ATLANTA

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Josh Johnson’s Madden rating should get a bump after his first NFL start in seven years.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Tyler Bass found a way to top his last-play 50-yard field goal to end the first half.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank watched coach Dan Quinn offer explanations about another defeat. The boss then gave Quinn a hug before he walked out the door of a Lambeau Field media room.

ATLANTA

BOULDER, Colo. — New Colorado coach Mel Tucker took a tour of the football facilities with his two teenage sons.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Indianapolis Colts put the ball in Andrew Luck's hands. They probably should have trusted Adam Vinatieri's leg.

ATLANTA — Matt Ryan could find no easy answers after the Atlanta Falcons’ offense hit a new low in their fourth straight loss.

The College Football Playoff selection committee has spoken: Georgia is not among the four playoff teams and won’t have a chance to play for the national title.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jalen Ramsey reached out and briefly offered to help Andrew Luck off the ground , only to quickly withdraw his hand and walk away.

Faced with a tricky choice, the College Football Playoff selection committee played it safe and fell back on some simple criteria: One loss is better than two. Winning a conference championship is better than not. Go with the team that avoided getting blown out.

ATLANTA

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs released running back Kareem Hunt on Friday night after video surfaced that showed the NFL’s reigning rushing champion knocking over and kicking a woman in a Cleveland hotel hallway in February.

ATLANTA — Nick Saban and Kirby Smart posed stiffly behind the trophy, forcing smiles for the cameras.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — George Aston has felt the slights throughout his career. That’s why he’s not surprised so few give Pittsburgh any chance to topple No. 2 Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday night.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — This season’s first AFC South rematch looks like a mismatch.

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons must prepare for two quarterbacks as they await Sunday’s visit from the Baltimore Ravens.

ATLANTA — After the final whistle blew, the Atlanta players lingered in the middle of the pitch, doling out hugs and soaking up the cheers of more than 70,000 fans.

MONTGOMERY, Ala.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Once Leonard Fournette and the Jacksonville Jaguars lost their cool, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills took over.

CLEMSON, S.C. — Neither Clemson coach Dabo Swinney nor Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi sees the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game as a looming blowout, no matter how many others do.

Phil Mickelson beat Tiger Woods in overtime Friday in their $9 million pay-per-view match in Las Vegas that ended up free for many viewers because of technical problems.

HOUSTON — Robert “Bob” McNair, the man who brought football back to Houston after the Oilers left for Tennessee by founding the Texans, has died. He was 81.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey can criticize Buffalo rookie quarterback Josh Allen all he wants. The Bills aren’t taking the bait.

ATLANTA — Changes are being considered on Atlanta’s offensive line after Matt Ryan was sacked six times in the latest of the Falcons’ three straight losses.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Even if Dwayne Haskins Jr. never plays another down for Ohio State his name will live in Buckeyes lore.