BARRY WILNER
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) fumbles the ball as Denver Broncos' A.J. Johnson (45) tackles him during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Broncos recovered the ball on the play. The Broncos won 27-13. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Analysis: Takeaways can win games, giveaways lose them

By Barry Wilner an hour ago
So it's the day after an NFL game. Or the day before. Or the morning of.

Graphic shows NFL team matchups and predicts the winners in Week 2 action; 3c x 4 1/2 inches;
Coming off rough opening weekend, Pro Picks needs to rebound

By Barry Wilner Sep. 15, 2021 01:31 PM EDT
Opening week of the NFL season often includes upsets (Steelers, Dolphins), over

FILE - In this Dec. 19, 1948, file photo, Cleveland Browns fullback Marion Motley, right, stands with coach Paul Brown after a football game against Buffalo in Cleveland. Brown never saw color, and in 1946 he recruited Motley and Bill Willis for his Cleveland team in the All-America Football Conference. (AP Photo/Harold Valentine, File)
Forgotten First: A look at four (and more) NFL trailblazers

By Barry Wilner Sep. 14, 2021 02:11 PM EDT
In this era of racial reckoning, it's not only appropriate but significant that

FILE - In this April 7, 2019, file photo, Scotty McCreery arrives at the 54th annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. A decade ago, McCreery won “American Idol.” At age 17. So the country music star and huge NFL fan knows all about the pressure players face. Maybe even more so: Remember, as well as he might have performed on stage, fans across the country were casting votes for who would win the competition. Not exactly something in McCreery's control. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
Country star Scotty McCreery knows pressure NFL players face

By Barry Wilner Sep. 14, 2021 02:35 AM EDT
A decade ago, Scotty McCreery won “American Idol.” At age 17.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence stands on the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Houston. The Texans won 37-21. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Analysis: Some debuts rocky, others uplifting in NFL Week 1

By Barry Wilner Sep. 13, 2021 02:56 AM EDT
How difficult is achieving a successful debut in the NFL? Ask Urban Meyer and

FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2021, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches from the sideline during an NFL divisional round playoff football game against the Cleveland Browns in Kansas City, Mo. Putting together the NFL schedule might be as complex as space travel. All 32 teams have preferences, there are stadium and city issues to deal with, bye weeks to consider and, most importantly, attempting to avoid competitive imbalances. The two Week 1 highlight matchups have Cleveland at Kansas City and Pittsburgh at Buffalo, all potential powers in the AFC. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)
Analysis: NFL gets schedule right from the outset

By Barry Wilner Sep. 10, 2021 11:20 AM EDT
Putting together the NFL schedule might be as complex as space travel. All 32

FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, file photo, Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold warm ups before a preseason NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Charlotte, N.C. Darnold gears up to face his former team, the New York Jets, in the season opener on Sunday. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond, File)
Browns-Chiefs a juicy headliner for Week 1 of NFL schedule

By Barry Wilner Sep. 10, 2021 12:11 AM EDT
The Chiefs have been hanging with the NFL elite almost since Andy Reid arrived

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, center, throws a pass during workouts at the team's NFL football training facility in Frisco, Texas, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
As much focus on Dallas QB as on Tampa Bay's 44-year-old

By Barry Wilner Sep. 08, 2021 02:15 PM EDT
Hey, he's back! No, not Tom Brady, who's only 44 and as

FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, file photo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) hands off the ball during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Houston. (AP Photo/Justin Rex, File)
NFL 2021: AFC clearly the deeper, more powerful conference

By Barry Wilner Sep. 06, 2021 04:36 PM EDT
It's almost as if the NFL is emulating college football heading into the 2021

FILE - In this Aug. 13, 2021, file photo, Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard runs a drill during joint practice with the Carolina Panthers at the NFL team's football training camp in Westfield, Ind. The idea behind the HBCU Open House staged annually by the NFL is simple: providing opportunities. One emphasis of the programs is making HBCU students and alumni aware of positions on the business side of the game. The vast majority of students won't be emulating Darius Leonard, the Colts' All-Pro linebacker from MEAC's South Carolina State. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
HBCUs and NFL partnering to advance football opportunities

By Barry Wilner Sep. 04, 2021 02:04 AM EDT
The idea behind the HBCU Open House staged annually by the NFL is simple:

FILE- In this Sept. 8, 2019, file photo, former NFL official Mike Pereira walks across the field before a football game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. While the NFL rightfully boasts about a player vaccination rate above 93%, the other folks on the field for games, the officials, are nearly at 100%. According to the league, the 121 officials are 99% vaccinated, which should make their jobs a bit easier, says former NFL officiating chief Mike Pereira. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File)
Pereira encouraged by NFL officials' vaccination rates

By Barry Wilner Sep. 03, 2021 02:23 AM EDT
While the NFL rightfully boasts about a player vaccination rate above 93%, the

FILE - In this March 30, 2004, file photo, National Football League commissioner Paul Tagliabue smiles at a reporter questions during the NFL annual meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. Tagliabue's new memoir “Jersey City to America's Game,” sticks to his journey and lets the facts speak for him. It's a terrific ride, a look into the inner workings of the nation's most popular sport. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell)
Tagliabue memoir a strong look into the NFL's inner workings

By Barry Wilner Aug. 30, 2021 03:40 AM EDT
Paul Tagliabue left his job as commissioner of the NFL in 2006 and didn't get

FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, file photo, a Philadelphia Eagles' player runs back to the locker room before a preseason NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Philadelphia. The NFL has mandated that only fully vaccinated personnel, with a maximum of 50 people, will have access to locker rooms while players are present on game days. Players are not required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but the NFL has reported that more than 90% of them are. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz, File)
Only vaccinated personnel in locker rooms on NFL game days

By Barry Wilner Aug. 25, 2021 11:04 AM EDT
The NFL has mandated that only fully vaccinated personnel, with a maximum of 50

Peyton Manning, left, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021, and his presenter and father Archie Manning unveil a bust of Peyton during the induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Peyton's Place is Hall of Fame, with Woodson, Megatron

By Barry Wilner Aug. 08, 2021 10:00 PM EDT
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Peyton's Place is now in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of

Isaac Bruce, right, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class, poses with his presenter, Sam Bruce, during the induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane, Pool)
Hall of Fame class has something for everybody

By Barry Wilner Aug. 07, 2021 10:40 PM EDT
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — From bone-rattling tacklers Troy Polamalu, Steve Atwater

Hall of Fame unveils exhibit dedicated to founding owners

By Barry Wilner Aug. 07, 2021 12:07 PM EDT
A hundred years in the making, the Founders Exhibit was unveiled Saturday at

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2020 file photo, Hall of Fame class of 2020 Troy Polamalu speaks at the NFL Honors football award show in Miami. The roster of men entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend of Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, features everything from the prolific passer, to the dominant defender, and not to mention coaches. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
Hall of Fame inductions roster is something to marvel at

By Barry Wilner Aug. 06, 2021 03:38 PM EDT
Take a look at this roster: Peyton

Dallas Cowboys defensive back Darian Thompson (23) breaks up a pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool (11) during the first half of the Pro Football Hall of Fame NFL preseason game Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Steelers use strong 2nd half to beat Cowboys 16-3

By Barry Wilner Aug. 05, 2021 10:59 PM EDT
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers followed a stumbling first half

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2021, file photo, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense, left, gets set at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs defense during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game in Tampa, Fla. As COVID-19 and Delta variant positives increase across America, the NFL kicks off its first preseason since 2019 expecting the usual crowds. The league says more than 90% of its players have either begun or concluded the vaccination process. Nine teams have more than 95% of their players vaccinated, while a total of 27 teams is above 85%. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano, File)
Analysis: NFL kicks off amid nation's rising COVID-19 rates

By Barry Wilner Aug. 05, 2021 02:15 PM EDT
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — As COVID-19 and Delta variant positives increase across

FILE - In this March 26, 2018, file photo, Al Riveron, NFL senior vice president of officiating, answers a question from a reporter during a news conference announcing rules changes at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Fla. Riveron, a Cuban who became the league's first Hispanic referee, is retiring Friday, Aug. 6, 2021. Riveron worked as an on-field official for nine years and became a member of the NFL's officiating staff in 2013. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Images for NFL, File)
Officiating head Al Riveron, NFL's 1st Hispanic ref, retires

By Barry Wilner Aug. 05, 2021 01:18 PM EDT
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — NFL officiating chief Al Riveron, a Cuban who became the