Inside: A weekend recap, controversial calls, brief Super Bowl preview and coaching updates from Las Vegas, Dallas and New Orleans.
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Super Bowl Set: Stars shine in title games
Yesterday, after Saquon Barkley took his first touch 60 yards for a touchdown, MVP chants rang out in Philadelphia. He finished with 122 total yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles demolished Washington 55-23. As Brooks Kubena writes from Philly, they did it their way.
In Kansas City, Arrowhead was loud, but without MVP chants this time. For Patrick Mahomes (who threw for 245 yards while running for 43 and two TDs), greatness is the expectation. His Chiefs beat Buffalo in yet another thriller, 32-29, returning to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in six years.
Now, before we move on to the Big Game itself, let’s address today’s biggest talking point:
Controversial calls
Agree or not, debates are still raging about several of yesterday’s rulings that favored Kansas City, which has become a Sunday tradition this year. Yesterday, that included the ball touching the ground during an Xavier Worthy catch and the questionable spot on Dalton Kincaid’s third-down catch. The latter was followed by Josh Allen’s crucial fourth-and-1 attempt being called short:
Very close. It didn’t help appearances that the line judge ran out in a first-down position before seeming to be overruled by the down judge. Both are responsible for marking the runner’s forward progress, but Allen’s back was to the latter.
Still, there’s much more to the story of this game. The Bills’ play-calling was questionable at times, evidenced by all those overly telegraphed Allen sneaks and by James Cook totaling 134 yards but only seeing 16 touches. Buffalo also needed more from its defense, while Steve Spagnoulo’s KC unit made big plays when necessary.
Despite all that, Allen gave Buffalo a chance. The best illustration was his unbelievable throw on fourth-and-5, when he faced unexpected pressure thanks to the defensive play call of the year. The ball landed in Kincaid’s hands, but fell incomplete.
Again, Allen got Buffalo there. But again, his Bills fell short. His teams have now been eliminated by Mahomes’ four times in the last five years.
Before we move on, I want to hear from you: Should that fourth-down stop have been ruled a first down? How critical were the calls in this game? Share your thoughts here.
What’s next?
For the Chiefs and Eagles, a trip to New Orleans for the NFL’s 59th Super Bowl. While both rosters have been managed by savvy executives, these are two very different teams. Nothing illustrates that better than their head coaches and quarterbacks:
- After Nick Sirianni began the season 2-2, only Jacksonville’s Doug Pederson had better odds of being fired. Today, Pederson — a former Philly coach — is jobless while Sirianni begins to prep for the Super Bowl, his second appearance in four years as a head coach. His winning percentage (70.6) leads all active coaches, but you’d never know it.
- The narrative surrounding Jalen Hurts is similar: widespread scrutiny despite a winning percentage (68.9) that sits between Peyton Manning and Joe Montana on the all-time list. “It’s amazing how much doubt there is,” Sirianni said of Hurts yesterday. “He just wins.”
Meanwhile, the credentials of Andy Reid and Mahomes are unquestioned: By far the best pairing since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is perpetually reaching for NFL immortality. That’s the reputation you get when you keep winning in February.
The game kicks off in two weeks, with the Chiefs listed as 1.5-point favorites by BetMGM. Tickets are listed for $5,100 on StubHub. I’m available, if you need to bring company.
Over to Dianna for the latest on the coaching cycle.
What Dianna’s Hearing: Coaching cycle’s last spins
Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is New Orleans-bound in two ways: to coach in Super Bowl LIX, but first, for his second interview for the last remaining head-coaching vacancy. He’s set to meet with the Saints today.
Meanwhile in Dallas, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer has a coaching staff to hire. Ryan Crow, the Dolphins’ outside linebackers coach last season who also served in that role for Mike Vrabel’s Titans teams, will interview today for the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator job.
Back to you, Jacob.
Steph Chambers, Sam Hodde / Getty Images
Raiders score, Dallas underwhelms
Minutes before we hit send on Friday’s newsletter, 73-year-old Pete Carroll was hired as the Raiders’ head coach. He’ll work with recently hired GM John Spytek, a former Buccaneers assistant GM who was once a teammate of Tom Brady’s at Michigan. They’ll look to reset the culture for an organization that needs it.
On Slack, I asked award-winning beat reporter Tashan Reed for his take:
Tashan’s measured reaction aligns with my expectations for a roster sparse on talent and in need of both a quarterback and an entire coaching staff (Darrell Bevell, the current Dolphins QB coach and former Carroll assistant, is the likeliest OC candidate, per Tashan), all while competing against the AFC West’s three 2024 playoff teams.
The reactions were much different in Dallas after Jerry Jones hired Schottenheimer:
Schottenheimer and Carroll both have introductory press conferences today. One will speak to hopeful fans, and the other will be in Dallas.
Extra Points
Most-clicked last week: Mark Andrews’ first public comments since Baltimore’s brutal elimination.
Tomorrow, we’re looking at that weird goal-line drama from the NFC Championship, a history of controversial calls (and the Chiefs), plus what’s next for the Bills and Commanders.
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(Photo: Mitchell Leff, Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
