🐺 Wolf Sports Weekly

MVP matchup, Lions loss(es)

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Wolf Sports
January 21, 2025

Four teams will play for the opportunity to go to Super Bowl LIX this Sunday:

🏈 Divisional Round delivers

In a matchup of the NFL’s two top MVP candidates in Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, Allen and the Bills came through with a 27-25 home victory to advance to the AFC Championship. Buffalo won with the style they have all year by taking caring of the ball, and Baltimore’s three turnovers (two by Jackson and one by TE Mark Andrews) were a huge difference in a game that was virtually sealed on a two-point conversion pass from Jackson to Andrews that—while not a perfect throw in stride—was dropped with under two minutes remaining after Jackson led an 89-yard touchdown drive. After the game, Allen went right up to Jackson and then told CBS’s Tracy Wolfson that Jackson is “one of the greatest to ever step on the football field.”

The Chiefs are headed to their seventh consecutive AFC title game and will be hosting the Bills after holding off the Texans to kick off the Divisional Round. Unfortunately the officiating was a big story in the game, with Troy Aikman and Joe Buck being unafraid to criticize some very questionable calls—including a couple of unnecessary roughness penalties for iffy hits on Patrick Mahomes. Neither team turned the ball over, and Houston outgained KC by 124 yards, but as usual the Chiefs did enough to win headlined by the pass rush getting going late and racking up eight sacks total. The win was also the 300th of Andy Reid’s head coaching career.

In the NFC, the Commanders stayed hot by knocking off the No. 1 seed Lions on Saturday night in a 45-31 stunner. Detroit lost CB Amik Robertson to a broken humerus early in the game, and they ultimately felt like a squad that struggled to hold up after battling an insane number of injuries throughout the season. The Commanders’ 28-point second-quarter barrage was headlined by a 58-yard touchdown on a screen from QB Jayden Daniels to WR Terry McLaurin and a 40-yard pick six by S Quan Martin in the span of a minute. Unfortunately G Sam Cosmi suffered a torn ACL for Washington and is out for the postseason.

The Eagles survived with a snowy home Divisional Round win against the Rams, 28-22, with a tense defensive stop on a potential game-winning drive by LA. Philly was up by 13 with 4:36 remaining after RB Saquon Barkley’s second long touchdown run of the game, but the Rams suddenly caught fire on offense and moved the ball quickly until things stalled thanks to a sack by DL Jalen Carter and a subsequent fourth-down stop—setting up an all-NFC East NFC Championship.

🐻 Bears land Ben Johnson

Lions OC Ben Johnson chose Chicago as the destination to make the leap to a head coaching job, pairing up with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

  • Especially after Bill Belichick went to the college game and Mike Vrabel was quickly hired by New England, Johnson was the hottest name on the coaching carousel.

  • Johnson seemingly had his choice of the Bears, Jaguars, and Raiders, opting to stay in the NFC North and face the Lions twice per year.

  • As outlined last week, the area of the country was said to be something that appeals to Johnson, who is said to be building a “star-studded coaching staff” starting with former Saints HC Dennis Allen as the likely DC.

What’s next: The Bears have some work to do to build up the roster and hopefully get the type of offensive line Johnson worked with in Detroit, while the Lions have likely two big replacements to make (DC Aaron Glenn is set to get a HC gig).

📰 The latest NFL news and notes

18-game season coming: Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the NFL is likely going to move to an 18-game regular season.

Titans hire a GM: Tennessee hired longtime Chiefs executive Mike Borgonzi, who immediately has a big decision to make with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Bears called the Steelers to see if they would be allowed to talk to and potentially trade for HC Mike Tomlin, but Pittsburgh denied their inquiry.

Also, former NFL HC Jack Del Rio is coaching the Paris Musketeers in the European Football League, and Rob Ryan is going from the NFL to USC as Assistant HC/LBs coach.

Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh is having two health procedures this offseason: A heart ablation and a hip replacement.

The Ravens claimed WR Diontae Johnson, who was previously cut by Baltimore following a team-imposed suspension, off waivers from the Texans but had no intentions of playing him. Johnson can potentially help the Ravens pick up a compensatory draft pick.

The Rams took out an ad in the Arizona Republic thanking the Cardinals for allowing them to play their home Wild Card Round game at their place due to the California fires.

📺 Tom Brady intends to stick with FOX

Tom Brady’s agent Don Yee told SBJ that Brady will continue his long-term deal with FOX Sports despite speculation given his minority ownership stake and growing role with the Raiders.

  • Brady began a 10-year, $375 million deal this season as the No. 1 analyst for the NFL on FOX.

  • However, many in the media have speculated that the seven-time Super Bowl champion might have to (or choose to) take a step back and focus on the Raiders and other commitments.

  • Brady will be on the call for Super Bowl LIX next month, capping his first season as a big voice of the game.

Bottom line: Yee coming out publicly with this as Brady takes on a larger role with the Raiders probably isn’t a coincidence, and we’d think we’ll be hearing the legendary quarterback in the broadcast booth for many years.

We’re down to three games remaining in the 2024 NFL season, and soon enough the offseason will be in full swing—with the 2025 NFL Draft as a headlining event. Our first 2025 mock was just published, and these are the first five picks in what looks like it could be a very unpredictable year.

1. TEN: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The dominoes that will fall in the 2025 NFL Draft begin at the No. 1 pick with Tennessee seemingly deciding between Sanders or Cam Ward. We think Sanders has shades of Joe Burrow in his game, so the fit in Brian Callahan’s system makes him the likely choice at this point.

2. CLE: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Cleveland declining to take a quarterback is certainly possible, but the front office may not want to pass up the opportunity—especially because they don’t expect to draft this high again. Ward is best described as a natural with an extremely calm play style.

3. NYG: Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado
If the first two picks are indeed quarterbacks, the intrigue will really set in depending on how the Giants attack the position in free agency (or trade market). Hunter would be a superstar-level talent to build around on defense like Malik Nabers will be for the offense.

4. NE: Abdul Carter, OLB, Penn State
New England might want to get help for Drake Maye with a top-five pick, but Mike Vrabel loving Carter is easy to imagine. We would be surprised if the first non-quarterbacks off the board weren’t Travis Hunter and Carter—though the order might be flipped.

5. JAX: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
It seems general manager Trent Baalke will remain in place with Jacksonville missing out on Ben Johnson, and we suspect he’ll want to “complete” the defensive line by adding Graham in between Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. Trade downs also make sense for those who miss out on Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter.

Other Sports Updates

🏆 Ohio State scored 31 straight points and held off Notre Dame in a 34-23 victory to win the CFP National Championship.

🏈 2025 College Football Hall of Fame: Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Michael Vick, Michael Strahan among members of this year’s class.

⬆️ Texas QB Quinn Ewers has officially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, with Arch Manning set to start for the Longhorns next season.

⚾️ Rich get richer: Dodgers add Japanese SP Roki Sasaki and RP Tanner Scott. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are signing OF Anthony Santander.

🎮 College Football 26 is officially happening and will release this summer after the highly anticipated return last summer.

🙏 Rest in Peace: â€œMr. Baseball” Bob Uecker passed away at 90.

🐺 Found on wolfsports.com