CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is active and will start against the Buccaneers on Thursday night after being listed as questionable on the injury report with a back...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Panthers coach Ron Rivera says "there's no doubt in my mind" that Cam Newton will play in the team's regular season opener against the Rams.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (7-9)

New faces: DT Gerald McCoy, C Matt Paradis, DE Bruce Irvin, OLB Brian Burns, OT Greg Little, QB Will Grier, WR Chris Hogan.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Panthers coach Ron Rivera learned a valuable lesson when he took over defensive play-calling duties midway through last season: You can't afford to be predictable in today's...

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Bruce Irvin has wanted to play for the Atlanta Falcons since he was a kid.

Now that the seventh-year pass rusher is back home and about to make his Falcons debut, Irvin said he won't take this opportunity for granted.

It's a rebirth for a 31-year-old who acknowledges he made bad decisions as an Atlanta teenager and now gets a chance to rewrite his local legacy.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons made a move to bolster their lackluster pass rush by agreeing to a one-year deal with defensive end Bruce Irvin on Wednesday, reuniting the veteran with coach Dan Quinn.

Irvin, cut by the Oakland Raiders on Saturday, became a free agent after clearing waivers on Tuesday with $3.8 million remaining on his contract. The Falcons play at Cleveland on Sunday.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders waived Bruce Irvin on Saturday after the team's leading pass rusher had his playing time reduced significantly in recent weeks.

Irvin played just nine snaps in a 34-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. He will be subject to waivers and will be owed about $3.8 million for the rest of the season if he isn't claimed next week.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt has been fined $20,054 by the NFL for his hit on Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, and the Steelers linebacker says he will appeal it.

Watt rolled into the right leg of Ryan during the Steelers' 41-17 victory last Sunday and was called for roughing the passer. Watt, who had three sacks and was named the AFC defensive player of the week, said earlier in the week that he pulled his hands off the quarterback and that can be seen in the film.

Marshawn Lynch and Bruce Irvin helped win a Super Bowl in Seattle before becoming stalwarts in Oakland.

Sebastian Janikowski rewrote the record book for the Raiders before booming long kicks for the Seahawks.

Seattle defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and Oakland offensive line coach Tom Cable spent the past few seasons doing the same job with the other team.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks would be thrilled if Barkevious Mingo became the new version of what Bruce Irvin was during their championship run — strong on stopping the run in early downs, a threat as a rusher in passing situations.

Doing so would mean Mingo is finally meeting the expectations that came with being the No. 6 overall pick five years ago, which has happened only briefly during his first three stops in the NFL.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — When Bruce Irvin got a multimillion dollar signing bonus after being a first-round draft pick in 2012, the idea of getting his college degree was the last thing on his mind.

A former high school dropout who spent time in jail and dealing drugs while growing up in Atlanta, Irvin later decided to set an example for his 5-year-old son Brayden and show that he is more than just a professional athlete.

DALLAS (AP) — Bruce Irvin's first payday in free agency wasn't anywhere near what Oakland will have to offer to keep pass-rushing teammate and two-time All-Pro Khalil Mack.

The former first-round pick by Seattle qualifies as a high-value contributor just the same for a franchise that made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jarvis Landry's post-touchdown celebration in a game against New England last weekend came with a hefty price tag: The NFL fined the Miami Dolphins wide receiver $48,618.

Half the fine was for grabbing his crotch. The other half was for spiking his helmet after he bounced off a linebacker to score on an 8-yard catch just before halftime of Miami's 35-14 loss to the Patriots .

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — As Derek Carr fell to the turf with a broken leg, a celebratory day in Oakland immediately turned somber.

The Raiders had suffered their most significant loss of the season.

Carr broke a bone in his right leg in the fourth quarter of the Raiders' 33-25 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, immediately throwing a dark cloud over a resurgent season in Oakland.

"Seeing him go down like that, it hurt us," linebacker Bruce Irvin said. "It didn't even feel like we won."