NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

The return of Kliff Kingsbury?  Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com:

Former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is expected to interview for the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator opening, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.

Kingsbury is the ninth known candidate the Bears have requested to interview, joining a list that includes Shane Waldron, Greg Olson, Klint Kubiak, Liam Coen, Greg Roman, Thomas Brown, Marcus Brady and Zac Robinson.

The Bears fired former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and four members of the offensive staff Jan. 10 and began their search for a replacement immediately. Chicago ranked second in rushing but 27th in passing offense in 2023.

Kingsbury, who was fired by the Cardinals after four seasons (2019-2022), returned to the college ranks in 2023 as a senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach for USC. Caleb Williams, the former Trojans quarterback who declared for the NFL draft this week, is projected to be the first player taken.

NFC EAST

DALLAS

Mike McCarthy survived as head coach after a three-hour meeting with Jerry Jones.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and owner Jerry Jones had a lengthy meeting to hash out Sunday’s blowout loss to the Packers before Jones confirmed that McCarthy would be back to coach his team in 2024.

McCarthy said today that he and Jones talked about where the Cowboys are and where they’re going, with a heavy emphasis on why Sunday’s game went so badly.

“It was a long meeting, I think we went probably a little past three hours, we talked about a number of topics, the first topic was obviously the disappointment of the ending of the season,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy acknowledged that the results on Sunday were nowhere near good enough.

“One team played to their standard and the other didn’t. Unfortunately, we didn’t. So I’m very disappointed in our performance, just not playing to our standard,” McCarthy said.

Still, McCarthy said he’s confident in the direction of the Cowboys. Jones has given him job security, and now he needs to get to work on trying to build a team that will still be alive in the playoffs a year from now.

Ed Werder of ESPN.com is among those reporting that DC Dan Quinn will be back in 2024 if he fails to land a head coaching job.  He has five HC interviews scheduled.

– – –

Todd Archer of ESPN.com says QB DAK PRESCOTT has emerged as Tony Romo’s heir – and not the heir to Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman.

The career arcs of Dak Prescott and Tony Romo have become so similar they have essentially become the same Dallas Cowboys quarterback.

Each showed outstanding regular-season success but left lingering questions in the playoffs.

They were teammates for one season, 2016, when the rookie Prescott took over after Romo suffered a preseason back injury. Prescott has held the job ever since.

They share a beloved underdog narrative: Romo as an undrafted free agent, Prescott as a fourth-round pick. They were selected for multiple Pro Bowls. They set team records. They used the power of their position with “America’s Team” to become household names.

But neither has done what Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman did by winning Super Bowls, which ties Prescott and Romo together even more.

Romo had a 2-4 playoff record. Prescott’s stands at 2-5 after Sunday’s 48-32 demolition by the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round.

Romo had three chances to advance to an NFC Championship Game (2007, 2009, 2014) and never got there. Prescott’s chance at a fourth try was wiped out by the Packers after missed chances in 2016, 2018 and 2022.

“It’s not fair to put it all on Dak or Tony,” one former teammate of both said. “Everyone needed to get it done.”

Although that is true, the Cowboys’ quarterback bears the brunt of the responsibility.

SINCE 1980, KEN Anderson is the only quarterback to be his team’s starter for more consecutive seasons than Prescott will have in 2024 (nine) before going to a Super Bowl for the first time. He was in his 10th season as the Cincinnati Bengals’ starter in 1981.

Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan made their first Super Bowl appearances in their ninth seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons, respectively. Manning had won two NFL MVPs before getting to his first Super Bowl in 2006 and had to contend with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots’ dynasty.

“Some guys, like Troy, it does happen right away and you win championships,” said executive vice president Stephen Jones about Aikman’s first Super Bowl coming in his fourth season. “[Patrick] Mahomes, guys like that, it happens for them.

“But there’s other guys that sometimes it just takes time to keep learning the game, keep getting better. Certainly I think Dak fits in that category, and I think Tony was in that category before the injuries.”

Age favors Prescott’s opportunity for at least another run.

Romo was 34 for his final chance in 2014, his last full season, with a body that was faltering mainly because of back issues that required multiple surgeries.

While the lasting memory from that 26-21 divisional round loss to the Packers is the overturned catch from Dez Bryant late in the fourth quarter, there was one of Romo that day too. About an hour after that stinging defeat in numbing temperatures outside Lambeau Field, he shared a long hug with his family before getting on the team bus, as if he knew he would not get a better chance.

Prescott turns 31 in July and played every game this season for the first time since 2019, while leading the NFL in touchdown passes (36). Like Romo, he has suffered serious injuries, such as a dislocated and fractured right ankle in 2020 and a broken right thumb that forced him to miss five games in 2022, but he believes his off-field habits have made him stronger and more durable.

“You’re always looking at greats and what they’re doing, and you see guys like LeBron [James], Tom Brady, have these methods and spend millions of dollars on their body each year, and you wonder why,” Prescott said. “And it’s obvious when they’re playing as long as they played at such a high level that that’s what they need to do to feel comfortable.”

THE BIG QUESTION for the Cowboys regarding Prescott this offseason is not health, but contract.

He is about to enter the final year of his deal and will count $59.4 million against the 2024 salary cap. Dallas’ options this offseason include:

Extending Prescott’s contract, which would make him among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL but give them space to retain their own players or add free agents.

Simply playing out Prescott’s final year, knowing they cannot use the franchise tag on him in 2025, which would make him an unrestricted free agent.

Adding more voidable years to his contract to make his 2024 cap number more palatable, while also knowing they will add more dead money against the cap in future years.

In 2013, the Cowboys faced a similar contractual dilemma with Romo. They could not place the franchise tag on him due to contractual language, and he signed a six-year, $108 million extension through 2019 that included $40 million in guaranteed money. At the time of the signing, the $18 million annual average made Romo the sixth-highest-paid quarterback.

Like Romo then, Prescott now holds leverage in the negotiations — although, unlike 2013, the Cowboys have a young quarterback who intrigues them in 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, whom they acquired from the San Francisco 49ers early this season for a fourth-round draft pick. Lance, 23, did not take a snap this season and has 102 career pass attempts.

Three years ago, Prescott outlasted the Cowboys in contract talks, turning one year of playing on the franchise tag into a four-year, $160 million deal that included $126 million guaranteed despite coming off the serious ankle injury. His $40 million annual average currently has him tied for 10th among the highest-paid quarterbacks.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones, as well as Stephen Jones, have said they envision Prescott being the Cowboys’ starter well into the future.

But will that future include a Super Bowl appearance?

JERRY JONES SAID his biggest regret as owner and general manager is not winning a Super Bowl with Romo as quarterback. After beating the Philadelphia Eagles in December, Jones said he would be “equally” disappointed if Prescott doesn’t get to a Super Bowl.

“Dak is a player who is qualified in every way to have a Super Bowl in his career,” Jones said then.

PHILADELPHIA

QB JALEN HURTS needs to adapt, as teams are timing up his fastball. Nate Tice ofYahooSports.com:

Some fixes for Hurts and the Eagles’ offense

When I watch this Eagles offense, the lack of answers against the blitz is what I think has to be sorted out this offseason. By both the play designers and quarterback.

Their plays have to show more variety in third-down situations, Hurts has to become more consistent in finding answers post-snap (he is still too reliant on his pre-snap reads for a player with 51 starts). This is before even considering that one of Philly’s best answers, the brain of Jason Kelce, might be heading off into a well-deserved retirement and Canton in about five years. Kelce’s leadership is one thing and his ability to move in the run game is another, but Kelce also handles the pre-snap protection calls for this Eagles offense, with Hurts not having (or at least never using) a veto ability to adjust the protection based on what he sees. It’s something that I would love to see Hurts take more ownership over, especially considering his role on the team (and his ever-increasing contract hits). He might not have to be the one pointing it out to start, but adjusting when he sees the need to will help him get the entire offense on the same page against these exotic looks.

The Eagles drafted Cam Jurgens in 2022, who started at right guard this season, as Kelce’s successor at the pivot position. It’s a testament to the Eagles’ team-building for having a succession plan in place but also an indication of a brand new era in Philadelphia (since Hurts doesn’t use a cadence, Kelce’s head bob has also been the play starter for the Eagles’ offense for years).

Considering the inconsistency this offense has whenever defenses bring blitzes and the impact Kelce has in keeping it afloat, it has me anxious to see what unfolds in the future when Hurts gets heat. Keeping plays alive and giving teammates chances to make big plays is a great ability, but playing quarterback in the NFL is more about what you can do within the planned confines of the play. Keeping the floor of play high so the offense can stay in rhythm and on-schedule and then allowing the quarterbacks to use their talents to lift the ceiling of the operation and break glass in case of emergency when needed. Hurts so often leaves clean pockets with Kelce, Dickerson, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata still in the lineup. What happens when that offensive line is more above-average (or worse) rather than its typically elite self under offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland? Can Hurts speed up his clock to overcome the blemishes if (and when) the personnel around him dips?

There are times Hurts shows that ability to stand in the face of pressure and progress on throws or find something over the juicy middle area of the field, but it has been few and far between so far in his career. Only 4% of Hurts’ throws this season traveled 10-22 air yards and between the numbers when he was blitzed, meaning 96% of his throws were short and/or to the outside, allowing defenses to rally to the ball or use the sideline as an extra defender (watch those clips against the Bucs). That figure is last among qualifying quarterbacks this season, and is less than half of the league average of 9.6%.

This is an aspect that has to improve for Hurts, and something he has to live up to in his contract. Throwing over the middle for quarterbacks is like shooting 3-pointers for an NBA player. Without that space created by attacking that particular area, it becomes too tight for other parts of the offense to operate once playoff time rolls around. Becoming more consistent in this area, creating even more possibilities for explosive gains and taking it to defenses when they are attempting to knock the offense off-schedule is the best way to make them stop doing it and get this offense to open back up. Bullying the bully into submission and more basic looks, bopping them on the nose with another throw between the hash as they chase the pass catcher for another first down.

The Eagles have a ton of questions to figure out on both sides of the ball. Some of that revamping was expected, even from the most optimistic viewpoint, but more questions have started to present themselves as this season unfolded. Once they have solidified everything this offseason (now that Siranni is apparently on shaky ground), solving the issues of the previous sins of this offense, adding layers and challenging their past principles, while also braving a post-Kelce world, will get Hurts and this offense back on a track to letting their fans belt out “Go Birds” at every possible juncture.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

The first interview must have gone well. Justin Terranova in the New York Post:

Bill Belichick could be getting closer to finding his next team.

The Falcons and Belichick will have a second interview this weekend after the legendary coach met with team owner Arthur Blank on Monday night, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported.

“Things are ramping up with the greatest coach of all time…” Rapoport wrote on X.

Falcons GM Terry Fontenot and CEO Rich McKay are expected to be a part of the second meeting.

Belichick and the Patriots parted ways last week after a disastrous 4-13 season put a sour ending on a 24-year run that included six Super Bowl victories.

New England moved quickly to promote linebackers coach Jerod Mayo to replace Belichick.

It never appeared that Belichick, 71, would retire, and he is moving almost as quickly as the Patriots did with his next steps.

Belichick has not interviewed with any other teams thus far.

The Commanders, Chargers and Cowboys — who decided to retain Mike McCarthy despite the team’s playoff flop — have all been considered possibilities.

“There are so many fond memories and thoughts that I think about the Patriots. I’ll always be a Patriot,” Belichick said in his final Patriots press conference.

TAMPA BAY

A Lions DB throws some shade at QB BAKER MAYFILD who jabs back.  Jenna Laine ofESPN.com:

– Baker Mayfield responded to Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s remarks this week that the Buccaneers are without a good quarterback, telling him he needs to brush up on his film study.

When asked about preparing for the Rams last week, Gardner-Johnson said via the Detroit Free Press, “This group probably is one of the better groups we done faced all year, besides that Tampa group. If you give that Tampa group a good quarterback, that’s a great group. Evans, Godwin, [Russell] Gage, that’s a great group. I played against them for real.”

Mayfield responded Wednesday, “I don’t think he’s really watched film because he mentioned Russell Gage. We love Russell but Russell hasn’t played a snap all year for us.”

Gage suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon in his right knee during a joint training camp practice with the New York Jets, with wide receivers Trey Palmer, David Moore and Deven Thompkins filling the void. Mayfield, who signed with the Bucs this offseason on a one-year deal in the wake of Tom Brady’s retirement, led the Bucs to a 9-8 record and an NFC South title, with a convincing 32-9 victory over the Eagles in the wild-card round Monday night.

Mayfield, who’s now 2-1 all time in the postseason, brushed it off and said he was eager to face the Lions’ talented safety whose penchant for trash talk is well known. At times, Gardner-Johnson’s trash talk has escalated. In 2021 alone, he was punched by three different receivers. Gardner-Johnson missed the Lions’ 20-6 victory over the Bucs in Tampa in Week 6 due to a torn pectoral muscle.

“He must be going off of preseason stuff that the media was talking about,” Mayfield said. “I’m excited to see him. I think he’s a really good player. He has been for a while. He’s been an impactful guy on every team he’s been on,” Mayfield said. “So, he’s a good player, but yeah … just got to do a little bit more film study.”

– – –

For the record, here is Oliver Salt of the Daily Mail on the freezing cold take of a mysterious reporter:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles was left baffled after being asked by a reporter about combatting the cold in Detroit this weekend – despite the fact their NFL playoff game will be held indoors.

The Bucs are set to face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday evening after dismantling the Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 to reach the Divisional Round of this season’s playoffs.

Weather proved one of the biggest talking points of the Wild Card Round, with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins competing in a freezing wind chill of -30 degrees last weekend – one of the coldest NFL games in history.

The Buffalo Bills’ clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers was also postponed and moved from Sunday to Monday amid a dangerous snowstorm in New York.

The Lions have played their home games in a dome since 1975, moving to Ford Field (pictured) in 2002 after 37 years at the indoor Pontiac Silverdome

As a result, one reporter decided to quiz Bowles about the prospect of playing in 13 degrees in Detroit on Sunday, a far cry from the 60-degree heat of Tampa.

Yet embarrassingly, they had forgotten one crucial detail when fielding the question: the Lions have played football in a dome since 1975.

‘You do know we play indoors right? They got a dome,’ Bowles told the reporter.

After looking puzzled, the Bucs coach then added: ‘No, nothing planned. We’re indoors. We only have to be outside for 20 seconds getting off the bus and going under the thing. So we’ll be ok.’

Some have written that Bowles put the reporter, who sounds female, down with his response, but most think he was gentle and respectful.

In a show of media solidarity, the identity of the reporter has gone into the witness protection program.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com on a slew of front office changes in Arizona – from the CFO to members of the social media team:

A day before the Arizona Cardinals moved the majority of their non-football operations out of their longtime practice facility and into a nearby workspace Wednesday, they fired three high-ranking employees at the vice president level or above, sources told ESPN.

In all, there were under 10 departures throughout various departments on the business side, a team spokesperson told ESPN.

Chief financial officer Greg Lee, who had been in that position for almost 15 of his nearly 18 years with the team, was the highest-ranking executive to be fired, sources told ESPN. Mike Iaquinta, the vice president of business development who had been with the team for 15 years, and Tim Delaney, the vice president of digital content and creative who was a 16-year veteran, also are out, sources said.

Steve Ryan, the Cardinals’ senior vice president for corporate partnerships, will leave on his own later this offseason after 20 years with the team, the team spokesperson told ESPN.

The exits also included two members of the Cardinals’ social media team, sources said.

The team held a meeting with its business development, content and marketing departments in the auditorium of the practice facility Tuesday, when the employees who were moving to the new facility had already packed their desks, sources told ESPN. During the meeting, the message from new chief operating officer Jeremy Walls was that the jobs of those employees in attendance were safe, sources said.

Walls, in an email obtained by ESPN that was sent minutes before that meeting, said the Cardinals have made “important changes and updates” over the past year after studying the organization and identifying ways to “modernize our approach, strengthen our culture, invest in our people and provide clarity for the future.”

In the email, Walls called the changes — the new facility and laying off the employees — a “new beginning” for the team. He also said he’s confident the Cardinals’ organization will “be at its peak when we all come together as a team, which starts now.”

The moves come five months after Arizona hired Walls in August and more than two months after ESPN’s investigation into the toxic workplace culture that current and former employees found to be abusive and intimidating due, in part, to owner Michael Bidwill.

Walls directed an internal audit of the non-football departments that a team spokesperson described as a “thorough review.”

That led to the restructuring of the non-football side, which added seven new departments while renaming another, according to an examination of the team website since October. The Cardinals have hired more than 40 employees in recent weeks and are set to hire more in the near future.

In August, Forbes listed the Cardinals as the 29th most valuable franchise in the NFL, worth $3.8 billion with $500 million in revenue and $83 million in operating income.

Walls came to the Cardinals in August after 10 years with the Miami Dolphins, most recently as senior vice president, chief revenue officer since 2020.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

He’s no Tom Brady yet (no one is), but QB PATRICK MAHOMES is higher on the list of postseason QB wins than you might think:

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won the 12th postseason game of his career last weekend, and if he makes it 13 on Sunday against the Bills, he’ll join a very short list of quarterbacks who have accomplished that in NFL history.

Only seven quarterbacks in NFL history have 13 or more playoff wins, and if Mahomes gets to 13, he’ll tie Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger, each of whom retired with 13 postseason wins, as the eighth member of that group.

A win on Sunday would give Mahomes the opportunity to win his 14th postseason game in the AFC Championship Game. That would move him into a tie with Terry Bradshaw, John Elway and Peyton Manning for the third-most postseason wins in NFL history.

And if Mahomes and the Chiefs win the Super Bowl, it would be Mahomes’ 15th postseason win, giving him third place all-time all to himself. Mahomes would then be just one win behind Joe Montana, who retired with 16 postseason wins, for the second-most in NFL history.

Mahomes still isn’t even halfway to Tom Brady’s NFL record of 35 postseason wins.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

QB LAMAR JACKSON has had a fine regular season and maybe won a 2^nd MVP.  But now, it’s the playoffs and he hasn’t been too good there.  Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic:

Lamar Jackson doesn’t spend a whole lot of time reminiscing, but as he studied film in preparation for the Ravens’ Week 15 matchup with Jacksonville and honed in on Jaguars cornerback Darious Williams, he found himself thinking back to his rookie year in 2018.

Williams, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, was part of Jackson’s rookie class in Baltimore. So, too, were Hayden Hurst, Orlando Brown Jr., DeShon Elliott, Bradley Bozeman, Anthony Averett and Zach Sieler, all of whom are now two seasons or more removed from playing for the Ravens.

“I remember coming into the building with all of those guys. Now, it’s just like me, Gus (Edwards) and Mark (Andrews). We had so many guys. It was incredible, man. They’re all around the league right now and we’re not in the same locker room anymore. It’s crazy,” Jackson said in a recent interview with The Athletic.

“It made me sit back and realize, ‘Damn, I’m getting older. I’ve got to get a championship now.’ That’s one of the reasons I’m stressing that I need to win it. I’m not getting any younger. It’s best to win it now.”

Since the moment Jackson held up a Ravens jersey for the first time on draft night and declared that “they’re going to get a Super Bowl out of me,” winning the sport’s biggest team prize has been an obsession for the quarterback. His teammates say that he talks about it constantly. They’ve also said over the past few weeks that they’ve never seen Jackson so locked in on a goal.

Jackson just turned 27 and, yet, there’s only one thing missing from his resume. He’s won a Heisman Trophy and made multiple Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams. He agreed to a contract extension in April of last year that temporarily made him the highest-paid player in the history of the sport. He already has one MVP award, and he’s a few weeks away from potentially winning another. The Ravens have won 58 of the 77 regular-season games that Jackson has started over the past six seasons.

Yet, the one blemish on his young career — and his critics are quick to point it out — is his 1-3 record and seven turnovers in four postseason games. The Ravens haven’t been able to get out of the divisional round with Jackson as their quarterback. Their latest opportunity comes Saturday afternoon against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium.

“I think it’s safe to say that Lamar hasn’t done great, or the team hasn’t done great with him as the quarterback in the playoffs,” said Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, an analyst for NFL Network. “When you’ve got the No. 1 seed and things laid out in front of you, I think there’s some expectations there, without a doubt. You get certain guys like Lamar and Dak (Prescott) and it becomes less and less about the regular season and everything becomes about the playoffs. You have to perform well in the playoffs. I think that expectation is definitely there. If they don’t, I think that storyline will obviously continue.”

Fair or unfair, there probably isn’t another player taking part in the divisional round this weekend who will be under more scrutiny and pressure than Jackson.

Patrick Mahomes already has two rings. C.J. Stroud and Brock Purdy are in their first and second years, respectively. Jordan Love is a first-year starter. Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield have already authored feel-good redemption stories. Josh Allen is in a similar situation to Jackson, but the Buffalo Bills were 6-6 at one point and counted out as legitimate contenders. It feels like they’re playing with house money in many ways.

The Ravens, though, are widely considered the best and most balanced team in the league. Jackson is the presumed NFL MVP, having already been voted as the first-team All-Pro quarterback in garnering 45 of 50 first-place votes.

“I think he’s as ready or more ready than he has ever been,” said ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky. “This is certainly a moment that Lamar has been chasing for years.”

There have been a few occasions during his Ravens tenure where the intensely private Jackson has offered a glimpse of how his insatiable desire to win developed. As an 11-year-old, Jackson led the North Broward (Fla.) Raiders to a victory over the Fort Lauderdale Hurricanes in the South Florida Youth Super Bowl.

Jackson and his teammates got shiny rings to commemorate the victory, but that’s not what he most remembers about the experience. It was the feeling of accomplishment and camaraderie that came with celebrating a championship with friends and teammates that still resonates with him. For the past 15-plus years, Jackson has yearned for that feeling again.

He didn’t win a state title in talent-rich South Florida despite starring at Boynton Beach High School. He led Louisville to plenty of wins, but Jackson and the Cardinals lost bowl games in each of his final two seasons.

In his first five years with the Ravens, the end of the season has often been abrupt and painful. Inserted for an injured Joe Flacco in 2018, Jackson saved the Ravens’ season by leading them to wins in six of seven games. However, he played like a rookie in his playoff debut, turning the ball over twice and getting sacked seven times in a 23-17 wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Some fans chanted for Flacco to come in during the game.

A year later, nobody could stop Jackson and the Ravens as they rattled off 12 straight victories to finish the 2019 regular season with a 14-2 record. But they were stunned, 28-12, at home by the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round of the playoffs. Jackson did turn the ball over three times in the game, but he also accounted for 508 yards of offense and got little help from his teammates. Jackson, who would learn a few weeks later that he was just the second unanimous MVP in NFL history, was so distraught after that loss that he didn’t leave his room for days.

“2019 is over with,” Jackson said recently. “We’re always talking about it. I find myself talking about it, but it’s different.”

Jackson and the Ravens got over the playoff hump following the 2020 regular season and avenged the loss to the Titans by beating them in the wild-card round 20-13. Jackson’s 48-yard dash to the end zone late in the second quarter was the biggest play in the game. Yet, a week later, Jackson and the Ravens offense struggled in difficult conditions against a good Bills defense in a 17-3 loss. Eyeing the tying score late in the third quarter, Jackson was picked off in the end zone by Taron Johnson, who returned the interception 101 yards for a touchdown. Jackson was knocked out of the game with a concussion a minute later.

Three years later, that game in Buffalo marks Jackson’s last playoff experience. Injuries forced him to miss the last four games in 2021 and the final six games last season, including the wild-card loss to the divisional rival Cincinnati Bengals. He returns to the postseason on Saturday, motivated to continue his quest for an accomplishment that’s consumed him since the day he was drafted.

“When I first got here, that’s been the only message. I know since he got drafted, he’s always said he wants to bring a Super Bowl here,” said Ravens safety Geno Stone. “That’s what he’s been trying to do his whole career. All of the accomplishments that he’s had individually, I know he likes them and everything like that, but he always preaches how he wants a Super Bowl.“

PITTSBURGH

Mike Tomlin tells the media what he told the team – he plans on returning to the Steelers helm in 2024 and beyond.  Jason Owens of YahooSports.com:

Three days removed from a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, Mike Tomlin was in considerably better spirits on Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach opened his season-ending news conference with a smile and an invitation for questions about his contract status. He then told reporters that he’s staying in Pittsburgh and expects to sign an extension to his contract that’s set to expire after the 2024 season. He also expects continued quarterback competition for Kenny Pickett heading into next season.

The news of his expected return confirms reports from earlier in the week that Tomlin told players he was staying with the Steelers, quelling speculation that he was contemplating leaving after 17 seasons with the franchise.

Tomlin all smiles on heels of Monday walkout

Tomlin opened Thursday with a wry acknowledgement of his news-conference walkout on Monday. Tomlin was asked then about his contract status in the aftermath of Pittsburgh’s season-ending 31-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He turned from the podium and walked out of the room before the reporter could finish her question.

His tone was considerably different on Thursday.

“Good afternoon,” Tomlin said. “In a little better mood today. Anybody got any contract questions?”

Tomlin then addressed the walkout directly.

“I’ll say this,” Tomlin continued. “I certainly could have handled that situation better than I did. But I’ll also say this. I just believe there’s a time and place for everything. Postgame press conferences are probably not the place to address contract issues and things of that nature. It’s just a very individual thing.

“On game day, I doubt any of us are in that mindset. Certainly, I am not. What’s required to do what it is that we do, the amount of focus pouring into a collective, I’m just not in that mind state. And I just don’t believe that that’s the appropriate venue to talk about things of that nature.”

As for that contract, Tomlin anticipates speaking with Steelers owner Art Rooney II and working out an extension.

“Yes, I expect to be back and I’d imagine that those contract things are going to run their course,” Tomlin said. “Art and I have a really good, transparent relationship. We communicate continually, often. I don’t imagine it’s gonna be an issue.

“I imagine it’s gonna get done in a timely manner at the appropriate time. My mindset is to coach this football team, certainly.”

Rooney reportedly confirmed plans to extend Tomlin’s contract.

The issue of Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator next season isn’t so certain.

Tomlin said that the Steelers intend to look externally to hire their next offensive coordinator and are seeking somebody with previous coordinating experience. He does not anticipate that the Steelers will promote quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan or interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner to the position. Faulkner took over midseason after the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

‘There will be competition’ for Kenny Pickett

As for who will run the offense on the field? That’s not so clear either. Mason Rudolph took over for an injured Pickett late in the season, then remained Pittsburgh’s starter in the playoffs when Pickett was able to play. Rudolph led the Steelers to a 3-0 finish to secure the AFC’s final postseason berth.

Rudolph will be a free agent this offseason. Pickett will return on the third year of a four-year, $14 million contract he signed after being selected in the first round of the 2022 draft.

Pickett will be penciled into the No. 1 spot. But whether it’s Rudolph, Mitchell Trubisky or somebody else, Tomlin expects competition for Pickett heading into the 2024 season.

“He will,” Tomlin said of Pickett entering the offseason as the No. 1 quarterback. “But there will be competition. I’m appreciative of his efforts and where he is and excited to continue working with him. But certainly, he will be challenged from a competition perspective moving forward. …

“I think competition is good. I think it’s good for all of us. I think it brings out the best in all of us.”

AFC SOUTH

TENNESSEE

The Titans may be warming to Bengals OC Brian Callahan as their next head coach.  Mike Moraitis of USA TODAY:

The Tennessee Titans appear to have an early finalist for their head coaching vacancy.

According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Titans have contacted Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan for a second interview for their head coaching vacancy.

Graziano adds that the interview will be in-person after the team spoke with Callahan virtually last week. This is the first known second interview the Titans will hold with a candidate.

As far as when the interview will take place, an exact date is unknown, but we do know that in-person interviews cannot take place until next week.

The Titans have completed interviews with four candidates thus far, with a fifth on the way when the team brings in Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on Wednesday.

The four candidates who have completed an interview are Callahan, Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Aside from those four and Quinn, the Titans have also requested interviews with five others, a list that includes Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Earlier in the day, Graziano predicted the Titans will hire Glenn after hearing he is a “strong candidate” for the job.

– – –

RB DERRICK HENRY believes he was almost traded at the deadline.  More Moraitis:

There was no shortage of debate about what the Tennessee Titans should do with Derrick Henry in 2023, with one side believing the team should trade him and the other believing Tennessee should keep him.

As it turned out, the Titans ended up doing the latter, which cost them much-needed draft capital ahead of an offseason in which the team is set to rebuild.

While the Titans ultimately didn’t pull the trigger, it looks like a Henry trade was close to happening. During a recent appearance on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, Henry revealed that a trade was “close.”

He added that two teams who are currently in the playoffs were interested but he did not reveal exactly what teams were involved. When pressed further, Henry admitted they were both in the AFC.

“Yeah, I know two for sure,” Henry said. “The other one, I don’t know if that would have happened. But one of them, I felt like it was pretty close. A lot went down between … that little saga with the trade.”

The reality that he could be traded really hit Henry after the team dealt safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles.

“When they traded (Byard), I was just like ‘dang,’” he said. “They trade KB, I might be out of here too. When you think of a Titan, KB represents all of that.”

Henry is set to hit free agency in 2024 and he has sure sounded and acted like someone who doesn’t expect to be back.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

This time, the Bills get the Chiefs at home in Orchard Park in front of a horde of Bills Mafia.  Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com:

In what has developed into a historic rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team will play at Highmark Stadium in the postseason for the first time.

The Chiefs did come to Orchard Park in the 2020 regular season, but that game was played without fans in the stands because of COVID-19. Since Mahomes and quarterback Josh Allen have started games, the Chiefs and Bills have met six times, with five of those occurring in Kansas City.

The opportunity to finally host Mahomes in the postseason and have this divisional round game played at home is something that isn’t lost on the Bills.

“[Mahomes has] only been here once. So, he’s never been here. Simple as that,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “Pat has never been to the Bills’ stadium in full. … The environment will be different and not to say it’s in our favor, but stadium is our favor. Stadium is us. That helps us. I don’t care what nobody says. This is the most dopest feeling I’ve ever had. We’re having two back-to-back playoff games home. Come on now, like we get to leave and go eat wings. It’s cool. So good luck.”

The Bills beat the Chiefs 20-17 at Arrowhead last month in a game that started their current six-game winning streak. Kansas City has won both of the postseason meetings since 2020 — 2020 AFC Championship Game and 2021 divisional round — while Buffalo has won three of four regular-season matchups during that time.

While the Bills’ 2022 season did end with a home playoff loss to Cincinnati Bengals, historically they have seen significant success in home playoff games with a 14-2 record since 1970, best in the league among teams with a minimum of five home games during that time.

The Bills are preparing for this game in the midst of a second lake effect snowstorm hitting the Buffalo-area in a week, but have maintained a normal practice schedule on a short week after the wild-card round game vs. the Steelers was pushed back. The team is already asking fans to help shovel snow out the stadium Friday for a second straight week.

“It’s nice to have the fans behind you. I think little nuances, like not having to use silent cadences is always a plus,” center Mitch Morse, a former Chiefs player, said. “I think especially with a short week like we had, it’s really nice to have this home field advantage. But we also know that in the playoffs, these teams that have made it this far are used to adversity and adverse situations.”

This game will make Mahomes and Allen the fourth pair of quarterbacks to meet at least three times in the playoffs within their first seven seasons. As of Thursday, the Chiefs are three-point underdogs, per ESPN BET, the second time in Mahomes’ postseason career that he’s an underdog, joining last year’s Super Bowl.

With a win, it would mark Allen’s second AFC Championship Game appearance and Mahomes’ sixth.

“They’ve been at the top of the mountain. They know what it takes to get there. We’ve yet to do that,” Allen said. “Again, as a competitor, as a player to be in a situation like this is something you dream about. I know guys on this team have been waiting for this moment for a long time. To think about how far we’ve come even from seven, eight weeks ago to where we are now to have an opportunity to host a game against — they’ve won two championships in the last couple years — you can’t help but be excited about that.”

NEW ENGLAND

As Jarod Mayo looks to replace himself, he’s interviewing a 32-year-old Broncos coach for defensive coordinator.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is working to fill out his first staff and that process will include an interview with a prospective defensive coordinator on Friday.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Mayo and the Patriots will interview Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker the position. Panthers linebackers coach Tem Lukabu has also come up as a candidate for the position.

Parker was hired as the defensive backs coach in Denver in 2021, so he has worked for Vic Fangio, Nathaniel Hackett, and Sean Payton since arriving in Denver. He was a quality control coach in Green Bay for two years before moving on to the Broncos.

Mayo said at a press conference this week that he wants his coordinators to be “developers” of talent. Parker just turned 32 in December, so landing the Patriots job would be a big step in his own development as a coach.

THIS AND THAT

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS

Not the greatest round of Super Wild Card Weekend predictions as we went 3-3 – although saying the Rams and Lions would play a one-point game in the 20s was close, just the wrong winner.

But we can still get to 10-3, so here they are:

The top seeds versus the high-scoring upstarts – and the home teams hold serve, although we will say the Texans will cover.

Baltimore 27, Houston 21

San Francisco 38, Green Bay 24

Were the Buccaneers really good against the Eagles or were the Eagles just bad?  Well, we think a motivated Lions team at home will win 27-17.

And in frigid Buffalo – Kansas City’s defense, yes defense, breaks the hearts of Bills fans, 20-16.

All four home teams win.

That’s what the DB says – Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com goes bold:

I am going with the dogs. I like three underdogs and two to win their games outright. Let’s keep it going. Playoff Pete is looking for a sweep.

Houston Texans (+9) at Baltimore Ravens

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN, fubo)

The Texans are coming off an impressive home victory over the Browns, while the Ravens are coming off a bye. The rest could be good for the Ravens, but the starters haven’t played in three weeks. That might matter. This will be the first road playoff game for Texans rookie passer C.J. Stroud, which can be a challenge. It can be even tougher against the Ravens stout defense. They will throw a bunch of different looks at Stroud. How he handles those will be key. Lamar Jackson will be the league MVP, but he has to go out and show he can do it in a playoff game. The pressure is on. But I think in this offense he will respond. Look for a lot of points as both quarterbacks play well, but the Ravens will win a close one behind Jackson. 

Pick: Ravens 30, Texans 29

Green Bay Packers (+9.5) at San Francisco 49ers

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo)

The Packers really looked good in beating up the Cowboys last week on the road. Winning a second straight road game against the NFC’s best team won’t be easy. The 49ers will be rested coming off the bye. Will there be rust? Jordan Love has been special the last eight weeks and showed up in a big way last week against the Cowboys. I think that carries over. The 49ers defensive front is tough, but the Packers offensive line is playing well. If you block them, you beat them. The Packers will have a big day throwing it. The 49ers will score as well, as Brock Purdy also has a big day. This will be a shootout. In the end, I am calling for the upset. The Packers pull off a stunner.

Pick: Packers 33, 49ers 31

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+6.5) at Detroit Lions

Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (NBC, fubo)

Both these teams are coming off big home victories, with the Lions earning another home game. The Bucs blew out the Eagles as Baker Mayfield came up big. The Lions had to hold on against the Rams. Detroit played well on offense, but the defense showed some flaws. That could lead to another good day by Mayfield and his receivers. I think Jared Goff will also play well, especially if he can handle the Bucs blitz. Ben Johnson will have a plan for that. The Lions beat the Bucs earlier this season in Tampa, but it was close. This will also be close, but I think this time Tampa Bay gets payback and advances to the title game. Mayfield will keep it rolling. Upset.

Pick: Bucs 30, Lions 28

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (-2.5)

Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)

This is the game of the week between two teams that have met in recent years, but this game is a Bills home game. That means Patrick Mahomes will be playing the first road playoff game in his career. It sure doesn’t come in an easy place to play. The Bills have rolled into the playoffs, needing to win every game down the stretch, but they have some major defensive injuries. The Chiefs offense showed well last week against Miami, so that could be a problem. Josh Allen has to limit his mistakes, which he did in the victory over the Steelers. I think he does here as the Bills beat the Chiefs to advance to the AFC championship game.

Pick: Bills 28, Chiefs 23