuries that bothered Russell Wilson in 2016 are no longer impediments to the quarterback or the Seattle Seahawks’ offense. Doug Baldwin, a veteran receiver for the Seahawks, has seen that first-hand through the preseason.

For the Denver Broncos, the key to preparing for their Sept. 11 season-opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football is to not study the opposing players.

It isn’t hard to figure out who got the better end of Friday’s trade that saw the New York Jets ship disgruntled defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for wide receiver Jermaine Kearse and a 2018 second-round draft pick.

The progress of the contract-extension negotiations between the Detroit Lions and Matthew Stafford was generally kept very quiet. And that is a tremendous source of pride for Lions General Manager Bob Quinn.

Brady Quinn thinks the Detroit Lions and their fans should also be pleased with the NFL-record, $135-million extension deal Matthew Stafford received on Monday.

For the Houston Texans, the devastation of Hurricane Harvey has been something players, coaches, and staff have observed from a safe distance. That doesn’t mean they aren’t connected with those who have been impacted by the vast amount of flooding.

Super Bowl champion quarterback and veteran broadcaster Phil Simms is joining SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio as an NFL analyst throughout the 2017 season.

Perhaps the 11th time will be the charm for Jerry Kramer. After 10 unsuccessful nominations for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the former standout offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers is, for the first time, a senior nominee.

Phil Simms isn’t the least bit surprised that Blake Bortles has flopped as a starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Lorenzo Alexander gets it. Buffalo Bills fans have suffered through a 17-year playoff drought and they haven’t seen a whole lot lately to convince them it’s about to end any time soon.

Cyrus Mehri thinks he’s in a great position to repair a “dysfunctional” relationship between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

Kurt Warner has thrown passes to some outstanding receivers. He completed enough of them for enough yards and touchdowns — while also winning a Super Bowl and receiving NFL and Super Bowl MVP honors — to have his bronze bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio has all the advice and insight you can handle as you prep for the new NFL season.

Appearances to the contrary, Anquan Boldin insists he had been giving his retirement as an NFL player plenty of thought. Sunday, however, it felt as if it came out of nowhere when, only two weeks after signing with the Buffalo Bills, the 36-year-old receiver announced he was walking away from the game.

Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers’ first-year coach, thinks quarterback Brian Hoyer has benefitted from all of the bouncing around he has done in his long NFL career and has shown it with his strong performance through training camp.

To help protect their investment in newly acquired wide receiver Sammy Watkins, the Rams are making sure that he’s wearing the best shoes possible to help prevent him from more foot issues like the ones he had with the Bills.

The goal never changes. As cornerback Richard Sherman explains, the Seattle Seahawks’ defense won’t settle for being good. It’s greatness … and nothing less.

Vance Joseph is Von Miller’s third coach since the linebacker joined the Denver Broncos as the second overall draft pick in 2011. How is Miller getting along with yet another new man in charge?

In the aftermath of squandering a 25-point lead to lose Super Bowl LI, coach Dan Quinn admittedly didn’t know what he would be facing when his team reported to training camp this summer.

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t the Zeke and Dak Show anymore. At least, not for the first six games of the 2017 NFL season.

Year after year, the NFL heard the feedback. Coaches, players, and fans demanded greater consistency in officiating. Finally, they’ve been heard.

Brock Osweiler didn’t allow his roller-coaster career to get the better of him, and now he finds himself starting the opening preseason game for his third team, the Cleveland Browns, Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints.

On the eve of being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kurt Warner explained to former head coach Dick Vermeil during a SiriusXM interview the attitude that took him from unlikely NFL pro to Super Bowl champion. While … Continued

Andy Dalton still feels the sting from the Cincinnati Bengals’ 6-9-1 finish in 2016.

Kirk Cousins insists he isn’t feeling any added pressure from playing the 2017 season with a franchise tag rather than having a long-term contract with the Washington Redskins.

J.J. Watt has waited a long time to get back on the field with the Houston Texans. And now that he’s going through training-camp practices and getting ready to play in Wednesday’s preseason-opener against the Carolina Panthers, the All-Pro defensive end is brimming with optimism.

Sam Bradford feels like he’s in a different world, let alone a different year. The whirlwind that was the trade that saw him go from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Minnesota Vikings a little more than a week before the start of the 2016 season is a memory he is happy to put behind him.

T.Y. Hilton has been highly productive through most of his five seasons as a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. The one statistical hurdle he has yet to clear, however, is catching 10 or more touchdown passes. He wants to change that.

San Diego Chargers coach Anthony Lynn can barely contain his excitement for his newly acquired backup quarterback, Cardale Jones.

Adrian Peterson admits that being a backup running back with his new team, the New Orleans Saints, is taking some adjustment. That’s understandable, given that Peterson established himself as one of the NFL’s best player at his position the past 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

Robert Kraft plans to carry his ring from the Patriots’ Super Bowl LI victory in his pocket until the 2017 season begins. After that, he’ll see whether his team can live up to the tremendous hype that it is poised to win a fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Victor Cruz spent seven seasons with the New York Giants, and during that time he had an up-close look at how a top-level quarterback operates on and off the field. Now, as a member of the Chicago Bears, the wide receiver is sharing those observations in hopes of helping with the development of his two new QBs: Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant has been looking forward to his heart-to-heart talk with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but former Steeler receiver Hines Ward doesn’t think the matter should have ever gone public in the first place.

Carson Palmer was just being honest. When running back David Johnson joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2015 as a third-round draft pick from Northern Iowa, Palmer didn’t envision him making the impact he has in such a short time.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But looming in the background is the NFL’s decision on what to do about Jones’ prized running back, Ezekiel Elliott, who faces potential discipline for domestic violence.

By signing with the Miami Dolphins just before the start of training camp practices Wednesday, Alterraun Verner insists he wasn’t as desperate as the timing might have made it seem.

Marvin Lewis doesn’t just look at the Cincinnati Bengals adding rookies this year to provide a boost to their overall talent. The coach sees “two kids that didn’t play last year” because of injury as bonus additions to make the team even stronger.

Find out when we visit your team – and your rivals.

Reggie Ragland’s rookie year in the NFL didn’t go anywhere close to what the Buffalo Bills linebacker expected.

New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie knows the pressure is on for the defense to live up to last year’s $200-million investment to make it stronger.

Bill Polian believes both sides benefitted from the Washington Redskins’ decision to keep a franchise tag on Kirk Cousins rather than signing him to a long-term contract.

Jerry Hughes’ top priority this offseason with the Buffalo Bills was to make sure he resolved “hamstring issues” that bothered him in 2016.

Quarterback Matt Ryan says the Falcons are still getting over their crushing Super Bowl loss against the Patriots.

Brady Quinn said on the SiriusXM Blitz that he sees David Gettleman as having done a lot more right than wrong as general manager of the Carolina Panthers.

When Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson was a quarterback in the league, he didn’t find meetings all that useful.

Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians believes in family first with his assistant coaches.

New Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier believes “less is more” and a more simplified scheme will reflect as much.

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker would like to hit the longest field goal in league history, a distinction Matt Prater holds after connecting from 64 yards in 2013 as a member of the Denver Broncos.

Eric Ebron knows this much about his coach and his quarterback — he wants them to continue to be with him for a long time on the Detroit Lions. The tight end also knows, in order for that to happen, … Continued

San Francisco 49ers receiver Pierre Garcon can’t understand why his former team, Washington, hasn’t made a long-term commitment to quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Dr. Harry Edwards strongly believes that if Colin Kaepernick wants to continue playing, an NFL team should willingly give him the chance to play.

Michael Brockers fully supports fellow Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s quest for a pay raise and thinks the team would be wise to give him one.

No one knew exactly when it would happen, but there was plenty of confidence among the top three picks in the Oakland Raiders’ 2014 draft that the team would eventually improve after they joined the roster.

Eagles offensive Frank Reich is realistic about the development of quarterback Carson Wentz, who is only entering his second NFL season.

Ronnie Lott is worried. Although he was disappointed by the decision, he understands that NFL owners saw a “much bigger” opportunity when they voted, 31-1, to allow the Raiders to make their eventual move from Oakland to Las Vegas. ‘I … Continued

Former Ravens linebacker Zach Orr had been planning his return from the retirement he began last January for month. And he has been training accordingly.

Others might have been stunned by Dak Prescott’s standout rookie season that allowed him to supplant Tony Romo as the Dallas Cowboys’ starting quarterback last year. But not Prescott.

Catch the two-hour special on SiriusXM NFL Radio throughout the Fourth of July weekend.

Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing made sure to specify that he wasn’t offering “the PR answer” to a question about his impressions of Marshawn Lynch during offseason practices.

Although the Steelers finished with a respectable 38 sacks, which tied them for ninth in the NFL in 2016, they knew they could do better. Ryan Shazier promises that will be the case this year.

Jeremy Kerley was part of a 2-14 season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 and he was still much happier than in 2015, his fifth and final year with the New York Jets.

Derek Carr’s big contract extension is just another reason for wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to be happy about joining the Oakland Raiders as a free agent.

Safety Tony Jefferson acknowledges he was initially apprehensive about leaving the Arizona Cardinals for the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.

Falcons running back Devonta Freeman expects to get a new contract commensurate with his strong production.

Rich McKay admits to being one of the main proponents of the NFL’s more rigid approach to enforcing rules meant to curb player celebrations.

Tramon Williams knew he wanted out of the Cleveland Browns last season. The veteran cornerback no longer could deal with the lack of stability in the organization.

Vince Wilfork isn’t sure if he’s finished with football. The veteran nose tackle has yet to announce his retirement, and is holding off because he still might want to continue playing.

Josh Norman had his reasons for recently describing his 2016 season as the best of his career.

It would be safe to assume Tom Savage isn’t happy that the Houston Texans decided to trade up in last April’s draft to select Deshaun Watson.

Entering his 15th NFL season, Terence Newman has become more than a highly experienced cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings.

Drew Brees expects Adrian Peterson to have plenty of motivation with the New Orleans Saints this season.

New York Giants safety Darian Thompson says he’s doing well in his recovery from a foot injury that eventually required surgery and limited him to only two games as a rookie last season.

In many ways, the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2016 season hinged on the availability of offensive tackle Lane Johnson.

Carson Palmer is 37 years old, which means the window of opportunity for the Arizona Cardinals to win a Super Bowl with him as their starting quarterback would figure to be nearly closed.

More than anything, it was the timing of the New York Jets’ release of linebacker David Harris that upset the player’s long-time agent.

So far, the Seattle Seahawks haven’t gone beyond kicking the tires on free agent Colin Kaepernick.

Jon Gruden got his start in coaching with the San Francisco 49ers. His first head-coaching job was with the Oakland Raiders. So his professional history in California is pretty extensive. ‘The state of California, I spent a lot of my … Continued

Jon Gruden joined SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday to talk about a number of topics, including the Raiders moving the team to Las Vegas, as well as whether or not he would ever return to coaching in the NFL.   … Continued

For Tyrell Williams, the Los Angeles Chargers couldn’t have done a whole lot better than make Anthony Lynn their new head coach. Williams is impressed with everything that Lynn, the former offensive coordinator and interim head coach of the Buffalo … Continued

With the Seattle Seahawks mired in controversy after an explosive piece in ESPN The Magazine revealed all sorts of acrimony within the team, questions linger about the atmosphere in the locker room.