The field is set for the Elite Eight – aka the Divisional Playoffs powered by Verizonpresented by Verizon Turbo Tax. Five of the eight are returnees from last year – all four in the AFC, but only the Lions in the NFC. Seven of the eight are 2024 division champions, with only Washington representing the six Wild Card teams. Three home teams are clear favorites. But not the Bills. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: The Ravens are road favorites heading into Buffalo in the divisional round of the playoffs,. Buffalo opened as a home favorite when the playoff matchup was set, but as money came in on Baltimore, the line has shifted to the Ravens as 1-point favorites. When the teams met in the regular season, it was no contest: The Ravens beat the Bills 35-10 in Baltimore. Plenty has changed since then, however, and Ravens-Bills looks like a close game, and the best matchup of the divisional around. The biggest favorites of the divisional round are the Lions, who are favored by 9.5 points against the Commanders. The Chiefs are 7.5-point favorite over the Texans. In Week 16 the Chiefs beat the Texans 27-19 in Kansas City. The Eagles are 6-point favorites over the Rams. In Week 12 the Eagles beat the Rams 37-20 in Los Angeles. Austin Mock of The Athletic has a “Projection Model” which says these are the chances for the eight teams to hoist Lombardi: Chances to win the Super Bowl Detroit Lions 25%Kansas City Chiefs 21.9%Philadelphia Eagles 16.4%Buffalo Bills 12.6%Baltimore Ravens 11.4%Los Angeles Rams 5.3%Washington Commanders 3.8%Houston Texans 3.7% Perhaps it is because they play each other this week, but the Bills and Ravens seem undervalued here. Here is how Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com ranks them, 8 to 1: 8 Houston Texans 11-7The Texans’ defense is good. It was sixth in EPA allowed per play and fourth in success rate allowed in the regular season. Saturday’s performance in shutting down the Chargers was nearly perfect and far beyond Houston’s normal level. Can the Texans replicate that on the road against the Chiefs? 7 Los Angeles Rams 11-7Sean McVay knows what he’s doing. It seemed strange to sit starters in Week 18 when his team still had a shot at the No. 3 seed and avoiding the Vikings-Lions loser from the regular-season finale. But the Rams looked rested and ready in blasting the Vikings on Monday night, which was impressive given what they’d been through the previous week. 6 Washington Commanders 13-5It’s not like the Commanders are devoid of talent. But their roster is probably the least talented of the eight remaining playoff teams. That just speaks to how special Jayden Daniels has been. He’s carrying this franchise. Washington is one big offseason away from being a legit contender. 5 Philadelphia Eagles 15-3The Eagles’ defense is exceptional. Everyone wants to criticize Jordan Love, but Philly’s defense had a lot to do with his struggles. The question becomes how much Nakobe Dean’s knee injury affects that unit. One of the Eagles’ strengths has been great linebacker play all season. 4 Buffalo Bills 14-4The Bills had 210 rushing yards against Denver, and are averaging 161.3 per game since their bye week (seven games). The Ravens were the NFL’s top team in yards per rush allowed during the regular season, so it will be interesting to see what Buffalo’s game plan is. 3 Kansas City Chiefs 15-2The Chiefs’ main concern in the divisional round has to be pass protection. Blocking edge rushers has been a problem, and the Texans have two good ones. If Kansas City can slow down Houston’s pass rush, it should easily move on to another AFC championship game. 2 Baltimore Ravens 13-5It gets harder and harder to figure out how to stop the Ravens’ offense. Lamar Jackson should be the MVP (but probably won’t be) and Derrick Henry has four straight games with at least 138 rushing yards. Oh, and Baltimore’s defense is really good now, too. 1 Detroit Lions 15-2Even though Jayden Daniels is capable of taking over any game, getting the Commanders in the divisional round is a pretty good draw for the Lions. Detroit should be able to put up plenty of points. Getting David Montgomery back would be a big boost as well.– – -Robert Griffin makes a point: @RGIII7 of the 8 QBs in the NFL Divisonal Round of the Playoffs are mobile QBs. The New Prototypical NFL QB is mobile and it’s never going back. @RGIIIMobile-Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, CJ Stroud, Matthew Stafford Not Mobile- Jared Goff Goff had more rushing yards than Stafford did this year and you could make the argument he is more mobile than given credit for. The DB would say that four are Mobile with a capital M – Jackson, Allen, Hurts, Daniels At the next level – Mahomes (Mayfield, Wilson) Then, somewhat mobile are Stroud, Stafford, Goff (Herbert, Love) Not mobile – (Darnold) Need more info – (Nix) |
| NFC NORTH |
| GREEN BAYTwice, that the DB saw, plays went to replay during Wild Card Weekend powered by Verizon where clear evidence of error was revealed, and twice replay let the onfield call stick. Here’s Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com on the Green Bay fumble that the Eagles stole long after the whistle. The opening kickoff proved to be one of the biggest plays of Sunday’s Packers-Eagles game, as Packers returner Keisean Nixon fumbled, the Eagles recovered, and they scored three plays later to take a lead they would never relinquish. But Nixon says the officials made two big mistakes on the play. Nixon says that he’s sure he recovered the fumble in the pile-up before the ball was taken away from him after the play was dead. And he also says the fumble should have been negated by a penalty on the Eagles for an illegal hit that caused the fumble. “I got the ball back for sure and then it should’ve been targeting, helmet to helmet,” Nixon said. “I’ve never been hit that hard.” The replays showed Nixon was right: He got on top of the ball and possessed it on the ground with Eagles players touching him. That should have been a dead ball at the time. It’s hard to blame the officials on the field for not being able to sort it out when a dozen players were all fighting for the ball in a big pile, but the whole reason replay review exists is to fix mistakes when the officials couldn’t get a good view of it. In this case, the overhead replay angle shown on the Fox broadcast made it clear that Nixon had the ball. That angle should have been used to correct the mistake and award Nixon a recovery. The helmet-to-helmet hit is not reviewable on replay, but the league office will review it for potential discipline against Philadelphia’s Oren Burks. On the Fox broadcast, Tom Brady called it a clean hit, but Burks did lower his helmet and it won’t be surprising if the NFL fines him. Not that that will do Nixon any good. The Texans also lost a challenge of whether or not QB C.J. STROUD had reached the first down line to gain where it seemed pretty clear on replay that it was a bad spot. |
| MINNESOTATwo weeks ago, the Vikings were a joyous 14-2 after beating the Bears. Now, the sky has fallen. Michael Silver of The Athletic was in the Minnesota locker room in Glendale. Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings were mired in a miserable moment, badly failing a legitimacy test on the national stage. And yet, with just under 13 minutes remaining in Monday night’s first-round playoff clash with the Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings — among the more surprising 14-win teams in NFL history — still harbored hope of pulling out their most stunning victory of all. Trailing by 18 points and facing a third-and-8 from the Rams’ 37-yard line, Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell drew up a play he believed had touchdown potential. Two swift receivers, All-Pro Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, would be running deep routes on the right side of the field. At the very least Darnold, who had already taken six sacks, needed to avoid losing yards; that way, O’Connell could go for it on fourth down or send on the field-goal team to try to make it a two-possession game. “Look for Justin,” O’Connell told his quarterback over the headset. “Then look for Jordan. If you don’t like what you see, throw it out of bounds.” We can’t be sure exactly what Darnold saw — Ghosts? Millions of dollars evaporating before his eyes? — but it wasn’t Addison running free. The second-year wideout was streaking down the sideline after feigning an out route, a move that turned around rookie safety Kamren Kinchens and left him trailing badly. Darnold, after taking a shotgun snap, looked right, pumped once, backed up to avoid a pass rusher and drifted to his left. After holding the ball for nearly seven seconds, Darnold finally ducked for cover as L.A. defenders Michael Hoecht and Braden Fiske plowed him to the turf at midfield, leaving his head facing the opposite end zone. Now it was fourth-and-21 and O’Connell chose to punt — on the next play and, essentially, on the season. And just like that, the Vikings’ once bustling dream of winning the franchise’s first Super Bowl went poof in the desert night.– – –“People thought we were gonna win six games this year, and we surprised everybody by winning 14,” Jefferson said afterward as he stood stoically at his locker at State Farm Stadium, typically the domain of the Arizona Cardinals. “The outside world, they’re gonna talk. All we can do is look forward and try to better ourselves and prepare ourselves for these types of moments.” Coupled with the 31-9 defeat to the Detroit Lions eight nights earlier that cost the Vikings a chance at the NFC’s No. 1 seed, this final image of the men in purple-and-white was jarring. Yes, they won nine consecutive games between Halloween and New Year’s, but the Vikings and their seemingly revived quarterback looked completely vacant when it counted most. Was it all a Minnesota Mirage? “I don’t know, man,” outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard said, punctuating his words with a hearty laugh. “You play like this, you leave that up for questioning. In these type of games, you’ve got to handle your business. It can be a wake-up call to some and motivation to others — an understanding of what it takes to play big-time ball against good teams.” Echoed safety Josh Metellus: “That’s what happens when you play good football teams in games like this. If you don’t show up, start fast and do all the little things we talk about every day, this happens. We did it 14 times the right way. We didn’t do it in the last two, and you saw what happened.”– – –The Vikings, conversely, will jump headlong into an offseason of uncertainty, beginning with some intrigue — and potential messiness — surrounding the sport’s two marquee roles. Will this coach and quarterback duo stay together? Could both O’Connell and Darnold be gone? It’s unlikely, but not impossible. O’Connell, who was McVay’s offensive coordinator when the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, transformed the Vikings’ culture after taking over as head coach in 2022. His rookie season played out something like this one did: After going 13-4 to surprisingly capture the NFC North title in 2022, Minnesota got bounced in the first round by the New York Giants. This year, coming off a 7-10 season, the Vikings weren’t expected to do much, either. After quarterback Kirk Cousins left during free agency, Minnesota signed Darnold — the 2018 No. 3 pick who had fizzled out in stints as a starter for the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers — to a one-year deal as a stopgap and drafted Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick as the heir apparent. However, after McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason, Darnold, Brock Purdy’s backup last year with the San Francisco 49ers, stepped up and began to fulfill his promise. He was a legitimate MVP candidate until his brutal outing against the Lions to close the regular season. On Monday, with money on the line, Darnold (25-of-40, 245 yards, one TD, one interception) crapped out. Sure, Minnesota’s blocking could have been better, but the sack barrage was on the quarterback, too. The 82 lost yards were the most for a quarterback in a postseason game during the Super Bowl era and the most in any game since Cam Newton lost 91 on nine sacks against the Eagles on Nov. 10, 2014. Darnold, who while mic’d up during a 2019 game infamously said he was “seeing ghosts” (for what it’s worth, he also claimed to have had a supernatural experience while staying in Niners teammate George Kittle’s poolhouse in 2023), definitely wasn’t surveying the field like a savvy veteran. Will the Vikings chalk that up to a quarterback having jitters in his first playoff start and trying to negotiate a lucrative long-term deal, or will they move on and turn things over to McCarthy? While they’ll strongly consider placing the franchise tag on Darnold before the start of free agency to keep their options open, this could play out a lot of ways. A related and potentially more pressing question concerns O’Connell’s contract status, which should soon reach an inflection point. Having gambled by electing not to extend him a year ago — only to see him produce a regular season that could net him NFL Coach of the Year honors — Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf have lost leverage as he heads into the final year of his deal. Then again, O’Connell may have lost a little bit of leverage Monday night, too. After watching Mike McCarthy’s situation unravel with the Dallas Cowboys in the hours before Monday’s game, it’s highly unlikely O’Connell would be content heading into 2025 as a lame duck. With multiple teams reportedly having expressed interest in trading for O’Connell, he’ll likely want clarity soon. Either he’ll get a big raise and long-term extension, or it’s plausible he’ll pressure the organization to set him free. “There’s just a lot of uncertainty,” running back Aaron Jones said. “It just sucks because teams like this don’t come often. Everybody has a sense that they let their brothers down, and we know things won’t be the same.” Jones is one of more than a dozen key Vikings with expiring contracts, a group that includes cornerbacks Byron Murphy Jr. and Stephon Gilmore, safeties Camryn Bynum and Harrison Smith, defensive linemen Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery and offensive linemen Cam Robinson and Dalton Risner. Minnesota could also lose highly regarded defensive coordinator Brian Flores, whose innovative, blitz-happy schemes have made him a candidate for several head-coaching openings. “We don’t know what the future holds,” Bynum said, shaking his head for emphasis. “It’s one of those seasons you never want to end, and you hate to watch it slip in between your hands, and you can’t do anything to get it back. “As a competitor, that’s what drives you crazy. You’ll think of this forever, because you had a great regular season — but they’ll remember you for this.” |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASTroy Aikman with some respectful dissent for the departure of Mike McCarthy. Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post: Troy Aikman didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, not bringing back Mike McCarthy as head coach. Aikman, while appearing on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” before calling the NFC wild-card clash between the Rams and Vikings, said he was caught off guard by contract negotiations between a coach of McCarthy’s caliber and the Cowboys falling apart on Monday. “I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so this is a bit of a surprise for me today that he’s not going to be,” Aikman said. “It suggests that there’s not a real plan, the fact that they haven’t had the opportunity to maybe interview a Ben Johnson (of the Lions), some of these others, Aaron Glenn. “What (Adam) Schefter said as far as (Eagles offensive coordinator) Kellen Moore being a candidate, that seems logical to me. A guy who has familiarity with the building, with the Cowboys, with Jerry Jones — they know each other very well. Beyond that, it’s hard to imagine.” Aikman, who won three Super Bowls in Dallas, then questioned if the Cowboys are still a desired destination by top coaching candidates – even with it being “America’s Team.” “As far as a coveted job, I don’t know that that’s accurate,” Aikman said. “I do think the Cowboys are obviously a high-profile team. Whoever is head coach of that team is certainly going to draw a lot of attention. I think most football people that take over as a head coach, they want to do it on their terms. That’s hard to do. If you take a Dan Campbell (from the Lions), for instance — is Dan Campbell Dan Campbell if he’s with the Dallas Cowboys? It’s hard to imagine that he is. It’s hard to imagine that a lot of these coaches might be. “I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years. I wish them well. But to say that it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure I necessarily would agree with that.” Jones’ omnipresence and role as the general manager make the Cowboys a very unique situation, one McCarthy seemed to navigate during his five-year tenure that ended Monday. “Over the past week, Mike and I had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and staff, and also spent considerable time discussing the road forward for the team,” Jones said in a statement. “These discussions were thorough and received an appropriate amount of time and depth to cover. Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction. I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica and their family the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here. We will commence a search process immediately to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.” McCarthy went 49-35 with the Cowboys, reaching the playoffs in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but they won just one postseason game in that span. Dallas went 7-10 this season after losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott to injury in Week 9. In addition to the role of Jerry and Stephen Jones in player acquisition, Aikman was probably also referring to things like the tours of The Star, the team’s practice center, during working hours and the general hindrances to a coach establishing HIS culture on his squad. This: @PaulHemboMike McCarthy needs a better publicist… Playoff app/seasonsMcCarthy (12/18)Tomlin (12/18)Payton (10/17) Division titlesMcCarthy (8)Tomlin (7)Payton (7) Playoff W-LMcCarthy (11-11)Payton (9-9)Tomlin (8-11) There is only one known candidate for the job per Todd Archer of ESPN.com: The Dallas Cowboys are in the early stages of their search to replace Mike McCarthy as head coach, but one name is already known: former Cowboys cornerback and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders. A source said Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and Sanders spoke Monday, and while an interview has not been scheduled, the two are expected to continue their dialogue. Fox Sports first reported the conversation between the two sides. Sanders was linked to a Cowboys job that was not even open in the fall. “To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Sanders told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday night. “I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.” Sanders just completed his second season at Colorado, where he has posted a 13-12 record, including a 9-4 mark in 2024 during which the Buffaloes had the Heisman Trophy winner in wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. In November, Sanders was asked about potential interest from NFL teams. “I’m happy where I am, man,” Sanders said. “I’ve got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? … That means I’m resting. I’m good, I’m happy, I’m excited. I’m enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, truly do.” Sanders received a five-year, $29.5 million contract when he was hired at Colorado in late 2022 after his successful run at Jackson State. Sanders played five seasons of his Hall of Fame career for the Cowboys, helping the team win Super Bowl XXX in 1996 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He remained in north Texas after his playing career ended, and he has maintained a close relationship with the Jones family. Per the NFL’s Rooney Rule, teams must interview two external minority head coach candidates in their search. The Cowboys announced Monday that they and McCarthy would part ways after five seasons. McCarthy posted a 49-35 regular-season record, including a 7-10 mark this season. Rules prohibit any interviews to be scheduled yet, but McCarthy is expected to interview with the Chicago Bears as early as Wednesday, according to multiple sources. The New Orleans Saints also are expected to interview McCarthy. |
PHILADELPHIA![Image]() After seeing the video of the Eagles fan harassing the young, female Packers fan, we admit we found this funny: @AndySwanhear me out: A Netflix series where MMA champions go undercover to Eagles games wearing the opposing team’s jersey The culprit has been identified. Daniel Mathews of the Daily Mail: The Eagles fan who verbally abused a female Packers supporter is under investigation by his employers, who branded his comments ‘completely unacceptable’. The foul-mouthed rant, which has gone viral in recent days, took place at Lincoln Financial Field as the Eagles cruised to a 22-10 win over the Packers in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. At one point, Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell, who works for a DEI-focused management consulting firm in East Brunswick, New Jersey, refers to the woman as an ‘ugly, dumb c***’. That sparks a confrontation with her fiance, who is filming the incident. ‘What it’s like going to Philly just trying to root for your team,’ Packers fan Alexander Basara captioned the video on X. ‘Unprovoked, uncalled for. Packers twitter, help me out and find this guy…. this is not okay. I hate that my (fiancee) had this happen simply cheering for her team.’ Ryan Caldwell’s profile at BCT Partners uses ‘they/them’ pronouns NFL fans rallied around the couple and, according to TMZ, the Eagles have identified Caldwell and are considering their response to the incident. On Monday, BCT Partners – a management consultant firm based in New Jersey – released a statement on the incident. The company – which aims to ‘harness the power of diversity, insights, and innovation to transform lives, accelerate equity, and create lasting change’ – apologized over the rant and said it had begun a ‘full investigation’ into its employee. Caldwell’s profile, describing him as a business analyst, uses ‘they/them’ pronouns to detail his roles in hospitality management dating back to 2002. And this from Newsweek: The unruly Philadelphia Eagles fan who was captured harassing a female Green Bay Packers fan at a recent Wild Card game has reportedly been banned by the team. According to NFL reporter Derrick Gunn, “Here’s an update … Big Dom has identified the guy and woman involved in this incident .. the guy will be banned from future Eagles games .. the eagles will be sending the woman packers gear as an apology .. Eagles once again showing what a class organization they are ..👏🏾👏🏾“– – -This from Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com: Jalen Hurts came back after missing two full games and most of a third with a concussion, and he wasn’t good. Hurts had a stretch between the final minute of the first quarter to 4:41 left in the third quarter in which he didn’t complete a pass. The Eagles’ best pass play of the game was a poor throw from Hurts that Dallas Goedert caught when it was thrown behind him at the line of scrimmage, and then he stiff-armed his way into the end zone. The Eagles had just 121 net yards passing. Philadelphia had a very conservative game plan, but it’s not like it was executed that well either. It was OK for Philadelphia because the defense was fantastic and it beat Green Bay, but at some point in these playoffs the Eagles are going to need more than 121 passing yards to win. Given how many times Philadelphia has had quiet passing games this season — which led to Brown’s gripe more than a month ago; Philadelphia has 12 games with 210 or fewer passing yards this season — it’s fair to wonder if Hurts can turn it on when needed. And at some point, whether it’s in a tight divisional-round game against the Los Angeles Rams, or a shootout at Detroit in the NFC championship game or in a Super Bowl, Philly will need it. Hurts is capable of it. It wasn’t that long ago that he was putting on a show and nearly lifting the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over the Chiefs. But Hurts’ production over the rest of the postseason will be the difference between Philadelphia getting back to a Super Bowl or getting knocked out early. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| NEW ORLEANSIs Mike McCarthy a possibility for the Saints job? Bob Rose of SI.com reminds us that McCarthy has been a Saints employee previously: The New Orleans Saints coaching search continues. New Orleans has already interviewed or requested interviews with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, ex-Titans coach Mike Vrabel, and their own interim coach Darren Rizzi.– – –McCarthy served as offensive coordinator for the Saints from 2000 to 2004. Over those five years, the Saints had a 42-38 record under McCarthy and head coach Jim Haslett while winning the first playoff game in franchise history during a 10-6 2000 season. McCarthy helped develop explosive weapons like QB Aaron Brooks, WR Joe Horn, and RB Deuce McAllister among others. His offense had a top-10 ranking in total yardage three times while always finishing in the top half of the league in both rushing and passing production. Haslett was fired after the 2005 season, when McCarthy was with the 49ers. McCarthy was interviewed for the New Orleans opening and was reportedly the Saints top choice for the job. Ultimately, McCarthy accepted a job with Green Bay and the Saints went on to hire another highly successful coach in Sean Payton. Remember that the New Orleans General Manager in 2006 was also Mickey Loomis. It remains to be seen whether the Saints will pursue Mike McCarthy. However, expect the New Orlean to be among several teams to interview McCarthy, one of the NFL’s most respected offensive minds. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERQB BO NIX got hot after he broke his back. ESPN.com: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix revealed Monday he played part of his rookie season with transverse process fractures in his back. Nix, speaking to reporters Monday as players were cleaning out their lockers after the Broncos’ 31-7 wild-card playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, said he sustained the injury in the first half of a Nov. 24 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The transverse process is a small bone that sticks out from either side of the vertebrae. “Yes, I got twisted up a little bit, had three process fractures. A lot of guys play with a lot of those kinds of things,” Nix said. Nix passed for two second-half touchdowns in that game against the Raiders, a 29-19 Broncos win. He said he received treatment the next week as the Broncos prepared to play the Cleveland Browns in a home Monday night game, which fortunately for Nix and Denver was followed by the team’s bye. “I wasn’t going to miss the first Monday night game. I got treatment on it, and then we were fortunate to have an off week that next week. It kind of went away after that. It was annoying, but we all play with annoying [ailments],” he said. Nix passed for 294 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a 41-32 victory over the Browns on Dec. 2. His touchdown was a 93-yard scoring pass to Marvin Mims Jr. in the third quarter. Nix, the sixth quarterback selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, didn’t sit out a game this season and finished with a Broncos rookie record 3,775 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes. He helped Denver reach the postseason for the first time since 2015. He was listed on Denver’s injury report, at least in Week 13. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDThe Browns have promoted Tommy Rees to OC. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com: Cleveland’s next offensive coordinator was already in the building. According to multiple reports, the Browns will promote passing game specialist/tight ends coach Tommy Rees to offensive coordinator. Rees, 32, joined Cleveland last offseason after spending a year with Alabama as the offensive coordinator and QBs coach. He was previously with Notre Dame as the quarterbacks coach from 2017-2019 and then offensive coordinator and QBs coach from 2020-2022. Rees replaces Ken Dorsey, who was fired from the role at the conclusion of the regular season. With Rees’ promotion, head coach Kevin Stefanski may take back play calling after delegating that role to Dorsey midway through the 2024 season. Mike Vrabel, who served as a consultant with the Browns in 2024, was reportedly interested in bringing Rees along with him wherever he landed. But that now won’t happen. |
| PITTSBURGHMike Tomlin says the Steelers have not made a decision on the fate of either of their 2024 quarterbacks. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin does not know who his starting quarterback will be in 2025. Tomlin said today that there are “a lot of unanswered questions” about the future in Pittsburgh, and that the quarterback position is one of them. Tomlin said he hasn’t ruled out bringing back Russell Wilson, or Justin Fields, or both, but he also hasn’t ruled out moving on from both of them and bringing in a new starter. “We don’t have a quarterback under contract,” Tomlin said. “We are certainly open to considering those guys, but we have a lot of work ahead of us.” Tomlin said the Steelers have a lot of work to do before free agency and the draft to determine which quarterbacks are available. Realistically, it’s hard to believe the Steelers would go into the 2025 season with either Wilson or Fields as their starter. As promising a season as it appeared to be at times, no one in Pittsburgh could be satisfied with the final result. And if the Steelers want to advance past the wild card round, they’re probably going to need a new quarterback to take them there. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| JACKSONVILLEThe Jaguars are interviewing Robert Saleh, the former Jets coach, for their head coach opening and John Shipley of SI.com thinks he has a chance. Could there be a sleeper for the vacant Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching job? There has been consistent momentum for candidates like Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, but what about a dark horse candidate in the form of former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh? According to The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, there seems to be some buzz that Saleh has a legit shot at the Jaguars job. “This one might feel like it’s out of left field, but there’s some real buzz about Saleh’s chances of securing this job,” Rosenblatt said. “Saleh might have been helped by Jets owner Woody Johnson’s decision to fire him in Week 5, especially because of what happened afterward. The Jets were significantly worse after interim coach Jeff Ulbrich took over, particularly on defense, where Saleh had built the Jets into one of the league’s Top-5 defenses in both 2022 and ’23.” Saleh does have some ties to the Jaguars franchise; he and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken are the only candidates who have coached for the Jaguars before. Meanwhile, Saleh is the only candidate who has worked for the franchise during the ownership of Shad Khan, serving as linebackers coach under Gus Bradley for three seasons. Saleh is set to interview for the Jaguars head coaching job on Tuesday, while he is also drawing interest for the open Las Vegas Raiders job. He is also expected to be a strong defensive coordinator candidate around the NFL. “More importantly as it relates to the Jaguars job: Saleh has a lot of fans in the Jaguars’ building from his time as the linebackers coach from 2014-16,” Rosenblatt said. “He’d also be inheriting a more talented roster in Jacksonville than he did with the Jets in 2021, starting at quarterback. No matter what you think about Trevor Lawrence, he’s an obvious upgrade over what Saleh had with Zach Wilson. The Jaguars have weapons on offense and some talent on defense. This isn’t a hiring that would get a lot of positive reviews around the league — especially if they pick him over the likes of Johnson, Brian Flores, Liam Coen and Todd Monken — but it’s considered a serious possibility.” |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW ENGLANDThe hiring of Mike Vrabel is warmly and firmly endorsed by his predecessor once removed. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: New Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has the endorsement of former Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Belichick said on the Pat McAfee Show that he has warm feelings for Vrabel, both from coaching him for eight years in New England and from coaching against him when Vrabel coached the Titans. “I have a ton of respect for Mike, I think he does a great job, he prepares his teams well, they’re very good in situational football, they’re tough, they’re competitive, they’re smart, just as he was as a player,” Belichick said. “I love Mike, I love everything that he stands for as a football coach. I have a lot of respect for him. I’m sure he’ll do a great job.” After moving on from Belichick, Patriots owner Robert Kraft moved on to one of Belichick’s protégés, Jerod Mayo. That did not work out well, but that didn’t stop Kraft from going to another Belichick protégé in Vrabel — but this time one who has not only played for Belichick, but also coached against and beaten Belichick. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| COACHING MATCHESCody Benjamin of CBSSports.com tells us who should fill each vacancy. He does not find a home for Lions DC Aaron Glenn or Buccaneers OC Liam Coen, among others: As the interview cycle intensifies, let’s play matchmaker and propose ideal fits for each opening: Chicago Bears — Mike McCarthyBesides the fact McCarthy just feels like a Bears coach, having already spent 13 years leading the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North, Chicago is ripe for a proven offensive mind, desperate not to waste the undeniable gifts of young quarterback Caleb Williams. Like Dan Quinn with the Washington Commanders, his track record suggests he can yet overcome recent playoff woes with fresh talent and scenery. Dallas Cowboys — Deion SandersJerry Jones likes to make a splash, and Sanders has brought his trademark flair to two different college programs. Why on Earth wouldn’t they reunite where Deion once starred as “Prime Time”? The blowup potential for their personalities would be huge, but maybe what the Cowboys need is someone of Sanders’ posture — someone unafraid to shake up the foundations of a flashy but rarely title-worthy contender. Jacksonville Jaguars — Ben JohnsonIt’s anyone’s guess if Johnson, the Lions’ coveted offensive coordinator, will finally risk leaving the cozy confines of Ford Field. But the Jaguars need play-calling innovation more than almost anything, and he brings it in spades. In theory, Jacksonville also offers the best of both worlds at quarterback in a winnable division: a former No. 1 pick in Trevor Lawrence who’s experienced but young enough to grow. Las Vegas Raiders — Brian FloresIt’s hard to imagine Mark Davis will be itching to return to the Bill Belichick tree and/or stick with a defensive coach — decisions that helped doom his last two hires. But new minority owner Tom Brady is helping steer the ship, and Flores won four different Brady-led Super Bowls as part of the New England Patriots staff. He also revived his image as both a defensive schemer and player favorite in Minnesota. New Orleans Saints — Joe BradyAfter several years with a defensive placeholder in Dennis Allen atop the staff, the Saints are one of the most logical candidates to go young on the other side. They could get a dose of both familiarity and freshness in the 35-year-old Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator, who spent two years as a Sean Payton mentee back in 2017-2018, and also dominated as an area play-caller for LSU the following season. New York Jets — Todd MonkenRex Ryan returning to East Rutherford would draw headlines, but Monken makes much more sense if Woody Johnson intends to fix a perpetually broken offense, with or without Aaron Rodgers. While he’s not a hot young candidate at 58, Monken’s had success at both the college and NFL level drawing up attacks that favor his personnel. Case in point: Lamar Jackson’s successive MVP bids under his direction. |
| DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS REFEREESHere are the four referees for the Divisionals: Texans at Chiefs – Clay MartinRavens at Bills – Carl Cheffers Commanders at Lions – Ron TorbertVikings/Rams at Eagles – Shawn Smith Traditionally, the Super Bowl referee comes from one of the four who worked the Divisionals. Cheffers is a favorite of the NFL Office, handling two of the last four Super Bowls, both involving the Chiefs, one a Kansas City victory. He worked SBs 55 and 57, so he could be in line for SB59. Bill Vinovich, who we saw in the Wild Card, worked SB 58. Torbert has one Super Bowl assignment – SB56 where the Rams beat the Bengals. Smith, an up-and-comer, had the AFC Championship Game last year. Martin usually works Wild Card Weekend. He has had one Divisional several years ago, so we think the Super Bowl referee will be one of the other three. We do note that Clete Blakeman (NFC Championship Game last year) and Shaun Hochuli (Divisionals the last three years) have yet to appear, so we might surmise they will get the championship games. |
| CARSON BECK’S DEALQB CARSON BECK, not a likely first round pick, pulled out of the NFL Draft and will settle for “only” $3 million for one year with the Miami Hurricanes. Spencer Ostrow of Athlon Sports: According to Bruce Feldman and Manny Navarro of The Athletic, Beck is expected to earn “a little over $3 million” next season at Miami. On3 ranked him the No. 1 transfer portal prospect, and earlier reports suggested he would make $4 million, but The Athletic confirmed through “multiple sources” that those figures are inaccurate. $3 million is nearly double what Cam Ward earned in his one season with the Hurricanes ($1.6 million). |
