The Indianapolis Colts are hiring former Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to replace Matt Eberflus, reports Mike Chappell of FOX59.Eberflus, who coordinated Indy's defense from 2018-21, left the team this year to become head coach of the Chicago Bears.The Colts will be Bradley's third different team in as many years. He was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017-20 before posting a one-season stint with the Raiders last year.Bradley's future in Las Vegas was uncertain after the club hired former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as its new head coach. Bradley was hired by Jon Gruden in 2021.The Raiders' defense ranked 14th in yards and 26th in points allowed under Bradley.Meanwhile, Indianapolis' defensive unit ranked ninth in scoring while forcing 33 turnovers last season, the second-most in the NFL.Bradley isn't new to the AFC South. The 55-year-old served as head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013-16, posting a 14-48 record.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Monumental Sports chief planning and operations officer Sashi Brown is leaving the multi-sport empire to join the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, the team announced Friday.Brown will replace Ravens president Dick Cass, who's retiring after 18 years with the team. He'll be responsible for overseeing every area of the club, including player and staff personnel, coaching, and corporate sales.A lawyer by trade, Brown previously served as top legal counsel for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2005-12 before joining the Cleveland Browns' front office from 2013-17.Brown's tenure as executive VP of football operations in Cleveland was rocky, leading to his dismissal midway through the 2017 season. He joined Ted Leonsis' organization in 2019, and was promoted to president of Monumental Basketball in November 2021.Among Monumental Sports' sports properties are the NBA's Washington Wizards, the WNBA's Washington Mystics, the NHL's Washington Capitals, and several esports teams.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NFL has a genuine diversity problem in its senior coaching and team executive ranks, according to the NFL."Any criticism we get for lack of representation at the GM and head coach positions, we deserve," Jonathan Beane, the league's senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, told the Associated Press in January. "We see that we're not where we want to be. We have to do much better."Beane's words were included in a racial discrimination lawsuit that former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed this week. The league responded a little more than an hour after Flores' suit hit the internet, declaring it "will defend against these claims, which are without merit."The suit bores into a problem that the NFL acknowledges is genuine. But rather than delve into Flores' claims with any kind of inward-looking inquiry - it reportedly will investigate Flores' allegation that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him monetary incentives to lose games in 2019, which is a separate (and potentially explosive) matter - the league chose to do what it does best: lawyer up and window-dress.Ross, Flores, and GM Chris Grier at the news conference announcing Flores' hiring as Dolphins head coach in 2019. Mark Brown / Getty Images"The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations," the league also said in its response to Flores' suit. "Diversity is core to everything we do, and there are few issues on which our clubs and our internal leadership team spend more time."Flores has taken a swing at ownership, and ownership is a protected class when it comes to the NFL's scattershot application of discipline. For years, Dan Snyder basically ran the workplace inside Washington's organization like a bachelor party, and the league couldn't be bothered to produce a written report after it finally investigated.Racist hiring practices? Sham interviews designed to do an end-around on the Rooney Rule? Not possible. Not in a league so "deeply committed" to diversity and equal opportunity that it stencils "End Racism" into the end lines on game day. Benjamin Solomon / Getty ImagesThe league's approach to racial equity has always been hollow and self-serving, and Flores' complaint documents this in great detail, going all the way back to the "gentlemen's agreement" that kept Black players out of the game in the 1930s and 1940s.The last five years alone included the blackballing of Colin Kaepernick; the imposition of an anthem policy that was never enforced because the players' union was determined to resist it; the revelation that race-norming was used to limit the league's financial exposure in the concussion settlement; and commissioner Roger Goodell's cynical embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement, which happened only after it became safe for corporations to attach themselves to racial justice causes as marketing opportunities.The Rooney Rule might be well-intentioned, but it was only instituted after the NFL was threatened with a lawsuit more than 20 years ago. There's nothing new about the possibility that teams might arrange phony interviews with minority candidates to stay in compliance with the rule, which coaches like Marvin Lewis are now willing to discuss openly. The fallout from the texts Flores received from Bill Belichick, in which Belichick congratulates Flores on getting the Giants job before admitting he thought he had messaged Brian Daboll, simply seems to confirm a truth that's long been easy to suspect.According to the league's own diversity and inclusion report, more than 70% of the league's players are Black, yet the NFL currently has just one Black head coach, four Black offensive coordinators, 11 Black defensive coordinators, and three Black quarterbacks coaches. The league is in a two-year cycle in which 16 head coaching positions opened up, yet it's possible that David Culley will remain the only Black candidate to get hired - and the Texans fired him after just one season. Bob Levey / Getty ImagesFlores' suit observes that Black head coaches are more likely to get fired after having a winning season and less likely to receive multiple head coaching opportunities. And coaches like Flores, Culley, Hue Jackson, Steve Wilks, and Vance Joseph recently served as placeholders during what were billed as long rebuilds.The league has long imagined itself as a true meritocracy whose hiring decisions are zero-sum matters of winning and losing in which only the best candidates are awarded such high-pressure jobs. But nepotism and cronyism run rampant, as is true in a lot of industries. I wrote about this two years ago, and in January, Defector's Kalyn Kahler documented the true scope of the problem:

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and finished among the top seven each of his last seven years in the contest.Follow the links below to see his 2022 rankings. Rookies will be added in future updates.Half PPR

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh appeared on the verge of a dramatic return to the NFL, only for a move to the Minnesota Vikings to fall apart at the last minute.Harbaugh, reportedly the favorite to succeed Mike Zimmer, flew to Minnesota on Wednesday for an in-person interview that was widely viewed as a formality.But Harbaugh didn't receive a job offer, sources told Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press, after feeling there wasn't a mutual level of enthusiasm for a potential partnership."I called Warde (Manuel, Michigan's athletic director) and I asked him if he wanted me to be the head coach. And he said, 'Yes, 100%.' And I said, 'OK then. That's what I want to do,'" Harbaugh told Albom on Thursday."And I told him, 'Warde, this will not be a reoccurring theme every year. This was a one-time thing."Harbaugh said the allure of another run at winning a Super Bowl after falling one win short with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 led him to consider leaving his alma mater."For better or for worse, it was something I wanted to explore. I went in thinking, 'I'm gonna have 100% conviction on this, and if they (Minnesota) have 100% conviction on this, then it's something I'm gonna do," Harbaugh added.Harbaugh is coming off his best campaign at Michigan since his arrival in 2015. He led the Wolverines to their first-ever playoff berth after going 12-2, including a first win over rival Ohio State during his reign.The 58-year-old is now focused solely on taking his team to even greater heights."Sure, the Super Bowl is the greatest prize in our sport," he said. "But winning a national championship – that's pretty darn great. Let's do that. There was a pull to the NFL because I got that close to the Super Bowl, but this was the time (to try and return.) And this is the last time. Now let's go chase college football’s greatest prize."The Vikings are reportedly expected to hire Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell after Super Bowl LVI.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are hiring former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson to be their new head coach, the team announced Thursday."Doug Pederson four years ago won a Super Bowl as head coach of a franchise in pursuit of its first world championship," owner Shad Khan wrote. "I hope Doug can replicate that magic here in Jacksonville, but what is certain is his proven leadership and experience as a winning head coach in the National Football League. It's exactly what our players deserve. Nothing less."The 54-year-old beat out former Las Vegas Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia for the job, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich removed himself from consideration for the position after stating that he couldn't work with Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke, sources told John Reid of the Florida Times-Union.Pederson was the first candidate the Jaguars interviewed back in December. The native of Bellingham, Washington, had his follow-up meeting Tuesday.The Eagles made three playoff appearances in five seasons under Peterson from 2016-20, posting a 42-31-1 record and winning Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots.Philadelphia fired Pederson after the team went 4-11-1 during the 2020 season.Pederson began his coaching career with the Eagles as an offensive quality control coach in 2009 before spending two years as a quarterbacks coach from 2011-12. He served as the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2013-15 before rejoining Philadelphia as head coach.Jacksonville dismissed previous head coach Urban Meyer after 13 games following multiple conflicts with players and coaches. He posted a 2-11 record with the Jaguars.Pederson will be tasked with mentoring 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence struggled in his rookie campaign, throwing for 3,641 yards and 12 touchdowns while tying for the league high with 17 interceptions.The Jaguars' offense averaged just 305.4 yards and a league-worst 14.9 points per game last season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam insists he never paid former coach Hue Jackson to lose games and believes Jackson's making allegations to cover up his failure as an NFL coach."Hue Jackson has never ever accepted any responsibility for our record during that time period," Haslam said, according to The Knoxville News Sentinel's Adam Sparks."He's been masterful at pointing fingers but has never accepted any blame. I have accepted a ton of blame, and rightfully so."Jackson alleged on social media that Haslam "offered him a good number" to lose games and gain a higher draft pick, adding that the owner was "happy while we kept losing."The current Grambling State bench boss later clarified that he could earn bonuses in 2016 and 2017 if the Browns hit goals like being the youngest team in the league and accumulating draft picks."Unequivocally, Hue Jackson was never paid to lose games," Haslam said. "And it’s also an absolute falsehood that I laughed while we were losing. Most people who know me would say, ‘That’s not how Jimmy would react to losing.’"Jackson posted his own experience in response to former coach Brian Flores' lawsuit against Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who is alleged to have offered him $100,000 per loss in 2019.Flores is also suing the NFL, New York Giants, and Denver Broncos for alleged racial discrimination.Cleveland hired Jackson in 2016, and he lead the club to a 3-36-1 record over two-and-a-half seasons. The organization fired him in 2018 after a 2-5-1 start.The Browns drafted All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett with the first overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, followed by quarterback Baker Mayfield in 2018.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Giants issued a statement Thursday regarding Brian Flores' allegations of discrimination in the hiring process for New York's head coaching position, calling the former Miami Dolphins head coach's assertions "disturbing and simply false.""The allegation that the Giants' decision had been made prior to Friday evening, January 28, is false," read the statement.Flores filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Giants, Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and the NFL alleging racial discrimination regarding hiring practices. The former coach believes the Giants only interviewed him to comply with the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for a head coaching vacancy.Flores has claimed that a string of text messages in which New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick congratulated Flores on getting the job three days before his interview indicates the Giants selected Brian Daboll for the position before meeting with Flores."It was humiliating, to be quite honest," Flores said, according to Teresa M. Walker of The Associated Press. "There was disbelief, there was anger, there was a wave of emotion for a lot of reasons."The Giants denied that Belichick had knowledge of the club's hiring process, stating that the text exchange occurred before Daboll's in-person interview took place."To base that allegation on a text exchange with Bill Belichick in which he ultimately states that he 'thinks' Brian Daboll would get the job is irresponsible," the Giants said. "The text exchange occurred the day before coach Daboll's in-person interview even took place. Giants ownership would never hire a head coach based only on a 20-minute zoom interview, which is all that Mr. Daboll had at that point."In addition, Mr. Belichick does not speak for and has no affiliation with the Giants. Mr. Belichick's text exchange provides no insight into what actually transpired during our head coaching search."The team added: "We are disappointed to learn that Mr. Flores was under the mistaken impression the job had already been awarded."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Giants hired Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka as their offensive coordinator, his representation announced Thursday.Kafka joined the Chiefs as a quality control coach in 2017 before becoming quarterbacks coach in 2018. He worked with Patrick Mahomes over the last four seasons while the signal-caller rose to prominence as one of the NFL's top talents.Other finalists for the Giants' offensive coordinator job reportedly included Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton and Cleveland Browns wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea.Kafka is tasked with repairing a Giants offense that struggled mightily in recent years. The unit ranked 31st in scoring and yardage in each of the last two seasons.Quarterback Daniel Jones will be a focal point for new head coach Brian Daboll and his staff. Daboll told reporters earlier this week that he'll prioritize providing the former first-round quarterback with stability.Kafka enjoyed a brief NFL career as a quarterback before transitioning to coaching. The 34-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010, though he appeared in just four games in his career.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Just because it's the Super Bowl doesn't mean the game will be a classic. In fact, some matchups make for ugly football. Could Super Bowl LVI be one of them?This contest between the Bengals and Rams features a battle of head coaches who are very familiar with each other, as well as a fascinating duel in the trenches. Both factors increase the likelihood of a slow-moving game. If that's our line of thinking, we should look for prop bets that support that script.Over 5.5 sacks (-115)This is an easy bet to make, but one made harder to win in this game. Between the Bengals' inability to consistently protect Joe Burrow and the Rams' vaunted pass rush, this number has been bumped up from the standard total of 4.5.That said, we're still playing the over because the Bengals can get to Matthew Stafford with Trey Hendrickson, who has 27.5 sacks in the last two seasons. Cincinnati corralled Patrick Mahomes four times in the AFC Championship Game, and like Mahomes, Stafford tends to want to hold on to the ball a little too long.There's also a chance Burrow and Stafford are both are without their starting tight ends - a key outlet for each signal-caller when under pressure.Vonn Bell interception (+820)Bell had just one interception this season, but that's only one fewer than anyone else in a Bengals secondary with starters who regularly play 100% of the snaps. This is more about Stafford, who - to his statistical detriment - will give his receivers a chance to fight for deep balls.That aggressiveness has seen many of Stafford's interceptions act as arm-punts when the opposition picks the ball off 40-plus yards down the field. The thinking here is that Stafford will trust Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. and test any defensive back at any time. Bell (+820) is being listed at longer odds than fellow safety Jessie Bates (+595) and cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie (+690), Eli Apple (+690), and Mike Hilton (+595). With all of them equally likely to snag an interception, Bell is the one to target in hopes that Stafford heaves yet another gutsy toss down the field.Rams defensive players for MVPPop quiz: What do Deion Sanders, Bill Callahan's inability to change the Raiders' signals after Jon Gruden left Oakland, and the "Legion of Boom" have in common?They all resulted in a once-in-a-decade Super Bowl phenomenon - a defensive player winning MVP. Larry Brown (Super Bowl XXX) exploited the Steelers' desire to avoid throwing the ball at Sanders, Dexter Jackson stepped in front of the Rich Gannon throws that the Buccaneers knew were coming (Super Bowl XXXVII), and Malcolm Smith (Super Bowl XLVIII) had the ball find him when the Seahawks' legendary defense swarmed Peyton Manning for 60 minutes.There were lots of Hall of Fame talents on those championship teams who didn't get MVP nods. The Rams have a pair of future gold jacket-wearers, too. But in a one-game scenario, Aaron Donald (+1600) and Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller (+2000) can have a major impact in flummoxing Burrow without actually accumulating the counting stats that typically appeal to MVP voters - with the rest of the defense benefitting. In a single contest, the ball just needs to find you for glory.Who's a candidate to have the ball fall into their lap, and how should we distribute a betting unit in an attempt to throw a net over L.A's potential defensive MVPs?PLAYERMVP ODDSUNITNET WINJalen Ramsey+6600.2+12.4Leonard Floyd+8000.1+7.1Darious Williams+10000.1+9.1Taylor Rapp+10000.1+9.1Eric Weddle+10000.1+9.1Troy Reeder+15000.1+14.1Nick Scott+15000.1+14.1David Long+15000.1+14.1Greg Gaines+15000.1+14.1At 66-1 and 80-1, respectively, you're getting decent prices on Ramsey and Floyd, who are always around the ball. From there, we'll use Ramsey's counterparts, Williams and Long, as well as safeties Rapp and Scott to cover the secondary; perhaps Los Angeles can force Burrow into an errant throw and return it for a touchdown in a low-scoring game. If Rapp can't return, Weddle played all of the defensive snaps in the NFC Championship Game, and the veteran could be in the right spot at the right time if the Rams have a beat on Zac Taylor's offensive plan.Reeder is the most likely linebacker to drop into coverage and could be standing in the way of a hot-route throw from Burrow, while Gaines has 4.5 sacks on the season. And with Donald drawing all the attention from Cincinnati's offensive line, he could be an unsung hero on the stat sheet.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chuck Klosterman has me thinking.In a recent appearance on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," the pop culture author dug into a minor - or major, depending on your level of Bostonian fandom - aftershock of Tom Brady's retirement announcement. The seven-time Super Bowl champion failed to mention the Patriots, the city of Boston, Bill Belichick, or any of his countless New England teammates in the Instagram post that made his retirement official.Maybe, Klosterman opined, Brady felt he'd already thanked the Patriots and Boston fans enough when he left the organization in the spring of 2020.Or maybe - just maybe - it was a calculated parting shot at those who continue to debate whether Brady or Belichick was most responsible for New England's unprecedented success during the Brady years; whether it was equal parts Brady and Belichick, or some slight swing of the pendulum toward one or the other. At the very least, the thinking goes, they were both integral.Brady ultimately shared a short message later that day thanking the Patriots and Patriots Nation, but Klosterman had moved the debate forward to a less petty and more thought-provoking conversation: In such scenarios, do athletes need to thank teams and coaches anymore? Is it merely a tired tradition that feels forced and hollow in the era of increasing player empowerment?Would Brady, Klosterman pondered, have had an equally successful career had he been drafted by another franchise? Does talent win out regardless of coaching and organizational stability?You can bet Tom Brady thinks so - he knows so. And so maybe - just maybe - Klosterman wondered if Brady remains a tad insulted; irked that the debate over Brady and Belichick's co-ownership of New England's success is even a debate at all. Especially after he left the franchise and immediately won a ring with a new coach in Tampa Bay.Chuck Klosterman has me thinking.But now it's about racism. About the Cult of Coaching in American pro football, a league with one Black head coach, as of early February 2022, and where roughly 70% of the players are Black.Item 1: In what can't be a welcome story for the NFL ahead of Super Bowl week, ex-Dolphins coach Brian Flores is suing that franchise, two others, and the league over alleged racist hiring practices for coaches and general managers. It should be noted that none of the league's 32 principal owners are Black.The esteem bestowed upon football's all-time great coaches has nearly no parallel in other North American sports. The Super Bowl trophy is named after coach Vince Lombardi, after all. Then there's Don Shula. And George Halas. And Paul Brown. And Chuck Noll. And Bill Walsh. And Tom Landry. And John Madden. And Bill Parcells. The representation of Black players in the league increased dramatically in the decades following the sport's reintegration in the mid-'40s. However, what did not change is the overwhelmingly white composition of the head coaching ranks nor coaches' perceived importance to reaching the highest levels of achievement.Lately, youth has been in vogue when selecting NFL coaches. However, even though the really old guys (think 60-plus) are becoming increasingly rare, the average new hire is still somewhere in their mid-to-late 40s.On Feb. 13, Rams coach Sean McVay, 36, and Bengals coach Zac Taylor, 38, will square off in what will be the youngest coaching matchup in Super Bowl history. Score one for Gen Y! (Oddly enough, last year's big game featured the oldest coaching matchup in history.)But McVay and Taylor, like the recent head coaching hires in Las Vegas (Josh McDaniels), New York (Brian Daboll), Denver (Nathaniel Hackett) and Chicago (Matt Eberflus), are white.Meanwhile, the percentage of assistant coaches of color increased from 35.6% in 2020 to 40.9% in 2021, an all-time high, according to TIDES' 2021 Racial and Gender Report Card. Yet those coaches aren't being promoted to top jobs in the same numbers.Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is one of those coaches. His name has been tossed around over multiple offseasons as a head coaching candidate and his situation is cited specifically in Flores' lawsuit. As the suit states, the architect of Kansas City's high-powered offense has not been extended a head coach offer "despite being interviewed for approximately 20 vacant positions over the last five years."Item 2: An encyclopedia's worth of ink can be spilled on the origins and stubborn persistence of racial stereotypes in football, not only in coaching - and I won't attempt to get to the root of those challenges here. I'd recommend this work from Jason Reid and Jane McManus for The Undefeated as a good place to start.There's a similar throughline in basketball. Where would Jordan and Pippen - and to a lesser extent, Shaq and Kobe - have been without the "Zen Master," Phil Jackson? Think about which coaches we regard as all-time greats: Red Auerbach. Gregg Popovich. Pat Riley. Larry Brown. Don Nelson. Jerry Sloan. All of them, white. The outlier would be Lenny Wilkens, a Black man and former NBA player, who sits second on the all-time coaching wins list and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1994. He also switched benches seven times.Historically, though, the narrative in basketball has been white men guiding Black men. Only now that might be changing. Thirteen Black head coaches manned the bench to start the 2021-22 season, one off the all-time high in 2012-13. Seven of the eight head coaching vacancies following last year's regular season were filled by Black coaches. Roughly 74% of NBA players are Black.That's not to say "problem solved," however. Within three years of that 2012-13 high point, the number of Black coaches in the league had dropped by half. And the percentage of coaches with NBA playing experience is trending in the wrong direction, as noted by ESPN's Kevin Pelton: Since the merger, "81% of Black NBA head coaches played in the league, as compared to just 39% of all other head coaches."Why does that matter? It's a double standard that adds an additional barrier for Black coaches.Being Canadian, I'm drawn to compare these North American sports to hockey, the little brother of the Big Four. The NHL is more than 95% white and has only had one Black head coach in its history: Dirk Graham, who helmed the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1988-89 season. What interests me is not comparing the NFL or NBA to the NHL when it comes to diversity - at least not here - but the way in which hockey fans and analysts generally correlate on-field success with expert coaching.All-time great coaches of the past 50 years such as Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Ken Hitchcock, Barry Trotz, Al Arbour, and Mike Babcock, to name a few, accomplished a tremendous amount; however, they're widely considered to have been parts of the puzzle. They were stewards who offered the wisdom of experience, helped soothe egos, and made the necessary adjustments that oftentimes separate close wins from losses come playoff time.With all due respect to Bowman, a nine-time Stanley Cup champion as a head coach, who's more responsible for the Red Wings' back-to-back Cups in '97 and '98: Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom, or Bowman?The unspoken rationale is that those players - white men coached by white men - didn't necessarily need a puppet master to succeed. And neither did Tom Brady. But considering the degree to which Belichick is revered, and so often placed on equal footing with Brady, it's clear that many believe Brady's Black teammates did. And still do.Belichick on Wednesday released a statement via the Patriots anointing Brady as "the best player in NFL history." Brady responded in kind by naming Belichick "the greatest coach in NFL history." You're the best! No, you're the best! So I guess it's water under the bridge, or something like that.But across morning shows, living rooms, stadiums, message boards and social media platforms, the Belichick/Brady argument rages on, as though Brady didn't put it to rest with his seventh title in Tampa, in a league where elite quarterback play has never been more essential to winning.The man could conceivably be named MVP - at age 44! - on his way out, to boot.Not even Brady can surmount the colossal myth-making that permeates football coaching. Perhaps meaningful progress - more Black hires and the dismantling of systemic barriers that keep Black head coaches out of the NFL - will only be possible when we take white football coaches off their pedestals and make room for others.Chuck Klosterman has me thinking.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Denver Broncos president of football operations John Elway said Thursday that his interview of Brian Flores during the club's head coaching search in 2019 wasn't a "sham," as Flores recently said in his discrimination lawsuit.Elway, who was serving as Denver's general manager at the time, also denied arriving at the interview hungover, as Flores suggested."I took Coach Flores very seriously as a candidate for our head coaching position in 2019 and enjoyed our three-and-a-half hour interview with him," Elway said in a statement to The Denver Post's Ryan O'Halloran. "Along with the rest of our group, I was prepared, ready, and fully engaged during the entire interview as Brian shared his experience and vision for our team."Flores is suing the NFL, Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and New York Giants for using racist hiring practices in coaching searches. He claims the Broncos met with him to satisfy the Rooney Rule, which at the time required NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate before naming a head coach.Flores' lawsuit says Elway and other Broncos officials arrived an hour late for his interview and looked disheveled, making it "obvious that they had been drinking heavily the night before."Here is Elway's entire statement.

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II defended the NFL's diversity rules Thursday while accepting that the enhanced Rooney Rule policies haven't led to enough positive change for head coaches."While I acknowledge that we have not seen progress in the ranks of head coaches, we have seen marked improvement in the hiring of women and minorities in other key leadership roles such as coordinator positions, general manager positions, and front office positions both in and out of football operations," Rooney said in a statement, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor."I believe this progress has been made as a result of the implementation of many of the enhanced policies that were recently adopted."The NFL's hiring practices are under the microscope after former head coach Brian Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the league, the Miami Dolphins, the New York Giants, and Denver Broncos for alleged racial discrimination.The league updated the Rooney Rule, named after former Steelers owner Dan Rooney, in October. It now requires teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for vacant head coach, general manager, or coordinator positions.In his lawsuit, Flores accused the Broncos and Giants of only interviewing him to fulfill the NFL's diversity requirements and that neither considered him a serious candidate.Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is currently the only Black head coach in the NFL after Flores and David Culley were fired by the Dolphins and Houston Texans, respectively, at the end of the season.Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera and New York Jets coach Robert Saleh are the only other minority head coaches.Of the nine head coach vacancies this hiring cycle, no minority coach has been hired, with four positions yet to be filled.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sports television will not be immune to the digital forces that have rocked the rest of the media and entertainment worlds. Cord-cutting and improved streaming options are already having an impact on regular TV. Live sports may be the last anchor keeping households tied to cable and satellite plans, but that ground is shifting quickly. In this three-part series, theScore's Travis Sawchik explores where sports television content might be found in five years. In Part 1, he looks at how we got here. All three parts are available to read now and will be highlighted in the app throughout the rest of the week.

This year's Super Bowl matchup between the Rams and Bengals profiles as a dream for prop over bettors, with two aggressive quarterbacks, elite downfield receiving threats, and creative head coaches. That said, there's one under bet that has been a cash cow in the big game - and the market is woefully slow to catch on.When we broke down the shortest touchdown prop ahead of last year's Super Bowl, "under 1.5 yards" was priced around -160. This year, the under is dealing anywhere from -125 to -155, which would indicate a hit rate between 55% to 60% to return a profit.Given what we've seen in previous Super Bowls, that's a screaming value. Here's a look at the shortest touchdown for every title game since 1990:SUPER BOWL (YEAR)TD LENGTHPLAYERPLAY TYPELV (2021)1Antonio BrownReceivingLIV (2020)1Multiple (x3)BothLIII (2019)2Sony MichelRushingLII (2018)1Nick FolesReceivingLI (2017)1James WhiteRushing50 (2016)1Jonathan StewartRushingXLIX (2015)3Multiple (x3)BothXLVIII (2014)1Marshawn LynchRushingXLVII (2013)1Dennis PittaReceivingXLVI (2012)2Victor CruzReceivingXLV (2011)8Multiple (x3)BothXLIV (2010)2Jeremy ShockeyReceivingXLIII (2009)1Multiple (x3)BothXLII (2008)1Laurence MaroneyRushingXLI (2007)1Dominic RhodesRushingXL (2006)1Ben RoethlisbergerRushingXXXIX (2005)2Multiple (x2)BothXXXVIII (2004)1Mike VrabelReceivingXXXVII (2003)2Mike AlstottRushingXXXVI (2002)2Kurt WarnerRushingXXXV (2001)3Jamal LewisRushingXXXIV (2000)1Eddie GeorgeRushingXXXIII (1999)1Howard Griffith (x2)RushingXXXII (1998)1Multiple (x4)RushingXXXI (1997)1Keith ByarsReceivingXXX (1996)1Multiple (x2)RushingXXIX (1995)1Natrone MeansRushingXXVIII (1994)1Emmitt SmithRushingXXVII (1993)2Multiple (x2)BothXXVI (1992)1Multiple (x2)RushingXXV (1991)1Multiple (x2)RushingXXIV (1990)1Multiple (x2)RushingNotice a trend? The shortest touchdown in the Super Bowl has been exactly one yard in 22 of the last 32 years, including five of the last six - the lone outlier coming from two yards out. The larger sample boasts a hit rate of 68.8%, which suggests a market price of roughly -220 based on those results.The current market is well below that, underscoring just how profitable this prop has been over the last three decades. Even if you extended it across the entire 55-year history of the Super Bowl, "under 1.5" would have cashed 60% of the time with a total of 51 such touchdowns. That's enough for the under to break even at -150, while better prices are widely available as of Wednesday afternoon.Entering this year's title game, the Rams have either scored or allowed a touchdown shorter than 1.5 yards in 13 of 20 games (65%), with four of those featuring a 2-yard score. The Bengals have gone four games without a short TD but had scored or allowed one in 10 of their previous 16 contests (62.5%), including three games with multiple such scores in the last 10 weeks.Don't let these two passing offenses scare you away from this prop, either. Of the last 12 Super Bowls to feature a goal-line touchdown, six of them saw a short score through the air, while two TDs came via a quarterback rush. So even if you fire off an array of over bets this year, consider the under bet that has consistently cashed in this spot before the market catches up.C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Lions won't be declining any calls for the No. 2 pick.General manager Brad Holmes said he's open to moving out of the spot in this year's draft."I'm always open for whatever," Holmes told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. "We're still in the early stages of it, we've got a good feel of the class. We're at a much better place at this stage of the process than last year. But, still, we've got a lot more work to do. But, I'm never scared to move around, so we're definitely open for business, always."In the midst of a rebuild, the Lions finished their first campaign under Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell with a 3-13 record. They averaged just 19.1 points per game and allowed 27.5 points, second worst in the NFL.The Lions have held a top-10 pick in four consecutive offseasons. They selected offensive tackle Penei Sewell (No. 7 in 2021), cornerback Jeff Okudah (No. 3 in 2020), and tight end T.J. Hockenson (No. 8 in 2019) in the last three drafts.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross called allegations made by former head coach Brian Flores "false" in a statement released Wednesday and promised to cooperate with the NFL should it open an investigation.Flores filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the NFL, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, and Dolphins over alleged racial discrimination in hiring practices. His lawsuit also claims that Ross tried to incentivize tanking by offering him $100,000 per loss in 2019 and that the owner pressured him to break tampering rules to recruit a quarterback in the 2020 offseason."With regards to the allegations being made by Brian Flores, I am a man of honor and integrity and cannot let them stand without responding," Ross said in a statement, per ESPN. "I take great personal exception to these malicious attacks, and the truth must be known. His allegations are false, malicious, and defamatory."We understand there are media reports stating that the NFL intends to investigate his claims, and we will cooperate fully. I welcome that investigation, and I am eager to defend my personal integrity and the integrity and values of the entire Miami Dolphins organization from these baseless, unfair, and disparaging claims."The league intends to investigate Flores' claim that Miami incentivized him to lose games for a better draft slot, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports. The Dolphins started the 2019 campaign - Flores' first year with the team - with an 0-7 record before winning five of their final nine games to finish with a 5-11 mark.The Dolphins fired Flores earlier this offseason after a three-year tenure. The 40-year-old posted a 19-14 record over his final two seasons with the club.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Tom Brady's retirement means an end to the career of the best player of all time."I am privileged to have drafted and coached Tom Brady, the ultimate competitor and winner," Belichick said in a statement released by the Patriots on Wednesday."Tom's humble beginning in professional football ultimately ended with him becoming the best player in NFL history."Brady confirmed his retirement Tuesday after winning seven Super Bowls during one of the greatest careers in football history.Six of those titles came with Belichick as his coach during a Patriots dynasty that spanned nearly two decades. The pair is arguably the greatest coach/quarterback combo to ever grace the game of football."Tom consistently performed at the highest level against competition that always made him the No. 1 player to stop. His pursuit of excellence was inspirational," Belichick said. "Tom was professional on and off the field, and (he) carried himself with class, integrity, and kindness. I thank Tom for his relentless pursuit of excellence and positive impact on me and the New England Patriots for 20 years."Brady shared his appreciation for his former coach, whom he called the greatest in league history, on social media.

There will be no kickoffs in the 2022 Pro Bowl, the NFL announced Wednesday.Instead, the league will introduce the "Spot and Choose" method in the event.The new concept gives the winner of the opening coin toss the option of spotting the ball on any part of the field while designating the direction, with the other side choosing to start on offense or defense from the designated spot.Regardless of what that team chooses, the side that determines the spot must announce the starting field position before the other team decides whether to play offense or defense.The Baltimore Ravens proposed the idea to the competition committee last offseason.This year's Pro Bowl will also feature two additional rule changes.Following a successful field-goal or extra-point attempt, the scoring team can choose to give the opposition the ball at its own 25-yard line with a first-and-10, or the scoring team can keep the ball at its 25-yard line while facing fourth-and-15.The All-Star event will also introduce a 35/25 second play clock as opposed to the traditional 40/25 clock. Following an incomplete pass, the clock will start on the referee's signal outside of the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second.These tweaks will be on display Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As a general rule, if we're betting anything early, it's with the idea that the line will change between now and the start of the game. Otherwise, what's the rush?For Super Bowl LVI, here are five prop bets you shouldn't wait on before they change, either in price or what's needed to win the wager.Cam Akers over 64.5 rush yardsApparently, a pair of crushing fumbles that almost cost the Rams their season in Tampa didn't deter Sean McVay. He had enough faith in Cam Akers to give him a starter's workload last week in the NFC Championship Game. In the box score, where a lot of prop totals are influenced, Akers only had 13 carries for 48 yards. However, he left for a portion of the game due to a shoulder issue.This line is built on Akers not being able to cash the over against two top rush defenses in the 49ers and Buccaneers. It's also built on the Bengals not getting gashed on the ground by a singular running back so far in the playoffs. However, they've given up more than five yards per carry to their collective opponents: Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, D'Onta Foreman, Jerick McKinnon, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.With two weeks to heal his banged-up shoulder, and likely needing fewer than 15 carries to get over this total, bet on Akers before the market realizes this is a plus matchup.Total made field goals: Over 3.5 (+133)I'm not sure why this is priced with the under significantly juiced. But there's a chance that gets rectified, at the very least due to the obvious range of Evan McPherson. The Rams are unlikely to take a big enough lead that would prevent the Bengals from "taking the points." And, with his first chance to kick indoors since Nov. 21, McPherson's range should be expanded.For the Rams, Matt Gay's range isn't where it should be due to a nagging injury, but that hasn't stopped McVay from sending him out there. Notoriously conservative, both McVay's fourth-down decision-making and the Rams' third-down play-calling force them into field-goal attempts. Given how well the two coaches know each other, points may be at a premium, so I think there's a better than 50/50 chance we see more than three field goals. I'll bet this prop now rather than wait to see the odds tighten closer to a coin flip.Any Rams player to win MVPThe Rams' moneyline and point spread are slowly creeping up, and a few of their derivative prices are going with it. However, this has yet to be reflected in the MVP odds. I discussed here why I like Cooper Kupp at +600. He's a prime candidate to see his odds shorten between now and kickoff, but this theory could apply to everyone, from the favorite - Matthew Stafford - to Super Bowl L MVP Von Miller, to a handful of other Rams defenders.The long shots you likeThere's a long list of props that show up or get attention only for the Super Bowl. Many of these are priced to get the recreational bettor to wager on the long shot or a plus price, even if the odds don't fairly reflect probability. I'm not going to tell you not to bet these, because sometimes things like, "Will there be a safety?" end up coming through. However, if you're going to wager on something like this, do so early before all the other bettors that are looking for a stroke of luck pile in and cause the price to drop on an already minus-expected-value bet.The national anthemArguably the biggest story in the prop-betting universe going into last year's Super Bowl was a very public leak of an anthem rehearsal. It was timed, and the line moved drastically before quickly being taken off the board, ruining all the fun.Timing the anthem is a tried and true moment of pregame joy on social media or in the social setting of a Super Bowl party. So, while there may not be an edge for how long the song will be sung, even the most veteran bettors have been known to join the public to let their hair down and bet the over/under on the length of the "Star-Spangled Banner."Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Vikings are expected to name Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as their next head coach, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.The hire can't become official until after Los Angeles competes in Super Bowl LVI.Minnesota wrapped up an interview with Jim Harbaugh on Wednesday afternoon, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported shortly thereafter that Harbaugh decided to return to Michigan.Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham were the other finalists for the Vikings job, and the team has informed both that they are out of contention, according to Pelissero.The Tennessee native replaces Mike Zimmer, who Minnesota dismissed after he established a 72-56-1 and went 2-3 in the playoffs through eight seasons. The club fired Zimmer after posting an 8-9 mark last year.O'Connell joined L.A. following three campaigns with Washington, serving as the quarterbacks coach in 2017.The 36-year-old O’Connell is in his second season with the Rams. He previously worked with new Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in 2016 when they were both with the San Francisco 49ers.After the New England Patriots drafted him in the third round in 2008, the former San Diego State quarterback spent five campaigns in the league as a backup.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh won't be making his NFL return.The 58-year-old informed Michigan after interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday that he's staying with the school for the upcoming season, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Harbaugh also told athletic director Warde Manuel that his entertaining interest from the NFL won't be a re-occurring issue in the future, and that he'll stay at Michigan as long as it wants him, Schefter reports.Harbaugh signed an extension last year through the 2025 season at a reduced rate.Harbaugh is 61-24 with his alma mater. Last season, he led the program to a 12-2 record and its first win over rival Ohio State since he took the job in 2015. The Wolverines also ended their 17-year Big Ten title drought, and they qualified for their first-ever College Football Playoff.A former NFL quarterback, Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers to a 44-19-1 record from 2011-14. He helped the Niners reach the Super Bowl during the 2012-13 season, although they lost to the Baltimore Ravens and his brother, John.Meanwhile, the Vikings will continue their coaching search after they finished second in the NFC North last campaign. The club has reportedly identified Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as its next head coach.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, and Anchor.In this episode, Jordan McNamara of Analytics of Dynasty joins Boone to discuss the best players to acquire right now.

The Cleveland Browns denied Hue Jackson's suggestion that they incentivized losses during his tenure as head coach."The recent comments by Hue Jackson and his representatives relating to his tenure as our head coach are completely fabricated," the team said Wednesday, according to Ari Meirov. "Any accusation that any member of our organization was incentivized to deliberately lose games is categorically false."Jackson previously tweeted that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam offered him "a good number" to lose games, presumably so Cleveland could get a better draft pick. Jackson posted in light of Brian Flores' discrimination lawsuit, which includes an accusation that Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 per loss in 2019.

Los Angeles Rams safety Eric Weddle isn't interested in sticking around past Super Bowl LVI after coming out of retirement at the beginning of the playoffs."After this Super Bowl, I move on and go back to my old life, and there will be no comeback, there will not be playing, another team, another game," he told AM 570 LA Sports.Weddle retired after the 2019 season before rejoining the Rams for their postseason run amid a heap of injuries in the L.A. secondary. The 37-year-old has appeared in all three playoff games and led the Rams in tackles in the NFC Championship Game."This is a chance of a lifetime to be able to be here with these guys and come back. It was never a thought, like I said last week," Weddle said. "So it's amazing to be able to understand that and know that I don't have to save myself for next season, I don't have to save myself for the offseason, I didn't have to save myself for the Super Bowl last week knowing it wasn't guaranteed. So I was throwing it in there, giving it everything I got because, listen, I don't have anything left after this other than going back and doing what I was doing before."Weddle enjoyed a distinguished career with the Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and Rams before hanging up his cleats in 2019, earning six Pro Bowl selections and a spot on the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team. He never reached the Super Bowl before this season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht acknowledged that the team could struggle to replace the retiring Tom Brady considering the lack of options in free agency and the draft."It's a little bit of a different landscape than it was a couple of years ago with the quarterbacks that were available in free agency," Licht told ESPN's Jenna Laine. "We'll have to go down every avenue. We'll have to turn over every stone. I hate to use cliches like that, but we will."The Buccaneers explored a robust market in 2020 when Brady, Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, and Jameis Winston were among the notable free agents. The draft that year also featured four first-round signal-callers, plus Jalen Hurts, who went in the second round.Bridgewater and Winston are on track to headline the 2022 crop of free-agent quarterbacks, while the draft is widely considered weak at that position. The trade market may also wind up with few options outside of Jimmy Garoppolo."It seems easy to fans to feel like we can go ahead and offer a trade to bring a great quarterback in here, but the teams you're talking to are then going to be looking for a quarterback," Licht said.The Buccaneers used a second-round pick on Kyle Trask in 2021. The Florida product could take over in 2022 if the Buccaneers fail to net an established starter."We're not crowning Kyle as the heir apparent yet, but we feel very fortunate that we got him when we did last year because where he stacks up with quarterbacks in this year's draft," Licht said. "Everybody's going to have their own opinion, but I feel pretty good about where he stacks up with these quarterbacks. So, I feel like we made a good decision last year."Brady spent two seasons in Tampa Bay, delivering a title in Super Bowl LV before ending his storied career.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Bills are expected to hire former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady as their next quarterbacks coach, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.Brady will reportedly succeed Ken Dorsey, whom the Bills promoted to offensive coordinator following Brian Daboll's departure to become head coach of the New York Giants.Brady joined the Panthers in 2020, but they fired him in December amid the team's offensive struggles. He spent one year with LSU during the Tigers' national championship 2019 campaign, winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant.Brady also received interest from the Chicago Bears before the Bills reportedly tabbed him to become their quarterbacks coach.The tandem of Dorsey and Brady will look to maintain a high-powered Bills offense that finished top three in scoring in each of the last two seasons.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Football Team's new name will be the Commanders, the club announced Wednesday.

Warning: Story contains coarse languageFormer Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL and three teams over alleged racial discrimination in hiring practices on Tuesday.One of the teams Flores sued was the New York Giants, who he believes only interviewed him to comply with the Rooney Rule.Flores met with the Giants on Jan. 27, three days after New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick mistakenly sent him a congratulatory text for getting the head coaching job. However, Belichick apparently meant to text former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who was announced as New York's coach on Jan. 28."Sorry - I fucked this up. I double-checked and misread the text. I think they are naming Brian Daboll. I'm sorry about that. BB," the alleged text read.

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL and three teams over alleged racial discrimination in hiring practices on Tuesday.In the lawsuit, Flores claims that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for every loss during the 2019 season, as Miami was in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Flores notes that general manager Chris Grier told him Ross was "mad" at the team's success that year.Miami began the 2019 campaign with an 0-7 record. However, the team won five of its final nine games to finish the year 5-11, giving them the No. 5 overall pick in the draft.Flores also claims Ross pressured him "to recruit a prominent quarterback in violation of league tampering rules" during the following offseason.Ross allegedly tried to set up a meeting on a yacht between Flores and the unnamed player in the winter of 2020. That quarterback was Tom Brady, according to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.Brady became a free agent in March 2020, ending his two-decade stint with the New England Patriots. The star signal-caller later agreed to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.The Dolphins eventually used the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.Miami reportedly attempted to acquire the 2020 No. 1 overall selection from the Cincinnati Bengals at the time and was willing to give up its three first-round picks that year in a trade.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're just two days removed from the opening odds dropping ahead of Super Bowl LVI, and we've already seen sizable movement on the point spread and total. But there's another market that has drawn plenty of early action, creating a clear value opportunity for contrarian bettors.The first-quarter total for this year's matchup between the Rams and Bengals opened at 9.5 at most sportsbooks - including theScore Bet, which priced the over at -130. Two days later, the odds have flipped: The under is dealing at -130 at theScore Bet, while other books offering a total of 10 have juiced the under as high as -170.At least one shop is even offering a first-quarter total as low as 7.5 with a -110 price on either side. If recent Super Bowls are any indication, the market has swung too far in the wrong direction. Here's a look at every first-quarter result since 2010:YEARMATCHUP1Q RESULT1Q POINTS2021Buccaneers vs. Chiefs7-3102020Chiefs vs. 49ers7-3102019Patriots vs. Rams0-002018Eagles vs. Patriots9-3122017Patriots vs. Falcons0-002016Broncos vs. Panthers10-0102015Patriots vs. Seahawks0-002014Seahawks vs. Broncos8-082013Ravens vs. 49ers7-3102012Giants vs. Patriots9-092011Packers vs. Steelers14-0142010Saints vs. Colts0-1010The first quarter netted 10 or more points in seven of those 12 games, including three of the last four Super Bowls - that's a 58.3% hit rate despite the over dealing at even money or better at nearly every shop this year. There's even greater value for those betting over 7.5, which would have cashed in nine of the last 12 years.The three outliers all share two things in common. For one, all of them were shutouts. That could spell another value for anyone wanting to hedge a 1Q over bet with "any scoreless quarter" - which is trading as high as +400 as of Tuesday - or a bet on the first-quarter total points to be even (-110), which has hit in 11 of the last 12 seasons.Secondly, those three first-quarter shutouts all featured Tom Brady, whose teams have notoriously started slowly in the Super Bowl. Since his first appearance in 2002, Brady's teams have played in 10 of 20 title games. Only two of those 10 games featured at least 10 first-quarter points, while six of the 10 games without him reached that mark.If you're worried about early-game jitters from Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow ahead of their first Super Bowl starts, history says otherwise. In the last 15 years, three Super Bowls have featured two quarterbacks making their title debut. All three saw at least 10 points in the first quarter.So before you fire off a first-quarter under bet at a steep price, keep in mind that the narrative of low-scoring starts in the Super Bowl doesn't line up with past results. And if you still want to bet low in the first period, there are better ways to handicap it than a straight bet on the 1Q under.C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tom Brady officially announced the end of his legendary NFL career Tuesday.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback made the announcement on Instagram, confirming reports from Saturday that he intended to retire after 22 seasons and seven Super Bowl titles.

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's days as a San Francisco 49er appear to be coming to an end.The 30-year-old signal-caller answered questions Tuesday knowing it could be the last time he does so as a member of the NFC West club."I was talking to (general manager John Lynch) the other day about finding the right destination," Garoppolo said, according to The Athletic's David Lombardi.He added: "I just want to go with a place where they want to win."Garoppolo's fifth season in San Francisco ended when his team lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. He was acquired from the New England Patriots in a 2017 trade and later led the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.He dealt with multiple injuries in 2021, including both a broken thumb and a sprained shoulder late in the season. Garoppolo will take the next few days to figure out what to do about his thumb, though he hopes to avoid surgery.Garoppolo threw for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in the 2021 regular season while completing 68.3% of his pass attempts.San Francisco is expected to move forward with Trey Lance as its starting quarterback after trading three first-round picks in order to select him in the 2021 NFL Draft."He has a bright future. I wish him nothing but the best," Garoppolo said.However, Niners leadership hasn't ruled out a scenario where the veteran passer could return."There's a lot of good options there," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "A lot of cards are on the table."Garoppolo has one year left on the five-year, $137.5-million contract he signed in 2018. The Illinois native is set to earn close to $25.5 million in 2022, according to Spotrac.In what could be interpreted as a goodbye, Garoppolo tipped his cap to Niners fans."It's been a hell of a ride, guys, and I love you guys. So, see ya," he said.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Denver Broncos are officially for sale, the team announced Tuesday."The Broncos are a special franchise that is part of the fabric of this region, and whoever emerges as the new owner will certainly understand what the team means to our great fans and this community," team president and CEO Joe Ellis said.The trustees hope to complete the sale by the start of the 2022 NFL season.Pat Bowlen purchased the franchise in 1984. His family controlled the team after he died in 2019 from complications due to Alzheimer's."With today beginning the Broncos' transition to new ownership, our family is overwhelmed with gratitude for what this organization and community have meant to us," the Bowlen family said in a statement. "There are truly no words to express our deep appreciation to all of Broncos Country for its unwavering support during the past four decades."The Broncos were recently valued at $3.75 billion, according to Forbes' Mike Ozanian and Christina Settimi.Denver is in the midst of changes along the sideline after hiring Nathaniel Hackett to replace Vic Fangio as the club's head coach in January.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For those who like a card of Super Bowl prop bets longer than Sean McVay's offensive call sheet, first touchdown scorer bets are decided shortly after the coin toss.Like any bet made on Super Bowl Sunday, you'll want to pace yourself with this market. Unlike the "anytime touchdown" and "last touchdown scorer" markets, you only get one chance.It's also difficult to predict. Naturally, the first touchdown comes early in the game, often when offensive coordinators and quarterbacks have a script of plays designed to get everyone involved before they turn to go-to guys and take advantage of key mismatches in the second half.What do C.J. Uzomah, Dawson Knox, Giovani Bernard, Elijah Mitchell, T.J. Watt, Odell Beckham Jr., Derrick Henry, A.J. Dillon, Kendall Blanton, Devin Singletary, Tyreek Hill, and Cooper Kupp have in common? Aside from being the first touchdown scorers in each of the 12 playoff games, nothing. There are players from all positions in that group (including a defensive one), and of varying statures.As we look at the first touchdown scorer odds, you can see there are literal comparisons in Kupp and Beckham, and figurative ones for Dillon and Blanton, with odds for second-string running backs and tight ends.1st TD scorer oddsPLAYERODDSCooper Kupp+460Joe Mixon+600Ja'Marr Chase+750Odell Beckham Jr+800Cam Akers+800Tee Higgins+1000Van Jefferson+1400Tyler Boyd+1400Sony Michel+1500Any other Ram+1500Tyler Higbee+1600Kendall Blanton+1700Any other Bengal+2000Joe Burrow+2400C.J. Uzomah+2500Drew Sample+2500Darrell Henderson+3300Samaje Perine+4000Matthew Stafford+4500Chris Evans+5500Brycen Hopkins+5500Ben Skowronek+5500Mitchell Wilcox+6600Brandon Powell+8000Mike Thomas+9000Trent Taylor+10000Stanley Morgan+10000Jake Funk+12000How to bet the marketQuarterback is the only position yet to cash in this market in the playoffs. When looking for long shots, our first criterion is being on the field near the end zone, and obviously, both Joe Burrow (+2400) and Matthew Stafford (+4500) will be. They've also both scored this season.As for the other long shots, Samaje Perine (+4000) scored in the AFC Championship, while Ben Skowronek (+5500) had a long pass fall through his hands in the end zone in the NFC title game.While we previously discussed the higher probability of second-tier options getting the first score, this is the Super Bowl, so targeting top weapons right from the kickoff is probably the best practice. With Joe Mixon (+600) the most reliable option in close, and passes to Cooper Kupp (+450) often looking as easy as a handoff, these two are the best bets to not regret how you allocated your capital.If I was to deploy one unit across the first touchdown scorer market, looking to create a better-than-even-money bet, here's how I'd do it.PLAYERODDSUNIT VALUEPAYOUTNETKupp+450.41.8+1.2Mixon+600.352.1+1.45Burrow+2400.102.4+1.50Perine+4000.052.0+1.05Stafford+4500.052.25+1.20Skowronek+5500.052.75+1.80Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell lauded Tom Brady after the star quarterback officially confirmed his retirement Tuesday."Tom Brady will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play in the NFL," Goodell said in a statement. "An incredible competitor and leader, his stellar career is remarkable for its longevity but also for the sustained excellence he displayed year after year."Tom made everyone around him better and always seemed to rise to the occasion in the biggest moments. His record five Super Bowl MVP awards and seven Super Bowl championships set a standard that players will chase for years."He inspired fans in New England, Tampa, and around the world with one of the greatest careers in NFL history. It has been a privilege to watch him compete and have him in the NFL. We thank him for his many contributions to our game and wish Tom and his family all the best in the future."Reports surfaced last week that Brady was set to end his NFL career after 22 seasons and seven Super Bowl titles, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star pushed back on the speculation, saying he was still considering his future.Brady and Goodell had a rocky relationship, in large part due to the Deflategate scandal.The commissioner handed down a four-game suspension to the quarterback in May 2015 for his role in the controversy. Brady served the suspension at the start of the 2016 campaign after the U.S. Court of Appeals reinstated his ban.Brady then led the New England Patriots to Super Bowl glory at the end of the 2016 campaign and received the Lombardi Trophy from Goodell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With free agency and the draft still ahead, NFL rosters will undergo seismic changes over the next few months.Before the shuffling begins, let's take an early look at some under-the-radar players fantasy managers might be sleeping on heading into the 2022 season.Arizona CardinalsEno Benjamin, RB - With James Conner and Chase Edmonds both hitting free agency, the Cardinals could give Benjamin a bigger role in 2022. The 22-year-old former seventh-round pick saw at least nine touches twice this season and was solid both times, turning in 39 yards and a touchdown versus the 49ers as well as 56 yards and four catches against the Seahawks. Even if Arizona re-signs one of their backs or drafts a new starter, Benjamin could be a nice No. 2 option next season.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★★☆Atlanta FalconsQadree Ollison, RB - After a breakout season as Atlanta's lead back, Cordarrelle Patterson's contract is up. If the Falcons don't keep him, they'll have a wide-open spot at the top of their depth chart. Though Ollison hasn't given us reason to think he can fill that void through three NFL campaigns, he was efficient on extremely limited touches this year. Chasing less talented RBs who could see a volume increase doesn't always pay off, but don't be surprised if Ollison ends up as the main backup behind the new starter.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★☆☆☆Baltimore RavensTylan Wallace, WR - Wallace is a long way from being a fantasy starter; he's buried on the depth chart in a passing offense still waiting to make the leap with Lamar Jackson under center. However, the young wideout was a big-time producer in college before his knee issues. After a slow beginning to his pro career, the rookie earned more snaps in the final month. With Sammy Watkins likely gone, Wallace will now compete for Baltimore's third receiver job with Devin Duvernay and James Proche.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★☆☆☆Buffalo Bills Kevin Hoffman / Getty Images Sport / GettyIsaiah McKenzie, WR - While McKenzie is slated to reach free agency in March, it would be surprising if Brandon Beane doesn't find a way to get him back in a Bills uniform for 2022. Over the last two years, McKenzie has only been on the field for over 50% of the offensive snaps twice, resulting in stat lines of 6-65-2 and 11-125-1. Buffalo could also save $6.1 million by cutting 32-year-old Cole Beasley, who's numbers dropped off considerably this season.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★★★Carolina PanthersTommy Tremble, TE - With new coordinator Ben McAdoo in town, the Panthers could start using the tight ends more in their offensive attack. Tremble did stay involved as a rookie with at least one reception in his last 10 appearances. He's a quality pass-catcher and possesses strong run-after-the-catch skills, which could make him an intriguing late-round stash.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Chicago BearsDazz Newsome, WR - The almost guaranteed departure of Allen Robinson in free agency will open up opportunity in the Bears' receiving room. Barring a major offseason addition, Darnell Mooney will lead the group, but there will be a wide-open competition behind him. Newsome, last year's sixth-round pick, had his rookie season derailed by a broken collarbone in the summer. He returned and was able to carve out a small role late in the year. Now he'll have a chance to build on that and possibly challenge for the starting slot receiver job.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Cincinnati BengalsDrew Sample, TE - Most of the Bengals' skill position talent is under contract for 2022, but tight end C.J. Uzomah is an unrestricted free agent. If the team doesn't elect to re-sign the veteran, Sample could step into his starting spot. However, much like Uzomah, the fourth-year tight end would still project as a bye-week fill-in rather than an every-week fantasy starter.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★☆☆☆Cleveland BrownsAnthony Schwartz, WR - Betting on the Browns' pass-catchers hasn't been a profitable move for fantasy managers the last couple seasons. The design of their offense has been built around the run, and when they do throw, they tend to spread the ball around. Fortunately for Schwartz, he might not need many targets to make an impact. His elite, straight-line speed could turn him into a valuable big-play threat for Cleveland, as we witnessed in his pro debut this year when he turned three receptions into 69 yards while adding another 17 yards on his lone carry.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Dallas Cowboys Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images Sport / GettyCedrick Wilson, WR - Technically Wilson is about to become a free agent, but so are his current teammates Michael Gallup, Malik Turner, and Noah Brown. As an injury replacement, Wilson proved he's capable of serving as the third receiver in Dallas' attack, posting at least 60 yards and/or a touchdown in five of his last 11 games. The 26-year-old would also be cheaper to bring back than Gallup. If the Cowboys choose that path, expect Wilson to emerge as a boom-or-bust flex option behind CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★★☆Denver BroncosMike Boone, RB - Boone became a forgotten man in the Broncos' backfield after a quad injury forced him to miss the first five weeks of the season. Even after he made it back into the lineup, his contributions primarily came on special teams. However, if Melvin Gordon signs with a new club in free agency, Boone could emerge as the new No. 2 behind budding star Javonte Williams.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Detroit LionsJosh Reynolds, WR - Though all eyes were on rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown during his breakout down the stretch, we shouldn't overlook what Reynolds did after joining the Lions midseason. Drawing on his connection with Jared Goff from their time together on the Rams, Reynolds eclipsed 50 yards in four straight games during the second half of the year. It's unclear how much the Lions will invest in their receiving corps moving forward, but Reynolds deserves a shot to remain a starter in this offense.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Green Bay PackersAmari Rodgers, WR - This will be a busy offseason for the Packers as they deal with the future of Aaron Rodgers and make decisions on free-agent wideouts Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Depending on how those situations work out, we could see third-round pass-catcher Amari Rodgers get more work in Year 2. Remember, Green Bay took a similar approach with running back A.J. Dillon; the team barely used him as a rookie before giving him a significant weekly role as a sophomore.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Houston TexansBrevin Jordan, TE - Jordan didn't get an opportunity on offense until midway through the season, but he flashed his pass-catching upside after hauling in three passes for 41 yards and a score in his first real action in Week 8. The 21-year-old followed that up with three touchdowns over the remainder of the campaign. Tight end is a position where rookies rarely play major roles, so the best is yet to come from Jordan.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★★☆Indianapolis Colts Michael Hickey / Getty Images Sport / GettyMike Strachan, WR - After some offseason hype, the seventh-rounder was unable to make his mark during the regular season. Perhaps the jump from Charleston (Division II) to the pros will ultimately prove to be too much for him, but the Colts need help at receiver behind Michael Pittman. Parris Campbell continues to deal with injuries, Zach Pascal has a limited ceiling, and T.Y. Hilton is a free agent who's closing in on retirement. At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, Strachan could develop into a nice complementary piece.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★☆☆☆Jacksonville JaguarsLaquon Treadwell, WR - One of the biggest surprises of the fantasy season was the incredibly delayed emergence of 2016 first-round wideout Laquon Treadwell. With D.J. Chark out for the year, Treadwell stepped up as a consistent producer in a discombobulated Jaguars offense - delivering seven straight games with at least 50 yards or a touchdown. That should be enough reason for both the Jags and Treadwell to give this partnership another chance in 2022.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Kansas City ChiefsMecole Hardman, WR - Hardman is a well fantasy managers keep going back to, but so far the production has been hard to predict. Even attached to Patrick Mahomes, Hardman has been nearly impossible to trust in fantasy lineups. And yet, he continues to be a fantasy sleeper as someone with the tools to provide week-winning performances - though he might need a lengthy Tyreek Hill injury in order to get there consistently.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★★☆Las Vegas RaidersFoster Moreau, TE - Moreau has been stuck playing second fiddle behind Darren Waller, but he got an opportunity to spread his wings this season with Waller sidelined for part of the year. Moreau reached 50 yards or scored a TD six times, including three of his last four outings. The arrival of new head coach Josh McDaniels has also brought talk of two tight end sets, which could help Moreau become a more frequent contributor.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Los Angeles ChargersTre' McKitty, TE - McKitty wasn't a player who interested me coming out of college and it still seems unlikely he'll turn into a true fantasy factor. The reasons we have to highlight him here is because Jared Cook and Stephen Anderson are heading to free agency. Since the Chargers spent a third-round pick on McKitty last year, it's possible they envision him as the long-term option at the position.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★☆☆☆Los Angeles Rams Harry How / Getty Images Sport / GettyJacob Harris, TE - Harris was viewed as a project when the Rams took him in the fourth round of last year's draft. As a raw prospect, it was always going to take him a while to develop in the pros and that timetable was likely extended when he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 9. If he can make it back to full health, the 24-year-old offers outrageous athletic metrics with his 40-yard dash, burst score, agility score, and catch radius all ranking in the 99th or 100th percentile. We just might not see him reach his potential for another year or two.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Miami DolphinsHunter Long, TE - Long might not have the athletic ceiling of Harris, but his opportunity to seize the starting job might come sooner. If Mike Gesicki leaves in free agency, Long could be asked to take over as the Dolphins' starter next season. Keep your expectations in check though, since Long is more of a solid all-around player than someone who could be a fantasy difference-maker.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆Minnesota VikingsKene Nwangwu, RB - We've mentioned several running backs who could move into key backup situations next season, and Nwangwu should be near the top of that list. With Alexander Mattison performing well in his handful of relief starts, there should be plenty of interest in him during free agency. That means the sophomore Nwangwu could enter Week 1 as the next man up if Dalvin Cook gets hurt. It's worth noting that Cook has missed at least two games in every season of his career.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★★☆New England PatriotsJ.J. Taylor, RB - Taylor hasn't done much since landing in New England and he's clearly behind Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson in the Patriots' backfield pecking order. Even so, if veterans James White and Brandon Bolden sign elsewhere in free agency, Taylor could be moving up the depth chart.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★☆☆☆☆New Orleans SaintsLil'Jordan Humphrey, WR - While it was nice to see a former undrafted free agent like Humphrey get involved in the second half of the season, he remains a long shot for fantasy purposes. The Saints quarterback situation is unsettled and it's possible Michael Thomas returns to the receiving corps, which would bump Humphrey down in the order. However, if he can become a regular, Humphrey has the long frame and contested-catch ability to be an interesting late-round flier in best ball.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★☆☆☆New York GiantsAntonio Williams, RB - This signing may have flown under the radar recently, but one of the first moves new Giants general manager Joe Schoen made was signing Williams, who was with him in Buffalo. Fantasy managers should remember Williams for his Week 17 performance in 2020 when he totaled 83 yards from scrimmage and a score on 13 touches. From my vantage point, that performance warranted another opportunity and now Williams may get it in New York where he'll compete for a role behind Saquon Barkley.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★★☆☆New York JetsKenny Yeboah, TE - It may seem like there are too many tight ends on this list, but it's a position we've seen plenty of unheralded players earn fantasy starter status. The Jets' passing attack isn't a place you generally want to look for sleepers though, so take this one with a grain of salt. Though Yeboah has an outside shot to be the starting tight end in New York, his chances of getting on the fantasy radar will require a big leap forward from quarterback Zach Wilson.Fantasy sleeper potential: ★★☆☆☆Philadelphia Eagles Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyKenneth Gainwell, RB - Despite being held in a complementary role, the rookie runner had his moments this season.

All-Pac 12 offensive tackle Jaxson Kirkland is withdrawing from the 2022 NFL Draft after discovering the ankle injury he suffered at Washington is more serious than initially believed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.The 23-year-old intends to petition the NCAA to play his senior season in 2022 before re-entering the draft in 2023, according to Schefter.Kirkland will reportedly undergo surgery on his ankle. The two-time all-conference selection was a projected Day 2 pick in the upcoming draft.Kirkland surrendered 14 pressures on 404 snaps in pass protection this season, according to PFF.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jim Harbaugh might be inching closer to an NFL return.The Minnesota Vikings plan to fly in Michigan's sideline boss Wednesday for an in-person head coaching interview, sources told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.National Signing Day is also set to take place Wednesday.Harbaugh reportedly first interviewed with the Vikings over the weekend.He's one of four finalists for the job, along with Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, and New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, according to Pelissero.Minnesota was also interested in interviewing San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans for a second time, but he reportedly declined the opportunity to further his development with San Francisco.Harbaugh's name gained traction as a potential candidate to replace Mike Zimmer in Minnesota after the team hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as general manager. Adofo-Mensah and Harbaugh worked together for two years on the 49ers from 2013-14.Harbaugh, 58, has been linked to multiple NFL head coaching vacancies recently, with the Miami Dolphins also being speculated as a possible destination.The 2011 NFL Coach of the Year, who posted a 44-19-1 regular-season record with the 49ers from 2011-14, is coming off his best campaign at Michigan. The Wolverines, who clinched a berth in the College Football Playoff, finished 2021 with a 12-2 mark.Michigan is 61-24 with Harbaugh on the sideline since 2015.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tom Brady said Monday he hasn't made a final decision about his future."I'm just still going through the process that I said I was going through," Brady explained on the "Let's Go!" podcast, according to Zack Cox of NESN.He added: "I think when the time's right, I'll be ready to make a decision one way or another."Brady's comments come in response to reports that surfaced over the weekend indicating that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback was set to retire after 22 NFL seasons.The seven-time Super Bowl champion didn't deny the reports, though he said he's taking a day-to-day approach with his decision."We're in such an era of information, and people want to be in front of the news often," Brady said, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. "I totally understand that. I understand that's the environment we're in. I think, for me, it's just literally day-to-day with me."Brady reportedly also contacted the Bucs soon after the reports came out to say he's yet to make a final decision. He still has one year left on his contract as part of a two-year extension he inked in March 2021.The 44-year-old said after the Bucs' divisional-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams that he'd prioritize his family while deciding whether he'd return to Tampa Bay in 2022. He stated last year that his ultimate career goal was to play until age 45."There's a lot of interest in when I'm going to stop playing. I understand that," Brady also said Monday, according to The Athletic's Greg Auman. "It's not that I don't recognize that. When I know, I'll know. And when I don't know, I don't know. I'm not going to race to some conclusion about that."Brady has shown no signs of slowing down lately. The five-time Super Bowl MVP led the NFL with 485 completions, 5,316 passing yards, and 43 touchdowns in 2021 while helping the Bucs claim their first NFC South title since 2007.The GOAT helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV last year in his first season with the team. He previously lifted six Lombardi Trophies with the New England Patriots, where he spent the first 20 seasons of his career.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Football Team is preparing to take a major swing at landing an established quarterback this offseason, sources told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.Washington is set to enter the offseason with more than $40 million in cap space and has the 11th overall pick to use as a possible trade chip. The team faced a similar situation last year and came away with Ryan Fitzpatrick on a one-year contract and Taylor Heinicke on a two-year deal.Despite a solid offensive line and a star receiver in Terry McLaurin, Washington's passing offense ranked 21st in 2021. Heinicke started most of the games with Fitzpatrick injured.Washington reportedly offered first- and third-round picks for Matthew Stafford last year, but the Detroit Lions traded him to the Los Angeles Rams.Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, and Aaron Rodgers are among the quarterbacks who could become available on the trade market this offseason.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Josh McDaniels said Monday he'll be a different coach for the Las Vegas Raiders than he was when he flamed out with the Denver Broncos over a decade ago."When I went to Denver, I knew a little bit of football - I didn't really know people and how important that aspect of this process and maintaining the culture and building the team was," McDaniels told reporters. "I failed, I didn't succeed at it. Looking at that experience has been one of the best things in my life in terms of my overall growth as a person, as a coach."The Raiders introduced McDaniels as the 22nd head coach in franchise history, giving him his long-awaited second chance. He coached the Broncos from 2009-10, ruffling feathers almost immediately by dangling quarterback Jay Cutler in trade talks. McDaniels lost 17 of his final 22 games before being fired.The 45-year-old, who served as the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator before going to the Broncos, returned to Bill Belichick's staff in 2012 after a brief stint with the St. Louis Rams. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots in his second stint with the franchise."The last 10-12 years, I've really had an opportunity to grow as a person, as a coach, as a man, and try to figure out after my experiences in Denver and St. Louis who I am, how I wanted to be defined in my career, what I wanted to represent, and how I would lead the next time if I got another opportunity to be a head coach," he said. "It's crystallized for me. I'm clear in the vision that I have for this role, for this job, for this team, and I'm gonna be myself."McDaniels interviewed for numerous head coaching jobs across the NFL in recent years, but he never seemed eager to leave New England. He took the Indianapolis Colts' job in 2018 but backed out before the introductory press conference."I've been patient, I've been selective - maybe to a fault sometimes, people wanted me to do things a little earlier than maybe I did them - but it was gonna take a special place for me to really leave where I was, and I found that here in Las Vegas," he said.McDaniels will inherit a team that went 10-7 in 2021 and is coming off its second playoff appearance of the last 19 seasons. He'll take over along with new general manager Dave Ziegler, who also comes to the Raiders by way of the Patriots.Ziegler, who was unveiled before McDaniels, said he'll have the final say over player personnel decisions but noted he and McDaniels share a vision for building the roster.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Las Vegas Raiders introduced New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their next head coach Monday, per ESPN's Mike Reiss.Patriots executive Dave Ziegler will also join the team as its general manager, the club announced Sunday.McDaniels had a short-lived head coaching tenure with the Denver Broncos. He was fired toward the end of his second season in 2010 with an 11-17 record.He returned to the Patriots, where he'd been the offensive coordinator from 2005-08, and re-established himself as one of the NFL's best assistant coaches.While the 45-year-old received consistent head coaching interest throughout his second stop in New England, he's been particular about his next shot at being a head coach.McDaniels was seemingly on the verge of becoming the Indianapolis Colts' head coach in 2018 but backed out of the job in favor of remaining in New England.He'll succeed Jon Gruden, who resigned midseason after his derogatory emails came to light.Meanwhile, Ziegler was promoted to his director of player personnel role ahead of the 2021 season and acted as New England's de facto general manager. He worked with the Patriots in various roles for nine seasons and previously spent three campaigns with the Broncos.The future of quarterback Derek Carr will be McDaniels and Ziegler's first major decision. Carr is entering the final year of his contract.McDaniels has "always liked" Carr and the Patriots even considered trying to trade for the veteran signal-caller last offseason, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is apparently the favorite to replace McDaniels at the Patriots, having previously held the role in 2011.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said he was emotional in the locker room following Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game - possibly his final appearance with the Niners."(The emotions) hit pretty hard in the locker room," Garoppolo said postgame. "These next couple (of) days, they'll settle in a little bit. Emotions are high after a game, a win or a loss. It's one of those things you got to be glad it happened. Just smile from it and think about the good things. We'll see what happens in the next couple (of) days and weeks, but I love this team."Garoppolo's future in San Francisco became uncertain after the team drafted quarterback Trey Lance third overall in the 2021 draft.If the loss to the Rams marked Garoppolo's final game in red and gold, he sure wouldn't be proud about it.The 49ers carried a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Los Angeles scored 13 unanswered to take the lead with 1:46 left in the game. Garoppolo got the ball back with a chance to tie or win the contest but tossed an interception to cornerback Travin Howard, sealing the Rams' comeback.The veteran signal-caller, who was 9-6 during the regular season, finished the evening with 232 yards and two touchdowns against one interception on 16-of-30 passing.San Francisco made the playoffs as the NFC's No. 6 seed despite starting the year 2-4."It was a rollercoaster of a year, but we fought through it. We were a resilient team, and that's what good teams do," Garoppolo added.Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he isn't thinking about Garoppolo's future with the club at the moment."I love Jimmy," Shanahan said. "I'm not going to sit here and make a farewell statement or anything right now, it's the last stuff on my mind. Jimmy has battled his ass off. He battled today, did some unbelievable things today. I love coaching Jimmy."Garoppolo has struggled to stay healthy since joining the 49ers via trade from the New England Patriots in 2017. The 30-year-old - who helped San Francisco make Super Bowl LIV during the only full campaign in which he didn't miss any time due to injury - is 31-14 as a starter in the regular season over five years with the Niners.Lance replaced an injured Garoppolo in two games as a rookie, going 1-1.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles put the rest of the NFC North on notice Monday by providing his blueprint for divisional dominance.Poles addressed the media, speaking of building through the draft and being selective in free agency. He also stressed the need for open lines of communication and a "relentless" approach to addressing team weaknesses."The last thing, the most important piece, is we're going to take the (NFC) North and never give it back," Poles said.The Bears have won the NFC North only two times in the last 15 years, with their last division title coming in 2018. Chicago finished third in two of the last three campaigns, which led the organization to fire former head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace.Poles discussed his outlook on improving the Bears going forward in a later interview on 670 The Score's "Laurence Holmes Show.""It's expectations around here. It's the standard that's got to be lifted," Poles said. "And then for me, in terms of player acquisition, we've got to build the most competitive roster in the league."The Bears head into the 2022 offseason with Poles and new head coach Matt Eberflus. They face looming decisions on pending free agents, including wide receiver Allen Robinson and defensive lineman Akiem Hicks.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Super Bowl MVP market is up and refreshed now that we have an actual matchup. Pre-playoff favorites like Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, along with juicier sleeper options like Deebo Samuel, have all fallen by the wayside. Predictably, what remains are the starting quarterbacks atop the board and not much in the way of surprising prices listed thereafter.Here's a look at the opening odds for Super Bowl LVI MVP, courtesy of Barstool Sportsbook.PLAYERMVPMatthew Stafford+135Joe Burrow+220Cooper Kupp+600Ja'Marr Chase+1400Cam Akers+1500Aaron Donald+1600Von Miller+2000Joe Mixon+2500Odell Beckham Jr.+2500Tee Higgins+3300Leonard Floyd+4000C.J. Uzomah+5000Kendall Blanton+5000Darrell Henderson+5000Van Jefferson+5000Tyler Higbee+5000Sony Michel+5000Jalen Ramsey+5000Tyler Boyd+6600Logan Wilson+6600Trey Hendrickson+8000Drew Sample+8000Evan McPherson+10000The Rams are -195 on the moneyline, which carries an implied win probability of 66%. At +135, Matthew Stafford is expected to win the MVP 42.6% of the time, creating a 23.4% gap where Los Angeles wins but he doesn't.The Bengals are +160 on the moneyline, which is an implied win probability of 38.5%. At +220, Joe Burrow is expected to have a 31.3% chance to win MVP, creating a much smaller gap of 7.2% where Cincinnati wins and he doesn't.Depending on your confidence in either side, it might be worth backing your team's quarterback rather than betting the moneyline or point spread. However, the notable difference in the probability gap between the L.A. moneyline and Stafford's MVP odds leads me to look at another Rams player for an early value bet.Bet: Cooper Kupp (+600)Normally a bet on a wide receiver to win MVP can be a fool's errand since the quarterback throwing to the pass-catcher often gets the credit. However, this is a rare instance where there's been a year's worth of buildup in the media about Kupp's candidacy for regular-season MVP.With Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers vanquished but voting already complete, Kupp is receiving goodwill in hindsight. There's one thing that can rectify Kupp getting overlooked - a Super Bowl MVP vote.Statistically, Kupp has all the numbers to indicate potential for nine or 10 catches and approximately 130 yards. Based on the four receivers who have won the award in the last 20 years (Julian Edelman, Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Deion Branch), that's what Kupp would need for consideration.At +600, this is priced like there's just a 14% chance that Kupp wins the award, and using the Rams' moneyline, it implies he wins the MVP just 21% of the time if the Rams win. That's too low, especially against the Bengals' secondary, which doesn't present a particularly difficult challenge.Value: Evan McPherson (+10000)Don't laugh. This isn't the Stanley Cup Playoffs or even the NBA Finals, where multiple games are considered for the MVP. It's a one-off, and quite literally, anything can happen. Who would have been named MVP in the Bengals' divisional-round win against the Titans? Wouldn't it have been McPherson? In fact, that performance and the shine the kicker received afterward will actually put him on voters' radar should the Super Bowl be a low-scoring contest that, like the last six(!) playoff games, comes down to a kick.In an era when fourth-down decisions are scrutinized, the Bengals opting to kick (and make) long field goals could be a difference-maker. This will be especially true if the Rams fail on fourth-down because of a lack of confidence in their kicker, who has missed a pair of long attempts in their last two games.Of the options listed at 100-1 and longer, none are worth mentioning individually except this one thanks to that clutch kicking game in Tennessee.Fade: Aaron Donald (+1600)While there are players on the board who have a zero percent chance of winning MVP, once we get to 50-1, I can't rule anyone out unless they're not going to play.Meanwhile, Donald could very well ruin the Bengals' chances to win this game, but since that rarely leads him to exciting stats like tackles, fumbles, or interceptions, this price is just too short. The Rams' star defensive lineman is always the best player on the field but rarely gets credit for it, so at just 16-1 in a one-game scenario, I'll have to pass.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll praised Daniel Jones during his introductory press conference Monday."He's got the right mindset, he's got good size, there's a lot of things to like about Daniel," Daboll said, according to SNY. "And we'll just take it one day at a time. We’ll work with him, we'll help him get better, we'll help him be a better leader, we'll help him be everything."Daboll is set to be Jones' third head coach since being drafted by the Giants in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The quarterback's also worked with numerous play-callers - Mike Shula, Jason Garrett, and Freddie Kitchens all served as offensive coordinators in recent years."It takes a lot to raise a quarterback, if you will," Daboll added. "He's been around the block here these last three years with some different pieces. We're going to try to give him some stability and just take it from there."The new Giants head coach spent the last four seasons as the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator, drawing praise for his role in developing star quarterback Josh Allen. However, Daboll shut down any comparisons between Jones and the Bills quarterback."We're not going to make any predictions. I wouldn't do that to Daniel - or really any player. I don't think that's fair to compare him to another guy I was working with," he added.Jones was limited to just 11 games in the 2021 campaign as a neck injury left him sidelined for the final six weeks. He struggled with consistency when on the field, throwing for 10 touchdowns to seven interceptions and winning just four starts.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson interviewed for the New Orleans Saints' coaching vacancy Sunday, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.New Orleans reportedly has interviews scheduled with ex-Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores on Monday, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn on Wednesday, and current Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen on Wednesday or Thursday.Pederson previously interviewed with the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bears opted to hire Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, while the Jaguars have yet to sign a new head coach.The 54-year-old Pederson spent the 2021 season out of the NFL after being fired by the Eagles last January.He led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl title in the 2017 season and three winning campaigns in five years. But Pederson was dismissed amid a deteriorating relationship with team ownership and the front office, as well as a 4-11-1 finish in 2020.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams set up a matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI after rallying from a two-score deficit to beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17.More to come.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ja'Marr Chase continues to add to his impressive rookie campaign.The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver broke Torry Holt's record for most receiving yards by a rookie in the playoffs during the third quarter of Sunday's 27-24 overtime win against the Kansas City Chiefs.Chase entered the contest with 14 catches for 225 yards this postseason, only 17 shy of Holt, who racked up 242 yards for the St. Louis Rams in 1999.He finished the day with 54 yards and one touchdown on six receptions.The 21-year-old put on a show during the regular season after being drafted fifth overall in the 2021 draft. He also set an all-time record for most receiving yards in a game by a rookie with 266 versus the Chiefs in Week 17, his second 200-yard outing of the season.The LSU product finished his first NFL campaign with a franchise single-season record 1,455 yards to go along with 81 receptions and 13 touchdown catches.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.