NFL

Ezekiel Elliott wasn't sulking over the Cowboys heart-wrenching loss to the Packers on Sunday night ... he was PUMPED about the team's future ... Zeke's mom tells TMZ Sports.

We talked to Dawn Elliott, Zeke's mom, who says she was impressed with her son's optimism during a post-game dinner with Dak Prescott and his fam at Nick & Sam's steakhouse in Dallas.

Dawn says Zeke obviously wasn't happy with the L, but he wasn't totally crushed either ... 'cause he flat-out believes the Cowboys have a bright future.

"Zeke said the chemistry is great, and he thinks everyone is going to stick together. He thinks everyone will come back."

"They're young. They're looking forward. God willing everyone stays healthy. They'll be back."

As for people dumping on the Boys for failing to notch a playoff victory after their 13-3 season ... Dawn thinks that's nonsense.

"Good grief, the season wasn't a waste. You had 2 rookies and they won 13 games."

Bill Belichick says he isn't on "SnapFace" or "InstaChat" ... and therefore doesn't give a crap about the cyber-insults the Steelers spewed on social media.

The Patriots head coach appeared on WEEI in Boston and was asked to respond to Mike Tomlin calling his team "a-holes" during a locker room speech that was live streamed by Antonio Brown.

Future claims he didn't go to the Falcons-Seahawks game this weekend to spite Russell Wilson ... he's just a huge Falcons fan ... plain and simple.

Obviously, with the history between Future and Russ (and Ciara) -- it was verrrry interesting to see the rapper on the sidelines opposite the Seahawks QB at the NFL playoff game in ATL on Saturday.

But a source close to Future says the rapper is adamant his appearance was not meant to be a shot at his ex's husband.

We're told he's tight with a bunch of Falcons players -- especially stud receiver Julio Jones -- so that's why he was invited to the game ... and he'll probably go this coming Sunday too.

Our sources say Future and Ciara are cordially co-parenting their kid these days ... and Future isn't trying to rock the boat.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin called the Patriots a bunch of "assholes" during a locker room speech to his team ... a speech he didn't know Antonio Brown was streaming out on Facebook Live!!!

Hollywood star Kristin Chenoweth thinks Joe Mixon has done enough to earn a second chance at life ... saying his NFL future shouldn't be ruined because of his 2014 assault.

Ciara tried hitting Future where it hurts after he showed up at her hubby's football game.

She posted a pic of her and baby Future after the Seahawks lost to the Falcons 36-20. As we reported, Future showed up at the game, close to the field, as he cheered on Atlanta ... clearly hoping Seattle's QB Russell Wilson would notice.

Ciara captioned the pic, "No greater blessing than having family. We're proud of you @dangerusswilson."

Ex-KC Chiefs running back Larry Johnson says he knows what Tyreek Hill is going through as a guy with off-the-field legal issues ... but tells TMZ Sports he wants Hill to learn from his mistakes.

"I've lived through the same thing he's lived through," Johnson tells us ... "I just ran my second chances dry."

Of course, Johnson was a beast on the field -- but he was arrested multiple times during his career for incidents that included alleged violent run-ins with women.

As for Hill, he got in trouble before his NFL career began -- when he pleaded guilty to domestic violence against his pregnant girlfriend in 2015.

New L.A. Rams coach Sean McVay just got a HUGE endorsement from Kurt Warner -- who says McVay's age -- he's only 30 -- won't change how the guys in the locker room respect him.

Warner is no doubt the best QB in Rams franchise history, so when we got him at LAX we wanted to know what he thought about the organization bringing in the youngest head coach in NFL history.

A lot of people have said McVay's age will be an issue ... the thinking being there's no way a locker room full of NFL vets can take a coach seriously who's the same age as Drake.

Kurt, who's also a finalist for the Hall Of Fame this year ... doesn't agree with that at all and tells our camera guy authority and respect trump youth every time.

Mike McCarthy's team is hot ... his daughter is hotter.

Meet 25-year-old Alex Noel McCarthy -- whose father is the head coach of the Green Bay Packers.

She's an actress living in L.A. She's a pretty big Cheesehead. And she likes beer.

The NFL playoffs are in full swing ... which means it's time to make some freakin' money.

Here's pro sports bettor Brandon Lang with his go-to bet of the Divisional Round ... and he's expecting a high-scoring battle between Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Cowboys rookie Dak Prescott.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is torn about the team's decision to relocate to L.A. ... saying he's still numb from the news and that "it hasn't really settled in."

Rivers -- who's spent his entire 13 year career in San Diego -- gets emotional talking about the move, saying he's sad to leave the city ... but hopes fans still cheer for his team.

Dallas Cowboys DB Orlando Scandrick has a pre-game ritual that powers him up before a game ... he bangs it out ... so says his fiancee, Draya Michele.

We got Draya & Julissa Bermudez leaving Catch in L.A. when we asked her what the rules are on pre-game lovin' in the Scandrick-Michele house.

Some athletes -- especially boxers -- say a little booty weakens the knees ... and with a HUGE playoff game against the Packers coming up on Sunday, the Cowboys need all knees strong.

Draya promises Cowboys Nation her man will be tip-top, because she says their lovemaking is the magical elixir behind Scandrick's success ... and he dips into that elixir before every game he plays.

Check out the below vid ... you'd play better too.

Macklemore LOVES the Seahawks ... LOVES 'EM ... and he's got some musical advice to help them beat the Falcons this weekend -- BUMP RICK JAMES IN THE LOCKER ROOM!

In fact, the rapper specified which song they should play ... and it's an interesting choice.

Vince Young will NOT do any jail time for his 2016 DWI arrest ... but he will be on probation for the next year and a half.

The ex-NFL star was finally sentenced for his Jan. 24 arrest in Austin -- when cops say he was drifting across traffic with a blood alcohol level THREE TIMES the legal limit.

Now, we've learned 33-year-old Young cut a plea deal with prosecutors in which he pleaded no contest and in exchange he got 18 months probation and 60 hours of community service.

Young was also ordered to install an interlock alcohol monitoring system in his car for 9 months.

NY Giants WR Victor Cruz says he's not worried about Odell Beckham after his post-game hole-punching meltdown ... telling TMZ Sports, "He'll be back better than ever next year."

Cruz also says any insinuation that the famous boat party before the Packers game contributed to the loss is absolute crap.

He is, however, rooting for the Packers moving forward ... explaining, "You always wanna root for the team that beat you."

As for whether Cruz will return to the G-Men next year ... "We'll see."

Just play, baby.

Here's Oakland Raiders punter/swag god Marquette King busting out the Maroon 5 hit "Don't Wanna Know" on piano ... and killin' it.

It's not the first time King's gone viral for his musical talent ... he made headlines last year for his covers of "White Iverson" and "Sweet Love."