Texans' Chris Conley: Still nursing knee issue

The story of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game is getting very muddied for many reasons. Over the next few days and weeks, NFL fans around the country will discuss the officiating of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s quite simple to understand why. These...

After Brock Purdy's miracle run from being the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to starting in a conference championship game was derailed on the San Francisco 49ers' opening drive with an injury to his elbow, and fourth-string journeyman Josh Johnson was knocked of the game with a concussion, all Jimmy Garoppolo, could do was shake his head on the sideline and think about what might have been. Garoppolo, the quarterback who helped lead the team to an appearance in Super Bowl LIV, could only watch the season-ending 31-7 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, with his 49ers falling one game short of the Super Bowl.

For all the back-forth-banter between their teams, there is apparently nothing but respect when it comes to Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. Mahomes made a point to find Burrow after the Chiefs' dramatic 23-20 win in Sunday's AFC title game. Mahomes' initial comments to Burrow were an indication of the respect the MVP has for his younger counterpart, and vice versa.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles have been in the NFL since its inception. The two teams even briefly combined forces during World War II and called themselves the Steagles. The players and coaches didn’t like it then and the two fan bases don’t like each other now. Fans from the same state rarely get along and the vitriol was on display after the Eagles made their second Super Bowl in five seasons.

The Denver Broncos wanted to make a splash when hiring their next head coach, and they have done just that. Sean Payton has reached an agreement to become the head coach of the Broncos, according to multiple reports. The Broncos have agreed to a compensation package with the New Orleans Saints, who previously held Payton’s... The post Sean Payton lands head coach job appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

At the age of 27, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is heading to his third Super Bowl after the Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Sunday's AFC title game. As a front-runner for the NFL MVP award, he could also do something that has not been done since he was 4 years old -- win the league MVP and Super Bowl in the same year.

Urban Meyer's short-lived tenure as Jaguars head coach did not go well. But the former Florida and Ohio State national champion still holds Jacksonville in high regard. Joining Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden on CBS Sports' "All Things Covered" Tuesday, Meyer praised the Jaguars' improved personnel and had even loftier remarks about quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The Super Bowl LVII matchup is set, as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in Glendale, Arizona on Feb. 12. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have played on this stage before, while the Eagles are back in the Big Game for the first time since the 2017 season thanks to Jalen Hurts and the ferocious Eagles defense.

In the lead-up to the AFC title game, one of the big storylines was about how the Cincinnati Bengals had made Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium their home, having defeated the Chiefs there in last year's AFC championship. The Bengals themselves went so far as to call it "Burrowhead Stadium" at the tail end of their victory over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round.

Watson (illness) is inactive for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals. Watson caught his lone target for 12 yards across 37 offensive snaps during the Chiefs' divisional-round win over the Jaguars, but he won't be able to play Sunday due to an illness that surfaced late in the week. In Watson's absence, Skyy Moore will be a candidate for increased snaps behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Mecole Hardman.

Pippen did not play in Sunday's 152-118 win over the G League Warriors with a concussion. Pippen missed Sunday's contest after being placed in concussion protocols. However, his usual scoring impact was not missed by South Bay as the team dominated Santa Cruz. It's unclear when Pippen will clear protocols, but his next chance to play will come Wednesday.

Mixon rushed eight times for 19 yards and caught all three of his targets for 15 yards in Sunday's 23-20 AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs. With Cincinnati's offensive line needing all the blocking help it could get against Kansas City's pass rush, Mixon ceded significant playing time to superior blocker Samaje Perine, who had 26 yards from scrimmage on eight touches, including a two-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter. It was a disappointing ending to an up-and-down season for Mixon, who had five total touchdowns in Week 9 against the Panthers but only five TDs in 16 other appearances between the regular season and playoffs. Mixon has two years remaining on his deal with the Bengals, while Perine is set to be an unrestricted free agent.

Andersen will patrol the home crease Sunday against Boston, Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer reports. Andersen will play for the first time since leaving Wednesday's game against Dallas after the first period with an upper-body injury, though he was able to serve as Antti Raanta's backup Friday versus San Jose. Andersen has a 9-3-0 record this season with a 2.49 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 13 appearances. Boston is tied for first in the league with 3.76 goals per game.

The Jets signed Spencer to a reserve/future deal Tuesday. Spencer bounced on and off the Jets' practice squad all year, but he was never elevated to the active roster. With his new contract, the fourth-year return man will stick with New York's organization and have a chance to compete for a larger role during the offseason.

The 2023 NFL Draft is less than three months away. CBSSports.com explores how teams with two first-round selections could approach Thursday night, with the intention of exploring the same topic closer to draft night to see how the thought process may have changed. Detroit Lions: Nos. 6 and 18 overall.

The Dallas Cowboys had a top five scoring offense in 2022. The unit averaged 27.5 points points per game -- the fourth-most in the NFL -- yet someone on the offensive side of the ball had to take responsibility for the team's latest playoff defeat, a 19-12 divisional round loss to the second-seeded San Francisco 49ers. Quarterback Dak Prescott co-leading the NFL with 15 interceptions alongside Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills despite missing five games with a right thumb injury probably didn't make owner and general manager Jerry Jones all too happy either. Prescott became the first player in NFL history to lead or co-lead the NFL in picks despite missing five or more games.

Goins signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Tuesday. It's something of a homecoming for Goins, who played for the Royals in 2018. Goins has spent each of the last two seasons at Triple-A Gwinnett in the Braves organization and is likely headed to Triple-A Omaha to start 2023. The veteran infielder will turn 35 in a couple weeks.

Ingram has been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Bucks due to left toe injury management, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports. Ingram has appeared in back-to-back games following a two-month absence due to a toe injury, but he'll be sidelined for the second half of New Orleans' current back-to-back set to manage his workload. Barring a setback, it's safe to presume Ingram will return to action Tuesday in Denver. Meanwhile, CJ McCollum (thumb) has also been ruled out Sunday, so Jose Alvarado, Devonte' Graham and Kira Lewis are all candidates for increased roles against the Bucks.

McCollum (thumb) is off the injury report ahead of Tuesday's game in Denver. McCollum missed Sunday's game with a sprained right thumb but will be back in the starting lineup Tuesday alongside Brandon Ingram (toe). His return will likely take opportunities away from Jose Alvarado, Kira Lewis and Devonte' Graham. In the month of January, McCollum has averaged 24.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds across 35.3 minutes per game.

Saucedo was claimed off waivers by the Mariners on Tuesday. Saucedo had been designated for assignment by the Mets last week following the completion of a free-agent agreement with outfielder Tommy Pham. The 29-year-old left-hander allowed four earned runs in just 2.2 major-league innings last season with the Blue Jays, who cut him loose in November.