The Daily Briefing Friday, January 6, 2023

The NFL announced today that the Week 17 Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals game will not be resumed and has been cancelled.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed all clubs of his decision earlier today, after speaking with the Bills, the Bengals and NFL Players Association leadership.

“This has been a very difficult week,” Goodell said. “We continue to focus on the recovery of Damar Hamlin and are encouraged by the improvements in his condition as well as the tremendous outpouring of support and care for Damar and his family from across the country. We are also incredibly appreciative of the amazing work of the medical personnel and commend each and every one of them.”

Among the key factors in arriving at this decision:

Not playing the Buffalo-Cincinnati game to its conclusion will have no effect on which clubs qualify for the postseason. No club would qualify for the postseason and no club will be eliminated based on the outcome of this game.

It would require postponing the start of the playoffs for one week, thereby affecting all 14 clubs that qualify for postseason play.

Making the decision prior to Week 18 is consistent with our competitive principles and enables all clubs to know the playoff possibilities prior to playing the final weekend of regular season games.

Cancelling the game between the Bills and Bengals creates potential competitive inequities in certain playoff scenarios. In an effort to mitigate those inequities, NFL clubs will consider tomorrow in a Special League Meeting a resolution recommended by the Commissioner and approved today by the Competition Committee, consisting of two elements:

1 – The AFC Championship Game will be played at a neutral site if the participating teams played an unequal number of games and both could have been the number one seed and hosted the game had all AFC clubs played a full 17-game regular season. Those circumstances involve Buffalo or Cincinnati qualifying for the game as a road team and are listed below:

Scenario 1

Buffalo and Kansas City both win or both tie – a Buffalo vs Kansas City championship game would be at a neutral site.

Scenario 2

Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Baltimore wins or ties – a Buffalo vs Kansas City championship game would be at a neutral site.

Scenario 3

Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins – a Buffalo or Cincinnati vs Kansas City championship game would be at a neutral site.

2 – If Baltimore defeats Cincinnati in Week 18 it will have defeated Cincinnati, a divisional opponent, twice but will not be able to host a playoff game because Cincinnati will have a higher winning percentage for a 16-game schedule than Baltimore will for a 17-game schedule.

If Baltimore defeats Cincinnati and if those two clubs are schedule to play a Wild Card game against one another, the site for that game would be determined by a coin toss. If Cincinnati wins the Week 18 game or if Baltimore and Cincinnati are not scheduled to play one another in the Wild Card round, the game sites would be determined by the regular scheduling procedures.

“As we considered the football schedule, our principles have been to limit disruption across the league and minimize competitive inequities,” Goodell said. “I recognize that there is no perfect solution. The proposal we are asking the ownership to consider, however, addresses the most significant potential equitable issues created by the difficult, but necessary, decision not to play the game under these extraordinary circumstances.”

And what about the site of that neutral site game?  Presumably somewhere in the Rust Belt.  Mike Florio:

There very well could be a neutral site for the AFC Championship. That neutral site has not yet been selected.

Per a league source, no selection has been made. And all options are on the table.

That includes indoor and outdoor locations.

Some would say an outdoor location makes more sense. All three teams implicated by a potential neutral site (Bills, Chiefs, Bengals) play outdoors in a potentially wintry climate.

Others have suggested a central location like Indianapolis, which obviously is indoors. (Unless Jim Irsay cranks the roof open.)

Ultimately, it may not come down to a neutral site. If it does, here’s hoping that Mother Nature has a say in how the game will look and feel — since she will have a very clear say in the situation if the game is played in Buffalo, Kansas City, or Cincinnati.

We were thinking Lambeau Field or Cleveland for the outdoor site.  Maybe Cincinnati if it is Scenario 1 or 2 with a Buffalo-Kansas City game.  A correspondent threw in Nashville which would presumably be brisk without being arctic and has plenty of hotel rooms (unless there is a conflict).

Florio does point out some issues:

The NFL’s owners will vote on Friday regarding the specific protocol for playing postseason games among the various AFC teams based on the cancellation of the Week 17 game between the Bills and Bengals.

Some have expressed curiosity and confusion as to why the owners must be involved in the process. The answer is simple. The proposed solution — including the possibility of a neutral-site AFC Championship and a coin flip to determine the location of a potential wild-card game between the Ravens and Bengals (if the Ravens beat the Bengals on Sunday) violates the plain terms of the NFL’s Policy Manual for Member Clubs, Game Operations 2022 Edition.

Here’s the relevant language, from page A78, under the category of “Emergencies and Unfair Acts” and the specific rule entitled “Competitive Policy for Cancelled Games”: “If a game is cancelled, a team’s standing in its division or in its conference (e.g., qualification as a Wild Card in the playoffs or position in playoff seeding) shall be determined on the basis of its final record. When necessary, playoff tiebreakers shall be calculated according to per game average for all teams.”

There’s nothing about neutral sites or coin flips. Seeding is based on winning percentage, period.

That’s why the owners are involved. They’re changing the rules on the fly, during the 2022 NFL season.

That’s their prerogative. But the NFL in the past has been loathe to change the rules during a given season. In this case, for all the discussion and haggling and brainstorming and whatever, the previously determined answer was hiding in plain sight. Fair or not, the NFL had developed a procedure that applies following the cancellation of games.

And, yes, this is a rare and unusual occurrence. But what cancellation of a regular-season game wouldn’t be the result of a rare and unusual occurrence?

Tomorrow, the owners will consider changing that policy. It will be fair for some of them to ask, “Why?”

Also, given that the proposed approach represents a deviation from current rules, the owners likely will be required to approve the revision via a 24-vote supermajority.

It looks like the Bengals are not on board with the change – and as he thinks about it, neither is Florio:

As Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged in a statement issued on Thursday, “there is no perfect solution” to the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game. However, the NFL’s Policy Manual for Member Clubs, Game Operations 2022 Edition already has contemplated the imperfect process that will apply in the event a game is cancelled.

Playoff seeding is determined by winning percentages.

That applies to any cancellation of a game, whether in Week One or Week 18 or any week in between. The Bills-Bengals game was indeed cancelled. The league previously created a specific rule that applies to the cancellation of games.

Fair or not, that’s the rule. The NFL is now proposing to ownership an impromptu change to the rules. That’s why 24 owners must approve of this adjustment to the applicable protocol, during the season.

The Bengals, one of the teams directly affected by the proposal on which the owners will vote on Friday, have emphasized this point.

“The proper process for making rule change is in the off-season,” executive V.P. Katie Blackburn wrote in a memo obtained by ESPN.com. “It is not appropriate to put teams in a position to vote for something that may introduce bias, favor one team over another or impact their own situation when the vote takes place immediately before the playoffs.”

The mere fact that a game is canceled, whatever the reason, is highly unusual. It hasn’t happened in a non-strike year since 1935. Whether due to weather or illness or injury or any other extraordinary factor that would keep a game from being played, the league has already determined the approach that will apply.

Frankly, this should have been simple. It shouldn’t have taken multiple days to figure it out. It shouldn’t have required memos and meetings and conversations and backroom deals and efforts to drop grains of rice on the two sides of the scale in order to balance out any potential inequity. The rule is the rule. If a game is canceled, playoff seeding is determined by winning percentage, without neutral sites or coin flips or any other proposal that was discussed or raised or considered, from adding an eighth team to neutralize the benefit of a bye that was obtained unfairly to the arguably kooky notion that the Chiefs, if they beat the Raiders on Saturday, would have had to choose between taking a week off or having home-field advantage in an AFC Championship against the Bills or Bengals.

The league can now claim that the various possibilities that were discussed or raised or considered actually weren’t. The truth is that no other possibilities should have been considered, because there’s already a rule that provides the answer to the question.

Instead, the owners will consider on Friday the ultra-extraordinary step of changes the rules DURING a season. Time and again during the two-plus decades PFT has been in existence, it has been explained that rules deemed to be inappropriate or unfair would not be changed during the season. When voting tomorrow, the owners need to realize the unprecedented nature of the step they’d be taking.

Frankly, the currently proposed approach falls squarely into the category of “making it up as we go.” If the league wanted to have the flexibility to fashion an outcome based on the specific facts of a given case (as it’s doing here), the rules would provide for that. They don’t.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s the right decision or the best of various bad options. There’s a rule on the books. The owners will be considering a change to that rule, during a season.

They have the power to do it, obviously. But everyone needs to understand what this means. Settled, codified rules don’t matter during a given season, if 24 owners suddenly decide they no longer matter. The owners need to be prepared to cross that Rubicon when voting on the proposals they’ll consider on Friday.

It doesn’t matter that the Competition Committee voted in favor of the proposed change. The owners can, and do, reject proposals made by the Competition Committee in the offseason.

It also doesn’t matter that some teams harbor resentment (and they do) toward Bengals owner Mike Brown, who has a habit of voting against proposals on which the vast majority of other clubs agree. Some may be tempted to “stick it” to Brown by approving a rule that, even if the Bengals have a better winning percentage than the Ravens, a head-to-head sweep by Baltimore would result in a coin toss to determine home field, if the two teams are set to play each other in the wild-card round.

The league often justifies the imposition of punishment by explaining that the actions of a team or a person undermine the integrity of the game, and public confidence in professional football. Before ignoring previously-crafted rules in favor of something that seems to better address a given set of facts, the owners need to ask themselves whether that action, in and of itself, undermines the integrity of the game, and/or public confidence in professional football.

Again, they can do whatever at least 24 of them want to do. But they need to realize the broader impact of what they’d be doing.

Once this starts, where does it end? Would the owners change the rules regarding roughing the passer during a season? Would they make pass inference a 15-yard penalty and not a spot foul during a season? Would they alter the overtime rules during a season?

This isn’t about fairness or unfairness to the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, or Bengals. It’s about whether the rules on the books will remain on the books until a given season ends. If the rules are going to change during a given season, that potentially changes everything.

DETROIT

The NFL is counting on Dan Campbell and the Lions not to be discouraged when and if the Seahawks beat the Rams.  Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com:

There was a different aura inside the Detroit Lions practice facility during Wednesday’s practice as head coach Dan Campbell reiterated what’s at stake during Sunday’s regular season finale at Green Bay: a potential playoff spot.

As Amon-Ra St. Brown sat at his locker room chair after practice, the Lions second-year receiver didn’t hesitate to tell ESPN that this upcoming game is the biggest game of his career.

“Yeah, I would say so for sure. I’m excited. My only two prime-time games have been in Lambeau Field at night so I can’t wait to see the atmosphere,” St. Brown told ESPN. “I want to have a good performance but shoot, I want to win the game. That’s the most important thing.”

The Lions-Packers game will headline Sunday Night Football on Jan. 7 at 8:20 p.m. ET which is their lone prime-time game of the 2022 regular season outside of the Thanksgiving Day Game versus Buffalo.

After a 1-6 start, the 8-8 Lions have a chance at becoming the second team in NFL history to make the playoffs after winning no more than one of their first seven games. That hasn’t happened in 52 years, since the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals — who also started 1-6.

In his third season, much like most of the roster, Lions running back D’Andre Swift hasn’t played in meaningful games that mattered in December or January. In 2020, as a rookie, Swift and the Lions went 5-11 under head coach Matt Patricia and interim Darrell Bevell, then 3-13-1 during Campbell’s first season in 2021.

Like St. Brown, Swift is approaching this Green Bay game like the biggest test of his young career.

“Oh, for sure. Most definitely. It’s a playoff game in my eyes,” Swift said. “Sunday Night Football with everybody watching. It don’t get too much better than this.”

After their Week 8 loss to the Dolphins, the Lions had a 0.2 percent chance to reach the playoffs, but that’s now jumped to a 12.5 percent chance, according to ESPN Analytics.

The Packers (8-8) have a 66.7 percent chance while the Seahawks (8-8) have a 20.7 percent chance for the final spot, per ESPN Analytics.

Detroit would need to beat Green Bay at home and Seattle would also have to lose against the Los Angeles Rams for them to get the final Wild Card Spot in the NFC.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff has experienced a Super Bowl run in 2018 with the Rams and played in a slew of big-time games over the course of his career. He feels this current Lions team is up for the challenge after winning seven of their last nine games.

“We’ve been forged through adversity as I’ve said a few times, and there’s not much that can shake us anymore,” Goff said. “We’ve been through the ups-and-downs of a season and feel pretty good about where we’re at right now.”

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, suggested that experience can help going into a game with some real stakes on the line.

“I think it matters in the lead-up,” he said. “It matters how people deal with that. We’ve played in some pretty big games over the years and at the same time, it’s a young league. Not a lot of guys in here have been a part of those big games. There’s a smattering of guys for sure, but there’s always new guys that gotta feel what that pressure feels like of a true win-and-in, lose-and-go-home scenario and we’ve had a couple of these over the years against the Lions.”

“I think that helps some of us old guys who have experience with it and then just depends on how guys handle the anxiety and the pressure leading up to it,” he continued. “And once the game starts, it’s football.”

This Lions-Packers game is unique on each side because both teams have endured five-game losing streaks at some point this season. The winner could join a unique list of teams to lose five consecutive games at some point and still reach the postseason.

There have only been three teams in league history to make the playoffs after being five or more games under .500 at any point (1970 Bengals, 2014 Panthers and 2020 Washington), according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Campbell has the squad fired up to try and rewrite history and learn about themselves in the process. He didn’t hold anything back from his guys once they entered the facility this week.

“Well, I feel like let’s find out. That’s why I want them to know exactly the magnitude of this game because they need to know what this feels like and they need to know what they’re walking into and at the very least you find out,” Campbell said. “You find and you figure out who can, you can’t, who’s young, who’s not, who’s mature. But to me that’s the way to approach this one, right now with where we’re at, let’s go.”

If the games were just coin flips, Green Bay’s chances would be 50%, Seattle and Detroit 25% each.

MINNESOTA

Normally, you are what your record says you are.

But are the 12-4 Vikings an exception?  Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com:

– A season-long debate about the Minnesota Vikings is nearing an end, and here’s the best we can say: They have produced a season unlike any other in modern NFL history.

Their performance has shocked analysts who track metrics that usually reflect reliable outcomes, and it has left supporters to invoke an aphorism attributed to Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells: “You are what your record says you are.” Teams that fit the Vikings’ performance profile have typically finished their seasons with records around .500, and they have never — not a single time — gone 12-4 through 16 games and been poised to host at least one home playoff game.

“There has never been anything like this,” said Aaron Schatz, editor-in-chief of the analytics site Football Outsiders. “That’s the short version.”

The 2022 Vikings are the biggest overperformers in the 42-year span of data maintained by Football Outsiders, based on the discrepancy between their record and their team DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), a metric that compares success on each play to the league average based on down and distance with adjustments for situations and opponents. A team with their point and yardage totals on offense and defense, Schatz said, would typically project at about 7.5 wins at this point.

The Vikings’ DVOA ranks No. 28 in the NFL this season, and it isn’t the only model that puts them in the bottom half of the league. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), which incorporates expected points added (EPA), ranks them as the 20th-best team in football.

Why? Put simply, the Vikings have been outscored and outgained this season at a rate never before seen by a team close to their record.

They are the only team ever to achieve a 12-4 record with a negative point differential (minus-19). The next-closest team was the 2016 Oakland Raiders, who outscored their opponents by a total of 31 points.

It’s easy to understand how that point differential has evolved. The Vikings have won an NFL-record 11 games by one score, but as Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson memorably said after Sunday’s 41-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers, “When we lose, we lose bad.” Their four defeats have come by an average of 22.3 points, and were it not for two garbage time touchdowns on Sunday, the Vikings would have become the second team in the Super Bowl era to win 12 games while losing two by at least 30 points.

For context, consider that 15 teams this season alone have a better point differential than the Vikings. All of the teams below them have an 8-8 record or worse.

Points alone don’t tell the story, however. The Vikings have been outgained by an average of 42.9 yards per game this season, and their minus-686 yard differential this season ranks No. 27 in the NFL. The five teams below them average 4.6 wins.

This is not to say, of course, that the Vikings have done nothing to earn their wins. In fourth quarters, they lead the league in offensive scoring (10.1 points) and rank second in turnover margin (plus-8). In other words, they’ve saved their best efforts for the most important part of their games. And they’ve avoided allowing one loss to spill into another, having followed up all three previous defeats this season with a victory.

“I take a lot of pride in what we’ve attempted to build here,” coach Kevin O’Connell said, “and feel pretty strongly about our team and our resiliency.”

Such analysis isn’t meant to discredit the Vikings’ achievements but instead to understand the implications for their chances to win the Super Bowl. Historically, the Vikings’ unique winning formula has not been sustainable. As stated before, the Vikings have won all 11 of their one-score games. Since the 1970 NFL merger, the range of winning percentages in one-score games among the NFL’s 32 teams is .407 to .570.

If the Vikings finish the season with close to the current DVOA rating, Football Outsiders would consider them the NFL’s seventh-worst playoff team since 1981.

“Nobody is trying to go back and take wins away from the Vikings,” Schatz said. “What we’re trying to do is predict the future and marvel at how bonkers this has all been.”

Vikings coaches and players expressed confidence that their close-game victories have left them battle-tested for the postseason, during which games are traditionally a bit closer than their corresponding regular seasons. But scoring and yardage differential, among other metrics, are more predictive of future outcomes than victories in one-score games.

This is not to say that teams that have thrived on one-score wins have never achieved playoff success, and here’s an example to end this on a less dire note.

The 2003 Carolina Panthers were better than the 2022 Vikings in point differential (No. 16) and yardage differential (No. 11). But Carolina did win an NFL-high nine one-score games. Place-kicker John Kasay connected on the same number of game-winning field goals (five) as current Vikings kicker Greg Joseph has in 2022.

The Panthers clinched the NFC South, won three playoff games and advanced to Super Bowl XXXVIII, losing to the New England Patriots — by one score — on a field goal with four seconds remaining.

NEW YORK GIANTS

The Giants may not provide much resistance to an Eagles domination.  Pat Leonard of the New York Post:

@PLeonardNYDN

What I just saw at practice confirms for me that Giants will likely rest several starters vs. Eagles. Will cover it in today’s Daily News

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Could we see Sean McVay in the playoffs in January – on the television side of things?

Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports:

The billion-dollar spending spree for NFL TV announcers might continue.

NFL TV partners are again eying Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay as a possible game or studio analyst for the 2023 season, sources told Front Office Sports.

McVay led his Los Angeles Rams to victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022.

But McVay’s 5-11 Rams were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15 this season: the second-earliest tap-out for a defending Super Bowl champ in 30 years.

The 36-year-old McVay admitted the 2022 season was “humbling” for him and his team. TV is a logical next step if he decides to take a break.

McVay became the youngest head coach in modern NFL history when he was hired at age 30 by the Rams in 2017.

He quickly turned the struggling franchise around. In his relatively brief head coaching career, he led the Rams to two Super Bowls, beating the Bengals last year but losing to Tom Brady’s New England Patriots at Super Bowl LIII in 2019.

But the Rams’ aging stars like quarterback Matthew Stafford and defensive tackle Aaron Donald are recovering from injuries.

The trade-happy Rams haven’t had a first-round pick since 2016. They won’t have another until 2024 due to their blockbuster deal with the Detroit Lions for Stafford in 2021.

“The (Rams) just had an abysmal year. I don’t know how optimistic that team is about the future. It could be an ominous situation,” warned one source. “I would expect networks to call (McVay) and gauge his interest again. I’m sure some already have.”

The source added that networks would roll out the red carpet for him even if McVay wants to take it slow as part of a three-person booth or as a part-time studio analyst.

“A guy like that you find a spot for. Even trial him out. I just know how coveted he was last year.”

Start with Fox Sports, which is always in the middle of free-agent TV talks.

If Tom Brady – who signed a 10-year, $375 million deal to become Fox’s No. 1 game analyst – decides to keep playing in 2023, that will open a big fat hole behind No. 1 analyst Greg Olsen.

Fox broadcasts the NFC package. As an NFC coach, McVay knows Fox and vice versa. Fox Sports’ studios are based in the Rams’ home turf of Los Angeles.

Then there’s ESPN, which has a decades-long history of hiring ex-coaches from Rex Ryan and Bill Parcells to college basketball’s Tom Crean and Bob Knight.

And who knows how long Kirk Herbstreit will call “Thursday Night Football” for Amazon Prime Video, given his loaded college football schedule with ESPN’s “College GameDay” and ABC’s “Saturday Night Football.”

TV networks have been interested in the charismatic, eloquent McVay for years.

Last January, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler pinpointed McVay, Sean Payton and Pete Carroll as NFL coaches who could easily transition to TV.

After winning the Lombardi Trophy, NFL media partners like Amazon were interested in hiring McVay this off-season.

According to the New York Post, the young coach reportedly passed on Amazon’s $20 million-a-year offer before returning to the sidelines with the Rams.

McVay tried to put the TV talk to rest by telling ESPN’s Adam Schefter he was not pursuing TV opportunities.

But football coaches are famous for saying one thing and doing another. McVay wouldn’t be the first coach in the prime of his career to give up the coaching headset for broadcasting.

At age 46, Super Bowl-winning Jon Gruden joined ESPN as a game analyst for “Monday Night Football.”

Gruden lasted nine years in the ESPN booth before returning to the NFL, and eventually scandal, as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The late great John Madden was 43 years old when he retired from the Oakland Raiders only two seasons after winning the Super Bowl. On a lark, Madden joined CBS sports – and became the greatest NFL TV analyst in history.

McVay doesn’t need TV money. He signed a contract extension with the Rams through 2026 that pays him a reported $14 million a year.

That makes him the third-highest-paid coach in U.S. sports, after Bill Belichick of the Patriots ($20 million) and Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll ($15 million). But there’s more to life than coaching.

McVay married his longtime fiancee Veronika Khomyn in 2022.

He’s said he wants kids and to find a “balance” between work and family. He doesn’t see himself coaching into his 60’s or 70’s like Belichick and Carroll.

Would a cushy TV gig suit him more than the 24/7 grind of an NFL head coach? We’ll find out.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

S DERWIN JAMES is on the defensive after being ejected in Week 16 on Sunday.  Lindsay Thiry of ESPN.com:

Speaking to reporters on Thursday for the first time since he was ejected from a Week 16 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts for a hit that sent him and Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin into the concussion protocol, Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. was insistent that he is “not a dirty player.”

James was ejected in the second quarter of the 20-3 victory after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Dulin, who went into the locker room following the play and was ruled out because of a concussion.

“I was kind of trying to line him up and turn my shoulder in that moment, and it was happening so fast that I ended up catching a little bit of his shoulder with my face,” said James, adding that he felt “surprised” by his ejection.

“I feel like the flag was OK, but ejection — that’s different,” James said.

As part of its internal review of plays, the NFL agreed with the personal foul call on James for unnecessary roughness due to forcible contact with the helmet and considered suspending him but opted against it, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“I’m not a dirty player,” said James, who before the season signed a four-year, $76.5 million contract extension to become the highest-paid safety in NFL history. “If you look at how I play every week, I’m not out to hurt nobody. I don’t play the game that way. I wasn’t taught the game that way. I’m trying to play fast and aggressive for my team and make a play.”

James, who also was placed into the concussion protocol following the play, said that he has felt “100 percent” since the hit.

He is expected to return to the lineup Sunday for the 10-6 Chargers, who have secured their first playoff berth in four seasons and could clinch the No. 5 seed with a victory over the 4-12 Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium.

“I’ve been good,” said James, who was inactive in a Week 17 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. “I just have been taking my time and following every step of the protocol.”

In 13 games this season, James has 109 tackles, five pass deflections, four sacks and a pair of interceptions and forced fumbles. He was voted to a second consecutive Pro Bowl, the third of his career.

BALTIMORE

He’s been MIA down the stretch, but QB LAMAR JACKSON remains in Baltimore’s postseason plans/aspirations.  Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com:

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been sidelined for over a month with a sprained knee, but offensive coordinator Greg Roman isn’t counting him out for the postseason, which begins next week.

“He’s a special guy,” Roman said after Thursday’s practice. “I think if somebody’s got a chance to do it, he does.”

Jackson has not suited up since injuring his left knee on Dec. 4 and has missed 14 straight practices for the Ravens (10-6), who clinched a playoff berth two weeks ago. In four games without Jackson, Baltimore has struggled mightily, averaging 12.3 points per game and scoring an NFL-worst three touchdowns.

After Sunday night’s 16-13 loss to the Steelers, Jackson moved around better than he did the previous week but continued to have a hitch in his walk. Roman acknowledged that no one really knows how Jackson will look until he gets back on the practice field.

“I would say, I would bet on him. I would definitely bet on him,” Roman said. “It’s not an ideal situation, obviously, but it’s a great opportunity when he does come back to get him back in the lineup and get moving.”

The Ravens have never given a definitive timetable on Jackson’s return. Two weeks ago, when asked whether Jackson would return at some point this season, coach John Harbaugh replied, “Sure, of course.” On Wednesday, when asked whether he expected Jackson to be ready for the postseason, Harbaugh didn’t express the same confidence, saying, “I’m just probably going to leave all that stuff alone.”

Jackson isn’t the only Baltimore quarterback dealing with an injury. Tyler Huntley, who has gone 2-2 in Jackson’s absence this year, was limited for a second straight day in practice with injuries to his right shoulder and wrist. Huntley did not throw a pass during the media viewing portion of Thursday’s practice.

“Anytime your quarterback can’t practice, that’s a tough situation,” Roman said. “It is what it is. It’s the NFL in January. You got to adapt and overcome that. He’s working hard. He’s doing rehab like crazy. He’s been dealing with this thing for weeks and fighting through it. It’s changed maybe the way we have had to play these games a little bit. But we know, when he’s at full strength, he’s a dynamic player for us.”

If Jackson and Huntley can’t play, undrafted rookie Anthony Brown would start Sunday’s game at the Cincinnati Bengals.

It’s possible there won’t be much at stake for Baltimore’s regular-season finale.

CINCINNATI

We never saw anything that would suggest that Bengals WR TEE HIGGINS behaved inappropriately prior to Bills S DAMAR HAMLIN being stricken – but some did.  Luckily, Hamlin’s family are not among those.

– The prayers between Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and Damar Hamlin’s family are going both ways.

In his first comments since Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and collapsed, Higgins said Thursday that Hamlin’s mother, Nina, has been in touch and offered prayers in support in the aftermath of his collision with Hamlin during Cincinnati’s game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

“It was just telling me she’s thinking of me, praying for me and things like that, telling me he’s OK, all the good, positive stuff,” said Higgins, who added that knowing Hamlin is improving is making him feel good inside.

Higgins, who went to Clemson, played against the Bills safety in college while Hamlin attended Pitt. The two also spent time together at Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd’s annual football camp in the Pittsburgh area, where Boyd and Hamlin are from.

Higgins recounted the final play of Monday’s game, which was eventually postponed. Initially, Higgins said he believed Hamlin had flopped after he tackled Higgins following a 13-yard completion. When he looked again, he understood the severity of the situation.

“I just turned my head to try and not think about it because I know it was something crazy and something tragic,” Higgins said. “It was hard.”

Cincinnati’s players received updates about Hamlin’s condition before physicians at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center held a news conference to provide updates on his condition. Hamlin is awake and responsive and able to communicate with writing, according to officials.

When Higgins received news about Hamlin’s condition in the morning, Higgins called it a “big relief off his chest” as he and the Bengals prepare for their Week 18 contest against the Baltimore Ravens.

Boyd said he knew that Higgins felt bad about the situation because he was involved in the final play before Hamlin was driven off the field in an ambulance. Boyd said he constantly checked in with his fellow Bengals receiver because of how Higgins felt after the game and said those who have been critical of Higgins’ role in the situation have been disrespectful.

“Tee’s a human being, too,” Boyd said. “It could’ve flipped. It could’ve been Tee. It’s football, at the end of the day.”

Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who along with head coach Sean McDermott addressed reporters on Thursday for the first time since the terrifying scene unfolded, stayed seated after the news conference and said he wanted to express support for Higgins.

“I do want to say one more thing: I haven’t reached out to Tee. I hope that he got some relief today. I saw some stuff on Twitter. And people should not be attacking him whatsoever,” Allen said. “And I’m glad that Damar’s family came out and said that. And hopefully he found some relief today. Because that’s a football play. And I hope that he doesn’t hold that upon himself because there’s nothing else that he could have done in that situation.”

Boyd, Higgins and the rest of the Bengals held their first full practice since Monday’s shortened game. When practice ended on Thursday afternoon, the team had yet to receive word on whether the Bills game will be continued.

But the process of getting ready for an opponent was a welcome feeling for many inside Cincinnati’s locker room, including Higgins. He was among those playing on one of two table tennis surfaces in the locker room while music played over the speakers, signs that the Bengals were trying to operate as normal as possible.

Higgins said he remains focused on preparations for Sunday’s showdown against the Ravens as the Bengals look to position themselves for their upcoming postseason run. Higgins said that he has not thought about skipping the game.

– – –

The Hamlin story is the rare one without any villains (except maybe Skip Bayless to those bent on finding a villain) and plenty of heroes.  Bengals coach Zac Taylor is squarely on the heroes list.  Paul Dehner, Jr. of The Athletic:

Zac Taylor knew the moment no more football would be played Monday night.

For all the emotion, emergency action plans, discrepancies over warming up and mortified reactions from players inside Paycor Stadium in the surreal aftermath of Damar Hamlin falling to the turf, one moment churned gut feeling into obvious decision.

“When I got over there, the first thing (Bills coach Sean McDermott) said was, ‘I need to be at the hospital for Damar, and I shouldn’t be coaching this game,’” Taylor said. “So that, to me, provides all the clarity.”

From that point forward, the game was over. That was all Taylor needed to hear. The most anticipated regular season game in recent Bengals history and the game of the season in the NFL needed to end. That reality would be harsh and consequential, but, for Taylor, the only one.

That’s why when the ambulance with Hamlin inside left the field and the teams were faced with the unfathomable question of what to do next, Taylor wanted to walk across the field to McDermott directly. To talk to the man. Connect with the person in that moment for one of the hardest conversations imaginable.

He went over there not to spout his opinion. Rather to listen and connect.

“Unprecedented is the word that gets thrown out a lot about this situation because that’s what it is,” said Taylor, who admitted he didn’t directly know McDermott before this, but always had respect for him as a coach. “But in that moment, he really showed who he was and that all his focus was just on Damar and being there for him, being there for his family at the hospital.”

Much has been made of a potential initial move to warm up for five minutes, but all that mattered was when Taylor and McDermott took the lead, the right decisions ended up being made.

“I was proud in that moment to be playing for a guy like Zac,” Joe Burrow said.

Empathy, compassion and relationships trumped football, seedings and ratings. In an NFL forever defined by “move the drill” and “do your job,” Taylor did his part to ensure people come first.

In many ways, in one of the brightest, most unfathomable spotlights the league has ever seen, Taylor had his shining moment of leadership.

 “It’s unfortunate to some degree that everybody gets to see who and what Zac is all about in such a terrible situation,” offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “He was able to handle such a difficult situation and there’s a lot of light shed on what type of person he is. To see how and what he has done to navigate this situation is exactly what I would have expected from him. Because that’s what I see every day.”

The entire NFL saw it. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel opened his press conference praising the leadership of Taylor and McDermott. Rams head coach Sean McVay expressed so much respect for navigating a situation “without a manual.” Damar Hamlin’s family made sure to mention Taylor by name in their first statement about his condition. Taylor’s name was trending for days, inundated by praise for his reaction and offering thanks for his compassion.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers drove home his lasting impression while on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

“One person who deserves a lot of credit in this situation is coach Taylor,” Rodgers said. “I saw him walk across the field. The empathy that I saw in his face and the way he handled that thing. Coach McDermott, this is your guy and he’s going through it. And it wasn’t even a question. No, we are not going to play this game. What are you talking about?”

Knowing the game should end after hearing those words from McDermott didn’t seem like an act of heroism for the 39-year-old Bengals head coach. He called it a “no-brainer.”

In conjunction with McDermott, this amounted to an extension of philosophy. In moments of true crisis, the core of who you are as a leader, coach and man is exposed.

Taylor played to his strengths: listen, empathize, connect and adapt.

“We get to see that Zac often,” said Doug Rosfeld, who worked with Taylor at the University of Cincinnati and was among Taylor’s first hires as director of coaching operations with the Bengals. “We see a Zac that listens intently, analyzes situations, speaks precisely and clearly. For me, it wasn’t like seeing, ‘Oh, he changed into his Superman costume.’ It was seeing the person that I trusted my family with to come work for. It’s a person I’ve known for years, that guy who has been consistent when our record was up, our record was down, times were good, times were bad. That’s Zac.”

And that’s why Bengals players have spent the last two years swearing by this culture, which permeates from coaches to captains to players to staff, as the root of the franchise’s renaissance. When the question was asked countless times to the Bengals in February how they managed to go from 6-25-1 over his first two seasons to a Super Bowl berth, this openness to listen and adapt constantly landed in the replies.

“I feel like coach Taylor has had the experience of being under the old way, the new way, you know there is always different types of philosophies coaches bring,” Jessie Bates said prior to Super Bowl 56. “That’s what makes him a great coach. I think just having that comfortability to just continue to talk to him, having open conversation to what the locker room is thinking as well.”

Those decisions can be as far from the spotlight, such as when he pushed the offseason program back a month to give players more time to mentally recover from the long run to the Super Bowl, even at the expense of OTA practice time.

Or scaling back practices as the season progresses, nearly eliminating padded sessions, while giving every Monday following games off to players over the last month, regardless of outcome.

Or always stressing the offering of mental health services available in the building, if needed, including emphasizing the presence of team chaplain Vinny Rey, director of player relations Eric Ball and other mental health professionals to players this week.

Or encouraging players like Tee Higgins, DJ Reader and Stanley Morgan to miss practices as needed this year while dealing with personal issues.

There has been a standing order on the coaching staff that if your child’s recital or play interferes with a specific team event and you want to go, don’t hesitate. Don’t miss those moments.

It’s not just encouraging others in the building to take time for those important personal events. He’s been known to secretly show up to events he knows are important as a sign of support.

One team employee referred to him as being like Bill Murray in that way.

Genuine care and investment in the people can lead to enjoying the workplace and a connected team living happy, productive lives on and off the field.

Easier said than done. The desk of a head coach is filled with landmines and problems challenging the desired relationships every day. That’s where those closest view Taylor through a unique lens.

“He handles adversity the same way all the time,” Callahan said. “He handles difficult moments with the same class and grace and empathy from the smallest thing — from a player losing a grandparent having to leave for a funeral for a day to something as incredibly public as what happened on Monday. And I don’t think that you’re going to find too many people that can navigate situations with that sort of consistent demeanor all the time. And it never, ever changes, which I think is the most incredible part.”

Callahan said he’s never heard Taylor raise his voice. Taylor falls into a gentler, new-school image of NFL coaching that’s prevalent specifically the younger generation.

The foundational focus of players as people and not assets might have become commonplace in the hallways and offices of the facility, but the sheer horror of the scenes Monday required a different touch.

While CPR was being administered amid the terrifying scene, Bills players circled around Hamlin to block outside view of the unthinkable unfolding. Yet, one by one, Bills players walked away from the circle. They scattered themselves about the field, unloading emotions. Crouched down in one spot, rubbing fingers over eyebrows in disbelief. Another looking into the night sky, head in hands. Helmets scattered across the field. Grown men in shoulder pads hugging, crying and consoling each other away from the crowd.

They couldn’t watch. Horrified at what they were witnessing. Adult warriors, often viewed as superheroes, processing the unthinkable in front of 66,000 people and a national television audience.

These scenes defined this moment. Chilling. Overwhelming. Raw.

Taylor said he didn’t talk to anybody at that point, other than checking on his receiver, former University of Pittsburgh star Tyler Boyd, who relayed that he was extremely close with Hamlin.

“I’ve never been a part of something like that on the field,” Taylor said. “Again, there’s no protocols for that. It’s different when you’re on the field and can see the expressions and can feel the moment. That part was hard to process in real time.”

Yet, Taylor and McDermott had to.

On a conference call Monday night, NFL executives pointed out they were in constant communication with the coaches on the ground, that much of the directive was going to come from them.

Knowing McDermott’s need to be there for Hamlin influenced all decisions in the proper direction. But it took time. While Taylor, McDermott and NFL Chief Football Administrative Officer Dawn Aponte were on the phone with the league in front of the Bills locker room, they were surrounded by a crowd of staff members and decision-makers with an emotional Bills locker room still reeling inside those doors.

On his way back to the home locker room, Taylor ran into a group of the Bengals captains, led by Burrow, who wanted to speak with the Bills captains. The status of the game was still in doubt at that point and they wanted Buffalo’s players to know how the Bengals’ locker room felt. They felt they didn’t want to play.

“They told me they wanted to speak to their captains for the Bills, at the moment I wasn’t sure how to take that information, I wasn’t sure what the right thing to do was,” Taylor said. “I told that to Sean, Sean went and got his captains. When you saw both those groups interacting, you immediately knew that was the right decision. I think both sides needed that.”

After all the captains retreated to their locker rooms, the emotional Bengals players began to filter out in street clothes to the parking lot. A surreal procession of stunned men. Bills players sat in busses waiting for an eventual flight back to Orchard Park, N.Y.

There were countless piles of problems awaiting Taylor on his desk with the fallout from this game postponement causing an avalanche of issues. Plus, feelings of the same need to hug loved ones that the entire stadium felt after watching what transpired with Hamlin.

Bengals’ playoff paths: Cincinnati still can finish as AFC’s No. 1, 2, 3, 5 or 6 seed

Those needed to wait.

Taylor got in his car and drove to the hospital.

He hoped to allow the family “to feel supported from those that are here locally and with the Bills and hopefully they are feeling that.”

HOUSTON

Armando Salguero of Outkick assesses Lovie Smith’s chances of enduring:

The Texans need a loss or a Chicago Bears loss in the final weekend to clinch the No. 1 overall selection in April’s draft. General manager Nick Caserio will then pick the quarterback of his choice because NFL people expect Caserio to remain as the GM.

The fate of head coach Lovie Smith is much more tenuous. Even if he survives, which is not certain following an end of season evaluation, change is coming to the Texans coaching staff.

And that Smith evaluation will include a winless record at home:

“It’s pretty simple on how I’ve done this year,” Smith said Sunday. “Haven’t done as good enough of a job to win games. So sometimes I mean it ends up like that for whatever reason. I know we showed up, we’ve been trying hard, but we didn’t get it done right now.”

One thing that may help Smith, believe it or not, is that Houston fired David Culley after one season last season. And ownership may not wish to repeat that dubious measure in consecutive seasons.

The DB has heard that part that’s boldfaced.

BUFFALO

A very positive day for S DEMAR HAMLIN in his battle at the UC Medical Center.  This from USA TODAY:

One of Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s first thoughts after he woke up in the intensive care unit on Wednesday night was to ask, in writing, who won Monday’s Bills-Bengals game during which he went into cardiac arrest.

Upon waking up after being sedated, Hamlin followed commands and even was able to communicate in writing. Hamlin remains in critical condition with a breathing tube, according to his doctors, who made their first public comments Thursday about his condition in a news conference held at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

“The answer is yes, Damar, you won the game of life,” Dr. Timothy Pritts said.

Hamlin’s first comments were to a nurse at his bedside, according to doctors, while his family, friends and members of the Bills organization have remained by his side since he was transported to the medical facility.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (31) walks on the field before an NFL divisional round playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo.

“He’s held many peoples’ hands,” Dr. William Knight IV said of Hamlin.

Follow every game: Latest NFL Scores and Schedules

“He’s been very interactive with them,” Pritts added.

Doctors said Hamlin expressed surprise when he was informed he was previously sedated for two days, and for the massive support he has received.

“It’s not only that the lights are on, it’s that he’s home,” Pritts said of Hamlin.

“All of the cylinders are firing right in his brain.”

Hamlin is making substantial progress and his neurologic condition and function are intact, his doctors said.

“It’s been a long and difficult road for the last three days. He’s been very sick, and made a very remarkable recovery and improvement.” Knight said.

“He still has significant progress he needs to make, but this makes a good turning point in his ongoing care,” Pritts said.

The UC doctors credited members of the Bills medical staff for their immediate recognition of Hamlin’s condition, when he did not register a pulse, for responding appropriately with CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED).

“We cannot credit the Bills medical team enough,” Pritts said. “It’s rare to have something this serious happen and to recognize it so quickly.”

The doctors said Hamlin has “many, many steps still ahead of him” on his road to recovery, including breathing on his own, before he can be ultimately discharged.

There’s no timetable for Hamlin’s recovery, as doctors continue to take things day by day.

From what the DB hears, the Bills doctors initially may have, somewhat understandably, been thinking Hamlin had a spinal problem – and that it was the on-scene EMTs who steered the conversation towards a heart problem and the need for a defibrillator.

MIAMI

Could Mike McDaniel really be one and done after such an amazing start?  Armando Salguero of Outkick – who knows his way around the Dolphins:

Miami Dolphins

If they win their season finale and sneak into the playoffs, owner Stephen Ross might look the other way on those five consecutive December-January losses because it will feel more like a skid than a collapse.

But … If the Dolphins go from 8-3 to 8-9 and not in the playoffs? Everybody’s job is at risk.

General manager Chris Grier made a dozen bold moves in 2022 and taking a step backward and out of the playoffs again was nowhere near what Ross expected.

The quarterback Grier drafted is not durable. Bradley Chubb, whom Grier added in trade, has not delivered. And the many first-round picks Grier had lead to one question: Where’s the payoff?

First-year coach Mike McDaniel is great guy. But what happened to rallying the team late in the year? To stopping the bleeding? And what makes him a better choice than making another run at Sean Payton?

If McDaniel survives, there’s no guarantee for defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, according to a club source.

Aaron Rodgers said the Dolphins are a team “I’d like to play for as well.”

Finally, the Dolphins have to make a decision on Tua Tagovailoa. Are they willing to run it back with him as the starter when he’s been unable to stay healthy?

And let’s just say Aaron Rodgers really meant what he said two weeks ago about playing in Miami … If that is serious, Ross will be intrigued.

THIS AND THAT

COACHING CANDIDATES

Another list of 2023 coaching candidates – this from Charles McDonald of YahooSports.com:

One week left, folks. That means we’re one week away from the dreaded (for coaches at least) Black Monday that ends every NFL regular season.

A slew of teams will decide that their head coaching situation isn’t working for them. A few already have. The Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos are all on the interim coach program and getting ready to interview their list of preferred candidates. Undoubtedly, there will be a few more coaches that get the ax after the final game of the regular season.

Don’t know who to keep an eye on? Don’t worry, just bookmark this page. Here are 17 coaching candidates in alphabetical order by last name to know for the upcoming month of NFL news.

Lou Anarumo, defensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals

Prior NFL experience: Defensive backs coach, New York Giants (2018); Defensive backs coach, Miami Dolphins (2012-17)

Notable defensive players coached: Jessie Bates, Trey Hendrickson, D.J. Reader, Carl Lawson, Vonn Bell

Funny how things work out. Lou Anarumo wasn’t even the first or second choice to be Zac Taylor’s defensive coordinator in Cincinnati. After four years of sticking with the Bengals’ rebuild and building a defense that meshes with the talent the Bengals have, Anarumo is a hot coaching candidate for the next month. On the whole, his numbers with the Bengals don’t look great, but this team was totally lost and needed a makeover when Anarumo joined in 2019. Anarumo has built the Bengals defense over a four-year stretch and someone might ask him to do that with an entire NFL team in the near future.

Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs

Prior NFL experience: Running backs coach, Kansas City Chiefs (2013-2017)

Chiefs offense (2018-2022)

Notable offensive players: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Mecole Hardman, Orlando Brown, Mitchell Schwartz, Eric Fisher, Kareem Hunt, Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Eric Bieniemy hasn’t gotten hired as a head coach yet and at this point, it’s starting to feel like he won’t ever be. Still, it would be malpractice to not put him on this list. Bienemy has helped oversee the best offense in football with the best quarterback in football over the past five seasons. His resume is about as good as it possibly can get. There hasn’t been much buzz about him finally getting that head coaching job he’s always wanted, but he should still be on candidate lists.

Ken Dorsey, offensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills

Prior NFL experience: Passing game coordinator/Quarterbacks coach, Buffalo Bills (2019-2021)

Bills offense (2022)

Notable offensive players coached: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Dawson Knox, Dion Dawkins, Mitch Morse, Cole Beasley

Being the offensive coordinator of the Bills is, maybe, the third-most notable thing about Ken Dorsey’s football career. First, he was the quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes in the early 2000s when their roster was basically a borderline Pro Bowl roster. Second, he had an all-time meltdown that was caught on camera during an early season loss to the Dolphins. That’s a strong resume to start off with. In seriousness, Dorsey has done well with the Bills this year even through some chaotic regression on the part of Josh Allen at times. Dorsey getting a real shot to be a head coach this year is slim, but he should get some interest from teams.

Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator, Denver Broncos

Prior NFL experience: Passing game coordinator, Los Angeles Rams (2021)

Broncos defense (2022)

Notable defensive players coached: Patrick Surtain II, Justin Simmons, Dre’Mont Jones, Randy Gregory, D.J. Jones

First-time defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has been incredible for the Broncos this season, leading them to be one of the top defenses in the league (and the main reason why the Broncos have been competitive all season). With Denver searching for a new head coach, and Evero turning down an opportunity to become the interim coach, Evero is floating in the best kind of limbo: the kind that leads to suitors and paychecks. Evero doesn’t have a long history of coaching in the NFL, but he got results immediately. That will have teams calling his phone for a litany of openings over the next few weeks.

Leslie Frazier, assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills

Prior NFL experience: Head coach, Minnesota Vikings (2011-2013)

Career record: 21-33-1 regular season, 0-1 postseason

Bills defense (2017-2022)

Notable defensive players coached: Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Matt Milano, Ed Oliver, Tre’Davious White, Tremaine Edwards, Jerry Hughes

Leslie Frazier is back in the head coaching ring after a few excellent seasons running the Bills defense under head coach Sean McDermott. Not many, if any, teams have been as good at developing defensive back talent as the Bills over the past few years, which should give Frazier some opportunities to get back to being a head coach somewhere.

Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles

Prior NFL experience: Defensive backs coach, Indianapolis Colts (2018-2020)

Eagles defense (2021-2022)

Notable defensive players coached: Darius Slay, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, James Bradberry, Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, Jordan Davis, Brandon Graham, C.J. Gardner-Johnson

There might not be any coach who improved his stock like Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. The Eagles defense was shaky in his first year with the team, but they have been a borderline dominant unit throughout this season. Of course, getting an influx of talented players helps. James Bradberry and Haason Reddick are two new Eagles that have had elite seasons. Still, Gannon has been able to adapt his approach and figure out how to maximize the talent he’s been afforded — that’s an area of growth from last season. He’s going to be a hot name in January.

Jim Harbaugh, head coach, University of Michigan

Prior NFL experience: Head coach, San Francisco 49ers (2011-2014)

Career record: 44-19-1 regular season, 5-3 postseason

49ers offense (2011-2014)

Notable offensive players coached: Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Joe Staley, Anquan Boldin, Mike Iupati

Jim Harbaugh says he expects to be back at Michigan next season. But he still finds himself in NFL head coaching searches once again after another successful season in Ann Arbor, even with Michigan’s loss to TCU in the College Football Playoff. Harbaugh hasn’t been in the NFL since 2014, but his success in the NFL was such that teams still call him to gauge his interest almost 10 years later. Harbaugh is known for being a coach that loves physicality while attempting to get the most out of his quarterback talent. That last part hasn’t always been easy for him at Michigan, but this is the same guy that resurrected Alex Smith’s career, helped develop Andrew Luck at Stanford and gave Colin Kaepernick the reins to an offense that quickly became overwhelming. He’s still as qualified as any coach out there to come in and lead a team.

Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions

Prior NFL experience: Tight ends coach, Detroit Lions (2020-2021)

Lions offense (2022)

Notable offensive players coached: Frank Ragnow, Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, D’Andre Swift, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jared Goff

Another first-time coordinator on this list, Ben Johnson has the Lions offense cooking right now. Johnson has found an amazing balance for what works and doesn’t work and they have one of the best units in the league this year, especially when it comes to generating big plays. Johnson, who turns 37 in May, appears to be a high-upside prospect, but teams might want to see him do it again next year before giving him the full responsibilities of a head coach.

Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach/defensive play-caller, New England Patriots

Prior NFL experience: Been with Patriots coaching staff since 2019

Patriots defense (2019-2022)

Notable defensive players coached: Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Dugger, Stephon Gilmore, Devin McCourty, J.C. Jackson, Jamie Collins, Matt Judon, Jalen Mills

Jerod Mayo took interviews last year for head coaching spots and he’ll likely do the same this year. Mayo shares play-calling responsibilities on the Patriots’ defense, which has been an elite unit under his tutelage. Even with the losses of Dont’a Hightower, J.C. Jackson and Stephon Gilmore over the past two seasons, that Patriots defense is still humming. Mayo has a chance to be a candidate again for the second year in a row.

Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys

Prior NFL experience: Quarterbacks coach, Dallas Cowboys (2018)

Cowboys offense (2019-2022)

Notable offensive players coached: Dak Prescott, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, La’el Collins, Tyler Smith, Ezekiel Elliot, Tony Pollard, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup

Kellen Moore, in conjunction with Dak Prescott, has been the steady hand of the Cowboys offense since 2019. Moore went straight from playing for the Cowboys to being a coach for the Cowboys and he’s got the track record at this point to get his name back in the head coaching cycle. Moore has a lot more experience during this carousel than previous years, so maybe this is the year a team pulls the trigger and makes him the face of a franchise.

Sean Payton, retired

Prior NFL experience: Head coach, New Orleans Saints (2006-2021)

Career record: 152-89 regular season, 9-8 postseason

Saints offense (2010-2021)

Notable offensive players coached: Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Michael Thomas, Jahri Evans, Ryan Ramcyzk, Alvin Kamara, Terron Armstead, Mark Ingram, Marques Colston, Carl Nicks

Sean Payton retired last season after 15 years with the New Orleans Saints, but it appears he already wants to be back as an NFL head coach. Payton had an incredible amount of success during his tenure with the Saints, winning a Super Bowl and developing countless offensive talents along the way. Payton will likely be on the top of many wish lists due to his track record of being able to put up points, but there is a bit of a caveat here. The Saints still own the rights to his contract, so any team that wants to get ahold of him will have to do so via trade. Still, Payton might be worth it for a team that’s looking for an immediate explosive passing offense in 2023.

Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys

Prior NFL experience: Head coach, Atlanta Falcons (2015-2020); Defensive coordinator, Seattle Seahawks (2013-2014)

Notable defensive players coached: Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, Demarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, Leighton Vander Esch

Dan Quinn is back in the head coaching mix after another great season running the Cowboys defense. Quinn, along with the help of Micah Parsons, have given the Cowboys arguably the best defense in the league over the past two years combined. He has evolved his scheme since his days in Seattle and Atlanta and has certainly performed well enough to get interest from a number of teams this year. Quinn had some success as the head coach in Atlanta, but the defenses were always pretty shaky. From 2015-2020, the Falcons ranked 28th in expected points allowed per play on defense (0.043). That may be a bit concerning for teams in the hiring business, but Quinn has shown that if he has the pieces on defense, they’ll perform.

Frank Reich, free agent

Prior NFL experience: Head coach, Indianapolis Colts (2018-2022); Offensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles (2016-2017)

Career record: 40-33-1 regular season, 1-2 postseason

Colts offense (2018-2021)

Notable offensive players coached: Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, T.Y. Hilton, Philip Rivers, Michael Pittman, Carson Wentz, Jacoby Brissett, Matt Ryan

Frank Reich is on the hunt for a new team after getting fired by the Colts earlier this year. The one benefit of everything going south this year in Indianapolis is that it’s clear the engine of the dysfunction came from an office higher than Reich’s. Reich certainly wasn’t blameless in the Colts’ struggles, but so much craziness has happened since he was let go that it’s easier to focus on the good things that Reich brought to the table. Reich would be a smart pick for any team looking to turn their offense around with a quarterback who still has room to grow.

DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers

Prior NFL experience: Inside linebackers coach, San Francisco 49ers (2018-2020)

49ers defense (2021-2022)

Notable defensive players coached: Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Arik Armstead, Jimmie Ward, Dre Greenlaw, D.J. Jones

The 49ers have churned out head coaching candidates over the past couple of offseasons and DeMeco Ryans is next up on the list. The former Texans linebacker has been calling plays for the 49ers’ defense over the past two years and they have been unbelievable. Just go back and watch how Ryans was able to dismantle some of the pass protections that the Rams were attempting to execute in the NFC Championship game. He’s got a great feel on how modern defense is supposed to be played and his players really seem to respond well to him. Defensive coaches aren’t as popular nowadays as offensive guys when it comes to hiring head coaches, but Ryans has been too good at this for too long now.

Jeff Saturday, interim head coach, Indianapolis Colts

Prior coaching experience: Head coach, Hebron Christian Academy in Dacula, Georgia, (2017-2020)

Career record: 1-6 regular season

Colts offense (Weeks 10-17, 2022)

Notable offensive players coached: Sam Ehlinger, Matt Ryan

Well, Jeff Saturday makes this list with the help of Jim Irsay still having some interest in him as the long-term head coach of the Colts. It makes no sense, just like it made no sense to hire him in the first place. The only upside here is it would be hard for Saturday to be worse in his second year with the team because he was wholly unqualified to run the team during his first year. Half a year of NFL coaching experience is technically more than none.

Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles

Prior NFL experience: Offensive coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers (2019-2020)

Eagles offense (2021-2022)

Notable offensive players coached: Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Miles Sanders, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Dallas Goedert

The Eagles have one of the more unique offenses you’ll come across and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen has done a fantastic job fitting the Eagles’ pieces together. They’ve figured out what works for Jalen Hurts and have absolutely razed teams when he’s healthy. The Eagles have an overwhelming amount of talent, but it still takes a coaching staff to help get across the finish line and produce on Sundays. Steichen is one of a couple young coordinators that have a real chance to become head coaches next season.

Steve Wilks, interim head coach, Carolina Panthers

Prior NFL experience: Defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach, Carolina Panthers (2022); Defensive coordinator, Cleveland Browns (2019); Head coach, Arizona Cardinals (2018)

Career record: 8-18 regular season

Notable defensive players coached: Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, Shaq Thompson, Jaycee Horn

Not many people thought Steve Wilks or the Panthers would be here after how their season started, but Wilks absolutely deserves consideration to be the Panthers’ head coach after how they’ve played with him as the interim. A team that seemed destined for the first overall pick had a chance to make the playoffs by the end of the year. Losing a close one to Tampa Bay on Sunday to end the postseason hopes was tough, but this team accomplished a lot over the second half of the season. A lot of that credit belongs to Wilks. This team was lost with Matt Rhule as the head coach and Wilks provided stability. That should get him into a couple head coaching interviews this January.