| So much to dissect about the overwhelming issue of the weekend – why was BRANDON COOKS denied a catch in overtime in Denver, when two similar plays on Sunday were allowed to stand as catches? Why the secretive review? Plus the mystery of the DPI’s. We will look at all of that below the team reports- – -All of the four possible Super Bowl match-ups will be a re-match – except Rams-Broncos. SB53 – Patriots 13, Rams 3 in AtlantaSB49 – Patriots 28, Seahawks 24 in Glendale, ARZSB48 – Seahawks 43, Broncos 8 in East Rutherford, NJ Dating back to 1987, the Broncos and Patriots have met 5 times in the postseason with the home team winning each one. Unfortunately for the Patriots 4 of those games were in Denver, three against Tom Brady QB’d teams. Brady only lost 4 road playoff games in his storied career, three were in Denver. In going 0-4 at Denver in the postseason, the Patriots failed to score more than 18 points in any game.- – -As Robert Griffin III notes, one constant in all four games was turnovers: @RGIII49ers lost the turnover battle 3 to 0 and lost to the Seahawks. Bills lost the turnover battle 5-1 and lost the Broncos. Houston Texans lost the turnover battle 5 to 3 and lost the Patriots. Bears lost the turnover battle 3 to O and lost to the Rams. The ball is EVERYTHING. That’s 16 turnovers by the four losers. 4 by the winners. A +12 differential.- – -Will the Rams-Seahawks Championship Game be a pick ‘em? @ Field YatesThe Rams and Seahawks split their season series 1-1 Points scored in those games:Rams: 58Seahawks: 57 Total yards in those two games:Rams: 830Seahawks: 829 Now they meet again with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line Nope, Seattle opens up a 2.5-point favorite. Each team did win at home – Rams, 21-19, in Los Angeles; Seahawks, 39-38, in overtime in Seattle- – -Minty Bets seems to be the first to notice this oddity. @MintyBetsNFL Conference Championship head coaches 🤝 NFC: Mike vs. Sean AFC: Mike vs. Sean– – -If you felt like you’d seen this script before as you watched the Rams-Bears overtime, you had – although this time with non-controversial officiating: @ZbotTweetsBills vs. Broncos: Overtime – Bills win coin toss– Bills defer– Broncos go 3 & Out– Broncos punt– Bills throw interception– Broncos kick field goal– Broncos win Bears vs. Rams: Overtime – Bears win coin toss– Bears defer– Rams go 3 & Out– Rams punt– Bears throw interception– Rams kick field goal– Rams win– – –@YardsPerPassWe all know that NE had the easiest schedule in the league this year…. do you know who had the 2nd easiest schedule? The Denver Broncos |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASThe Cowboys are interviewing Jonathan Gannon, most recently the coach of the Cardinals, but before that the DC of the Eagles for the vacant DC job in Dallas. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAMarc Raimondi of ESPN.com on the hiring of Coach Kevin Stefanski: The Atlanta Falcons have hired Kevin Stefanski as their new coach, the team announced Saturday night. Stefanski, 43, went 45-56 in six seasons with the Cleveland Browns before he was fired less than two weeks ago after going 8-26 in the past two seasons. He took Cleveland to the playoffs twice, in 2020 and 2023, being named NFL Coach of the Year both seasons. He will replace Raheem Morris, whom the Falcons fired Jan. 4 following back-to-back 8-9 seasons. Atlanta has not made the playoffs in eight seasons, the second-longest drought in the NFL. The Falcons have not had a winning record since 2017. In addition to Morris’ dismissal, the Falcons fired general manager Terry Fontenot, a position that is still vacant. Before the searches for a coach and general manager got going, Atlanta added a new position: president of football, which has been filled by Matt Ryan, the team’s former quarterback for 14 seasons and the best player in franchise history. Ryan led the interviews for the coaching candidates. “We’re thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation,” Ryan said in a statement. “Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture.” Stefanski will report to Ryan, as will the new general manager. The Falcons also interviewed John Harbaugh, Klint Kubiak, Mike McDaniel, Anthony Weaver, Aden Durde, Jeff Hafley and Jesse Minter. Once Harbaugh was finalizing a deal this week with the New York Giants, which was announced Saturday, Atlanta quickly shifted gears. Stefanski was the first candidate brought back for a second interview, which was held Saturday at the home of team owner Arthur Blank. Stefanski is the first Falcons head coach to be hired coming directly from another NFL head coaching job since Dan Reeves in 1997. Stefanski inherits a roster that includes four players who were named All-Pros in 2025. Bijan Robinson was named a first-team running back and second-team all-purpose player. Tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., right guard Chris Lindstrom and safety Jessie Bates III each earned second-team honors. But Stefanski also has to weather some uncertainty at quarterback. Shortly after signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal in 2024, the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the NFL draft. Cousins lost the starting job after underperforming midway through the 2024 season. Penix finished his rookie season and opened the 2025 campaign as the starter before going down with a season-ending knee injury. Cousins stepped in for the last nine games, leading the Falcons to a 5-4 record and four straight wins to close out the season. Penix’s recovery is expected to linger into training camp. Stefanski has experience with quarterback uncertainty. The Browns had rotating quarterbacks throughout most of his tenure after trading former first overall pick Baker Mayfield and acquiring Deshaun Watson. Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders each made starts in 2025. On Monday, it was determined that Jeff Ulbrich would remain as Defensive Coordinator The DB remembered that Kyle Shanahan came from Cleveland to do good things for Atlanta. Here is a longer list: @SayWhichWayAnything that’s directly involved both the Falcons and Browns in my lifetime has wound up being great for Atlanta The Julio trade upHiring Browns OC Kyle ShanahanSigning Browns C Alex Mack in FACLE saving us from Deshaun Let’s see if hiring Stefanski will continue the trend. |
| NFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES RAMSRandom fact: @BarryOnHereJimmy Garoppolo has now made 7 Conference Championship Games in his career.- – -Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com wasn’t impressed with Sean McVay’s coaching job Sunday night: There wasn’t much time. And with the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive line collapsing the pocket, there was even less space. Now Caleb Williams was sprinting backward with the football, committing a cardinal sin for NFL quarterbacks. Never exit the pocket by drifting — or worse yet, running — backward. There’s nothing but bad things waiting for a QB. Yet, there the Chicago Bears quarterback went. With the ball shotgun-snapped at the Rams’ 14-yard line, Williams sprinted backward. Past the 25 … 30 … 35. Finally, at the 40, he planted his feet and unloaded a desperate spiral in the face of two pass rushers, while fading backward and falling to the Soldier Field grass. When Rams head coach Sean McVay speaks about the football gods going against you, what happened next is what he’s describing: Watching Williams throw an impossible, mythical — maybe extraterrestrial — pass that traveled 51.2 air yards, according to Next Gen Stats, and tucked into the arms of tight end Cole Kmet in the back of the end zone. A touchdown pass on fourth-and-4 with 18 seconds left that would erase a 17-10 Rams lead and push Los Angeles to the brink in Sunday’s divisional playoff game. When the cameras cut to McVay, he looked like he needed a game official to administer a standing 8-count and ask him if he was OK to continue. “Can you guys believe they made that play right there?” McVay asked reporters later. Anyone in their right mind and decades of watching NFL football would say no — except for the fact that Williams had completed one of the most improbable fourth-and-8 plays in playoff history against the Green Bay Packers just one week earlier. And somehow, this one was more difficult. It was also a byproduct of some of McVay’s own doing, after he conservatively ran the ball four times into the teeth of the Bears’ defense and then punted, giving Williams one more possession late in the fourth quarter. Most everyone who has made that mistake against these Bears has ultimately lost. And McVay’s Rams likely would have, too, if it wasn’t for a defense that stole the game back in overtime and helped Los Angeles grind to a 20-17 win in freezing temperatures. The prize? A road trip to next week’s NFC championship game, where the Rams will play the Seattle Seahawks for the third time this season. Afterward, McVay paced in his locker room and applauded his team’s resiliency, telling them: “There were so many things that went on in that game that you could have said, ‘Oh, man, maybe tonight’s not our night.’ But you didn’t f***kin’ believe it.” Of course, it wasn’t pretty. The snow and cold weather appeared to have an impact on Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who finished 20-for-42 passing, taking four sacks in the process and missing some uncharacteristically easy throws. Along the way, McVay struggled to get the Rams into rhythm, going into a running shell in the fourth quarter that took the ball out of Stafford’s hands. Then, in overtime, with the Rams getting the ball to begin the extra session, McVay called a halfback toss to Blake Corum on third-and-1, resulting in a 2-yard loss that blew up the Los Angeles drive and pushed all the momentum into Chicago’s favor. “No excuse for that [call],” McVay said later. “Offensively, man, I did not do a very good job for our group tonight. But I thought our guys were able to overcome it. I thought we were able to be at our best in the most important moments, able to string together some drives.” In a sign that should be encouraging heading into the third tilt with the Seahawks, McVay’s defense would bail him out multiple times. From forcing a turnover on downs when Chicago had a first-and-goal at the 2-yard line, to stopping the Bears on 3 of 5 fourth-down plays in regulation, to intercepting Williams three times over the course of the night — the Rams’ defense made critical plays at the most important moments for much of the night. Even the miraculous Williams touchdown was executed well by the front end of the Rams pass rush, only to be undone by a misplayed ball in the end zone by cornerback Cobie Durant, who lost Kmet on the play. “I thought that was a great play by our defense, [but] just a better play by Caleb [and Kmet] — just a better play by those two guys,” Stafford said. “That happens in football.” And the defense made amends when it had to. Durant picked off Williams twice on the night, and with Chicago driving past midfield in overtime, safety Kam Curl laid out for an interception of Williams that changed the game. On the ensuing drive, McVay put the ball into the hands of Stafford, who completed critical passes to Davante Adams and Puka Nacua that eventually set up the game-winning field goal. “That’s what it takes to win in the playoffs,” Stafford said “Sometimes offense can go out and have a great day and find a way to win it. Sometimes defense is going to go out there and have a day like they did today and keep us in it for as long as they did, and then make a play at the end to get the ball back.” Now the Rams will head to Seattle to face a Seahawks team that split the season series with Los Angeles — including a 21-19 home Rams win on Nov. 16 and then a wild 38-37 overtime victory for Seattle in Week 16. The latter of which led McVay to fire special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn following a series of miscues over the course of the season. |
| SEATTLEThe Seahawks running game has taken a hit. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said after Saturday’s win over the 49ers that there was optimism running back Zach Charbonnet avoided a serious knee injury, but that hope went away after further testing. Macdonald said on Seattle Sports on Monday that Charbonnet will not be able to play in the NFC Championship Game and that he will miss the Super Bowl as well if the Seahawks are able to beat the Rams. “The bummer is Charbs,” Macdonald said. “He’s got a significant knee injury unfortunately. Breaks your heart. He’s going to need surgery. He’s going to have a long road back.” Macdonald did not specify the exact injury, but multiple reports say Charbonnet tore his ACL. If that’s the case, his recovery time will likely stretch into the 2026 season. Charbonnet had five carries for 20 yards against the Niners. He had 184 carries for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season. Kenneth Walker will be the lead back for Seattle the rest of the way. Velus Jones is the other back on the 53-man roster and veteran Cam Akers is on the practice squad. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERSean Payton doesn’t see the loss of QB BO NIX as something that has sealed Denver’s fate. @AricDiLallaBroncos HC Sean Payton when asked about notion that “all bets are off” for most teams if they lose their starting QB: “All bets weren’t off with [Giants QB Jeff Hostetler], they weren’t off in Philly [with QB Nick Foles or] when we lost Brees … and Bridgewater won 5 in a row.” Neither did a Super Bowl-winning QB from Austin, Texas (not Drew Brees): @NickFolesNote for the Broncos and their fans: I know it has been an emotional 24 hours. I feel for Bo and the team, and I’m sending prayers for a strong recovery. A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games. Zach Bye of Denver’s The Drive chimes in: @byeslineI’ve watched Jarrett Stidham in every Broncos training camp practice for the last 3 summers. This guy is no bum. Probably a top-5 backup. He’ll give Denver a shot. Also, don’t forget why Sean Payton originally signed him. It was his performance in 2022 vs NFL’s top defense👇🏼 Stidham started the last two game of 2022 for the Raiders against the formidable duo of San Francisco and Kansas City. He went 23-34, 365 and 3 TDs in a 34-37 OT loss to the 49ers, then 22-36, 219 and 1 TD against the Chiefs. He started 2 games for the Broncos in 2023, but hasn’t thrown a pass since Nix was drafted in 2024. The Broncos were the only team in the NFL in 2925 to have only one QB throw all the QB passes (RB R.J. Harvey threw one). This: @OptaSTATSJarrett Stidham would be the first NFL QB to start in the conference championship round or later after not throwing a single pass during the regular season (since QB starts were first tracked in 1950). |
| KANSAS CITYWould the Chiefs really bring Eric Bienemy back as OC? Bryan DeArdo of CBSSports.com: Fresh off the first losing season of the Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes era, the Kansas City Chiefs may decide to turn to a familiar face to help the team rebound in 2026. The Chiefs have reportedly requested permission to interview Eric Bieniemy, the team’s former offensive coordinator who is currently serving as the running backs coach of the Chicago Bears. If granted, Bieniemy would interview for the offensive coordinator position currently being held by Matt Nagy, who is in the running for several head-coaching openings. Bieniemy, 56, helped the Chiefs win two Super Bowls during his five-year run as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2018-22. During that time, the Chiefs boasted one of the NFL’s most potent offenses, led by Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. Kansas City continued to have success on offense despite the departure of former All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill following his departure after the 2021 season. Despite the Chiefs’ success over that span, Bieniemy did not receive any serious consideration for available head-coaching positions at that time. Because of that, he accepted a lateral move to the Washington Commanders in 2023, allowing him to call plays. He lasted just one year in Washington as the team struggled through a 4-13 season. Bieniemy then had a brief tenure as UCLA’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator before landing in Chicago as part of Ben Johnson’s initial staff. This season, the Bears finished third in the NFL in both rushing yards and third in average yards per carry as running backs D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai respectively ran for 1,087 and 783 yards and a combined 14 touchdowns. A former NFL running back, Bieniemy spent five years as a running backs coach in the college ranks before serving the same role with the Minnesota Vikings in 2006. During that time, he worked closely with Adrian Peterson, who was named to four straight Pro Bowls during his time with Bieniemy. Bieniemy also served as the Chiefs’ running backs coach for five years before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2018, which was Mahomes’ first season as the team’s starting quarterback. That season, the Chiefs led the NFL in scoring while Mahomes threw a league-high 50 touchdowns. The Chiefs won their first of three Super Bowls over a five-year span the following season. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| HOUSTONUnlike the DB, QB DeMECO RYANS says he never considered moving on to QB DAVIS MILLS in the second half of Sunday’s Divisional loss at New England. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad first half Sunday. It was one of the worst first halves of a playoff game ever, as Stroud threw four interceptions, including a pick-six. The Texans had Davis Mills sitting on the bench. Mills was 3-0 as a starter in place of an injured Stroud this season, throwing five touchdowns and an interception. Yet, DeMeco Ryans said he never considered making a change at quarterback. “C.J. is our guy,” Ryans said, via a postgame transcript. “I believed that he could come back out in the second half and flip it. I believed that he could play better, and he did that in the second half. He did play better. We had some positive drives in the second half. I believed that he would do that, and he did that. As I always tell our guys at halftime: It doesn’t matter what happened in the first half. You have to flush it, remove it, and you just have to go out and finish the right way.” Stroud didn’t have any turnovers in the second half, but he was only 10-of-21 for 88 yards. It wasn’t good enough for the Texans to overcome the 21-10 halftime deficit because of Stroud’s play. The Texans now have a decision about Stroud’s future: Is he their franchise quarterback? The first decision is whether to exercise his fifth-year option for 2027, and then, at some point, they’ll have to decide on his long-term future. Stroud is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but seven turnovers in two playoff games should give the Texans pause. As ESPN analyst Troy Aikman said during the broadcast, “CJ Stroud has been chasing his rookie success for the last two years. He’s not been the same player. We’ve not seen the development from him. There’s a reason for that, and it has to be addressed.” Kristen Wong of SI.com points out that Stroud was without two of his best targets for much of Sunday: Stroud recorded a whopping seven turnovers in the last two playoff games, putting together two of his most regrettable performances when the results mattered most. He also made some undesirable history by becoming the first player with five-plus interceptions and five-plus fumbles in a single postseason. It’s worth noting that Stroud didn’t have his trusty targets, Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz, in Sunday’s loss, but his uninspiring stat sheet perhaps says it all. We’ll see what direction the Texans’ brass decides to go this offseason after yet another ugly blemish on the organization’s postseason record. Kurt Warner chimes in: @kurt13warnerI haven’t been able to rectify the QB I saw as a rookie with the guy I’ve seen the last couple years??? So calm & efficient… made so many good decisions & looked effortless! Then a panicked, erratic QB that just doesn’t seem to see it at all! I can’t explain it from the tape! |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOIf “New York” had been consistent with other decisions and ruled a catch for WR BRANDIN COOKS in overtime Saturday night, Sean McDermott would be starting preparation for a winnable AFC Championship Game in Foxborough. But they did not, and now he’s out of a job. Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com: Sean McDermott’s tenure as the Buffalo Bills’ head coach ended Monday despite his time with the team featuring a historic playoff streak and a complete transformation of the organization’s culture. The Bills, led by McDermott for nine years, had the second-most wins (98-50) of any franchise since 2017. He took Buffalo to the playoffs in eight of those seasons, reaching the AFC Championship Game twice but coming up short of a Super Bowl appearance. To take the next step with 2024 MVP quarterback Josh Allen and find a way to the franchise’s elusive first Super Bowl title, the Bills will have to hire a new coach, and that responsibility will fall on general manager Brandon Beane. Bills owner Terry Pegula announced Monday that Beane has been promoted to president of football operations, giving him an increase in responsibilities, including overseeing the coaching search. So how did the Bills get here — firing McDermott and promoting Beane two days after the 33-30 divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos — and what does it mean? Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg, senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler and NFL analyst Ben Solak answer all the pressing questions in the wake of Monday’s news that the Bills are moving in a new direction. Why was Sean McDermott fired? Was the loss in Denver a major reason for the decision?He didn’t finish the job. In a results business, McDermott was incredibly successful, winning 10 or more games in seven straight seasons, the longest active streak in the NFL. The Bills are one of six teams in the Super Bowl era to have a streak that long. The firing comes down to what McDermott didn’t do, but perhaps more substantially, a clear decision by Pegula to go with Beane’s vision for the team moving forward and the general manager winning out in receiving the owner’s faith in building the vision for the future. Beane and McDermott together were not accomplishing the combined goal in leading the football side of the team, and that’s winning the franchise’s first Super Bowl or even reaching the big game. Instead, the Bills are the only one of those six teams to not have multiple Super Bowl appearances during those winning stretches. Buffalo’s past three playoff losses were all by three points. Moving on from McDermott was not a one-game or one-season decision. This is a coach who came to embody western New York and become one of its fiercest advocates. He built a culture that many flocked to and loved with several players joining (or returning to) Buffalo to play for McDermott, as seen in the shocked and dismayed responses to his firing. Pegula made clear in his statement that he believes that the organizational structure was not the most effective and that giving just one person — Beane — control of the entire football operation is the best move to try to reach a Super Bowl title. — Getzenberg How does Allen feel about McDermott and how much of a role did the QB play in this decision?McDermott isn’t being fired if quarterback Josh Allen doesn’t have a certain His importance in the building cannot be underestimated, and maximizing his prime is a large part of making this move. After a very emotional Saturday evening for the franchise quarterback, for the first time, Allen did not have a press conference during the team’s locker room clean out on Sunday, a sign that something was afoot. While Allen has spoken well of McDermott publicly, earlier in his career their relationship was not in the best place, but that has improved over the years. Allen is also very close with Beane and that will be a key relationship moving forward here. The quarterback’s input to the coaching search will also be a big one to watch as he has spoken very highly of and had strong relationships with multiple names that could be involved, chiefly current Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and former Bills quarterback Davis Webb. — Getzenberg Does this immediately become the best job available? And should John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski regret already taking jobs?Though the Bills job is extremely attractive for MVP-related reasons, I’m not convinced it’s clearly better than the other options. The new head coach will enter Buffalo with astronomical expectations, as the outgoing coach made the playoffs seven consecutive times, including the divisional round six straight years. There is no teardown and rebuild on the horizon in Buffalo, no one-year grace period. The next coach needs to hit the ground running and win in January immediately. With that said, I imagine both Harbaugh and Stefanski would have taken long looks at this job — Stefanski especially, as he hasn’t coached an elite quarterback like Allen before, and that duo could have found offensive success together. I’d wager the Bills job goes fast because of the Allen allure, but it seems like a bit of a trap to me. — Solak Which candidates make sense for Buffalo?This is a primo job that will attract several strong candidates. It’s not a perfect job — the roster has a few holes, and the expectations will be immense — but the chance to coach Allen and get the best out of him will be a serious draw. An in-house option, offensive coordinator Joe Brady, and former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, few former Buffalo OC, could get looks. Daboll, in particular, has western New York roots and a long-standing rapport with Allen. But this is also a chance for the Bills to reinvent themselves in a new image with a younger coach. Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak are among intriguing options still on the board. A trio of even younger offensive coaches — Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, Rams pass-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and Broncos pass-game coordinator Davis Webb — are worth interviewing, too. — Fowler Why did the Bills retain GM Brandon Beane, and will he be on the hot seat next year?With Buffalo showing long-term confidence in Beane, not only has he received more responsibilities but the move illustrates Pegula’s trust in his abilities and his view of the organization. Beane’s promotion will also put more of a spotlight on the work he is doing if the team falls short again as he has full control. This is a change as McDermott previously reported to Pegula directly. Beane, 49, now runs the football side of the team, which is a sign that he will have more time with the new coach to put in place whatever changes he sees fit. The general manager has been under considerable criticism because of the strength of the weapons around Allen and the fact that many recent Day 1 and 2 draft picks and free agency additions have not lived up to expectations. Beane, who had reported directly to Pegula as well, has been able to build his own trust and relationship with the owner. Pegula clearly believes Beane is the person to guide the team moving forward. — Getzenberg What are Buffalo’s big offseason roster decisions?Wide receiver is the chief consideration. The position group has major question marks around it with 2024 No. 33 draft pick Keon Coleman falling down the roster in his second season, and free agency additions such as Joshua Palmer and Curtis Samuel not working out. Fixing that group will be among Beane’s biggest tasks. There are also several positions in free agency flux, especially along both lines. Starting center Connor McGovern and left guard David Edwards are set to become free agents, which would be major losses up front. Pass rusher is also an area in need of work as Joey Bosa and AJ Epenesa are free agents, and finding a consistently strong presence at the spot has been an issue for this team. With McDermott’s departure, the defensive question marks that present themselves overall are also significant as the unit was built to fit the coach’s scheme specifically. Positions like safety and linebacker only become bigger holes to fill. The real challenge is rebuilding the roster once again under a new head coach — one who can make the team competitive again right away next season with a 30-year-old Allen at quarterback with the current cap limitations the Bills have. — Getzenberg Where could McDermott land, and does he move to the top of the list of available HC candidates? McDermott’s presence will make a few front offices rethink their plans. Tennessee comes to mind. The Titans are eyeing finalists Matt Nagy, Robert Saleh and Jeff Hafley. Will they get McDermott involved? It’s at least worth considering. He carries instant credibility. Even if Tennessee and Miami (with Hafley in sight) stay the course with their current searches, McDermott has five openings to pursue — the Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Ravens and Cardinals. Those first two are not natural fits at this stage. Both teams are rebuilding and positioned to take a swing with an outside-the-box hire. McDermott’s coaching style would fit in seamlessly in the AFC North. Baltimore, which isn’t shying from the retread model in its search, looks like a better option than Pittsburgh. Arizona falls somewhere in the middle but is hardly a destination job at this point. So, yes, McDermott is now the most decorated candidate, but much will depend on a team’s current trajectory and preference. — Fowler |
| MIAMI |
| NEW ENGLANDThe Patriots, 4-13 last year, are big favorites in this season’s conference championship game. Doug Greenberg of ESPN.com: The NFL’s final four is set and the betting lines are not what many would have expected before the season — or even before the past weekend. The New England Patriots opened as 4.5-point road favorites over the Denver Broncos for the AFC championship, while the Seattle Seahawks opened as 1.5-point home favorites over the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC championship, according to DraftKings lines. After early betting, New England jumped out to -5.5 and Seattle to -2.5. In lookahead hypothetical lines, the Broncos were 1.5-point favorites over the Patriots, but they saw their odds drop precipitously following the news that quarterback Bo Nix would miss the remainder of the postseason with a fractured right ankle. Bookmakers polled said that Nix is worth anywhere between five and seven points to the spread. “We’re looking forward to seeing how these two defensive-minded teams match up in the AFC championship and evaluating just how big of an impact Bo Nix had on this Broncos team throughout the year,” Caesars Sportsbooks head of football Joey Feazel told ESPN. “We’re also eager to see where the sharps ultimately land on this game.” Early sharp action could have had an influence on making the Pats even bigger favorites. John Murray, vice president of the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, said he was “surprised to see how big of a favorite New England pushed out to [on Sunday].” If the 5.5-line holds, New England would be the largest road favorite in a conference championship game since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, according to ESPN Research. |
| NEW YORK JETSEven sitting on the beach, the Jets take a shot from Rich Cimini: @RichCiminiExtremes: The Patriots have more takeaways in three quarters (5) than the Jets’ defense had in the entire season. #AFCDivisional |
| THIS AND THAT |
| CONTROVERSY IN DENVERA friend of the DB opened up his review of Wild Card Weekend last Monday by saying, “Good games and the NFL is breathing a sigh because their weren’t any officiating controversies.” Then Carl Cheffers and his all-star crew hit the field in Denver Saturday night and when it was over most of the nation and all of Bills Mafia believed Buffalo was robbed by a long series of decisions that favored the Broncos – three of them likely decisive. @Mike_BundtThe NFL must love that the majority of the nation thinks they screwed the Bills and that there’s a portion of fans that now believes Vegas rigs games. Bravo to the league for being incompetent enough that people are actually starting to believe these things👏 1 – The Broncos led the NFL in defensive penalties, most particularly pass interference calls in the regular season. But nary a defensive flag flew against Denver the entire game. And 2 for 52 yards moved the Broncos forward on their 3rd possession of overtime as Bo Nix floated up moon ball passes. WerderEdNFLESPN Research: The Bills had 2 defensive pass interference penalties on the final drive of today’s game. Over the last 25 years, regular season or playoffs, the only other team to have multiple defensive pass interference penalties on a single drive in an OT period was the 2018 Jets against the Packers in Week 17. The White DPI seemed legit. But there was a third play that seemed to very much be interference. 2 – Thomas Gamba-Ellis of YahooSports.com: Late in the fourth quarter during the Bill’s heartbreaking 33-30 loss to the Broncos on Saturday night in the AFC divisional round, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw an incomplete pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks in the end zone. Upon looking at the replay it appears that Denver cornerback Riley Moss got a hold of Cooks’ arm and jersey while fighting for the ball, which should constitute a pass interference call from the officials — but no flag was called on the play. If officials did choose to call pass interference, the Bills would have likely had the ball placed at the 1-yard line with just 19 seconds left in regulation while being down by just three points. Instead, Buffalo was forced to kick a field goal, tying the game at 30 apiece and sending the game to overtime. 3 – And the big one, what 80% of the public (in a poll by Gene Steratore) thinks was a catch by WR BRANDIN COOKS that was called an interception on the field and then apparently approved by “New York” as Sean McDermott begged for a more official review. However, a Josh Allen deep ball that initially appeared to be caught by wide receiver Brandin Cooks, only for Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian to come away with it while the two tussled on the ground, changed the entire complexion of overtime and helped Denver eventually win, 33-30. A replay review seemed to show Cooks was on the ground with possession of the ball. However, a portion of the ball was in McMillan’s arms by the time Cooks hit the ground. Officials decided not to overturn the interception call on review. CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore offered his thoughts on the controversial play during the review, saying he agreed with the on-field assessment. “I just don’t think Cooks really has firm possession of the football when both players hit the ground,” he said. “Quite honestly, I think by the time they both get down there, and you’re defining firm possession, I think it’s on McMillian. I mean, he’s got it up top, but I thought he lost it as he was falling toward the ground there, which wouldn’t put him down by contact.” Plenty of people watching at home disagreed with Steratore, including those who follow him on X. The rules analyst posted a poll under the video asking if people thought it was a catch or an interception. With over 7,700 votes cast, 82% of voters said it was a catch. And, the biggest gripe was the process. Mike Florio: The game-changing ruling in the Bills-Broncos playoff game got short shrift at the time. It has since become the most dominant topic of discussion in the entire sport. The folks at NFL Network, which is owned and operated by the league, repeatedly made that point during Sunday morning’s show. The critical decision that Buffalo receiver Brandin Cooks failed to complete the process of catching the ball and Denver cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted it happened too quickly, with no explanation from referee Carl Cheffers as to the ruling on the field and/or any review of it. During his weekly appearance on the NFL Network Sunday pregame show, NFL officiating spokesman Walt Anderson went through the reasoning that resulted in the play being not a catch but an interception. The ball, as Anderson explained it, immediately came loose when Cooks hit the ground and ended up in the control of McMillian. Anderson said that both the replay assistant in the stadium “and New York” reviewed the ruling on the field of an interception. Steve Mariucci pressed Anderson on one key point: “Who made the call?” Anderson said that, in the league office, there’s an entire staff of instant-replay officials, with “multiple people at the same time reviewing every play.” Anderson pointed to the “millions of dollars” the NFL has invested in the Hawk-Eye camera system, so that they can look at all angles, talk to each other, and confirm the call on the field. To his credit, Mariucci kept pushing Anderson. Why, Mariucci asked, didn’t referee Carl Cheffers explain the situation to the millions who were watching the game? Anderson said that, even without a full-blown replay review, every play is being reviewed by multiple people. “If you can confirm the ruling on the field was correct, they want to move the game along,” Anderson said. Anderson then added that CBS did a good job of explaining the situation to the audience. Mariucci quipped that he doesn’t want to hear about it from Tony Romo. “I think Carl should have done that,” Mariucci said. And then Colleen Wolfe said “more transparency would be good.” She’s absolutely right. We’ve been saying for years that there should be public access to the replay-review process, whether during a quick look or a full-blown review. We need to see what they’re seeing, and to hear what they’re saying The current process, as Kyle Brandt said earlier in the show, feels “Orwellian.” That was the risk of exporting replay review from the stadium (where the referee made the replay decisions) to the league office. At the time, we were led to believe Dean Blandino would be making all replay-reviews decisions. And maybe he would have been, if he hadn’t left for Fox because, as Blandino later said, the NFL doesn’t properly “value the position.” Now, there’s apparently no one person whose name is on these decisions. Combining that with zero transparency creates natural curiosity regarding how and why such an important decision was made — and why it all seemed to be so rushed. It’s one thing to move along a regular-season game that started in the cluster of 1:00 p.m. ET kickoffs. It’s quite another to slip the engine into overdrive when so much is riding on the outcome. That’s separate from whether the call was right (there was no effort to reconcile the decision with the Week 14 Steelers-Ravens play that started as an interception and ended via replay review as a catch by Aaron Rodgers). Instead of having Gene Steratore interpret the video evidence for CBS, we should have heard about it from the people who were making the decision, while they were making it. For starters, it would help tremendously to know who exactly is making these decisions. We still don’t. From the official rulebook: “All Replay Reviews will be conducted by the Senior Vice President of Officiating or his or her designee.” As explained last month in the aftermath of the crazy backwards-pass, two-point replay ruling in Rams-Seahawks, we don’t even know who the current Senior V.P. of Officiating is. And we definitely don’t know who his or her specific designee was for one of the most important rulings of the entire 2025 season. At a bare minimum, we should. |
| DYSFUNCTION!Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: Dysfunctional teams do dysfunctional things. And, thanks to plenty of the perennially dysfunctional teams, the league is a current dysfunction mess. The current hiring cycle, which at one point seemed like it could be quieter than usual, has sparked turnover with 10 teams. Nearly one third of the league. Two jobs have been filled; with Monday’s termination of Bills coach Sean McDermott, the number of vacancies is back to eight. Here’s how one current NFL head coach put it, in a Monday morning unsolicited text message to PFT: “At this very moment, [this is] the worst collective of 32 owners in league history.” It’s a strong statement, but the proof is, if anywhere, in the pudding. Bad teams stay bad. They think that they can turn it around by firing the current coach and hiring a new one, because for other teams it happens. But the cycle of hiring and firing and hiring and firing contributes to the situation. When the owner has an itchy trigger finger, the coach spends way too much time looking over his shoulder and wondering whether the next decision that doesn’t pan out will be his last. There’s no competence test to pass in order to qualify to own a team. The paths remain simple (if not easy): (1) have enough money to buy a team; or (2) get your name in the right spot in the will. While some of the currently vacant jobs are open for reasons unrelated to membership in the gang that couldn’t own straight, most trace to owners who feel like they need to do something, so they fire the coach. In plenty of cases, three years or less after firing the last one. Meanwhile, the teams with capable owners will benefit. Rash decisions aren’t made. Patience is displayed. Aaron Rodgers recently blamed the media for the presence of certain coaches on the “hot seat.” The blame goes to those who don’t know what to do (because they secretly don’t know what they’re doing), so they do the easiest thing — fire the coach. Even if the coach isn’t the biggest part of the problem. Of course, for the truly dysfunctional franchises, the biggest part of the problem isn’t subject to a pink slip. Because owners can’t be fired for general incompetence when it comes to the on-field performance of the team. Financially, they’re all performing well. They’re all winning, even when they’re losing. And those who are losing will feel compelled to keep the fans believing that the future will be brighter (or less bleak) by dumping the current coach, and by moving to the next coach in who inevitably will be the next coach out. |
