| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOAlbert Breer of SI.com thinks that Mike Vrabel is the perfect fit for the Bears job: @AlbertBreerCity/coach fit for Mike Vrabel in Chicago is just about perfect. I also bet the history of the franchise would appeal to him. But there are a lot of other pieces that need to be in place—synergy with the front office, trust with owners—that’ll be part of how far this one coach. @thekapmanAlbert Breer just told us on @ESPN1000 that he believes Mike Vrabel will keep an open mind when he comes to Chicago to interview with the Bears. “He is a perfect fit for that city. If I was the GM that is who I would hire. He would change the face of that organization.” |
| GREEN BAYThe 10-6 Packers might seem to be limping into the playoffs with a 2-3 record in the final five games. Still Green Bay’s six losses include four to the Vikings and Lions by a total of 17 points. They also lost to the Eagles, their Wild Card Weekend opponent, by five points, 29-34, in the season opener in Sao Paolo. While falling at Chicago on Sunday without QB JORDAN LOVE and RB JOSH JACOBS (by choice) for most of the game, they did suffer the Dreaded Final Week Injury as WR CHRISTIAN WATSON was lost with a torn ACL and other damage. Watson had been struggling with a knee problem already, missing the Week 17 loss to the Vikings. It is unclear if this is the knee he blew out Sunday, but with a late season injury like this, he may not be good to go come the start of the 2025 season. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASThe Cowboys control Coach Mike McCarthy until next Tuesday and they are not responding to a request from the Bears to interview him. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com: On Monday, the Bears requested to interview Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. Twenty-four hours later, the Bears still haven’t gotten a response to their request, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after Sunday’s game that it didn’t bother him if the team’s coaches — all of whom are on expiring contracts — interviewed elsewhere. He said he wants coaches who want to be in Dallas. What he didn’t say is whether he would allow them to interview elsewhere. It appears he has given his answer. The Cowboys have exclusive negotiating rights with McCarthy before his contract expires Jan. 14. Neither side has announced a decision on McCarthy’s future, but McCarthy said Sunday he “absolutely” prefers to be in Dallas. |
| AFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES CHARGERSThe Chargers have added RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT for the postseason. Kris Rhim of ESPN.com lays out the thinking behind the move: – The Los Angeles Chargers plan to sign running back Ezekiel Elliott to their practice squad Tuesday pending a physical, a source confirmed to ESPN. Fox Sports first reported the news Monday. The Dallas Cowboys waived Elliott earlier this month, a move that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said was “out of respect and appreciation for Zeke and wanting to provide him with an opportunity to pursue any potential playoff participation possible.” The Cowboys drafted Elliott in 2016 and he is the team’s No. 3 all-time leading rusher. Elliott, 29, had 74 carries for 226 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games with the Cowboys this season. Dallas made Elliott inactive for the team’s Nov. 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons for missing meetings. Chargers running back Gus Edwards hasn’t played since the Chargers’ Week 16 win over the Denver Broncos. In that game, Edwards injured his ankle and then aggravated it at practice. Edwards was on injured reserve earlier this season because of a different ankle injury. The move to sign Elliott probably means the Chargers are hopeful he can be insurance in case Edwards isn’t healthy for Saturday’s wild-card matchup against the Houston Texans. Elliott will have three days of practice in preparation for Saturday. The move probably won’t change much for L.A.’s lead running back, J.K. Dobbins, who has a career-high 1,058 yards from scrimmage this season. But running backs Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins could see their workloads reduced. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISSomone had to go in Indy – and it was DC Gus Bradley after three seasons. RJ Kraft and James Boyd of The Athletic with background: Last year, Steichen was asked about Bradley’s future after the Colts’ defense finished 28th in points allowed per game for the second straight year, and Steichen said he “believed in continuity” before eventually retaining Bradley for a third season in Indianapolis. On Monday morning, Steichen took a different approach. Asked directly if Bradley would be retained, Steichen said, “There’s no decision that’s been made yet.” Hours later, a decision was made. Although Indy’s defense rose four spots from 28th in 2022 and 2023 to finish 24th in points allowed per game in 2024, it still gave up 25.1 points per game this season, tied for the most in any season of the Bradley era. Starting linebacker E.J. Speed, who is an impending free agent, appeared to welcome the idea of playing for a different coordinator if he returns to Indianapolis. “I feel like the sky is the limit for this defense and for us, whether it’s with Gus or whether it’s with another coordinator or whoever (Steichen) brings in,” Speed said. “We all got our standard, and we all got enough hearts here to get the job done and go be a top defense.” Following the team’s Week 14 bye and with its playoff hopes on the line, Bradley’s defensive unit allowed 30 or more points in three of the final four games. The New York Giants — who entered with two wins and an 0-8 record at home — hung 45 points on the Colts (seven points came on a kickoff return touchdown) in a Week 17 loss that was full of missed tackles, blown assignments and ultimately served as the last straw in Bradley’s time with the Colts. |
| JACKSONVILLEA take on the firing of Coach Doug Pederson from former RB LeSean McCoy: @NFL_DovKleimanLeSean McCoy goes OFF on the #Jaguars for firing HC Doug Pederson when Trevor Lawrence is at fault: “Doug Pederson is a really really good coach…how much can you help a guy that isn’t that good.” “He’s [Trevor] is not a good player.” |
| TENNESSEEGM Ran Carthon is out in Nashville. Joseph Zucker at Bleacher Report: The Tennessee Titans announced Tuesday they fired general manager Ran Carthon after just two seasons. Brian Callahan will continue in his role as head coach. “It’s impossible to ignore that our football team hasn’t improved over the past two years,” controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “I am deeply disappointed in our poor win-loss record during this period, of course, but my decision also speaks to my concern about our long-term future should we stay the course.” Carthon’s ouster is surprising on two levels. Tennessee sided with the GM last offseason during an apparent power struggle with head coach Mike Vrabel, who wanted to wield more authority over personnel matters. Now, the Titans have not only fired a head coach with a .545 winning percentage but also sent their GM packing a year later. Then there’s the fact the franchise wasn’t exactly considered a serious contender when the year opened. Per Spotrac, Carthon and the front office spent the third-most money in free agency ($238.7 million), but here’s a small sampling of where various outlets had them in their preseason power rankings: 24th, 28th, 28th, 26th, and 27th. Maybe one could argue that Carthon didn’t sign the right players, but a better supporting cast might’ve been wasted anyway when Tennessee was leaning on Will Levis at quarterback. And while Levis was a Carthon pick, Tennessee didn’t have a realistic path to getting Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud in the 2023 draft, and moving up to get Anthony Richardson might’ve been a bigger mistake at this point. Carthon inherited a tough situation. Maybe Carthon was a bad hire from the start, but firing him now only reflects poorly on the Titans. President of Football Operations Chad Brinker (who?) will lead the search. Who is this Chad Brinker? If we understand this, he was hired as Carthon’s assistant, then was promoted over him? Chad Brinker serves as President of Football Operations for the Tennessee Titans. He originally joined the Titans in 2023 as Assistant General Manager, before the promotion to his current position following the 2023 season. As President of Football Operations, a new role for the organization, Brinker provides executive leadership and support for the entire football staff, reporting directly to Amy Adams Strunk. His day-to-day responsibilities include direct oversight of the football departments that address salary cap management; analytics and strategy; communications and information systems; and team operations including security, video, equipment, and grounds. Leveraging his extensive background in scouting, Brinker plays a pivotal role in the evaluation of elite talent in both college and the NFL. His expertise ensures that the organization remains competitive and well-prepared to identify and acquire top-tier talent, thereby maintaining the team’s edge in performance and strategy. In his first season with the team, Brinker was involved in a variety of projects, including crafting the foundation of an analytics department from scratch, involvement in the search for a new head coach resulting in the hiring of Brian Callahan, and building and executing the 2024 offseason strategy for player acquisitions in both free agency and the draft. The free agency period led to 14 new veteran players being added to the roster. An NFL personnel veteran with core strengths in executive leadership, strategic operations, financial analysis, and talent evaluation, Brinker merges his dual background in football operations with a business acumen gained from an MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. As a result, he is a strategic leader and team builder both on and off the field. Prior to joining the Titans, Brinker spent 13 years with the Green Bay Packers in a variety of roles as a talent evaluator and strategic counselor to Packers leadership. So in terms of job responsibilities, it sounds like Brinker already had acquired the organizational clout last year with Carthon perhaps still involved in player evaluations? Josina Anderson: @JosinaAndersonBreaking: The #Titans have parted ways with Ran Carthon, per sources. This was indicated to me days ago that this was up for discussion. There had been questions around the league as to the dynamic between Carthon and Chad Brinker (President of Football Operations) and who really had final say, and where that fell within allowable policies. Several execs around the league had been asking about this to pertinent league officials. Now, as some expected and thus monitoring closely…it all apparently came to a head. Albert Breer has a name to watch for Carthon’s gig, whatever it is: I’d keep an eye on Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham for this one. The Titans have a big QB decision coming up – and someone who was part of the process of choosing QB CALEB WILLIAMS is a frontrunner. |
| AFC EAST |
| MIAMIGM Curtis Grier thinks two of his players should have been on the Pro Bowl Games team. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: The 2024 Dolphins had zero Pro Bowlers. Meeting with reporters on Tuesday, G.M. Chris Grier mentioned two players who, in his view, were snubbed. “To me, the fact that [defensive lineman] Zach Sieler and [running back De’Von] Achane didn’t get Pro Bowl stuff, to me it’s bullshit,” Grier said. “But at the end of the day, when you don’t win games, it’s a team game. Unfortunately that happens. And good people and good players that do things the right way get left behind because of it. And it’s our goal, between Mike and I, to make sure that doesn’t happen to our players again.” In his second season, Achane had 907 rushing yards, 592 receiving yards, and 12 total touchdowns. That put him at fourth place in the AFC in yards from scrimmage. He was tied for fifth in the conference in touchdowns. While Ravens running back Derrick Henry and Colts running back Jonathan Taylor were clear choices, Grier likely believes Achane should have made it instead of Texans running back Joe Mixon. Regardless, Grier is right. Players from playoff teams tend to do better when it’s time to hand out awards. At a statistical position we’re not sure that Achane has the stats for the Dolphins to get all excited about his being left off the AFC team. If Mixon is a soft Pro Bowl choice, perhaps RB JAMES COOK of the Bills, whose team did win more games than either Houston or Miami was the “snub.” Cook rushed for more yards (1,009 to 907) than Achane and has a higher yards per carry (4.87 to 4.47). Achane was indeed 3rd among AFC running backs in yards from scrimmage at 1,493 and that was more than Mixon’s 1,267 – it should be noted that Achane played all 17 games while Mixon missed three. Mixon (94.6) actually had slightly more scrimmage yards per game than Achane’s 88.2. One thing of note is that in 2024, the NFC had a much, much deeper stable of RBs than the AFC. Only six backs rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the AFC in 2024 – and only two had more than 1,100. The NFC had 10 1,000-yard rushers, with 8 over 1,100. So RBs KYREN WILLIAMS, BIJAN ROBINSON, BUCKY IRVING, CHUBA HUBBARD, JAMES CONNER and AARON JONES are among those who didn’t make the NFC Pro Bowl squad with significantly better numbers than Mixon, Achane or Cook. |
| NEW ENGLANDThe Patriots have scheduled two kind of surprising head coach interviews – Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich. Both have OC experience, but both have been on the sidelines for two seasons. Hamilton was the Texans OC in 2022, the same year that Leftwich’s time with Tampa Bay ended. We have to wonder if Tom Brady put in a word to get Leftwich the interview? And with Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson thought to be the fast track candidates for the job, we would note that Hamilton and Leftwich will fulfill the Patriots Rooney Rule obligation. |
| NEW YORK JETSZack Rosenblatt of The Athletic has nosed around the Jets coaching search: Thus far, the only people in the rooms for interviews with candidates: Johnson, vice chairman Christopher Johnson, president Hymie Elhai and consultants Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman. Tannenbaum and Spielman have been leading the charge in terms of reaching out to candidates, setting up interviews and helping formulate a list of candidates. The interviews with Vrabel and Rivera went well, per sources. Unless Vrabel indicates he’d be willing to take the job — he’s viewed as their No. 1 choice — I’d expect this to be an expansive search. It likely won’t wrap up for a few weeks, and they can’t interview any coaches on other teams in-person until Jan. 20 at the earliest, later if that candidate’s current team is still alive in the playoffs. Virtual interviews can start as soon as this week. One Lions coordinator out, one very much inThe Jets are not expected to formally request an interview with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, though that is likely due to the organization’s understanding that Johnson won’t have interest in the job. Johnson is prioritizing teams with an enticing quarterback situation, which the Jets do not have. And it should be noted that Johnson has a friendship with former Jets coach Adam Gase from their time together in Miami. If the Jets don’t land Vrabel — he is expected to interview with multiple other teams — then I’d expect Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to be at or near the top of their list. He’s a former Jets defensive back who’s highly regarded in the Jets building. He’s close with Bill Parcells. He’s considered a high-quality leader and culture-setter, and he certainly helped his case with the Lions’ dominant defensive performance against the Vikings on Sunday night. Glenn will have interest in the Jets job, but also the Saints job, where he worked under Sean Payton for five years as a defensive backs coach. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| WILD CARD WEEKEND ODDSThe 2s and 3s are home favorites, not so much the 4s. This from Vegas Insider: 2024-25 NFL Odds for Wild Card Weekend Los Angeles Chargers vs. Houston Texans OddsOpening point spread: Chargers -3Opening total: Over/Under 44Time: 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday (CBS) Los Angeles (11-6 SU/12-5 ATS) moved up to the No. 5 seed with its Week 18 victory. The Chargers topped Las Vegas 34-20 laying 7 points on the road. L.A. has won three in a row SU and is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games. Houston (10-7 SU/11-6 ATS) has the No. 4 seed as the AFC South champion. In Week 18, the Texans topped Tennessee 23-14 catching 2.5 points on the road. The SuperBook opened Chargers-Texans at L.A. -3 (even) tonight in the NFL odds Wild Card Weekend market. Since then, there’s been only a juice adjustment to Chargers -3 flat. “This will be a big decision for the books. We have already taken a lot of money on the Chargers -3 and expect the public to heavily back them all week,” SuperBook vice president John Murray said. “Houston is limping into the postseason, but we expect to get a good effort out of them. They should be used to this time slot by now.” Indeed, the Texans are making a habit of being in the first game of Wild Card Weekend. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens OddsOpening point spread: Ravens -9.5Opening total: Over/Under 45.5Time: 8 p.m. ET Saturday (Prime) It’ll be Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore for a third time this season. The Steelers fell from the fifth seed to No. 6 with their loss to Cincinnati, coupled with the Chargers’ win over the Raiders. The Ravens and Steelers split their regular-season meetings, with the home team winning and cashing each time. Baltimore opened a hefty -9.5 tonight in The SuperBook’s NFL Wild Card odds market. There’s been no movement yet. “I think you’ll see some books protecting against the obvious Ravens/Bills teasers,” SuperBook vice president John Murray said. “There will be a lot of moneyline parlays this weekend, and they will all include Baltimore. “I don’t think I’m ready to root for Russell Wilson on my Saturday night. That does not sound like a good time.” Denver Broncos vs. Buffalo Bills OddsOpening point spread: Bills -9Opening total: Over/Under 47.5 points scoredTime: 1 p.m. ET Sunday (CBS) Denver (10-7 SU/12-5 ATS) did what was expected against a Kansas City team resting its starters. The Broncos rumbled to a 38-0 victory as 11-point home favorites. Buffalo (13-4 SU/10-7 ATS) had the No. 2 seed wrapped up prior to Week 18. The Bills lost to New England 23-16 giving 3.5 points on the road. That halted a 10-1 SU/8-3 ATS stretch for Buffalo, but again, it was a meaningless game. The SuperBook opened Buffalo -9 tonight in NFL Wild Card Weekend odds. “I’m surprised to see this game in the early Sunday time slot. Same deal as the Ravens game, we have to protect against teasers,” SuperBook vice president John Murray said. “Everyone will be expecting Baltimore and Buffalo to advance to a showdown the following week.” Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles OddsOpening point spread: Eagles -4.5Opening total: Over/Under 46 points scoredTime: 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX) Green Bay (11-6 SU/9-8 ATS) was a 10-point home favorite vs. Chicago, with plenty to play for. If the Packers won, they’d be the No. 6 seed and avoid a first-round game at Philadelphia. But the Packers were dealt a stunning 24-22 loss on a final-seconds field goal. Further, Jordan Love suffered an elbow injury that led to him exiting the game. Philadelphia (14-3 SU/11-6 ATS) was already locked in at No. 2 prior to its Week 18 game at the New York Giants. Still, the Eagles won 20-13 as a 3-point favorite. Philly opened -4.5 vs. Green Bay in The SuperBook’s NFL odds Super Wild Card Weekend market. “This looks like the best game of the weekend. There should be a lot of support both ways,” SuperBook vice president John Murray said. “There could be a lot of moneyline liability to the Eagles here, depending on how the AFC playoff games and the College Football Playoff semifinal games go.” Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers OddsOpening point spread: Buccaneers -3Opening total: Over/Under 50.5 points scoredTime: 8 p.m. ET Sunday (NBC) In Week 18, Washington held its position as the No. 6 seed. The Commanders (12-5 SU/10-6-1 ATS) edged Dallas 23-19, failing to cash as 7-point road favorites. Tampa Bay (10-7 SU and ATS) was a hefty 14.5-point home favorite vs. New Orleans in Week 18. But the Bucs got all they could handle from the Saints. Tampa trailed 16-6 at halftime, but rallied for a 27-19 victory, clinching the No. 3 seed. Commanders-Buccaneers opened at Tampa -3 in The SuperBook’s NFL’s Wild Card odds. Within a couple hours tonight, the Bucs adjusted to -3 (-120). “The baffling Sunday Night Football game,” SuperBook vice president John Murray said, alluding to his desire for a more attractive prime-time matchup. “I expect this to be a good two-way game. It does not seem like a game we will be heavy to either side on.” Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams OddsOpening point spread: Vikings -2Opening total: Over/Under 47.5 points scoredTime: 8 p.m. ET Monday (ESPN) Minnesota (14-3 SU/11-5-1 ATS) tied for the second-best record in the NFC, and the entire league, for that matter. But the Vikings ended up the No. 5 seed and on the road next weekend. In a battle for the NFC’s No. 1 seed, Minnesota tumbled 31-9 as 3-point road underdogs to Detroit on Sunday night. No. 4 seed Los Angeles awaits the Vikings. The Rams rested several players in Week 18, even with a chance to get the No. 3 seed. L.A. lost to Seattle 30-25 as 7.5-point home underdogs. The SuperBook opened Vikings-Rams at Minnesota -2, with no early movement. “I think this one will be a big need for us, and I expect us to be big Rams fans,” SuperBook vice president John Murray said. “The Vikings got humbled on Sunday Night Football, but there’s not much shame in losing at Detroit. “I think Minnesota will be a big public side to close out what should be a huge five-day weekend, with eight marquee games.” Indeed, the College Football Playoff semis – Notre Dame vs. Penn State on Thursday, Ohio State vs. Texas on Friday – lead into the six-game Wild Card Weekend. |
| 2025 DRAFTAt this point it seems pretty clear that QB CAM WARD of the U. of Miami will emerge as QB1 in the draft and a likely selection of Tennessee with the first pick. But QB SHEDEUR SANDERS is not a slam dunk for pick number two. JPAFootball@jasrifootball𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: Multiple scouts don’t have a 1st-round grade on Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, per @TomPelissero on the @RichEisenShow “I’ve already talked to people within the league who don’t have anything close to a first-round grade on the guy.” |
