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The Eagles' Super Bowl defense ended earlier than expected after falling to the 49ers in the Wild Card Round, 23-19. Following the loss, Philadelphia announced that offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was out at the position. The Eagles offense averaged 22.3 points per game, which was 19th in the NFL. In 2024, Philadelphia ranked seventh while averaging 27.2 points per game with now Saints head coach Kellen Moore. As the offensive coordinator search continues, the team has a lot to think about heading into the offseason. Today’s Hottest Take: Trading AJ Brown should be a serious consideration AJ Brown is undoubtedly one of the best receivers in the NFL and has only made Philadelphia better since arriving, but a change might be good for both sides. While Brown has amassed 1,000 yards and scored at least seven touchdowns since joining the Eagles in 2022 , he has shown his frustrations with the offense multiple times to the public. Brown voiced his concerns with the offense early in the season, saying “It has to change, it has to evolve, we have to find ways to get better.” The Super Bowl LIX champion receiver didn’t speak to the media following the playoff loss. While what Brown brings on the field would be very hard to replace, the question is if the off the field drama isn’t worth keeping him around the locker room. General manager Howie Roseman was asked about the possibility of trading Brown at the end of year press conference. "We talked about this I think at the trade deadline last time I talked," Roseman said. "It is hard to find great players in the NFL and AJ is a great player. I think from my perspective that’s what we’re going out and looking for, when we go here out in free agency, in the draft, is trying to find great players who love football and he’s that guy. So that would be my answer." Brown, who had just three catches for 25 yards in the Wild Card loss, had multiple drops in the game, including a third down drop late in the game that could have been a big play. According to ESPN’S Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles could save seven million in cap space if they trade Brown after June 1. Who the Eagles hire as their next offensive coordinator will also likely play a role in the decision to trade Brown or not. Before You Go: The latest on the offensive coordinator search As of Monday, the search continues for Philadelphia. The Eagles have been linked to and have interviewed a number of candidates, including new Chargers OC Mike McDaniel, former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, new Buccaneers OC Zac Robinson, Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka, and former Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, to name a few. However, the names on the list have started to dwindle. Daboll, who was reported as one of the teams top targets, wants the Bills head coaching gig and could end up with the Titans as their offensive coordinator if he doesn’t get the Buffalo job. Also, McDaniel was likely atop the list for the Eagles, but withdrew his name to take the Chargers job. New developments also came out on Monday that LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. spoke to the Eagles, but has decided to stay in college with the Tigers . Another young and promising coordinator, Declan Doyle, also withdrew his name from the search according to Dianna Russini. With a lot of withdrawals coming around the league for both coordinator and head coaching jobs, many think a decision could come in the next few days for the Eagles. The latest reported interviews following the conference championship games included Texans’ quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson , who coached with Nick Sirianni on the Colts in 2020. Johnson was also considered two years ago when the team hired Brian Johnson. Philadelphia also reportedly interviewed former Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith. While the search is still ongoing and there is no shortage of strong football minds out there, it does feel like the Eagles have missed out on some of the top options that they may have expected when the search began.

At multiple points during the Denver Broncos’ AFC Divisional Round game on Sunday, it seemed as though the Buffalo Bills were running away with the game, but Denver trained all season for moments like this. Miraculously, an outstanding interception by Denver corner Ja’Quan McMillian and a smart drive by the Broncos’ offense, Wil Lutz split the uprights for a game-winning field goal. Quarterback Bo Nix was a big reason why Denver sent Buffalo packing, but now the Broncos will have to beat another tough opponent without the franchise quarterback. Today’s Hottest Take: Broncos still have a shot with Stidham Without Nix, it will be tough to beat the New England Patriots, especially considering the circumstances. Jarrett Stidham is one of the top backups in the NFL, but asking him to win the AFC Championship game in what will be his first start since Jan. 7, 2024, is a tough ask. That doesn’t mean a win is impossible, though. Stidham is a backup for a reason, but he might be one of the best backups in the league. “Stiddy,” as Stidham is known to Sean Payton and the Broncos, has started just a handful of games in his career, but based on what the Broncos have seen in practice, the preseason, and his limited regular-season experience, the team seems to have faith in the six-year player. Stidham was one of Payton’s first signings as the Broncos’ coach, so it’s clear he has faith in him, and when Russell Wilson was in Denver, Stidham actually earned a couple of starts at the end of his first season. In the two starts, Stidham went 1-1 with 40 completions on 66 attempts for 496 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. All things considered, Stidham played alright. Now, though, the Broncos’ surrounding cast is much better than it was then. The offensive line has blossomed into, arguably, the league’s best. The defense has become an elite unit, and a revamped group of offensive weapons meshes better than it used to. While his most recent start was years ago, and the preseason doesn’t always translate to regular-season or postseason success, Stidham looked great this offseason. Stidham is a generally aggressive passer who isn’t afraid to push the ball downfield, which could be intriguing for Payton, but he doesn’t have the same mobility as Nix. It is yet to be determined if Payton will be cautious or aggressive in his playcalling, but Stidham should at least give Denver a shot against an inexperienced Patriots team. What You Need To Know: The Broncos may be getting key players back While Stidham may have a shot at an upset, he could use as much help as he can get. Fortunately for Stidham and the Broncos, a few key players may return to the lineup this Sunday. Receivers Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin both exited the win over the Bills early. Bryant cleared the concussion protocol and should be good to go Sunday. Franklin is still limited with a hamstring injury and may end up missing the game against New England. There is a chance Denver gets a couple of players back from IR. Starting center Luke Wattenberg and starting running back J.K. Dobbins both returned to practice this week; Wattenberg practiced in full on Thursday, and Dobbins was limited. While they won’t fix everything, getting key starters back in the lineup would be a huge help for Stidham, especially Bryant, who likely has had plenty of practice reps with Stidham since the beginning of the season. Before You Go: The Denver defense will need to step up once again While Denver’s defense has been great all season, it will need to be even better than it was throughout the year. In fact, it will need to look like it did last week. The Broncos have not been great at forcing turnovers this season despite being the best pass-rushing unit in the league. Last week, though, Denver forced five turnovers. That’s a high bar to reach every week, but New England’s offense has been susceptible to turnovers this postseason. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye isn’t allergic to making a bad decision or fumbling the ball. If Denver’s defense can give the offense some short fields and control the pace of the game, the Broncos could earn themselves a Super Bowl appearance.

In their first home game in close to two weeks, the Charlotte Hornets lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who largely dominated the game outside of a fourth quarter comeback effort from Charlotte. The Hornets shot just 17% from three on Wednesday night and somehow came back from 26 points down to cut the deficit to six, before they lost by seven. The Hornets have now alternated wins and losses for six games in a row, not finding any real rhythm or consistency to win more than one in a row. The Hornets haven’t had consecutive wins since their January 5 win against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s night and day when it comes to the production on each side of the ball for Charlotte. Outside of Wednesday’s loss against Cleveland, the offense has been humming. Heading into their home game against Cleveland, the Hornets had a total point differential of 0, despite holding a 16-27 record on the season. The Hornets Have An Elite Offense (When Healthy) The most exciting aspect of the season is Charlotte's offense when they are healthy. The starting lineup of Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Moussa Diabate has a second-best net rating in the NBA at 25.2, just behind Oklahoma City’s fully-healthy starting five. Charlotte's offensive rating over its last 10 games is 199.5, which ranks fourth in the NBA, behind only the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, and Golden State Warriors. The question that many Hornets fans and analysts have been pondering is, why aren’t the Hornets capitalizing on their high-powered offense as effectively as they possibly could? Looking at the team’s defensive performance, it's clear Charlotte isn’t the strongest on that end of the court; they currently rank 16th in opponent scoring average, suggesting significant room for improvement. Considering their overall makeup, an average defense combined with a potent, dynamic offense—the Hornets should theoretically be winning more games than they actually do. However, they struggle to translate their offensive strengths into consistent victories. It's Their Late Game Woes That Affect The Final Score The primary issue preventing their success is their apparent inability to close out games convincingly, often losing momentum or making costly mistakes when it matters most, which ultimately keeps them from reaching their full potential this season. Charlotte is 4-12 in clutch games, as they rank 21st in the NBA in fourth-quarter turnovers and 24th in fourth-quarter field goal percentage. There’s no other way to describe Charlotte’s inability to close games than their lack of experience in high-leverage moments, as the rosters are led by a core of high-ceiling raw talent with no postseason experience. Since Miller has been in the league, the Hornets' season has basically ended in early to mid-March because of how far they are in the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The turnaround isn’t going to happen overnight, but with an offense that is clearly dangerous and only has potential to get better, the Hornets do have something real brewing, and sooner than later, the Charlotte faithful will have something to cheer for.

Former Jets head coach and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has signed a five-year deal to become the next head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Salah brings over 20 years of coaching experience, with more than 15 years as a defensive coach. Many people thought Matt Nagy would be the coach, but management liked what they saw and took a shot with Saleh. How will Salah fix the Titans? It starts on the defensive end; the Titans had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season. Between injuries and trades, the Titans' defense struggled immensely. Saleh has been known to turn around defenses and is regarded by some as a great mentor and coach. 49ers linebacker Fred Warner talked about Saleh being a mentor and how he developed his career. “Robert Saleh is one of the best coaches I've ever played for, Warner said. “He’s an amazing teacher and the reason I got drafted to the 49ers, he saw my film and what I got due when others didn’t.” 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir also praised Saleh about his time in San Francisco and how he helped improve the team. “Just having a guy like Saleh, he was so energetic coming off when we first met him, just playing for him, it was a blessing, just to learn how he’s a defensive mastermind.” It’s obvious that Saleh is a player's coach and puts his guys first, but his next hire will be his most important decision to develop young quarterback Cam Ward. Who will be the Titans' next offensive coordinator? Saleh is a defensive-minded coach, but he needs a solid offensive coordinator to help keep the offense rolling for the 26-27 season. With Mike McDaniel now off the board, it will be interesting to see who the Titans go after as their OC. Names like Nagy and Brian Daboll have popped up in the search for the new Titans OC position, as well as Mike McCarthy. Would Titans fans want any of these guys as their head coach? No. However, as an offensive coach, these coaches would be solid picks. Nagy has been a solid OC for the Chiefs for the last few seasons, including a Super Bowl run. Daboll and McCarthy both bring a lot of solid coaching experience and know what it takes to get a team to a Super Bowl and win one. Some coaches are meant to be the coordinators more than head coaches, and I think any one of these guys would be a fundamental part of the Titans' rebuild going forward. The Titans hired the right guy as head coach; now their next step is to find the right OC to make this Titans rebuild a good one.

War is over. Justin Herbert has his 2026 playcaller! And what a shock it is, from Greg Roman’s 2000s offense to the man I called a “dream hire,” Mike McDaniel, and his ever-evolving Shanahan style of offense! Today’s Hottest Take: This Is Already The Best Playcaller that Justin Herbert Has Had Now, at first glance, this is not a scorching take. I implore you to look at the names that Herbert has had calling plays: current Saints HC and Super Bowl-winning play caller with the Eagles, Kellen Moore, and current Colts HC and NFC Champion play caller, also with the Eagles, Shane Steichen. Two highly regarded offensive minds in the league, and I’m going to put McDaniel over both of them. The main reason will be, as in most situations regarding the Chargers, Justin Herbert. Mike McDaniel’s entire stint as a playcaller in the NFL was tethered to Tua Tagovailoa and whatever backup quarterback filled in when Tua went down with an injury. Tua is a quarterback that requires a very distinct style of offense, utilizing anticipation, RAC opportunities, and almost entirely from the pocket, all restrictions that go out the window when you have a six-foot-six rocket-armed QB with impressive mobility. McDaniel has proven that he can adapt his offense to the talent he is presented with, not try to make the square peg fit in the round hole because of stubborn schematics, so expect him to maintain an emphasis on RAC opportunities, a dramatic increase in presnap motion to give Justin Herbert more information pre-snap, and expect a run game that is less three yards and a cloud of dust and more get the edge and on your mark, get set, go. Kellen Moore and Steichen both had success with Herbert, but I firmly believe this is an opportunity to see the best version of Herbert we have seen in 2026, with McDaniel being the “head coach of the offense,” as Jim Harbaugh puts it. I’m fully expecting McDaniel to put his creative offense to work with two healthy All-Pro caliber tackles in returning Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, multiple RAC threats in the form of Quentin Johnston and Tre Harris, a true weapon in the slot in Ladd McConkey, but truthfully, I’m most excited to see what he does with second-year tight end Oronde Gadsden II. McDaniel has always gotten production out of his tight ends, from Mike Gesicki early on, Jonnu Smith, or even Darren Waller off the couch this past season, and Gadsden fits the super-versatile, athletic mold of those two. Credit to where credit is due, as Harbaugh has completely bucked his historical trends, his friendships in the workplace, and left his comfort zone to bring in a totally different style of coach in Mike McDaniel. What You Need to Know: Mike McDaniel By The Numbers Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t! (Well, sometimes at least.) Mike McDaniel’s offenses came out of the gate at a historic level early in his tenure in Miami, but came to a halt these last two seasons in direct correlation with the decline of Tua. Obviously, context is a very important tool. Because in 2024 this average is weighed down by the fact that Tua missed multiple games, and in those games the offense scored three, 12, 15, 16, and 20 points. If you remove those games, the offenses' PPG average goes from 20.3, good for 22nd, to 25.5 PPG, which would have been good for 10th in the NFL. Now the question mark goes to 2025. What the hell happened? Well, when your season ends with the consensus that your quarterback is no longer the guy, it’s usually a telling sign that the quarterback play drastically tailed off. The loss of Tyreek Hill definitely played a part in the offensive fall-off, but I think, as there are negatives, it’s important to point out that, despite the offensive fall-off, McDaniel did a phenomenal job understanding his personnel once again as the season went on. Tua struggled, and as a result, instead of McDaniel’s offense running headfirst into a wall, McDaniel tried to find solutions with even more easy buttons for his struggling QB (something Roman refused to do), as well as leaning on Devon Achane in every facet, similarly to how the 49ers leaned on Christian McCaffery. Before You Go: It's A One-Year Pit Stop It can’t all be sunshine and rainbows. The main drawback of hiring a name like Mike McDaniel was always going to be the expectation that it’s a one-year thing, considering the amount of buzz McDaniel was receiving as a head coach candidate this cycle, and all reports point to the fact that McDaniel could have taken a HC gig this year but made a conscious decision to be an offensive coordinator this year. I think it is clear that McDaniel didn’t come here just to work with No. 10, but to learn under the leader of men that is Coach Harbaugh. One of McDaniel’s biggest criticisms was that his teams were “soft” and particularly struggled in cold weather, something you will never hear from a Harbaugh team. I think McDaniel will benefit drastically from being under Jim Harbaugh and will make him a much better head coach in the long run, and I think he knows that, considering there was a criticism of McDaniel’s inability to be a “leader of men.” The good news for Bolts fans is that in the almost inevitable reality that McDaniel leaves for a HC gig next year, the Chargers would garner two third-round compensatory picks, something that will 100% ease the burden of having to find his replacement.

The Seattle Seahawks advanced to their first NFC Championship since 2014 after stomping the San Francisco 49ers 41-6. The Seahawks' only remaining hurdle is the team that has given them the most trouble this season, the Los Angeles Rams. My Hottest Take: Seattle is hot, and the Rams are not Since Seattle overcame a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Rams in week 16, the teams have performed at vastly different levels. Seattle has won their three games in that span by double digits, 27-10 over the Carolina Panthers, 13-3 over the Niners, and, of course Saturdays 41-6 demolition. It’s really been the story of Seattle's defense bowing up, as they allowed Matthew Stafford to throw for 457 yards in Week 16, but have surrendered just 321 total passing yards in the three games since. The Rams, on the other hand, followed up that devastating loss with another inexplicable loss to the Atlanta Falcons, thanks to a rare Stafford off day. Los Angeles capped their regular season with a game that was too close for comfort against the lowly Arizona Cardinals. There's no other way to put it than the Rams have looked off in their playoff matchups, due to a combination of errant stretches by Stafford and uncharacteristically poor game feel from Sean McVay, whose decision to take the ball out of Stafford's hands late almost cost the Rams their season in Chicago. All of this suggests Seattle should have a decided mental and emotional edge due to how their last meeting ended and how subsequent games have gone for both teams, with Seattle needing to keep an emphasis on getting pressure like they did against San Francisco and doing a better job taking the threat of Puka Nacua away. What You Need To Know: Your time is now, Kenneth Walker Zach Charbonnet is set to undergo surgery for the knee injury he suffered on Saturday. This is Kenneth Walker’s backfield now. His 19 carries on Saturday were a season high, and he responded with 6.1 yards per carry and three scores. Last time out, he went 11-100-1 against the Rams, setting him up for a potentially big day. With Walker being a free agent after this season, this is a golden opportunity to show Seattle and others that he can still function as a lead back, especially with Sam Darnold not at 100% right now. The only other back to touch the ball in that Divisional round blowout was Velus Jones Jr., a converted wide receiver who has proven to be nothing more than an experiment. Seattle also has veteran journeyman Cam Akers as depth, but this room is incredibly thin, given that both George Holani and Kenny McIntosh are on injured reserve. Before You Go: Seattle will finally make a statement By no means will this be another 41-6 beatdown, the Rams are far too talented for that, but Seattle has really elevated its defense over the last month. The entire team seems to have peaked at the best possible moment, while the Rams have looked disjointed on offense at times, and their defense has already shown struggles stopping the run. Where Sam Darnold is with his injury is the biggest concern, because he wasn’t asked to do much of anything, but looked fine when he did throw it. The havoc that Seattle's defense is creating is too hard to ignore, though, and Seattle is going to clinch their trip to the Super Bowl with a 24-10 victory.

The New York Giants and head coach John Harbaugh agreed to terms on a five-year deal last week valued at around $100 million following days of finalizing negotiations. Harbaugh marks the seventh coach the team will have in the saddle following longtime head coach Tim Coughlin’s resignation in 2015. Harbaugh’s signing comes after days of an all-out strategy by New York to get the most-coveted coach of the cycle in their building, which reportedly included lunches and meetings with former Giants players and coaches. The 63-year-old told ESPN that he was “proud and honored to be the head coach of this historic franchise.” It was a move long-fantasized for fans of the team after the news was first reported on Thursday, following some drama during the negotiation process. With formalities out of the way, Harbaugh has a lot of work to do to try to get the organization back to the promised land and former glory at the top of the football hill. There are a few moves he can start out with that would change the course of the organization. My Hottest Take: Harbaugh Must Take Full Control Of The Roster One of the demands Harbaugh reportedly had on his list is near or full-control of roster decisions for the team. Rumors suggested that general manager Joe Schoen wasn’t too fond of the new structure of power, which resulted in a freeze in discussions. It later came out that the new reporting structure, which would go around Schoen and right between Harbaugh and owner John Mara, was the issue. Regardless of the issue, the first thing Harbaugh must do is begin to reconstruct the roster while keeping the young player core intact. New York has a treasure trove of young, promising players on offense in wide receiver Malik Nabers, quarterback Jaxson Dart, and running back Cam Skattebo. On defense, linebackers Abdul Carter and Brian Burns, alongside cornerback Cor’Dale Flott anchor the defense. It goes without mentioning that they have the fifth overall pick. This early draft pick will shape the current look of the organization and the direction it wants to go, which could mean the selection of a defensive stalwart in Caleb Downs or Arvell Reese if he falls that far. Per SI, the team’s two biggest issues are their run defense and secondary play, which fell apart under Shane Bowen. Harbaugh and Baltimore, in general, are known for their strong defensive play and development of young players. “Harbaugh’s second challenge will be figuring out which system will work best to fix these issues and putting the young players in the Giants' secondary in positions to make more game-changing plays,” SI wrote. What You Need To Know: This Is Not An Overnight Fix Getting Harbaugh solves the carousel of the head coaching spot, but fans must exercise caution and patience since this is likely not going to be a one-season fix. Bad coaching decisions and roster setups can take years to fix if they’re neglected, as they have been with the Giants. It’s going to start with new coaches and smarter draft picks. Harbaugh reportedly wants to bring in familiar faces to New York, especially Ravens’ offensive coordinator Todd Monken and defensive coordinator Zach Orr. While these are all decent selections, especially with reportedly trying to keep offensive line coach Carme Bricillo on the Giants, there will be a period of transitioning. New offensive schemes, defensive schemes and overall culture will be tough for at least the first year or two. As for being smarter with draft picks, Harbaugh will have more say in who the team gets, but several swings and misses in the last few years set the Giants back significantly. In 2021, the team selected Kadarius Toney over Christian Darrisaw or Travis Ettienne. New York also infamously selected cornerback Eli Apple over Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil. They also selected Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014 over future Hall-of-Fame guard Zack Martin, who went to the Dallas Cowboys just a few picks later. Looking at the Ravens’ draft history at the time, it’s significantly better than the Giants' and how they did. Of course, not all of it is attributable to Harbaugh, but he seems to be a lot better than Brian Daboll or any of the previous coaches. Before You Go: Joe Schoen Is On His Last Chance If it wasn’t obvious before, Schoen is on his last chance with the Giants after three years of dismal play following their surprise 2022 playoff appearance. Schoen escaped the Black Monday massacre of head coaches and general managers following the end of the regular season, but not by much. He even expressed relief himself. “I’m fortunate to have great ownership here where you’re allowed to stub your toe and try to course correct,” Schoen told the New York Post . “We’re going to get the right person to lead the franchise and, again, get us back to what the standard is.” It’s far too early to say whether Schoen will survive 2026, but the hiring of Harbaugh, who also wanted his own general manager, shows that the walls are too tight for error. Schoen must get the draft right, the roster setup right, and the entire culture of the locker room right. If he finishes with another four-win season or a 10-loss season, he will be out.

I gave myself 48 hours after the 49ers season-ending debacle to compose myself, in large part because I didn’t want the narrative of what has generally been an incredible season to be marred by my rage and anger at what was, frankly, a pathetic effort in Seattle. Injuries and attrition caught up to the team for sure, but they never really looked ready to play in Seattle on Saturday night. Having spent last week lauding the team for embracing their ability to go out fighting on their shield, this week I find myself excoriating them for not even drawing it. Oh well. Let’s get to the nuts and bolts of it. My Hottest Take: It hurts, but we’ll be better for this next year I’ve found it hard to come to terms with this loss, for a variety of reasons. One, the 49ers have never won the Super Bowl in my time as a fan. Add another year to that score. Two, the manner of the loss was horrible. Some would tell me it’d be worse to lose a close game, but I don’t know about that; turning a game off with a quarter and a half left feels like the worst outcome. Three, it was the Seahawks, who honestly look like the favourites to bring the Lombardi home. That all congeals into a pretty nasty ball of misery, and that’s why I couldn’t find much truck, in the immediate hours post-defeat at least, with those who said "well, we’ve had a good season" like a guy who’s lost in the last round of Jeopardy. (I don’t entirely know if that’s a thing, I’m British) On reflection, though, while I still don’t agree with the "aw shucks, golly gee" attitude to losing (and think the coaches have some questions to answer about our preparation), I do see some light ahead. This season was a fun ride, with ups, downs, thrills, spills, and tremendous experience for our youngsters. The NFC West was written off by some "hilarious" content creators as "the meme division" preseason, and it’s produced three playoff teams and half of the final four. That one of those is the 49ers is not especially surprising to me, but it sure should be to the likes of Tim Kawakami and Grant Cohn who doom-mongered their way through the offseason. It was a great achievement. That losing hurts shows how much this team made us believe, and even I wouldn’t have thought that possible in September. I’d long since reconciled myself to "this will be a great building year for 2026," even before Bosa’s ACL went pop or Fred Warner’s ankle shattered. Having took us on this ride, though, that’s exactly what this year can be. The likes of Upton Stout, Alfred Collins, CJ West, Marques Sigle and others will have benefitted greatly from their unexpected increase in playing time this year, and the former two in particular look like potential stars. No one can say what will become of us next season–I’m sure after 2023’s Super Bowl loss we thought a "revenge tour" was possible–but the signs are good. Let’s hope the 49ers can build on some continuity going into next season. What You Need To Know: Robert Saleh leaving doesn’t have to be a disaster One place the team is likely to struggle for continuity is on the coaching staff, with multiple assistants drawing interest elsewhere, including Klay Kubiak and, of course, Robert Saleh. At the time of writing, there are ten unfilled head coaching spots in the league, including potential top jobs like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and (as of this morning) the Buffalo Bills. It’s hard to imagine that Robert Saleh isn’t ticketed for at least one of those vacancies. Myself, I think he’s a shoo-in for the Baltimore job; a stable ownership, a tremendous front office, and quarterback in place represents all the things he didn’t have in his first head coaching go-round in New York, and his fiery, defense-first attitude seems tailor-made for the Ravfirst attitude seems tailor-made for the Ravens. Update Tuesday AM: Robert Saleh has agreed to become the new head coach of the Tennessee Titans, per Adam Schefter at ESPN. So, disaster, right? Well, not so fast. Saleh has left once before, and his replacement, DeMeco Ryans, did pretty well, and arguably better. Where things went wrong was going outside the organisation for Ryans’ replacement (Steve Wilks, who was a horrible fit both personality and schematically), and then having to recruit from a brain-drained assistant pool from within for 2024 (Nick Sorensen, who, frankly, was like having Beavis and Butthead at defensive coordinator), rather than the loss of Saleh. Looking at this offseason, there are some interesting potential candidates both internally (KJ Wright, Daniel Bullocks, and Gus Bradley) and externally (Jim Schwartz, Raheem Morris, Sean McDermott, et al) for the job. Frankly, I think everyone knows I’m a bit of a Saleh-sceptic, and while it’d be nice if he stayed, I don’t think a new voice, and maybe a slightly more aggressive attitude to playcalling, necessarily means disaster. I reserve the right to change this, though, particularly if they hire Bradley, which feels like it’d have me weeping all offseason. Before You Go: What’s coming up this offseason Speaking of which, we’re now officially into the offseason, and on the clock for the 27th pick in the draft. You might think, or even hope, that that might mean you see a little less of my ranting. Not so. In fact, you might see more of me as a result. Expect me to be breaking down offseason needs, potential draft picks, and any offseason drama until I’m almost blue in the face. We’ll start next week with a look at needs for next season, and possibly some 2025 season awards. I’ll see you then!

Pittsburgh By The Numbers : Record: 10-7, 1st in AFC North Passing leader: Aaron Rodgers, 3322 yds, 24 TD, 7 INT, 65.7 CMP% Rushing leader: Jaylen Warren: 958 yds, 211 att, 6 TD Receiving Leader: D.K. Metcalf, 850 yds, 59 rec, 6TD Tackling leader: Payton Wilson, 126 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 sacks Sacks leader: Alex Highsmith, 9.5 sacks, 50 tackles, 15 TFL Interceptions leader: (4-way tie) Kyle Dugger, Brandin Echols, Jack Sawyer, T.J. Watt, 2 INT OPOY: Kenneth Gainwell Kenneth Gainwell went from the projected third-string running back to being voted Pittsburgh’s MVP by his teammates, logging over 1,000 all-purpose yards as Aaron Rodgers’ most dependable option. While receiving little praise from the national media, Gainwell shined when he was needed most. He looks to be the focal point of a strong backfield in 2026 along with Jaylen Warren and young Kaleb Johnson. DPOY: Cam Heyward The lone All-Pro nod for the Steelers, Heyward brought stability to an ever-changing defense that never really got to settle in due to injuries. The 36 year-old was one of four Steelers to start all 17 regular-season games, stuffing the run and crashing into quarterbacks with a vengeance. As he inches closer to the final chapter of his career, the career Steeler shouldn’t ever be taken for granted. ROTY: Derrick Harmon Harmon missed some time due to injuries throughout the season, but he made his mark opposite of Heyward whenever he made it onto the field. He wasn’t fazed by the size and speed of NFL offensive lineman, providing seven pressures and 27 tackles in just eight starts. A full season for Harmon could lead to much larger numbers, especially if Pittsburgh’s new coaching staff can figure out how to capitalize on the Oregon product’s massive talent. Best Play Of The Year: Calvin Austin keeps the season alive The Steelers’ final regular season game had as much pressure involved as a regular season could stand: one team would go to the playoffs, the other would likely fire their head coach. With both teams playing for their short-term and long-term futures, it was a classic AFC North slugfest. After Baltimore took the lead with just over two minutes to go, courtesy of a 64-yard Zay Flowers touchdown, The Steelers turned to their quarterback, looking for a classic Rodgers game-winning drive. Rodgers and the Steelers flew down the field, finally setting up a 3rd-and-10 rocket to Calvin Austin that gave Pittsburgh the lead . Pittsburgh would still need a missed kick from the Ravens on the final drive to secure the win, but old school Rodgers magic and a career-defining moment for Austin would be what Steelers faithful remembered most. Worst Play Of The Year: Auto-Locking on MVS Rodgers proved several times that he still had some of his signature magic throughout the season, but his second outing against the Browns wasn’t one of his hallmark moments. After the offense went completely off the rails in order to deny Myles Garrett a sack, Pittsburgh still had an opportunity to win the game in the redzone. Rather than move the ball around, Rodgers looked for former Packers and Jets teammate Marques Valdez-Scantling three consecutive times , despite being blanketed by Denzel Ward. Cleveland held on to stifle the Steelers and win the game, leaving many questioning the late-game decision making by Rodgers and OC Arthur Smith. AFC Hatred Moment Of The Year: Jalen Ramsey ragebaits Jamarr Chase The great cornerbacks excel at not only winning physical matchups, but dominating receivers psychologically. Jalen Ramsey has proven to be a nightmare over the course of his career, and he brought his competitive fire to Pittsburgh’s secondary all year. His crowning achievement came while hosting the Bengals, a game in which the entire defense played as well as they had all season. Ramsey played a key part in putting superstar Jamarr Chase on a milk carton, and even managed to goad Chase into swinging on him after a stoppage in play, drawing a flag and stifling the Bengals offense yet again. Most Steelers Moment Of The Year: Gaslighting us into thinking the Jets were good The Steelers opened the year with an electric duel against New York in Rodgers’ return to Metlife, winning a 34-32 shootout that left fans of both teams excited about the upcoming season. The Jets would then go on to bench Justin Fields, stage a fire sale at the trade deadline, and finish the season 3-14. Their offense scored over 27 points only one other time, against the patchwork Bengals. Jets fans, we wholeheartedly apologize for the false sense of hope. Best Tweet Of The Year: Seth Rorabaugh sees the future The Local Pittsburgh Penguins writer went 2-for-2, predicting both a classically bizarre Mike Tomlin quote and Pittsburgh’s signing of a former star in the twilight of his career. Within 24 hours of Rorabaugh’s tweet, Adam Theilen was a Steeler. Most Intriguing Future: Darnell Washington Washington, like Gainwell, started the season buried in a deep position room behind Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth. Thanks to Smith’s heavy reliance on tight ends, however, Washington was given opportunities to produce, and he made the most of them as he stiff-armed and truck-sticked his way into Rodgers’ list of favorite targets. A broken arm suffered in week 17 ended his season, but he’s already proven he belongs in his future head coaches gameplan. Once fully recovered, Washington will look to be a featured part of the offense in 2026.

New year, same old Chicago Bulls. Sitting right around a .500 record once again, the Bulls are barreling toward another play-in appearance. If that happens, it would mark the fourth consecutive season in essentially the same spot. There has been no real growth, no clear development, just average basketball that feels stuck in neutral. With the trade deadline less than three weeks away, the Bulls must take action to alter the trajectory of the franchise. It does not have to be a move that saves this season, but it needs to provide direction. There has to be a plan. Here's my plan: I am going to rank three potential trade targets, from #3 to #1, based on who I would most want the Bulls to acquire. #3 - Jonathan Kuminga Kuminga is a very intriguing player. Drafted seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, he is a six-foot-seven wing who has never truly found his footing in Golden State. While he played a role off the bench during the Warriors’ 2022 championship run, he has struggled to carve out consistent minutes and a defined role. Kuminga has always believed he is one of the better players in the league and has wanted a role that reflects that confidence. That mindset has reportedly led to tension with head coach Steve Kerr. Most recently, he has been buried on the bench, not playing in 13 straight games. The moment he became eligible for a trade, he demanded one. When Kuminga is on, the flashes are real. Just last postseason, he averaged 24.3 points per game while shooting 55% from the field in the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. That type of production shows the upside he still carries. However, the concern comes with fit and development. The Warriors currently have very little leverage, so the trade cost might be reasonable, but taking on Kuminga would still be a risk. If you are not fully prepared to build around his strengths and give him a defined role, you could be repeating the same mistakes that stalled his growth in Golden State. That uncertainty is why I would lean more heavily toward the next two options. #2 - Michael Porter Jr. There are conflicting reports about whether Michael Porter Jr. will actually be moved at the deadline, but one thing is clear: he is having a breakout season. Now operating as the primary offensive threat, he is averaging just over 25 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 42% from three-point range. Porter was a blue-chip prospect out of high school, a top recruit in the country , before choosing to attend Missouri. Back injuries derailed his college career, limiting him to just one game, but his talent was undeniable. He was selected 7th overall in the 2017 Draft and eventually became the third option behind Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić in Denver, winning a championship along the way. What stands out most is his size and scoring ability. At six-foot-10, Porter can shoot over defenders effortlessly. There is not a shot he does not like, and honestly, not many shots he cannot make. His confidence as a scorer is exactly what this Bulls team has lacked for years. Health has always been the concern, but he has now played over 75 games in each of the last two seasons, which is a strong sign that those back issues may finally be behind him. Even his passing has improved, as he is averaging a career-high 3.3 assists per game despite having the nickname “Never Swing the Rock” earlier in his career. Porter would be a major upgrade for Chicago offensively and would instantly become their most dangerous scoring threat. Still, as good as he is, there is one player who represents the true swing-for-the-fences move. #1 - Zion Williamson If you need more context on this, I would point you to the article I wrote last week . Zion Williamson is the ultimate direction-setter for this franchise. He will not guarantee a championship in 2026, but he would immediately give the Bulls an identity and a sense of purpose. When healthy, Zion is one of the most efficient and dominant players in the NBA. He owns career averages of 24 points, six rebounds, and shoots nearly 58% from the field. On top of that, he is an underrated facilitator, averaging 4.5 assists per game. Pairing his explosiveness with Josh Giddey’s playmaking and Matas Buzelis ’ development could create a foundation that actually feels exciting and intentional. That alone is something this franchise has lacked for far too long. What makes this gamble even more appealing is the structure of Zion’s contract. Much of it is non-guaranteed and tied to weight checks and games played . The Bulls have always valued financial flexibility, and Zion’s deal aligns perfectly with that philosophy. If he plays, the Bulls could push past the play-in tier and finally operate as a real playoff team with upside. If he does not play, they become one of the league’s worst teams, positioning themselves for a top draft pick. Either outcome is more useful than staying stuck in NBA purgatory. That is why Zion Williamson is my clear #1 target. High risk, yes. But also the only move that truly changes the direction of this franchise.

Coming into the second game of a four-game road trip, the New York Knicks easily took down the Portland Trail Blazers. However, they went on to lose their next two against the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, two teams playing below their expectations that New York could’ve defeated. To make matters more challenging, Jalen Brunson went down with an ankle sprain in the midst of a stretch where he scored more than 20 points in 21 straight games. Without their leading scorer, the Knicks turned to Karl-Anthony Towns for scoring production in Saturday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. The All-Star center started the game hot , scoring 12 in the first half. He scored an additional 11 in the second, before airballing two crucial three-point shots late in the fourth quarter. If Towns got his shots to fall, he could’ve cut down the Suns' lead that Devin Booker helped them build with his 29-point performance, but New York ultimately lost its third straight game, and its second to Phoenix this month. The loss marks the Knicks' eighth in their last 10 games. That pushed them down to third in the Eastern Conference standings, with the Boston Celtics claiming second place and the Detroit Pistons remaining in first. Needless to say, the Knicks have hit a roadblock that could make or break their season. They can overcome this rough stretch if they are willing to make some changes. My Hottest Take: Mike Brown Should Test the entire team to see if they're willing to step it up. I believe that if the Knicks want to return to their winning ways, head coach Mike Brown will need to devise a plan for success. The plan will involve testing the team to see whether they can change their ways when facing more formidable opponents. The biggest hurdles will involve shooting threes more efficiently and prioritizing better ball movement. This would involve getting Towns out of the recent slump he’s been in, where he's had some great games and some forgettable ones. For instance, he had six points against the Pistons earlier this month and less than 20 against the Kings and Warriors. Those numbers aren't enough when the team relies heavily on him as their secondary superstar. What Towns should prioritize going forward is better shooting and defense against big men of his size, so he can score more often. Secondly, Brown should expect more consistency from forwards OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, who haven’t been playing poorly but aren't doing enough to win. Take Bridges, for example: he’s had three games recently where he scored less than 15 points and made only two three-pointers. If the Knicks are paying for his $150 million contract, they need to see more production from him, especially on the offensive end. The bench is another area that must step up against tough competition, considering nobody scored in double figures against Phoenix. That realistically should never be the case when the Knicks have Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Kolek and Landry Shamet coming off the bench. Each of those players can shoot threes very well and has shown what they are capable of during crucial moments. When one of those guys gets going, they can shoot the lights out from beyond the arc. Before You Leave: The Knicks have a chance to get back on track before January ends Even though New York is facing a grim three-game losing streak, it can still win some games before the end of January. They take on the 17-26 Dallas Mavericks on Monday, allowing them to snap this losing streak. The Knicks will then host the Brooklyn Nets before traveling to Philadelphia to face the 76ers. I’m more worried about the 76ers game since the Knicks have already lost to them once this season. After that, New York can redeem itself in a rematch with the Kings before taking on the Toronto Raptors and the Trail Blazers. By then, Brunson might be back, as his ankle injury is not overly severe, listed as day-to-day. If the All-Star guard is back in action, that will be a good sign for the Knicks with more than a month left before the All-Star break.

Today’s Hottest Take: The Clippers Can Make The Playoffs For almost all of the season the Clippers have looked like a subpar, below-average team. They had neither a good offense or defense and were racked with injuries. When they played good offense they were losing games because they couldn’t defend anyone and if they played good defense it was overshadowed by their lackluster offense. Now the Clippers are locked in on their playoff goals and are set on making it. Over their last 15 games they have the fifth-best net rating, the third-best offensive rating, and the ninth-best defensive rating. Despite these promising stats the Clippers are still 11th in the Western Conference, half a game behind the Grizzlies. The Clippers have dug themselves into a serious hole that they must get out of to reach their goals. It would be preferable to be able to get the sixth seed to completely avoid the Play-In Tournament, but with nine games separating them and the Rockets, that is unlikely to happen. The Clippers should aim at the seventh or eighth seed, meaning that they will have chances to get out of the Play-In and into the playoffs. They have seven games separating them from the Warriors and they are only three games away from the ninth seed. What You Need To Know: Harden and Kawhi Basketball Works Over these last 15 games the Clippers have had two true superstars in James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi is averaging 31 points on 50/40/90 shooting splits while having seven rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals. Harden is averaging 24 points, four rebounds, and eight assists on league-average efficiency. These two are truly empowering the Clippers offense and defence and elevating the team to a different level. Role players like Derrick Jones Jr., John Collins, and Kobe Sanders are having great games during this stretch because of them. They are second-to-last in pace of playing but they are second in effective field goal percentage and first in true shooting. They are eighth in the league in combined steals and blocks and ninth in points off turnovers. The Clippers might be one of the most complete teams in the league with almost all of their bases covered. They have two stars, an elite center in Ivica Zubac and plenty of great role players. They have defense in Kris Dunn, Yanic Konan Niederhäuser and Jordan Miller, three-point-shooting in Brook Lopez and Bogdan Bogdanović and both in John Collins, Derrick Jones Jr., and Nicolas Batum. Passing comes from everyone on the team and same with rebounding. It is clear that everyone on the roster is fully bought in and will do whatever it takes to win. There have been fewer errant fouls and careless turnovers in the recent games. The team is making sure they take care of the little things like securing rebounds better or making a defensive rotation faster. Most importantly everyone on the team feels like they have a clearly defined role, something that they didn’t really have early in the year. The rotation is secure and the veterans are playing with passion while the younger players are making fewer mistakes. While they aren’t blowing out teams in a dominant fashion, they are playing real winning basketball. Before You Go: The Clippers Have Zero Margin For Error While the Clippers are playing great right now, they can not mess up even slightly. One injury or bad loss can slip them back into a losing streak. From now until the end of the season the Clippers must treat every game like a win-or-go-home playoff game. Games that they are the favorite in they must keep the starters playing until a win is guaranteed and when they are underdogs they must play like their lives are on the line. They need to turn these close wins into something more. They need to blow a team out to help them improve chemistry. They should be spending a lot of their free time either in the gym grinding, or team bonding. If they manage to execute in the late game better and cover up their lapses this team can turn their slow crawl into the playoffs into something real.

Chet Holmgren is keeping his lead in the race for the Defensive Player of the Year. While some may be skeptical about it, he’s actually proving his worth this time around. From impressive defensive performances to all-around games, he’s even making a worthy case to be an All-Star. It’s a tough challenge. Victor Wembanyama is also a good defender in his own right, and the fact that the San Antonio Spurs have beaten Holmgren and the Thunder three times this season should be a talking point. But we’re bringing a much bigger factor to consider: Consistency. Initially, there were many people who even doubted him about starting as the center for the Thunder . Considering that Isaiah Hartenstein is on an extended absence with his injury, Holmgren has been playing at the five for an extended period of time. While there’s been plenty of problems before, OKC is back on the winning track, and it seems they’re getting back on their groove. At the center of that – literally – is Holmgren’s defensive presence. He’s one of the most proficient defenders in the NBA, and it cannot be denied that he continues to prove that while being consistent and staying healthy. The Cheddar Blocker is on the Loose Defense is Oklahoma City’s strongest suit . That formidable defense is what led them to an NBA title last year, which says a lot about their roster that didn’t need a lot of changes in the offseason. Holmgren, by far, has been the catalyst on that end. Sure, they have notable defenders in Alex Caruso, Lu Dort and even Cason Wallace — but nothing beats Holmgren’s presence in the paint. In case you forgot, Holmgren even set the record for the most blocks in a Game 7 of the NBA Finals. He blocked a total of five shots, which proved to be pivotal in holding off the Indiana Pacers while rewarding Oklahoma City with its first title since moving to OKC. In the last 20 games , Holmgren has averaged 17.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. If you’re not impressed, he’s logged at least one block in 18 of those 20 games, which is an insane feat for someone noted as “too thin” and “too lanky” to be in the NBA. With at least 33 blocks in his last 10, I’d say it’s a neat performance from the center. It’s one of the reasons why he’s the best pick to win the DPOY. During that span, Holmgren had at least 10 games with three or more blocks. That’s a promising defensive standard as a frontrunner for the DPOY. Chet vs Wemby for the DPOY Let’s be frank, Wembanyama is on another level right now. He definitely deserves his flowers and is shining better than Holmgren. Considering that he’s the first scoring option for the Spurs (even though he wildly comes off the bench) and has a much lengthier frame, he’s bound to do better, as he’s already at an All-Star level. However, here’s what matters for the DPOY — consistency. For starters, the NBA has imposed a limit on missed games, requiring a minimum of 65 games to be played to be considered eligible for end-of-season awards. Wemby was a frontrunner for the DPOY until he was limited to just 46 games last season. That’s not expected to change as he’s now missed 14 games, three away from being disqualified from the DPOY race. Availability is the best ability. Holmgren proved that by being available for the Thunder’s whole playoff run last season and helping them win a championship. It’s a notable dedication to the game. If you can’t stay healthy to help your team win with your defensive impact, then you shouldn’t win the DPOY award. Holmgren, for what it’s worth, has been consistently available for OKC. Holmgren is showing consistent defensive numbers, which is a good thing. The Thunder are winning, which is ideal for proving his worth for the DPOY. With him logging over 36 games as of the time of writing, Holmgren may indeed have what it takes to win the award. Can Holmgren Win DPOY this Season? If he continues to be a consistent player for the Thunder, Holmgren isn’t just winning the DPOY — he’s ending up in the All-NBA Team and even an All-Star this February. So far, the current trend for the Gonzaga product is promising, and you can expect him to bring more wins for OKC as they seek to repeat as champions. That already speaks volumes for why Holmgren is a valuable pick to win DPOY. With -125 odds to win as of the time of writing, this award is definitely his for the taking.

Woof. Ok, after some time to decompress, as well as watching some coaching dominoes fall, it’s time to discuss the Bolts' demise. Today’s Hottest Take: The Elephant in the Room Ok, this is far from a fun topic to discuss, but the main discussion heading into this Chargers playoff run was Justin Herbert and his playoff troubles. Now exiting the playoff run early once again. The noise has increased dramatically. I love Justin Herbert; he is the franchise quarterback of the Los Angeles Chargers. He is also now 0-3 in the postseason, and despite all of the awful circumstances he’s faced in those games, there is a clear and distinct difference in Herbert in the regular season versus Herbert in the postseason. The superstar throws and Herculean efforts you see in Weeks 1-18 are not there in the wildcard weekend. Now that the standard is probably not a fair one, but it’s the one that he has set for himself with his amazing performances. We've seen him put the Chargers on his back and overcome the odds before, but in all three postseason appearances, he has failed to do so, and that does mean something. Especially Sunday night against New England, we saw Herbert look skittish in the pocket, and at times, we saw Herbert borderline gunshy. Putting up one of his worst career graded games when dropping back 20+ times. This is a fair response for a QB who has been pressured and hit at a historic rate throughout the course of an entire NFL season, but it was not something we had really seen to this point. Justin Herbert’s offensive line in the first half (emphasis on only the first half) was competent, and kept him relatively clean, and unlike my prediction heading into the week , he did not carve New England up with that being the case. There were at least three times in that game where I found myself thinking, “I swear I’ve seen him make this play 100 times before,” on downfield opportunities missed, and that being a trend in the playoffs does worry me. With all of that said, I’ll still stand by No. 10 any day of the week. What You Need to Know: Greg Roman Had To Go The bad man is gone. After spending the last segment addressing why Justin Herbert has to take some responsibility for Sunday night, now it’s time to discuss what was arguably the biggest threat to No. 10’s chances in New England. Greg Roman. Greg Roman has found a way to take two of the most absurdly talented quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and now Justin Herbert to ever grace this sport and completely neuter them come playoff time. It’s remarkable and completely spits in the face of the Romans’ claim that this is “not a Burger King offense”, when in reality it was more enjoyable to hear the Whopper commercial than try to dissect a Greg Roman route combo. “Imagine Justin Herbert with a run game” was the introductory quote by Roman when he was brought on by Jim Harbaugh. In two years, the Chargers' run game was 15th and 27th in yards per carry, with one of those seasons featuring Justin Herbert as the main character in terms of the run game itself when scrambling for his life. The run game completely rolled over and died in two postseason games under Roman, as well as the offense as a whole. There was one total touchdown scored under Roman in those two games, the miracle third-and-a-mile 80-yard Ladd McConkey touchdown against Houston. The nail in the coffin was Pats linebacker Robert Spillane telling the world how unprepared Greg Roman’s offense was on Sunday night. There are not enough words to describe how much the Greg Roman scheme didn’t click with a Justin Herbert-led offense, so instead I’ll simply echo the sentiments of Charger fans everywhere. Good riddance. Before You Go: Now What? The off-season cometh. Now that the Chargers have moved on from their offensive coordinator, and Jesse Minter is almost guaranteed to fetch a head coaching job in this cycle, the Chargers are in all likelihood looking for two new coordinators. Names like Mike McDaniel have been floated as a dream hire for Herbert on the offensive side of the ball, and defensively, it appears that Harbaugh has been anticipating this moment, stating that both internal and external options will be considered. All signs point to Harbaugh being open to someone who is a breath of fresh air, with the hope of modernizing the offense and maximizing the talent the offense does have. Look out for LA Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhasse to be interviewed by the Bolts, as he has ties to the current staff and now comes from the fabled Sean McVay coaching tree, which carries so much weight that he’s garnering a couple HC interviews before gathering play-caller experience. As far as personnel, the Chargers' marquee free agent is midseason trade pick-up Odafe Oweh, who was a stud in the playoff loss with three sacks, including a red zone strip sack to keep the Chargers in striking distance. Oweh publicly stated his desire to stay in LA, and especially after that, letting him out the door would be an unfathomable mistake. Other key free agents include the legendary Khalil Mack, who very well could have played his last football game, Tony Jefferson, who was a stabilizing force in both the secondary and the locker room, Zion Johnson, who came into his own this season under immense pressure, Teair Tart and Da’Shawn Hand, two of the most underrated players on the entire roster, and Chargers icons Keenan Allen and Denzel Perryman. The Chargers are poised to have plenty of cap room to work with, and plenty of places to improve, making this an off-season that GM Joe Hortiz has to nail.

In a 123-112 road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, Donovan Mitchell, who spent five seasons with Utah, did not hesitate to praise young Jazz guard Keyonte George. "I really want to highlight the Jazz," Mitchell said postgame. "They came in there and just outplayed us. It started with Keyonte George who deserves to be an All-Star. A young fella that I know personally, and I'm excited to see his progress just from last year to this year." That progress is quite something. George then joined Malika Andrews on NBA Today and said, “From day one, he really showed that he was invested in my development. For him to go out to the media and say those types of things, I can’t ask for more.” Earlier this month, George became just the third player under 23—joining Michael Jordan and Luka Dončić—to average 29 points, seven assists and 65% true shooting over a 10-game span, according to Matthew Coles of AP News. So, will Keyonte George make the All-Star Game this year? With other star guards in the West, including Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards, it’s unlikely, but his performance this season can’t be ignored. Per StatMuse , Keyonte George is 13th in scoring among Western Conference players, while Lauri Markkanen ranks seventh. What this means going forward Thanks to a scorching start from the dynamic duo of Markkanen and George, the Jazz, who won just 17 games last season, have already reached 14 wins this year. They have done so despite losing starting center Walker Kessler for the season. Jusuf Nurkić has stepped up admirably in Kessler’s absence, averaging 30 minutes per game—second only to Markkanen and George—while posting a double‑double with 10.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Utah is 2-5 in the new year, but George is averaging 19.5 points while shooting 45% from the field, 35% from 3 and 93% from the line in six of seven games so far in 2026. Halfway through January, with 10 games still remaining, the Jazz are on pace to surpass last year’s January record of 3-12. As of now, according to Tankathon, the Jazz have a 7.5% chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, compared with the Hawks (via New Orleans), Pacers and Kings, who are all tied at 14%. That puts Utah in a tricky position. The Jazz’s own first-round pick is top‑8 protected and will go to Oklahoma City if it falls 9‑30. They also hold swap rights with Minnesota and Cleveland, allowing them to exchange their pick for a higher first-round selection if either team ends up with a better position in the draft. Jeremy Woo of ESPN projects the Jazz will select Kingston Flemings of Houston with the No. 5 overall pick. Woo writes, “The emergence of Keyonte George as a most improved contender—and the presence of other young guards on the roster—shouldn't preclude the Jazz from taking a long look at a true point guard in this scenario.” In a draft headlined by top prospects Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer, the young, rebuilding Utah Jazz are likely eager to land a lottery pick to pair with their core of Markkanen, George, and a healthy Kessler for the 2026-27 NBA season.

Key Take: Festina Lente Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan has to feel the urgency to make the right moves this offseason- the status quo simply isn’t enough anymore, and everyone around the program has made that abundantly clear. Mike Tomlin's departure is a clear harbinger of change. Maybe Khan cleans house and cleanses any trace of the old guard from the facility. Maybe he goes all in with his new coach, spending on big weapons in order to unlock the offense and make a title-or-bust rush in 2026. Both are possible. Whatever the front office decides to do, they shouldn’t rush to make a rash decision after a devastating home playoff loss. Several key factors need time in order to play out. Mike Tomlin’s future with the organization, which was bound to be one of the biggest talking points of the offseason, sorted itself out. Despite being late to a busy coaching cycle, Pittsburgh will be one of the most appealing job openings, which means that they can afford to do their due diligence before making a hire. Aaron Rodgers has a decision to make about his potential retirement, and he’ll likely take his time before reaching a verdict that he feels comfortable with. The availability of a new coach and quarterback will likely be the deciding factors in Khan’s offseason moves, and neither of those situations will be resolved overnight. Beyond Tomlin and potentially Rodgers, Pittsburgh has several key players with expiring contracts to deal with. Workhorse Kenneth Gainwell will certainly be a priority, as he expects to be rewarded after a breakout season. Midseason acquisition Kyle Dugger is due for a new deal as well. It’s also expected that Joey Porter Jr seeks an extension at some point before the beginning of next season. Every decision made this offseason will shape the beginning of a new era in Pittsburgh, and it’s essential that they take the time to do everything the right way. What You Need To Know: The Building Blocks Are Here Speaking of Joey Porter Jr., the second-generation Steeler has received little praise from the media over the last two years despite not giving up a touchdown since his rookie year. The third-year corner from Penn State was a steady presence in an otherwise patchwork secondary this season, shining in silence by keeping a lid on high-profile receivers throughout the year. Porter Jr. is one of the young stars whose importance cannot be overstated for a team about to undergo seismic change. Derrick Harmon, Pittsburgh’s 2025 first-round selection, also shined after starting the season with an injury. Linebackers Nick Herbig and Payton Wilson showed their worth to the franchise going forward, as did several younger players on the offensive line. Whoever the new head coach of the Steelers ends up being, they won’t have to start from scratch to turn the squad back into contenders. Before You Go: Get Your Nametags Ready Over the next few weeks, I’ll take a deeper dive into the coaching cycle, free agency, and the NFL Draft, the latter of which is a special interest of mine. There’s about to be a bunch of new faces in Pittsburgh, and I will do my best to match as much information as possible with each new name and face. A few names to look out for for now: Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss QB: the world tuned in to watch Ole Miss during the Lane Kiffin saga. Those who kept watching after his departure to LSU were treated to a spectacular postseason showing from Chambliss, the former Division II Star who led the Rebels to the CFP semifinals. Chambliss is a fascinating prospect who can make jaw-dropping plays in big moments, and he’ll be a name to monitor for Pittsburgh in the upcoming draft regardless of Aaron Rodgers’ availability. Jesse Minter, Chargers DC: one of the hottest defensive minds in the league right now, and a big name in head coach talks for several teams. On paper, he seems to be a great fit for Pittsburgh. Christian Kirk, Texans WR: Kirk ripped into the Steelers’ defense on Monday, but he’ll be due for a new contract once his season comes to an end. Maybe he left an impression on Khan after his visit to Pittsburgh .

Last week, we took a look at each possible playoff opponent for the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the NFL playoffs. It looked like a lock that the Green Bay Packers would be headed to Lumen Field before they inexplicably choked away a 21-3 lead against the Chicago Bears, losing 31-27. Then, San Francisco pulled off the upset against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, setting up a third game between the NFC West rivals, just two weeks after their second meeting. Seattle controlled that January third matchup throughout, leaving Santa Clara with a 13-3 victory. Let's take a look at what the Seahawks need to do to repeat that performance. Offensively: Repeat success on the ground One of the reasons Seattle won so handily in Week 18 was their significant time of possession advantage, 37:48-22:12 . They were able to achieve this because of their success on the ground, rushing 39 times for 180 yards. Both Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet rotated in seamlessly, with Walker taking 16 carries and Charbonnet 17. The Niners' run defense has been good this season and is coming off a game against Philly in which they held Saquon Barkley in check. Barkley’s 106 yards on 26 carries look solid on paper, but after his first two touches went for 31 yards, his next 24 yielded just 75, a rough 3.1 yards per carry. While that performance is likely to inject some confidence into the San Francisco front seven, it was actually one of Barkley's best games of the season, going over 100 yards for just the fourth time this season, and showcasing how far the Eagles' rushing attack has fallen in 11 months. All that being said, Seattle should be able to have success on the ground as long as Klint Kubiak stays patient with it and hammers the interior of the 49ers' defensive line, where Kalia Davis, CJ West, and Alfred Collins have all posted nightmarish PFF grades defending the run. Defensively: Continue to send pressure from everywhere Seattle was afforded the benefit of playing San Francisco without their all-pro tackle, Trent Williams, and his absence was felt from the jump. Backup Austin Pleasants was miserable, surrendering three pressures and posting a 39.6 pass blocking grade . Going from Pleasants back to Williams likely neutralizes some of the relentless pressure that Seattle put on Brock Purdy, but the rest of the offensive line wasn’t much better. Center Jake Brendel gave up three pressures of his own, while right tackle Colton McKivitz and left guard Spencer Burford allowed four each, so the line is still extremely vulnerable to Seattle's pass rush, especially if they continue to send second-level pressures. Seattle sent safety Nick Emanwori as a blitzer five times in week 18, and he registered two pressures, while also sending Drake Thomas, Ernest Jones, and even Ty Okada throughout the game. Seattle should actually blitz more often in this game, as the Niners lost George Kittle to an Achilles injury against the Eagles, leaving San Francisco with Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall (status unknown) as their only reliable winners against single coverage. Finally: Keep Faith in Jason Myers To put it nicely, Jason Myers' game against San Francisco was rough, going two-for-four on field goal attempts with an inexplicable miss from 26 yards away. It shouldn’t take away from the season Myers has had, though. 41/48 on field goal attempts, including his 6/6 performance that accounted for all of Seattle's points against the Colts in week 15. That 26-yard miss was also just the second time in his career that he’s put one wide from inside of 30 yards, with the first coming all the way back in 2015. If Seattle is going to try and win this game the same way they did in Week 18, defense and time of possession, it will probably serve them better take points when available rather than turn the ball over on downs and risk giving a struggling offense some life.

Coming off a gut-wrenching loss to the Detroit Pistons, the New York Knicks found themselves in a difficult place they haven’t been in all season long. A fourth consecutive loss meant they could slip down the Eastern Conference standings as division rivals, the Boston Celtics, attempted to leap forward. However, they put the losing streak on hold during a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers at home. That night, the entire team came together, with six players scoring in double figures, as Jalen Brunson led the way. What went right for them was their bench stepped up massively, considering Mitchell Robinson had nine rebounds, Jordan Clarkson had 12 points and Guerschon Yabusele, surprisingly, scored eight points. The 12-point triumph over Los Angeles showcased how well the Knicks can play when their bench supports the starting five in high-pressure situations, such as in the fourth quarter, where they took a slight lead and refused to look back. So, when New York embarked on a four-game road trip, it was reasonable to assume the same would happen. Until it didn’t, as the Knicks took their 14th loss to the Phoenix Suns in a tight affair. Something that became increasingly evident that night was that the Knicks' bench was slacking compared to the starting lineup, which all scored in double figures. In all fairness, Robinson did have 14 rebounds, and Clarkson ended with 12 points. Still, the second unit needs to start producing more during crucial matchups like these, where they are facing a potential playoff team. My Hottest Take: Tyler Kolek Needs to Step Up in Order to Rejuvenate the Bench Coming into this season, the Knicks’ bench was filled with talent looking to make its presence felt, but more often than not, it seemed that the second unit couldn’t get going unless someone stepped up. In many of those instances, it was Tyler Kolek who rallied the reserves. The sophomore guard showcased his toughness, athleticism, and speed on full display during the NBA Cup final and against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas. Both of those performances resulted in wins for the Knicks, and Kolek received much-deserved recognition. But since that stretch, Kolek has seemingly slowed down, tallying less than 10 points in his team’s last eight games. He fell out of the rotation against the Suns, where he had two points, two rebounds and an assist in 10 minutes of playing time. I believe his lackluster performances partially contributed to the loss, considering his presence hasn’t been felt since the game against Cleveland. Therefore, if the Knicks want to get back on track, that will start with Kolek rising to the occasion. That will help increase the bench’s energy, creating more shot attempts and defensive pressure. Those two things will help the Knicks go on scoring runs of length, similar to what they did against the Clippers. I’m a firm supporter of the team's abilities to succeed, but it depends on whether Kolek is willing to step up. Before You Leave: Josh Hart Has Returned From Injury During that same energizing stretch against the Cavaliers, Josh Hart went down with an ankle injury. The injury took the veteran guard out of action for eight games. With him out of the lineup, the Knicks' rebounding and shot creation dropped off, considering Hart would significantly improve both statistics. Now that Hart is back and played in Sunday’s game against the Portland Trailblazers, New York should start to rebound and move the ball better. Those are two things they will need to prioritize during their next matchups against the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks.

With the New York Giants' season over and the head coach position vacant, their search for their next leader has already begun. The team has wasted no time looking for their guy, including interviews with former linebacker Antonio Pierce and Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. They are also expected to have interviews with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, and Seattle Seahawks coordinator Klint Kubiak. Despite the names already being interviewed, John Harbaugh triumphs over all given his track record and his aggressive but loving coaching style. There is no room for error for the Giants not to get him. My Hottest Take: Harbaugh’s Coaching Style Fits The Team’s Direction Harbaugh’s coaching philosophy, albeit unorthodox, is the reason why he stayed in Baltimore so long and made them perennial playoff contenders after the Brian Billick era. ESPN did a long-form story on Harbaugh’s coaching style in 2016, showcasing that the then-head coach saw the football team as “family.” He used that love for his players and the game to instill a winning culture and churn out successful teams. Much like his brother, Jim Harbaugh, his fiery temper but very personalized approach makes the culture a winning culture, something New York has lacked for years. If they're on your team, you're their dad," John told ESPN at the time. "They deserve your love. And if you can't like them, or love them, either you shouldn't be the coach or they shouldn't be on the team. Every player should know that you love them, and you care about them, even when they act crazy. Even when you discipline them. Even when you tell them it's not OK, that you're going to be there on the end of the bench. But I still love you. I still love you." More recently, SI published a five-point piece highlighting Harbaugh’s key traits that made him a successful coach. Two of these, which New York absolutely needs, are a willingness to pivot and to be innovative. With unconventional players in Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo, alongside an aggressive defense setup, the time has never been more ripe for the team to be creative on both sides of the ball. That innovation would surely erase the memories of bad playcalling on defense during the Shane Bowen era, and the quarterback sneaks on third-and-nine during the Joe Judge era. What You Need To Know: Even The President Agrees Everyone in the sports world agrees that the Giants not only should, but must get John Harbaugh on their sideline. The team is taking that advice to heart , scheduling meetings and even going to his house for lunch. Even former longtime Giants coach Tom Coughlin is trying to recruit Harbaugh to the team over the Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans. It’s one thing for the entire sports world to get on your case for the coach, but it’s an entirely different animal for the President of the United States to take time out of his day to agree. On Jan. 10, President Donald Trump even told the Giants to hire Harbaugh and for the former Baltimore head coach to take the job. “The New York Football Giants should hire, without question, John Harbaugh - And John, a great guy, should TAKE THE JOB,” the president posted on his social media account. Regardless of what you think about politics, this is pretty funny and shows that the ball is in the Giants’ court this time around. There is no excuse for the team not to at least try to get Harbaugh, and they’re doing just what the on-field product has lacked for a decade: Effort and the ability to try. Before You Go: The Giants Face Stiff Competition Again, the Giants are far from the only team trying to get John Harbaugh on their sidelines. There are only eight of these job vacancies in the world, and some of those teams might be more alluring than New York’s team. One such team that has popped up in articles is the Atlanta Falcons, who also have a general manager position open. Harbaugh’s reported list of demands included a say in roster and personnel decisions, which means he could play a gigantic hand in getting the guy he wants for those selections. The Miami Dolphins have also been seen as a spot for the coach to land, given their versatile offense and the fact that they are resetting most of their squad after the Mike McDaniels era. Again, having say in personnel decisions and roster selections are key for him to make a decision. If the Giants want to secure Harbaugh, Joe Schoen must let some of his control over roster decisions go with John Mara’s approval. Mara isn’t the most hands-on owner in football either, so this should be an easy ask. Whether the Giants succeed is up to the team itself.

The Titans' head coaching search is heating up as more coaches are coming into the fray. Last week, the Titans had six coaches prepared for interviews. That number has now jumped to almost 20. It's tough to say who the frontrunner is now, as people such as John Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel, and Robert Saleh are now all in the mix. If the Titans hired either one of these coaches, including Kevin Stefanski, Titans fans should be more than pleased. Listed 1-4 is how these coaches stack up against each other, and who would be the best fit for the Titans going forward. 1. John Harbaugh With Harbaugh’s experience as a head coach, if the Titans get the chance to hire him, they should in a heartbeat. In his 18 years as Ravens head coach, Harbaugh had 15 winning seasons, 12 playoff appearances, six AFC North championships, and a Super Bowl victory in 2013. If there is anyone who can go and develop players on this Titans team, it's him, especially with Cam Ward at QB. Harbaugh turned Joe Flacco into a franchise QB and led him to a successful career, as he is still playing 12 years after winning a Super Bowl and having an incredible career. Additionally, he has coached Lamar Jackson and helped turn him into a potential Hall-of-Famer. Although Ravens fans haven’t been satisfied with his decision-making the last few years, Titans fans would chomp at the bit for him to turn this franchise around and get them back to the playoffs. 2. Kevin Stefanski Stefanski has an excellent coaching career thus far, as in his six seasons with the Browns, he has made multiple playoff appearances and been named Coach of the Year twice in that span. Stefanski turned a bad franchise into a contender once again and gave the fans hope. Stefanski can easily do the same with a job in Tennessee. Stefanski went through the rebuild process already with the Browns and knows how to kickstart a rebuild through the draft and free agency. Sadly, the signing of Deshaun Watson for the Browns is holding the team back. Stefanski has found ways to win more with less talent on the field, something Mike Vrabel made a mantra of in Tennessee. Stefanski went to the playoffs in 2023 after using five QBs; Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, P.J. Walker, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Jeff Driskell all played their part in the Browns' playoff run. With the large salary cap that the Titans have looming and the 2026 NFL Draft, Stefanski and GM Mike Borgonzi could change the course of this team quicker than people expect. 3. Robert Saleh Saleh is a wild card for the Titans, as his first tenure as head coach of the Jets did not go as planned, as he was out after just two seasons with an 11-23 record. Taking over the Jets was a tall task, and they thought Saleh was the guy for the job. Immediately after he was fired, the Packers picked him up as an offensive consultant. Making it well known that he was not the main problem in New York. The key attribute I see with Saleh is his ability to build and coach a top-10 defense. He did in San Francisco now on multiple occasions, and even with a banged-up roster this year has found success. The Titans lost players from trades and injuries, but also had one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Saleh would most certainly fix that problem, and then would need to adjust to his offensive strengths by bringing in a solid coordinator. Saleh isn’t perfect, but the Titans would definitely improve under him. 4. Mike McDaniel McDaniel is a solid coach and brought the Dolphins to the playoffs on multiple occasions. He is only last on this list because he has some stiff competition ahead of him. McDaniels will definitely find himself as a coach again in the future, and possibly with the Titans. The issue for him in Miami seemed to be his roster, although he had solid offensive weapons, with an average defense and offensive line, his QB play was spotty. Tua Tagovailoa has been one of the most inconsistent QBs since he entered the league. Now guaranteed he has seen a lot of injuries in his young career, but it doesn’t excuse his constant mistakes and lack of improvement. If the Titans can’t snag McDaniels as a head coach, they should certainly entertain him as an offensive coordinator. He has worked on the offensive side of the ball his whole career and is one of the smartest coaches in the league. Letting him work with the young talent the Titans have would be a bonus and could make the Titans' offense a juggernaut going forward.

I asked for fight, and the 2025 San Francisco 49ers delivered. In what may have been the greatest playoff win in the franchise’s history, this wonderful, perplexing team upset the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles 23-19, despite a roster that seems to permanently resemble the third week of preseason. It was an emotional win for me and so many others, I’m so incredibly proud of this team, so let’s get right to the devil in the details. My Hottest Take: You (and I) should never doubt this coaching staff again My job here at Sidelinr Sports, and elsewhere, is to provide opinions and analysis. Sometimes that means I run afoul of the more "kumbaya" sections of my team’s fanbase, and sometimes it means I’ll get outright yelled at. I certainly have been in the last few weeks for my critical comments on this team’s defense, and its coordinator, Robert Saleh, while I’ve also been yelled at from the other side of the coin by those who think John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan get too much of an easy ride. Here’s a newsflash: I’m wrong, and you’re wrong too. Both of us should probably agree to stop doubting this staff again. I’ll never shy away from critiquing what needs it, but lets face it: this team had no right to beat the Eagles. With no playmakers with the ability to separate of any real value (especially once George Kittle went out with the torn Achilles), a preseason linebacker squad, a depleted safety corps and every other injury you’ve heard about this year, it should’ve been goodnight and good luck, and I should be writing about how this team did us proud this season, and what we need to do in the offseason to take the next steps. That hasn’t happened, though, and it’s primarily because of pillars that have existed with the team for almost a decade. Kyle Shanahan, as he has most if not all of the season, coached his ass off, finding explosive plays early, even via the unexpected hands of DeMarcus Robinson, and even finding a way to manufacture offense through trick plays, thrusting Jauan Jennings into the limelight again by calling up a ‘bang reverse’ touchdown pass for him to Christian McCaffrey. Mentioning coaching, however, I also have to tip my cap to Robert Saleh. I’m often critical of him, but in all honesty, aside from a couple of sketchy early calls, he called an almost perfect game. He finally seemed to embrace the idea of dying on our sword rather than bleeding out slowly, with a noticeably more aggressive gameplan, daring both the Eagles to run and Jalen Hurts to take shots downfield. They did neither effectively (Jennings ending up with a longer pass in the game than Hurts), and that helped the 49ers stay in the game long enough to find the final punch and get the win. He was helped along by some unsung heroes, perhaps most notably the veteran of veterans, linebacker Eric Kendricks, who has written himself into 49ers folklore forever in what was only his fourth game with the active roster. What You Need to Know: A thawed-out rookie was an unexpected (to everyone but me) star The other big beneficiary from the epic playoff victory turned out to be a player that some 49ers fans had probably forgotten. Rookie safety Marques Sigle has had a peculiar year, oscillating from being a preseason star and Week 1 starter to being a player seemingly in the doghouse–placed in the deep freezer and his name rarely heard, almost as if he was in witness protection. That finally changed for him on Sunday, as a hamstring injury to Ji’Ayir Brown opened the door for him to take his most snaps since Week 7, logging 40 in total. He made the most of those 40 snaps, too; he was a sure presence in coverage (in fact, almost getting his hands on a game-sealing interception), but also delivered eight thumping and sure run stops, including one particularly big shot on Saquon Barkley that killed the flow of a dangerous Eagles drive. I’ve been a pretty big proponent of Sigle’s all season, for a variety of reasons. First, he’s clearly got the most potential of the safety group, particularly when said safety group includes Ji’Ayir Brown and Jason Pinnock, the very definition of mediocrity–but mostly because he’s an all-round safety. Niners fans have drooled over the likes of Malik Mustapha and Talanoa Hufanga in years past, but in truth, big hits and occasional flashes of play coupled with blunders in coverage, as both of those players were and are capable of, don’t hugely impress me. What does is a solid player who can both play the run and pass with intelligence, perhaps more like Jimmie Ward, and Sigle is one of those guys. Let’s hope he sees more field time going into this week, and increasingly so next season, along with fellow defensive back talent Upton Stout. Before You Go: Can the ride continue? Up next, it’s–again–the Seahawks, in Seattle, in the Divisional round. In truth, part way through the Eagles game, possibly in bargaining mode, I joked that I "wouldn’t even send the plane to Seattle," especially given the injury to George Kittle. I’ve mellowed on that view a little bit, but if we’re being honest, the mountains get higher and harder to climb with each week. Our 13-3 laid egg in Week 18 looms large, although it is worth pointing out the team were deeply in the game until the final throes. So, time for me to stop hedging: can we do it? If we can, honestly, it’ll be the most remarkable result of them all this season. I can’t imagine it, but equally, I can’t imagine counting this team out. If Ricky Pearsall can return, and the defense can play with the same intensity, desire and nothing-to-lose attitude ... why not us?

The Hornets began their five-game road trip out west on Saturday night and couldn’t have gotten off to a better start; they demolished the Utah Jazz 150-95. This is the Hornets’ largest road win in franchise history and second largest win in franchise history, only behind their 140-79 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in 2018. While it was against the 13-25 Utah Jazz, it’s still impressive to win a game by 55 points, especially on the road. Now, with this game behind Charlotte and four more road games left on this trip, will this win serve to be a building block for the Hornets going forward, or just a night where everything went right for Charlotte? How sustainable are some of the game results? What You Need To Know: Nine Players Scored In Double Figures The offensive output for Charlotte on Saturday was spread out; everyone got to eat. It started with the core trio, and all three of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel scored in double figures in the first half to lead the charge. The Hornets built a 47-point lead in the first half alone. Miles Bridges was the fourth player in the first half to score over double figures as he poured in 11 points. While the core did their jobs in the first half, the rest of the roster didn’t disappoint in the second half, as the bench unit got most of the minutes after halftime. The game turned into garbage time minutes towards the end of the third quarter, but it’s still impressive that the bench unit didn’t let up and kept the Jazz from building anything throughout the rest of the game. The rest of the roster to score double digits were Moussa Diabaté, rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner (who returned to action after missing the last 10 games due to injury), Collin Sexton (who was making his return to Utah after being traded away this past offseason), and two guards who don’t always get the biggest opportunities but seem ready when they get them: Josh Green and Tre Mann. Ultimately, the Hornets can’t rely on nine players to score double figures consistently, but it was encouraging to see some of the role players come in and keep their foot on Utah’s neck for the second half. It shows that even in more competitive games, they can come in and provide while guys like Ball and Knueppel are on the bench. Before You Go: Give Tre Mann More Minutes Tre Mann scored 20 points in the fourth quarter alone . This is a huge building block for Mann; most Hornets fans want to see him get more opportunities, but due to his on and off availability from injuries, he hasn’t always found his spot in the rotation. The talent has never been in question for Mann, a six-foot-four guard who can create off the dribble and is more athletic than most get to see. Mann has all the tools to be an ultra-productive piece on any NBA roster, but he just has to find consistency in the rotation. The Hornets have one of, if not the best, offenses in the NBA when fully healthy: their offensive rating exceeds 130, which would be the best in the league. The Hornets have struggled with health issues for years, with Ball and Miller missing significant portions of the season, and this has continued for both of them this year. So, is the team staying fully healthy and sustainable? Most Hornets fans would say no, with good reason ... but the roster is fully healthy right now, and if they can maintain this, they can score against anyone.

What unfolded against the Chicago Bears was not a fluke or a one-off collapse — it was a concentrated version of the Green Bay Packers’ 2025 identity. Poor adjustments, game-management failures and recurring breakdowns resurfaced on the biggest stage, forcing Green Bay to confront uncomfortable questions about its head coach moving forward. Matt LaFleur has one year remaining on his contract, and the Packers’ plan was to meet with him this offseason to discuss a potential extension — one that both sides were reportedly open to. However, the 18-point collapse against the Bears introduces a level of uncertainty that simply did not exist a few weeks ago. What happens next will be worth monitoring, and it sets the stage for what figures to be a long and eventful offseason for Packers fans. Today’s Hottest Take : It’s Time for the Packers to Move On From LaFleur There is no denying the production. Over the past five seasons, the Packers have fielded one of the most efficient offenses in the NFL, ranking second in EPA per play, third in success rate and second in EPA per dropback during that span — despite cycling through four different starting quarterbacks. The results are real, and they reflect LaFleur’s strengths as an offensive designer and play-caller. Still, the case for moving on goes beyond raw efficiency. At this point, it is less about scheme and more about culture — about repeated collapses, situational failures and an inability to close games when the margin for error disappears. When those patterns persist, even strong offensive numbers stop being enough to justify staying the course. What You Need to Know: The Policy family has a history of making decisions based on what they believe best serves the organization, regardless of how those choices are received publicly. Packers president Ed Policy was raised around the realities of NFL leadership, seeing up close how his father operated the San Francisco 49ers and made calls that weren’t always popular but were driven by what he believed the franchise needed long term — including the decision to move on from Joe Montana. Those experiences helped shape Policy’s understanding of leadership and responsibility. Now in Green Bay, his first major test awaits: determining whether Matt LaFleur remains the right coach to guide the Packers into the future. The question Policy ultimately has to answer is a simple but uncomfortable one: deep down, does he truly believe LaFleur can lead this team to a Super Bowl, when the evidence suggests the green and gold may have already reached their ceiling? Before You Go: The final score on Saturday night might prevent Jordan Love’s outstanding performance from getting the attention it deserves. Love threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns, doing everything in his power to ensure the Packers walked out of Chicago with a win. Unfortunately, his defense surrendered 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Brandon McManus missed two field goals and an extra point — misses that loomed large in a four-point loss. Naturally, what most Packers fans will remember is the second-half collapse. Green Bay was outscored 28–6 over the final two quarters, allowed 333 total yards, went three-and-out three times in the third quarter and was forced to punt four times as the game slipped away. Regardless of who is serving as Green Bay’s head coach in 2026, the plan has to be built around Love. He is the franchise and, by a wide margin, the last person who should be considered part of the problem. On Saturday night, Love finished with four touchdowns and no interceptions — yet still walked away with a loss. For context, Tom Brady threw a combined three touchdowns and four interceptions in the 2001 and 2018 playoffs and went 6–0. Quarterback play was not the issue.

After an up-and-down regular season, the Eagles are set to host the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday in the Wild Card Round. Philadelphia finished its regular season 11-6 and earned the NFC’s No. 3 seed after resting many of its starters in Week 18’s loss to Washington. In what has been a tale of two sides, the Eagles’ offense ranks 24th in the league in yards per game, while their elite defense has been the best in the league since the trade deadline. On Sunday, we will see a 49ers team that has been banged up throughout the year, especially on defense, against a well-rested, but offensively struggling Eagles team. My Hottest Take: The Eagles are still the NFC’s team to beat No, they haven’t looked as dominant as they did in 2024 (especially on offense), but the defense alone makes this team a threat any given Sunday. And while they have most definitely shown weaknesses, so has literally every team in the conference. Sam Darnold threw four interceptions in a loss to the Rams just a few weeks ago, and we all remember what happened last year in the playoffs, albeit on a different team. The Rams have lost to the Eagles four times in a row (including this season and in last year’s Divisional Round) and lost to a backup QB led Falcons team in Week 17. The Bears are young and lack playoff experience under first-year head coach Ben Johnson and Year 2 quarterback Caleb Williams who will make his playoff debut on Saturday against the Packers. The 49ers as mentioned have been injured all year and have one of the worst defenses in the NFL right now. And the Packers and Panthers, well let’s be real they aren’t a threat to anyone to make a run. The Eagles are the defending champions and should be treated as such, even if they aren’t the No. 1 seed. They have a quarterback who is the reigning Super Bowl MVP, a head coach who has a .702 winning percentage in his career (fifth-best) and a defense that is playing its best ball under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. So, while it may not look pretty, the respect should still be had for this Eagles team. Before You Go: Regular Season Superlatives Offensive MVP: Dallas Goedert In an offense that has struggled to find consistency, tight end Dallas Goedert has been just that for this Eagles team in 2025. Goedert set career-highs in touchdowns (11) and receptions (60) in his eighth NFL season. His 11 touchdowns set a franchise record for a tight end in a season. Defensive MVP: Quinyon Mitchell Quinyon Mitchell picked up right where he left off in his rookie season last year, earning Pro Bowl honors as he has quickly become one of the league’s best lockdown corners in year two. Mitchell’s name doesn’t come up much, and for a cornerback, that’s a good thing. The former Toledo product ranked No. 1 in catch-rate allowed (42.4%) and average target separation (1.8 yards) heading into Week 18. All of this was done while taking on every opponent's top receiver each week. Most Improved Player: Jordan Davis Defensive tackle Jordan Davis produced his best season in the NFL, garnering a career-high 4.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 52 stops for the defensive line. Davis added 32 solo tackles and six pass deflections (second among defensive linemen) for Fangio’s defense. As the 4:30 ET kickoff on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field approaches, who will break out in the postseason for Philadelphia?

After 18 weeks of watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers locomotive come off the tracks, it is time for a level of peace that only elimination can bring. Don’t get me wrong; any lingering frustration is warranted. In an NFC South that was won by the 8-9 Carolina Panthers, the Bucs—who began the fall 6-2—could not get the job done. That’s a stinger, and the bruising probably won’t lose its color for weeks. But while Panthers fans will be stressing over the pending Saturday matchup with the Rams, in which they will probably get waxed at home, the Tampa faithful can choose which offseason vice they want to turn their attention to. A common one I’ve seen has been the social media outpouring that is calling for head coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard to be fired expeditiously. I share that point of view, and it is cathartic to some extent to read outraged tweets calling for their jobs. However, the Glazer family—the Bucs’ ownership group, if you’re not familiar—are probably not spending their days stalking X.com to see what JC Cornell has to say on the subject. With that being said, a vice I feel is more productive would be looking ahead to the next cemented step for this franchise: April’s NFL Draft. Along with the team’s abysmal coaching, the Bucs’ collapse in the second half of the season also exposed the holes in the roster. And for the first time since 2020, Tampa has a top-15 pick in the NFL Draft. The team’s last top-15 pick? Offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is still only 26 and has already become the first player in NFL history to be selected as an All-Pro for both tackle positions. While I’m not promising another pick that good, the Wirfs example is meant to generate excitement—something Bucs fans should be hungry for after a nine-week stretch that was like getting slapped in the face with a wet napkin. While 99% of the fanbase waits helplessly for a coaching change, let’s look at three college prospects who I think would fit perfectly in that Bucs snapback while they walk across the stage. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State Lavonte David isn’t getting any younger. In fact, any Bucs fan who has watched him play this season could tell you that his retirement should be rather imminent. He turns 36 years old in just over two weeks, and he has been moving like he is that age. With David on the decline, the Bucs are thoroughly depleted at linebacker. SirVocea Dennis, who has played alongside David throughout the season, has been serviceable in the run game but truly dismal in coverage — and the Bucs have thoroughly needed a linebacker who can both attack the line and drop out. Enter: Ohio State’s Sonny Styles. Son of Lorenzo Styles Sr., a six-year NFL vet, Styles is a monster. ESPN has him listed at six-foot-four, 243 pounds—in layman’s terms, a big guy—but he also has freakish athleticism that stems from his background of playing safety and slot corner. He is a downhill tackler, aggressive through the point of contact and most of all, he has that edge that a lot of Buccaneers greats have had in the past. And as a former DB, he has no visible fear of matching up with many different receiver archetypes in coverage. Although NFL teams have not recently been keen to put first-round value on off-ball running backs, Styles has to be an exception—and the Bucs should make that exception. I know it isn’t the 1980’s, but the right backer can still improve all facets of a defense tremendously. Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois This one might be a reach, but hear me out. A lot of the hype on edge rushers in the 2026 draft class centers around Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., who is firmly expected to be picked in the top-10. However, after him, a lot of the players at that position are kind of strewn about in terms of draft projection. Texas Tech’s David Bailey is expected to leave the board before 15, and then there are names tossed around like Auburn’s Keldric Faulk and Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell. Edge is quickly becoming similar to quarterback—a premier position where teams outside the top-10 either choose to wait until later in the draft or look for someone in free agency. But in terms of bang-for-draft value, if the Bucs want to get a pass-rusher who can make an impact, it’s Illinois’ Gabe Jacas. Jacas is operating on a line that does not have a lot of other star power, and he still led the Big Ten in sacks this past season. Over his four years as an Illini, he has amassed 27 sacks—just shy of Simeon Rice’s program record. And yet, for some reason, he has a late second-round grade on him. I don’t think he will fall that far, and if I were in the Bucs’ front office, I would want to scoop him up safely. He is a great option if Tampa wanted to trade back, or if they wanted to keep their first-rounder, they could either trade up to the second round’s top-10 or wait and hope. But Jacas will be a difference-maker at the NFL level. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon This one would be pretty damn funny. Last season, when almost every draft analyst thought Tampa would gun for a defensive player, the Bucs zagged and took wide receiver Emeka Egbuka . Now, after two straight seasons of being one of the worst defenses in the league, it would be so Bucs to draft yet another offensive skill position player. Granted, with Cade Otton being mediocre at best, tight end is not in dead last on the Bucs’ list of draft needs. However, it is nowhere near the top. The only reason I would consider taking Sadiq if I was the Bucs’ front office is because I expect him to fall that low, and I think he is a great talent. We saw two tight ends go in the top 15 last season—Colston Loveland (Bears) and Tyler Warren (Colts)—and both showed flashes of being elite in their first season. I expect Sadiq to have the same arc. If Tampa wants to be humorous and really lean fully into the we-don’t-need-a-defense bit, go for Sadiq. Let’s see if they can win every game by scoring 40+ points.

The Seattle Seahawks walked into Santa Clara and clamped down on a previously potent San Francisco 49ers offense, clinching the number one seed and a bye week. Seahawks fans get a full weekend of stress-free playoff football, but weighing the pros and cons of each potential divisional round matchup is likely to occupy lots of headspace. With that being said, let's outline those pros and cons of each potential playoff opponent. The Green Bay Packers The NFC’s number-seven seed, Green Bay, has been in a freefall ever since losing superstar edge Micah Parsons to a torn ACL against the Denver Broncos in week 15, losing four straight after starting 9-3-1. The offense has maintained a similar level of efficiency all season, even with superstar running back Josh Jacobs nursing injuries throughout. At their core, the Packers want to rely on a downhill rushing attack with Jacobs and piggyback off of that with play-action shots and bootlegs, but their offensive line has been inconsistent at run blocking, ranking 20th in the league in PFF run block grade , and it has a ripple effect on the offense as a whole when they become one-dimensional. This isn’t to say Jordan Love has played bad football, as he’s had a Pro Bowl-caliber season with 23 passing touchdowns and just six interceptions, along with ranking second in EPA per play. It’s important to note the Packers haven’t had Love for their last 2.5 games due to a concussion he suffered against the Bears. The Packers' defense has suffered as a result of the Parsons injury, as their other edge rushers have failed to produce without Parsons drawing attention, and their best interior defensive lineman, Devonte Wyatt. The defense has posted three total sacks during the four-game slide, with two of those coming in a glorified week 18 scrimmage against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers' defense still has talent; linebacker Edgerrin Cooper is a super athlete who defends the run relentlessly. Ball-hawking safety Xavier McKinney, who has only two interceptions this season, but had eight in 2024, will make any QB pay for a bad read. Overall, if the Packers were to end up as the Seahawks' divisional opponent, fans should feel good about Seattle’s ability to stop the run on defense and force a game script similar to the one they just played against the 49ers. The Carolina Panthers The 8-9 Carolina Panthers, are undoubtedly the weakest team in the field and the number one choice for Seattle’s second-round opponent. Carolina would have to win a home game against the Los Angeles Rams, which makes this unlikely, but Carolina did defeat the Rams back in Week 13. The Panthers' offensive success has relied on efficient rushing production from Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, while hoping Bryce Young can effectively navigate around 25 dropbacks per game. Since that Rams upset (and even a bit before it), the Panthers have averaged just 86.5 rushing yards per game, including 99 against the Seahawks in Week 17, and just 19 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. Young has been okay, but Seahawks fans will remember his disastrous performance against Mike Macdonald’s defense in Week 17: 14/24 for 54 yards and an interception. A performance that dreadful is almost impossible to repeat, but the Seahawks defense will be able to hold Young in check a second time. The Panthers' defense is good, but Seattle ran the ball well in their last matchup and will be able to do it again. This all hinges on Carolina overcoming the odds and beating the Rams again, and even if that happens and Carolina gains some momentum, this is the most straightforward matchup fans could ask for. The Los Angeles Rams and The San Francisco 49ers This is where things begin to get dicey. The Rams and Niners are the NFC’s fifth and sixth seeds, and Seattle’s most-likely divisional round opponents. There’s nothing fun about playing a team three times in a single season, especially one with the level of roster talent and coaching ability that these two possess. The Niners are the preferred matchup due to how depleted their roster is heading into the playoffs, plus we just saw Seattle fail on fourth down in the redzone, miss two field goals, and still control the game. The Rams, on the other hand, have given Seattle the fight of their lives twice this season, and I’d expect a similar four-quarter fight. Matthew Stafford overcame a complete dud from his rushing attack and shredded Seattle for 445 yards and three touchdowns without Davante Adams. Sam Darnold will have to play much safer football this time around, as his six combined interceptions were a major reason the Rams won the first matchup and nearly ran away with the second. Adams seems on track to return for the Rams' first playoff game, which just gives their offense another elite element, especially in the low red zone, where he and Stafford have incredible chemistry. Fans should definitely be rooting for the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Carolina Panthers this weekend, which would send the Panthers to Seattle, but expect the Seahawks to take on the Rams or Packers in the divisional round, with the divisional rematch naturally presenting a much tougher challenge.

Today’s Hottest Take: Kobe Sanders Is The Biggest Steal In The 2025 Draft While the 2025 draft class is loaded and has been filled with plenty of great players, like any draft it is bound to have some misses. Players like Yang Hansen, Noa Essengue and Joan Beringer were all drafted in the middle of the first round and their draft teams seem to be regretting their decisions. These guys all sit the bench every game and sometimes don’t even get garbage-time minutes. Compare that to Kobe Sanders, a second-round pick, drafted by the Knicks and traded immediately to the Clippers, who wasn’t supposed to contribute anything to the team this year While his impact might not always show up on the stat sheet, he has become a real rotational player for the Clippers. During the season he has dropped 10 or more nine times, most recently with 20 against the Warriors. Although not star level of scoring, its impact is clear, with the Clippers having a 7-2 record when he scores 10 or more points. With production like this, Sanders should have gone in the first round somewhere between 16-26. He has played more and put up better stats than a lot of the people drafted over him, including the Clippers own first-round pick Yanic Konan Niederhäuser. He has already hit the level his draft comparison is in his first year What You Need To Know: Sanders Has Much More Potential Than We Thought Sanders was looked down upon in the draft because he was an older rookie. He played four years at Cal Poly, then transferred to Nevada in his last year. Because he was 23 when he was announced for the draft, many teams didn’t want to draft him because they thought he had no room to grow. This line of thinking can be very harmful to teams. Plenty of great players were drafted at an older age like Jalen Brunson, Manu Ginobili and Kemba Walker, and while he might not reach their potential, it shows that age isn’t a bad thing for rookies. Plenty of teams draft young players who have athletic bodies and not much else going for them hoping for the next diamond in the rough. This is often what causes the biggest busts in drafting and can kill a team's chances at competing. When Sanders was drafted, his draft profile said that he had “ability to lead an offense and create for others … His experience and maturity are evident in his play, and he could be a valuable addition to a team looking for a steady, intelligent forward off the bench.” His strengths were in his smooth scoring ability, his careful and composed play and his great basketball IQ. His weaknesses were his physical limitations and his lack of defense caused by those limitations. He was compared to Kenrich Williams and Trentyn Flowers with one of his lowest stats being his potential. This season he is averaging more points, and around the same assists steals and blocks with one less rebound and similar shooting splits as Kenrich Williams. Trentyn Flowers is on the same team as Sanders and is getting almost no minutes. Even though he is old, with such promising signs as a young player, there is almost certainly room to grow. Before You Go: What Kobe Sanders Can Become Most players are said to have stopped developing and have reached their prime by the age of 26. With Sanders being 23, this gives him around three years of improvement before his growth stops. He has already shown to be a rotational player, so his development is only up from here. He has two ways he can really improve, one way being improving what he is already good at and ignoring his weaknesses and the other is focusing on improving his flaws. If Sanders develops the first way he would become a lethal scorer for a role player. He already has a silky smooth shoot and great IQ on the offensive end. He is slightly above league average efficiency which is great for a rookie. If he develops his scoring to another level he could become a role player averaging anywhere from 14-19 points per game, similar to a Michael Porter Jr. or Cam Thomas. Another strength he could improve is his handle and passing. He already is a good passer and has a solid handle but if really focused on making his playmaking great, his game would elevate. He could average around 10-12 points and five or six assists per game as a good combo guard like Josh Giddey or Kevin Porter Jr. If he improved upon his weaknesses he would become a perfect 3-and-D player. With his already good shooting splits, if he could learn how to defend at an above average level, his value would go through the roof. He could become a player like Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Dillon Brooks, who almost every team wants. In the modern NBA, being able to shoot the ball and defend at an above average level are highly coveted skill sets due to the way stars plays nowadays like Luka Dončić or Nikola Jokić, who are great passers and weak defenders. Whichever way he chooses to develop he will have plenty of great role models to help him train. Players like James Harden, Bradley Beal and Bogdan Bogdanović all can help his offensive game grow and he is surrounded by great defenders like Kawhi Leonard and Kris Dunn. Nicholas Batum and Derrick Jones Jr. both have been 3-and-D players for their careers and can give him tips and tricks that will help him grow into the type of player the Clippers need for their future.

Today’s Hot Take: Arvell Reese or Rueben Bain Jr. Could Help Kickstart the Rebuild After the 41-7 drubbing that the Titans received Sunday from the Jaguars, Titans fans know that their first-round pick needs to be a defensive player. With the talent coming out of this draft on the defensive side, the Titans seemingly can’t make a bad decision on paper. Let's start with Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese , who is the number one-ranked linebacker in the draft. Reese has a ton of upside and is the modern linebacker that the Titans need. He is solid against the run and pass, and also brings a pass-rushing advantage to his game, as he can serve as an edge rusher if needed. Reese had a career-high 34 solo tackles and 6.5 sacks on the season. His upside is promising, and the Titans would be getting a tremendous player. On the other side, Ruben Bain Jr would be a valuable asset to this Titans pass rush. Bain has 24 solo tackles on the season, to go with a career-high 8.5 sacks, a forced fumble, an interception and a blocked field goal. The six-foot-three, 270-pound edge rusher has been incredible and has helped control one of the best defenses in the country. His NFL comparison is that of Aiden Hutchinson, who also helped kick off his own rebuild in Detroit. There is plenty of talent in this draft, and Reese and Bain are just a few to name. Although the draft is still months away, expect the Titans to make a statement on the draft with the league's next best defensive player. What You Need to Know: Cam Ward Has A Sprained AC Joint (Yay?) Cam Ward found himself out of the game after the first drive on Sunday, after scoring a rushing touchdown and having a defender land on him in the endzone. He came out of the game and ended up on the sideline later in the game with a sling on. Titans fans everywhere didn’t think this season could get much worse until they saw their franchise QB with an injury. However, it seems after testing, Ward sprained his AC joint, which is great news. No separated shoulder or structural damage, which is a huge relief going forward. The Titans' medical staff is focusing on his range of motion with his right shoulder and not trying to change anything mechanically that would affect his throwing motion. Through it all, Ward really put it together to end this season, over 3,000 yards passing, 17 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, and multiple rushing touchdowns. Ward has a bright future ahead of him, and if the right players develop and the Titans sign the right guys. Ward can take another big step next year. Before You Go: Six Coaches Are Up For The Head Coaching Job With the NFL season over, the Titans begin their head coaching search with four candidates to interview, and then added a fifth and sixth candidate after two coaches were fired. They are listed as follows: Broncos DC Vance Joseph Chiefs OC Matt Nagy Colts DC Lou Anarumo Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo Browns HC Kevin Stefanski Falcons HC Raheem Morris It's safe to say the Titans have plenty of options, as five of the six candidates have head coaching experience. There is no true frontrunner for the Titans' job, but if we had to guess, it looks like Stefanski would be at the front of the list. Stefanski won Coach of the Year with the Browns twice in 2020 and 2023. He led the Browns to multiple playoff appearances and their first playoff win in over 30 years. The Titans need a defensive-minded coach to turn this team around, but also need a smart coach like to Stefanski to develop Ward. Stefanski seems to be the best option out of the bunch, with Nagy being right behind him. Time will tell what the Titans decide to do, but for now, we await the most important decision from GM Mike Borgonzi on the future of the Titans.

Ladies and gentlemen, Playoff Football has arrived! The Chargers will travel to Foxborough looking to take home their first playoff win of the Justin Herbert era. Today’s Hottest Take: Justin Herbert Will Outduel the MVP Deservedly so, a lot of the talk surrounding this game is Drake Maye–the MVP front-runner–againsy Justin Herbert. Of course the game boils down to much more than just the two #10s dueling it out on Sunday Night Football, but it doesn’t change the fact that whichever QB walks away from this one with a playoff L will be leaving with a heavy dose of slander. The MVP front-runner who faced criticism for a soft schedule, dropping a home playoff game to a seventh-seed to go one and done? Won’t go over well amongst the public. And as stated by Jim Harbaugh, it’s put up or shut up time, particularly for Justin Herbert, come playoff time. Is it fair for either of these two? Not necessarily, Maye is a second-year player exceeding early expectations, and Herbert is by all accounts the only reason the Chargers are sniffing playoff football in the first place, despite historically bad circumstances surrounding him. This is the nature of the beast when discussing the quarterback position. With all of that said, there will come a time when Herbert or Maye have the game in their hands, as that is also the nature of the beast being QB1 for an NFL franchise. I’m here to tell you that the gunslinger out of Oregon is going to shake up the AFC playoff picture early, and he’s going to outplay the MVP while doing it. Now, as I said earlier, there’s more to this football game than just this QB matchup. And one of the reasons that Justin will win this duel is the play of Jesse Minter’s defense. No one quite puts a lid on the big play like Minter’s squad (except for approximately five minutes in Week 17), and New England’s offense is highly predicated on the big play. Averaging a league-best 6.2 yards per play, they’ve done a sensational job riding the Drake Maye deep ball to 14-3; I think they’ll have much more trouble exploiting Sunday Night. With Denzel Perryman returning from suspension, and actually having the rest advantage over the higher seed, the increasingly physical front seven of the Bolts are more than capable of holding their own on the line of scrimmage against a good Patriots run game (4.4 yards per carry), and if the Chargers can get the Patriots into passing situations, they can take advantage of a pass game that has a 24th-ranked sack percentage allowed (7.83%), a weakness compounded by Drake Maye’s willingness to scramble, and desire to push the ball downfield. All the credit in the world to Drake “Drake Maye” Maye, but in the 2025-2026 campaign, only one QB stood head and shoulders above all in primetime. Justin Herbert, now in Year 6, is ready for his close-up. Going 5-0 in primetime games this season, he now gets the biggest stage of his career, once again on Sunday Night Football in the playoffs, and despite all of the shortcomings in the past, despite all of the hardships of this season, I’m backing Justin Herbert to silence the doubters and shock New England in the process. What You Need to Know: Patriots Pass Rush vs Chargers Pass Protection Ok, here goes. To make this extremely simple, if the Chargers can protect Justin Herbert, they can genuinely beat any team on any day. The bad news? They haven’t been able to do that pretty much the entire season. The good news! Justin Herbert is a cyborg, and the Chargers won 11 games anyway! But the regular season is over, and now the eyes shift to the daunting pass rushes that the playoffs have to offer… except New England isn’t exactly one of those pass rushes. Ranked 20th in Pass Rush Win Rate (35%), the Patriots rank worse than a Dallas Cowboys team that the Chargers put up their first sack shutout of the season against. Now major free-agent pickups Harold Landry and Milton Williams have been in and out of the lineup, with the former still holding a questionable tag thus far into the week after missing the last two games, so there’s reason to believe there’s some untapped potential in the pass rush of New England, but the smart money is to still bet on this being the weakest pass rush the Chargers have seen this far next to Dallas. If Jamaree Salyer is healthy and back to protect Herbert’s blindside, there’s reason to be optimistic about the Chargers ability to protect #10, and if they do, we’ve seen that Justin Herbert is capable of dicing up even the best of secondaries. With all of that said, all eyes should go to the trenches and how they hold up early. Before You Go: Exorcising Demons Marlon McCree, 2007, Ladainian Tomlinson sitting solemnly on the bench with the helmet on, the Pats storming Qualcomm, doing Shawne Merriman’s signature “lights out” dance, taunting a heartbroken fanbase, steamrolling the best Chargers team in recent history in 2018. The New England Patriots have been where Chargers football has gone to roll over and die since I was a literal toddler. Not to forget, still fresh in our minds is Justin Herbert’s four-interception blowup last time this team played postseason football. And since I already triggered every Chargers fan reading, remember the last time the Bolts manned the Sunday Night Football slot on Wild Card Weekend? 27-0. The point is, historically, the Chargers invent ways to break the hearts of their fanbase in matchups exactly like this one. If Coach Harbaugh and Justin Herbert want to prove that this is not the Same Ol’ Chargers, on Sunday Night, they must exorcise the demons left behind by all of those heart-shattering playoff losses to New England, the third-largest choke in postseason history, and the worst performance in the career of Justin Herbert.

My Hottest Take: Aaron Rodgers Gives The Steelers a Fighting Chance The Steelers might be the last team in for the AFC title, but they have just as good a chance as anyone to make a run for the title with the league’s most experienced signal-caller at the helm. Rodgers flexed his clutch gene last night, finding Calvin Austin III for a go-ahead touchdown with under a minute left in the game. He finished just shy of 300 passing yards, bouncing back nicely after a rough game against Cleveland last week. There’s plenty of young star power at quarterback, including reigning MVP Josh Allen, but none of them have an answer for Rodgers’ 22 career playoff appearances . Rodgers proved that he can be productive without a true WR1 in DK Metcalf’s absence, distributing the ball nicely throughout the Baltimore game while being complemented by two running backs with 1,000+ all-purpose yards in Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren. With Metcalf’s suspension coming to an end, Pittsburgh’s offense has a real chance to shake up the AFC. What You Need To Know: Houston’s Defense is Terrifying The one issue with Pittsburgh’s hopes of offensive production is their buzzsaw of a first-round opponent. The Texans and their defense have proven to be gamewreckers, allowing the fewest total yards per game of any team in the NFL. Arthur Smith will have an opportunity to prove his mettle in gameplanning for Monday’s meeting- Houston uses a shockingly barebones defensive scheme, relying on their players’ ability to dominate individual matchups and communicate in the secondary. Smith’s offense has already proven that it can function quickly to keep pressure from the front four away from the quarterback (See the team’s strategy against Cleveland and Myles Garrett), but Houston’s secondary poses an equally dangerous threat, which means that Rodgers will need more time to dissect coverages, time his offensive line might not be able to buy him on every snap. It will likely be Pittsburgh’s most challenging opponent yet on defense, but certainly a great opportunity to prove the world wrong for an offense that has been largely written off so far this year. Before You Go: The Great Shift Is Upon Us Making the playoffs means there’s more football to play for Pittsburgh, but for teams that have completed their season, change is coming. Four teams let their head coaches go following the conclusion of their seasons (Las Vegas, Cleveland, Atlanta, and and Arizona), with more change expected to follow in the coming days. Several teams are also projected to look for a new quarterback, either through the draft or through free agency. I’ll wait to dive further into potential additions to the roster until the end of the season, but for now it’s good to be aware that certain members of the organization might be at risk of poaching by other teams. Arthur Smith has head coaching experience with Atlanta and could be considered for another chance, and other coaches might be on the lookout for greater opportunities in greener pastures. In any case, big changes won’t arrive this week, but they could be on the horizon at season’s end. Who knows? Maybe we’ll add a full-time priest to the staff.

The Green Bay Packers finished the regular season 9–7–1, ending the year on a four-game losing streak but still clinching the NFC’s seventh seed and a Wild Card trip to Chicago. It marks Green Bay’s sixth playoff appearance in seven seasons under Matt LaFleur — and the third straight year his team has entered the postseason in that position. Green Bay and Chicago have split their previous two postseason meetings. The Packers enter as 1.5-point favorites , which is unusual for a seventh seed facing a No. 2. Still, it’s a divisional matchup between teams that know each other well, setting the stage for a tight, hard-fought game that could come down to the final possession — with possible snow only adding to the atmosphere. Today’s Hottest Take: Jordan Love will need to play his best for the Packers to win on Saturday — but he may not be the most important player on the field for Green Bay. Make no mistake, if the Packers are going to make a deep playoff run, it begins with Jordan Love playing at his best . Still, a healthy Josh Jacobs could be just as critical on Saturday night, particularly with the weather in play. Both teams will want to lean on the run, and Jacobs is one of the NFL’s premier backs when healthy. For the first time since his knee injury against the New York Giants, Jacobs did not appear on Green Bay’s injury report . On Wednesday, he said this is the best he has felt in six weeks. Jacobs remained productive despite the injury, averaging 4.9 yards per carry against the Detroit Lions, 4.3 against Chicago in Week 14 and 6.1 versus the Denver Broncos, along with two rushing touchdowns. Still, he was visibly not fully healthy, which showed again in the second Bears matchup, when he was held to three yards per carry and fumbled inside the five-yard line. He then had just four carries against the Baltimore Ravens and did not play against the Minnesota Vikings in the regular-season finale. Good teams survive in January by running the football, and Green Bay will need No. 8 operating at full strength to make the offense truly multidimensional. What You Need to Know: Green Bay will have an X-factor in the secondary that it did not have the last time it played in Chicago. Green Bay sorely missed Evan Williams in its last trip to Chicago. Not only has he been the Packers’ second-best defensive back this season, but he has also played at an All-Pro level in 2025, impacting the game both in coverage and against the run. Williams’ return also allows Javon Bullard to play closer to the line of scrimmage, specifically in the slot, where he has been at his best in recent weeks. It also gives Green Bay more stability on the back end with Williams and Xavier McKinney as the deep safeties. "Every time he steps on the field, he does a lot of great things,” LaFleur said of Williams. “He's going to be a big player for us in this game." With the pass rush all but nonexistent since Micah Parsons’ ACL injury , coverage will need to be airtight for the front to have a chance to get to the quarterback. Fortunately for the Packers, one of their most important pieces in the secondary returns this week. Before You Go: No, Matt LaFleur is not coaching for his job this postseason. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that the delay in a contract extension for Packers head coach LaFleur has nothing to do with his standing within the organization and everything to do with financial considerations. Schefter added that he fully expects both LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst to return to Green Bay next season. "I think the bigger deal here is, can they figure out a contract of fair value to keep him there? I think that's what this is about," said Schefter. "If they can't figure out a contract that works for both sides, well then you have to ask yourself, are they willing to let him go into the last year of his deal, which he would be, or what do you do about that?" "I believe the priority will be to re-sign him to an extension this offseason,” Schefter added.

Looking at the Cowboys’ history of coaching hires, there’s a clear pattern. It usually comes down to three things: coaching experience, head coaching experience and, most importantly, connections. Keeping that in mind makes it easier to narrow down who I believe would be the best candidates for the job. Brian Schottenheimer’s Jets Connection: From 2006 to 2011, Brian Schottenheimer served as the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator under both Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan. This period helped him establish strong relationships throughout the league, enhancing his reputation as a rising coaching talent. During that time, he was even considered a hot commodity for the head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins after Nick Saban left to take the Alabama position. Over these years, Schottenheimer crossed paths with several players and coaches who have since gone on to make a name for themselves at both the playing and coaching levels. Mike Pettine (Minnesota Vikings Assistant head coach/Outside linebackers coach) Schotty’s Connection - Jets DC (09-12) Pettine is a veteran defensive mind and a former NFL head coach, having led the Cleveland Browns from 2014 to 2015 — two major checkmarks when it comes to the Cowboys’ typical coaching criteria. His defensive scheme is known for its versatility, complexity, and aggression, featuring multiple pressure-oriented fronts, including 3–4, 4–3, and hybrid looks. Pettine has long emphasized stopping the run and using creative blitz packages to disrupt offenses. That said, Pettine has not served as a full-time defensive coordinator since his stint with the Packers, which ended in 2020. In recent years, his defenses have often been boom-or-bust, relying heavily on pressure while lacking modern coverage concepts and advanced disguises. While he clearly fits the profile the Cowboys tend to favor, this feels like the moment for Dallas to pursue a more modern, adaptable defensive approach — one better suited for today’s NFL. And the next candidate reflects that shift. Jim Leonhard (Denver Broncos Assistant Head Coach & Defensive Pass Game Coordinator) Schotty's Connection- former Jets Safety (09-11) Jim Leonhard is a former NFL safety who made his mark as an undersized (5’8”, 188 lb) rotational safety, special teamer and returner over a nine-year career from 2005 to 2014. His coaching career began at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, as a defensive backs coach in 2016. Just a year later, he was promoted to defensive coordinator and DB coach, a role he held from 2017 to 2022. Since 2024, Leonhard has been part of the Denver Broncos organization as the defensive pass game coordinator, learning under Broncos DC Vance Joseph, who has a reputation for building strong defenses. While Leonhard does not meet the Cowboys’ traditional criteria of former NFL head coach or full-time defensive coordinator, he brings other high-value traits. He is widely regarded as an elite defensive back developer, a skill he has honed from his Wisconsin days through the NFL — something that could be particularly beneficial for young Cowboys DBs like DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel. His schemes utilize modern coverage concepts such as quarters, matchup-based looks, and creative pressures. Above all, Leonhard offers a high football IQ, shaped by years as both a Division I/NFL player and coach. He may not fit the typical Cowboys checklist, but the potential reward is significant: a young, innovative mind, an elite DB developer and a coach capable of running a modern, adaptable defense. Conclusion Both coaches bring valuable experience and different schemes, and there will be multiple other candidates who could have the opportunity to become the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. Hopefully, the team does its due diligence to find the right person for the job.

As the Denver Broncos attempted to close out the Los Angeles Chargers to clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed, cheers would have appeared to be a fitting background noise. Instead, coach Sean Payton and his offense garnered boos in the regular season finale. What should have been a celebration felt like a wake-up call instead. The Denver offense is still not playoff-ready. Today’s Hottest Take: Payton needs to change offensive mindset in playoffs Payton’s offense for the past two years has been a work in progress. Unfortunately, it hasn’t progressed enough, and it’s because of how Payton plans for a game. Payton wants to play his brand of football. That means controlling the pace, slowing the game down and running the ball, and on the defensive end, their job is to just keep opposing offenses out of the endzone; they can live with field goals. The Broncos’ offense is ninth among all playoff teams with 23.6 points per game, according to ESPN . For a No. 1 seed, one would expect better than that. While Payton surely would be happy getting on the scoreboard more often, he prioritized winning close games all season long. Denver is 11-2 in one-score games this season, which is objectively a positive. It’s important to know how to win close games. But refusing to blow a game open is too risky a strategy. Denver’s contest against the Chargers on Sunday, a 19-3 victory, wasn’t a one-score game, but it was much closer than it needed to be. If the Broncos continue to play this way, it will be much easier for a talented team to oust them in the playoffs. Knowing how to win close games is important, but Payton should be forcing so many close games, especially when he could wrap the game up earlier. Payton’s playcalling is what kept most of the Broncos’ regular-season games so close. He continues to prioritize the run game and short pass attack when it is not the best way to maximize the Denver offense. He routinely takes playmakers like Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin off the field in favor of Lil’Jordan Humphrey or an additional tight end. This makes Denver’s margin of error much less favorable. The Broncos have to execute down to down, or Denver’s slow approach will stall drives and keep the team from getting in the endzone. In a game where Denver’s starters played against Los Angeles’ B Team, the Broncos totaled 240 yards, 20 yards per drive and 19 points. The team has pulled this strategy off enough to make Peyton believe in it, but if the defense is not at the top of its game, it has gotten the team in serious trouble. The losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers were early in the season, but in large part because of this approach, and the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars just a few weeks ago was proof that good teams can take advantage of those opportunities. What You Need To Know: The Denver defense still is an elite unit While maybe not the top defense this season, the Broncos’ defense was an elite group this season, and the Denver team revolved around it. Denver didn’t quite break the NFL sack record, but its 68-sack season was the fifth-best mark in league history . The Broncos ended the season second in total yards allowed, second in rushing yards allowed and third in total points allowed. The offense was allowed to be subpar because the defense gave up just 18.3 points per game. Now that the team is going into the playoffs, there will be even more pressure on the defense to succeed. On days when the defense didn’t look elite, Denver lost or came close to doing so, but this defense has what it takes to lead a team to the Super Bowl. Denver proved an ability to come up with key stops almost all season, and the playoffs will demand more clutch play from the team’s better half. Before You Go: The Broncos most likely will face Houston or Buffalo in the second round Denver currently has the second-best chance of winning the Super Bowl, according to The Athletic , but they have to get there first. In a playoff race that feels wide open and full of newcomers and underdogs, Denver certainly belongs in the group, and winning the first-round bye was huge. Almost every first-round match feels like a toss-up, and Denver will have one less game it will have to get through, but whoever is waiting for them in the second round will be a more-than-worthy opponent. The Chargers are not likely to beat the New England Patriots, but it’s possible. If the Buffalo Bills upset the Jaguars in Jacksonville, which feels possible, Denver would have to bounce former MVP Josh Allen in their first postseason game. If the Jaguars hold strong, it seems likely that the Houston Texans would have to travel to Denver, which may be an even scarier matchup. The Texans have shown an ability to win playoff games over the past couple of seasons, and with them having the only defense that appears better than Denver’s, they are very much a threat. The Broncos did beat the Texans in their game against each other this season in Houston, but it was by a three-point, 18-15 margin. Denver has played close games all season, and if it tries the same strategy in a rematch against Houston, the Broncos could be on the wrong side of a game-winner.

It’s backs against the wall for the San Francisco 49ers following their abject 13-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Saturday’s peculiar prime-time matchup. It’s hard to know what to focus on: the supine nature of the defense (despite the lack of points given up, that was mostly down to Sam Darnold’s incompetence), the brick-wall level of stupidity from the offense (taking away all the good it had done in prior weeks), or the casualty list that now seems to include every linebacker on the 49ers roster, but all of it’s a thoroughly depressing thought, and read. Let’s try and find some things to uplift us going into Sunday’s do-or-die clash with the Philadelphia Eagles. My Hottest Take: Now’s not the time for ifs, buts and maybes Yep, he's going to complain about the defense again. In truth, I’ve been embroiling myself in controversy since as early as last May, when I was stupid enough (or optimistic enough) to defend the 49ers attempts to go younger (and at least temporarily, cheaper) with their defense. In my mind, cutting a bunch of talent that had not performed anywhere near their level throughout the entirety of 2024 wasn’t something to cry about, and certainly no reason to call the owners cheap, which turned out to be the usual load of rubbish anyway, since a) the team were already paying or had already paid these cut "veteran stars" and b) the team promptly handed out big deals to George Kittle and Brock Purdy. That drew the ire of one particular 49ers beat writer: In all honesty, though, I think I was right. Ask yourself if the 49ers really miss Maliek Collins, or Leonard Floyd, or Javon Hargrave–and not just their reputations, but actual play. At best, Floyd might have been a rotation option a la Cle Ferrell. Sure, it’s been a tough year at times, and the loss of Nick Bosa and Fred Warner was awful, but there’s been some young players who stepped up and made the most of their chances. Which is why it infuriates me when the consistent bad play of the defense for the last month is handwaved away by ‘oh, they’re without Bosa and Warner’. So what? We’ve been without them longer than we’ve been with them at this point, and somehow still managed to produce game-winning performances against teams that were better on paper, leading to a shocking 12-5 record. Why is it only now, as defensive coordinator Robert Saleh seems to be struggling to find any sort of formula for stopping teams, that the mentions of injuries have come back again? Perhaps the most infuriating part about it is that the units that are most affected by injury are rarely the ones that let the team down. While the 49ers pass-rush is much maligned, it actually made a little noise on Saturday, while the linebacking corps does lack some coverage skills but is generally not all that bad. Rather, the poorest play is coming from those that would be playing regardless– namely, the defensive backs and safeties. Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha are frequent targets of my ire in this column, and very little has changed recently. Meanwhile, Deommodore Lenoir has rarely shown the coverage ability his $92 million extension would suggest he has, and Renardo Green is a pretty underrated defensive back, but has still had some issues against top-of-the-line guys. Moreover, the 49ers’ biggest issue on Saturday was simple: missed tackles, and the ability to tackle is not an All-Pro skill. The run defense was dreadful throughout, and giving up a conversion to an outside run on 3rd-and-17 would be a fireable offense for some coaches in the league. Talent deficiencies are understandable. Effort and fundamental deficiencies are not, and that was the most maddening aspect of yet another defensive struggle. The nice part about this season has been the lack of expectations, which has allowed us all to enjoy an incredible ride of ups and downs with a young-ish team loaded with potential. Unfortunately, it’s now January, and the ride’s ended. It’s time for the best version of the 49ers to show itself. There can be no half-measures, no ifs, buts, maybes, or therefores–Robert Saleh is paid like the top defensive coordinator in the NFL, and, no matter what he has to work with, he needs to produce a unit capable of helping to win playoff games. That’s got harder, as every single 49ers linebacker who made the 53-man roster is currently injured (with Warner, Bethune, and Nick Martin all on IR), but perhaps veteran Eric Kendricks can build on a solid showing versus Seattle in Philadelphia this weekend. What you need to know: Young building blocks show potential Part of the reason I was glad to see some of those veteran bloated contracts depart was that the team really did need an infusion of youth and energy, across the defense in particular. That’s arrived in spades, in all fairness, as while the play of several players has been up and down, most of the draft picks have at least shown the ability to be potential building blocks for a strong 49ers future. First-rounder Mykel Williams was coming into his own prior to his torn ACL, but its second and third rounders Alfred Collins and Upton Stout respectively that provide the most excitement. Collins is a huge athlete with dominant potential, and he’s increasingly found ways to make big-time plays throughout the year, with some eye-catching quarterback pressures, uncompromising run stops, and one huge punch-out on the goal-line in that Thursday Night Football epic with the Rams. While some would suggest the 49ers need a bookend opposite Nick Bosa, I happen to believe a dominant defensive tackle, a la Bryant Young, would push this defensive unit further. Collins has some of the raw materials to become one. The rookie outside of Williams that has seen the most field time this year though is nickel back Upton Stout, and he’s grabbed the opportunity to impress (and occasionally, unfortunately, opposing receivers) with both hands. While he’s had some up-and-down moments in coverage, he’s a sure tackler, a hitter way above his 5’9, 181lb size, and has the feel of a tone-setter on a defense badly in need of one. While all those around him crumbled on Saturday, Stout was the feistiest tackler, certainly the best tackler, and never quite gave up on the game. He set a great example, and he’s wonderfully positioned to be a solid starter for this team in the upcoming years. Before You Go: A Rallying Cry Sometimes writing these columns isn’t easy. I love what I do, but having to string out some positives from some very poor 49ers work, or even find talking points when there’s not much to say besides "the 49ers were terrible," can occasionally be akin to getting blood from a stone. I’ve done my best this week, and I hope you like it. I’ve been a pretty consistent critic of Robert Saleh all year, but I hope my reasons why are at least articulately explained, and positioned in such a way that they make sense and don’t come across as negativity for the sake of it. Because as of this next sentence, I’m ditching it for this week. The 49ers have their backs against the wall. We’re hurting, we’re inconsistent, we’re young, and no one thought we’d be here. We’re going into a cauldron in Philadelphia with the season on the line, and let’s face it, we owe them one. Brock owes them one. Sure, we got some revenge in the regular season in 2023, but that isn’t a playoff game. That isn’t ramming the words of those ever-crowing birds back down their throat. We know they’re Super Bowl champions, but lets face it, they’re not the unit they were. Their fanbase is ready to run the offensive coordinator out of town on a rail, and their defense can–and has been–got at by teams we’ve beaten and bested, like the Chicago Bears. The 49ers have nothing to fear. Yeah, injuries, yeah, inexperience, so what? We’re the underdogs, just like always, and it suits us. We can beat the Eagles. Let’s go do it. GO NINERS!

The New York Giants closed out the 2025 season with a surprise win against the division rival Dallas Cowboys 34-17 on Sunday afternoon. The win marked the first time the team had a multi-game winning streak at any point during the season. New York’s season ends on a high note after being marred by high-profile injuries and several coaching changes in the middle of the season. The Giants end the year with a 4-13 record and rights to the fifth-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, falling from a projected first-overall pick two weeks ago. My Hottest Take: Charlie Bullen Might Have Won The Defensive Coordinator Job Since the ouster of defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, Bullen’s aggressive playcalling has produced excellent returns over the last month of the season. In fact, most metrics of the defense have improved significantly, with several points registering major jumps. According to TruMedia, Bowen’s defense ranked either dead last or close to last in yards per game, rushing yards surrendered per game, red zone efficiency, and points allowed. Over Bullen’s short tenure, the team ranked 11th, eighth, fifth, and eighth in those categories, respectively. The team also caused eight turnovers across the last four games of the season, more than the seven incurred over the first 13 games. They also did not surrender more than 400 yards in a single game post-Bowen. Rookie linebacker Abdul Carter saw the most improvement from the changing of coordinators, registering 3.5 sacks after going the entire Bowen era registering half a sack. Veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke also saw improvement, snagging two interceptions across the last two games, while cornerback Dane Belton also saw improvement. Given Bullen’s experience as a linebacker coach, the front of the defense is bound for greater heights in 2026. About the secondary, that still needs some reinforcement despite the emerging play of Cor’Dale Flott and Andru Phillips. Bullen’s expertise and results in 2025 should be enough to lock him down for the next few years as the defensive coordinator. What You Need To Know: The Giants Won Despite Injuries The team looked poised to lose in Week 18, given that a chunk of their starting roster was out with injury. Not including Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo, most of their starting offense was on the bench at the start of the game. New York did not have their starting wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, their starting tight end Theo Johnson and also did not have their starting linemen in Andrew Thomas and John Michael Schmitz. They also did not have safety Jevon Holland or Flott in their secondary, and also had Carter and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence suffer an illness that impacted their play. The fact the team was able to score 34 points is nothing short of impressive, once again led by the backyard-style of play from Jaxson Dart. Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. also rushed for 100 yards for the first time this season on 18 carries, and scored a receiving touchdown. Of course, Dallas had most of their starters either rested or out of the game entirely by the second half, it’s still a testament to what Dart brings to the table and a tale of what could have been this season. Before You Go: Giants Locked In The Fifth Pick Finally, the offseason for the Giants has arrived and they now have their pick locked in. General Manager Joe Schoen, who survived the Black Monday slaughter of coaches and GMs across the league, will once again be in charge of deciding this team’s future. His coaches, however, still remain undecided as we head into the new year. As mentioned before, the team still needs some upgrades on defense, which makes them prime landing spots for Ohio State safety Caleb Downs or linebacker Arvell Reese if he falls that far. The team, however, might be forced to pivot given their lower draft status this year and a lack of draft capital. Remember, the team is lacking a third-round pick since they used that to get Jaxson Dart late in the first round. There is growing chatter the team could decide to address the defense in free agency and go with a wide receiver, their second top-five receiver selection in three years. Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, who only got his shot this year, is rising up the boards, while Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson could be a complement to Nabers.

After going 6-6 in their last 12 games, it’s safe to say that OKC is on the struggling side of the game, and one of their main issues is crashing the glass so far. Despite starting strong for the 2025-26 season, and even having predictions that they would beat historic records such as the 72-10 Bulls and the 73-9 Warriors, it seems that the Oklahoma City Thunder are on a tough stretch. What was once seen as an invincible juggernaut is now apparently capable of bleeding. The Thunder went 24-1 to start off the season. From that point, there were a lot of expectations for the team, such as reaching a 77-5 record at the very least. Since then, OKC has dropped six games in the last 12 games, which is definitely a stunning sight, especially for the defending champions. Sure, there are a lot of hiccups to address for every team in the regular season. However, it is worth noting that the Thunder have come back to square one with the same issues they had in the 2023-24 season – rebounding. That’s the same issue that led them to lose to the Dallas Mavericks in six games, simply because the latter had bigger players to field. They lost the battle of the boards every single time, and now it seems that the OKC is going back to that problem once more. Only this time, the stakes are higher, and a title defense is on the line. The Thunder Need To Crash the Glass OKC’s dominance in the Eastern Conference ended with a whopping defeat to the Charlotte Hornets. It’s definitely time to raise the alarm for the Thunder. In the last two games, the champs have been outrebounded 101-62 in the last two days, which says a lot about how their games have been far from the usual ones. Defense is never an issue for the Thunder. After all, they are the best defensive team in the league by a mile. However, that’s been really exposed in the past few weeks, and now it seems that they will have to figure out how to shake up their identity and somehow get off the “championship hangover”. No one ever predicted the Thunder losing by 20 against any team in the NBA. Isaiah Hartenstein was acquired by OKC in the 2024 offseason to address those rebounding issues. However, it goes without saying that they aren’t bulky enough to stand alone without him. Let’s be clear. Chet Holmgren is a great player in his own right. He’s been doing a great job of keeping the center spot manageable for OKC. He’s even capable of coming up with a great defensive stretch when manning the middle . However, he isn’t bulky enough to rival what IHart has to offer, which certainly proves that they need to get him back. What’s OKC's Plans Moving Forward? The Thunder certainly can’t force Hartenstein to return right away from his calf injury. The next man up was supposed to be Thomas Sorber, who is redshirting this season with OKC. Other than that, the next man who could be up for that position is Jaylin Williams, who also remains injured at this point. Remember, not long ago, Oklahoma City didn’t have a true center for a long stretch, with Holmgren, Hartenstein and Williams out with respective injuries. This season wasn’t supposed to be easier for the Thunder. In fact, it should be harder. Remember the time that Jalen Williams played some games as the center for OKC? Yeah, that was real. Don’t look away. OKC has a way of finding solutions to a lot of issues. We’ve seen how champions become vulnerable for quite some time . However, it’s worth noting that not every game has to be won for the Thunder. It’s just the fact that there’s a strong need for the defending champs to meet expectations now and then. Still, they have all the time in the world. For a Thunder fan, you can actually remain optimistic about a lot of things. For starters, beating the 73-9 record is still feasible. OKC just doesn’t have to lose two more games to at least match the record. The first step, however, is to address that rebounding issue before it gets out of hand.

As 2025 came to a close, the New York Knicks intended to end the year on a positive note. On New Year’s Eve against the San Antonio Spurs, who they defeated earlier last month to capture the NBA Cup, the Knicks held a slim lead for the majority of the contest. That lasted until the fourth quarter when their defense failed to stop Julian Champagnie and De’Aaron Fox. The tandem was responsible for giving the Spurs the lead and handing New York its 10th loss just before the new year. The Knicks were given a chance to redeem themselves by taking on the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden in their first game of the new year. In what could’ve been a crucial bounce-back victory, the Hawks dismantled the Knicks for 48 minutes in a 111-99 loss. A showdown with division rival Philadelphia 76ers gave New York another opportunity to put the pair of losses behind them. However, New York went through the same struggles, losing to a talented and young 76ers team 130-119. The trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe dominated the Knicks’ defense, with each player scoring more than 25 points against New York’s starting lineup. To make matters even tougher for the Knicks, they will be on the road in their next game against the 26-9 Detroit Pistons. This is a must-win game for both teams, as they are the first and second-seeded teams in the Eastern Conference and must find a way to assert dominance over each other. In the Knicks' case, that means snapping this three-game losing streak to dig themselves out of a hole they have been stuck in. I, for one, believe that they can do so if All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns is willing to step up his game in the face of tough competition. Today’s Hottest Take: Towns Can be the Knicks' Driving Force if his shooting is on point. Last season, Towns was a reliable source of shooting, which he used to propel the team to new heights, such as reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. At the start of this year, the superstar center was stuck in somewhat of a slump, falling out of sync with the rest of his team. He began to pick up the slack, posting two near 40-point games in November. He continued to prove his worth against tough opponents, but this came at the cost of another regression. For example, he put up 20 points against the Spurs on New Year’s Eve only to sit out of the game against Atlanta. When faced by the 76ers' offense and Embiid, a fellow All-Star, Towns posted a 23-point double-double. It’s not a bad performance, but it falls short in comparison to Jalen Brunson’s 31 points. Towns’ three-point shooting was a massive area of concern, going 0-for-5 from long range. If the Knicks want to take down the Pistons, their big man will need to have a stronger performance. I can see that happening if he can get his three-point shots to fall. That was something he did well during last year's playoff series against the Pistons, hitting four and five triples in back-to-back games. His shooting helped the Knicks defeat their rivals once, and it can happen again. What You Need to Know: The Pistons are Coming Into This Game Performing Worse Than Expected It would be an understatement to say that the Pistons have had a phenomenal start to the season, highlighted by their 13-game win streak in November. However, since then, they have begun to cool down, dropping back-to-back games and  another to the Miami Heat  on New Year’s Day. Detroit did manage to rebound from this by picking up another win. However, I think that if they’ve struggled this much recently, then another loss is a possibility. That can come against the Knicks, whom they have yet to face this season. The Pistons' defense has been problematic, considering they allowed their past five opponents to score more than 110 points. If that’s the case, it might be even more of a challenge to stop the Knicks if Towns can have a dominant performance. Towns will likely have an advantage over defenders Paul Reed and Isaiah Stewart, who have replaced Jalen Duran and Tobias Harris in the starting lineup. Duran and Harris are both out with injuries, providing the Knicks with an opportunity to take control of this game. Ultimately, that will depend heavily upon how Towns and the rest of the team perform against the injured Pistons in Monday’s game.

My Hottest Take: Kawhi Leonard's Still Got It At the start of the season the Clippers were losing game after game with very few bright spots. Harden tried his best but no matter what he did, he couldn’t stop the bleeding. When Kawhi got back, he played well but the Clippers kept losing. Everyone thought that the Clippers’ season was over before it even really started, but Kawhi stepped up his game to a level comparable to his 2019 season During this winning streak he is averaging 40/8/4 with four stocks on 57.3/48.6/92 efficiency. He has dropped his first-, second- and seventh-highest scoring games ever. The efficiency he has been shooting with during this stretch has been absolutely insane. He is shooting the three better than Curry, KD and Jamal Murray, is more efficient from the field than Zion, Shai and Wemby, and is the best free-throw shooter in the league. He leads the league by far in steals and is 14th in blocks. It is now safe to say that vintage Kawhi is back. What You Need To Know: The Funniest Option will Always Happen to the Clippers After the Clippers cut Chris Paul, the entire NBA landscape was confused. Not only were the Clippers stabbing their franchise legend in the back, but the move also made no sense from a basketball standpoint. He played very few minutes for them and while he wasn’t playing great he is a proven veteran who is known to make the teams he goes to better. When he got cut everyone said that this wouldn’t change how the Clippers have been playing. Of course the Clippers have become one of the best teams in the league since then. They have been the second-best offensive team with a rating of 125.9 points per game and the fifth-best defense with a rating of 110.4 opponent's points per game. They have been fifth in effective field goal percentage and second in true shooting. They have been one of the best teams in the league and have turned themselves into contenders in less than a month and it's only looking up from here. The Clippers are only the 11th seed but they have a bright future ahead of them this season. They managed to jump from all the way of the conference, to close to the play-in tournament and the Clippers' great offense and defense show no signs of stopping. James Harden has been playing great still, quietly averaging 26/5/8 on solid efficiency. Harden and Leonard both have great cases for the All-Star game this year which is the Clippers’ arena. But besides the stars, role players have been playing great as well. Brook Lopez came in for Zubac after an injury and has been playing well, even hitting nine threes in one game. Veterans like Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum have both been playing great, shooting the ball extremely well and young players like Yanic Konan Niederhäuser, Cam Christie, Kobe Brown, Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller have gotten playing time and stepped up to fill their respective roles. The Clippers have one last bright spot in fact that two key players, Ivica Zubac and Derrick Jones Jr. will be returning from injury. These are two key starters for the Clippers that will make them a great team when they get inserted back into the lineup. Zubac was close to making All-NBA last year and DDJ was a highly sought after roleplayer. Their defense and offense being put back into the Clippers lineup will make them a truly terrifying team to play. Before You Go: Key Matchups For The Clippers While every game is important to a team trying to win, especially for a team like the Clippers, who are currently missing the playoffs, they do have some key games they should lock in on. The obvious three games in the next month are the Warriors, Lakers and Suns, their divisional rivals. Winning these games will help them win their division, meaning that if both teams have the same record at the end of the season, then the team with the better divisional record will win the tie breaker. This will be especially helpful for them because the gap between the third and eighth seeds last year were only separated by two games. Another important game to them will be against the Nuggets. While beating them obviously improves their record and helps them to climb in standings it will also show if they have improved since last year. This is the team that knocked the Clippers out of the playoffs last year so beating them would show that this team has improved from the 2025 Clippers. Other important games would be the Pistons, Knicks and Celtics, the top three seeds from out east. Beating these teams would show that the Clippers have become true contenders and can hang with the top seeds of both conferences. The Clippers have managed to fuel the fire of playoff hopes that seemed so close to dying at the start of the season.

The Houston Texans came into SoFi, and before the Bolts could even take in the playoff atmosphere, they were down 14-0 en route to a crushing loss, so now what? Today’s Hottest Take: The Bolts Become the 1st 7 Seed in AFC History to Win a Game Ok, so Saturday didn’t really go as planned. The Houston Texans uncorked two Derrick Lewis-esque right hands to send the Chargers to the canvas in the first five minutes, and despite a valiant effort after that nightmare of a first quarter, they could not rebound from the torrid start, ending their bid at the AFC West title and setting up a mostly meaningless Week 18 contest for the Bolts. I say mostly meaningless considering the outside chance at the fifth seed with a win and Houston loss to the Indianapolis Colts, but it’s clear the Chargers' decision makers aren’t banking on that, as they’ve decided that Rest > (Potential) Seeding. It’s not guaranteed that the Chargers’ starters could walk into Denver and take down a team looking to lock up the one seed, and it’s even less likely that Riley Leonard, in his first career start, snaps the Colts' six-game losing streak against the Houston Texans and their eight-game win streak. So in that vein, the best course of action is to take the foot off the gas for the first time since the bye week, and prepare to, in all likelihood, walk into Foxborough as a seven seed and take on the number two seed New England Patriots led by MVP front-runner Drake Maye. I say “all likelihood” because if either the Trey Lance-led Chargers win or the Bills lose to a dismal Jets team, the Bills would lock up the seventh seed instead. There’s also the outside chance the Patriots drop the regular-season finale to Denver, which would cause the Jacksonville Jaguars to vault into the two seed with a win over Tennessee. For the sake of this argument, let’s say Week 18 goes according to the chalk. The Chargers will become the first seventh seed in AFC History to win a game in the playoffs, joining the Green Bay Packers in 2024 as the only sevent seeds overall to do so. It’s simple, not every seven seed is equipped with an MVP-caliber QB , a topfive defense, and an extra week of rest. Justin Herbert will finally get his first playoff win, and it will be a historic one. [Editor's Note: See you in Foxborough!] What You Need to Know: We're Getting Much-Needed Rest The Los Angeles Chargers, and more specifically Justin Herbert, are banged up and hurt. So as stated earlier, Coach Jim Harbaugh made the decision to rest Herbert and other bruised and banged-up vets. This move effectively ends the regular season for the Chargers starters, and if you are wondering why this is such a popular move among Chargers fans, it’s because no one needs to see #10 behind this offensive line one more time in a virtually pointless scenario. It takes me back to earlier in the season when Jim Harbaugh rested his guys and sent them home for the bye week after their throttling in Jacksonville , and while he was scritinzed at the time by some for his handling of that situation, it paid dividends when the Chargers came out of the bye week and handled business against a stretch that was deemed a gauntlet by most. Now that said gauntlet is in the rear view mirror, conventional wisdom says a team that prides itself on physicality as much as the Chargers do would benefit from a week to rest their bodies as well as their minds from the grueling stretch of football they’ve played. Now we get to see if the week off lets them come out of the gates strong and take on another gauntlet: the playoffs. Before You Go: It's Trey Time In every Week 18 “meaningless” game with backups, there’s always something that can catch the eye of a fan and still excite them enough to turn on the game, this year it just so happens to be the story of Trey Lance. Trey Lance, the former 3rd overall pick, gets his first start as a Charger with a chance to parlay it into a job in what could be an open QB market in the offseason. Lance is a perfect candidate for a Greg Roman offense, with a potent ability to threaten defenses with his legs as well as a willingness to get physical with a six-foot-four 225-pound frame. Lance is up against an elite Denver Broncos defense with a lot to play for, and will be surrounded by the reserve squad of an already terrible offensive line, so to say the deck is stacked against him would be an understatement of insane proportions. If Trey Lance can put up a respectable performance and show flashes of what made him a former top draft pick it will speak volumes about his development this year and the newfound confidence he has found under Harbaugh, and while it's extremely unlikely, if he’s able to somehow pull out a win and look like a star while doing it, he would immediately shoot to the top of alot of lists when talking about intriguing options at QB for a needy team in the offseason.

The Titans fell just short in a battle with the Saints on Sunday, 34-26, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. My Hottest Take: The Titans' defense continues to struggle heading into next season The Titans' defense let up 34 points to a red-hot Saints offense this past Sunday, as they lost a nail-biter 34-26. The Titans' offense stalled in the second half, while the defense surrendered 24 points. The Titans are allowing 27 points per game this season, ranking 28th in the NFL, to go along with the 50 touchdowns they have given up as well. The Titans rank in the bottom 10 in passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, scoring defense, red zone defense, and the list could go on. The Titans' defense has some excuses, though. They have battled injuries, and management has traded multiple starters. Most players on the defensive side right now are either second-string players or practice-squad players from different teams who got promoted to the 64-man roster. The Titans need to sign and draft the right defensive players and have the others get healthy. They have too much young talent to squander their chance at a possible future playoff run. What you need to know: Cam Ward’s improvements are a sign of good things to come Cam Ward’s confidence has been growing, and his improvement in throwing the ball and making plays happen is at an all-time high after a great game against the Saints. After a lackluster start to the season, Ward has posted 10 passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown to just one interception and a few fumbles. He is limiting turnovers and creating more offense, which is great to see considering the underwhelming play of his offensive line, and the young receiving core he is working with as well. With the Titans having the most cap space this offseason, they need to retool their offensive line and defense in the worst way possible. The weapons they have now will develop over time, but they need a better defense and offensive line if they want to compete in an ultra-competitive AFC next season. Before You Go: The Titans take on the Jags in the season finale The Titans will be taking on the Jaguars in the season finale in Jacksonville. The Titans already took a tough loss to the Jags earlier this season by a score of 25-3. This game could be of a similar fate for the Titans, as the Jags will be playing all their starters with a chance at the number one seed on the line. With a loss by both the Patriots and Broncos, the Jags could clinch the number one seed in the AFC. The Titans are already down multiple starters, and are now without safety Jalyn Armour-Davis and wide receiver Van Jefferson, do to injury. With the number of players out and the Titans' consistent struggles on the defensive end, this could easily be a two-score loss for the Titans, if not worse. The Jags need this win, whereas the Titans would like to grab the best possible pick they can in next year’s draft. It may not be the end-of-year result the Titans are looking for, but ending the year and reinforcing this offseason is what every Titans fan wants to see. [Editor's Note: Good news! They got destroyed.]

Each week, it seems like the Buccaneers' bar cannot get any lower, but it does. This past weekend, the bar hit a new rock bottom, and his name is Quinn Ewers. Ahead of their Week 16 matchup with the Bengals—which they lost miserably—the Dolphins benched their starting quarterback for Ewers, a seventh-round draft pick who had played no professional football. In Week 17, in just his second start, Ewers threw for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no picks against the Bucs' atrocious defense. In a game Tampa absolutely had to win, they gave Ewers his first win in the NFL, 20-17. And yet, somehow, this deplorable farce of a season has not yet reached its end. With a win this weekend over the Carolina Panthers and an Atlanta Falcons loss, the Bucs will host a playoff game—with a losing record. So, with that being said, let's all be chipper. The Bucs still have an opportunity to reach the postseason, despite being a bottom-three team in the league throughout the second half of their season. Let's talk about a pair of things the Krewe will have to clean up if they want to make it look even partially like they deserve a spot in the playoffs this weekend. Yes. As a fellow Bucs fan, they are fueled by rage and filled with spite. My Hottest Take: Please Baker, Wake Up! Ah, the Baker Mayfield experience. He was an MVP candidate through six weeks, and then in the past seven weeks, he seemingly forgot how to play football. It may be outlandish to say the Patriots broke Mayfield in Week 10, but the evidence backs the claim. Despite throwing for 273 yards and three touchdowns without a pick, Mayfield’s Bucs fell to the Patriots, thus beginning the eight-week span from Hell. Since that loss, Mayfield has looked like he plays for the New York Jets: nine touchdowns, eight interceptions and pedestrian passing yardage. His moniker through his MVP candidacy was winning one-score games, and the Bucs have gone 0-4 in their last four, losing them by a grand total of 11 points. Against the Dolphins, he all but sealed the game with a late interception that made him look like he had eyesight issues. If the Bucs are going to make the playoffs with a win this weekend, Mayfield does not have to get back to an MVP level—but he does have to look better than he has in the last two months. What You Need To Know: We Should Maybe Touch The Quarterback At Some Point In the same span since Mayfield fell apart—Weeks 10-17—the Buccaneers’ pass rush has recorded just 12 sacks , which is 1.5 per game. While that isn’t an abhorrent total, it is important to consider the context of coach Todd Bowles’ play-calling; namely, consider the zone blitzes he dials up numerous times per possession. The Bucs cannot get pressure with just four pass-rushers, but to beat the Panthers on Saturday, they have to. Struggles with getting pressure from edge rushers is not a new phenomenon for Tampa Bay defenses. If you want a laugh, Google who has the most sacks for the Bucs since 2022. (Okay, you don’t have to Google it. It’s Vita Vea. He’s a nose tackle, he weighs just shy of 350 pounds and he has to contend with double-teams rather consistently.) This weekend has to be the time where Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby earn their paychecks. If Tampa can make Carolina quarterback Bryce Young uncomfortable, the wheels could very well fall off the Panthers’ offense. Before You Go: Just One More Statement As frustrated as I am, and as all Bucs fans should be, some people would be thrilled to have a team playing for a playoff berth in Week 18. It’s very important that even if you want Bowles and Josh Grizzard fired, and even if you hate the product on the field, we root for the Krewe this weekend. Maybe they will show some life. [Editor's Note: They did!]

Despite a loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars two weeks ago, the Denver Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day and remain the frontrunner for the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs, and they will need to beat the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday to secure the first-round bye. Today’s Hottest Take: Broncos mismanaging offensive approach Broncos coach Sean Payton wants to win low-scoring affairs. He doesn’t try to score 30 points each week unless he absolutely needs to. If he can win by running the ball, passing efficiently on long drives and playing bend-don’t-break defense, that’s how he would prefer to win, and you can see that with how the offense has changed over the past few weeks. When the Broncos signed Lil’Jordan Humphrey a few weeks back, I got flashbacks to last season. He’s a good receiver, but Payton is blinded by his run-blocking ability. Going into the season, Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin were set to lead a receiver room bolstered by Marvin Mims Jr. and Pat Bryant, and throughout the season, Sutton and Franklin — quarterback Bo Nix’s college teammate — led the team in targets. Following Humphrey’s arrival, though, Franklin has too often been replaced, even in games where Bryant was inactive. Humphrey earned more reps than Franklin in Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers and Week 17 against the Chiefs. Last week, he outpaced Franklin by 16 reps. It’s not an issue that he is getting on the field. As a good run blocker with solid hands, it makes sense to find ways to get him onto the field, but taking off one of the team’s few dynamic playmakers in Franklin for a one-dimensional receiver is often a problem. As of right now, it seems as though Payton would rather have Humphrey on the field and will only lean into Franklin’s strengths when he feels like he has to. In reality, those priorities should be flipped. Payton should rely on Franklin and play Humphrey more if he feels comfortable with a lead and wants to slow the pace of play down in favor of a more run-heavy approach. Another issue with the approach is that the running game isn’t necessarily worth prioritizing. RJ Harvey has improved noticeably over the past few weeks, but without J.K. Dobbins, the run game has been mediocre to subpar. Humphrey is getting on the field primarily because of what he provides to the run game, but with how much Nix has been passing the ball, Franklin needs to remain a piece of the offense. Last week, he had just 27 of 72 snaps, while Humphrey earned 43. Franklin earned four targets in his low usage, but that doesn’t make up for his lack of snaps. According to Pro Football Focus , Franklin’s four targets came from within 10 yards or behind the line of scrimmage. Franklin deserves those kinds of reps where he can just display his playmaking ability, but he also needs the ball in the intermediate and deep portions of the field. Franklin is a great separator, and he’s best utilized further down the field, where he can burn defenders with his speed. What You Need To Know: Denver clinches first-round bye with win Sunday For the first time since 2015, the Broncos, and not the Chiefs, have won the AFC West, but if Denver has next week go as planned, they will also end the season as the top seed in the conference. All Denver needs to do is win Sunday, but they could still end the season as the top seed without a win. To earn the No. 1 seed , Denver needs a win, a tie and a New England Patriots loss or a Jaguars loss or tie and Patriots loss. As it currently stands, Denver has a good shot at winning and clinching the conference bye week. Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has spent portions of the year banged up, so coach Jim Harbaugh is resting Herbert and other starters. Given Denver is playing at home against a less than 100% Chargers team, the team has no excuse not to clinch the No. 1 seed. Given how the team likes to play, though, anything is possible. Before You Go: Injuries catching up with Broncos After already seeing injuries to safety Brandon Jones and Dobbins, Denver has suffered some unfortunate injuries. Now, add center Luke Wattenberg to that list. He, along with Dobbins and Jones, is on IR and will miss at least the beginning of the playoffs. That doesn’t mean they are all out for the rest of the season, though. During the playoffs, the Broncos can bring back up to two players from IR . If Jones, Dobbins and Wattenberg can get healthy in time, Denver could bring back two of them, while one of their seasons would be over. Dobbins and Jones could be brought back earlier, in theory, with Wattenberg being sent to the list more recently. All this hinges on a playoff run, though. If Denver misses out on the bye or gets booted early, they won’t get the opportunity to make those decisions.

In the aftermath of the Thunder vs Spurs showdown on Christmas day, it does seem that fans are now worried about how OKC can find a way to win against San Antonio soon. Suffice to say, the Spurs have Oklahoma City figured out — from tight wins to blowout victories. At this point, the Thunder has no answer. But this isn’t the first time that we’ve seen OKC become a vulnerable team even at the top of the league. Last season, the Thunder finished with a 68-14 record en route to a title finish. They’ve lost a total of 14 games — and yet Oklahoma City fans didn’t really worry a lot. Sure, they are now aiming for a league record to go beyond 73 wins, but that’s probably not in their best interests moving forward. To begin with, fans are very vocal about the loss. It really seemed that OKC was off its usual play, and the Spurs seemingly had an answer for everything that the Thunder played amongst their cards. But is it possible for Oklahoma City to get back at San Antonio in their next games? There are still two games remaining to be played between these two teams. This means that the Thunder have plenty of time and games to adjust, improve their level of play, and learn from their mistakes. This is why there’s still a lot of hope that the defending champions can figure out a way to win against their rivals. 1. Holmgren Should Not Duck Against Wemby If you have watched the last three Thunder vs Spurs games, you can see that Chet Holmgren’s positioning is designed to avoid Victor Wembanyama on the floor. Either Isaiah Hartenstein mans the middle, or Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams will take the Wembanyama assignment. This hasn’t been explained by many critics, but Holmgren is such a good defender that he’s a candidate for DPOY for a reason . He is one of the top players who contests shots well, and his rim protection has been one of the reasons why the Thunder won the title last year. Sure, Wemby is taller, bulkier and certainly more effective than Holmgren. However, when you have to face a 7-foot giant, no one’s better equipped to deal with that than another 7-foot giant. Fight fire with fire. 2. Make the Threes To be fair, one of the biggest reasons the Thunder lost these games against the Spurs is their lack of three-point shooting. They didn’t lack the trying part — as OKC shot 37, 30 and 44 threes in each of these losses, only to make 28.8% of them . By design, the Thunder don’t really have great shooters from three consistently. Only three players shoot above 40% from three — Isaiah Joe (42.4%), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (41.9%) and Aaron Wiggins (41.1%). As a team, OKC is shooting 36.8%, which is sixth overall in the league. Three-point shooting has been a massive flaw for the Thunder over the years. Their overreliance in the last three games against the Spurs is a testament to that. With the season still in full bloom, expect OKC to shore up that flaw and either find ways to convert open threes and take the shots they need to win big. 3. Bring Back the Thunder Grit OKC is one of the most lethal teams in the league. They can go on a stretch where they will bombard opposing teams with numerous explosive runs and massive scoring stretches, which says a lot about how their actual game is far from what we’ve seen against the Spurs. Playing against Oklahoma City is actually demoralizing. They don’t really drill a lot of threes to take your will away, but it’s usually shots from players like Luguentz Dort that hit hard to cap off huge scoring runs. The Thunder usually play with a lot of ferocity, so they grind for the ball whenever they want. To sum it up, this actually proves that this playstyle for OKC was missing in their losses. Defense is the cornerstone of the Thunder ’s success. OKC boasts the best defense in league history by a stretch. We all know how they can turn defense into offense. But if that doesn’t work in their favor, then their game is already doomed. Oklahoma City has to get back and hustle for every play as they used to if they want to maintain dominance. 4. Attack the Basket Just because Wembanyama is on the paint doesn’t mean the offense has to force their way and shoot threes. Sure, Wemby is a massive threat in the paint, but we’ve seen SGA and even Williams grind their way to the basket and still get it to go. In hindsight, OKC should put more pressure on the paint as they used to and later open up the shooting when the Spurs ground the paint. A lob threat in Hartenstein is also missing in all those games. IHart is one of the reasons why the Thunder are a huge scoring team in the paint, and this means they have to come up with more finishes at the rim. It is evident that they feel deterred by Wemby at the paint, but that should not be enough reason for them to change their play style. 5. Acknowledge the Rivalry Underestimating your opponent is already a clear sign that you’d lose the game moving forward. OKC did just that in those games against the Spurs. They refused to acknowledge just how San Antonio is playing well until the third game, but of course, getting humbled is always a good notice for the defending champions. This sets them back from their championship hangover and pushes them to improve in their games further. It humbles the Thunder squads into believing that they still have a lot to work on to become a better team in the league. Acknowledging just how legitimate this rivalry is is a good start to battling them with a better approach in the long run. Will We See More Thunder vs Spurs Showdowns? As we’ve seen before, the rivalry between these two teams is barely beginning. It has certainly leaped to another level, yes, but there’s still a lot to expect moving forward. For starters, there are still two more regular-season meetings between these two teams. Then there’s also the hope for seeing them in a seven-game series — hopefully the Western Conference Finals. For now, fans shouldn’t really overreact or even worry about what to expect from the Thunder in the next few weeks and months. After all, OKC still has a lot of games to play, and definitely more to improve in their games and approach in their games in the long run. Don’t panic. The Thunder has faced adversity multiple times before. This Spurs problem isn’t new.

The New York Knicks' chances of leaving their Christmas game against the Cleveland Cavaliers were bleak once their opponents took a 15-point lead. That came during the fourth quarter when Jalen Brunson was his team’s only source of offense, but then Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson got involved in the affair. The tandem of guards quickly scored seven point s before they each hit a three-pointer. Kolek got another five points to fall and blocked Donovan Mitchell, as his teammates sealed the 126-124 victory. Scoring runs like these are why the Knicks can easily catch fire and prove their worth. Clarkson and Kolek have helped do so. This was proven true during the NBA Cup final, when both players combined for 29 points and five three-pointers to outmatch the San Antonio Spurs. Therefore, I am convinced that the Knicks are at their full potential when Clarkson and Kolek are involved during serious situations. Today’s Hottest Take: The Knicks Should Make Clarkson and Kolek a go-to duo off the bench There’s no doubt that Clarkson and Kolek have been instrumental in the Knicks' recent success, but there's a particular reason why they’ve earned so much playing time. Fellow guards Miles McBride and Landry Shamet are out of action due to injuries. McBride, a sharpshooter who was shooting 44.4% from three, has been out of action since early December with an ankle injury. Shamet, meanwhile, is sidelined with a shoulder injury that he sustained in late November. His injury came just days after he scored a career high 36 points against the Miami Heat. Both players' absence was thought to be a massive setback for the Knicks and their offensive success, considering that both players are talented shooters, but then came Clarkson and Kolek, who have New York getting in a groove. What I would like Head Coach Mike Brown to do is have Clarkson and Kolek as the primary duo off the bench. Secondly, when McBride and Shamet are back in action, give more minutes to Kolek instead of Shamet. This will allow Clarkson and McBride to remain in their usual roles while giving Kolek the opportunity to play. If this is the case, then the Knicks can find a way to trade Shamet for either draft capital or bench depth. Before You Go: Kolek and Clarkson Have Begun to Cool Down After playing a key role in taking down the Cavaliers, both guards showed less fight during Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. They combined for five points, two rebounds and three assists. The thing is, I’m not worried about them having these types of performances because the Knicks were still able to defeat the Hawks 128-125. The team is still good, and when Clarkson and Kolek get going, they’re even better. Their next chance to prove themselves is against the 8-25 New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

On the night after Christmas, the Hornets secured an impressive road win against the Orlando Magic, but in that win, they suffered a massive loss. Hornets rookie standout Kon Knueppel sustained an ankle injury while attempting to block a shot. Knueppel was ruled out for the rest of the game. After the game ended, head coach Charles Lee gave more information on Knueppel’s status, saying that x-rays came back negative. Kneuppel is slated to miss Charlotte’s next game against his hometown Milwaukee Bucks, with that game and the next few after it in question. How do the Hornets respond and keep their winning streak alive? My Hottest Take: LaMelo Ball Must Become Efficient Shooting efficiently hasn’t been LaMelo Ball’s strength, to say the least. Without the safety blanket that Knuppel provides from three-point range, LaMelo can’t afford to jack up contested threes and live with the misses like he tends to do. LaMelo is special to watch when he's dialed in on offense, making elite-level passes and not settling as a scorer, opting to go to the paint rather than creating contested jumpers off the dribble or stalling possessions. If LaMelo can shoot anywhere from 45-50% from the field, the Hornets’ offense has one of the highest ceilings in the NBA; if not, fans will see bad offense and a sort of your-turn, my-turn style that can become predictable for teams to prepare for. What You Need To Know: Tidjane Salaün Can Step Up No single player can replace what Knueppel consistently provides on the court; it has to be a team effort from key role players. Tidjane Salaün has been closely watched by Hornets fans this year after a disappointing rookie season. Fans wanted to see improvement and understand why Charlotte took a chance on him with the sixth pick in last year's NBA Draft. So far, the progress has been subtle, but it’s been there. His shooting percentages have significantly improved, both in field goal and three-point shooting. Salaün has gone from 33% FG and 28.3% 3PT to now shooting 51.1% FG and 45.7% 3PT. Now with Knueppel out, we’ll really see how much Salaün has grown, as he’ll take on a more critical role in the offense. Before You Go: It's Time To Show Up, Collin Sexton Collin Sexton is another guard who should get a boost in playing time. Sexton came back from a left quad injury in the Hornets’ December 26th matchup against the Orlando Magic. In his return, he performed well despite being on a minutes restriction. Sexton put up 13 points on 55% shooting from the field. Sexton is a combo guard who can score in bunches, and when he gets hot, he can be lethal from three-point range, as seen in the Orlando game, when he went 3-3 from long distance. With Knueppel out and Sexton easing back from injury, it feels like the perfect situation for him to remind fans how potent he can be as a scoring guard. Sexton is averaging 15.3 points per game this season, and that number could very well go up in Knueppel’s absence, and it might need to if the Hornets look to keep the little momentum they have now.

The NFC West still doesn’t have a champion after 17 weeks of football. The Seattle Seahawks will meet Saturday night in a winner-take-all game that will decide not only the division but also the NFC’s first overall seed and first-round bye. These teams are very familiar with one another, but they haven’t played since Week 1, and both squads have undergone major changes philosophically and in personnel on the field. With everything on the line, how can the Seahawks secure a massive victory? My Hottest Take: The Seahawks Must Pass To Open Up The Run The 49ers have suffered yet another massive set of injuries this season. Star defensive end Nick Bosa, Linebacker Fred Warner, and receiver Brandon Aiyuk are out for the year and it’s resulted in a huge change change in defensive philosophy. In 2024, the Niners defense ranked 18th in rushing yards per game allowed at 124.8 yards per game, and the unit’s collective PFF run defense grade ranked 28th with a grade of 54.6, showcasing a major weakness. General manager John Lynch went all out to address this issue over the offseason, using first, second, and fourth round draft picks on three defensive lineman whose primary strength is the ability to stop the run, and despite the superstar injuries on defense, these three rookies have offered imediate return on investment. Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West have all had large parts in the Niners improving their rushing yards per game allowed from 18th to sixth at just 103.3 yards per game . The tradeoff is that none of these guys is an impact pass rusher yet, and with the injury to Nick Bosa, the Niners have seen their pass rush become one of the worst in the entire league. After recording 37 sacks in 2024, San Francisco will now need two against Seattle to even break 20 sacks, as their 18 sits dead last in the NFL. Klint Kubiak needs to let Sam Darnold throw the ball early on Saturday and take advantage of a weak defensive line and a secondary whose only difference maker is corner Deommodore Lenoir. Darnold only threw the ball 23 times in the opener , and that number needs to be closer to 35 for Seattle to have a shot at this one, because their 26 carries for 84 yards doesn’t seem like a number that’s likely to improve this time around. What You Need To Know: Late-Down Stops Will Be Key A big part of the Niners success in week one came down to success on third and fourth downs. San Francisco went a combined 9-16 (56%) on these attempts and it played a large role in them controlling the ball for a whopping 37:58, compared to just 22:02 of possession for Seattle. The biggest concern in Christian McCaffery out of the backfield as a receiver, where he’s been far more impactful on a down to down basis this season than as a rusher, and he gashed Seattle for nine catches and 73 yards in week one. George Kittle is questionable for Saturday, and his absence would be a huge one, as he scored a third down touchdown, and the dropoff from him to Jake Tonges is a big one when it comes to blocking. Brock Purdy is coming into this game scorching hot, scoring a combined 10 touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears. He’s been making plays on third down and in the red zone, so the Seattle pass rush is going to have to dominate and force him into one of those disaster Purdy performances like he had agaisnt Mike McDonald’s Ravens in 2023. Before You Go: Seattle Will Win on Saturday Seattle is going to score on the San Francisco defense as their last two opponents have in bunches, but it’s upto the Seahawks defense to try and prevent this from becoming the type of track meet that the Niners have excelled in down the stretch. After a full regular season to develop as a team and sit on that week one loss, Seattle gets it done on Saturday and wins 28-24 to capture the division and the bye.

When you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, the only option left is to find a way to wiggle out. For the Chicago Bulls, that rock-and-a-hard-place feeling has lasted nearly a decade, ever since the departures of franchise cornerstones Derrick Rose snd Jimmy Butler . The Bulls have been trapped in NBA purgatory: not bad enough to fully rebuild, not good enough to seriously contend. The question is simple but uncomfortable, how do you escape the middle? To be honest, I don’t have a perfect answer. But I do have an idea that would finally give this franchise something it desperately needs: direction . That idea? The Chicago Bulls should trade for Zion Williamson . This move could launch the Bulls into the upper tier of the Eastern Conference or send them straight into the sewer. And at this point, as a fan, I’m perfectly fine with either outcome. What I’m not fine with is standing still. My Hottest Take: Time to Take a Risk on an Injury-Prone Superstar There’s no sugarcoating it Williamson is one of the riskiest assets in the NBA. His tenure in New Orleans has been rocky at best. Zion has played in roughly 46% of his possible NBA games, including missing the entire 2021–22 season with a fractured fifth metatarsal. His injury history is alarming, and any team trading for him must fully accept that risk. But here’s the other side of the coin: when Zion Williamson is on the floor, he is exactly the type of impact player the Bulls have been chasing for years. For his career, Zion averages nearly 25 points, six rebounds, and four assists per game, while shooting an absurd 59% from the field. His athleticism, yes the same athleticism that captivated the country in high school and at Duke. Still flashes every time he plays. Injuries and a small-market spotlight have dulled his star power, but the talent is undeniable. The Bulls don’t have a player who bends defenses the way Zion does. They haven’t had one in a very long time. A trio of Zion Williamson, Josh Giddey , and Matas Buzelis  gives Chicago an offensive ceiling they simply haven’t had in years. If it works, the Bulls become a legitimate playoff force. If it fails, the team lands where it probably needs to be anyway, near the top of the draft. Either way, the direction becomes clear. What You Need to Know: The Contract Makes This Risk More Manageable Zion is currently in the middle of a five - year, $193 million extension, set to expire in 2028. On the surface, that number is terrifying, especially for a franchise historically cautious with spending. However, this deal comes with critical protections. Due to missed games, Zion’s contract is no longer fully guaranteed . His future earnings are tied directly to availability and conditioning benchmarks: 20% guaranteed if he passes all six weigh-ins in a season 40% guaranteed if he plays 41+ games+ 20% if he plays 51+ games+ 20% if he plays 61+ games+ Additionally, Zion must remain under 295 pounds combined weight and body-fat percentage. For a Bulls front office that prefers financial flexibility, this structure significantly reduces long-term risk. If Zion doesn’t play, the Bulls aren’t locked into paying the full max value. If he does play, they’re paying for a legitimate superstar. That’s a gamble worth considering. Before You Go: The Pelicans Might Be Ready to Move On This idea only works if New Orleans is ready to turn the page and all signs suggest they might be. The Pelicans appear to be shifting toward a younger timeline, prioritizing the development of rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen . Both have shown promise, and the organization seems increasingly comfortable letting them learn through growing pains. Zion complicates that process. When he plays, the Pelicans win but his availability is unpredictable. That inconsistency doesn’t align with a youth-driven rebuild. New Orleans would rather lose games while developing Fears and Queen than rely on an unreliable star to prop up the standings. That’s where the Bulls’ leverage comes in. Proposed Trade Framework: Bulls Receive: Zion Williamson Pelicans Receive: Nikola Vučević Isaac Okoro Jevon Carter Unprotected 2032 first-round pick Why It Works for New Orleans: This gives the Pelicans flexibility to either add veteran leadership around their young core or fully commit to a clean rebuild. There are real benefits to the return too: Nearly $28 million in expiring money (Vučević and Carter) comes off the books, Okoro provides a defensive wing on a manageable contract (or future trade filler) and Zion’s long-term money is removed from the cap sheet. Plus, an unprotected future first-round pick adds real upside especially if Zion's unavailable. Why It Works for Chicago: The Bulls finally get their best player since Jimmy Butler. Standing still is still the worst option; this franchise cannot continue to exist in the middle. The Bulls need to be top-four in the East or top-three in the draft, nothing else matters. Zion Williamson represents volatility, risk, and uncertainty. But he also represents hope, upside, and a clear fork in the road. At this stage, the worst move the Bulls can make is no move at all. This is their chance to strike.

The Green Bay Packers will have little to play for in Week 18. After their 41–24 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the team is locked into the seventh seed heading into the regular season finale, leaving them with minimal incentive to risk player health. Matt LaFleur surely doesn’t want to enter the playoffs on a four-game losing streak, but for Green Bay, resting players has become a necessity. The team is already missing Micah Parsons, Devonte Wyatt, Elgton Jenkins, Tucker Kraft and several others — including Jordan Love and Malik Willis — are dealing with injuries . At this point, momentum won’t matter if the Packers don’t have enough healthy players to compete in January. The focus has to be on preserving bodies for the postseason. Today’s Hottest Take: Love has to turn into Superman for Green Bay to have any shot in January. We’ve seen it too many times: Aaron Rodgers had to play in “god mode” to cover for shortcomings elsewhere on Green Bay’s roster in the postseason — and more often than not, even that wasn’t enough. This January, Love faces a similar challenge. To give the Packers any realistic chance, he’ll need to elevate the offense in ways that mask deficiencies around him, take over games and make plays that few quarterbacks can consistently deliver under playoff pressure. Luckily for the Green & Gold, Love has been one of the most efficient passers this season. Since Parsons tore his ACL , Green Bay’s pass rush has all but disappeared. Moreover, the team is thin at cornerback. That’s a recipe for allowing 30–40 points in a playoff game. To have a chance at a win, the Packers will need to score consistently, which starts with Love and an offense that can stay on the field and sustain drives — a challenging task given the injuries to Kraft and Jenkins, as well as the struggles of the offensive line in 2025. What You Need to Know: There’s precedent that supports why Green Bay should rest its starters. Last season, the Rams entered Week 18 with a playoff home game already secured. While they weren’t sure if they would finish as the No. 3 or No. 4 seed, the team made the conscious choice to sit several of their top players. The decision quickly proved its value. In the Wild Card round, Los Angeles dominated the Minnesota Vikings, who had just fought for the division on Sunday night a week earlier. It demonstrated that when the final regular-season game carries little consequence, protecting player health is often more valuable than squeezing in extra live reps. Before You Go: Don’t Forget About Collin Oliver With Green Bay likely resting some key players in Week 18, this could be the perfect opportunity for Collin Oliver to take his first NFL snaps. After being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list in August, Oliver was activated in December and could see the field Sunday against Minnesota. In a game with no stakes, Oliver just needs to focus on playing his game, getting comfortable on the field, and showing what he can do at the NFL level. The Packers could use every bit of pass-rush help they can get, and who better to provide it than the player already dubbed “ Baby Micah ” inside the locker room? "That's my dawg,” Oliver said about Warren Brinson, who was joking around and enjoying the attention Oliver was getting in the locker room. “I'm glad that they see I'm a talented player," said Oliver with a laugh. "Being compared to Micah, though, is crazy. I ain't gonna lie."

After what must surely be one of the greatest games in NFL history (and almost certainly a Sunday Night Football classic, at the very least), the San Francisco 49ers stand one game away from the No. 1 seed, following a 42-38 shootout win over the Chicago Bears. I was emotional at the final gun–not only did it feel like a victory for these 49ers, who constantly find ways to win, no matter the circumstance, but it felt like a win for those who kept their belief in the team and vowed to enjoy the ride no matter what, even when others castigated all and sundry within the organization when the team didn’t gorge at the free-agent buffet. I was one of those people. So I’m feeling pretty damn smug. There’s a few other reasons too. Let’s dive. My Hottest Take: This is the best 49ers offense of my lifetime Okay, so I was born in 1990. Some would definitely have offenses led by Steve Young in 1992 and 1994 above the 2025 version. I get that. But I’m also from the UK, and was more interested in Thomas the Tank Engine in those formative years than whatever was going on in San Francisco. Thus, this is the best 49ers offense I’ve ever seen, and it’s not close. Ten touchdown passes in two weeks from Brock Purdy would be enough, but the grit of Jauan Jennings, the simple excellence of future Hall of Famer Christian McCaffrey, and the emergence of Ricky Pearsall are all thrilling highlights too. You can throw in the bruising running of Brian Robinson Jr and the never-knowingly-overawed presence of tight end Jake Tonges as well. This is something truly amazing, and it’s being done without the best players the team has. Throughout the season, the offense has hummed, but particularly in the last two weeks, without, at various times: Brandon Aiyuk (at all, and likely never again) George Kittle (for handfuls of games, including last night’s outing) Ricky Pearsall (his troublesome knees and injury issues will be all that stop him from becoming a top receiver in the league) Trent Williams (for all but one play of last night’s game) ... while also having to prop up a defensive unit that’s been largely putrid without its top players like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. What’s happening here is perhaps the least understood story of the entire season. Kyle Shanahan is coaching his ass off, and he’s also coaching around a poor defense and an ever-shifting landscape. Last night may have been his best performance of the season; forced to come up with an offensive unit that could continue to score at will in what always looked like a ‘last team on the ball wins’ type game, he found consistent and varied success. Whether it was the idea of competing against Ben Johnson that brought the best out of him, I’m not sure, as he often produces his best games against his so-called contemporaries (Sean McVay, Kellen Moore and the likes), but it was an astonishing performance. He should be Coach Of The Year, and it’s not even close. As for Purdy, his unbelievable play this season (now tying the ever-lauded Jordan Love in touchdown passes, despite playing a lot fewer games) belies all the narratives about him that have been tiresomely corrected by me in columns like this one over the last few years. The debate is over. He’s the man. No Kittle. No Bosa. No Aiyuk. No Warner. No Trent Williams, and he's still thrown five TDs in primetime to win a shootout against a QB the NFL is desperate (and correct) to hype. Not only that, he’s ultimately got a significantly depleted roster from the one he originally took over, and he still continues to win when it matters. What now, skeptics? People who are paid to analyse football who cannot see how good this man is are either lying to you or short of brain cells. What You Need To Know: Robert Saleh saved his best (and only?) good play for last I’m definitely a lone voice among the 49ers faithful and analysts in being a Robert Saleh skeptic. You’ve read me do so in this column multiple times. Simply put, and to quote myself while watching the game, I remain unmoved by his ability to get more than the sum of his defensive parts. Can he get a great result with great parts? Absolutely, and the evidence in front of us provided by Steve Wilks and Nick Sorensen proves conclusively that some can't. I have to give him credit for that, and I think, on balance, I have. But we play as dismally as you'd expect with players missing, with very little evidence of coaching improvement to lift a poor unit to even below average. That said, where I do have to draw the line on even my own whinging is the play that won the game. Facing a potential game-losing drive with most of his starting defensive backs on the sideline (please don’t let me ever see Darrell Luter Jr. and Chase Lucas on the field in crunch time again–get well soon, Upton Stout and Renardo Green), he called possibly the greatest play of his life to force the fourth down incompletion that won the game. It’s truly spectacular from Saleh. Don’t rush the passer with too much firepower, because you haven’t any; instead, cover as much of the endzone as you can, make Caleb Williams buy time, and force the red-hot but still developing youngster to make one hell of a play if he wants to win the game. He couldn’t, and it was enough. A fantastic call by a man who can clearly find magic at times. Now, if you can just fix the safety play, Robert, I might just leave you alone. Before You Go: I Told You So Our final game of the season sees the 49ers play the Seahawks for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Just like I told you it would. I can’t explain it, but these teams are drawn to one another forever, never to knowingly let the other out of its sight. No matter what, there’s a late-season game between the two that ends up having a huge consequence on one or both of the teams’ respective seasons–and so, here we are again. It feels fitting, somehow. A red-hot Niners offense against a rock-solid Seattle defense, and a wobbling 49ers defense against an up-and-down Seattle offense. It should be a classic, and if the 49ers can take advantage of the occasional Sam Darnold errant throw and steal a few possessions, we might just pull it off. Then it’s just three games to that elusive sixth ring. Deep breaths.

My Hottest Take: This Is Ground Zero For Whatever’s Next Pittsburgh’s loss to the Browns paints a very clear picture for their regular season finale against Baltimore: winner makes the playoffs, loser goes home. However, Monday provided even higher stakes with Adam Schefter theorizing that the losing coach might leave the team in the aftermath. Given the extensive tenures of both coaches (John Harbaugh is in his 18th year as a head coach, Tomlin is in his 19th), a change in leadership would be a colossal shift for both the team and the NFL as a whole. Tomlin’s departure would signal the Steelers rebuild that never truly developed after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, sending a consistently dangerous franchise down to the muck of tanking teams, developing rookies and whatever the Jets are doing. That is, however, assuming he loses. A win almost certainly keeps him at the helm for the immediate future at least. Once Pittsburgh makes it to the playoffs, anything can happen, especially in a wide open AFC. His fate rests in the hands of a Ravens team that might be without Lamar Jackson , a team that the Steelers have already beaten this season. The team’s own health might be questionable (along with DK Metcalf serving the final game of his suspension), but that’s par for the course at this point in Pittsburgh. This team has the choice if they want to be a part of a title chase or a teardown, and we will find out their decision one way or another Sunday night. Need to Know: Nobody Hits 23 Sacks On Us! With Browns superstar Myles Garrett sitting one shy of the single-season sack record, many expected him to make history against Pittsburgh after failing to get home for a sack during their first meeting. Arthur Smith’s offense was hellbent on not giving him the chance. The Steelers kept Garrett away from Aaron Rodgers by any means necessary for the entirety of the game, arguably to the point where it impacted their ability to function normally. Garrett’s ability to derail a game certainly warrants special treatment, but there were points where plays needed more time to develop, failing out of fear of being on the wrong side of history. Garrett even commented on Pittsburgh’s obsession with his coverage during his media availability and how it benefitted the rest of his defense. Fortunately, Baltimore doesn’t have anyone quite on his level on the defensive front, so Smith’s offense should be able to return to normal in the biggest game of the season. Before You Go: A Brief Update On DK Metcalf After receiving a two game suspension last Monday, DK Metcalf appealed his punishment immediately following the decision. After the verdict was upheld, the Lions fan who was involved in the altercation held a press conference on Friday, in which he denied using any slurs in his exchange with Metcalf. He reiterated his claim that his usage of Metcalf’s full name was the cause of the incident, and that he wanted to avoid hate online for being falsely labeled as a racist. While further legal developments have yet to come, Pittsburgh’s front office did announce that they declined to activate the clause in Metcalf’s contract that would void $45 million due to the suspension. Metcalf will not play in Sunday’s game against Baltimore, but is eligible to return if the Steelers make the Playoffs.