ADRIAN PETERSON

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin said Wednesday he never intended to offend anyone for attending the Super Bowl wearing a jacket that critics deemed to feature an offensive depiction of Jesus.

Miami has the NFL’s No. 2 passing offense and sixth-best scoring offense thanks largely to the nearly unstoppable connection between Hill and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Two years after no team in the NFC East won more than seven games, all four have pulled off the trick with six weeks to go in the NFL's regular season.

The NFL’s overwhelming popularity just keeps on growing, no matter how many significant, unsavory off-field issues loom as its season enters its second half.

Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson was suspended for 11 games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy following accusations of sexual misconduct made against him by two dozen women in Texas when he played for Houston.

Russell Wilson played his best game since returning from finger surgery by throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns and the Seattle Seahawks made a late goal line stand to beat the San Francisco 49ers 30-23.

Kevin Byard returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown, and Tennessee’s defense carried the Titans to a 28-16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in a showdown between conference co-leaders.

Adrian Peterson says he stayed in shape and was ready when the Tennessee Titans called him.

They were once at the top of the NFL.

(AP Photo/Butch Dill)MINNEAPOLIS – Running back Dalvin Cook is not practicing with the Minnesota Vikings this week, due to the death of his father. Cook has a younger brother, James Cook, who is a running back for Georgia. He was picked for a second straight Pro Bowl, with 1,557 rushing yards, 361 receiving yards and 17 total touchdowns in 14 games. Cook’s absence will clinch a second consecutive rushing title for Tennessee’s Derrick Henry, who has a 220-yard lead on Cook. Cook has a slim lead on Henry atop the NFL with 1,918 total yards.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO – Darrell Bevell had a hard time processing everything from his first game as an NFL coach. They fired general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia while elevating Bevell, their offensive coordinator, to interim coach. But the Lions turned things around down the stretch, sending the Bears (5-7) to their sixth straight loss. The Lions came out on top after losing four of five, and Stafford gave Bevell the game ball.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) embrace after Tagovailoa throws his first touchdown pass during an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Margaret Bowles via AP)When the Dolphins leave the oceanfront and head to the desert to play the Cardinals on Sunday, it will be about more than Tua vs. Kyler. Tua Tagovailoa, as touted as any signal caller coming out of college in years, will make his second start for Miami. Henry has eight rushing touchdowns, finding the end zone in five straight games. The Patriots will try to avoid losing five straight games for the first time since 1995.

This was a victory the Detroit Lions probably needed more than they would admit. Detroit (2-3) made this one look easy, somewhat surprising considering the Lions had lost six straight in which they led by double digits. SOCIAL INJUSTICEAs they’ve done all season, players from Detroit and Jacksonville remained in their locker rooms for the national anthem. The Lions had 30 players lined up along the goal line for the anthem, with seven of them — including Stafford — taking a knee. UP NEXTThe Lions play next Sunday at Atlanta, which has won four of the last five meetings.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, left, looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)The Latest on Week 3 in the NFL (all times EDT):__8 p.m.Russell Wilson threw for 315 yards and five touchdowns without an interception as the Seattle Seahawks edged the Dallas Cowboys 38-31. -Tim Booth reporting from Seattle__6:15 p.m.Russell Wilson has thrown three touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett and the Seattle Seahawks have a 23-15 halftime lead over the Dallas Cowboys. Wilson capped his big first half with a 1-yard toss to Lockett with 7 seconds left in the half. Out of 48 NFL games so far in 2020, 10 have included paying customers.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford throws against the Chicago Bears in the first half of an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)DETROIT – Mitchell Trubisky perfectly lofted a 27-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Anthony Miller with 1:54 remaining and the Chicago Bears held on to beat the Detroit Lions 27-23 Sunday. Trubisky threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to help Chicago come back from a 17-point deficit. It looked familiar to Lions fans: Detroit opened last season by blowing an 18-point lead at Arizona and settling for a tie. Late in the game, Lions fans likely would've filled the facility with a chorus of boos.

Freeman is still unsigned as Week 1 of the NFL season begins. Several familiar names and players on roster bubbles took turns on the unemployment line with some finding new jobs. Adrian Peterson was cut last week by Washington, but quickly landed in Detroit. Here's a look at notable available players at each position:QUARTERBACKSBlake Bortles, Cody Kessler, DeShone Kizer, Trevor Siemian, Drew Stanton. WIDE RECEIVERSAntonio Brown, Dez Bryant, Mohamed Sanu, Hakeem Butler, Quincy Enunwa, Chester Rogers, Demaryius Thomas, Jermaine Kearse, Ryan Grant, Jordan Matthews, Laquon Treadwell.

DETROIT Adrian Peterson has agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Sunday because the agreement had not been announced. Peterson is 1,053 yards behind Lions great Barry Sanders for fourth on the career rushing list. At this stage of his career, Peterson may need his workload managed. ___Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Washington released veteran running back Adrian Peterson on Friday, a stunning move by first-year coach Ron Rivera in the name of getting younger. Rivera called Peterson early in the morning asking him to come to the practice facility, then delivered the news the team was moving on from the 35-year-old star. Peterson played the past two seasons with Washington, rushing for 1,940 yards and 12 touchdowns in the fourth stop of a career that will likely earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now, after Guice's release following a domestic violence arrest, he, Peterson and longtime third-down back Chris Thompson are all gone, and the backfield has a decidedly young look. This is a very talented, gifted young man that did a lot of different things, Rivera said Thursday.